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Cold Spell

(Fairytale Retellings #4)

Jackson Pearce (Goodreads Author)

3.62 · Rating details · 1,626 ratings · 272 reviews

Kai and Ginny grew up together–best friends since they could toddle around their building’s rooftop rose garden. Now they’re seventeen, and their relationship has developed into something sweeter, complete with stolen kisses and plans to someday run away together.

But one night, Kai disappears with a mysterious stranger named Mora–a beautiful girl with a dark past and a hea ...more

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Hardcover, 323 pages

Published November 5th 2013 by Little, Brown and Company

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Start your review of Cold Spell (Fairytale Retellings, #4)

Oct 31, 2013 jv poore rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, legends-myths-fables, paranormal, young-adult, fantasy

There is something about Ms. Pearce’s writing that calls to me like a siren from the sea. Her words leap from the pages to wrap me in comfort. Picking up one of her books feels like wrapping chilly hands around a steaming mug of cocoa. The anticipation must be savored for a moment, before diving into the bliss. Cold Spell, her most recent novel is no exception.

This enchanting interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen” captivated this reader immediately. Brimming with exceptiona There is something about Ms. Pearce’s writing that calls to me like a siren from the sea. Her words leap from the pages to wrap me in comfort. Picking up one of her books feels like wrapping chilly hands around a steaming mug of cocoa. The anticipation must be savored for a moment, before diving into the bliss. Cold Spell, her most recent novel is no exception.

This enchanting interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen” captivated this reader immediately. Brimming with exceptional characters exhibiting quirks, wit, sweetness, determination, talent and compassion; this seemingly simple tale of one girl persistently pursuing her soul-mate becomes a book that cannot be put down.

At the tender age of 17, Ginny has known and loved Kia for a decade. With just a twist, a typical romance is transformed. You see, Kia loves her right back. Where does a story go when it starts with an uncomplicated, true and shared love? Well, in this case, on an epic adventure including Fenris, gypsies (Travellers), a compassionate and ultra-cool couple and the sinister, selfish Snow Queen, Mora.

When the Snow Queen chooses Kia for own court, she has no clue how far Ginny is willing to go to prevent this. Even during her time as a human, Mora has never known real love; therefore, she simply can’t fathom what one person may do to save a cherished soul from a life-time of suffering, servitude and pain. Until faced with it; The Snow Queen never anticipated that a girl would be willing to kill her own soul-mate as the last resort to free him.

This alone would make a fabulous book, but true to form, Ms. Pearce gives us so much more. Ginny’s chase after Kia and his captor is enriched with colorful characters, unique life-styles with funky traditions, and surprising common bonds. As Ginny meets new people, this reader enjoyed subtle reminders that translate to real-life such as; things are not always as they seem, trust your gut-feelings; sometimes, good people appear to be doing “bad” things and, on occasion, the proverbial “bad-guy” is a hurt, frustrated and confused being with no one to turn to.

Although the story and characters are fictional; emotions, concerns and certain dilemmas aren’t really that far from reality. It is to that end, I think, that Ms. Pearce’s books bring me happiness and satisfaction. Not only are they tremendously entertaining, but they help me remember that the story-book wrap-up I tend to carry in my head is not always the best ending.
...more

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Jan 08, 2018 mich rated it did not like it

Shelves: bland-characters, i-just-don-t-care, forgettable, zzzzz, your-priorities-are-fucked-up, bland-hero, main-character-is-lame, disappointing, i-paid-too-much-for-this-crap, ya

Unforgivably boring. NONE of the characters were properly developed. Everything was bland. And boring.

The writing isn't horrible, but it has a very boring quality to it. (This book bored me, can you tell?)

1.5 stars and rounding down because the cool book cover feels like false advertising.

Read this for a reading challenge (re-tellings). It was my first one, so I guess I can only go uphill from here, right? ;) ...more

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Dec 20, 2013 Casey Harvey rated it did not like it

Shelves: reviewed-books, bad-meh-books, retellings

Anyone here a Disney fan? Seen Frozen? Well, I am and have, which has evoked an intense interest in the Snow Queen fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson. So, when I saw Cold Spell, I was like “Hella Yeah!” Immediately, when I got it, the book had two things going for it – that awesome cover and Jackson Pearce. I’ve never read anything else by Pearce, but I walked into the book having heard nothing but good things about her “dark, edgy” fairy tale retellings. So, when I found out she’d just writt ...more

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Dec 13, 2014 Giselle rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-electronic, requested-for-review, 3-star, age-young-adult, genre-fairytale, genre-fantasy, 2013, from-netgalley, retelling, genre-romance

An Electronic Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss for review.

