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Stealing Snow #0.1
Before the Snow
Enter a world of elemental magic, forbidden romance, and betrayal in this prequel to New York Times bestselling author Danielle Paige's upcoming Stealing Snow.
Young Nepenthe is half-princess, half-mermaid. Though she longs for the sea, her father wants her to stay on land. But only love can make a mermaid give up the water, and Nepenthe doesn't love anyone the way her mother loves her human father. She wants to live as a mermaid and become the River Witch, like her mother.
Then Nepenthe meets Prince Lazar, the son of the all-powerful Snow King of Algid, and she can't help but fall for him. After a horrible tragedy strikes, Nepenthe joins forces with a young fire witch named Ora to save Lazar and protect the kingdom. But it soon becomes clear that Ora loves Lazar just as much as Nepenthe does... And now Nepenthe must decide: inherit the power of the River Witch, or betray her friend to be with the boy she loves.
And Nepenthe's role in the prophecy is only just beginning. . . In the future, she is destined to cross paths with a girl named Snow, who will have the power to change Algid forever-for better, or for worse.
Young Nepenthe is half-princess, half-mermaid. Though she longs for the sea, her father wants her to stay on land. But only love can make a mermaid give up the water, and Nepenthe doesn't love anyone the way her mother loves her human father. She wants to live as a mermaid and become the River Witch, like her mother.
Then Nepenthe meets Prince Lazar, the son of the all-powerful Snow King of Algid, and she can't help but fall for him. After a horrible tragedy strikes, Nepenthe joins forces with a young fire witch named Ora to save Lazar and protect the kingdom. But it soon becomes clear that Ora loves Lazar just as much as Nepenthe does... And now Nepenthe must decide: inherit the power of the River Witch, or betray her friend to be with the boy she loves.
And Nepenthe's role in the prophecy is only just beginning. . . In the future, she is destined to cross paths with a girl named Snow, who will have the power to change Algid forever-for better, or for worse.
90 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 26, 2016
40 people are currently reading
2179 people want to read
About the author
Danielle Paige
34 books5,602 followersDanielle lives in NY. Before turning to YA, she worked in television & was nominated for several Daytime Emmy's. Dorothy Must Die is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
August 8, 2016
Ugh. The writing is god-awful! How the hell did the editor clear this garbage?
August 4, 2016
Absolutely awful.
Following her success with the updated Wizard of Oz novels, Paige's publisher decided to put out some scribblings the author produced in middle school. I have no other explanation for how something this bad got into print.
Nepenthe is a mermaids with tentacles--wrap your head around that for a moment. Nepenthe is the daughter of the River Witch who governs a freshwater system populated by salt water creatures. After the death of her parents, Nepenthe joins the coven and develops a complicated relationship with the prince who's a male version of the queen in Frozen.
The writing is bad, the characters are one dimensional, the plot is boring and the editing is nonexistent.
Clearly, Bloomsbury press has nothing but contempt for their customers and the evidence is how they charged money for this piece of trash.
Following her success with the updated Wizard of Oz novels, Paige's publisher decided to put out some scribblings the author produced in middle school. I have no other explanation for how something this bad got into print.
Nepenthe is a mermaids with tentacles--wrap your head around that for a moment. Nepenthe is the daughter of the River Witch who governs a freshwater system populated by salt water creatures. After the death of her parents, Nepenthe joins the coven and develops a complicated relationship with the prince who's a male version of the queen in Frozen.
The writing is bad, the characters are one dimensional, the plot is boring and the editing is nonexistent.
Clearly, Bloomsbury press has nothing but contempt for their customers and the evidence is how they charged money for this piece of trash.
January 10, 2017
This took me 3 days too read it. And it was pretty good!(:
August 22, 2018
This was an interesting little novella, which gives you a little backstory on some of the characters we see in Stealing Snow.
First off, Nepenthe. In this quick read we discover she's the daughter of Prince Eric and the "Little Mermaid" as she's described in here, though her name is Tallulah instead of Ariel. Nepenthe's mom was River Witch till she fell in love, then had to give it all up for Eric. Nepenthe took her place in the coven.
We also get some history on Ora. I figured she was just an apprentice to the coven, like Margot, after reading Stealing Snow, but instead she's the niece of the Fire Witch. And her aunt was training her up to take her place one day. So she's more important/powerful than I'd originally thought. She also seems completely harmless & fluff-headed, so I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that she turns out so evil in the full novel =/
Lazar is a bit of an enigma to me. He seems to be capable of love, where Ora is concerned at least. But he is also so quick to wrath & judgement, but still has gentle moments. He also are times seemed to be in love with Nepenthe, but we later learn he was just in love with her power & what a formidable team they could become. He said they could be gods! He's definitely power-drunk. So he's believably capable of becoming this evil king.
