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Hearts of Ice
A dazzling adventure full of magic, snow . . . and sisters! Evangeline has been lonely her whole life. Her mother rarely lets her play outside . . . especially not when it's snowing. It's almost as if she wants to hide her daughter from the world.For as long as she can remember, Evangeline has felt someone missing, like a best friend who moved away, or an imaginary friend she's forgotten. She knows it sounds crazy, but the thought has always given her comfort-the idea that there's someone waiting for her, looking for her. Someone who cares about her.On her birthday, Evangeline finds her window has blown open, and her room is full of snow. There's a message written in the frost. One word.HELPEvangeline learns that she has a sister, a twin, in fact. They were both born in another world-a land of snow and music and ancient magic. Now, someone is calling Evangeline back, and will stop at nothing to lure her into the magical realm where danger lurks.
262 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2019
6 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
About the author
Adi Rule
9 books136 followersAdi Rule earned her MFA in writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is represented by Ammi-Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 8, 2025
❄️ got this as an arc in like 2019 and forgot i even had it sooooo idk why I'm reading this in the summer but was lowk so good 😭
really underrated
like...this was made for like 2nd-3rd graders but i still loved it 😂🤨
its good 😭
guys don't judge me 😂
really underrated
like...this was made for like 2nd-3rd graders but i still loved it 😂🤨
its good 😭
guys don't judge me 😂
September 4, 2019
Hearts of Ice is an absolutely delightful middle grade fantasy adventure. It follows Evangeline as she discovers a winter kingdom beyond her mirror, an evil king seeking immortality, a long lost sister, and a band of fantastical adventurers who become forever friends.
Great for fans of Frozen or Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. Hand to middle graders who love adventure with plenty of heart.
Great for fans of Frozen or Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. Hand to middle graders who love adventure with plenty of heart.
June 15, 2019
Great frozen-like fantasy adventure for young elementary.
May 30, 2023
Evangilene and her single mother never stay in one place. They would be just about unpacked but when the snow would come they would have to move again. In addition to this Evangeline has always felt someone missing. Her mother never lets her play outside or make friends. So one day when Evangilene sees her mirror get covered in frost and a word written in the frost “ Help” she is alarmed. She tries to tell her mother about it and her mother panics and smashes every mirror in the house. They have to move again. But before her mother got to Evangilene’s mirror she jumped into it. Inside the mirror she discovers a magical land called the “Winter Kingdom”. She meets a few friends on the way to being accused of being the princess! She soon finds out she has a twin sister “Desmonda” who is the princess of the winter kingdom. Her father turns out to be the evil king who is trying to gain immortality but only to destroy the winter kingdom. The two girls and their friends must protect the winter kingdom with powers they never knew they possessed.
The themes are family, friendship, royalty, powers, and magic. My favorite part of the book is when the girls reunite. I enjoy Adi’s writing because she uses old fashioned writing but a modern plot. The central conflict is the journey to the tree of The Amenthystists. I was surprised that the mortal band worked on Sir Paw in Stone. This book was pretty predictable though. I liked the book ⅘ stars.
The themes are family, friendship, royalty, powers, and magic. My favorite part of the book is when the girls reunite. I enjoy Adi’s writing because she uses old fashioned writing but a modern plot. The central conflict is the journey to the tree of The Amenthystists. I was surprised that the mortal band worked on Sir Paw in Stone. This book was pretty predictable though. I liked the book ⅘ stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2023
I absolutely loved this magical, heartwarming story so much! Evangeline has been lonely her whole life. Her mother rarely lets her play outside...especially not when it's snowing. It's almost as if she wants to hide her daughter from the world. For as long as she can remember, Evangeline has felt someone missing, like a best friend who moved away, or an imaginary friend she's forgotten. She knows it sounds crazy, but the thought has always given her comfort-the idea that there's someone waiting for her, looking for her. Someone who cares about her. On her birthday, Evangeline finds her window has blown open, & her room is full of snow. There's a message written in the frost. One word. HELP. Evangeline learns that she has a sister, a twin, in fact. They were both born in another world-a land of snow & music & ancient magic. Now, someone is calling Evangeline back, & will stop at nothing to lure her into the magical realm where danger lurks. This is a highly atmospheric, imaginative, magical adventure full of self discovery, sisterly love, & finding real friendships. I could almost feeeeell the snow around me the writing was so vivid. Evangeline is a great MC, who finally is free in many ways, & can actually do something & be seen, & more. The whole backstory of her family, like her secret sister, is incredible. This other world is so great, & I love everything we see, & all we encounter. The friends she makes on her journey are her 1st ever friends, & it was so heartwarming seeing her form these special relationships. Sir Paw-on-Stone is just the cutest, but I believe my heart belong to Hortense & Sparrow Fall. Loved them so much. Incredible ending. & I love how it wasn't the perfect relationship always fantasized about once gotten-it was how any family is:flawed, but loving, & wouldn't have it any other way. Highly recommend. BEAUTIFUL cover by Jen Bricking too.💜
December 30, 2019
I'm even inclined to say 4.5 stars! Which is kind of a huge deal.
