Queen Rising

Stealing Snow #0.2

by Danielle Paige

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.

Margot grew up as an apprentice to the witches Nepenthe and Ora, but she doesn't possess the incredible magic that they have. So when the old Snow King asked her to kidnap Ora, she obeyed his command, hiding her true motives from the witches. Though the witches could kill Margot for her betrayal, they showed her mercy--and without her old friends at her side, she must find her own way.

Leaving the world she knows behind, Margot decides to put her affinity for thieving to use by embracing the Robber trade. But she is set for a much greater fate. . . and more of the prophecy foretelling Algid's future will be revealed. Along the way, Margot must find her way from being a magic-less apprentice to be becoming a queen in her own right.

And Margot'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.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fairy Tales, Retellings, Short Stories, Fiction, Novella

90 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 30, 2016

About the author

Danielle 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.

Reviews

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars! Time to write a review for Stealing Snow, Queen Rising and Before the Snow. It will be up on my blog (:

[Hare Llow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Queen Rising nos cuenta la historia de la Reina Margot, Su tiempo con las brujas, el príncipe y Jagger, y su ascenso al Claret. 3.5 ⭐

[Kami]

I certainly hope Stealing Snow is better than these two novellas.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoiler.
Spoiler.
Spoiler.

Reading this, seeing how hard Margot struggled to get where she is in Stealing Snow, made me hate King Lazar more for killing her. A thousand times more.

[BookBuds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another quick novella related to Stealing Snow. Great development of other characters, but can’t wait for the #2 for the series to come!!



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[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this new series, can't wait for the next one.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of grammar mistakes but a decent read

[Jamie Withem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teaser

While I've decided that I enjoy this author, it's aggravating to try and figure out the order of her books. All the prequels and starters are confusing.

[Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an amazing novella. Which I was kind of expecting because I also thought that Before the Snow was amazing. Especially as a wind up to the actual novel and the first full-length story in this series. The only thing that annoys me about this is the fact that I decided to read Stealing Snow for my Around the Year in 52 books challenge… so I don’t get to read it until the 16th of July…. That’s a loooooong time to wait.

Queen Rising follows Margot through her journey to the cusp of adulthood. Although her life intersects with that of Nepenthe and Ora (who were featured in Before the Snow), this novella introduces you to an entirely different side of Algid. Which I thoroughly enjoyed, the multiple sides of a universe that are shown in two simple novellas. It makes me wonder how the novel will unfold – so much information has been crammed into the preceding tastes that have so thoughtfully been offered.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent novella by Danielle Paige. This one is a prequel to the Stealing Snow story. It features the background and history of future Robber Queen Margot. This was a sad story but does given insight into this character. I loved learning about the relationship with her brother and how she ended up with the robbers. The role of Margot and the robbers becomes more relevant once you read more in Stealing Snow.

[RainbowGirl86 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knowing Margot a bit from Before The Snow, I was curious which fights she had to face in her past to become what she became.

There were enough hints, it would end badly and I was right with my guesses.
I liked it a bit more than Before The Snow, but the ending was just way too quick and it's always too much at once.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Kelli Santistevan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novella.

[Bash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another interesting addition to this world :)

[Delia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok. Willing to read the next book to see where this is going.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

better than the first

[Sheena-kay Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A touching yet somewhat light read that won't stick with you as long as the previous novella but in a way Margot herself makes her own mark better than her own story. Highly recommend to fans of fantasy and definitely Danielle Paige fans.

[Tereza Severová · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trochu lepší a zajímavější, ale asi jsem si obě povídky měla přečíst až po přečtení prvního dílu, protože samotné mi až tak moc nedávají smysl. Ale líbí se mi zase to jiné pojetí magie, aspoň něco je tu originální. :)

[Joanne Pang · Rating 4 out of 5]

So after Before the Snow, a.k.a. the first prequel to Danielle Paige's upcoming novel Stealing Snow, I knew I had to read this book, where it kicks off from the story of Margot, the apprentice witch under the Witch of the Woods.

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I thought it was really interesting, because Margot has a huge role in the prophecy (read the ebook and you'll know what exactly it is), therefore I really love the idea of Danielle kicking off Stealing Snow by introducing two important characters in the prophecy, as well as having both of their paths entwine, and told from different perspectives, to understand how this came into being in Prequel #1, with Prequel #2 backing up some plot points in #1.

