Frozen 2: Forest of Shadows

by Kamilla Benko, Rachel Matthews (Narrator)

An original middle grade novel bridging the epic adventure of Frozen with the upcoming Walt Disney Animation Studios film Frozen 2.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fiction, Retellings, Adventure, Childrens

Audiobook

First published October 4, 2019

About the author

Kamilla Benko spent most of her childhood climbing into wardrobes, trying to step through mirrors, and plotting to run away to an art museum. Now, she visits other worlds as a children’s book editor. Originally from Indiana, she currently lives in New York with her bookshelves, teapot, and hiking boots.

Reviews

[Mischenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a strange blight comes over the land and the animals fall into a deep sleep, Anna is convinced she can help find the cure. It needs to be done quickly because the food supply is in danger and Elsa will soon be departing on her grand tour. After Anna finds a magic door in the castle she never knew about, it leads her to a secret room where she finds magic books, herbs, and other mysterious items. The clue might be hidden within this room and Anna is convinced she can solve this mystery, but once a spell is cast, she finds herself and the entire kingdom of Arendelle in more danger than she could have ever imagined.

What a delicious, magical adventure! I wasn’t sure what to expect with this middle-grade novel, but it’s so wonderfully written. It’s always lovely when you take a chance on a book and it turns out to be just what you were looking for. I ended up purchasing the book to read with my daughters because we are huge Frozen fans. We all ended up enjoying it–even my 13-year-old. As an adult, I often find that some middle-grade books tend to drag in parts which affects my interest levels during reading. This book is action-packed and there’s always something new, but there were a few events in the story that were just a tad bit drawn out for me–very rarely though.

The author has done an excellent job writing the characters’ personalities and stayed true to the original movie. Olaf, Kristoff, and Oaken were hilarious, and it was nice that the author put in some fresh characters too. This is supposed to be the ‘in between’ from Frozen to Frozen 2. I have no doubt that if this story were the actual new Frozen 2 film, it would be a huge success.

One of my favorite aspects of Frozen is the family theme; I love the caring sister relationship between Anna and Elsa. In Forest of Shadows, Anna has a few insecurities: she’s missing the inseparable relationship she once had with Elsa and seeks approval from her, but she soon discovers that the real issue is within herself. The heart of the story really revolves around Anna. I loved that true love came into play as in the original film, but also the message of facing your fears and accepting them. There are so many wonderful, positive messages in the book.

If you have children in your home who love Frozen, definitely check out this book. It’s well worth the read for any Frozen fan regardless of age. It works perfect as a read-aloud for younger readers, but definitely keep in mind that it’s quite long at 400+ pages.

4****

You can also see this review @www.readrantrockandroll.com

[Patricia Bejarano Martín · Rating 5 out of 5]

He amado por completo este libro.
Sabía que me iba a gustar y que iba a disfrutar mucho de la historia, pero OMFG, que sorpresa más bonita.
Si os gustó Frozen, tenéis que darle una oportunidad. Yo sin duda recomiendo leerlo antes de la segunda película, ya que es un puente que une las dos, pero eso ya como veáis. Yo tenía que llenar mis ansias por ver la segunda película y sin duda este libro ha llenado un poquito eso.
Esta historia sucede unos años después del final de la película. Elsa está a punto de irse de viaje por algunos de los reinos más importantes, pero de repetente Arendelle sufre una gran plaga, una que está haciendo que los animales se queden dormidos y no haya manera de despertarles. Cuando la plaga empieza a afectar a las personas y la peor pesadilla de Anna amenaza a Arendelle, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Sven y Olaf marchan a la ventura para intentar solucionar lo que está sucediendo.
Este libro está cargado de magia, de valores increíbles. También conocemos más a todos estos personajes que tanto amamos desde hace daños y por supuesto, nos cuenta detalles que serán muy importantes para Frozen 2, y esto sin duda es lo que más me ha gustado junto a la relación de Anna y Elsa.
Yo la recomiendo muchísimo. No puedo decir nada más, dejaros sorprender.

[Mavis Ros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you freakin’ kidding me? This is too serious to even be considered a middle-grade but—

This. Is. Everything.

Like I would stand as a huge Frozen fanatic. Yep. That’s me, alright.