What this book lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in its sincerity. It's a fun, adorable blend of many tried-and-true tropes used in the fantasy genre, some of them subverted (think Ella Enchanted; in fact there were a few things that I felt might have been directly inspired by that story), that manages to do something unique in spite of it all. It's the kind of book I wish I could have read when I was a girl and it's the first book in a long time that made me stop and wish I had a child of my own to share it with. I quite literally imagined myself introducing my child to the story, reading it to them at night (alongside other fantasy favorites of mine, like The Hobbit). That is the kind of connection to middle-grade literature that is hard to come by; something that is clearly written for a young audience and yet manages to offer something for the grown-ups who might be reading along.
Some spoilers ahead--
Things I liked:
❤ The heroine acts like a 12/13 year old. Her inner dialogue never makes her either too mature or immature. She has selfish thoughts, she has selfless thoughts, she struggles with self-doubt but doesn't get weighed down by it at any point. Since it's impossible for there to be no comparison to Disney's Frozen with this book, to me she felt like a lovely combination of both Anna and Elsa and it just works.
❤ The sisters plot. As the sister of a sister, I am a sucker for stories that highlight that bond (something that's still too uncommon in media). Again, the book isn't the most original thing in the world, and somehow ends up being like a Parent Trap AU of Frozen or vice versa, but somehow the fusion works and makes it fun for the intended audience. I loved the separated twin trope as a girl, so why not combine it with something popular to kids now? Maybe I'm biased, but I find it delightful.
❤ NO ROMANCE! There is no mention of crushes from either of the heroines, there are no handsome princes, almost everything is strictly platonic/familial. Evangeline isn't looking for anything more than a friend. That's it. Her entire desire is to have friends, her happily ever after is realizing she finally has them, and it's just so refreshing! The only appropriate mention of romance is that of the King and Queen's backstory, and it's minor. And, the only crush that does exist in the book (and in such brief spurts so not to be annoying) comes in the form of a puppy crush from the only young male character...and since the character is depicted as around perhaps 16, his crush is appropriately on a female character depicted as around perhaps 16. WHAT A CONCEPT. And it's mostly played for sweetness and humor. The female character isn't stereotypically attractive, and she suffers on more than one occasion from the stigma of society, so being seen as nothing but stunning is cute and handled tenderly - like the author really wants girls to know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Also the crush is never depicted as anything but unrequited, moon-eyed longing and there is a certain physical disparity between the two characters, which in turn makes it so that none of the female character's worth, self-esteem, character-journey, etc. is somehow magically altered for the better by being seen as beautiful. It's just a thing that exists organically.
Things that could have been better:
❤ The ending, as is usually the case for me, left something to be desired (as a writer I empathize with how hard it is to wrap up a story, especially in fantasy). The final battle is beautiful and even touching. I especially loved the knick-of-time (although utterly convenient) reveal of the Queen of the Summer Kingdom and some of her stand-off with the villain. BUT, the final stand-off also resolves far too easily and almost anticlimactically. Then, the story jumps to an unspecified time in the future. Based on context clues it has to be at least a little while. And remembering how I nitpicked/asked questions even as a girl, I'm sure some kids out there might wonder some of the same things that I did at the end. How did they reverse the magic that kept people frozen as ice statues? What's going on in the Summer Kingdom during all of this, seeing as the Queen abandoned it for 12 years as well? Or was there another ruler there?
