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Prisoner of Ice and Snow #2
Seeker of the Crown
Valor risks everything to protect her friends in this second book in a thrilling fantasy series that's Percy Jackson meets Frozen.
One month has passed since Valor broke her twin sister Sasha out of jail. But the girl who imprisoned her to begin with—Princess Anastasia—has gone missing. The queen, desperate to find her daughter, asks Valor and Sasha to track Anastasia down and bring her home.
But just as the girls and their friends embark on the search, the queen also vanishes, throwing the realm into utter chaos. If Valor can't restore order, she risks getting sent back to prison . . . and tearing her newly reunited family apart once again. She must rely on people she can't quite trust, as well as her own instincts, to protect the people she holds dear.
This thrilling sequel to the buzzy Prisoner of Ice and Snow is just as unputdownable, sweeping readers back into Valor’s vivid world, the icy—and dangerous—Demidova.
One month has passed since Valor broke her twin sister Sasha out of jail. But the girl who imprisoned her to begin with—Princess Anastasia—has gone missing. The queen, desperate to find her daughter, asks Valor and Sasha to track Anastasia down and bring her home.
But just as the girls and their friends embark on the search, the queen also vanishes, throwing the realm into utter chaos. If Valor can't restore order, she risks getting sent back to prison . . . and tearing her newly reunited family apart once again. She must rely on people she can't quite trust, as well as her own instincts, to protect the people she holds dear.
This thrilling sequel to the buzzy Prisoner of Ice and Snow is just as unputdownable, sweeping readers back into Valor’s vivid world, the icy—and dangerous—Demidova.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published April 3, 2018
10 people are currently reading
890 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
December 3, 2023
It's always a good sign when you enjoy the sequel more than the first book! I loved the first one too, obviously, but this one had stronger friendship themes and I loved it so much! I definitely recommend both audiobooks.
January 20, 2024
The plot tied together well, and I liked this one a little more than the first. My favorite character was Katia, but I also liked Inessa. My favorite parts were when they saved Anatol and when Valor closed the path to Pyot’sk. I didn’t expect Anastasia and Inessa to be working together, and I thought that Valor’s plan of following the spies was going to work. Altogether, I enjoyed Seeker of the Crown.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2018
Seeker of the Crown, by Ruth Lauren, is the second book in a middle-grade fantasy series, and the sequel to Prisoner of Ice & Snow. Fans of the first will no doubt want to check this book out; it picks up where the first adventure left off - with protagonist Valor being sent on her next exciting mission.
Having helped her twin sister Sasha escape from Demidova prison, Valor is now charged with finding the missing (and dangerous) princess Anastasia. But the mystery deepens when the Queen of Demidova vanishes. Valor has help from Sasha and a couple friends, but they are met with danger, mayhem and political power struggles at every corner.
While this is a fast-paced read that I believe many young readers will enjoy, I didn't feel a strong connection to the characters in it and wasn't wrapped up in its prose. It's possible that this because I wasn't yet invested in the story, having not read the first installment. Nevertheless, this is an entertaining fantasy set in a kingdom that resembles historical Russia, the plot is well-developed, and the prose aimed appropriately at middle-school readers. Thank you to Kidlit Exchange & Bloomsbury publishers for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Having helped her twin sister Sasha escape from Demidova prison, Valor is now charged with finding the missing (and dangerous) princess Anastasia. But the mystery deepens when the Queen of Demidova vanishes. Valor has help from Sasha and a couple friends, but they are met with danger, mayhem and political power struggles at every corner.
While this is a fast-paced read that I believe many young readers will enjoy, I didn't feel a strong connection to the characters in it and wasn't wrapped up in its prose. It's possible that this because I wasn't yet invested in the story, having not read the first installment. Nevertheless, this is an entertaining fantasy set in a kingdom that resembles historical Russia, the plot is well-developed, and the prose aimed appropriately at middle-school readers. Thank you to Kidlit Exchange & Bloomsbury publishers for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 25, 2019
This book was REALLY tough to get through and I’m not entirely sure why.
For some reason, the writing style really annoyed me. It felt like she was trying too hard. I had a really hard time paying attention, and the writer didn’t seem to explain things well. More often than not, I found myself confused as to what was going on.