It makes me understand the sequel a whole lot more and I can’t wait to see Frozen 2 during its release date!

But I do have to note that “you don’t need to read this” before actually seeing Frozen 2.

BUT based only on my own perspective within the expansion exploring the world of Arendelle with its long-kept secrets, hidden myths and extinct creatures and all of that, it help me in a way that I wouldn’t get confused. Nor get lost with the story as it flows.

[Gavin Hetherington · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t expect this to be as good as it was! It ties in so well with the franchise I know and love, and Benko does a great job at writing Elsa and Anna and making them feel like they do in the movies. I enjoyed the story too, it was fast-paced and exciting at times. The heart of the sisters is truly felt in this, and I’m so glad it didn’t put a stain in the Frozen franchise I adore.

[Lilah · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It’s okay to be afraid, Elsa. You just can't let the fear take control of you! Fear is the shadow of love. You only fear because you care so much about Arendelle and about me, and that's what makes you a great queen and a great leader. And a great sister. That's why we love you, Elsa."

♥♥♥♥♥

I had SO much fun reading about my favorite sisters!
I literally live just for those awesome sisterly love moments.
If you're a die-hard Frozen fan like I am then this book is definitely a must for you!!
And please make sure to listen to the soundtrack while reading it, because personally it made this experience so much more enjoyable for me :)
Frozen 1 Songs
Frozen 2 Songs

[Kamilla Benko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frozen 2: Forest of Shadows is the bridge story between Frozen & Frozen II! I definitely recommend reading it before watching Frozen 2 --there are no spoilers for Frozen 2 in it, but it will prepare you for what's to come for the sisters! :)

[Jenny (Bookbookowl) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forest of Shadows is a novel that bridges the story between Frozen 1 and Frozen 2. I assume this is classed as a middle grade novel, but there are some themes that could even lean it a little more towards YA. I absolutely adored being back in the world of Arendelle. I have a three year old, I’ve seen Frozen 1 approximately seventeen billion times and we’ve already seen Frozen 2 three times at the cinema, ok? And we won’t even talk about how often we dance around the house to the soundtracks, but I digress. This story wasn’t even a ‘filler’, it was a brilliant story in it’s own right, with the characters we already love. There were also so many explanations of both girls’ individual feelings that made the second movie just that bit more special after reading it.

When a strange sickness falls over Arendelle – making all the animals fall into a fitful sleep, Anna hopes to be able to find a cure, and after she discovers a secret room full of old books, including magical spell books, she’s sure one of them will be the answer. But the spell she reads from the book doesn’t quite work the way she’d hoped and she finds her family and kingdom in even more trouble than before. All the elements that make Frozen wonderful were still there – a journey, sisters finding their place in the world and, of course, my favourites – Olaf, Kristoff and Sven.

I’d highly recommend this to any Frozen fan, young or old! Seeing Frozen 2 before reading this book is not necessary, there are no spoilers for the second movie!

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable! Needed more Olaf. xD

[Jesús De la Jara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Como historia infantil y relacionado al mundo de Frozen me gustó aunque la calidad y sobre todo el final no fue tanto de mi agrado.
La historia se supone que está entre la primera y segunda película de Frozen (y justo éste es el detalle que para mí le quita algo de puntaje, me pareció un poco forzado ese "enlace" con la segunda película). Estamos en Arendelle donde ya Elsa es reina y debe ocuparse de múltiples tareas relacionadas al trono cuando de pronto empieza una extraña situación que contamina a los vegetales y animales que es llamada "el deterioro", empiezan los seres vivos a languidecer y parecen entrar en un sueño irreversible. Por ello Elsa y Anna tratarán de encontrar una respuesta a este problema lo que conllevará al descubrimiento de algunos secretos que están en el propio castillo. Así mismo el mundo fantasioso donde se desarrolla la acción será expandido con nuevos personajes e incluso criaturas mágicas como los huldrefolk, seres que parecen vivir entre las sombras y que serán claves para poder resolver el gran problema.
El inicio me encantó pues es mucho más oscuro de lo que Frozen suele ser y hay varios misterios que son revelados, sin embargo, como menciono los desenlaces y quizás la historia en sí no llega a tener una gran importancia para FRozen 2 por lo que no me gustó como sí otros cómics o libros que van antes de películas y realmente se enlazan de buena manera. Este libro de alguna forma también me subió mucho las expectativas para la película que no terminó siendo tan oscura como esperaba.