❤ While I completely understand why these things happen, why writers don't feel the need to bog down children's literature/media with psychology, this book suffers from the same complaint I have about Frozen. You can't have a parent lie, keep secrets, literally groom and isolate a child in order to prevent a nebulous future - things present in this story just as in the Disney film - and hand wave it away. I don't care if the parent is doing it out of love, or can justify it, there are ramifications. While I think this story actually addresses it a little bit better than Frozen did, Evangeline and Desdemona each harbor resentment toward said parent and express it unabashedly at least once, at the end of it all it's glossed over for the sake of HEA. Also, since the plot hinges on twins separated at an early age, with one parent taking one, I kept wondering when Evangeline would stop and ask herself something like, "Why did mom take me? Why didn't mom take both of us? What if she'd taken my twin instead?" There are hints of these feelings, such as in the way Evangeline wonders about how she could have been raised like Desdemona, but I kept waiting for something tangible. A moment where Evangeline has to come to grips with the fact that her mom, for some reason, only 'wanted' one of her daughters and was 'okay' with leaving the other behind and acting like she never existed. Being 12/13 I think she could certainly have had those thoughts more explicitly. Also, the reveal of why it was deemed dangerous for the two girls to be together comes late enough in the book that Evangeline would have had plenty of time for it to be wondered at.
In summary, the book is not perfect nor entirely original, but I loved it just the same and will definitely be recommending it whenever I get the chance - in fact, since I picked it up at my school's Scholastic Book Fair, I'm going to ask our librarian if she purchased any copies for our high Lexile 4th and 5th graders since it's a rare case of being a little bit higher level without also having older content.
What this book lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in its sincerity. It's a fun, adorable blend of many tried-and-true tropes used in the fantasy genre, some of them subverted (think Ella Enchanted; in fact there were a few things that I felt might have been directly inspired by that story), that manages to do something unique in spite of it all. It's the kind of book I wish I could have read when I was a girl and it's the first book in a long time that made me stop and wish I had a child of my own to share it with. I quite literally imagined myself introducing my child to the story, reading it to them at night (alongside other fantasy favorites of mine, like The Hobbit). That is the kind of connection to middle-grade literature that is hard to come by; something that is clearly written for a young audience and yet manages to offer something for the grown-ups who might be reading along.
Some spoilers ahead--
Things I liked:
❤ The heroine acts like a 12/13 year old. Her inner dialogue never makes her either too mature or immature. She has selfish thoughts, she has selfless thoughts, she struggles with self-doubt but doesn't get weighed down by it at any point. Since it's impossible for there to be no comparison to Disney's Frozen with this book, to me she felt like a lovely combination of both Anna and Elsa and it just works.
❤ The sisters plot. As the sister of a sister, I am a sucker for stories that highlight that bond (something that's still too uncommon in media). Again, the book isn't the most original thing in the world, and somehow ends up being like a Parent Trap AU of Frozen or vice versa, but somehow the fusion works and makes it fun for the intended audience. I loved the separated twin trope as a girl, so why not combine it with something popular to kids now? Maybe I'm biased, but I find it delightful.
❤ NO ROMANCE! There is no mention of crushes from either of the heroines, there are no handsome princes, almost everything is strictly platonic/familial. Evangeline isn't looking for anything more than a friend. That's it. Her entire desire is to have friends, her happily ever after is realizing she finally has them, and it's just so refreshing! The only appropriate mention of romance is that of the King and Queen's backstory, and it's minor. And, the only crush that does exist in the book (and in such brief spurts so not to be annoying) comes in the form of a puppy crush from the only young male character...and since the character is depicted as around perhaps 16, his crush is appropriately on a female character depicted as around perhaps 16. WHAT A CONCEPT. And it's mostly played for sweetness and humor. The female character isn't stereotypically attractive, and she suffers on more than one occasion from the stigma of society, so being seen as nothing but stunning is cute and handled tenderly - like the author really wants girls to know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Also the crush is never depicted as anything but unrequited, moon-eyed longing and there is a certain physical disparity between the two characters, which in turn makes it so that none of the female character's worth, self-esteem, character-journey, etc. is somehow magically altered for the better by being seen as beautiful. It's just a thing that exists organically.
Things that could have been better:
❤ The ending, as is usually the case for me, left something to be desired (as a writer I empathize with how hard it is to wrap up a story, especially in fantasy). The final battle is beautiful and even touching. I especially loved the knick-of-time (although utterly convenient) reveal of the Queen of the Summer Kingdom and some of her stand-off with the villain. BUT, the final stand-off also resolves far too easily and almost anticlimactically. Then, the story jumps to an unspecified time in the future. Based on context clues it has to be at least a little while. And remembering how I nitpicked/asked questions even as a girl, I'm sure some kids out there might wonder some of the same things that I did at the end. How did they reverse the magic that kept people frozen as ice statues? What's going on in the Summer Kingdom during all of this, seeing as the Queen abandoned it for 12 years as well? Or was there another ruler there?
