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All That Glitters #9
Snow Bound
Ice goblin magic, an enchanted prince, and a peasant girl with nothing but courage and compassion
Life in the North Lands has always been hard, but this winter is the most desperate Gytha has ever seen. Her family is desperate for any help.
Even from the enormous white bear.
Alexander offers food and kind words in his deep, growly voice, and Gytha cannot help but trust him. Even if he does have long, white teeth and claws.
But what he asks in return for his help will test Gytha's very soul. For a year and a day, she must endure loneliness and isolation in the prison of the ice goblin queen, without letting the queen's twisted words or the uncanny, silent goblin servants break her determination or her faith in Alexander.
What if Gytha's courage and compassion are not enough to overcome the ice goblin queen's magic?
What will it take to free the bear prince? Gytha, and the friends she has made in the frozen North, will not rest until they find out. Courage is not real until it is tested.
What will come will test them all.
Snow Bound is a reimagining of “East of the Sun, West of the Moon.” Venture to the frozen North in this fairy tale adventure romance, part of the All That Glitters series—a collection of twelve books brimming with Tales of Treasure and True Love. Each book is written by a different author and can be enjoyed in any order, so pick a new favorite and discover that not all that glitters is gold.
Life in the North Lands has always been hard, but this winter is the most desperate Gytha has ever seen. Her family is desperate for any help.
Even from the enormous white bear.
Alexander offers food and kind words in his deep, growly voice, and Gytha cannot help but trust him. Even if he does have long, white teeth and claws.
But what he asks in return for his help will test Gytha's very soul. For a year and a day, she must endure loneliness and isolation in the prison of the ice goblin queen, without letting the queen's twisted words or the uncanny, silent goblin servants break her determination or her faith in Alexander.
What if Gytha's courage and compassion are not enough to overcome the ice goblin queen's magic?
What will it take to free the bear prince? Gytha, and the friends she has made in the frozen North, will not rest until they find out. Courage is not real until it is tested.
What will come will test them all.
Snow Bound is a reimagining of “East of the Sun, West of the Moon.” Venture to the frozen North in this fairy tale adventure romance, part of the All That Glitters series—a collection of twelve books brimming with Tales of Treasure and True Love. Each book is written by a different author and can be enjoyed in any order, so pick a new favorite and discover that not all that glitters is gold.
271 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 28, 2025
21 people are currently reading
242 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Brightley
28 books253 followersC. J. Brightley lives outside Washington, D.C., with her husband and their two young children. When she's not busy writing, she teaches karate, bakes too many desserts, and makes jewelry. She loves to connect with readers!
Follow C. J. Brightley at https://www.facebook.com/CJBrightley and https://www.instagram.com/cjbrightley/
Follow C. J. Brightley at https://www.facebook.com/CJBrightley and https://www.instagram.com/cjbrightley/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
June 29, 2025
Snow Bound by CJ Brightley is the latest ARC I've read from the multi-author All That Glitters series of fairy tale retellings. It retells the story of "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," which can be challenging to adapt. The author does a great job of avoiding the pitfalls of the original fairy tale while remaining true to its essence. All the main plot points are present, including the polar bear that turns human at night, the peasant girl who must break the curse, and the wicked goblin queen. The story eliminates the elements of forced marriage and broken promises, which makes the romance more acceptable. Aside from a few gratuitous violent scenes, it's a pleasant retelling of the original fairy tale.
Gytha's family is starving and may not survive the winter if not for the help of a magical polar bear named Alexander. Since Gytha is the only one who can understand Alexander, she must convince her family that he does not wish them harm. Inspired by her courage and kindness, Alexander makes a proposition to Gytha for her to sleep next to a mysterious man in a dark room whom she cannot look at. Upon agreeing to this task, Gytha meets a wicked queen and the many servants she has enslaved. The queen tries to convince Gytha to break her promise by looking at the man who sleeps next to her, but she has a strong hunch that the man is really Alexander. She remains steadfast in her loyalty to him and learns a terrible secret that puts it to the ultimate test.
The original version of "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" has several problematic elements. Yet, I've found many retellings of it enjoyable because they successfully remove or explain away these elements. This book does so by omission. Instead of being forced to marry the polar bear, Gytha must simply live with him for a set period while he sleeps next to her in human form. Instead of betraying his trust, which is a wicked act for a fairy tale protagonist to do, the wicked queen does so instead. There is also a lot of strong worldbuilding with the goblins and their broken kingdom that other adaptations tend to overlook. The book establishes that not all goblins are evil and gives them a rich culture and history.
While I enjoyed many aspects of this novel, I found parts of it unnecessarily violent for a clean fairy tale romance. There was an unnecessarily descriptive scene about preparing an elk for dinner that the polar bear killed for Gytha's family that would send most vegetarians running. A couple of other surprisingly violent scenes are peppered throughout the otherwise calm narrative for emphasis on the villain's wickedness and the goblins' culture. Despite this, it is a pleasant story overall. None of the main characters suffer many hardships, which makes it a light and easy read after acknowledging the trigger warnings. The romance is established early on and remains strong throughout the book.
Snow Bound is a pleasing retelling of "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" that thoughtfully adapts the original tale to create a sweet and engaging romance. By omitting problematic elements and adding depth to the goblin world, CJ Brightley has crafted a story that is both faithful to the source material and fresh in its approach. While the inclusion of gratuitous violence may not be to every reader's taste, the book's lighthearted tone and strong romance make it an enjoyable read overall. Fans of fairy tale retellings and romance will find Snow Bound to be a delightful addition to the All That Glitters series.
Gytha's family is starving and may not survive the winter if not for the help of a magical polar bear named Alexander. Since Gytha is the only one who can understand Alexander, she must convince her family that he does not wish them harm. Inspired by her courage and kindness, Alexander makes a proposition to Gytha for her to sleep next to a mysterious man in a dark room whom she cannot look at. Upon agreeing to this task, Gytha meets a wicked queen and the many servants she has enslaved. The queen tries to convince Gytha to break her promise by looking at the man who sleeps next to her, but she has a strong hunch that the man is really Alexander. She remains steadfast in her loyalty to him and learns a terrible secret that puts it to the ultimate test.
The original version of "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" has several problematic elements. Yet, I've found many retellings of it enjoyable because they successfully remove or explain away these elements. This book does so by omission. Instead of being forced to marry the polar bear, Gytha must simply live with him for a set period while he sleeps next to her in human form. Instead of betraying his trust, which is a wicked act for a fairy tale protagonist to do, the wicked queen does so instead. There is also a lot of strong worldbuilding with the goblins and their broken kingdom that other adaptations tend to overlook. The book establishes that not all goblins are evil and gives them a rich culture and history.
While I enjoyed many aspects of this novel, I found parts of it unnecessarily violent for a clean fairy tale romance. There was an unnecessarily descriptive scene about preparing an elk for dinner that the polar bear killed for Gytha's family that would send most vegetarians running. A couple of other surprisingly violent scenes are peppered throughout the otherwise calm narrative for emphasis on the villain's wickedness and the goblins' culture. Despite this, it is a pleasant story overall. None of the main characters suffer many hardships, which makes it a light and easy read after acknowledging the trigger warnings. The romance is established early on and remains strong throughout the book.
