"Snowfield Palace" by Kendra E. Ardnek

Oh my.  That turned serious.  Which I probably should have expected from a book that combines "The Snow Queen" by Hans Christian Andersen with Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.  Neither one of those are a barrel of laughs and giggles.

Ginny is an orphan taken in by her dead mother's childhood best friend's family.  Although the family gives her a home, they don't give her much attention or love, and she grows up in the shadows, on the edges of their lives.  She loves their son Kaimund from afar, but knows she's not special or important enough to ever marry him.

Enter Prince Hans and Princess Maia, charming and charismatic siblings who quickly win the hearts of the young folks in the family -- all except Ginny, who doesn't trust Hans and can't quite bring herself to truly like Maia.

And then, everything gets serious.  Even dark.  Some minor characters die, and some large and seemingly permanent changes occur in this fairy tale world that could have lasting ramifications.  I was not expecting quite so much damage to actually happen, and it really pushed the series to a whole different level.  But there's still a happily-ever-after ending for Ginny, don't worry.

I loved how many characters from the first three books showed up again here, and I am eagerly awaiting book five, which is due out this summer!

Particularly Good Bits:

"Everyone is hiding some form of pain, Ginny.  Remember that.  And everyone responds to their pain in different ways.  That's why you have to treat everyone with grace" (p. 11).

"I think any way a person grows up, none of it is a promise that they'll turn out right.  It depends on what sort of person they are, too" (p. 207).

If This was a Move, I Would Rate It: PG for some violence, thievery, and kissing.

This is my second book read off my TBR shelves for #TheUnreadShelfProject2023.