[Estíbaliz Montero Iniesta · Rating 5 out of 5]

4'5⭐

La verdad es que me ha gustado mucho. Para ser un middle-grade tiene una trama mucho más compleja de lo que me esperaba y, obviamente, ya sabía que los protagonistas me iban a gustar. Una vez más, igual que hace la peli, el libro nos aporta una enseñanza bastante trascendental sobre los propios miedos y sobre aceptarlos y enfrentarse a ellos.

Solo le he restado medio punto porque hay una línea argumental que queda abierta y que me provoca mucha intriga y por tanto me gustaría verla resuelta. Ahora bien, puesto que este libro es un puente entre la primera película y la segunda, si esa trama se recupera y resuelve en Frozen 2 es muy probable que le suba la nota.

En definitiva: lo recomiendo mucho, tanto para niños como para los adultos a los que nos sigue encantando Frozen.

[Prince William Public Libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frozen 2 (the book), is an amazing addition to any library. The story is about more adventures of the characters whom we came to love in the movies, Anna, Elsa, Christoff and Olaf.

This particular book is about one incident that happened right before the Frozen 2 movie. I will not disclose the plot, but I can tell you, that it will keep you on the edge of your seat. The ceaseless chase kept my heart pumping like crazy.

Even though the book is fast-paced, it is well written with many details and the character development will increase your understanding of your favorite characters even more.

- Natasha, PWPL Staff

Click here to find the book at Prince William Public Libraries.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly this was pretty fun and I think added to the overall Frozen timeline, but there were a few times this seemed to drag unnecessarily which prevented me from giving it a full 5 stars. Otherwise a really exciting adventure!

[Imke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is magical. It hold so much magic, that I could hardly put it down.

I love Frozen, and thought I knew the characters pretty well, but this story has truly given me so much more insights into Anna and Elsa. It made me reasonate with them more, and understand the transitions they have undergone from the first Frozen film to the second one. There is a lot of character development going. And it truly fills in some tiny gaps in between the movies. It for sure made me love these characters even more.

This book shows how loneliness can feed fear, how it makes us lose hope, in the world around us, in those we love most, but most of all in ourselves. It also shows us how important relationships are, wether that’s in the form of a friend, an ally, a partner, a sister or your one true love.

It’s such a beautiful tale, with a powerful and meaningful message.

As a 25 year old I was scared this book may come across as ‘too childish’ but personally I did not find that the case at all. It’s very mature and deals with some very mature issues and consequences.

The only struggle I had with this book was that I wanted to finish it so badly, while simultaneously did not want it to ever end. It’s that good. I wish they’d make a movie adaptation of this book as well. It is certainly well suited for it.

[joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly enjoyed this book. It was incredibly well-written and stayed true to the original feel of the movie. I liked the way mythology was incorporated into this book, and I really enjoyed the sisterly dynamic between Anna and Elsa. My one complaint with this book was Olaf. He was just so weird in it. I don't know if that how's he is going to be in the new movie, but he seemed significantly out of character in this book. Other than that this book was a solid middle grade book, and one of the better books Disney has come out with to support their new movies.

[Klemiki · Rating 3 out of 5]

My question is - what was the point 🙃 Never expected to roll eyes and cringe on frozen book. Gladly with all the plot holes I don't count it as canon 🙏 I'd really enjoy this book much more, if sisters would idk, wander around the village and get to know stories of the past, not some made up monster. And I think the target audience of the book was changing all the time... I'm sorry that I read it after dangerous secret which is superior, and my expectations were too high.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forest of shadows is an amazing pre-frozen 2 book. It really explore the more recent months leading up to the films events and focuses on Anna and Elsa relationship as Elsa prepares for her grand tour as queen, Anna is feeling more and more left out in her sisters life and she wants to prove to Elsa how important she is to her and the kingdom.

But before Anna can they must find out what is causing a mysterious blight, which is causing the kingdoms animals and people to suffer. The book also features allot of folk law, myths and legends from Norway.

