Winter Falls: A Tale of the Snow Queen

By: Jacque Stevens

Narrated by: Caroline Turner Cole

To save her true love from the Winter Queen, Katie must soften her frozen heart.

Teen and young adult fans of C. S. Lewis and Shannon Hale will love this inspirational retelling of The Snow Queen.

Katie knows better than to believe in happy endings. She learned there was no such thing after her mother died. In the postindustrial town of Riverside, Katie struggles to care for her distant father and his failing hotel. Her only comfort lies in the arms of her true love, Shay.

Yet one evening, he disappears without a trace. Devastated, Katie jumps off a bridge in winter, expecting to meet death in the frozen water below. Instead, her fall transports her to a snowy netherworld, where trapped souls take on the form of animals and the only thing that matters is survival.

Then Katie discovers that Shay has been kidnapped by a deadly sorceress called the Winter Queen. She goes on a journey to find him, traveling through the realms of storybook fairies, princesses, thieves, and monsters to bring him home. But the path is harsh and dangerous. Will Shay and Katie be reunited? Or be forever trapped within an eternal winter?

A retelling of the classic fairytale The Snow Queen, Winter Falls is a young adult epic fantasy romance, which examines the trials of depression and mental illness in a magical world of action and adventure.

Clean romance. References to alcohol abuse, suicide, and other serious topics. Recommended for teen listeners ages 14 and up.

©2017 Jacque Stevens (P)2019 Jacque Stevens

A Beautiful, Fantastic, Wonderful Tale

Here are the facts. Katie's mother is dead. Her father lied and told her that her mother was off saving the world so Katie could have a hero, but that's just not true. Then her father remarries and Katie gets a stepmother. Several more children are born to the family and her father's new family takes all the attention Katie used to get. The boy Katie likes doesn't follow through on his promises. And Katie, a teenager, practically runs the inn on her own. But what if Katie is only seeing the world through a jaded perspective and her perception isn't true? What then?

Jacque Stevens does an incredible job writing from the perspective of an unreliable narrator. We can see how Katie's life has been hard but there's also a sense of a different story happening that is constantly inviting and compelling Katie to be a part of it. And so, she gets swept up into another world, where fairies are good and evil, where animals talk, where someone (or someones?) she loves must be rescued, where she learns to see the world differently. It's a beautiful, fantastic, wonderful tale. There are moments that seem to have come straight out of Wonderland, and Katie herself noted that she expected to see a rabbit with a pocket watch running late. Other times feel more like Oz, and it's unclear whether the fairies are the good or bad witches, although instead of compass points, they represent seasons. But regardless, it's easy to get lost in the worlds that Katie visits and wish we could visit them too. And maybe some of Katie's lessons and growth can be ours as we adventure with her. At least, that's how it felt to me.

I received a copy of the audiobook from the author and have reviewed it willingly because it was wonderful and needed more wonderful words said about it.

More please!

This was a great story full of understanding and self growth! I really did love it :) I wasn’t familiar with the snow queen story before reading this, but I loved the fairy tale elements and the main characters discovery of what it means to love and be loved. A great read and really enjoyable journey to watch unfold. It was also really inspiring and a great reminder that we are all worth it. I was given this book in exchange for an honest review, but these are all my honest thoughts.

Almost almost almost 5 stars!

•audiobook•


Snow Queen was my favorite theme as I entered my 20s. I’m not sure why, unless it was self imposed as a joke because of my determination to refrain from relationships- I considered myself too focused on my career and children. When Hallmark came out with a movie, I watched it - well, too much. And felt the emotions. Every. Time.

This retelling with a darker atmosphere reminded me of wattpad’s Lani Lenore.

Needless to say, I tore through this with incredibly high hopes and expectations and until the final pages, or last chapter, I would have given it a full 5 stars. If I had the book, I would have ripped out the last part and just hugged it.

I liked Katie a lot. I didn’t love her, but respected her growth in the alternative reality. I liked the transformations of several of the characters but I really really loved Avery and crossed my fingers this retelling would have a different ending.

Both Katie and Shay had modern day families. As Shay grew closer to Katie’s family, I’m surprised her relationship with them didn’t change, too. I really really really tried to buy their relationship, but I didn’t. With each flashback, I hoped ‘this is when it will happen for me’. But it didn’t.

I liked the Seasons. They were unique and each had their struggles with handling the broken mirror. This was such tangible surrealism!

It seemed like most of the characters had internal turmoil or anguish or both. The book was rapidly reaching such a deep and fascinating kiss of a new genre of psychological suspense fair-y-relling.

I’m baffled she didn’t think of her family often while in Fairy. Nothing really reminds her of home or her family. Anyone who has ever left home ... we miss things ....

Unfortunately, the biggest puzzle piece - Katie’s and Shay’s return to the real world (as it is in Snow Queen, so it’s not a spoiler) - was a monumental fail. How can everyone be so calm? How is Katie nonchalant when she reunites with her family after being absent for so long? And the ‘trigger’ event in which the book opens (with her on the bridge) was almost forgotten when I didn’t feel any trepidation when she entered the hotel upon her return.

I really really really really liked this book. I would have loved it, if I believed Katie & Shay were meant to be.

This is my second book narrated by Caroline Turner Cole. She did a fabulous job(as she had on the other)!!

This is my voluntary review of an audiobook received for free.

YA Retold Fairy Tale

This is a really great retelling of the story... It is definitely geared towards an older crowd due to the darker topics this book goes into: depression, suicide, alcoholism, and abuse. This is a book about Katie's journey through her depression and trying to find herself and save her friend... or is he more? She's really not in a good place to start a relationship. Unfortunately, Shay although somewhat patient doesn't understand the help she needs. There are a lot of flashbacks as she's dealing with her issues and the psychology elements in this is very interesting. I really enjoyed this book and the narrator did an incredible job with the acting and overall narration. Again, I would definitely recommend this to a young adult to adult crowd and one who isn't dealing with their own depression issues.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

OF WINTER FALLS.

THIS IS A UNIQUE TALE OF THE SNOW QUEEN, THE STORY HAS SOME DARK PARTS, BUT IT IS A GOOD STORY.
CAROLINE TURNER COLE DID A WONDERFUL JOB WITH THE NARRATION OF THE STORY.