All I knew about this one was that it would be the last book and it ended up being a retelling of The Snow Queen. Granted, I don't know much about that fairy-tale so I went to Wiki and read a summary so I could at least compare this one to that. I wasn't disappointed at all.

Cold Spell is a great retelling and Jackson Pearce makes it her own. She also brings in her own characters who are just like the origin ...more

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Apr 08, 2018 Alaina rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, 2018, fiction, young-adult, paranormal, romance, fairy-tales, favorites, supernatural, contemporary

OMG! The synopsis of this book already had me intrigued before I was even writing the reviews for the three other books!

Cold Spell was a fantastic ending to this series! The characters in this book were awesome, kickass, hilarious, and overall enjoyable/lovable! Ginny, reminded me of Harry Potter, but I loved this character! She was awesome! Then there was the adorable yet hilarious Lucas, Ella the sweetheart that will surely kick your ass, Flannery, who was smart, strong, and overall pretty awe ...more

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Jun 03, 2014 Maddie rated it liked it

This was a really lovely way of ending the series, with little hints to the characters from the other books. I wasn't sure how the Snow Queen was going to link with the whole wolf-theme, but in the end, I thought it worked so well. Although the books can be read not in sequence or as stand-alones, this was still an excellent retelling of a tale I don't know much about! ...more

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May 26, 2014 Jean rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya, fantasy, fractured-fairy-tales

Oh, where to begin? I was so excited to read this book, after the one-two punch of Sweetly and Fathomless. There are quite a few reasons why this book was a disappointment, not least of which is that I've read online numerous people saying that Jackson Pearce has said this would be the final book (I couldn't find a source, not even on her official site, so I'll live in hope that she won't give up on it now!) Which undeniably affected my feelings on the book and my review, since, as a wrap up of Oh, where to begin? I was so excited to read this book, after the one-two punch of Sweetly and Fathomless. There are quite a few reasons why this book was a disappointment, not least of which is that I've read online numerous people saying that Jackson Pearce has said this would be the final book (I couldn't find a source, not even on her official site, so I'll live in hope that she won't give up on it now!) Which undeniably affected my feelings on the book and my review, since, as a wrap up of a strong series? Frankly, it blew. If you're going to have a common plot thread running through a series, you have to eventually resolve it; you can't pretend that they're four stand alone books. So, really? We're just leaving the Fenris to wander around and continue to prey on girls, to eat and to capture and make into ocean girls? I was hoping for some sort of great final entry where all the Reynolds siblings would get together and fight! To give some resolution to the over-arcing storyline.

And speaking of the Reynolds, it was something that bothered me in Fathomless as well, that they apparently don't share information, especially not with their little sister, who they've creepily just dropped into boarding school without so much as warning them about the Fenris. And if anyone had spoken to them, Lucas would have known about the ocean girls during this book, and they wouldn't have bumbled around in the dark. That said, I did really like Lucas, and Ella; they were, by far, my favorite of the characters aside from Ginny herself.

Ginny was sweet. She wasn't outstanding, especially within this series, but she wasn't offensive either, even if her first person narration often sounded bland and generic. But her journey as a person was easy to relate to, and, for me, enjoyable, to watch her becoming a fully confident and independent person outside of her relationship. Kai I could take or leave, but that has a lot to do with the fact that he only gets so much character development before Mora starts controlling him and he behaves, well, like a dick.

Ah, Mora. Not only did she suddenly spout powers it was in no way hinted at that the ocean girls ever had (the power to control water? Ummmm... Certainly they listened to the ocean, and knew how and when to move with it, but that's a long way from going to land and saying, 'okay, I can make it snow now, because rain is just water, and I have power over all of the water!' No.) Though, hooray for following up on the story about the ocean girl who regained her soul by successfully stealing one from a boy who loved her with a kiss, but that was all thrown in there so quickly, among the other revelations about Mora, it seemed weird, rushed.