Snow Bound is a pleasing retelling of "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" that thoughtfully adapts the original tale to create a sweet and engaging romance. By omitting problematic elements and adding depth to the goblin world, CJ Brightley has crafted a story that is both faithful to the source material and fresh in its approach. While the inclusion of gratuitous violence may not be to every reader's taste, the book's lighthearted tone and strong romance make it an enjoyable read overall. Fans of fairy tale retellings and romance will find Snow Bound to be a delightful addition to the All That Glitters series.
June 29, 2025
This was a tear jerking, clean fairytale retelling that kept you hanging on till the end. A common girl saved by a bear and asked to undertake a task to help him. Driven by kindness and compassion she embarks on this epic adventure to repay the kindness shown to her and her family by the bear. An adventure full of ice, curses and the fate of kingdoms. I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
June 29, 2025
This book is an ARC read I signed up for, but I admit I was very interested in reading some of Brightley's books and have two that have been on my TBR for a while. So going into this one, I already knew I was looking forward to checking out Brightley's works.
Let's begin, shall we?
POV: Third person limited
POV Character(s): Gytha Ivarrsdottar
Verb Tense: Past
Triggers: Mention of captivity, some torture, death, nothing super heavy
Spice: None
This book is part of a series called All That Glitters. It's interesting because this is a series comprised of books by a number of different authors that focuses on a theme (in this case, reimagined fairy tales), and all the books can be read alone. When you dig into this book, however, the book also explains that the story is set in a world that Brightley has already written two books for with plans for more. So that makes it fun, and it also makes me look forward to reading those two books to see more about this world.
So this is a retelling of a fairy tale called "East of the Sun, West of the Moon," which I'd never heard of before and decided to go into it completely blind and not read the fairytale ahead to figure out what was coming. I think that was a great choice because while it definitely had the fairy tale feel to it and I could see where things were heading, I still didn't see how the whole thing would play out.
Now that those little caveats are out of the way, I want to start by saying I was pretty much drawn into this book quick as a flash. It's got such a lovely introduction to Gytha's family and her dangerous situation as they're on the brink of starvation during a deadly winter.
We meet Gytha when she's heading out to try and find work in the village her family lives near. She's doing her best to help her family where she can, and her father heads out to check the traps each day in hopes of more food to feed his eight children. Gytha's the oldest child at 18, and she knows she needs to help her family if she can, especially after having rejected the offer of marriage to one of the wealthier men in the village, whose suit might have meant her family could survive the loss of their chickens to a lynx attack. Now, however, things look dire for the family, and she's regretting her choice.
She trudges back home to find a great white bear standing in her path, watching her, and for some reason, she doesn't run. She feels too ill to run or fight, and she wonders if she'll simply die and leave her family one less mouth to feed.
It's perhaps this that makes her the subject of the bear's scrutiny and endears her to the bear when she happens upon it again, this time with her sister in tow. But this time, things are different: for one thing, the bear talks to her and tells her he means her no harm.
Honestly, since I didn't know anything about the fairy tale going into it, I really loved the entire build up of the premise. I really love the idea of a man being transformed into a bear during the day and back to a human at night, and I loved the favor he asked of Gytha: to spend a year and a day in a place far from home where she would see him in his bear form but he would not be able to speak to her. And for the most dangerous twist? She would spend a year and a day sharing a bed with a strange man she cannot look at and who will not look at or speak to her.
I think this story is just really well done overall. The characters are fleshed out well, and I loved getting to know Gytha as we read about her time in the ice palace prison where the ice goblin queen has sentenced her to stay for a year and a day to fulfill her end of the favor to the bear, whose name is Alexander. She deals with bouts of loneliness and homesickness that force her to consider how much she truly loves about her home life in the woods with her large family. She deals with the sense of soul-crushing quiet that comes from living in a place with companions who refuse to speak to her as both the bear Alexander and the two ice goblin servants remain silent around her. She has to come to terms with feeling useless because she's not doing anything industrious like she would for her family, and she also battles guilt over being given such rich and luxurious things like books on printed paper and enough food that she begins to gain weight while she wonders if her family is starving.
There's really a lot of nuance in the emotions Gytha experiences and in her responses to the path she's chosen. And then we learn more about Alexander, and Brightley delivers a man who experiences emotional turbulence and doesn't shy away from tears, showing his grief, and dealing with all manner of situations that would break most people. I think that's one of my favorite things about how Brightley deals with Alexander's character, actually. She makes him a strong man who is capable of showing his brokenness in grief, in tears, and in confessions of his pain. Instead of having a main male character who has to stay strong and constant for his romantic interest, Alexander is a man who doesn't try to bury his emotions and faces them.
Aside from the characters, though, I just really loved the plot. From what I can tell, it does follow the highlights of the fairy tale and then reimagines some of the things that happen. I like that Gytha's character is strong enough that she keeps her promise to Alexander and refuses to look at the man sharing her bed for the entire year and a day. I also like her mettle and courage to go toe-to-toe with a terrifying and powerful ice goblin queen.
The romance was sweet but didn't seem to be the focus if I'm being honest. Yes, it's there, and I like that it was more about choosing one another and voicing that choice to each other. It just wasn't the focus of the plot.
This was a quick read but well-written and with great characters I thoroughly enjoyed. I'd definitely read more of Brightley's works and actually am looking forward to reading the one book I have that's also set in this world. It might not be tied to this one (and isn't because it comes first, technically), but I like the world-building and want to see more of the characters.
Definitely a book worth a read for a clean, sweet fairy tale reimagining and a good bit of character development!
Let's begin, shall we?
POV: Third person limited
POV Character(s): Gytha Ivarrsdottar
Verb Tense: Past
Triggers: Mention of captivity, some torture, death, nothing super heavy
Spice: None
This book is part of a series called All That Glitters. It's interesting because this is a series comprised of books by a number of different authors that focuses on a theme (in this case, reimagined fairy tales), and all the books can be read alone. When you dig into this book, however, the book also explains that the story is set in a world that Brightley has already written two books for with plans for more. So that makes it fun, and it also makes me look forward to reading those two books to see more about this world.
So this is a retelling of a fairy tale called "East of the Sun, West of the Moon," which I'd never heard of before and decided to go into it completely blind and not read the fairytale ahead to figure out what was coming. I think that was a great choice because while it definitely had the fairy tale feel to it and I could see where things were heading, I still didn't see how the whole thing would play out.
Now that those little caveats are out of the way, I want to start by saying I was pretty much drawn into this book quick as a flash. It's got such a lovely introduction to Gytha's family and her dangerous situation as they're on the brink of starvation during a deadly winter.
We meet Gytha when she's heading out to try and find work in the village her family lives near. She's doing her best to help her family where she can, and her father heads out to check the traps each day in hopes of more food to feed his eight children. Gytha's the oldest child at 18, and she knows she needs to help her family if she can, especially after having rejected the offer of marriage to one of the wealthier men in the village, whose suit might have meant her family could survive the loss of their chickens to a lynx attack. Now, however, things look dire for the family, and she's regretting her choice.
She trudges back home to find a great white bear standing in her path, watching her, and for some reason, she doesn't run. She feels too ill to run or fight, and she wonders if she'll simply die and leave her family one less mouth to feed.
It's perhaps this that makes her the subject of the bear's scrutiny and endears her to the bear when she happens upon it again, this time with her sister in tow. But this time, things are different: for one thing, the bear talks to her and tells her he means her no harm.