Deffiantly worth getting for any Frozen fan/lover.

[lxvanessaxl · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5⭐️
Die Geschichte über Anna und Elsa, wie sie Arendelle vor einer bevorstehenden Gefahr retten, ist das erste Disney Buch, dass ich bisher gelesen habe. 😶 Die Grundgeschichte des Buchs finde ich wirklich interessant, allerdings konnte mich, schlussendlich, weder die Geschichte noch der Schreibstill überzeugen. 😅 Im allgemeinen war mit das Buch beim lesen einfach zu anstrengend.
Das ist allerdings nur meine persönliche Meinung und ich bin mir sehr sicher, dass es sehr viele Leser geben wir, die das Buch lieben werden. 🥰

[Veronica 🇵🇭🥥 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A | Not gonna lie, I did a double take reading this book. I had to check whether this was middle grade or YA. But in any case, this book was fantastic. Kamilla captured Anna’s voice so well because she doesn’t erase Anna’s insecurities and we see Anna flourish in the book. I love how we get more of Anna and Elsa’s childhood here along with worldbuilding for Arendelle. Since I had seen the movie first, I think that this book gives the sequel even more flavor (& I thought Frozen 2 was very much a lush and gorgeous movie). But the information we get in this book about Anna and Elsa’s childhood as well as on their mother adds so much to Iduna’s character.

I loved this book. It was a quick read for me, but certainly for young readers (aka the intended audience), this may take them a few days. But wow, is it worth a read.

[Kate Willis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is exactly what I was hoping for… a deeper exploration of Anna and Elsa's sisterhood, their healing from childhood, and filling in the gaps between the first and second movies. The themes of feeling shut out or useless especially rang true, and I loved the resolution. 👏

Besides a couple moments that bordered on cheesy, this story was strong, interesting, and absolutely engaging in its own right.

I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the movies. 🤍❄️

CW: nightmares come to life, magic, possession.

[rose ❄ · Rating 3 out of 5]

ME: wow, coronavirus is really getting me down. perhaps reading this book about Frozen intended for literal children will provided me with some much-needed escapism
THIS BOOK: … and then a Mysterious Sickness strikes Arendelle, Elsa’s international trip is cancelled and Anna and Elsa have to race against time to find the cure or else all the townspeople will Perish
ME: :/

[ElsaMakotoRenge · Rating 5 out of 5]

incoherent fangirling incoming THIS WAS GREAT CAN WE PLEASE GIVE THE SISTERS A HUG NOW AND THEN AFTER THE EVENTS OF THIS STORY THEY’RE GOING TO IMMEDIATELY GO THROUGH WHATEVER HEART-STOMPING THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO GO ON IN FROZEN II...ack. okay. moving on

[Books_and_Crafts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in two days!

This is a spooky story that takes place in between frozen one and two. This book perfectly captures the characters that we know and love as they make their way through myth and legend!

[Emerald Spurgeon · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a quick easy read story in between frozen 1 and 2. Although you don’t have to read it to understand frozen 2 it definitely gives us a better idea of why everything happened in the second movie.

[Jem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to @scholastic_au for sending me a copy of this book for review. This book is a middle grade book that bridges the gap between the two Frozen movies, the epilogue of the book leads in to Frozen 2, will have to watch it now to find out what happens next 😅 The story is told from third person POV but focuses mostly on Anna as she starts to feel like her sister is pushing her away and doesn't need her anymore.
.
The story continues to build on Anna and Elsas relationship as they navigate running a kingdom. We also see the relationship between Anna and Kristoff grow. There are old characters still around, Olaf, Sven and Oaken as well as some new ones that add to the story. I love that the story continues to develop the sister relationship they have as well as that all relationships need work sometimes and that communication in relationships is key to avoid misunderstandings 😊
.
This is a wonderful novel for any Frozen lover and would definitely recommend to younger ones who love it 😊