The characters didn’t seem well made. They sort of felt forced in the sense that their personality wasn’t clear. When Katia didn’t want to jump out of the boat, it didn’t seem to fit her personality. It seems her entire character dramatically was switched since we first met her rather than it being a smooth character development.
Anastasia isn’t really that easy to dislike. Which felt a little weird. It kind of feels more like, “oh nOO, Anastasia escapes yet agaAIN.”
I also found it hard to understand who was just friends and who the writer was trying to push together. None of the relationships really just felt like good friendships. It more felt like every character had a thing for each other.
I remember in the first book, things would be going well, and one thing would mess everything up and they’d have to go a different route, and the same happened in this book, which sort of annoyed me as well. Almost as if the book wasn’t long enough, so she threw in another plot twist, but it almost ended up slowing things down too much.
One last thing that got under my skin was the fact that in this whole book, Valor is having these memories of Tyur’ma and such, but that also felt forced. Like every once in a while the author would throw in a, “oh, and uhm, the white caps of the trees reminded me of the... white caps in that PRISON that I was in for a couple days.”
I don’t know why it was so hard for me to read this book. I really loved the first, and I get that this is a kids book, and I’m 17, but I still didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have liked. I mean no disrespect to the author with this pretty mean review. I think it was a well written children’s book, and the writing was well done, but it wasn’t for me.
For some reason, the writing style really annoyed me. It felt like she was trying too hard. I had a really hard time paying attention, and the writer didn’t seem to explain things well. More often than not, I found myself confused as to what was going on.
The characters didn’t seem well made. They sort of felt forced in the sense that their personality wasn’t clear. When Katia didn’t want to jump out of the boat, it didn’t seem to fit her personality. It seems her entire character dramatically was switched since we first met her rather than it being a smooth character development.
Anastasia isn’t really that easy to dislike. Which felt a little weird. It kind of feels more like, “oh nOO, Anastasia escapes yet agaAIN.”
I also found it hard to understand who was just friends and who the writer was trying to push together. None of the relationships really just felt like good friendships. It more felt like every character had a thing for each other.
I remember in the first book, things would be going well, and one thing would mess everything up and they’d have to go a different route, and the same happened in this book, which sort of annoyed me as well. Almost as if the book wasn’t long enough, so she threw in another plot twist, but it almost ended up slowing things down too much.
One last thing that got under my skin was the fact that in this whole book, Valor is having these memories of Tyur’ma and such, but that also felt forced. Like every once in a while the author would throw in a, “oh, and uhm, the white caps of the trees reminded me of the... white caps in that PRISON that I was in for a couple days.”
I don’t know why it was so hard for me to read this book. I really loved the first, and I get that this is a kids book, and I’m 17, but I still didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have liked. I mean no disrespect to the author with this pretty mean review. I think it was a well written children’s book, and the writing was well done, but it wasn’t for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2018
Valor managed to free her sister Sasha from an unjust jail sentence, but the person who put Sasha in jail is still out there. Princess Anastasia was captured only for a short while and she's now hiding somewhere. Valor knows Anastasia hasn't stopped planning to take her mother's throne. The queen of Demidova asks Valor to find her daughter, but Valor can't properly start her search because the queen disappears. Valor knows someone's captured her and is now determined to find the queen as well as Anastasia. In order to do so she needs to release prince Anatol. Will she be able to pull this off?
Valor's mission is too hard to handle without her friends and sister. A new queen has taken the throne, but can they trust her? Together with Sasha and Anatol she keeps searching. Which mission is more important and what will they find when they finally have a lead? Can Valor prevent a terrible war from breaking out and can she save her country or is it already doomed because she couldn't discover Anastasia's whereabouts quickly enough?
Seeker of the Crown is a fantastic gripping story. I love Valor, she's strong, smart and resilient. She manages to find a way out of every tricky situation. Valor is a skilled strategist with a good heart. She's such a wonderful admirable main character and that makes her story an absolute joy to read. She has a difficult road ahead of her, but Valor isn't afraid. She does what she has to do to succeed and I find her sense of duty endearing. She's truly fabulous and I can't praise Ruth Lauren enough for coming up with such a great heroine.