I didn't like there being yet another love triangle. A novella is not nearly long enough that we should have to be subjected to this YA trope -_- At least in a novel we might get a little more plot development to distract us from the poo triangle.
Character development was kinda meh other than getting backstory on these peeps. Omelette had the most, but still not a ton. It's also interesting though how she seems to operate by rules & regulations set down by the coven, she acts on her conscience, yet in Stealing Snow she subjects poor Gerde & even Snow to dangerous "lessons" that seem to contradict the young girl we see here. I know time changes people, but it's an interesting turn-around.
Overall, I actually liked this a bit better than Stealing Snow lol. There was a ton less whiny teen angst in it. Whew.
First off, Nepenthe. In this quick read we discover she's the daughter of Prince Eric and the "Little Mermaid" as she's described in here, though her name is Tallulah instead of Ariel. Nepenthe's mom was River Witch till she fell in love, then had to give it all up for Eric. Nepenthe took her place in the coven.
We also get some history on Ora. I figured she was just an apprentice to the coven, like Margot, after reading Stealing Snow, but instead she's the niece of the Fire Witch. And her aunt was training her up to take her place one day. So she's more important/powerful than I'd originally thought. She also seems completely harmless & fluff-headed, so I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that she turns out so evil in the full novel =/
Lazar is a bit of an enigma to me. He seems to be capable of love, where Ora is concerned at least. But he is also so quick to wrath & judgement, but still has gentle moments. He also are times seemed to be in love with Nepenthe, but we later learn he was just in love with her power & what a formidable team they could become. He said they could be gods! He's definitely power-drunk. So he's believably capable of becoming this evil king.
I didn't like there being yet another love triangle. A novella is not nearly long enough that we should have to be subjected to this YA trope -_- At least in a novel we might get a little more plot development to distract us from the poo triangle.
Character development was kinda meh other than getting backstory on these peeps. Omelette had the most, but still not a ton. It's also interesting though how she seems to operate by rules & regulations set down by the coven, she acts on her conscience, yet in Stealing Snow she subjects poor Gerde & even Snow to dangerous "lessons" that seem to contradict the young girl we see here. I know time changes people, but it's an interesting turn-around.
Overall, I actually liked this a bit better than Stealing Snow lol. There was a ton less whiny teen angst in it. Whew.
August 11, 2016
3 stars is extremely generous but the ending drew me in a bit. so I will read stealing snow but I wasn't too thrilled that this was pretty much an ariel and elsa love story.
May 14, 2020
Posiblemente sea el mejor de los tres libros, y aún así, que disgusto, creo que aqui me quedo, esta serie es malísima 😛
August 3, 2016
The prose was absurdly horrid.
July 30, 2016
I just totally lost myself in a book. This series is going to be epic
August 29, 2016
New series from Danielle Paige! I loved this prequel novella. It sets up the series beautifully and made me do something I almost never do -- preordered book 1.
August 30, 2016
3/5☆
I really enjoyed this novella and i'm looking forward to read Stealing Snow. Nothing was predicable, if you think this is the umpteenth Little Mermaid's retelling than you are wrong.
I really enjoyed this novella and i'm looking forward to read Stealing Snow. Nothing was predicable, if you think this is the umpteenth Little Mermaid's retelling than you are wrong.
February 19, 2017
I enjoyed this very much. I found this an unexpected novella, just because of the character.
April 22, 2018
An interesting bit of background but not particularly engaging. Hopefully I'll like Queen Rising a bit more :)
July 27, 2016
I have been reading more fantasy short stories/novellas this year and none has given me as much joy to read as Before the Snow. Now Danielle has impressed me before with her Dorothy Must Die Novellas. But this one is just different yet also apart of her amazing ability of not just writing a story but telling it. Storytelling is an art not everyone can master but Danielle has tapped onto something special that keeps you glued to the page. Every page has something you need to know, to absorb and by the end I knew I had read one of the best stories I have this year and beyond. With or without the fantasy elements this would still be a captivating story. A young girl has to make a choice that is both filled with beauty and danger all at once. But most all responsibility. A fact that is sometimes thrown to the wayside in young adult fiction. Sure there are things to learn but as teenagers you need to drink, party and go off on wild adventures first. But not here. Our MC wants to be responsible and make choices that enhance her life not just to flit about in a dream world and recklessly run amok. This novella captures the teen that is often forgotten, the one who wants to make the right choices in life and live one of her own choosing. Being reckless is not what makes us who we are, it's our choices. And at the end of the day the reigning theme in this novella is choice. We all have it whether with love, life and everything else. Danielle knows this and shares it in a lovely little package for all ages to enjoy. Remember the choices you make, they are 100% yours. Even if you have to make hard ones.