❤ While I completely understand why these things happen, why writers don't feel the need to bog down children's literature/media with psychology, this book suffers from the same complaint I have about Frozen. You can't have a parent lie, keep secrets, literally groom and isolate a child in order to prevent a nebulous future - things present in this story just as in the Disney film - and hand wave it away. I don't care if the parent is doing it out of love, or can justify it, there are ramifications. While I think this story actually addresses it a little bit better than Frozen did, Evangeline and Desdemona each harbor resentment toward said parent and express it unabashedly at least once, at the end of it all it's glossed over for the sake of HEA. Also, since the plot hinges on twins separated at an early age, with one parent taking one, I kept wondering when Evangeline would stop and ask herself something like, "Why did mom take me? Why didn't mom take both of us? What if she'd taken my twin instead?" There are hints of these feelings, such as in the way Evangeline wonders about how she could have been raised like Desdemona, but I kept waiting for something tangible. A moment where Evangeline has to come to grips with the fact that her mom, for some reason, only 'wanted' one of her daughters and was 'okay' with leaving the other behind and acting like she never existed. Being 12/13 I think she could certainly have had those thoughts more explicitly. Also, the reveal of why it was deemed dangerous for the two girls to be together comes late enough in the book that Evangeline would have had plenty of time for it to be wondered at.
In summary, the book is not perfect nor entirely original, but I loved it just the same and will definitely be recommending it whenever I get the chance - in fact, since I picked it up at my school's Scholastic Book Fair, I'm going to ask our librarian if she purchased any copies for our high Lexile 4th and 5th graders since it's a rare case of being a little bit higher level without also having older content.
July 17, 2019
The story of Evangeline really spoke to me from the very first paragraph. "There was always an empty seat on the school bus next to Evangeline Reynolds. It wasn't because she was mean, or had a frightening appearance, or because she ooze poison from her pores like an Australian cane toad. No Evangeline was a kind, plain-looking person with run of the mill pores, which people would have found out if they got to know her. She was never around long enough."
Evangeline and her mom move a lot! She is always the new kid and oddly enough snow seems to appear whenever she is upset, worried, or excited.
Everything changes when Evangeline finds a forgotten box and a photo of her mom wearing a beautiful icy-blue gown, smiling and standing in a snow. Strange! Her mother hates snow. Odd yes but more interesting is the message that appears in her bedroom mirror, like someone is writing it from the other side. If that isn't strange enough, life changes and will never be the same when Evangeline slips through the mirror and runs into Sir Paw On Thrown who thinks she is Princess Desdemona.
The perfect read for kids who love mystery, science fiction and wonderment. I loved it and I think kids will too. Without giving too much away, Evangeline's life has been a lie and nothing will ever be the same. Think Frozen, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and Alice in Wonderland. It was a great read.
Evangeline and her mom move a lot! She is always the new kid and oddly enough snow seems to appear whenever she is upset, worried, or excited.
Everything changes when Evangeline finds a forgotten box and a photo of her mom wearing a beautiful icy-blue gown, smiling and standing in a snow. Strange! Her mother hates snow. Odd yes but more interesting is the message that appears in her bedroom mirror, like someone is writing it from the other side. If that isn't strange enough, life changes and will never be the same when Evangeline slips through the mirror and runs into Sir Paw On Thrown who thinks she is Princess Desdemona.
The perfect read for kids who love mystery, science fiction and wonderment. I loved it and I think kids will too. Without giving too much away, Evangeline's life has been a lie and nothing will ever be the same. Think Frozen, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and Alice in Wonderland. It was a great read.
February 20, 2020
“What are you hiding, Mom?” When Evangeline finds an old photo of her plain, overly bland mother wearing a gorgeous dress in a mysterious forest with a violin, tensions rise and Evangeline falls through a mirror portal into a mysterious, magical, and far from perfect world.
This is not a parody of Frozen, nor Alice in Wonderland. I had my doubts myself starting the book, but Adi Rule has created a beautiful and easy to visualize new world that, like many others, has its faults and its perfections. This is not a very long book, but it has a big story to tell.
At heart, this book is about not taking yourself and your family for granted, as well as believing in your abilities no matter what happens.