Ruth Lauren has written another terrific suspenseful story. Seeker of the Crown is a real page-turner, I couldn't put it down and read this amazing action-packed story in one sitting. Valor and her friends are having the most surprising adventures and I loved every single one of them. The world-building is impressive, which makes the story come to life incredibly well. I like it when a book enchants me in many different ways. Seeker of the Crown has plenty of intriguing layers and is a worthy successor of Prisoner of Ice and Snow. I can't recommend this series enough.
Valor's mission is too hard to handle without her friends and sister. A new queen has taken the throne, but can they trust her? Together with Sasha and Anatol she keeps searching. Which mission is more important and what will they find when they finally have a lead? Can Valor prevent a terrible war from breaking out and can she save her country or is it already doomed because she couldn't discover Anastasia's whereabouts quickly enough?
Seeker of the Crown is a fantastic gripping story. I love Valor, she's strong, smart and resilient. She manages to find a way out of every tricky situation. Valor is a skilled strategist with a good heart. She's such a wonderful admirable main character and that makes her story an absolute joy to read. She has a difficult road ahead of her, but Valor isn't afraid. She does what she has to do to succeed and I find her sense of duty endearing. She's truly fabulous and I can't praise Ruth Lauren enough for coming up with such a great heroine.
Ruth Lauren has written another terrific suspenseful story. Seeker of the Crown is a real page-turner, I couldn't put it down and read this amazing action-packed story in one sitting. Valor and her friends are having the most surprising adventures and I loved every single one of them. The world-building is impressive, which makes the story come to life incredibly well. I like it when a book enchants me in many different ways. Seeker of the Crown has plenty of intriguing layers and is a worthy successor of Prisoner of Ice and Snow. I can't recommend this series enough.
April 17, 2018
AWESOME. I loved it!
October 5, 2020
This book tried to pack too much excitement into its pages, so things felt somewhat rushed and to me, but nevertheless it was fast-paced and entertaining. We get to see that the sister bond has its cracks after all but trust and communication go a long way in strengthening a relationship. Valor was her usual brave self, albeit to the point of recklessness sometimes. It was good to see her become closer to Katia and learn to factor others' concerns in her decision-making. Since the kingdom is a matriarchy, we have a lot of female characters, all of them with powerful motivations and with different strengths. There's a point where Anatol says:
I read book 1 a few weeks back, and the time gap was just for me to still recall most of the details of book 1, yet not club the plots of the 2 books together as one continuous narrative (even though it is so). While book 2 was not as strong as book 1, I enjoyed reading it and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series
"If I were a girl, I'd be in there making those decisions. They'd be listening to me."It is a reversal of our global situation, and a reminder that everyone makes mistakes, regardless of which gender they identify as. This book even has positive disability rep, where Mila of the thieves' network walks with a limp but that's shown to simply be a part of her and it doesn't restrict from her importance. There's even some political intrigue, which was explained well enough for me to grasp the repercussions of the neighbouring kingdom's actions on Demidova and why they were reacting accordingly.
I read book 1 a few weeks back, and the time gap was just for me to still recall most of the details of book 1, yet not club the plots of the 2 books together as one continuous narrative (even though it is so). While book 2 was not as strong as book 1, I enjoyed reading it and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series
February 8, 2018
Thank you to Kid Lit Exchange for an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own. #partner
out 4/3/18
Ruth Lauren's "Seeker of the Crown" is full of adventure, strong female characters, friendship, and family set in a fantasy Russia setting.
The follow up to "Prisoner of Ice and Snow", this book stands alone nicely (I have not read the first installment, but enjoyed this book immensely). "Seeker" is the story of Valor, a thirteen year old with impressive crossbow skills, who has recently escaped from prison and been pardoned. She now has been given a mission from the Queen of Demidova-find the missing Princess Anastasia, who has betrayed the country. Joined by her twin sister, Sasha, and a small group of trust worthy friends, Valor heads into an underground network of thieves and royal prisoners to find the dangerous, power hungry Princess. But soon after her mission begins, the Queen herself vanishes, and Demidova is pushed toward dangerous outcomes. Can Valor stop the Princess and those working with her, find the Queen, and keep her family safe, without returning to the prison she's escaped?
This book has an exciting story line, beautiful descriptions, and a fantastic cast of characters. I love that the story uses men and woman, and boys and girls, equally as guards, royalty, hunters and hunted. An excellent addition to any middle grade library.
out 4/3/18
Ruth Lauren's "Seeker of the Crown" is full of adventure, strong female characters, friendship, and family set in a fantasy Russia setting.
The follow up to "Prisoner of Ice and Snow", this book stands alone nicely (I have not read the first installment, but enjoyed this book immensely). "Seeker" is the story of Valor, a thirteen year old with impressive crossbow skills, who has recently escaped from prison and been pardoned. She now has been given a mission from the Queen of Demidova-find the missing Princess Anastasia, who has betrayed the country. Joined by her twin sister, Sasha, and a small group of trust worthy friends, Valor heads into an underground network of thieves and royal prisoners to find the dangerous, power hungry Princess. But soon after her mission begins, the Queen herself vanishes, and Demidova is pushed toward dangerous outcomes. Can Valor stop the Princess and those working with her, find the Queen, and keep her family safe, without returning to the prison she's escaped?
This book has an exciting story line, beautiful descriptions, and a fantastic cast of characters. I love that the story uses men and woman, and boys and girls, equally as guards, royalty, hunters and hunted. An excellent addition to any middle grade library.
February 24, 2019
I really enjoyed this book.
Both the characters and the plot were good, and I really loved the action and adventure of it. I think that if there was more humor I'd enjoy it even more. There were some neat twists, some of which I suspected, which is always fun. I love Valor as a character. In some books, you feel like you can't really root for the characters since they seem really clueless and make questionably wise decisions. Not this one. Valor is resourceful and intelligent, and I can definitely appreciate all of her ideas and problem solving. In all, she's definitely a great female hero.
The way this ended, I'm not sure if there is third book or not, but I certainly hope so.
Both the characters and the plot were good, and I really loved the action and adventure of it. I think that if there was more humor I'd enjoy it even more. There were some neat twists, some of which I suspected, which is always fun. I love Valor as a character. In some books, you feel like you can't really root for the characters since they seem really clueless and make questionably wise decisions. Not this one. Valor is resourceful and intelligent, and I can definitely appreciate all of her ideas and problem solving. In all, she's definitely a great female hero.
The way this ended, I'm not sure if there is third book or not, but I certainly hope so.
June 3, 2023
i have the same opinions i did for the first book of this series for this book, i loved it a lot and it was super fun to read about what they did and i love how close sasha and valor are along with all of their friends
July 14, 2017
If you liked Prisoner of Ice and Snow, you'll love this sequel, full of as much (if not more!) adventure, danger, and sisterly-love as the first!
January 26, 2023
🏹☃️👑Seeker of the Crown👑☃️🏹
Princess Anastacia is on the run, and Queen Ana requests that Valor find her. As friction in the royal family threatens, Demidova's borders are in danger as neighbouring countries threaten to break the peace. Prince Anatol is not trusted by others, and the power he once had has diminished to nothing. Nicolai is torn between loyalties to the new regent and the prince and princess to whom he has sworn allegiance. Sarah is working with her father to navigate the strange situation going on between the royal family, and when a trusted figure in the kingdom goes missing without a trace, a prince, criminals on the run, a guard, and two twin sisters will embark on a journey in search of the truth.
Seeker of the Crown was a satisfying conclusion to a duology. To my dismay, I didn't nearly enjoy this as much as volume one. Volume one had something special about it—the stakes, the setting, and the who situation—that held my attention from start to finish.This story weaves together the loose ends from the previous book. It mainly came down to three things: I felt as though the characters had a surface-level dive; not too much seemed to be happening despite such stakes; and the ending felt strangely anti-climatic compared to my expectations.
Valor is an excellent protagonist. Her narration is honest, but it feels as though we are just scratching the surface of the possibilities to explore her character. While I haven't seen two many middle grade series that manage to really write complex characters with darker themes some a m a z i n g example being Skyborn, Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston among many other fantasy books. While I do make valid points in my book review about the actual text itself, it does mainly come down to my own personal tastes and preferences in books.
I wanted to learn more about Valor's motivation, her intent, what events in her life influenced who she is today, and the internal struggle within her. Sasha seems a lot more like a pawn in the plot than a character. Nicolai has so much struggle within him that I just wanted to explore it more! Then there were Feliks and Katia, whom I also found to be okay characters. Prince Anatol is a likeable character, and again, I would have loved to see his emotions explored more. I also wanted to know more about Valor's relationship with her parents because she talks about how much she loves them, yet there are little scenes that show that.
