Fairytale retellings will always have a special place in my heart. I don't read as many of them now as I did when I was in middle school, but they always bring me so much joy. This was no exception.
If you're in the market for a book that features wolves, snowy landscapes, mysterious mansions, mirror books that let you live the story, slow-burn romance, and gorgeous writing, look no further. Have I got the book for you.
Echo North
Author: Joanna Ruth Meyer
Genre: Fantasy retelling
Content: Violence, some gory bits, malevolent magic
Main Character: Echo Alkaev
Synopsis:
Echo Alkaev's safe and carefully structured world falls apart when her father leaves for the city and mysteriously disappears. Believing he is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolf - the same creature who attacked her as a child. The wolf presents Echo with an ultimatum: If she lives with him for one year, he will ensure her father makes it home safely. But there is more to the wolf than Echo realizes.
In his enchanted house beneath a mountain, each room must be sewn together to keep the home from unraveling, and something new and dark and strange lies behind every door. When centuries-old secrets unfold, Echo discovers a magical library full of books-turned-mirrors, and a young man named Hal who is trapped inside of them. As the year ticks by, the rooms begin to disappear, and Echo must solve the mystery of the wolf's enchantment before her time is up, otherwise Echo, the wolf, and Hal will be lost forever.
What I Thought:
Y'all... I LOVED this. Which, considering I picked it up at the library sale on a whim, was a delightful surprise. I'd heard a few friends enjoy this, and the first paragraph of the synopsis hooked me right away. I knew I wanted to pick it up in the winter season, which was an excellent choice, let me just say. "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" is a fairytale I've loved retellings of for a long time (especially ones that have all the Beauty and the Beast vibes) so I had a feeling it was going to be a win for me. And it was.
Echo's story slowly but surely nestled its way into my heart. The writing was just gorgeous, the atmosphere is fantastic. I felt like I was in a snowy wood, or a crumbling mansion, or a gorgeous library. The magic was fascinating, mysterious and eerie, and hello? Books you can go inside of and explore the world within them? Yes please!! (granted the stories inside are darker than i'd prefer, but still. it sounds awesome.)
The characters are ones I have mixed feelings about, but in the best way. Do I love them? Yes, very much so. Did I trust any of them? ... no, not particularly, hahaha. Echo herself, though, I adored, and let me just mention that I am SO soft for her relationship with her brother. We don't see much of him, but I adored their bond so much. Hal and the wolf had me feeling all the things, and while I don't want to spoil anything, I have to say I loved the ending so much.
Overall, I was just completely enchanted by every moment of this story. There were definitely moments that were hard to read (there are some moments I would consider horror, but very mild horror), and I cried probably four times, but it's definitely a story I'm going to be revisiting in the future.
Overall Rating: 5 spools of magic thread out of 5
"If I'd thought this story wouldn't have a happy ending,
I would have read something else."
His blue eyes lock on mine, suddenly serious.
"Must you always know a story ends happily before you feel equal to beginning it?"
About the Author:
Joanna Ruth Meyer is the author of the critically-acclaimed Echo North, as well as the companion novel duology Beneath the Haunting Sea and Beyond the Shadowed Earth. She writes stories about fierce teens finding their place in the world, fighting to change their fate, save the ones they love, or carve out a path to redemption.
Joanna lives with her dear husband and son, a rascally feline, and an enormous grand piano named Prince Imrahil in Mesa, Arizona. As often as she can, she escapes the desert heat and heads north to the mountains, where the woods are always waiting.
Have you read this book? Do you have a favorite obscure fairytale that you'd love to see get a retelling? Let me know in the comments!
~ Abby
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