The Bright and the pale

Inspired by Russian folklore and full of romance, tragedy, magic, and monsters, Jessica Rubinkowski’s epic fantasy debut is a thrilling page-turner now in paperback, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sara Raasch.

Seventeen-year-old Valeria is one of the few survivors of the freeze, a dark magical hold Knnot Mountain unleashed over her village. Everyone, including her family, remains trapped in an unbreakable sheet of ice. Ever since, Val’s been on the run from the Czar, whose sole mission is to imprison anyone who managed to escape.

Ten years later, Val still mourns her family and, more recently, the murder of her best friend, Alik…until Val discovers that Alik is alive and being held captive. In exchange for his freedom, Val must lead a perilous expedition to the very mountain that claimed her family. Only, something sinister slumbers in the heart of Knnot. And it has waited years for release.