I feel as though the plot seems to really find its pattern near the midway point, where it starts to propel in one direction. I liked the ending, but it did feel rather vague and sudden, as though the ending raced to the finish line near the conclusion. I like how brave and courageous Valor is! In conclusion, I definitely liked book one better than book two, but this is still a good duology that has a lot to offer!
☑️PLOT
☑️PLOT TWISTS
☑️CHARACTERS
Princess Anastacia is on the run, and Queen Ana requests that Valor find her. As friction in the royal family threatens, Demidova's borders are in danger as neighbouring countries threaten to break the peace. Prince Anatol is not trusted by others, and the power he once had has diminished to nothing. Nicolai is torn between loyalties to the new regent and the prince and princess to whom he has sworn allegiance. Sarah is working with her father to navigate the strange situation going on between the royal family, and when a trusted figure in the kingdom goes missing without a trace, a prince, criminals on the run, a guard, and two twin sisters will embark on a journey in search of the truth.
Seeker of the Crown was a satisfying conclusion to a duology. To my dismay, I didn't nearly enjoy this as much as volume one. Volume one had something special about it—the stakes, the setting, and the who situation—that held my attention from start to finish.This story weaves together the loose ends from the previous book. It mainly came down to three things: I felt as though the characters had a surface-level dive; not too much seemed to be happening despite such stakes; and the ending felt strangely anti-climatic compared to my expectations.
Valor is an excellent protagonist. Her narration is honest, but it feels as though we are just scratching the surface of the possibilities to explore her character. While I haven't seen two many middle grade series that manage to really write complex characters with darker themes some a m a z i n g example being Skyborn, Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston among many other fantasy books. While I do make valid points in my book review about the actual text itself, it does mainly come down to my own personal tastes and preferences in books.
I wanted to learn more about Valor's motivation, her intent, what events in her life influenced who she is today, and the internal struggle within her. Sasha seems a lot more like a pawn in the plot than a character. Nicolai has so much struggle within him that I just wanted to explore it more! Then there were Feliks and Katia, whom I also found to be okay characters. Prince Anatol is a likeable character, and again, I would have loved to see his emotions explored more. I also wanted to know more about Valor's relationship with her parents because she talks about how much she loves them, yet there are little scenes that show that.
I feel as though the plot seems to really find its pattern near the midway point, where it starts to propel in one direction. I liked the ending, but it did feel rather vague and sudden, as though the ending raced to the finish line near the conclusion. I like how brave and courageous Valor is! In conclusion, I definitely liked book one better than book two, but this is still a good duology that has a lot to offer!
☑️PLOT
☑️PLOT TWISTS
☑️CHARACTERS
September 25, 2018
I have to admit I didn’t read the first book but I have heard such great things about Prisoner of Ice and Snow that I couldn’t pass up the chance to read this book. I can understand where the hype for the book comes from and while I see so many great reviews for it, I see a lot of adult reviews for it and not a lot of reviews or thoughts from the young generation which this book is produced for. Saying that I didn’t just look on Goodreads, I expanding my search on other sites and well as friend’s kids to see if they knew of heard about this book. Which begs my question at the end of this review. (I promise this is going somewhere)
Our lead hero of this book is Valor who previously helped her sister escape from Damidova prison (first book) and is now engaged to find the missing Princess Anastasia but while engaged on this quest the Queen of Demidova goes missing. Valor, her sister Sasha and a few friends set out on a quest full of mayhem, political power struggles.
While I loved the dominance of the female characters throughout this book which a strong message to send out to young children, that as woman and girls we don’t need no man! I felt that this didn’t leave me with a strong connection to the characters, which could because I failed to read the first one but I didn’t need more development and descriptions of the characters as the strong progressed, to try and imagine them while I read wasn’t an easy task. I also felt like there was a great deal of characters for the storyline. The characters were unique and skilled in their own way to fit the story but I felt as though this would have made an epic adult fantasy tale with the twists and turns and all the layers of the plot rather than a middle grade read. This book really did have the basis of an adult book rather than a middle grade.
