Name: The Raven and the Reindeer
Rating: 4.2 (25 reviews)

T. Kingfisher

The Raven and the Reindeer

When Gerta's friend Kay is stolen away by the mysterious Snow Queen, it's up to Gerta to find him.

Her journey will take her through a dangerous land of snow and witchcraft, accompanied only by a bandit and a talking raven. Can she win her friend's release, or will following her heart take her to unexpected places?

A strange, sly retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen by T. Kingfisher, author of Bryony and Roses and The Seventh Bride.

©2016 Ursula Vernon (P)2026 Podium Audio

A Hans Christian Andersen story, based on Finnish folklore, turned on its head and given a cosy fantasy edge!  Oh and there are talking ravens, otters and other beasties!

We all know the tale of the Snow Queen in one version or another and I loved this take on it.  Gerta and Kay have known each other since they were babies, their grannies are besties and they are neighbours. All the hallmarks of a friends to lovers right? Nope, these two are about to get all kinds of interesting. From thwarted first kiss, to a confused but hopeful FMC, Gerta takes it upon herself to track down her kidnapped possible, maybe, first love.

I have to say I was not rooting for Kay from the outset. He's pretty much every meanie teenage boy I've ever met lol. By turns ignoring, encouraging and dismissing poor Gerta. So the introduction of Janna, a rather helpful bandit, had me cheering.  Here is the love interest Gerta deserves.

Sarcastic, darkly funny, and with not a small dose of feminism, I highly enjoyed this tale.  I loved reading about Folklore that I haven't read much on before, Finnish and Sami, so I felt I came away with a lot more knowledge than when I started.

PS The Ravens have the weirdest names, "Mousebones for short" lol.

Nicola Sarah Brooks

A Hans Christian Andersen story, based on Finnish folklore, turned on its head and given a cosy fantasy edge!  Oh and there are talking ravens, otters and other beasties!

We all know the tale of the Snow Queen in one version or another and I loved this take on it.  Gerta and Kay have known each other since they were babies, their grannies are besties and they are neighbours. All the hallmarks of a friends to lovers right? Nope, these two are about to get all kinds of interesting. From thwarted first kiss, to a confused but hopeful FMC, Gerta takes it upon herself to track down her kidnapped possible, maybe, first love.

I have to say I was not rooting for Kay from the outset. He's pretty much every meanie teenage boy I've ever met lol. By turns ignoring, encouraging and dismissing poor Gerta. So the introduction of Janna, a rather helpful bandit, had me cheering.  Here is the love interest Gerta deserves.

Sarcastic, darkly funny, and with not a small dose of feminism, I highly enjoyed this tale.  I loved reading about Folklore that I haven't read much on before, Finnish and Sami, so I felt I came away with a lot more knowledge than when I started.

PS The Ravens have the weirdest names, "Mousebones for short" lol.

Maria

4.5/5 
a delightful f/f retelling of the snow queen
- the writing was magical and made for a very light & engaging read 
- i loved the portrayal of the characters and the frustration with kay was so so poignant 
- the magic in this was fascinating tbh 
- usually with fairytale retellings i feel like they tend to lose their fairytale quality, but this managed to hold it up while also offering a new refreshing perspective on the story 
- i also think this managed to breathe a lot more life into the original tale which i generally have never liked

What fun little retelling of The Snow Queen. I honestly didn't read the synopsis because I'll read anything T Kingfisher writes so it was a lovely surprise. When this story started I was not expecting motherly witches, fierce bandit girls, reindeershifters, and old Sami Crones but this book delivers! Mousebones is my favorite character because come on a talking raven will always be the coolest character in a book. This is a great book to read in winter time and the perfect book to start reading T Kingfisher. 

Cassidy Webb

What fun little retelling of The Snow Queen. I honestly didn't read the synopsis because I'll read anything T Kingfisher writes so it was a lovely surprise. When this story started I was not expecting motherly witches, fierce bandit girls, reindeershifters, and old Sami Crones but this book delivers! Mousebones is my favorite character because come on a talking raven will always be the coolest character in a book. This is a great book to read in winter time and the perfect book to start reading T Kingfisher. 



Janice Hopper

A modern retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen. On Twitter, the author said "It is, b my standards, a fun, fast, fluffy read....." It's a fun read and a fast one, but maybe not TOO fluffy.

I have a weakness for fairy tale retellings. T. Kingfisher is better at them than many other authors, IMHO. She brings a thoroughly modern sensibility to the tale without losing the elements that keep us coming back to fairy tales again and again. There's wonder and exploration, and simple, homely truths in her stories. This one is no exception.

It didn't bring the same happy frisson of amazement I got from a story like Toad Words, but I liked it a lot.

A wonderful retelling of The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. The prose and the atmosphere give all the classic fairytale vibes. It is wonderful and vivid to read. I loved the characters of Gerta and Janna and their relationship. Mousebones the Raven is a hilarious and helpful animal companion. I have always hated Kay in this story, so not sorry at all that he is really just there for the plot and and to highlight Gerta's growth and self-discovery as a character in this version. There is a dark, dry humor that delighted me so much. While this is a short novel, it never feels lacking. It was a rich, warm experience. There were some lovely emotional scenes.

Cheryl Hedlund

Elizabeth Garza

I love the Snow Queen fairytale to begin with but this retelling .... Hmm. FANTASTIC. Adorable love plot, intriguing supporting characters, and a really interesting writing style are in store for you with this book.

This was super cute. Loved the f/f romance that I wouldn’t have expected from the summary, and the fantasy elements were super cool! I especially loved the reindeer parts. 

I did find the writing a bit stilted at first, as the author uses very short sentences most of the time which makes it hard for a flow to get going, but I got used to it after awhile. The book didn’t wow me, but it was really good and I’m glad I read it.

When Gerta¿s friend Kay is stolen away by the mysterious Snow Queen, it¿s up to Gerta to find him. Her journey will take her through a dangerous land of snow and witchcraft, accompanied only by a bandit and a talking raven. Can she win her friend¿s release, or will following her heart take her to unexpected places? A strange, sly retelling of Hans Christian Andersen¿s "Snow Queen," by T. Kingfisher, author of "Bryony and Roses" and "The Seventh Bride."

The Raven and the Reindeer

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