Blood in the Snow - Sarah Pennington

Blood in the Snow

Sarah Pennington

SPOILER WARNING

Where to Purchase: Amazon

Official Blurb:

Her destiny is decided — but betrayal breaks even the best-laid plans.

Baili, the princess of the Kingdom of Seven Rivers, has always known what her future holds. Declared the fairest of all by the fabled Dragonglass, she is destined to fulfill an ancient prophecy and unite her homeland with its long-time enemy, the Kingdom of Three Peaks. And in doing so, she may save her country from death and ruin.

In order to fulfill her destiny, Baili must travel to the Kingdom of Three Peaks and marry its prince, Liu Xiang. But all Baili's plans and expectations are turned upside-down when her servants and soldiers, acting on her stepmother's orders, turn against her on the road. Baili narrowly escapes with her life, but she's left alone and adrift among strangers.

Fortunately, Baili finds refuge in the home of seven animal keepers: servants and slaves to the emperor of Three Peaks. Yet time is running out. Her servants' rebellion was only a small part of a much larger plot. Within weeks, her stepmother plans to unite the two kingdoms, not by contract, but by conquest. Baili must reclaim her rightful place and unite not just two kingdoms but many peoples in order to stop the plan. And if she fails, two kingdoms will be plunged into ruin.

Sure to delight lovers of fantasy and fairy tales, this rich and magical Asian-inspired adventure combines Snow White and The Goose Girl in a way you've never seen before.

As a Retelling:

This story beautifully blends The Goose Girl and Snow White, with the maidservant playing much of the same part as the huntsman, and allowing each fairy tale to add nuance to the other. The ending does lean towards Snow White. The backstory of Snow White's mother allowing her blood to fall into the snow and her wish coming true forms the basis for the magic system, and it seamlessly blends with the elemental magic of The Goose Girl. 

Arista's Thoughts:

Hands down a gorgeous tale. While I'd never thought of weaving these two tales together, they work together so beautifully that it feels like they belonged together the whole time. The Asian culture is well-researched and built, and it's surprising that so much can be packed into such a small book. 

True Mashup - Snow White and The Goose Girl
Book

Asian

Magical

Christian

Arista Challenge

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