I thought Valor was epic, strong, and smart and brimmed with determination which is fantastic to see. I thought she was a perfect main character, with a good heart that would jump at the chance to save her friends and family which is admirable and endearing.
This fast paced read is something that I believe a lot of adults wouldn’t mind getting their hands on as well as the younger generation. There was action on every single page and never a dull moment.
My favourite part about this book was actually the writing itself, like I said earlier Lauren would have the brilliance for an adult fantasy if she hasn’t if she hasn’t already.
Our lead hero of this book is Valor who previously helped her sister escape from Damidova prison (first book) and is now engaged to find the missing Princess Anastasia but while engaged on this quest the Queen of Demidova goes missing. Valor, her sister Sasha and a few friends set out on a quest full of mayhem, political power struggles.
While I loved the dominance of the female characters throughout this book which a strong message to send out to young children, that as woman and girls we don’t need no man! I felt that this didn’t leave me with a strong connection to the characters, which could because I failed to read the first one but I didn’t need more development and descriptions of the characters as the strong progressed, to try and imagine them while I read wasn’t an easy task. I also felt like there was a great deal of characters for the storyline. The characters were unique and skilled in their own way to fit the story but I felt as though this would have made an epic adult fantasy tale with the twists and turns and all the layers of the plot rather than a middle grade read. This book really did have the basis of an adult book rather than a middle grade.
I thought Valor was epic, strong, and smart and brimmed with determination which is fantastic to see. I thought she was a perfect main character, with a good heart that would jump at the chance to save her friends and family which is admirable and endearing.
This fast paced read is something that I believe a lot of adults wouldn’t mind getting their hands on as well as the younger generation. There was action on every single page and never a dull moment.
My favourite part about this book was actually the writing itself, like I said earlier Lauren would have the brilliance for an adult fantasy if she hasn’t if she hasn’t already.
May 12, 2018
In the sequel to a book I absolutely adored in 2017, Prisoner of Ice and Snow, we once again follow Valor as she embarks on a dangerous quest she is tasked with by a member of the royal family to find an escaped prisoner. When said member of the royal family disappears, Valor must also find them before the kindgdom of Demidova (which is really a queendom, but I’ll talk about that more soon) is brought to ruin. This is of course a thrilling adventure to follow, with masses of twists and turns and tantalising suspense. Though this book isn’t a heist narrative, we do still have the members of the team on board, and it was fabulous to see them again. I think Valor is incredibly cool and capable, obviously, but I also adore her quieter, more diplomatically minded sister Sasha and loyal yet outspoken Feliks. They work so well together, and I really like the team dynamic as a whole. Finally, I noticed the super awesome strands of feminism so much more in this book! While the female characters were amazing and I knew that from book one, I caught on to the fact Demidova’s line of succession was solely female so much more this time and it was surreal to see male members of the family lamenting the fact they can’t be monarch! I feel so lucky to have won a giveaway for a US copy of this, and I can’t wait till it comes out here so everyone can fangirl with me! 5/5
November 14, 2020
Anatol is the first to echo my toast, catching my eye and giving me a slow nod of thanks as the whole table repeats his words. I return the nod, and it says more than any fancy speech could say. My heart is as full as the fountain in the square outside, and when my mother holds my hand and Sasha rests her head on my shoulder, it overflows.
What an awesome conclusion to the duology! Seeker of the Crown was a fantastic conclusion to Prisoner of Ice and Snow and I really loved the ending a lot. I liked how we get to explore more of the characters in this book because some of the side characters, such as Feliks and Katia, were not really exposed to us that much. In this book, they are very likeable and I really enjoyed the teamwork between Valor, Katia, Feliks, Sasha, Anatol and the others. This was so action-packed that during some chapters, I just could not put down the book and I wanted to find out what happens next. I also really enjoyed the family bonding aspect in this book because it definitely made me connect with Valor and Sasha more. Even though I liked this book a lot, there were parts of the story that I felt was quite dragged. For instance, during the parts where they talk about Inessa and Anastasia, I thought it got quite boring sometimes and it was a bit dragged but the author made it up with the actions. All in all, I really enjoyed this duology. I would not say that I loved this book but I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and I was very intrigued with the plot of this story. It was not awe-inspiring per se but it is action-packed and fun.
