Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow is author Jessica Day George’s take on the fairy story East of the Sun, West of the Moon. The author stays very close to the original story and adds more detail and depth to her version. As this was one of my all time favorite stories when I was a child, I was ready to fall under it’s spell once again.

Jessica Day George has previously used her talents to bring other fairy stories to life so I knew that she would do the original justice. I liked how she developed the story and used Nordic touches that gave this version a strong sense of place. The heroine who has the ability to speak to animals was likeable and her pet wolf, Rollo, who supplied much of the humor and acted as a sounding board for the main show more character, was an excellent addition.

My only quibble is that I had read East by Edith Pattou fairly recently and at first I found these two stories so similar that it was difficult to immerse myself into this story. But as I read ever deeper into this adaptation, the differences started to take over and obscure the similarities. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow is a lyrical retelling that didn’t really break any new ground but was an enjoyable read. show less

Nice! I was confusing it, at first, with [The Bear and the Nightingale] - not totally dissimilar start, with the unliked girl child, and a northern setting (and the long winter, for that matter). This one's better, though. Richer story, to me, and stronger characters. My only question is whether Cupid and Psyche is a Scandinavian myth or the author imported it for this book... It's not _a_ fairy-tale retelling, it's about a dozen fairy tales plus some myths. The lass's journey north and traveling with the winds is amazing. Trolls and ice-bears and wow. And a full happy ending, for more than just the lass - even the trolls are probably better off (some of them think so, anyway). Worth reading, worth rereading. I'm getting drawn in to a show more Jessica Day George binge again... show less

I have yet to meet a re-interpretation of my favorite fairy tale 'East o'the Moon, West o'the Sun' that hasn't pleased me greatly and Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow (SaM, IaS)does not fail. As a quick comparison to the other two novel length adventures I've read on the fairy tale, East by Edith Pattou and Once Upon a Winter's Night by Dennis L. McKiernan, the story follows a similiar path.

Poor family with many kids, wintery climate, enchanted white bear, evil Troll Princess and plucky, resourceful lass. The manner in which these cornerstones are brought about however is the real fun. I will, more then likely, be doing reviews for both books seperately some time soon and then will do a true comparison review of the three.

Pika, or lass as her show more beloved older brother Hans Peter calls her, is the youngest child of Frida and Jarl. Frida rejects Pika, going so far as to not even name her (a horrifying occurance since unnamed children can not be baptized and are more easily snatched by trolls) and thrusts the responsbility of raising her into her oldest daughter's hands. Pika doesn't spend a lot of time lamenting this fact--merely takes it as is and does her best to stay out of her mother's way. I thoroughly disliked Frida, I'm not even certain she was meant to be liked at all. She was greedy, selfish and later in the story as their luck changes, downright ruthless. She had more in common with the troll queen and princess then she did her own family.

Aside from Hans Peter, Askeladden ('lucky third son' according to the myths) is featured more heavily then the other siblings. Later in the story one of her older sisters has an important role, but for the most part they are merely there and only occasionally show up. I was grateful for this since remembering 8 other names--and their importance to the story and family dynamic--might have fried my brain. The few random new bits are more then enough and their cameo appearances are short.

Not mentioned in the backcover blurb/synopsis is the fact that Pika can communicate with animals. The importance of this--and ramifications of this--aren't entirely felt until the latter half of the second part, but is important none the less.

At the risk of gushing, I had no problems with this book. It was a fun, enthralling read from start to finish that would keep a teen girl or adult entertained. There is nothing particularly racy involved and only the mildest sort of violence (mostly perpetrated towards the trolls by their own hands).

George's new fairy tale retelling--Princess of the Midnight Ball due out later this month--is a retelling of my other favorite fairy tale, 12 Dancing Princesses. I look forward to that book with great anticipation! show less

It's not my favorite of George's books. East of the Sun, West of the Moon is a weird fairy tale that has gotten a few retellings. George's take on the tale seems rather generic and I wish she had taken more liberties with the story.

That said, it was a pretty fast read, though I found the ending a bit unfulfilling. I thought the book begged for at least an epilogue, just to see reactions from the greedy mother and brother.

I did also find it very odd that the main character is basically nameless, but has a secret name the white reindeer gave her. This is a huge deal in the story and seemed like it would play a significant part to the plot later, especially given the "sometimes it's better to be nameless" line, but it doesn't. Instead, by show more always referring to the main character as "the lass", I felt disconnected with her. show less

good. well written, fun, and still maintains the integrity of the myth. since this is one of my favorite myths I had some trepidation. I was not disappointed. there were some interesting twists, such as rollo and the servants, but they just made the story unique. I quite enjoyed reading this one.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow is a retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon, one of my favorite fairy tales.

I feel like there are a couple ways to write a novel-length fairy tale: stick closely to the original tale in style and content or reinvent the tale, straying from the original material. This book really plants itself in the first category, so much so that it reads exactly like a fairy tale - the writing is very (almost too) simplistic, characters are static and undeveloped, and things flow very inorganically and without evoking much emotion (stemming from the author relying on telling rather than showing, maybe).

But the book, like its fairy tale, certainly is transporting. I really feel like I felt cold show more reading it, and it does a good job painting the icy, Norwegian winter.

It’s a nice read and a lovely retelling, but it doesn’t have that stick-to-your-heart kind of feel. show less

This review is also available on my blog, Read Till Dawn.

I won a giveaway over at Bookshop Talk for two books of my choice. How awesome is that, right? I know how awesome: very! I had read Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow many years before and loved it, so I knew this was the perfect time to re-read it and add the gorgeous book (seriously, look at that cover!) to my collection.

Jessica Day George is one of my favorite authors. I have read all of her books, and never met one I didn't like! She's a master at fairytale retellings and knows how to create some serious ambiance. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow differs from her amazing Princess books in that it isn't so much a complete retelling of the original tale as it is an imaginative fleshing out. show more What kind of family would give up their daughter to a talking bear? Why would a troll princess be so determined to marry a human prince? And why would she be so enchanted by the heroine's skills with a carding comb that she would let her into the palace? George fills in the answers to these questions and more in a way that creates a rich story that still reads like a fairytale - but a fairytale with far more detail and logic than any original version of "East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon" has to offer.

This isn't really a book that can be analyzed too much. It's a fleshed-out fairytale, not a regular story where realistic characters and plausible motives are required. The beauty of this book, though, is that it stays perfectly true to its magical foundations while at the same time managing to feature a lovable and realistic heroine, and logical reasons for everything that happens (logical in a world containing magic and trolls, anyway). The book's fantastical beginning may leave you with a lot of questions, but I guarantee that by the end everything will be explained.

The only (very slight) quibble I have is with the lass's wolf Rollo. He behaves much too much like a regular human for my taste. However, I know that George can write a realistic canine character (just look Pippin in the Dragon trilogy!), so I realize this must have been a conscious choice. It fits in well with the fairytale tone of the story. If the lass can speak to animals, then why shouldn't her best friend be a wolf?

All in all, this is just such a beautiful book - starting with the gorgeous cover, and lasting all the way through to the end! I love how everything is explained away with at least fairly logical reasoning, but the magical feel of the story is never lost. Georgee expanded the tale, instead of cutting it up and pasting it back together, and I really love the result. The old adage "if it's not broken, don't fix it" comes to mind. The story "East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon" was not broken, and it didn't need fixing. What it needed was for someone to color in the lines and fill it out. This is what George did, and she did a fantastic job! show less