The Way Past Winter

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Perpetual winter has haunted Mila's forest for years, leaving her siblings to fight for food and survival. So when a mysterious band of men turn up at their door, talking of treasure, Mila is suspicious. With the disappearance of her brother the next morning, Mila is convinced he has been taken. But can the help of Rune, the Mage outcast be enough to find him? This middle grade exudes the very essence of winter. From snowy landscapes, to ice covered forests and dog pulled sleighs, the descriptions are wonderful. You can almost feel the cold, and wrapping up warm in furs along with Mila and her sisters. This relationship is also quite heartwarming in itself. All the siblings, although not perfect, share a special bond. It's well written, as I would expect from Millwood-Hargrave, who seems to have this ability to create intricate and carefully balanced relationships that are complicated yet deeply moving and more importantly, believable. This eagerly-awaited story by award-winning author Kiran Millwood Hargrave is the perfect winter adventure story, telling of an extraordinary adventure through the frozen north in a quest to reunite families and to break a cycle of endless winter

Kiran Millwood Hargrave is a masterful storyteller and this spectacular new tale about siblings, bravery and not losing hope is likely to capture imaginations and whisk readers on a mesmerising pursuit through magical realms. A captivating read to warm hearts on cold, winter days. Mila lives with her siblings in their small cabin deep in the wintry forest. One night, mysterious strangers arrive near their village looking for shelter. The next morning, the men have gone but they have taken Mila's brother Oskar with them. There were some parts that those reading aloud to young children might want to be aware of the boys who are captured are turned into a sort of living zombie, most of them feed the heart tree, but one is frozen in the ice so that the rescue sleigh cannot pass, the description of this boy being killed is quite graphic and though fine for a read aloud to a 16 year old I would have felt uncomfortable reading this to smaller children. The description of the boys being sacrificed for the tree is also quite horrific and might provide vivid nightmares to a younger child. Also when the reason for all this trouble is revealed we were left wondering why this person would cause all this trouble when they were someone who warned about such actions. I really enjoy the writing of Kiran Millwood Hargrave and The Way Past Winter is no exception, it has all the ingredients of a beautiful, timeless fairytale, and is sure to enchant both adults and children alike. Es gab eine Sache, die mich gestört hat. Der Klappentext sagt aus, dass die Hauptfigur Mila mit ihren beiden Schwestern unterwegs ist, was aber nur insoweit stimmt, als dass sie zu Beginn (eigentlich noch vor der eigentlichen Reise) zusammen unterwegs sind und dann auf der letzten Etappe nochmals. Dazwischen werden Mila und ihre kleine Schwester von einem (männlichen) jungen Zauberer begleitet. Das ist vollkommen in Ordnung, auch mochte ich den Zauberer und seine (Kräuterhexen-ähnliche) Fähigkeiten sehr, dennoch war es ein wenig enttäuschend, da es eben so klingt, als ob hier drei Mädchen bzw. zwei Mädchen und eine junge Frau unterwegs wären, die ohne männliche Hilfe auskommen. Vielleicht dient es auch einfach nur dazu, dass das Buch dadurch eher von männlichen Lesern angenommen wird.However, I just feel that the world building and plot isn't really explored to its full extent here. Folktales and culture are talked about briefly, more as a plot device than anything else, but never really examined or discussed in depth. I wanted to more about the Bear, how he came to be and what his true intentions might have once been before he steps down this dark path of revenge and rage.

Regalo di un Natale passato, questo piccolo libricino si è rivelato il compagno giusto per passare un freddo pomeriggio d’inverno. Essendo pensato per un target giovane, il testo è molto facile da comprendere per pace del mio cervello fuori allenamento, motivo per cui ve lo consiglio anche se non siete molto esperti in inglese.

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Deep in the frozen North, Mila lives with her two sisters, Sanna and Pipa and elder brother, Oskar. Being the middle child is a challenge in itself but more so when you lose your mother at childbirth and your father disappears without a word. With the endless snow and little to live off, Mila's life takes a turn for the worst when a bear of man appears at their door one night with his legs tangled in odd golden cords and stepping on the snow lighter than a hare. His presence and story will challenge and change Mila's life forever.