What an awesome conclusion to the duology! Seeker of the Crown was a fantastic conclusion to Prisoner of Ice and Snow and I really loved the ending a lot. I liked how we get to explore more of the characters in this book because some of the side characters, such as Feliks and Katia, were not really exposed to us that much. In this book, they are very likeable and I really enjoyed the teamwork between Valor, Katia, Feliks, Sasha, Anatol and the others. This was so action-packed that during some chapters, I just could not put down the book and I wanted to find out what happens next. I also really enjoyed the family bonding aspect in this book because it definitely made me connect with Valor and Sasha more. Even though I liked this book a lot, there were parts of the story that I felt was quite dragged. For instance, during the parts where they talk about Inessa and Anastasia, I thought it got quite boring sometimes and it was a bit dragged but the author made it up with the actions. All in all, I really enjoyed this duology. I would not say that I loved this book but I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and I was very intrigued with the plot of this story. It was not awe-inspiring per se but it is action-packed and fun.
August 12, 2018
Seeker of the Crown (Prisoner of Ice and Snow #2) by Ruth Lauren, 288 pages. Bloomsbury, 2018. $17.
Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (some fighting)
EL, MS – ADVISABLE
Valor may have saved her sister Sasha from the unbreakable prison, but Princess Anastasia is on the loose and determined to take the kingdom of Demidova as her own. When the queen is kidnapped, the new regent doesn’t seem to be any better than having Anastasia on the throne. Valor, Prince Anatol, and few others are the only ones standing between the throne and complete disaster.
Fans of the first will still enjoy the further adventures of Valor et al. There is no resolution at the end – only more problems, so brace yourself for the next in the series.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (some fighting)
EL, MS – ADVISABLE
Valor may have saved her sister Sasha from the unbreakable prison, but Princess Anastasia is on the loose and determined to take the kingdom of Demidova as her own. When the queen is kidnapped, the new regent doesn’t seem to be any better than having Anastasia on the throne. Valor, Prince Anatol, and few others are the only ones standing between the throne and complete disaster.
Fans of the first will still enjoy the further adventures of Valor et al. There is no resolution at the end – only more problems, so brace yourself for the next in the series.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
January 8, 2021
I was gifted an ebook via Netgalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts are my own.
The first story in this series was pitched as Frozen meets Prison Break. It was fast-paced and atmospheric and really huge into platonic friendships and family. I feel this second book lost a lot of the atmospheric feel to it. I am bummed. There were a lot of action scenes that it was a little overwhelming at times. I feel there was too much going on. The plot was very predictable to me too and that took out a lot of enjoyment. I believe this was supposed to be a trilogy but there has been no news of a 3rd book since this one came out in 2018 and that's really disappointing too.
The first story in this series was pitched as Frozen meets Prison Break. It was fast-paced and atmospheric and really huge into platonic friendships and family. I feel this second book lost a lot of the atmospheric feel to it. I am bummed. There were a lot of action scenes that it was a little overwhelming at times. I feel there was too much going on. The plot was very predictable to me too and that took out a lot of enjoyment. I believe this was supposed to be a trilogy but there has been no news of a 3rd book since this one came out in 2018 and that's really disappointing too.
February 9, 2022
I listened to the audiobook of this with my 9 year old daughter for bedtime stories. I wasn't able to find a physical copy in Europe when I live.
It was engaging and my daughter always wanted to hear more each night. There is a lot going on, and I don't think I followed all of it. It is certainly set up for another book.
The only thing that sort of niggles at me a bit is that so much trust is being laid on 13 year old children. Seems highly unlikely but I suspend my disbelief to enjoy the story.
It was engaging and my daughter always wanted to hear more each night. There is a lot going on, and I don't think I followed all of it. It is certainly set up for another book.
The only thing that sort of niggles at me a bit is that so much trust is being laid on 13 year old children. Seems highly unlikely but I suspend my disbelief to enjoy the story.
July 17, 2023
Don't let the relatively high rating fool you, I can see why this two-and-done series ended on a cliffhanger.
Please see my review of the first book as they're pretty interchangeable (well, I can just sum up the plot as people honestly put their hopes into a random 13 year old girl to save their kingdom, but considering how they're being duped by another 13 year old girl I guess the people in this timeline aren't very bright at all and really leave it at that.)
Hard 2-Star, for the same reasons (•_•)>⌐■-■ (⌐■_■)
Please see my review of the first book as they're pretty interchangeable (well, I can just sum up the plot as people honestly put their hopes into a random 13 year old girl to save their kingdom, but considering how they're being duped by another 13 year old girl I guess the people in this timeline aren't very bright at all and really leave it at that.)
Hard 2-Star, for the same reasons (•_•)>⌐■-■ (⌐■_■)
March 28, 2024
A fun finish to the series. I think kids would enjoy this almost as much as the first book. I was mildly annoyed at times with Valor being always behind everyone else. She never felt like she figured anything out in advance. Everyone was getting the drop on her. And some of the things felt really obvious to me, but again someone at the age level for most readers might not have picked up on that.
Good world building. Lots of action and tension. Nice character development, and you'll want to keep reading to find out how it all plays out.
*I am not part of the target audience but read outside of my own interests hunting for books to add to the children's section of my library.
Good world building. Lots of action and tension. Nice character development, and you'll want to keep reading to find out how it all plays out.
*I am not part of the target audience but read outside of my own interests hunting for books to add to the children's section of my library.
March 29, 2018
I loved Prisoner of Ice and Snow, and this sequel is just much fun! This series is full of magic, adventure, action, and mystery, with a sister relationship that I really adore. There's even more political intrigue here than in the first book, with some really fun twists that will keep young readers turning pages. Fans of the first book won't want to miss this, and anyone who loves adventure fantasy should be sure to pick up this series!
*E-ARC received from Netgalley.
*E-ARC received from Netgalley.
May 20, 2024
This was a fast-paced, adventurous read. I feel like Valor learned a bit from book 1, so she tended to be a bit more thoughtful in her decision-making. I loved her supporting friends, but this really felt like there would be another book! So much left unfinished! Why does it always come down to teenagers?
I recommend to young readers looking for an adventure read. It's not necessary to read the first book.
I recommend to young readers looking for an adventure read. It's not necessary to read the first book.
May 4, 2018
Valor is back and I couldn’t be happier. Safe at home with her sister Sasha, she hopes things will get back to normal. But nothing is ever normal in the Kingdom of Demidova, and they are soon thrust into solving a kidnapping plot. If they want to save the kingdom, and their lives, it’s going to take all of Valor’s skills. A wonderful sequel and exciting story. Well done!
December 4, 2019
The first one hooked me more, but this one was good too. There’s still sister love and friends helping each other, but there’s more tension in the ranks. I’m pretty sure there are only two books in this series, but the ending definitely seems like there should be a third book.
Note- clean, no romance! some violence
Note- clean, no romance! some violence
March 6, 2018
4.5
Fast-paced adventure with dark, dangerous turns - I hope this story continues. I love the sisters' relationship. Perfect for fans of Jessica Day George and Shannon Hale.
(these covers are gorgeous, and the German one for book one is absolutely, stunningly fierce.)
Fast-paced adventure with dark, dangerous turns - I hope this story continues. I love the sisters' relationship. Perfect for fans of Jessica Day George and Shannon Hale.
(these covers are gorgeous, and the German one for book one is absolutely, stunningly fierce.)
August 20, 2018
I think I liked the plot of the first one better just because of the heist nature of it, but I REALLY loved the villains in this one. The visuals were so powerful! I also just enjoyed being back with the characters I loved in the first one. The author did a great job balancing the large cast!
November 2, 2018
Ended up skipping ahead 100 pages or so from page 90 and then finished the book from there. I remember liking the first one a lot, but for whatever reason this one was just bored me and I didn't really want to continue reading it.
March 3, 2020
OH MY GOODNESS!! This book is so good! The writing has so much detail and it explains everything so well. while you are following along with Valor and her friends, it's like you can feel what they are feeling. I can't stop thinking about it. This book is a must read.
September 11, 2022
I love this series I haven't read the second but am filled with excitement over what comes next. The first was an amazing book filled with incredible adventure. I would love to get a proper physical book of the second and first.
July 9, 2025
2.5, I liked the first book, but this one just wasn’t there. Valor and the crew just basically run around town doing stuff. The politics are hard to follow, and I completely forgot who Mila was. Hard to read- the end climax was cool but I needed more information on the war.
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