Saturday Shorts: Bridge of Snow

Ignore the stirrings of war. Let the carriage to a royal ball wait. There is a story to be told: of a starless night, a mother and her sick son, and a mortal who falls in love with the snow god, and will do anything to have her . . .   Quoted from Goodreads

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This is a sweet, heartbreaking book.  The story itself isn't actually that sad, though the story in the story is rather tragic. I read this after The Winner's Curse, and having that glimpse into the future of these characters is what makes the story so haunting.  At the same time, it really is a sweet glimpse into Arin's life before everything happened.

The book is only 32 pages, so I don't want to say too much, but it is a great addition to the series.  Do you have to read it to understand the book at all? No.  Does it rehash things you've already learned? No, again---thank goodness, since that happens far too often in these novellas.  The story is entirely separate, so you could easily read it before or after The Winner's Curse, but part of me would recommend reading it after.  Maybe because that's what I did, but I felt like I appreciated it more knowing a bit more about the world.

So do I recommend this? Absolutely.  But, again, it is short.  If I were to compare it to an object, it would be a snow globe, and not only because of the whole snow connection. It's a private, tiny little glimpse into a perfect moment and character, so while it's not earth shattering or a huge adventure in and of itself, it's still an utterly delightful 4 stars.