Honestly, since I didn't know anything about the fairy tale going into it, I really loved the entire build up of the premise. I really love the idea of a man being transformed into a bear during the day and back to a human at night, and I loved the favor he asked of Gytha: to spend a year and a day in a place far from home where she would see him in his bear form but he would not be able to speak to her. And for the most dangerous twist? She would spend a year and a day sharing a bed with a strange man she cannot look at and who will not look at or speak to her.
I think this story is just really well done overall. The characters are fleshed out well, and I loved getting to know Gytha as we read about her time in the ice palace prison where the ice goblin queen has sentenced her to stay for a year and a day to fulfill her end of the favor to the bear, whose name is Alexander. She deals with bouts of loneliness and homesickness that force her to consider how much she truly loves about her home life in the woods with her large family. She deals with the sense of soul-crushing quiet that comes from living in a place with companions who refuse to speak to her as both the bear Alexander and the two ice goblin servants remain silent around her. She has to come to terms with feeling useless because she's not doing anything industrious like she would for her family, and she also battles guilt over being given such rich and luxurious things like books on printed paper and enough food that she begins to gain weight while she wonders if her family is starving.
There's really a lot of nuance in the emotions Gytha experiences and in her responses to the path she's chosen. And then we learn more about Alexander, and Brightley delivers a man who experiences emotional turbulence and doesn't shy away from tears, showing his grief, and dealing with all manner of situations that would break most people. I think that's one of my favorite things about how Brightley deals with Alexander's character, actually. She makes him a strong man who is capable of showing his brokenness in grief, in tears, and in confessions of his pain. Instead of having a main male character who has to stay strong and constant for his romantic interest, Alexander is a man who doesn't try to bury his emotions and faces them.
Aside from the characters, though, I just really loved the plot. From what I can tell, it does follow the highlights of the fairy tale and then reimagines some of the things that happen. I like that Gytha's character is strong enough that she keeps her promise to Alexander and refuses to look at the man sharing her bed for the entire year and a day. I also like her mettle and courage to go toe-to-toe with a terrifying and powerful ice goblin queen.
The romance was sweet but didn't seem to be the focus if I'm being honest. Yes, it's there, and I like that it was more about choosing one another and voicing that choice to each other. It just wasn't the focus of the plot.
This was a quick read but well-written and with great characters I thoroughly enjoyed. I'd definitely read more of Brightley's works and actually am looking forward to reading the one book I have that's also set in this world. It might not be tied to this one (and isn't because it comes first, technically), but I like the world-building and want to see more of the characters.
Definitely a book worth a read for a clean, sweet fairy tale reimagining and a good bit of character development!
July 2, 2025
I received an ARC of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.
I am always enchanted by stories that take place in snowy landscapes. Maybe because I live in a desert. But there was so much detail out into the descriptions here. It crafts a world that feels both enchantingly beautiful and terrifying, depending on the page!
Gytha is a wonderfully layered protagonist. She is used to having to care for and support her large family but what I love is that she feels no resentment for it. She is troubled by limited resources but caring for her family legit brings her joy. She has a strong caregiver heart but it isn’t her only characteristic. She’s also loyal and puts a lot of stock in trust and faith. It’s rather refreshing to not have a “must be warrior” trait.
Alexander is a fun character as well. He has a past that is unraveled slowly but he never comes across as secretive for simply being secretive. You feel like he’s still trying to deal with the trauma that got him here in the first place.
The magic system is a lot of fun because we get to see humans and goblins as well as the political systems that run them! I’m not normally one for a lot of politics but this one weaves in the passage of time with spells and leaves us with a fun predicament.
I’m horrible with comparing works but…imagine Brother Bear, Frozen, and Balto with a dash of Beauty and the Beast.
I am always enchanted by stories that take place in snowy landscapes. Maybe because I live in a desert. But there was so much detail out into the descriptions here. It crafts a world that feels both enchantingly beautiful and terrifying, depending on the page!
Gytha is a wonderfully layered protagonist. She is used to having to care for and support her large family but what I love is that she feels no resentment for it. She is troubled by limited resources but caring for her family legit brings her joy. She has a strong caregiver heart but it isn’t her only characteristic. She’s also loyal and puts a lot of stock in trust and faith. It’s rather refreshing to not have a “must be warrior” trait.
Alexander is a fun character as well. He has a past that is unraveled slowly but he never comes across as secretive for simply being secretive. You feel like he’s still trying to deal with the trauma that got him here in the first place.
The magic system is a lot of fun because we get to see humans and goblins as well as the political systems that run them! I’m not normally one for a lot of politics but this one weaves in the passage of time with spells and leaves us with a fun predicament.
I’m horrible with comparing works but…imagine Brother Bear, Frozen, and Balto with a dash of Beauty and the Beast.
July 5, 2025
Fresh Retelling!
Of all the East of the Sun West of the Moon retellings that I’ve read, this one is by far the most unique. It has the elements of the original, but then the author went in new directions that breathed new life into the story. I thought Gytha was a wonderful and human character. Alexander started out the mysterious and incredible Bear Prince, but then we got to know him and his story is much deeper. Grief and trauma are present due to everything the ice goblin queen puts them through, but they come out the other side with hope and respect. There are a couple connections to The Silent Prince but not enough to cause confusion if you haven’t read the book (I haven’t), merely fun cameos. Clean in language and content. I very much enjoyed this book and would highly highly recommend it!
Of all the East of the Sun West of the Moon retellings that I’ve read, this one is by far the most unique. It has the elements of the original, but then the author went in new directions that breathed new life into the story. I thought Gytha was a wonderful and human character. Alexander started out the mysterious and incredible Bear Prince, but then we got to know him and his story is much deeper. Grief and trauma are present due to everything the ice goblin queen puts them through, but they come out the other side with hope and respect. There are a couple connections to The Silent Prince but not enough to cause confusion if you haven’t read the book (I haven’t), merely fun cameos. Clean in language and content. I very much enjoyed this book and would highly highly recommend it!
June 28, 2025
This was such an enjoyable read! It’s a fairytale retelling of a fairytale I hadn’t heard of before this. One of the main characters is a bear so there’s very little to no dialogue for most of the book. It was done tastefully well and you are drawn into the story. 3/4 of the book are the thoughts and actions of one character. I really enjoyed the way it was done! The romance is so cute and a satisfying end to the story. Several seemingly bad guys became endearing to me and I was sorry to see the book end. A charming side story romance was so precious. A cozy book for a cozy evening in!
July 3, 2025
I thought it was a very good retelling! It was my first introduction to “East of Sun, West of the Moon,” so I ended up finding the origins. I thought this did very well at keeping the essentials of the tales and making it new.
June 28, 2025
Starting off this book was very cozy for the first 50%
It made me want to cuddle up by the fire with a cup of coffee and a blanket. Unfortunately this came out in summer, so I was baking in the sun while reading this. ☀️😂
I liked the parents. I immediately felt a connection and the love they had for their children.
The bear was cute and kind of reminded me of Beauty and the Beast.🐻
I really liked seeing the family care for each other and how they all held together even when times were hard.
I liked that Gytha would sew a flower for each day that past and when she finds the room with paintings and tries her hand at it. As a painter I love to see that in books and frankly I don't think it is done enough.
That was the first 50% though. 😮💨😮💨
The second half of the book kind of took a turn.
It felt kind of empty and any connection I had to the characters disappeared.
They felt more like extras or side characters rather then the main
protagonists.
There really wasn't any humor in this book at all which makes me sad because if nothing else some good humor can get me through the more boring parts. There also wasn't any action or romance either. I don't feel like Alexander and Gytha had any sort of connection. Alexander was really sweet when he was a bear but when he was human he just seemed like a shell of a person. I guess I can excuse that since he has gone through a lot but at the same time I can't really feel sorry for him because we don't know him enough to feel anything.
The villain was pretty straight forward. She wanted power because she wanted it. Not really what I look for in a villain. There were no twists and no cliffhangers.
Two side characters got engaged and I felt nothing because again they weren't established well enough for it to feel like a triumph.
I still did like the first half of the book I just wish the book felt more full.
I received an ARC from the author and all thoughts are my own.
It made me want to cuddle up by the fire with a cup of coffee and a blanket. Unfortunately this came out in summer, so I was baking in the sun while reading this. ☀️😂
I liked the parents. I immediately felt a connection and the love they had for their children.
The bear was cute and kind of reminded me of Beauty and the Beast.🐻
I really liked seeing the family care for each other and how they all held together even when times were hard.
I liked that Gytha would sew a flower for each day that past and when she finds the room with paintings and tries her hand at it. As a painter I love to see that in books and frankly I don't think it is done enough.
That was the first 50% though. 😮💨😮💨
The second half of the book kind of took a turn.
It felt kind of empty and any connection I had to the characters disappeared.
They felt more like extras or side characters rather then the main
protagonists.
There really wasn't any humor in this book at all which makes me sad because if nothing else some good humor can get me through the more boring parts. There also wasn't any action or romance either. I don't feel like Alexander and Gytha had any sort of connection. Alexander was really sweet when he was a bear but when he was human he just seemed like a shell of a person. I guess I can excuse that since he has gone through a lot but at the same time I can't really feel sorry for him because we don't know him enough to feel anything.
The villain was pretty straight forward. She wanted power because she wanted it. Not really what I look for in a villain. There were no twists and no cliffhangers.
Two side characters got engaged and I felt nothing because again they weren't established well enough for it to feel like a triumph.
I still did like the first half of the book I just wish the book felt more full.
I received an ARC from the author and all thoughts are my own.
June 20, 2025
Book: Snow bound
Author: C. J. Brightley
Personal rating: 5/5 stars
Spice rating: 0/5
Language: 0/5
Plot: 5/5
This is a part of the Multi author series All that Glitters.
It is a retelling of East of the Sun, West of the moon.
Personal thoughts:
I love a good East of the Sun, West of the moon retelling but I have never cried like this.
I have so many thoughts on this book but they are all jumbled. Just to start it off, I loved Gytha, she was such a strong and compassionate character and I found her strength so beautiful because it was a quiet kind of strength that shone through her love for her family and they way she committed to helping Alexander.
I also really loved Alexander but my heart did break for him, he had been a captive for so long and his spirit was so crushed but I am so glad he was freed and I love how we got to see Alexander and Gytha journey home. The author didn’t just take us back to Gytha’s family’s doorstep immediately after the evil queen had been defeated but we get to see Alexander and Gytha journey to his kingdom and Alexander got to work through his emotions and boldly confess his love for Gytha.
This was just a beautiful story and I absolutely loved it.
Thank you to the author, C. J. Brightley, for an ARC of Snow bound. All opinions are my own.
Author: C. J. Brightley
Personal rating: 5/5 stars
Spice rating: 0/5
Language: 0/5
Plot: 5/5
This is a part of the Multi author series All that Glitters.
It is a retelling of East of the Sun, West of the moon.
Personal thoughts:
I love a good East of the Sun, West of the moon retelling but I have never cried like this.
I have so many thoughts on this book but they are all jumbled. Just to start it off, I loved Gytha, she was such a strong and compassionate character and I found her strength so beautiful because it was a quiet kind of strength that shone through her love for her family and they way she committed to helping Alexander.
I also really loved Alexander but my heart did break for him, he had been a captive for so long and his spirit was so crushed but I am so glad he was freed and I love how we got to see Alexander and Gytha journey home. The author didn’t just take us back to Gytha’s family’s doorstep immediately after the evil queen had been defeated but we get to see Alexander and Gytha journey to his kingdom and Alexander got to work through his emotions and boldly confess his love for Gytha.
This was just a beautiful story and I absolutely loved it.
Thank you to the author, C. J. Brightley, for an ARC of Snow bound. All opinions are my own.
December 25, 2025
Good story and good pacing! This is an enjoyable retelling of "East of the Sun, West of the Moon." I enjoyed the setting/culture of Gytha's home as well as the depiction of family togetherness in the face of hardship.
I don't understand other reviews that stated this book was violent; in my opinion it truly wasn't at all.
This would have been five stars for me if the characters had been a little more interesting. Most of them felt like generic Good People Who Make Good Choices, and while it's nice to see some of that in a book for a change, I would have appreciated a few more quirks to make them seem more human.
This is an indie book and I did catch a couple of typos but no glaring cringey errors. It just could have used one more close reading before printing.
I don't understand other reviews that stated this book was violent; in my opinion it truly wasn't at all.
This would have been five stars for me if the characters had been a little more interesting. Most of them felt like generic Good People Who Make Good Choices, and while it's nice to see some of that in a book for a change, I would have appreciated a few more quirks to make them seem more human.
This is an indie book and I did catch a couple of typos but no glaring cringey errors. It just could have used one more close reading before printing.
July 3, 2025
This is only my second or so retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, which I've never even heard of the actual fairytale before reading retellings. However, I did enjoy this story. It was a little slower paced in my opinion, but I really enjoyed the character development all around. Definitely one I think I'd enjoy as an audiobook. The FMC had serious guts along with a kind heart, which I find impressive. The MMC was a genuinely decent person put in the wrong scenario and I loved watching the FMC help him get out of the mess, it was kind of fun. Definitely also has Beauty and the Beast elements that make me wonder if the original fairytale and Beauty and the Beast have similar origins.
June 29, 2025
~ 4 ⭐~
↪ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽
◊ cozy fairytale retelling
◊ dresses swishing in the snow
◊ no spice! (the world needs more clean fantasy books)
◊ goblin enchantments
◊ kind bear
↪ 𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼
I thought this was cute and cozy. despite reading it on the beach I was craving hot coco by a roaring fire with a fuzzy blanket. truly a well written book. it had its own flare to it that i ate up. highly recommend for a winter read!
𝓶𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓬!
↪ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽
◊ cozy fairytale retelling
◊ dresses swishing in the snow
◊ no spice! (the world needs more clean fantasy books)
◊ goblin enchantments
◊ kind bear
↪ 𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼
I thought this was cute and cozy. despite reading it on the beach I was craving hot coco by a roaring fire with a fuzzy blanket. truly a well written book. it had its own flare to it that i ate up. highly recommend for a winter read!
𝓶𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓬!
July 23, 2025
This is such a wonderful retelling with so much detail and imagination. This is my first time reading a book by this author and I can’t wait to read more! I loved the beginning details with Gytha’s family and home life. Alexander is the perfect leading man who is selfless and considerate. Gytha is strong, fierce, and the perfect leading female. A great story with lots of twists and turns. A great addition to the All That Glitters series! I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.
June 25, 2025
I don’t know this retelling really well, but I still really enjoyed this story. Because I don’t know the folklore that it’s based off of it was a wonderful adventure to dive into and to learn more about, and it was beautiful to see the honorable characters and their acts of gratitude and kindness to help even those in worst situations. This was definitely quite a chilling adventure.
June 29, 2025
This one hooked me from the beginning. Such an enchanting and beautiful tale. I felt such a connection to both main characters. They were written so perfectly that you feel for everything they go through. The heartbreak and compassion was so realistic and refreshing in the characters. I loved all of it!
July 9, 2025
I loved this book so much! First of all this cover is so pretty! This book is a wonderful retelling. I have been loving retellings lately and I was so happy to be able to read this book. The story was very well written and I could not put it down!
August 7, 2025
It was good, but it just dragged for the longest time. Plus, I didn't really connect with either of the main characters. There was a point where they were just repeating themselves over and over again. It could have been better, but it wasn't bad.
June 27, 2025
I can't give this story enough stars! I loved it! It is probably my new favorite retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon!!!
July 23, 2025
Love this book!!!
So happy to read a retelling of East of the Sun and West of the Moon where the FMC actually goes through the whole year without looking at the man in her bed.
So happy to read a retelling of East of the Sun and West of the Moon where the FMC actually goes through the whole year without looking at the man in her bed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2025
❄️East of the Sun, West of the Moon Retelling
❄️Slow Burn
❄️Royal Intrigue
❄️Lost Heir
❄️Ice troll kingdom world building
❄️Uprising against the Evil Troll Queen
❄️High stakes
This has to be my favorite retelling of the classic East of Sun, West of Moon series EVER! C.J. Brightly crafted a unique story that took the best elements from the classic fairytale and added her world-building. I’ve always wanted the epilogue, if you will, of what the lost prince returns to or how he deals with the loss of his family. The way it was portrayed in this book, a mysterious heir gone missing but always having a claim to the throne because of his brother’s decree was such a sweet touch to the story. If you want a short, but captivating read, pick this book up now!
❄️Slow Burn
❄️Royal Intrigue
❄️Lost Heir
❄️Ice troll kingdom world building
❄️Uprising against the Evil Troll Queen
❄️High stakes
This has to be my favorite retelling of the classic East of Sun, West of Moon series EVER! C.J. Brightly crafted a unique story that took the best elements from the classic fairytale and added her world-building. I’ve always wanted the epilogue, if you will, of what the lost prince returns to or how he deals with the loss of his family. The way it was portrayed in this book, a mysterious heir gone missing but always having a claim to the throne because of his brother’s decree was such a sweet touch to the story. If you want a short, but captivating read, pick this book up now!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2025
I am legitimately falling in love with C.J. Brightley as an author. Brightley's writing is just so vibrant, rich, and engaging. Her characters are dynamic, distinct, and real.
I freaking LOVE East of of the Sun, West of the Moon and this is easily the most original retelling of the tale I've read. Gytha, the FMC, retains the determination and strength of the fairy tale, but not the doubt and shallowness (which I appreciated). Gytha has a very strong moral compass, so the whole time reading I was curious how the author would handle the plot point with the candle. This book keeps the skeleton of the fairy tale, but completely rewrites the details of it. It's a refreshing face lift to the story because it removes the questionable plot elements that make the maiden at fault and self-contradictory.
The way the bear prince and queen are handled in this story are very interesting. It's more tragic, but also more "realistic" in a way. I liked Alexander and his experiences. The book opens the door to having a sincere discussion about abuse and PTSD.
I loved the little cameos from Marin and Kaerius, and again how distinct Marin and Kaerius are from Gytha and Alexander. I think we met some characters who will be in Brightley's next book, so I'm excited for that!
I freaking LOVE East of of the Sun, West of the Moon and this is easily the most original retelling of the tale I've read. Gytha, the FMC, retains the determination and strength of the fairy tale, but not the doubt and shallowness (which I appreciated). Gytha has a very strong moral compass, so the whole time reading I was curious how the author would handle the plot point with the candle. This book keeps the skeleton of the fairy tale, but completely rewrites the details of it. It's a refreshing face lift to the story because it removes the questionable plot elements that make the maiden at fault and self-contradictory.
The way the bear prince and queen are handled in this story are very interesting. It's more tragic, but also more "realistic" in a way. I liked Alexander and his experiences. The book opens the door to having a sincere discussion about abuse and PTSD.
I loved the little cameos from Marin and Kaerius, and again how distinct Marin and Kaerius are from Gytha and Alexander. I think we met some characters who will be in Brightley's next book, so I'm excited for that!
October 27, 2025
Full of Quiet Strength
East of the Sun, West of the Moon is a story that doesn’t get as many retellings as more well-known fairy tales, but I have always loved it. This one added a quiet strength and lovely, endearing characters that were just a joy to go on an adventure with.
East of the Sun, West of the Moon is a story that doesn’t get as many retellings as more well-known fairy tales, but I have always loved it. This one added a quiet strength and lovely, endearing characters that were just a joy to go on an adventure with.
September 16, 2025
Overview:
Language 🤐: Clean
Romance ❤️🔥: Kissing only (not descriptive)
Violence ⚔️: There was a scene where someone is beating on page if I remember, there is some other violence and fighting I can't remember how descriptive as it's been awhile since I've read this story.
⚠️Kidnapping, Poverty and Starvation, Abuse⚠️
Tropes/Micro tropes
- Royalty and Pesant
- Single POV
- Force Proximity
- They Rescue Each other
- Slow Burn
My Thoughts:
Original thoughts here:
Ok absolutely adore this story! This is the second fairytale retelling of this story I’ve read and I think I need to find more of them. The other does an amazing job with this one and it’s a journey full of depth and emotion that you are taken on here! I love this and if you love fairytale retellings of journeys of courage and adventure as well as great reveals this is for you!
Expanded:
I remember this story being very moving. Gytha carries this story all by herself through like the majority of the story as Alexander doesn't talk much. We see such great love that Gytha's family has for one another and I remember being so touched by their love and the struggle that her parents were having caring for their family through the times of winter and what a struggle it truly use to be to care for a family during times. It was great seeing this family and the great love they have.
East of the Sun, West of the Moon is such an interesting fairytale retelling! I loved the background we got with the Ice Goblins here in this story. I loved the true depth of emotions that was deeply explored in all these characters! It had great depth and the length we can go to help our fellow man and the change Gytha took in helping her family and then Alexander and the Ice Goblins. This story had such great characters and just a great plot. It has been awhile since I've read this but I remover enjoying this story and felt like it had great depth and complexity to it. Not sure that I am truly doing this story justice!
If you want to read a littler known Fairytale and love a slowburn where the romance is more of a subplot this story is for you! Brightley connected this story to another one of her stories which I definitely am going to read. I truly adored this story and will definitely be reading more of Brighley's stories!
Thank you to the author for allowing me to read this ARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own!
Language 🤐: Clean
Romance ❤️🔥: Kissing only (not descriptive)
Violence ⚔️: There was a scene where someone is beating on page if I remember, there is some other violence and fighting I can't remember how descriptive as it's been awhile since I've read this story.
⚠️Kidnapping, Poverty and Starvation, Abuse⚠️
Tropes/Micro tropes
- Royalty and Pesant
- Single POV
- Force Proximity
- They Rescue Each other
- Slow Burn
My Thoughts:
Original thoughts here:
Ok absolutely adore this story! This is the second fairytale retelling of this story I’ve read and I think I need to find more of them. The other does an amazing job with this one and it’s a journey full of depth and emotion that you are taken on here! I love this and if you love fairytale retellings of journeys of courage and adventure as well as great reveals this is for you!
Expanded:
I remember this story being very moving. Gytha carries this story all by herself through like the majority of the story as Alexander doesn't talk much. We see such great love that Gytha's family has for one another and I remember being so touched by their love and the struggle that her parents were having caring for their family through the times of winter and what a struggle it truly use to be to care for a family during times. It was great seeing this family and the great love they have.
East of the Sun, West of the Moon is such an interesting fairytale retelling! I loved the background we got with the Ice Goblins here in this story. I loved the true depth of emotions that was deeply explored in all these characters! It had great depth and the length we can go to help our fellow man and the change Gytha took in helping her family and then Alexander and the Ice Goblins. This story had such great characters and just a great plot. It has been awhile since I've read this but I remover enjoying this story and felt like it had great depth and complexity to it. Not sure that I am truly doing this story justice!
If you want to read a littler known Fairytale and love a slowburn where the romance is more of a subplot this story is for you! Brightley connected this story to another one of her stories which I definitely am going to read. I truly adored this story and will definitely be reading more of Brighley's stories!
Thank you to the author for allowing me to read this ARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own!
June 20, 2025
Winters are hard in the small village of Aoalvik. For Gytha’s family, this year was especially hard. The harvest was not bountiful, the winter cold proving difficult, wild game near impossible to find, and the chickens killed by a wild animal. When her father offered her a marriage agreement to help ease the burden, Gytha declined wanting to be with her family one last year. The one thing of fortune for the family was Gytha stumbling across a large white bear. Instead of being afraid she finds the bear unusual and comfortable. And when she meets the bear a second time she finds it can talk. The bear helps the family in many ways and when asked if the bear would like anything in return she receives a cryptic answer. When pressed again, the bear makes a request from her, something that must be the choice of the maiden and not forced upon her. She would need to travel with the bear to a mysterious place where she cannot speak to him, where an unknown man will share her bed but she may not look at him or see him for a year and a day. The bear promises she will not be harmed by the man and admits this is a difficult task to ask someone to trust blindly like this. Gytha wants to repay the kindness the bear has given and wants to help him as well, something clearly magical is binding the bear and she wishes him to be free. Upon arriving at the bear’s gilded prison she is met by the Ice Goblin Queen and her silent staff. Something is clearly wrong but the staff, bear, and the mystery man are silent not by choice, leaving her to work out what is going on by herself.
This is a tale that I was not familiar with and decided to look up before reading it. There are several changes but not drastic ones making the story flow well. One of the biggest differences is in how the deal was completed and the magical villain being one person instead of a witch and her daughter. Gytha’s goal is completed in the story but that is not where this book ends, this story decides to show the aftermath of the curse and how it was handled by multiple parties. This aftermath allowed it to be tied to another book making it connected and I felt that hardship was handled well. These characters feel real with how they act and interact in the world around them. How Gytha reacts to the near constant silence and boredom is believable. The plot with the ice goblins was a fantastic addition. I liked how they get their own difficulties but it does not take away from the main characters but I am not left needing more either. This was an excellent read by this author.
This is a tale that I was not familiar with and decided to look up before reading it. There are several changes but not drastic ones making the story flow well. One of the biggest differences is in how the deal was completed and the magical villain being one person instead of a witch and her daughter. Gytha’s goal is completed in the story but that is not where this book ends, this story decides to show the aftermath of the curse and how it was handled by multiple parties. This aftermath allowed it to be tied to another book making it connected and I felt that hardship was handled well. These characters feel real with how they act and interact in the world around them. How Gytha reacts to the near constant silence and boredom is believable. The plot with the ice goblins was a fantastic addition. I liked how they get their own difficulties but it does not take away from the main characters but I am not left needing more either. This was an excellent read by this author.
July 11, 2025
Snow Bound was an intriguing read!
To be honest, I thought this was a Snow Queen retelling, so I was a little confused as I was reading. This is actually an East of the Sun, West of the Moon retelling which is a fairytale I am completely unfamiliar with. Despite my unfamiliarity with this story, it was a fun read.
One thing I noticed with this book, that is true for most of the other books in this series, is that the main characters are eighteen or older. I am so used to reading about heroes and heroines that are thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. It’s not too often that I find a story with an older protagonist. I love how they were older and more mature.
Gytha is such a sweet, kind character, and one who really loves her family and wants to do whatever she can to support them. I especially love Gytha’s motivations in this book. In modern media, the female protagonists are strong, independent, fiery, stubborn, blade wielding characters who act like they don’t need anyone. Now I am not saying this is a bad thing, but there are so many of them that I want a main character a little more like me. Gytha is that character. She didn’t do what she did because she was enacting revenge or trying to prove a point, but simply because it was the right thing to do and she was returning a kindness.
I also especially loved the family side of things, for both Gytha and Alexander. I love how Gytha has such a supportive, loving family, something that is also missing from the majority of modern media. I really enjoyed the storyline with Alexander’s family. It was super emotional, but also heartwarming seeing this bond between siblings.
I enjoyed Alexander’s character. I thought he was interesting, and I would love to have more backstory on him. One of my favorite things about this book was that they didn’t push away his trauma after his curse was ended. It wasn’t brushed aside and never spoken of again, it was actually a big part of the story and something that was frequently addressed. I just think that was really cool.
Brightley did a good job of depicting how people aren’t meant to be alone and need people, as well.
The setting of this story was interesting, but one I was struggling to get into. It was very far North, when I am more used to forested areas, so the concept of nothing but ice and snow didn’t capture my attention as much. The descriptions were well written, and I could picture the setting easily though!
I want more of the Goblin Prince and his wife! I loved the small snippets of them, especially towards the end. It was so intriguing, and I need more!
Snow Bound is a sweet, wintery clean romance retelling with curses, goblins, family, and a kind main character!
*I received an ARC copy from the author and all opinions are my own.
To be honest, I thought this was a Snow Queen retelling, so I was a little confused as I was reading. This is actually an East of the Sun, West of the Moon retelling which is a fairytale I am completely unfamiliar with. Despite my unfamiliarity with this story, it was a fun read.
One thing I noticed with this book, that is true for most of the other books in this series, is that the main characters are eighteen or older. I am so used to reading about heroes and heroines that are thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. It’s not too often that I find a story with an older protagonist. I love how they were older and more mature.
Gytha is such a sweet, kind character, and one who really loves her family and wants to do whatever she can to support them. I especially love Gytha’s motivations in this book. In modern media, the female protagonists are strong, independent, fiery, stubborn, blade wielding characters who act like they don’t need anyone. Now I am not saying this is a bad thing, but there are so many of them that I want a main character a little more like me. Gytha is that character. She didn’t do what she did because she was enacting revenge or trying to prove a point, but simply because it was the right thing to do and she was returning a kindness.
I also especially loved the family side of things, for both Gytha and Alexander. I love how Gytha has such a supportive, loving family, something that is also missing from the majority of modern media. I really enjoyed the storyline with Alexander’s family. It was super emotional, but also heartwarming seeing this bond between siblings.
I enjoyed Alexander’s character. I thought he was interesting, and I would love to have more backstory on him. One of my favorite things about this book was that they didn’t push away his trauma after his curse was ended. It wasn’t brushed aside and never spoken of again, it was actually a big part of the story and something that was frequently addressed. I just think that was really cool.
Brightley did a good job of depicting how people aren’t meant to be alone and need people, as well.
The setting of this story was interesting, but one I was struggling to get into. It was very far North, when I am more used to forested areas, so the concept of nothing but ice and snow didn’t capture my attention as much. The descriptions were well written, and I could picture the setting easily though!
I want more of the Goblin Prince and his wife! I loved the small snippets of them, especially towards the end. It was so intriguing, and I need more!
Snow Bound is a sweet, wintery clean romance retelling with curses, goblins, family, and a kind main character!
*I received an ARC copy from the author and all opinions are my own.
July 5, 2025
Snow Bound was my first retelling of the fairy tale known as East of the Sun, West of the Moon as well as the first book I've read by C.J. Brightley. Right from the beginning, the story caught my attention as we are introduced to Gytha, a young common girl who is trying to help her starving family survive the winter. After turning down an offer of marriage not long before, Gytha feels that she needs to help her large family in whatever way she can. One morning, after doing a bit of work for a neighbor in exchange for a bit of food for her family, Grytha is approached by a large white bear. Too tired to run, and believing that it would be better off for her family to have one less mouth to feed, Gytha remains. When the bear simply watches her before wandering off, Grytha is relieved and quickly makes her way home. However, shortly thereafter, she is approached by the bear again when out with her younger sister. She quickly realizes that this white bear is no ordinary bear when he begins speaking to her. The bear, who she learns has the name Alexander, befriends Grytha and helps her little sister and her home. When Grytha and her mother are stricken with an illness that appears will be the end of them, Alexander appears again, using the last of his magic to help heal both Grytha and her mother. Alexander does this even when attacked and injured by Grytha's father who believes the bear is harming them.
After Grytha and her mother are healed, Alexander asks Grytha if she would be willing to help him as his life is dwindling by the second. She would need to leave her family and spend a year and a day at the end of the world, sharing her bed with a man she could not look at or touch. In doing so, she would help to save Alexander's life. Yet, Alexander leaves the decision up to Grytha, and tells her she is under no obligation to help him.
Grytha is driven by kindness and desires to help Alexander, despite her parents' wishes. She agrees to travel with Alexander and fufill the bargain to help save his life. Yet, even a bargain that appears straight-forward will have many twists and turns when dark magic is involved. Will Grytha be able to save Alexander?
If you enjoy clean adventures with a hint of romance, Snow Bound is the story for you!
After Grytha and her mother are healed, Alexander asks Grytha if she would be willing to help him as his life is dwindling by the second. She would need to leave her family and spend a year and a day at the end of the world, sharing her bed with a man she could not look at or touch. In doing so, she would help to save Alexander's life. Yet, Alexander leaves the decision up to Grytha, and tells her she is under no obligation to help him.
Grytha is driven by kindness and desires to help Alexander, despite her parents' wishes. She agrees to travel with Alexander and fufill the bargain to help save his life. Yet, even a bargain that appears straight-forward will have many twists and turns when dark magic is involved. Will Grytha be able to save Alexander?
If you enjoy clean adventures with a hint of romance, Snow Bound is the story for you!
July 11, 2025
This was my first book by this author. I own The Silent Prince but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. I really, really enjoyed it.
My only complaint (and I want to mention it for other animal lovers) was the descriptive paragraph about prepping an elk to eat and what they would do with all of the parts. This was extremely unnecessary and really disgusting. The author could have just stated "This elk would feat us for the remainder of the winter. Having meat to consume would strengthen and sustain us." Yea, It just wasn't needed. So, be warned if you are an animal lover like I am. I hate hunting and find it vile... and really do not need descriptions of it in the books I read, especially books that are "cleaner"
Now that I am done with that rant, I will talk about how much I really enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed the creativity and the world building. The north-pole/artic type setting was so fun to read about. I love a cold cozy story. Around the 80% part I was wondering what hte author could possible add to the story, but the last 20% was still extremely enjoyable.
I really liked Gytha as a character. She was kind, compassionate, brave and strong. She gave Belle vibes from Beauty and the Beast, and while this was an East of the sun, West of the Moon retelling, it had a lot of Beauty and the Beast influence/vibes as well. i would argue it could be advertised as a combined retelling.
Alexander was also a likeable character. He was also strong, brave, and was, in his own way, self-sacrificing...even though Gytha was also self-sacrificing and was able to help him. He was sweet and I liked how he interacted with the other characters.
I found the Ice Goblins to be very interested and enjoyed the world building around the species.
There were many lovely themes in this story including bravery, gratitude, family/found-family, sacrifice, service, and protecting others.
I highly recommend this book to fairy-tale lvoers/fantasy lvoers. It was lovely.
I was selected for the ARC, unfortuantley June was extremely busy for me and I did not get his read by the publication date, so I read it on KU instead. I want to thank the author for selcting me for her ARC Team. All opinions in this review are my own.
4.75/5.
My only complaint (and I want to mention it for other animal lovers) was the descriptive paragraph about prepping an elk to eat and what they would do with all of the parts. This was extremely unnecessary and really disgusting. The author could have just stated "This elk would feat us for the remainder of the winter. Having meat to consume would strengthen and sustain us." Yea, It just wasn't needed. So, be warned if you are an animal lover like I am. I hate hunting and find it vile... and really do not need descriptions of it in the books I read, especially books that are "cleaner"
Now that I am done with that rant, I will talk about how much I really enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed the creativity and the world building. The north-pole/artic type setting was so fun to read about. I love a cold cozy story. Around the 80% part I was wondering what hte author could possible add to the story, but the last 20% was still extremely enjoyable.
I really liked Gytha as a character. She was kind, compassionate, brave and strong. She gave Belle vibes from Beauty and the Beast, and while this was an East of the sun, West of the Moon retelling, it had a lot of Beauty and the Beast influence/vibes as well. i would argue it could be advertised as a combined retelling.
Alexander was also a likeable character. He was also strong, brave, and was, in his own way, self-sacrificing...even though Gytha was also self-sacrificing and was able to help him. He was sweet and I liked how he interacted with the other characters.
I found the Ice Goblins to be very interested and enjoyed the world building around the species.
There were many lovely themes in this story including bravery, gratitude, family/found-family, sacrifice, service, and protecting others.
I highly recommend this book to fairy-tale lvoers/fantasy lvoers. It was lovely.
I was selected for the ARC, unfortuantley June was extremely busy for me and I did not get his read by the publication date, so I read it on KU instead. I want to thank the author for selcting me for her ARC Team. All opinions in this review are my own.
4.75/5.
July 9, 2025
Before I begin, I would like to thank C. J. Brightley for allowing me to read her new book, Snow Bound, which is part of the multi-author All That Glitters series and is available on Amazon starting on June 28th, 2025.
It’s very difficult living in the North Lands, but this winter is exceptionally bad. Gytha and her family are at the point that they would do anything to survive, even if the assistance comes from a bear. Alexander, the huge white bear, has been kind and offered food, but the favor he asks of Gytha requires great sacrifice. For a year and a day, Gytha must live in an ice goblin queen’s castle alone and deal with extreme loneliness without letting the queen’s awful words get to her or the silent goblin guards shatter her faith and determination to help Alexander. Gytha and her newfound friends in the North are determined to free the bear prince no matter the cost. Are Gytha’s kindness and bravery enough to free Alexander from the ice queen’s hold?
This book was wonderful. You have Gytha, a kind, loyal, brave, and beautiful young woman that would do anything to help her loved ones and always puts others before herself. You have Alexander, a considerate, gentle, strong, and handsome bear prince that longs for freedom from the ice goblin queen’s enchantments and does his best to help Gytha. The interactions between Gytha and Alexander were sweet, supportive, and vulnerable. I’m usually not the greatest fan of the East of the Sun and West of the Moon fairytale, but the way the author weaved a tale of compassion and sacrifice from both Alexander and Gytha made this story an exception. The worldbuilding was excellent, and I cheered for Gytha and her friends throughout the story. Overall, if you like fairytale retellings, great worldbuilding, wonderful characters and sweet friends-to-lovers romance with low spice, then I would highly recommend this book.
It’s very difficult living in the North Lands, but this winter is exceptionally bad. Gytha and her family are at the point that they would do anything to survive, even if the assistance comes from a bear. Alexander, the huge white bear, has been kind and offered food, but the favor he asks of Gytha requires great sacrifice. For a year and a day, Gytha must live in an ice goblin queen’s castle alone and deal with extreme loneliness without letting the queen’s awful words get to her or the silent goblin guards shatter her faith and determination to help Alexander. Gytha and her newfound friends in the North are determined to free the bear prince no matter the cost. Are Gytha’s kindness and bravery enough to free Alexander from the ice queen’s hold?
This book was wonderful. You have Gytha, a kind, loyal, brave, and beautiful young woman that would do anything to help her loved ones and always puts others before herself. You have Alexander, a considerate, gentle, strong, and handsome bear prince that longs for freedom from the ice goblin queen’s enchantments and does his best to help Gytha. The interactions between Gytha and Alexander were sweet, supportive, and vulnerable. I’m usually not the greatest fan of the East of the Sun and West of the Moon fairytale, but the way the author weaved a tale of compassion and sacrifice from both Alexander and Gytha made this story an exception. The worldbuilding was excellent, and I cheered for Gytha and her friends throughout the story. Overall, if you like fairytale retellings, great worldbuilding, wonderful characters and sweet friends-to-lovers romance with low spice, then I would highly recommend this book.
October 20, 2025
Some parts of this book I really enjoyed, and other parts dragged a bit.
I loved the first 40%, the story had a great setup. I loved that we got to see Gytha’s family, I loved the snow imagery, and the mystery of the bear and the castle. I would give 5 stars to that first 40%.
But then it started to drag a bit, having the bear not be able to speak in the castle and only being in Gytha’s head, got a bit boring.
Then when Gytha went a bit crazy and left the castle, it made me so frustrated. The bear had saved her family in the beginning, and she agreed to stay for a year because she was so grateful and wanted to repay the bear, and though it sucked no one would talk to her, she wasn’t alone. She also knew when agreeing to help the bear, that he couldn’t talk to her, so I didn’t understand why she kept trying to get him to talk. I also didn’t understand why her leaving didn’t really have any consequences.
Thankfully the frustrating part was only about 20%, and then the year was up, and we were on the part of rescuing the bear from the ice queen. That part was okay, but by this time I felt so detached from the characters, that I just wasn’t super invested, but it wasn’t bad.
The ending I enjoyed close to as much as the beginning. I liked how everything wrapped up for the prince, and that he became part of Gytha’s family.
The romance is extremely lacking in this story, and that was a let down. I really think not having the bear be able to talk hindered a lot of the growth in Gytha and the Bears relationship. I actually was shipping Gytha and the goblin servant more than her and the bear.
So some parts were great, some were okay, and a small portion made me so frustrated, so I’m settling on 3 stars. I think if the author would have got me more invested in the romance I could have overlooked the parts I didn’t enjoy as much.
Content: clean, no swearing, only mild violence
I loved the first 40%, the story had a great setup. I loved that we got to see Gytha’s family, I loved the snow imagery, and the mystery of the bear and the castle. I would give 5 stars to that first 40%.
But then it started to drag a bit, having the bear not be able to speak in the castle and only being in Gytha’s head, got a bit boring.
Then when Gytha went a bit crazy and left the castle, it made me so frustrated. The bear had saved her family in the beginning, and she agreed to stay for a year because she was so grateful and wanted to repay the bear, and though it sucked no one would talk to her, she wasn’t alone. She also knew when agreeing to help the bear, that he couldn’t talk to her, so I didn’t understand why she kept trying to get him to talk. I also didn’t understand why her leaving didn’t really have any consequences.
Thankfully the frustrating part was only about 20%, and then the year was up, and we were on the part of rescuing the bear from the ice queen. That part was okay, but by this time I felt so detached from the characters, that I just wasn’t super invested, but it wasn’t bad.
The ending I enjoyed close to as much as the beginning. I liked how everything wrapped up for the prince, and that he became part of Gytha’s family.
The romance is extremely lacking in this story, and that was a let down. I really think not having the bear be able to talk hindered a lot of the growth in Gytha and the Bears relationship. I actually was shipping Gytha and the goblin servant more than her and the bear.
So some parts were great, some were okay, and a small portion made me so frustrated, so I’m settling on 3 stars. I think if the author would have got me more invested in the romance I could have overlooked the parts I didn’t enjoy as much.
Content: clean, no swearing, only mild violence
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2025
What a lovely story! I have not had many opportunities to read many reimaginings of East of the Sun, West of the Moon and this was such a magical one.
Gytha was so sweet. I loved her sense of honor and compassion. It guided her through the many difficult choices she had to make. I admired her courage and appreciated how she still struggled. She felt so real in her emotions, her loneliness and worries. I also loved her relationship with her family, they had such a loving relationship. As she endured within the palace of the ice goblins, Gytha chose to show compassion and it sustained her through the challenges that continued to come.
I also admired Alexander. He was struggling through many difficulties and under a heavy burden. He was very sweet with Gytha and her family. It was really cool to see more of his history as the story progressed.
The magic of the world was really interesting. I really enjoyed getting to see the ice goblins and some of their culture and workings. As Gytha made friends in the prison of the queen, she saw the honor and dignity that they had, despite their own suffering. I also really enjoyed being back in Eleria. There were tie-ins to the Silent Prince that were lovely to see and made me excited for more books in the world,
Overall, I really enjoyed this fairytale inspired fantasy. It has a light romantic subplot, but is primarily has a fairytale adventure feel. It has some light fantasy violence and some kisses, but I would suggest it for teens and up.
I received an ARC.
Gytha was so sweet. I loved her sense of honor and compassion. It guided her through the many difficult choices she had to make. I admired her courage and appreciated how she still struggled. She felt so real in her emotions, her loneliness and worries. I also loved her relationship with her family, they had such a loving relationship. As she endured within the palace of the ice goblins, Gytha chose to show compassion and it sustained her through the challenges that continued to come.
I also admired Alexander. He was struggling through many difficulties and under a heavy burden. He was very sweet with Gytha and her family. It was really cool to see more of his history as the story progressed.
The magic of the world was really interesting. I really enjoyed getting to see the ice goblins and some of their culture and workings. As Gytha made friends in the prison of the queen, she saw the honor and dignity that they had, despite their own suffering. I also really enjoyed being back in Eleria. There were tie-ins to the Silent Prince that were lovely to see and made me excited for more books in the world,
Overall, I really enjoyed this fairytale inspired fantasy. It has a light romantic subplot, but is primarily has a fairytale adventure feel. It has some light fantasy violence and some kisses, but I would suggest it for teens and up.
I received an ARC.
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