Debut author Jessica Rubinkowski delivers the thrilling first book in an epic Russian folklore–inspired fantasy duology filled with page-turning romance, tragedy, magic, and monsters. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sara Raasch! Seventeen-year-old Valeria is one of the only survivors of the freeze, a dark magical hold Knnot Mountain unleashed on her village. Everyone, including her family, … Everyone, including her family, is trapped in an unbreakable sheet of ice. Ever since, she’s been on the run from the czar, who has set out to imprison anyone who managed to escape. Valeria finds refuge with the Thieves Guild, doing odd jobs with her best friend, Alik, the only piece of home she has left. That is, until he is brutally murdered.
A year later, she discovers Alik is alive and being held captive. To buy his freedom, she must lead a group of cutthroats and thieves on a perilous expedition to the very mountain that claimed her family. Only something sinister slumbers in the heart of Knnot. And it has waited years for release.
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3.5
Super quick read that hooked me in from the beginning and kept me engaged the entire time.
The story does vaguely remind me of another book, but I for the life of me cannot remember *which* book lmfao oh well. Other than that I found it enjoyable, but a little predictable
This was a good winter read, definitely appealing for fans of Shadow of Blood and Bone and Eight Will Fall!
I liked this book far more than I thought I was going to. It leans a little into dark fantasy, even a few horror tropes, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously, going light with the worldbuilding and putting a heavy emphasis on friendship and love. There are definitely mature topics here, but overall this felt like a light and easy read, following a new tradition in YA of Russian-inspired fantasies, setting up a sequel with a dynamic ending.
Marked by her ghostly white skin and hair, Valeria is the sole survivor of a bizarre incident that swept her hometown: a deep freeze permeated the land, literally freezing the people where they stood and contaminating the land. But her hometown was at the base of a mountain that contained a valuable ore, and years later, she’s been summoned to lead a heist back into this contaminated and forbidden territory to retrieve it. What drives her is not the promise the wealth of this ore brings, but that the man leading the heist holds the debt of her long-lost best friend Alik, whom she had thought dead. But the journey there is riddled with soldiers who seek to imprison her for her survivorship, Alik is not the man she remembers, and the legends about the creatures under the mountain may have more basis in reality than Valeria had ever thought.
Much appreciated was the genre blending that happened here. This is absolutely a fantasy novel, but it utilizes a lot of horror and heist tropes in a way that I found fascinating. This book has drawn a lot of comparisons to Shadow and Bone, but it definitely felt more like Six of Crows (admittedly without the found family aspect) in terms of maturity and plotline. There’s a journey beneath the earth, spooky dream sequences, combative heist teams, and a lesbian demolitions expert. This very much feels like a book that was marketed a bit improperly; I went in expecting Russian magicians and got a gothic heist.
Almost to the contrary, the simplicity of the worldbuilding fit the story well. By not bogging us down with a lavish history or complicated magical system, we were much more effectively able to focus on the tight group dynamics. While the sequel is set up to include more magic than this one, I hope Rubinkowski still plays fast and loose with the magic rules to go deeper on the character development. I feel like a lot of fantasy (YA or otherwise) mistakes heavy worldbuilding for good writing, and this book was a good example of how leaning away from lore can make for a better story.
The one thing about this book I didn’t like the way Valeria interacts with other characters. Namely, she’s a pushover, even in the things that matter, and forgives extremely easily with little interrogation. These aren’t petty arguments or disagreements, they’re people being xenophobic and racist to her, stabbing her in the back, keeping important information from her, etc. The plot is really rapid-fire, which is normally a good thing, but I felt like the author was unwilling to give betrayals and arguments the weight they needed in an effort to keep things going. It’s really hard to take Valeria seriously as a competent assassin and strategist when she continually turns a blind eye to people betraying her.
The Bright and the Pale was a quick, thrilling read, an easily digestible YA that rightfully prioritizes its atmosphere and characters over worldbuilding. A lot of YA these days feels aimed more towards adults or much older teens, and it was really refreshing to read something I could feel comfortable recommending to a fourteen or fifteen year old without sacrificing maturity or complexity. I’m a little biased in favor of the horror tropes, but I think any dark fantasy fan will find something to like here.
Much thanks to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book.
The Bright & the Pale explores Russian folklore in this young adult fantasy that lures its characters into a mountain and pits gods against one another.
Good Storytelling
While reading The Bright & the Pale, I felt like I was watching a movie. The pacing, the tension, they lured me in. However, what hooked me was the chilling atmosphere of following these characters deep into an abandoned mountain. It was something out of a horror movie, but without the blood and gore.
As the characters descend deeper and deeper into the heart of the mountain, their fears come alive, making the novel both menacing and captivating. In ways, it was reminiscent of The Descent, especially when they come face to face with these creatures that live in the dark.
The atmosphere is fantastic, coupled with the rising tension and the mythology of the gods; it stands out.
Furthermore, it is that dynamic and mythology surrounding the brother gods that keep the story interesting. It is the driving force between the characters to venture into this frozen wasteland that left Val as the only living survivor and come face to face with dark magic. Moreover, with the story unraveling piece by piece, the mystery of the gods, The Bright God and the Pale one, and this idea that one is good while the other is evil. However, who defines good and evil? The victors write history, and the Bright Gods emissary is not exactly a good guy, making the reader think, which is appreciated.
Characterization
Admittedly, the reader is less drawn to the characters. This band of misfits is a good group, the tracker, the thief, the exiled soldier, the girl from another land; they make a good team. However, while there is some tension between them, their personalities do not shine despite their chemistry.
For me, I was not reading the story for the characters. I was reading it for the story, for the mythology, and the eerie thriller setting. This is unfortunate because I think there were plenty of opportunities to give the characters a chance to shine, for their personalities to grow.
There is a lack of growth surrounding them, especially with Val. For 75% of the novel, she remains the same girl. It is not until the very ending that something changes and shifts in her. However, it is not character development; it is an effect of magic.
I wanted more from the characters, more vibrancy, more development, and growth so that I could be more invested in their characterization.
Final Thoughts
Overall, The Bright & the Pale has a solid foundation. The mythology is there, the atmosphere is there, and the rising tension keeps the reader engaged. It only lacked character development.
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: The Bright & the Pale
: The Bright & the Pale Duology #1
: Jessica Rubinkowski
: 3.5/5
It was and is very hard for me to rate and review this book. There were things that I loved and things I disliked, in the end I just could not connect to the book (in a way I would’ve liked). I think the story itself had a good flow and enough action/mystery/adventure for me to want to keep on reading. I really love how the story was structured as well, I feel like that is what mostly kept me entertained. The writing was good, but I did skim some pages (just wanted to know what happened next). The characters felt a bit flat for me and I just couldn’t connect with them. When reading a book, I like to feel involved with the characters and that just wasn’t the case. For example, I just did not feel any pain when a character was hurt, when I think I would’ve cried… if I just would have connected with the characters. Valeria was just your typical YA heroine and I wish there was something that set her apart from the others. I did like the feeling of this wintery world, I just wished there was more worldbuilding. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read and I think I would have really loved it… if I could just connect to the characters. I am not sure if I will read the second book in this duology when it comes out, we’ll have to see.
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This book based off of Russian folklore and myth was one that I was so excited for. I love mythology of all kinds so this one should have been right up my ally. But sadly this one just didn’t grip me like I was hoping. I felt like the characters just didn’t mesh with me at all and the story wasn’t what I was looking for .
The first book in a thrilling new duology, The Bright and the Pale follows Valeria, the sole survivor of a curse that froze her entire village and all of its occupants. Raised by the leader of a guild of thieves alongside her best friend Alik, Valeria is now a thief for the guild. However, when a heist goes wrong, Valeria is devastated to learn that Alik perished.
A year later, Valeria finds out that Alik is alive and needs rescuing. Valeria is overjoyed and knows that she will do whatever it takes to find him. However, to save him, Valeria is told that she must lead a group of people on a dangerous mission back to her home – a home she swore never to return to. Can Valeria survive this deadly journey and rescue her friend?
Valeria is a great protagonist. A victim of prejudice and loss, Valeria is a bit insecure and unsure at the start of the story. She loves her family and Alik, grieves them deeply, and will do anything for them. I admire her determination and grit, as well as her loyalty and fighting spirit. I also love how much she grows throughout the story from unsure to confident, even if she can be a bit stubborn and dramatic at times.
I also really liked the setting, which is particularly vivid and descriptive. Cold, haunting, and atmospheric, the imagery and detail immersed me in the story. Valeria’s journey is not easy, and the time in the cursed mountain is particularly scary. Valeria and her fellow travelers encounter things that they are not prepared for, which was scary and harrowing.
I did find the pacing a bit unevenly paced, and it took me a few chapters to become invested in the story. A lot of information at the start of the story is a little too much tell and not enough show and feels like an info dump. However, as the story progresses, the pacing evens out, and I could see why so much information was revealed so early on.
This is an action-packed story that jumps between thriller and horror. Filled with great twists and turns, dynamic characters, and an immersive setting, the book will appeal to readers of YA fantasy. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.