September 1, 2016
I really liked this novella and I think that I am going to love this series as much as I love Dorothy Must Die one. This seems to be cross between two stories The Little Mermaid (but she seems to be a octopus so I thinking more like Ursala) but whatever she is the River Witch now and a male version of Elsa from Frozen, who can turn thinks to snow. I can't wait to read the second novella and then in a few weeks the first book in the series is out. This author did a ton of novellas for her first series and I liked that a lot because it really broke up the time between when the next book comes out. I look forward to read every book she writes.
September 24, 2021
A short novella about some important characters in Stealing Snow, written as a mystical fairy tale. Left me wanting to know more!!!
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January 5, 2017
Nice to know how much of a douchebag the prince was before he became an asshole of a king.
August 20, 2021
(3.5)
In this short novella, you enter a world of magic, witches, love, deceit, and so much more and you can visit it all in one sitting!
Nepenthe is a half human princess and a half mermaid. She has to decide if she will stay on land or choose the water. Her mother chose the land but only love can make a mermaid choose the land and she doesn’t have that on the land so she feels the pull to live as a mermaid and become the next River Witch.
When she meets Prince Lazar it’s hard for her not to fall for him. He’s the son of the Snow King of Algid. Something terrible happens and Nepenthe and a fire witch named Ora join to save Lazar. Problem is, Ora loves Lazar too. Lazar? He’s a boy so of course… Plus, there’s that prophecy that seems to be starting to come true.
This is an interesting story. I haven’t read the main book yet because I wasn’t sure which to read first. I figured the prequel might do. I’m hoping it’s the right choice. This did seem a bit choppy and at times unfocused. It pulled together nicely when it needed to and ended well so that it left a lot of excitement for the next prequel and the book. I am looking forward to both.
I can’t tell you if I recommend reading this before the book yet but I’ll go out on a ledge and say probably? Either way, you get a good story out of this novella and it doesn’t take long at all since it’s only 81 pages.
In this short novella, you enter a world of magic, witches, love, deceit, and so much more and you can visit it all in one sitting!
Nepenthe is a half human princess and a half mermaid. She has to decide if she will stay on land or choose the water. Her mother chose the land but only love can make a mermaid choose the land and she doesn’t have that on the land so she feels the pull to live as a mermaid and become the next River Witch.
When she meets Prince Lazar it’s hard for her not to fall for him. He’s the son of the Snow King of Algid. Something terrible happens and Nepenthe and a fire witch named Ora join to save Lazar. Problem is, Ora loves Lazar too. Lazar? He’s a boy so of course… Plus, there’s that prophecy that seems to be starting to come true.
This is an interesting story. I haven’t read the main book yet because I wasn’t sure which to read first. I figured the prequel might do. I’m hoping it’s the right choice. This did seem a bit choppy and at times unfocused. It pulled together nicely when it needed to and ended well so that it left a lot of excitement for the next prequel and the book. I am looking forward to both.
I can’t tell you if I recommend reading this before the book yet but I’ll go out on a ledge and say probably? Either way, you get a good story out of this novella and it doesn’t take long at all since it’s only 81 pages.
January 10, 2019
I had no idea what to expect from this novella, or even what to expect from the rest of this series. I had just bought Stealing Snow because it was cheap in the Boxing Day Sales. And the cover looked pretty. And it was one of those stories that I’m so glad I did. At least, judging from the first novella (I haven’t got to the actual novel yet).
From the very beginning it is obvious that this is a great origins story. Not just of the villain, but also there is the hint of a key role that the River Witch is going to play in the greater series. Starting with the prophecy that is obviously going to govern the rest of the series drew me in from the very beginning. And the fact that the Prince (soon to be the Twisted King) starts off as an innocent pulled me in even further.
There is something almost sinister about the prince from the very beginning. Partly because there is a lust for power and triumph from his very first moment, but as his relationship with both Ora and Nepenthe develops, it become obvious that there is much more to it. And it isn’t until the final scene that you realise he is already beyond redemption.
From the very beginning it is obvious that this is a great origins story. Not just of the villain, but also there is the hint of a key role that the River Witch is going to play in the greater series. Starting with the prophecy that is obviously going to govern the rest of the series drew me in from the very beginning. And the fact that the Prince (soon to be the Twisted King) starts off as an innocent pulled me in even further.