This book isn’t really like any other books I’ve read. It has fantasy elements like spider people and talking foxes that guard a special tree. Although this book is geared towards 8-12-year-old readers, it contains a beautiful message for readers of all ages.
I give this book 4 stars because it was interesting and novel to me, but some parts were a bit bland.
Reviewed by Sabina E., Age 11, Greater Los Angeles Mensa
This is not a parody of Frozen, nor Alice in Wonderland. I had my doubts myself starting the book, but Adi Rule has created a beautiful and easy to visualize new world that, like many others, has its faults and its perfections. This is not a very long book, but it has a big story to tell.
At heart, this book is about not taking yourself and your family for granted, as well as believing in your abilities no matter what happens.
This book isn’t really like any other books I’ve read. It has fantasy elements like spider people and talking foxes that guard a special tree. Although this book is geared towards 8-12-year-old readers, it contains a beautiful message for readers of all ages.
I give this book 4 stars because it was interesting and novel to me, but some parts were a bit bland.
Reviewed by Sabina E., Age 11, Greater Los Angeles Mensa
August 22, 2019
"Suddenly, with a wave of nerves, Evangeline realized that the way the spider-girl looked right now was the way Evangeline herself must look every time there was an empty seat next to her. Every time she sat there with her puffy coat pulled tight around her, waiting, hoping, that just one person would sit down and ask her name.
Evangeline knew what she had to do."
This Frozen-like fantasy drew me in and had me hooked from page one. Evangeline is a lonely 12 year old who lives with her mother and moves before she ever has a chance to connect with her peers. Her character is relatable and authentic, making the story so much fun to read! Filled with adventure, surprises, and magic, HEARTS OF ICE is the kind of book I could read again. Just because.
Evangeline knew what she had to do."
This Frozen-like fantasy drew me in and had me hooked from page one. Evangeline is a lonely 12 year old who lives with her mother and moves before she ever has a chance to connect with her peers. Her character is relatable and authentic, making the story so much fun to read! Filled with adventure, surprises, and magic, HEARTS OF ICE is the kind of book I could read again. Just because.
May 15, 2025
This book is fiction.
The book is about a girl who travels to another world to find her sister
I liked the ending because I think it’s a very happy and creative ending
I didn’t like that King Vair was the bad one because I think Evangeline deserved a father figure in the story.
This book helped me grow because Evangeline was so kind and empathetic. I think I learned from her.
I would recommend this book to people that doesn’t have a lot of friends or have sisters because, for people that doesn’t have a lot of friends Evangeline could inspire you to be your best without anyone's help, and for people that have sisters because the story is about a girl (Evangeline) who finds her sister.
WARNING: This book is short, but it takes you some time to finish it.
December 28, 2019
6 yo and I were absolutely loving this book and were very disappointed when the ending just kind of fizzles out and squanders so much of the potential. But we loved the rest of it and the characters enough that we would absolutely read another if there's a sequel in the works!
January 15, 2020
I found it interesting.
December 13, 2020
I love this soooo much!!! ADORABLE, LOVELY, ADVENTURES, AND WONDERFUL!!! Love evangeline!!! All the characters, worldbuiling and PLOTTWIST!! ALL MY LOVE
January 1, 2021
My daughter (10) really enjoyed reading this together
January 1, 2021
Where did the story happen?
dnf
February 8, 2021DNF at 69% (approx. 182/262 pages)
August 6, 2021
I absolutely loved this book and I hope a lot more people read it
August 4, 2022
I liked this book alright. It was definitely not my favorite because the characters were a little under developed but I did think the plot was interesting.
It had a similar feel to Disney's Frozen.
It had a similar feel to Disney's Frozen.
September 16, 2022
Great ending
Did find it very slow though
Put me in a slump
But great
😀😀
Recommend for ages 8-11
Did find it very slow though
Put me in a slump
But great
😀😀
Recommend for ages 8-11
August 24, 2023
Excellent!
This book is great! The characters and setting are magical! It has an amazing storyline and wonderful descriptions. I would definitely recommend this book!!!
This book is great! The characters and setting are magical! It has an amazing storyline and wonderful descriptions. I would definitely recommend this book!!!
May 5, 2025
This was like frozen with a twist just not as good as Frozen.
Still a very likeable read though and ended up giving 3.75 stars
Still a very likeable read though and ended up giving 3.75 stars
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews