by Mark Helprin
First published 1996
The princess stands at the gates of a snow-covered city, her breath forming clouds in the bitter air. Her parents lie dead, murdered by the man who calls himself ruler of their kingdom. She has traveled far to reach this besieged place on the plain, where the Usurper holds court behind walls of stone and ice. The city itself seems alive with danger, its streets blanketed in white that conceals both beauty and menace. She must find a way inside, confront the killer of kings, and reclaim what was stolen from her bloodline. But the Usurper did not take a throne by accident, and winter makes every step treacherous. The young woman carries nothing but her royal birthright and an unshakeable need for justice in a world where snow can hide both salvation and death.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, mystery, fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, enemies-to-lovers
Setting: Snow-Covered City, Kingdom
Period: Winter
147 pages · Hardcover · Viking/Ariel
Content warnings: violence