There is something almost sinister about the prince from the very beginning. Partly because there is a lust for power and triumph from his very first moment, but as his relationship with both Ora and Nepenthe develops, it become obvious that there is much more to it. And it isn’t until the final scene that you realise he is already beyond redemption.
May 6, 2020
Being completely honest, I haven't read Stealing Snow since it came out. So while some aspects were ringing a bell, I was a bit preoccupied trying to figure out what was going on.
But other than that I was so glad to be back in one Danielle Paige's worlds because I love her series, though I never got around to reading the novellas. This had everything I have come to expect from Paige: great writing, great story, and a great retelling. I was bit put off by the littler mermaid aspect as I was not expecting it, but it soon morphed into the story I somewhat recalled from her previous book and I was hooked.
I wish the sequel to this series would come out soon because it's been four years...
But this was good too. At least there's more. For now.
But other than that I was so glad to be back in one Danielle Paige's worlds because I love her series, though I never got around to reading the novellas. This had everything I have come to expect from Paige: great writing, great story, and a great retelling. I was bit put off by the littler mermaid aspect as I was not expecting it, but it soon morphed into the story I somewhat recalled from her previous book and I was hooked.
I wish the sequel to this series would come out soon because it's been four years...
But this was good too. At least there's more. For now.
May 14, 2017
From the opening lines pages I heard my reading voice in my head slip into the intonation role of narrating a faeriey tale as if to a four yead old ... you would recocnize it from your own childhoods ... 'Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a ...' ... blah blah blah.
It was pathetic and to me the way of telling the earlier background of in this Noevella was disjointed. Only 2 stars worth. It seemed disjointed, rushed and a qick after thought.
However, Book 2, Stealing Snow was definately worth reading, apart from it didn't finish. The book cover saying a Queen will rise was a bit deceving. There has to be book 3, surely!
It was pathetic and to me the way of telling the earlier background of in this Noevella was disjointed. Only 2 stars worth. It seemed disjointed, rushed and a qick after thought.
However, Book 2, Stealing Snow was definately worth reading, apart from it didn't finish. The book cover saying a Queen will rise was a bit deceving. There has to be book 3, surely!
November 8, 2018
Sometimes it was love, but she had to drown it out.
December 24, 2018
First time read with this author. Pretty good
December 31, 2018
“There was perhaps nothing more dangerous than a witch in love.”
September 16, 2019
I love Danielle Paige’s novellas almost as much as the novels themselves. They continue the story so perfectly, but in a bite-size, easy to devour portion.
December 30, 2021
Finished the book today and started just yesterday...it kept my head bent and i couldnt stop reading... absolutely loved it!!!!:)
February 5, 2017
Ak bude tá kniha minimálne tak dobrá ako táto novela, tak som fakt spokojná.
June 14, 2021
I decided to read this novella, before I pick up Stealing Snow.
I don't know, if that was the wrong decision, but since these prequels always give us hints to the main story, I will take it as it is and go with the surprise element to find out what happened with Nepenthe until Snow comes into play
I don't know, if that was the wrong decision, but since these prequels always give us hints to the main story, I will take it as it is and go with the surprise element to find out what happened with Nepenthe until Snow comes into play
August 14, 2016
Review:
Protagonist: Nepenthe has lived her whole life with a choice hanging over her head. Born of two different worlds Nepenthe can choose to either succeed her father as the ruler of her kingdom on land or live in the water and succeed her mother as The River Witch. Nepenthe lived on the line between land and river, but after tragedy strikes her choice seems to be made for her. That is until years later she meets Prince Lazar and develops feeling for him, feelings that her best friend Ora seems to share. Now her choices are confused and she's not sure where she'll belong. I really liked Nepenthe, she's not a character who has everything worked out, and she feels such strong pulls toward land and water, and yet doesn't know quite what to do. Even though her life spirals into a bit of a mess, she's still a strong character who won't compromise her morals to get what she wants.
Romance: To say this romance is complicated is a bit of an understatement. Since this is such a short story, at least compared to most novels, there isn't all that much time to properly develop a one on one romance, let alone a love triangle, but I have to say that Paige does a pretty good job. This is mostly due to the fact that Paige doesn't pretend that any of these feelings are pure, there's always something underneath that almost corrupts these romances, something that either one or the other values above the love they claim to have. It's really interesting to read it because even though things are going fast, it still, in some small way, makes sense.
