Publishers Weekly
02/15/2021
Ten years ago, Valeria, now 17, was one of the few survivors of a curse that trapped her mining town in perpetual ice. Ever since, she’s worked for the Thieves Guild, hiding from the forces of the Czar, who blame Valeria’s people both for the curse and for the resultant loss of access to the country’s prime resource, precious lovite ore, which, when combined with iron, creates an unbreakable alloy for use in weaponry, construction, and defense. Then Valeria is recruited by Ivan, an enigmatic soldier who believes she can help him access the lost vaults of lovite deep within the mountain of Knnot. In exchange, he reunites Valeria with her best friend Alik, long thought dead. But as Valeria joins Ivan, Alik, and others on a perilous journey into the frozen north and into a haunted mountain, she realizes they may be pawns of the feuding Bright and Pale Gods, siblings whose irreconcilable desires—bringing light and warmth to the world vs. consuming pain and suffering—have disrupted the course of mortal history with intermittent bloody wars. Despite a solid romantic thread and the looming influence of the supernatural, this adventure’s leisurely pacing and soap opera–style drama may frustrate. Drawing inspiration from Russian folklore, Rubinkowski offers an atmospheric fantasy debut populated by engaging characters and fueled by a strong premise, with a cliffhanger setting up events for the sequel. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sarah Landis, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
"Sparkling and sumptuous, Rubinkowski’s adventurous debut crackles with tension and yearning. I was so transported into Strana’s icy world, I saw my breath in the air as the pages flew by." — Erin A. Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows
“The Bright & the Pale is an action-packed adventure set in a richly detailed world where you never know who to trust and the twists keep coming! I was riveted right up until the final startling page.” — Amy Ewing, New York Times bestselling author of The Jewel
"The icy atmosphere of this Russian-inflected debut novel is vividly rendered, and the briskly paced plot moves the story along through multiple twists, turns, and betrayals. An atmospheric series opener well suited for a cold winter’s night." — Kirkus Reviews
"Debut author Rubinkowski paints a vivid picture of this mythological, Russia-esque land where fairy tales come to life and adventure rolls over every page. A riveting fantasy tale. Hand this to readers who enjoy Leigh Bardugo and are looking for a similar fantasy world to dive into." — School Library Journal
"Drawing inspiration from Russian folklore, Rubinkowski offers an atmospheric fantasy debut populated by engaging characters and fueled by a strong premise, with a cliffhanger setting up events for the sequel." — Publishers Weekly
"Rubinkowski’s Russian-inspired fantasy offers a fast, page-turning pace while offering a little bit of everything, expertly balancing elements of thriller, action, and romance. Readers will have a hard time putting this down." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Rubinkowski’s Russian-inspired fantasy offers a fast, page-turning pace while offering a little bit of everything, expertly balancing elements of thriller, action, and romance. Readers will have a hard time putting this down."
Amy Ewing
The Bright & the Pale is an action-packed adventure set in a richly detailed world where you never know who to trust and the twists keep coming! I was riveted right up until the final startling page.
Erin A. Craig
"Sparkling and sumptuous, Rubinkowski’s adventurous debut crackles with tension and yearning. I was so transported into Strana’s icy world, I saw my breath in the air as the pages flew by."
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Rubinkowski’s Russian-inspired fantasy offers a fast, page-turning pace while offering a little bit of everything, expertly balancing elements of thriller, action, and romance. Readers will have a hard time putting this down."
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Rubinkowski’s Russian-inspired fantasy offers a fast, page-turning pace while offering a little bit of everything, expertly balancing elements of thriller, action, and romance. Readers will have a hard time putting this down."
School Library Journal
01/01/2021
Gr 9 Up—Valeria, a 17-year-old orphan, is drafted to join an elite, secretive group called the Thieves Guild. The guild operates in Strana, a fantasy nation similar to Russia that is ruled by the Czar. When Vlaeria is tasked with retrieving a valuable resource that will be used to overthrow the Czar, the mission is compromised and she is asked to make a perilous journey. Valeria joins a new group of mysterious adventurers on a trek to her ice-plagued home to retrieve lovite, Strana's most valuable resource, which turns the villagers' skin paper-white. As Valeria travels closer to home, secrets are revealed and she has tough choices to make. Debut author Rubinkowski paints a vivid picture of this mythological, Russia-esque land where fairy tales come to life and adventure rolls over every page. While some aspects of the story that are introduced get seemingly forgotten, the threads that are pursued are thoroughly fleshed out and envelope the reader in a riveting fantasy tale. VERDICT Hand this to readers who enjoy Leigh Bardugo and are looking for a similar fantasy world to dive into.—Maryjean Riou, Hunterdon Cty. Lib., Flemington, NJ
Kirkus Reviews
2020-12-24
An orphaned thief finds herself on an unexpected journey to meet her destiny.
Seventeen-year-old Valeria has worked as an operative for the Thieves Guild since she lost her family in the Freeze of Ludminka. The freeze cut off access to lovite, the country’s most precious mineral resource, and left everyone in the mining village frozen in place except for her. When a guild mission goes awry, Valeria is intercepted by a man named Ivan who claims to be harboring her best friend, Alik, whom she had presumed to be dead following a mission a year before. Ivan promises her a safe reunion with Alik if she will join his party on a quest back to Ludminka to penetrate the mountain containing unharvested lovite deposits. Little does Valeria know that she is the key to entering the frozen environs of the mountain and that she will have a pivotal role to play in the war of the Brother Gods, the Bright and the Pale, who have awakened from their slumber to prepare for battle with one another. The icy atmosphere of this Russian-inflected debut novel is vividly rendered, and the briskly paced plot moves the story along through multiple twists, turns, and betrayals. There is some queer representation among White Valeria’s compatriots; unfortunately, the representation of the brown-skinned Adamanian people, adept with explosives and ruled by a khan who takes concubines for his harem, evokes Islamophobic stereotypes.
An atmospheric series opener well suited for a cold winter’s night but marred by careless tropes. (Fantasy. 14-18)
