'An epic icy adventure with a warming tale of sisterhood at its heart' - Maria Kuzniar

'Every way I look at it, I love this book from the crystalline brilliance of its surface to its tender, glowing heart' - Zillah Bethell

A chilling magical adventure about two sisters born 40,000 years apart, perfect for fans of The House With Chicken Legs and The Wild Way Home.

When Bela's mother dies, she is summoned to deepest Siberia to stay with an uncle she's never met. Exploring his strange scientific workshop, she uncovers a secret she was never meant to find - a doorway that opens to an icy land, frozen in time and full of legends come to life.

But this frozen land is in danger, and it's up to Bela to find a way to save it. To succeed, she must join forces with the impossible: a long-lost sister she never knew she had, born 40,000 years before . . .

About the Author
Helenka grew up in a yellow-brick house in the woods with her British mother and Polish father, which stoked her lifelong obsession with fairytales and legends. A Bath Spa graduate who now lives in Bristol with her husband, Helenka wrote her magical debut novel to explore themes of family and belonging that, as an adopted daughter, are very close to her heart.

Reviews
A gorgeously-written book full of magic and adventure * Radiya Hafiza, author of Rumaysa: A Fairytale *
A richly imagined, thrilling adventure sparkling with things that inspire no matter what millennium you live in: determination, courage and love. * Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art *
A perfect wintry read * L. D. Lapinski *
An epic icy adventure with a warming tale of sisterhood at its heart. * Maria Kuzniar, author of The Ship of Shadows *
An ice prism of beauty. Every way I look at it, I love this book from the crystalline brilliance of its surface to its tender, glowing heart. Wonderfully interpreted and illumined by Marco Guadalupi. * Zillah Bethell, author of The Shark Caller *

Glittering with frost and tingling with magic, this story of sisters separated by time is heart-warming, adventurous and thought-provoking. I loved the icy Siberian setting and the shifts in time between the early 20th Century and the pre-historic - the worlds of Bela and of Ren-ya are both exquisitely drawn and utterly believable. I found myself rooting for each of the sisters and utterly entwined by the ancient magic that bonds them together. An enchanting debut from Helenka Stachera - I can't wait to read what she writes next!

* Sophie Kirtley *



Book Information
ISBN 9780241491287
Author Helenka Stachera
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint Puffin
Publisher Penguin Random House Children's UK
Weight(grams) 293g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 22mm