The Way Past Winter

Product Information

As every book featuring snowfall must be by law, this book has been compared to Nothern Lights by Philip Pullman but in truth it doesn't aim to be that kind of book - rather than the modern fantasy genre of Northern Lights, it aims for a more folkloric story; a grand, perhaps allergorical, grown-up fairy-tale. Non posso certo dare un giudizio sulla narrazione data la mia ignoranza linguistica, ma nel complesso lo stile dell’autrice mi è parso fluido e intrigante. But the plot, characters and places are too vaguely sketched for that to come off. Millwood Hargrave's styling of those is more suitable for a mainstream fantasy adventure, and might have served a different story well. But the simple folkloric tale she has given them is a bad fit. The fairy-tale logic and world-building sit uncomfortably with the modern-fiction-shaped characters and relationships.

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. Nothing is vivid or richly imagined past a very well-drawn opening. The characters, settings, atmospheres and events are vague, leaving no real satisfaction to be found either as a bold folk tale or a nuanced fantasy novel. E in secondo luogo perché The Bear aveva tutte le ragioni di essere incazzato e di aver portato l’inverno perenne, mentre il padre dei ragazzi è stato un idiota.

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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. Sadly this atmosphere is not sustained throughout the novel, nor evolved into any other particular feeling. The main character's emotional life, so carefully observed in the at-home section disappears amid the broad strokes of a simplistic plot as soon as the action gets moving.

The book's best realised section is its first, which features a well-imagined world and atmosphere I didn't feel I had seen before. The marriage of cold and claustrophobia is particulary effective. The sense of oppressive cold and increasing desperation and despair are painted sharply. I could vividly imagine the dead smell of damp, and the frustration of close-quaters living where one cannot even storm away from from a family squabble without pausing to layer on outdoor clothes. We really enjoyed the characters, the storyline and the descriptions. There were some lovely dog characters in this one and some very inventive elements such as the journey to Thule and the breathe-skeins that helped them cross through an underwater current. An exciting, beautiful and atmospheric tale which looks at family, love, loyalty and at putting others before oneself and one which, I have to admit, kept me captivated from beginning to end. Although I am much older than the targeted age range I soon found myself completely absorbed to the extent I felt I too was travelling on Mila's sleigh, shouting "Farash" and "Stuta" to Dusha and Danya are they flew across the snowy landscape pursued by hungry, slavering wolves and huge-taloned eagles intent on preventing Mila reaching her goal. We both agreed this would make an amazing film, the scenes described are a great opportunity for stunning visuals.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.

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. At first we thought this would be too much like Gerda's journey to rescue Kay from the snow Queen, but this storyline had so much going for it. We really enjoyed the fairy tales of the heart tree and how this tree was sacred and their well being depended upon it. We thought this book was going to be a story with an environmental message, it was disappointing that these events happened, the bear was the guardian of the forest, but because too much had been taken from the forest by man and endless winter had been given to the people, the culmination was that rather than promise the bear they would help the environment, the bear was killed. Obviously the bear in this story had become very nasty themselves, but I hoped this would have a more positive message about the bear who was after all the embodiment of the wild, the forest and the environment. Everything Kiran writes is woven in the richest language and each sentence is a delight. But you also sense that with each book she puts a great piece of herself into the story too. This time I felt it in spades. Emotion resonates and pulses here whether it is from the threat of the stranger or the anger that the sisters feel as to what has happened to them. The plot and pace is pitch perfect too with just the right mix of reality and magic.

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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? Perhaps the book would be satisfying for younger children (in the 7-9 range) for whom simple fantasy plotting is more apt, but then the characters are too old and jaded, the opening too sophisticatedly drawn, and the occurence of death and violence too adult, for me to imagine anyone under the age of about twelve would be up for this. 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. 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 Mila sets out on a perilous quest to rescue Oskar, leading her through frozen landscapes. Mila will have to find a way past the eternal winter to reclaim spring again and reunite her family.

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. 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 was a very enjoyable and atmospheric read aloud. An ideal story to read by an open fire, essential to read in winter and preferable to read just at the end of winter when the hope of spring is in sight. 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.

Kiran Millwood Hargrave was born in Surrey in 1990, and her earliest ambition was to be a cat, closely followed by a cat-owner or the first woman on Mars. She has achieved only one of these things, but discovered that being a writer lets you imagine whatever you want. As the book description says, three sisters live with their brother until a stranger turns up. Following the events that happen that night, a journey is undertaken to save a sibling.