Prisoner of Ice and Snow

Lauren, Ruth. Prisoner of Ice and Snow. 2017. 280p. ISBN 9781681191317. Available at FIC LAU on the library shelves.

Valor is ready to do anything to help her twin sister Sasha. Even if that means making an assassination attempt on Prince Anatol so she can be condemned and sentenced to the ruthless Tyur’ma prison. For that’s where her sister has been sent after she stole a delicate musical box that was intended to cement an alliance between their country of Demidova and the neighboring nation of Magadanskya. And Valor knows that her sister will not be able to survive without her help.

As daughters of royal advisors, Valor and Sasha’s arrests bring disgrace on their family. Valor has a plan, however. She has seen her father’s old maps and knows there is a tunnel beneath Tyur’ma that leads straight to the Royal Palace. All she’s got to do is find her sister, steal a key, and escape with her from the inside of the prison, a feat no one has successfully accomplished in the 300 years’ existence of Tyur’ma. Unfortunately, Valor was not counting on the harsh and treacherous environment imposed by Warden Kirov, head of the notoriously cruel Peacemakers, guardians of the prison.

Now inside the ice walls, Valor finds herself struggling with her captivity. The lack of food, the lack of sleep, the cold, and the overwork is rapidly wearing her down. She knows that Sasha is more delicate, so these conditions must be even harder for her. As she plans her escape, Valor will have to turn to others to help. But with so many spies and criminals surrounding her, whom can she trust?

A well crafted fantasy novel about a place of ice and cold, readers will enjoy discovering how Valor surmounts the struggle to free her sister and prove her innocence.