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

WARNING: This book had a secondary character who is lesbian and married to another woman. I know this does not bother everyone, but I do usually try to avoid anything with gay and lesbian mentions just because I do not agree with it, so when I read something with it in it, I try to warn others in case they are the same way. Honestly, it probably wouldn’t have even bothered me in this book so much as it was just a minor character, but she is mentioned multiple times throughout the book and each and every time she, or her wife, were mentioned, it had to be thrown in somewhere that her wife was with her or her wife wasn’t there or that she was someone’s wife. It was just a little ridiculous. I mean other people in the story were worried about others, but that was never mentioned. Only the lesbian couple needed it to keep being pointed out that much. I mean I get that people want to write gay and lesbian books because that does interest people and it is a part of their lives, but really, does it need to be so pointedly mentioned over and over again in a book aimed for kids? It was just a little ridiculous to me.
Other than that I still want impressed with the book. It is a book that fits in between Frozen and Frozen 2, and it is nice to get a glimpse of something that could have been happening with Anna and Elsa during that in between time. Some of it was just really over the top and unbelievable though. I mean I get that it’s Frozen and Elsa has ice powers and in Frozen 2 they have more mythical and magical stuff going on, but this book was still a little over the top. And the whole book seems like they’re just going in circles trying to figure out what to do just to be lead back to the beginning, and I feel like that’s really overdone. Finally, I really missed the typical Frozen humor. Everything Frozen typically has some humor throughout the story, but this one really didn’t, which is a bummer when you look forward to that in your Frozen books. Anyway, there were just a lot of things I wasn’t real excited about with this book. Obviously from the ratings, a lot of people really love and enjoyed it, but I just didn’t see it. This was definitely not one of my favorite Frozen books.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I finished this book I wanted to watch frozen 2. Kamilla has so artful made this book flow from the first frozen movie to the second, answering all the little unanswered questions. You get to see little Easter eggs through out this book for what's to come in the second movie. Every time I read something that is going to be in the movie I just had to tell one of my family members, I just loved it so much.
The author has captured the characters voices so well. I could hear every voice as clear as when I watch the films.
I loved the magic in this book and loved getting to see more of the creatures that live within this world. I wish we got a bit more of Olaf as I love hearing his views and takes on the world around him.
This was such a fun read and anyone that loves Disney, frozen, sisterly love, magic and of course talking snowmen should pick this book up.

[CorniHolmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Da mir die bisherigen Bände der Dangerous-Secrets-Reihe so gut gefallen haben und ich „Die Eiskönigin“ total gerne mag, musste ich natürlich auch den vierten Band unbedingt bei mir einziehen lassen. Auf „Elsa und Anna: Der Wald der Schatten“ war ich ungeheuer gespannt.

Nichts wünscht sich Anna mehr, als ihre große Schwester Elsa zu unterstützen und auf ihrer kurz bevorstehenden langen Schiffsreise zu begleiten. Doch obwohl Elsa als Königin von Arendelle alle Hände voll zu tun hat, weist sie jegliche Hilfe ab und beabsichtigt, ohne Anna die Welt zu bereisen. Doch dann bricht plötzlich eine rätselhafte Krankheit im Königreich Arendelle aus und Anna sieht ihre Chance endlich gekommen, Elsa von ihrem Vorhaben zu überzeugen und ihr zu helfen. Sie setzt sofort alles daran, ein Heilmittel gegen diese mysteriöse Seuche zu finden. Auf ihrer Suche stößt sie im Schloss auf einen geheimen Raum und findet in einem Buch einen vielversprechenden Zauberspruch. Als sie ihn jedoch ausspricht, befreit sie das Land nicht wie erhofft von der Krankheit, sondern bringt es in nur noch größere Gefahr. Ein furchtbarer Albtraum aus ihrer Kindheit erwacht zum Leben und beginnt sie zu verfolgen. Anna muss sich schleunigst etwas einfallen lassen, um Arendelle zu retten.

Nachdem uns bereits der Auftakt der Dangerous-Secrets-Reihe in das Frozen-Universum mitgenommen hat, entführt uns nun also auch der vierte Band in das zauberhafte Königreich Arendelle. Dieses Mal stehen jedoch nicht die Eltern von Elsa und Anna im Mittelpunkt, sondern die Schwestern selbst und anders als im Vorgänger, der vor den Ereignissen von „Die Eiskönigin“ 1 und 2 spielt, schlägt „Elsa und Anna: Der Wald der Schatten“ eine Brücke zwischen den beiden Filmen. Den ersten Teil sollte man daher besser gesehen haben, um Verständnisschwierigkeiten und Spoiler zu vermeiden. Den ersten Dangerous-Secrets-Band muss man jedoch nicht kennen. Die Bände dieser Reihe erzählen vollkommen eigenständige Geschichten und sind daher problemlos unabhängig voneinander lesbar.