So how things work in this prequel is somewhat similar to the previous one, and I was like: wait I think this is going to happen. Is it just me? No? No? Anyone? But I thought it is because of the similar ending that Nepenthe (River Witch II) and Margot has, it will be what brings them together in Stealing Snow. That's just my theory anyway.

Danielle also puts in tons of meaningful and deep quotes in this book, I highlighted quite a number of them. At many points during the book I was like "nooooooo" or "aghuuhhhhh" in my mind, because of sad things and deep quotes. Some of these quotes are really inspiring and beautiful, something that I can take in as part of my "Lesson of Life".
So other than being with the themes and concepts of elemental magic, Danielle also believes that humans have that spark of magic in them, therefore the Witch of the Woods bad Margot be her apprentice. This also reminds me of how in this book, Danielle reveals true natures and thoughts of other people, and that people are always wearing masks, and that no one is that predictable.

Adding onto the previous paragraph, the developing and breaking relationships were also very significant in terms of how Margot was later shaped, which was a cool and sad ending at the same time, as well as the fact of Margot going through the events in her life changes how she acts and thinks, as well as exposing the evil and selfish side of human nature.

Enter a World of magic entwined with relationships, human nature, and the Robber Queen Rising.

[Jill Tool · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Star Review.

Margot and her brother Goddfrey "Go" home life isn't a happy one. One night their dad finally leaves their family and their mother takes the children to the palace in hopes they are brought and she can be rid of them. The King's son see Go and wants him as his companion. The guards inform the mother they will take Go but they have no need for his sister, Margot feels as through her heart is being ripped out of her and starts to learn some of life's lessons . For the sake of her brother, she tells him he must go, that he was chosen by the Prince himself and that she will come and visit him once a month.

Her mother is pleased with the sale of her son, but isn't happy that she still had Margot. She tells Margot, family isn't anything, and she only wants the money from the sale of her children. When they get outside of the palace, a woman over hears the mother belittling Margot and the woman tells the mother that she will take Margot. The mother and the woman negotiate a price for Margot and her mother walks away with not a word of good-bye, smiling, singing and clutching the coins she received for getting rid of her children.

Margot discovers that she is living with the witches of the Forrest and soon her training will begin. She befriends a girl named Ora who is very sweet to Margot and wants a friend. After several years, Margot's training has developed her skills as quickly as the witches would of liked, and Margot buts leave the only home she has truly ever known. She must now learn to make her own magic in the world.

[The Jubilant · Rating 3 out of 5]

What did I think about this novella? I think it would have made better sense to add this to the first novella. I enjoyed learning about Margot, & Nepenthe very much but, they did not need a seperate novella. To be honest, I feel like the writer likes to write novellas for the sake of them. This is coming from an individual that has now read every novella she has published.

 

What did I think about Goddard's untimely death. I saw that from the moment the toddler prince pointed at him for a companion. At least he had a gentlemen's burial. I will give the prince that.

 

Finally, my rating for this is a solid 3 star just because it really wasn't necessary to split this novella up. I wish the author would stop splitting novellas based off of developing one character. Please... stop. Or she can add this to the books and make them bigger than 250 pages. Ayyy that's a thought right? Now Margot is an essential character because she is a part of the prophesy. Oh, & Rule was a speck of a character that only added to the storyline with the whole that was missing from his chest... I like a sudden death. Yet, i could see from his first introduction he was going to die based off of the first novella of this series. >.<

 

"Only she can choose the path for Algid. But, not every path is clean, & there are those who have the power to change the course of fate. The prince, the thief, the thinker, the secret. If they are destroyed, the King will surely fall."

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Danielle Paige is an amazing author and is joining the elite few that I have deemed my favorite! Stealing Snow came out today and I am so excited for it (funds, however, don’t agree with me). It also seems the new thing to do is have novellas come out before the main book, and Danielle Paige owned it!

I read Before the Snow and loved it so much that I had pre-ordered Queen Rising immediately. I couldn’t wait to delve right back into the world. I was only slightly disappointed that Nepenthe wasn’t in this story, and that Lazar was only mentioned in passing. That’s okay, though, because the the story was still a great read.

We got to learn about Margot, who was mentioned in Before the Snow and her story unfolds in Queen Rising. I knew Margot sounded a little . . . crazy in Before the Snow and I’m glad her character development was the main point of this book.

Margot’s love for her brother was admirable, and she did everything she could to keep that bond together. It was he who changed and I think that’s part of what made Margot become the person she became. Then after Go, she had nothing to live for – so Margot did what she had to do to get by.

The ending was very intriguing and I’m interested in seeing how the two novellas tie into Stealing Snow.