World Building: This story takes place before the official first installment in this series. In it, we're introduced to a few really interesting plot points. First is a prophecy that I'm sure we'll see a lot more of in the main series, but it does give a taste of what's to come. Also, we're introduced to a character who will, supposedly, have a role to play in the main series and will come into contact and (maybe) give some guidance to our main heroine. I have to say it was interesting getting to know this world. I was pleased to see that The Snow Queen isn't the only fairy tale that exists and is referenced in this world. Nepenthe's mother is none other than "The Little Mermaid" who apparently got a much happier ending than the one in the original Hans Christian Anderson version. I loved the magic system and the role that magic plays, not only in this story but in this fantasy world at large.
Predictability: I have to say that this story isn't really predictable. I was expecting something that fit in much more with the fairy tale retellings and other YA stories that are out there today, and while I'm sure there are quite a few that would have similar parallels to this story, it's not something that's the norm. Since I didn't quite know where the story was going, there were a variety of different twists ranging from the surprising to the utterly shocking. I'm trying to figure out if there was anything that I was correctly able to guess ahead of time, but in all honesty there probably wasn't.
Ending: I love how self-aware this story is. The author writes it in such a way that it's no secret that this isn't your classic fairy tale and the ending shows that as well. There are steep prices these characters have to pay for the choices they make as this story comes to a close and sets in motion an ancient prophecy. The final climax of this story isn't so much an epic battle as it is something where we get answers to some burning questions. Then the story flows into an ending. there isn't really a cliffhanger and yet things aren't really tied up since this story is just a precursor to the main series.
Rating:
If you've been reading my reviews for a while now and couldn't tell, I'm a huge fan of fairy tale retellings and if the main novel is half as good as this novella seems to indicate it is I'm sure I'll love this fresh take on The Snow Queen.
Protagonist: Nepenthe has lived her whole life with a choice hanging over her head. Born of two different worlds Nepenthe can choose to either succeed her father as the ruler of her kingdom on land or live in the water and succeed her mother as The River Witch. Nepenthe lived on the line between land and river, but after tragedy strikes her choice seems to be made for her. That is until years later she meets Prince Lazar and develops feeling for him, feelings that her best friend Ora seems to share. Now her choices are confused and she's not sure where she'll belong. I really liked Nepenthe, she's not a character who has everything worked out, and she feels such strong pulls toward land and water, and yet doesn't know quite what to do. Even though her life spirals into a bit of a mess, she's still a strong character who won't compromise her morals to get what she wants.
Romance: To say this romance is complicated is a bit of an understatement. Since this is such a short story, at least compared to most novels, there isn't all that much time to properly develop a one on one romance, let alone a love triangle, but I have to say that Paige does a pretty good job. This is mostly due to the fact that Paige doesn't pretend that any of these feelings are pure, there's always something underneath that almost corrupts these romances, something that either one or the other values above the love they claim to have. It's really interesting to read it because even though things are going fast, it still, in some small way, makes sense.
World Building: This story takes place before the official first installment in this series. In it, we're introduced to a few really interesting plot points. First is a prophecy that I'm sure we'll see a lot more of in the main series, but it does give a taste of what's to come. Also, we're introduced to a character who will, supposedly, have a role to play in the main series and will come into contact and (maybe) give some guidance to our main heroine. I have to say it was interesting getting to know this world. I was pleased to see that The Snow Queen isn't the only fairy tale that exists and is referenced in this world. Nepenthe's mother is none other than "The Little Mermaid" who apparently got a much happier ending than the one in the original Hans Christian Anderson version. I loved the magic system and the role that magic plays, not only in this story but in this fantasy world at large.
Predictability: I have to say that this story isn't really predictable. I was expecting something that fit in much more with the fairy tale retellings and other YA stories that are out there today, and while I'm sure there are quite a few that would have similar parallels to this story, it's not something that's the norm. Since I didn't quite know where the story was going, there were a variety of different twists ranging from the surprising to the utterly shocking. I'm trying to figure out if there was anything that I was correctly able to guess ahead of time, but in all honesty there probably wasn't.
Ending: I love how self-aware this story is. The author writes it in such a way that it's no secret that this isn't your classic fairy tale and the ending shows that as well. There are steep prices these characters have to pay for the choices they make as this story comes to a close and sets in motion an ancient prophecy. The final climax of this story isn't so much an epic battle as it is something where we get answers to some burning questions. Then the story flows into an ending. there isn't really a cliffhanger and yet things aren't really tied up since this story is just a precursor to the main series.
Rating:
If you've been reading my reviews for a while now and couldn't tell, I'm a huge fan of fairy tale retellings and if the main novel is half as good as this novella seems to indicate it is I'm sure I'll love this fresh take on The Snow Queen.
June 21, 2025
not bad ? i mean good story , ill read the next ones but writing kind of sucked
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews