Blood in the Snow - Sarah Pennington (Release Day Review!)

“Though it is with great regret that I bid farewell to my stepdaughter—” the empress did not sound regretful— “her departure is undoubtedly the will of the Divine. So His prophecy commands: ‘As the river unites land and sea, so the fairest of all shall unite those that have been divided and make them one.’ The Dragonglass, which cannot lie, declares Princess Baili fairer than any in the land. Therefore, she shall wed Prince Liu Xiang of the Kingdom of Three Peaks and seal between our lands a bond ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity.”

When I first read the paragraph above, I knew that I was going to love Sarah’s story—and I did. It has wonderful historical detail; a sweet, humble heroine; a satisfying romance; and high stakes, as the rulers of two great nations contend for the future of their lands. Although it draws from the European fairy tales “Snow White” and “The Goose Girl,” it is set in a magical version of Asia, with the Mandarin, Japanese, and Mongolian peoples (as well as others I didn’t recognize) struggling for peace and prosperity.

Baili is the princess of Seven Rivers, heir of the royal Bloodgift which yields power over water and air. As the fairest of them all—surpassing even her stepmother, Empress Yawen—she will be sent to marry the prince of Three Peaks in order to reconcile the two kingdoms. But the marriage plans do not proceed smoothly. As she journeys north, Baili is replaced by her maidservant, and barely escapes with her life. Providentially, she finds refuge with a group of peasants and POWs who live near the Three Peaks capital. But her maidservant has already claimed her place in the palace. How can Baili prove her identity to Prince Xiang and his father? With the true architect of her downfall still free to plot, will Baili survive to reclaim her place?

High Points

Honestly, this story is all high points. Baili is such a sweet person. I was really rooting for her throughout the story. The “dwarves” are a lot of fun—especially Chouko, who challenges Baili in so many ways. Prince Xiang, with his kindness and healing gift, was the perfect match for Baili. I loved the historical and linguistic details, and the fact that Sarah was committed to showing the multi-ethnic society of ancient China.

Caveats

The only thing that bothered me was that the story wasn’t longer. I think this storyline, these characters, and this world could easily have supported a story twice or three times this length (it’s only 62 pages long in my PDF version). Sarah hints at many fascinating things in her Asia-esque world… I really wanted to see these fleshed out. What is the Dragonglass exactly, and where did it come from? What’s the deal with the Bloodgifts?

Bottom Line

I adored this story. Even though I already have it as an electronic file, the paperback is going on my wish list! If you’re a fan of Anne Elisabeth Stengl’s Golden Daughter, you’ll enjoy Blood in the Snow as well.

Sarah's Bio

Sarah Pennington has been writing stories since before she actually knew how to write, and she has no intention of stopping anytime soon. She is perpetually in the middle of writing at least one or two novels, most of which are in the fantasy and fairy tale retelling genres. Sarah's first published work, Blood in the Snow, received a perfect score and Special Unicorn status in Rooglewood Press's Five Poisoned Apples contest. When she isn't writing, she enjoys knitting, photography, and trying to conquer her massive to-be-read list. Find her online at: Website || Blog || Second Blog || Facebook

Links

Find Blood on Amazon here.

Add it on Goodreads here.

The first chapter is available for FREE here!

Magic Mirrors

Sarah’s story is part of the Magic Mirrors co-release—a group of seven Snow White stories by six different authors, all becoming available the last week of October. Watch this space for more Magic Mirrors reviews! Navigate over to organizer Kendra's blog to join the Rafflecopter giveaway!