Für mich, als große Frozen-Liebhaberin, die beide Filme mehr als nur einmal geschaut hat, hat sich das Eintauchen in die Geschichte angefühlt wie nach Hause kommen. Der US-amerikanischen Autorin Kamilla Benko ist es in meinen Augen einfach nur fabelhaft gelungen, den einmaligen Frozen-Zauber aus den Filmen einzufangen und aufs Papier zu bringen. Dieses besondere Eiskönigin-Feeling kommt beim Lesen wirklich richtig gut rüber, man spürt es auf jeder einzelnen Seite. Kamillo Benko besitzt zudem einen wundervollen Schreibstil, der perfekt zu dieser märchenhaften Story passt und sich schön leicht und flüssig liest. Mir jedenfalls hat der Sprachstil auf Anhieb zugesagt und da die Kapitel zudem sehr kurz sind, kam für mich von Beginn an ein angenehmer Lesefluss zustande.

Auch bei den Charakteren hat die Autorin meiner Meinung nach einen überzeugenden Job gemacht und die Persönlichkeiten von bekannten Figuren hervorragend getroffen. Olaf, Kristoff, Rentier Sven, Oaken - alle sind sie mit von der Partie und verzücken und erheitern uns Leser*innen mit ihren uns so wohlvertrauten Eigenschaften und Besonderheiten.
Neben „alten“ Figuren dürfen wir auch ein paar neue Gesichter kennenlernen, die ebenfalls mit viel Liebe ausgearbeitet wurden und sich stimmig in diese magische Welt einfügen.
Meine Favoritin war Anna, aus deren Sicht alles in der dritten Person geschildert wird. Da wir über ihre Empfindungen und Gedanken am meisten erfahren, kann man sich in sie als Leser*in am besten hineinversetzen und fühlt und fiebert richtig mit ihr mit.

Hinsichtlich der Handlung kann ich mich ebenfalls nur positiv äußern, vor allem von den Themen und wertvollen Botschaften, die vermittelt werden, bin ich ganz begeistert.
Geschwisterliebe, Zusammenhalt, Familie, Freundschaft, Mut, das Hinauswachsen über sich selbst – von all diesen Dingen handelt die Geschichte unter anderem, wunderbar verpackt in einem spannenden und fantasievollen Abenteuer. Die Erzählung führt uns sehr schön vor Augen wie wichtig es ist, gute Freunde und Verbündete an seiner Seite zu haben, die immer für einen da sind und auf die man sich jederzeit verlassen kann. Gemeinsam ist man stark und kann viel mehr schaffen und erreichen als alleine. Zudem wird verdeutlicht, dass man sich seinen Ängsten stellen und versuchen sollte, sie zu bekämpfen.

Besonders gut gefallen hat mir die Darstellungsweise von Elsas und Annas Schwesternbeziehung. Wie in den Filmen, so wird auch hier deutlich, wie sehr sich die zwei ungleichen Schwestern lieben und dass sie viel mehr verbindet als unterscheidet. Vor allem Anna hängt sehr an ihrer großen Schwester und würde stets alles tun, um ihr zu helfen und sie zu unterstützen. Mir hat es mal wieder das Herz erwärmt zu sehen, wie tief und stark die Verbundenheit zwischen den beiden ist. Zugleich habe ich mit ihnen an vielen Stellen aber auch sehr mitgelitten. Anna leidet sehr darunter, dass Elsa sie zunehmend aus ihrem Leben ausschließt und nicht auf ihre Mission mitnehmen möchte, und Elsa trägt als Königin eine große Last und Verantwortung auf den Schultern und muss nicht nur für ihre Schwester da sein, sondern auch für ihr Volk.
Zu ernst und ergreifend wird das Ganze aber natürlich nicht, keine Sorge. Es gibt auch viele lustige Momente, die einem ein Lächeln auf die Lippen zaubern oder breit schmunzeln lassen. So ist Olaf wie gewohnt der reinste Sonnenschein und sorgt mit seiner fröhlichen und süßen Art für jede Menge gute Laune. Trotz allem hadere ich jedoch ein klein wenig mit der Altersangabe von ab 10 Jahren, muss ich gestehen. Die Story ist stellenweise schon recht düster und unheimlich – ich könnte mir vorstellen, dass sie für manche jüngere Leser*innen vielleicht ein bisschen zu schaurig sein könnte. Ich persönlich würde das Buch daher eher ab 12 Jahren empfehlen.