And then there were the tinkers, aka the Irish Travelers. I had no idea they were so present in the american South (Wiki assures me this is so) as itinerant workers, NOT, as this book suggests, as thieves. It made me cringe, how much Pearce just wrote them to fit the mold as the stereotypical "gipsy," with the caravan and campfires and forced marriages and royalty. When this became the prominent plot thread in the book? I lost interest. Oh, God. Why? There was not one character I liked. Flannery was a little brat whose rolling of her eyes and threatening violence seemed childish, not in the least strong. When she actually left with Ginny, it felt like a punch to the soul, that I was stuck with her now.

Oh, and how about the scene where the young men all fight over who gets to "host" Ginny? Isn't that a bunch of fun, reading about boys fist fighting over the privilege to rape our heroine? Because that's what it is, let's be honest. Cooking and cleaning, my ass! and that's another strange thing: Flannery cusses up a storm, but sex seems to be a taboo subject to even touch. Mora? She makes the boys sleep with her (as far as we see, literally sleep, but, come on! For me, her physical comfort was implied), makes them "love" her, and yet, Kai is not allowed to deal with the implications of that afterward; he's still spouting that he loved her, and then worrying that Ginny'll be insecure about it. Well, what do you feel about it, boy? There's some heavy Stockholm going on there, and maybe that was the point, but if it was, she dropped the ball in dealing with it in its complexity and the actual horror of it. Oh, why?

Also, how does Ginny not get frostbite, at all? Running around in the freakishly cold snow in flimsy clothing for extended periods of time. She sort of gets hypothermia at the end, and then not really, even after falling into the water and not immediately getting help. All right.

On a whole, however, the book was probably the best paced of all four of them. The story wasn't rushed, it felt complete. There weren't five different climaxes, the pacing was right, and there was an emotional payoff for every character involved. She used a LOT from the fairy tale. Which was fun to spot, like the red shoes, but it also seemed more distracting than being a bit more fast and loose. A middle of the road read, with some problematic themes and material, made a bit worse by the fact that it's possibly the end to an otherwise strong series. ...more

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Jul 25, 2013 Jenni Arndt rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-ebook

I am going to go out a limb here and say that the entire world heard the giant sigh of relief that I let out upon finished Jackson Pearce's Cold Spell. After more than two weeks of constantly struggling with every book I picked up (including walking away from two by two of my favourite authors of all time) it was nice to finally get sucked into a book. Two weeks may not seem like a long time, but when you are used to picking up 3-4 books a week and ploughing through them quickly that little rut I am going to go out a limb here and say that the entire world heard the giant sigh of relief that I let out upon finished Jackson Pearce's Cold Spell. After more than two weeks of constantly struggling with every book I picked up (including walking away from two by two of my favourite authors of all time) it was nice to finally get sucked into a book. Two weeks may not seem like a long time, but when you are used to picking up 3-4 books a week and ploughing through them quickly that little rut takes it's toll.

Cold Spell is a fairytale retelling of the tale The Snow Queen. Now I have to be honest up front and admit that this is a fairytale that I have never had the pleasure of reading but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of this story at all. We are treated to a fantastic prologue right off the bat that really sucks you into the story and tells the story of a young girls love being taken away in a snow storm in 1947, never to be seen again. Jump ahead to present day and we meet Kai and Ginny. These two have been best friends since Ginny moved into Kai's grandmother's apartment building when she was a young girl. After being best friends and confidantes for years their relationship has began to follow a more romantic path, with dreams of escaping to New York together and even young love plans of elopement. When Kai's grandmother passes away right after the onset of a severe snow storm, Mora walks into Kai and Ginny's life and changes everything.

First off I have to say that I loved all of the elements that were at play in this novel. We have a really great romance at the heart of the novel. Kai and Ginny's love for one another is strong when the book starts but through flashbacks we get to slow it's slow growth into what it is today. As Ginny sets out on her mission to rescue Kai from the Snow Queen she also forms some other really great, strong relationships along the way. I loved the Reynolds' with their resourcefulness and how they showed Ginny the kind of kindness that you just don't see everyday. I also came to really like Flannery, The Princess of Kentucky. She was from this gypsy-like group of travellers and was hilarious! She was definitely what I would think is the antithesis of your typical princess.

What really shines in this novel is the character growth of our girl Ginny. She starts out as someone who is very reliant on Kai. She is willing to do anything for him and put all of his needs before her own. As she sets out to get him back she grows into a kick ass girl and realizes that she can make it out in the world on her own. Most of her helplessness in the beginning of the novel is due to her absentee parents. Her dad moved out when she was young and her mom doesn't show much interest in her life at all. She makes her own little family as the story goes on and sees that blood does not make family, family is what you make it.

This being the 4th of Pearce's retellings has me wanting to run out and grab the rest as fast as I can. I loved how whimsical the story felt while still feeling very contemporary in the issues that it dealt with. I think there was a perfect balance of love, action and comedic relief and I hope to find more of that balance in her other novels. With that I must thank Jackson for taking me out of my reading funk and getting me excited to pick up a book again!

An Advanced Reader's Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

--

You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads. ...more

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Jan 29, 2013 ~Tina~ rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, read-2013, own-copy

4.5 stars

There is something very magical when ever I read one of Jackson Pearce’s fairytale retelling. I've always loved the story of the Snow Queen, her bitterness and her beauty, but this book was exceptionally remarkable, tangling fierce love and friendship against the backdrop of the harsh and cruelty of winter and the longing and evil that it brings.

Cold Spell captures the story of Kai and Ginny, they've been best friends since they were little kids and that friendship turned into a preciou 4.5 stars

There is something very magical when ever I read one of Jackson Pearce’s fairytale retelling. I've always loved the story of the Snow Queen, her bitterness and her beauty, but this book was exceptionally remarkable, tangling fierce love and friendship against the backdrop of the harsh and cruelty of winter and the longing and evil that it brings.

Cold Spell captures the story of Kai and Ginny, they've been best friends since they were little kids and that friendship turned into a precious kind of love. But Mora, the Snow Queen’s, insatiable need to fill a deep void is powerful and goes after boys like Kai for her own twisted vendetta. But Ginny will do what ever it takes to bring back her love, no matter what it takes, even if it means that she will have to kill Kai…to save him.

Wow! This was such a fantastic escape, Pearce is a master storyteller when it comes to fairytales retellings. I don’t know how she does it, but her writing is so passionate that it makes me feel like I’m right in the middle of this world. I saw everything this story had to offer so vividly in my mind. The crisp winter snow, the grey flavor scattered on ever page and the terror of the Fenris and the desperation of losing the one person you love the very most. I've read my share of adult contemps, urban fantasy and new adults and while I love nothing more then reading sizzling heat or sexy times, I forget how powerful and touching love can really be. Kai and Ginny have fairytale love, it’s the kind that you would want to wrap your arms around with both arms and hold on tight. It’s the kind of love that you would go to hell and back again just to hear them breath. I wasn't sure how connected I would feel for them, since Kai was taken so early on in the story, but the past memories from Ginny provided us with a very effective look from childhood to teenage moments that made me feel just how wonderfully beautiful their love really is. It also gave Ginny and the reader the strength to continue on this impossible journey and hoping against hope that everything will turn out right come the end.

I really loved all of these characters. They are amazingly put together, they have amazing chemistry with one another that amused and charmed me from the first page on.
Ginny is a wonderful protag to be proud of. I love her dedication and fierce determination and heart to get Kai back against monstrous odds. I loved seeing her grow throughout the book, learning that she’s a lot stronger then she realized and that with or without Kai, she can make it on her own.
Kai is one of those characters that is genuinely good and kind. I have a hard time trying to explain how I feel about him since there are two versions of him in this book. The ever talented boy who loves Ginny and the boy who was under an evil spell and left her broken hearted. My heart truly went out to him, feeling badly for all that he was put through.
I love love loved Lucas and Elle, they are such good people, giving, loving and fun to be around. The only part of the story that felt a little off was during the Travellers moments in the camp since it didn't quite blend with the rest of the story at that point, but it gave us Flannery and Callum, who I grew to greatly love in this book.

All in all, I really loved this book. Cold Spell is a enchanting and magical tale of love, friendship and self discovery covered under a blanket of rich tainted snow. It was the perfect winter escape that gave me chills and warmed my heart at the same time.
Beautifully done! Another wonderful fairytale escape from Pearce! ...more

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Apr 16, 2020 Taschima rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley-grind, e-arc-titles-done, owls-spellmaker-2020, stacking-the-e-reader, owls-reads-2020

Thanks to 𝓞𝓦𝓛𝓼 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓪𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓷-𝓓𝓲𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 course for kicking my butt into gear and getting me into my OLDER TBR pile.

Cold Spell was such a sweet, great retelling. I enjoyed the story and the character development. Ginny had by far the most growth. She went from a sweet girl who was planning her entire future around her boyfriend, to someone who knows in her soul she can stand on her own two feet. I loved seeing the character development for Ginny because at the beginning it did feel kind of irritating Thanks to 𝓞𝓦𝓛𝓼 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓪𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓷-𝓓𝓲𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 course for kicking my butt into gear and getting me into my OLDER TBR pile.

Cold Spell was such a sweet, great retelling. I enjoyed the story and the character development. Ginny had by far the most growth. She went from a sweet girl who was planning her entire future around her boyfriend, to someone who knows in her soul she can stand on her own two feet. I loved seeing the character development for Ginny because at the beginning it did feel kind of irritating how co dependent she was. But it was all part of the plan!

I had to look up the original story of the Snow Queen, and I did like the contemporary spin that Jackson Pearce gives it. I thought the red roses were going to be a bigger part of it, but I do think the way that Ginny "breaks the spell" on Kai is even more heart warming than in the original story.

The side characters also make the story that much more enjoyable, specially Flannery. Flannery is the Princess of the Traveler's, trying extra hard to win her people's respect and support. When Ginny crosses paths with the Traveler's Flannery is there to fight for her (but not in a heroic way). Eventually they become friends. Flannery's character is tough and complicated, as the thing that could help her with her people is the one thin she will never do.

Kai is a sweet boy who we don't get to see a lot of, but what we do see paints him in a cookie cutter perfect light... right up to he meets Mora and starts to change. We get to see more of Kai through Ginny's memories, and almost ALL of those are good memories. No fights, just two childhood friends who are destined to be right up to the point where the evil Snow Queen comes along and steals Kai away.

The Snow Queen, Mora--I really enjoyed that we are given her POV. It made her into a three dimensional character. She is absolutely doing the worst, but she does have her reasons, even if they are terrible. Just because you were hurt doesn't mean you get to hurt others; which she clearly doesn't get, but nevertheless she has a strength that is enviable.

Overall, this retelling was well worth the read and made me interested in maybe going back and reading the rest of the stories. Cold Spell may be the 4th in the "series" but it is essentially a stand alone and can be read without reading the rest. I did! I was hoping that there was a sequel, but since there isn't I can just read the rest of the books that came before ^^

PS; I was provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks go to the publisher! ...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Brad Sells rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2013-favorites, arc-own, ala-2013

Cold Spell is a phenomenal, spellbinding novel that can melt any icy heart and will make readers fall in love with Jackson Pearce even more. This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite books of all time. From the world-building to the characters to the romance, everything about Cold Spell is fantastic.

Pearce can weave together one brutal, beautiful world. We've been through so many worlds throughout Sisters Red (the woods), Sweetly (the hidden South), and Fathomless (the ocean), but Cold Spell Cold Spell is a phenomenal, spellbinding novel that can melt any icy heart and will make readers fall in love with Jackson Pearce even more. This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite books of all time. From the world-building to the characters to the romance, everything about Cold Spell is fantastic.

Pearce can weave together one brutal, beautiful world. We've been through so many worlds throughout Sisters Red (the woods), Sweetly (the hidden South), and Fathomless (the ocean), but Cold Spell brings something even more epic than before. We get to see the heart of an endless winter, and the way Pearce brings this world to life off the page was amazing. The endless winter put our protagonists, Ginny and Kai, to the test, and I loved how Jackson Pearce wasn't afraid to knock her characters down. Speaking of which, Kai and Ginny made a fantastic duo. They complimented and contrasted each other in a wonderful balance; they're one of my favorite pairs of all time. Cold Spell knocked it out of the ballpark. I absolutely adored this book.

The writing style is so unique and captivating. It lures you in - almost like Mora! - and you can't escape this book. If I set it down for a single moment, it was the only thing that was on my mind. And oh Mora, how I love thee. She's so interesting and deadly, and I was never quite sure if she was all wicked or if there was some good buried within her. I loved the contrast of light and dark that was played on Mora - she was an exceptional character.

Oh man, how this book took so many plot twists! So many turns! All the feels! If you're needing a series to get attached to and fall head over heels in love with, this is the series for you. They're fun, addictive, and overall, an original gem that shouldn't be missed. I absolutely love this series to pieces. I'm sad to see it go, but every single book was phenomenal in its own way. Jackson Pearce, thank you so much for this series. It was marvelous!

Overall, Cold Spell is a fantastic novel that leaves a mark in YA. What a finale to a stunning series! Love, love, love. So incredible. ...more

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Feb 15, 2014 Sarah Elizabeth rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, love-triangle, read-2014, as, death, paranormal, young-adult, bought-2014

(Source: I own a copy of this book.)
17-year-old Ginny and Kai have been best friends forever, and girlfriend/boyfriend for a while, when suddenly a girl called Mora turns up, and Kai leaves Ginny for her.
Ginny is convinced that Mora has done something to Kai though, and thinks she may be the Snow Queen, intent on turning Kai into a Fenris.
Can Ginny save Kai before Mora turns him? And will he ever be her Kai again?

This was an okay story, but I lost interest half-way through.

Ginny was an okay char ...more

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Oct 10, 2013 Kim rated it liked it

Shelves: arcs

I do not know a lot of fairytales and fantasy isn't my favorite genre, so I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this book. As I received an advanced reading copy of this book, I had not read any of the other books in this series before, but I hardly felt lost or confused. Pearce does a great job at reexplaining things so it is easy for readers to pick up any book in the series and enjoy it. There are some crazy, eccentric characters in this book, but they're written so well that it never seems camp ...more

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Feb 27, 2014 Rachel rated it liked it

Shelves: 2013, friend-given

Describe this book in one sentence- An interesting take on the classic Ice Princess story.

Rating- PG-13

Why this rating?- Violence, destruction, mild kissing, and some mild language.

For ages- 15-18

Recommended to- Fans of fairy tale retellings

Stars- Three out of Five.

Why this number of stars- Before I start critiquing the content, I'd like to say that the cover (amazing as it is) has absolutely nothing, as far as I can tell, to do with the book. Now with that out of the way, my favorite aspect of ...more

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Sep 05, 2013 Carol Hill de Santos rated it it was amazing

Jackson Pearce's versions of those familiar fairy tales aren't sweet, sticky tales; they have that edgy darkness which lurks in the original stories by the brothers Grimm and others. The Snow Queen was one of those fairy tales which was really disturbing, the childhood friend changed into a cold creature by an icy supernational being and the struggles of the girl to have faith that her love and loyalty can save her friend. I recently read a very good version for younger readers, Breadcrumbs by A ...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Shiela Tamparong marked it as to-read

November 2013?! You can't make me wait that long, Pearce! You just can't! D: ...more

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Oct 24, 2018 Kerryn (RatherBeReading) rated it liked it

3.5 stars

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Mar 12, 2019 Em rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal

"In the dark we always found each other."

Ginny and Kai have been in love since they were six years old. They've listened to his grandmother's stories and developed their own flashlight signals and fashioned their own secret hideaway out of the rose garden on the rooftop. But when they meet a girl called Mora, their love for each other is tested. When Kai runs away, Ginny knows that it's up to her to bring him home but there is a new world out and it is colder and crueller than the fiercest w ...more

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Mar 17, 2018 Shae rated it really liked it

Though the character of Ginny left me wanting more from her, I really enjoyed this book as a whole. Mora was a well written characrer, and an amazing Snow Queen! Check this series out if you havent.

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Jun 14, 2019 Atlanta Bushnell rated it liked it

Actual rating is 3.5 Stars.

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Jan 26, 2017 Laura L rated it liked it

Shelves: owned

Actual Rating: 3.5

Review to come...

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Nov 14, 2013 Dark Faerie Tales rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed-by-bridget

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: A unique retelling of The Snow Queen with cute romance, and a interesting mythology. The pacing was a little slow, but overall it was a quick read.

Opening Sentence: There were plenty of reasons to love winter.

The Review:

Ginny met Kai when she was seven years old. She moved into the apartment complex his grandmother owned. She asked him to play one day and they have been best friends ever since. Somewhere along the road their friendship turned ...more

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Oct 30, 2013 Wandering Librarians rated it liked it

Shelves: romance, fairy-tale, friendship, fiction, series, ya, fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Kai and Ginny have grown up together, and they knew when they were were 11 they'd spend their lives together. Ginny knows Kai loves her, so when Kai disappears with a strange girl named Mora, Ginny knows he hasn't just left her. Ginny sets out to find Kai, discovering along the way a world of darkness and monsters she never knew existed.

This was a retelling of The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. Sort of. I mean, that was the intention, and it did certainly have call-backs to the story. Bu Kai and Ginny have grown up together, and they knew when they were were 11 they'd spend their lives together. Ginny knows Kai loves her, so when Kai disappears with a strange girl named Mora, Ginny knows he hasn't just left her. Ginny sets out to find Kai, discovering along the way a world of darkness and monsters she never knew existed.

This was a retelling of The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. Sort of. I mean, that was the intention, and it did certainly have call-backs to the story. But it was pretty different, which is true of the other books in Jackson Pearce's Fairy Tale Retellings series. They're not retellings exactly, maybe "inspired by The Snow Queen" would be more accurate.

I haven't loved most of the Jackson Pearce I've read. I read Sweetly and Purity. Maybe I should read Sister Red. I'd heard good things about that one. Anyway, I enjoyed this more than the others, although I found it choppy and the world building was weak. Although perhaps if I read all the books in the series I would understand the world better. I recall now there were evil, girl-eating wolves in Sweetly. The probably build on each other.

The core of both the original fairy tale and Cold Spell is there, which is that love can be incredibly powerful. Cold Spell puts a twist on this by questioning whether love is enough. I liked that Ginny, who doesn't really have an identity of her own at the beginning, she just sees herself as part of Kai, learns her own strength and starts to realize that while she loves Kai and never falters in her determination to find him, she doesn't need him to be her life the way she did before.

The biggest difference between the original Snow Queen and Cold Spell was the Snow Queen herself. In the original, Kai's eyes and heart are pierced by shards of a broken mirror that had been made by an imp which causes him to see everything good as ugly and distorted. Then the Snow Queen shows up and takes him away. In Cold Spell, the Snow Queen isn't actually a snow queen. She was a girl once, and then she lived under the ocean, and then she was made into a Fenris, which is some kind of evil wolf-like creature that eats young women.

This is where the story was weakest, I thought. There's all these vague hints of a magical world, but we don't actually learn what it was or anything about it. Mora was a girl at one point, this we know for sure. She had a twin sister who was killed by the Fenris (who we really don't learn anything about) and this somehow made Mora a Fenris? I think? Except she didn't become a wolf creature right away, she first lived underwater with other underwater girls. Or something like that. And they slowly turned into Fenris. Except Mora escapes (by being kissed by the boy she used to love and then her memories return) and used her knowledge of water to create snow and cold, which the Fenris hates. And now she steals boys and makes them forget their pasts and makes them love her while creating cold to keep ahead of the Fenris. I didn't understand Mora's motivation at all, because it was never really explained. I didn't understand the Fenris, or why they were there or their purpose. I guess there's the assumption that you've read all the other books in the series so you understand what she's talking about. Since I have not, I was totally confused.

There were lots of little connections to the original story, like a prince and princess (in this case a wealthy man and woman) who take in Ginny and want her to stay with them. Or "the little robber girl" who in this case was part of some kind of nomadic gypsy-like tribe.

So if you like books inspired by fairy tales, this is a good one to check out, but read all the books in the series in order or you'll just be confused.

Cold Spell comes out November 5, 2013. ...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Erin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, favorites, fairy-tales

With book 4 of Jackson Pearce's fairytale retellings series, we are neck-deep in her rich and thrilling world of magic and monsters. In Sisters Red we learned of the Fenris--werewolves--and their lust for blood. In Sweetly we learned the secret of twins and the magic of one soul in two bodies. In Fathomless we discovered one of the secrets of the Fenris and the girls that they capture. And now in Cold Spell we look into the dark heart of magic and see its consequences.

Cold Spell takes us on a jo With book 4 of Jackson Pearce's fairytale retellings series, we are neck-deep in her rich and thrilling world of magic and monsters. In Sisters Red we learned of the Fenris--werewolves--and their lust for blood. In Sweetly we learned the secret of twins and the magic of one soul in two bodies. In Fathomless we discovered one of the secrets of the Fenris and the girls that they capture. And now in Cold Spell we look into the dark heart of magic and see its consequences.

Cold Spell takes us on a journey into snow and ice with a retelling of The Snow Queen. The original story tells of two young friends who grow up together and eventually fall in love. One day the boy gets shards of the Troll Mirror in his eyes, turning his heart bitter cold. He runs away and joins the Ice Queen, but the girl follows after him. She meets up with a robber girl who helps her on her quest. Eventually the girl rescues the boy and they go home to live happily ever after (not always the case in Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales). In this version of the tale we see many of the original elements reused in creative ways, which gives the story a solid grounding in the mythic while still maintaining a strong sense of the present.

While she uses piece of the original tale--such as the young lovers meeting on a rooftop rose garden--Jackson makes this story her own from page one. This Snow Queen doesn't run into Kai by accident, and her realtionship to the snow is far more complicated than it seems on the surface. At the end of Fathomless we saw a white wolf with ice blue eyes, and now we see her in human form, stealing boys to be her protectors and lovers for all eternity.

Ginny, our heroine, was a pleasure to journey with. She's been waiting her whole life for her life to start, and now with Kai gone, she's left without a vision for her future. Her journey to find him starts out as a simple rescue mission, but turns into something more: a rescue mission for herself. She doesn't set out to do some yoga and soul searching and find her inner peace; finding out who she is comes with the journey, and in unexpected ways. The best part about Ginny's story is that it isn't just about being in love with a boy: it's about finding your place in the world when you have nothing and no one left to hold you up.

A sweet romance, a daring adventure, and a wonderful retelling of a classic tale. Cold Spell proves that Jackson has hit her stride, and we can expect many more great tales from her in the future. ...more

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Oct 23, 2013 Melissa rated it really liked it

I knew that the stories build on themselves, but had only read Fathomless, the last book in this series. It did help me to have read that last book and now I do want to read the ones prior as well. Sort of work my way back to where it all started. I may even understand more by the time the next book appears. :)

This one is based on the Snow Queen with the author's own twist. In this book the Queen was once an Ocean Girl who gained back her memories and therefore broke from the pack. She finds she ...more

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Feb 23, 2017 Allison rated it liked it

It was an okay story.

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Feb 10, 2014 C. L. rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult, if-not-for-gr-i-would-forget-it, public-domain-fanfiction, wound-up-skimming

At 200 pages into this book I realized I couldn't remember the main character's name. That pretty much says it all.

This is one of those times I wish I could give half stars, because Cold Spell is a little better than two, but nowhere near a three. The biggest problem is the desperately boring main character, who we're *told* is growing as a person as the story moves on, but not really *shown*. The convoluted mythology is another issue (Irish Gypsy werewolf-hunting Kentuckians? Huh?) and the tale

...more

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May 03, 2014 haley rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, retellings, pretty-good, summer-of-2014-reading

I don't know what to think of Cold Spell. It wasn't terrible. I enjoyed it enough. But I didn't love it.

Things I liked:
Mora (aka the Snow Queen)- She was a very complex villain, and I actually wish there was more about her. I really liked the chapters from her perspective.
The Travelers/Tinkers: The story got a lot more interesting when they were introduced. I love Flannery, she's a fun character.
The Writing: Jackson Pearce is a good writer
The story: For the most part, the story was interesting ...more

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Sep 08, 2013 Charlotte rated it liked it

Shelves: arc

I liked Cold Spell a lot, but not as much as Fathomless. Cold Spell was fairly average plot-wise. It was light on lore, and the clear cut goal didn't leave much room for unexpected plot twists. I thought it was very anticlimactic. Of course, I've never read the original Snow Queen so I can't compare it to that.

For the people who have read the other books in this series, you'll be happy to know that there are references back to them!

I liked all the supporting characters, but I didn't feel too e ...more

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Aug 27, 2016 Becky rated it liked it

I did not realize this book was part of a series when I read it, but I think it stands well enough on its own. However, the pacing is very odd. A lot events happen in a seemingly random order, only for the ending to be extremely rushed. I would have liked to see Kai and Ginny coping a bit more with the fallout of what happened. I mean, Kai seemed to have been metaphorically (and maybe literally?) raped, yet it's just kinda glossed over.

Also, I might just be spoiled by the other, kick ass YA her ...more

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YA Buddy Readers'...: Cold Spell (Fairytale Retellings #4) by Jackson Pearce - Restarting April 18th 2020	35	154	Apr 11, 2020 04:13PM
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About Jackson Pearce

Jackson Pearce

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I am not very active on Goodreads-- this is largely a placeholder account! Therefore, I do not read Goodreads mail. If you want to get in touch with me, please go here: CONTACT ME!

Jackson Pearce currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with a slightly cross-eyed cat and a lot of secondhand furniture. She recently graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and a minor in Philosop ...more