[Alyce Hunt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, it was all going so well.

'Queen Rising' focuses on Margot, who briefly crops up in 'Before the Snow' as an ex-apprentice of the witches. Her mother sold her to the Witch of the Woods and sold her brother to the royal family: Go spends his days being Prince Lazar's companion while Margot experiments with potions and tries to find magic inside her.
It's a nice story about the importance of family and finding an alternate path when the goal you're striving for is unattainable, but there's a huge error in the timeline of the story.
In 'Before the Snow', Prince Lazar discovers his snow powers by freezing a room of his staff members. In 'Queen Rising', Margot gets told that her brother has been frozen to death by the prince. Unless the prince makes freezing his staff a habit and did this twice, I'm assuming it's the same incident.
So how were Nepenthe's parents still alive when the first freezing incident happens, but Margot's mentions that Nepenthe is an orphan before going to visit Go, a few months before he dies?

If the prince did have a second freezing incident it wasn't mentioned at all in 'Before the Snow', which has him as a much more central character, so it's either an oversight or a humongous mistake!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

How much do I love Danielle Paige's writing? SO much!
Margot and her brother Go are sold to people in the palace. It isn't a big loss for Margot - her abusive father has left the family and her horrible mother doesn't want them any more.
Margot goes to live with the witches in the Hollow and tries to learn magic. She gets further and further from her old life. But, magic is not in the cards for her.
Margot is cast out from the Hollow and ends up with another young man learning to be a Robber. Can she endure the pain of losing her brother to palace life? Falling for this young man? Stealing things?
The story is written with the fast pace and unflinching thoughts of Margot that characterize Paige's writing. I absolutely can NOT wait until "Stealing Snow" comes out in a week or so!!

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Queen Rising told the backstory of Margot, the dismissed witch apprentice. She came from an unloving family, whose mother sold her brother to the kingdom to be a companion for the Prince. Her mother also sold Margot to the witches. Margot studied under the witches for many years, while visiting her brother on visitation days. She noticed as time passed that her brother seemed to become more and more distant, and he seemed to grow into and enjoy palace life. Margot was eventually dismissed from the witches, and had to resort to robbery to get by. She met a boy named Rule, who taught her the ropes. In the end, Margot finds out that her brother had been frozen by the Prince, while Rule was planning on leaving her and robbing her blind at the same time. Margot's life was very sad and full of disappointments, and I'm looking forward to seeing her role in the upcoming novels.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this. I could not put it down. I read it in one sitting. Danielle Paige is amazing and I love her main works, but these novellas are giving them a run for their money. I will definitely put rereading Stealing Snow higher up on my to-do list now, as while I recognized some names and images I had associated them with while reason Stealing Snow for the first time, it has been years since I picked it up.

This a great self-contained story, but I was distracted trying to piece together what I do remember about Stealing Snow and reimagining it in that context. However, this made for a great story on its own without any other context and I loved it.

[Sam W · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tragic story of Queen Margot of the Robbers. She and her brother were sold by their mother, her brother to the King as the Prince's companion and her to the witches. After spend years with the witches there is nothing left for her to learn. But forced to fend for herself and with the help of Rule she becomes a Robber. When she finally collects enough money to prove to her brother she can care for him she learns that he was accidentally killed by the Prince's snow, upon returning to Rule she finds him stealing her magic and accidentally kills him. Left with nothing and no one she decides to help a blind boy, Jagger, she creates them a home collecting things that they need, until Snow arrives.

[Christine S · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this even after not enjoying Stealing Snow because I already had it checked out (and had an hour left in my flight with nowhere to go). I really like the idea of Margot's character from the novel, but I didn't feel like this was satisfying. She has a good start- trying to be a witch, doesn't work out, what can she do next?! But then it falls apart when she needs "rescuing" by a guy who ends up hurting her. Really? Do we need to do this? Always a boy there to save the day here. Ugh. Won't reread it.

[Pretty Peony Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the writing style of this book. It was written like the old-style fairy tales which made it fun to read. This story lets us learn about Margot, a young lady who eventually will come across Snow, which will start the Stealing Snow series. I am intrigued by this story and hope to read the series.

The downside to the e-book was that I found three grammar errors. That was a little too much for a short story.

[Alison (Marie) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, loved the novella. I feel a bit bad for giving them higher ratings then the actual book (but only by half a star). Why were they both so sad. Does anyone in this world have a happy story? But I loved learning more about poor Queen Margot.