Mir, als Erwachsene, hat das Buch insgesamt herrliche Lesestunden bereiten können. Ich fand es richtig aufregend neue interessante Einblicke in Annas und Elsas Leben zu erhalten und mich gemeinsam mit ihnen auf eine Reise voller Gefahren und Herausforderungen zu begeben. Langeweile kam für mich an keine Stelle auf, mich haben die Geschehnisse durchweg mitreißen, begeistern und bestens unterhalten können, sodass ich das Buch gar nicht mehr aus der Hand legen wollte und es innerhalb kurzer Zeit beendet habe.

Fazit: Ein großes Muss für alle Eiskönigin- und Disney-Fans!
Kamilla Benko hat mit „Elsa und Anna: Der Wald der Schatten“ eine tolle ergänzende Geschichte zu den Eiskönigin-Filmen geschrieben, in welcher sie uns auf ein packendes und unterhaltsames Abenteuer voller Spannung, Emotionen und Magie mitnimmt. Ich kann das Buch nur empfehlen. Mir hat es richtig viel Spaß gemacht mich gemeinsam mit Anna, Elsa und ihren Freunden auf eine gefahrvolle Reise zu begeben und mich dabei von der einzigartigen Frozen-Atmosphäre verzaubern zu lassen. Von mir gibt es 4,5 – hier gerundet auf 5 von 5 Sternen!

[Elizabeth Mayberry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Huge disappointment. I picked this as an audiobook for our Spring Trip road trip. The girls were very excited for a "new" Elsa & Anna story and, with a high rating on Goodreads, I thought it would be fun! I should have read more reviews (specifically the lower ones) before we started listening to it. First off, it is written for an older audience than the movies. The storyline is significantly darker and scarier than either of the movies. Nightmares that come to life, zombies, friends who are bewitched, dark magic, etc. Also Anna is just an anxious mess that doesn't translate to her true character (IMO) and it is not fun to listen to/ read aloud. Secondly, there is a lot of attention given to the female blacksmiths who are a lesbian couple. Benko keeps pointing out their relationship status while never mentioning anyone else's, making it feel very agenda driven. I shouldn't be surprised seeing this from Disney, but I still was. Lastly, it drags on and on. We switched to a new book (making it a DNF for my kids) and I finished reading it on my own to pass on the ending to my kids. Overall, not kid friendly and it takes too long for a resolution - I do not recommend.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a major Disney’s Frozen fan since the film first came out. And now that Frozen 2 is coming out, I was thrilled to know there was a book connecting the two movies.

Forest of Shadows was AMAZING!! ❄️ I could not have asked for a better Disney book to satisfy my fan girl dreams. Benko perfectly captured the character’s personalities and voices in this adorable and thrilling story.

As Elsa and Anna discover secrets of the past, they need to stay true to one another to help the kingdom and its people from other frightening unknown magic that threatens all of Arendelle. This book was written so well that if felt like I was watching a new Frozen film in my mind! Kristoff, Olaf, Elsa, and Anna were all represented perfectly, proving that Benko really did her homework to create a new fantastical story with these individuals!

I cannot wait to see the next film and will be on the lookout for any Easter-eggs from this book!

[Pris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3,5 stars! I really liked this. I already love the world and characters. The writing wasn’t mindblowing, but it was a really fast read. The second half of the book was better than the first. It was a bit much and cliche at some points though. Maybe I’m just used to seeing Frozen visible instead of book from. I do think that, for example with Elsa’s magic, the visible form of Frozen does it better justice. However it was a fun way to spend my weekend! 💙❄️