I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next book to release! This was my first book by Jessica Rubinowski but won't be my last. She has created an interesting world and engaging characters that will have you turning the pages to see what happens next! If you're looking for a new YA Fantasy, definitely pick this one up!

This is going to be a weird review, because I feel like I don't have a ton to say, but not in a bad way? I liked this story! I was entertained by this story! The characters were enjoyable, the world was quite atmospheric, and I wasn't bored. That said, I wasn't like, totally blown away either? But I don't even have a reason why, and that is irritating to me, as a person trying to explain things about this book.

I certainly felt for Valeria, she lost her whole family, and now she has what amounts to a bunch of people trying to manipulate her for their own gain, and she hasn't a clue who she should trust. That's rude of them, frankly. Like she hasn't been through enough, you know? So yeah, I was definitely rooting for her. I also really wanted her best friend Alik to be a person she could trust, I liked that she had someone that she felt like she knew.

I think perhaps the world building could have been a bit more fleshed out, but otherwise, it was a solidly entertaining, if somewhat typical, fantasy. Also, I am kind of digging the duology trend! I love that I can be invested in seeing the conclusion of a story through without having to worry about it happening 28 books in the future!

Bottom Line: An entertaining fantasy, one I will likely pick up the sequel to, especially to see how Valeria fares.

I read this in one sitting. Very entertaining and fast paced fantasy. It chills you to the bones and makes you want to snuggle under the blanket by a warm fire. So, this is a perfect winter read. Fantasy lovers will love this magical read. This was one of my favorite endings and last sentences in a book. It was so good you want more but I think it was perfection and was so happy for it not to have a cliffhanger ending. I am excited to see where this duology takes me next. This is a teen book that was age appropriate and I will add this to my classroom library and recommendation list.

I really enjoyed this. It was a fun, quick read. It was definitely plot driven and I really captured my attention. I would have like a little bit more character building and a little more worldbuilding, but overall, I really did enjoy it and would recommend to anyone looking for a fun, quick read.

An atmospheric and imaginative debut fantasy.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. The strengths definitely lie in the worldbuilding, the intense stakes, and the atmospheric tone. These things combined truly bring the icy setting, impossible mission, and dangerous gods to life.

The characters were interesting and compelling, despite not always being likable. I didn’t dislike the relationship, though it wasn’t the highlight of the book to me. While I normally like enjoy the friends to lovers romance, this felt more like friends, to enemies, to lovers - and in balancing each aspect, it ended up being a little less compelling.

However, the ending was very strong and left me eager for the sequel!

3.75 stars - rounding up to 4!

A quick, fun read for fans of the Grishaverse, The Bright & the Pale quickly immerses you in the wintery land of Strana and into the heartache of Valeria, an thief running away from her past. In the land of Strana, Zladonians like Valeria are hunted and imprisoned for supposedly spreading a plague that is responsible for the nation's fall into poverty. Valeria just wants to feel safe, especially after the loss of her best friend during a thieving mission gone wrong. But when she is forcefully recruited into a mission to get lovite, the nation's key export, from her homeland, she finds out the truth about her past and her role in her country's future.

A semi-ensemble cast rounds out this story of self-discovery, and I would love to hear more about the backgrounds of the side players as well to help give some more depth to the character development. At times, the endless journeying during the book felt like it drug on unnecessarily, and the main character seemed to be slightly unaware of anything going on outside her own head; however, the imagery evoked by the prose helped me to overlook the internal monologue flaws, especially once the big reveals were out in the open. The relationship between Valeria and her love interest is sweet in a teenage/first-love sort of way, and will hopefully be delved into during the second book of the duology. The ending takes a slightly predictable but dark turn that makes you excited to see Valeria's journey through the end of the series!

This is the first book in a duology by Rubinkowsky. You get just a mix of a whole bunch of trope's here with Russian folklore, thievery, dead but alive best friend/love interest, lost family, horror, and an epic adventure (once you get halfway through the book).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read for a an honest review.

When she was seven years old, Valeria was inexplicably saved from the freeze that destroyed her village and killed her entire family. Now, at seventeen she is an accomplished thief and a member of the most powerful thieves guild in the country. Struggling to overcome her grief over the death of her best friend, Valeria agrees to do a job that immediately goes wrong. The fallout reveals that her best friend is still alive but being held captive prompting Valeria to agree to lead a band of misfits back to the very mountain and town where her own story began. With vivid prose and strong, unusual characters, author Jessica Rubinkowski opens her new duology with a bang and leaves her readers ready for the next installation.

wow! i loved this book. it was everything i needed. the atmosphere, characters, plot and everything was just amazing. i need the sequel like now!!

This is a must read for fantasy fans and those new to the genre! Fantasy isn’t my go-to genre, but I loved this book. Rubinkowski creates a stark yet beautiful world in which her protagonist Valeria struggles to survive after the loss of her family and, later, her found family, including her best friend/love of her life Alik. This first book in a duology charts her path back to her home and all of the dangers along the way, culminating in a thrilling ending that leaves the reader anxious for the next installment.

This was an interesting read! I enjoyed the foreign (to me) setting and the lore involved in the plot. The characters were intriguing, but I would have loved to feel like I knew them a little better. The imagery through the story was delightful and definitely helped me feel engaged. I did have a hard time staying interested at some parts of the story, but overall, I liked it.

*I received this book in exchange of an honest review.

This book snuck up on me! I will say that the first bit of it wasn't entirely what I was expecting. I did like reading in the perspective of Valeria. She is such a strong character that has such great instincts guiding her. It was interesting to read how she felt about the world around her and the people that were lost in her hometown of Ludminka.

In the first few chapters, I couldn't get a grasp on the storyline, It felt a bit like an info dump of trying to get all of the world building out there. However, that feeling quickly changed when I got further into the plot. The idea of a life changing and dangerous quest to a cold mountain where the people were frozen solid really kept me wanting to know more.

Each character brought their own storyline and doubt to what was going on. I felt like each little change in the direction really created a great addition to the mystery behind it. I will definitely be looking forward to the next book in this duology. It's such a great adventure that had me captivated.

This book was such a refreshing story! It's different, it has Russian lore, it's exciting, it's enjoyable. And the cover is beautiful!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the digitial ARC in exchange for my honest review!

An exciting new teen fantasy series by Rubinkowsky. Great world-building, character development, and plot pacing. I can't wait to read the sequel.

The Bright & The Pale
By. Jessica Rubinkowski
P. 368
Format: eArc
Rating: ***1/2
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I received an e-arc from @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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The Bright & the Pale is a young adult fantasy that encompasses the orphan journey troupe.

Valeria lost her entire family when she was young. She was the sole survivor of a free event that froze her entire town. She was taken in and raised by leader of a thieving band that adopted her as her own daughter. Then things change and Valerie has to go on a voyage back to her home town.

The story can be a little rocky. At the start I was confused by some plot twists. They cleared up by the end of the book. However, they could have been a bit smoother. There were some glaring typos, but I read an arc copy so these will hopefully all be gone by publication.

Even though I wish the story went a bit smoother and the plot was pretty predictable, I enjoyed reading the book. It really picked up in the last half when the characters became more distinct and developed and the world became more unique. I do plan on picking up the sequel to see what happens next.

By the end of this book, my expectations were exceeded, to say the least. I began this thinking I would be reading something branching off of Russian mythology/folklore, and that is what I got. As a big fan of mythology and retellings in general, I was super excited to read something that seemed to be a little bit different, and very unique. Despite the beginning being a little slow, once you surpassed the halfway point, you won’t want to put it down- I suggest a few blankets and a hot beverage, as much of this book contains a trek across icy mountains. The writing style was unique and extremely enjoyable, and the plot was completely unlike anything I have read before. I am usually pretty good at predicting where the plot will go, but there were many unseen twist and turns (literally!) in the adventures of our protagonist, Val, and her companions. This will appeal to fans of Leigh Bardugo- not because of the writing, but because I can see these characters eventually having a found family bond comparable to that of the Dregs. Everyone is hiding something, and readers are left wondering who to believe along with the main character. Fans of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas might enjoy this as well- we have a bond that is eventually somewhat similar to that of ToG’s protagonist and her love interest, and a group similar to the Assassin’s Guild. There is a bit of a romance, secrets galore, and so much of the unexpected that you’ll be up late into the night wanting to know what is in store for the cast of characters we don’t know if we can trust, or if we love. I am looking forward to the sequel, and I can’t wait to see what will become of Val and her group after the whirlwind events of the ending! My only reason for giving this a 4/5 is the fact that there are some inconsistencies plotwise, and a few unanswered questions that don’t seem to have a resolution any time soon. Also, while the characters were enjoyable to read about, I did not find myself completely attached to them. Val, while seeming strong and persevering at some points, would completely fold in on herself, and lash out at the people who only want to help her. Alik, her love interest and friend, also has odd personality switches, and both of their demeanors could change in a second. Despite this, I recommend this for people who want a bit of an escape, and some VERY COOL lore and plot to become invested in.

This book was a fast, thrilling ride. There was suspense, a dash of horror, loads of adventure, and a tidbit of romance. The world the story is set in is marvelous and well-developed. The detail in building up the landscape is well done and the reader feels a part of the journey through a vast wilderness followed by trapped inside deep, dark caverns. Being fast-paced, there does seem to be frequent change of direction in the relationships and the characters are not as deep or relatable as I wanted. However, the unexpected addition horror in the last third of the book makes the story that much more interesting and it held my attention till the end. I cannot believe there will be only two books!

Holy moly, this book was FANTASTIC! I chose it hoping for Russian folktale, wintry, awesome female protagonist vibes, and I was not disappointed. In fact, I was so pleasantly surprised at just how much I enjoyed this book!

I don't even know where to begin. I LOVED the writing style, the descriptions, the character development, the intrigue, the trekking, the heartbreak, the passions, the anger ... I don't think there was a single bad thing about this book. The build of the story was steady throughout, with no lagging sections for me, and nothing felt stretched or strained or unbelievable for the book. This book just FELT so perfect! The biting cold winds, the warmth of furs and fires, the desolation of barren steppes, the darkness of deep caves, the claustrophobia of uncharted cave exploration trying to escape, the lure of magical dreams, the burning mysterious pulse of a long healed scar, the horror of family frozen in time by mysterious frost, a guild of thieves, tyrannical czars, treachery and heartbreak. UGH, THIS BOOK HAS ALL OF THIS!!! The team's wandering through the mines and mountain of Knnot even gave me feelings of Khazad-dum from "Lord of the Rings."

If you adore some cold, Russian, hints-of-magic, folktale inspired vibes, this book will sit perfectly on your shelf with your "Winternight Trilogy" by Katherine Arden, "Vita Nostra" by Marina Dyachenko, "Deathless" by Catherynne M. Valente, "Moscow But Dreaming" by Ekaterina Sedia, and "Spinning Silver" by Naomi Novik.

I actually just yesterday finished Naomi Novik's "Spinning Silver," and "The Bright and the Pale" is what I hoped "Spinning Silver" would be. I loved this book so much and I cannot WAIT for the next in the Duology and literally anything else by Jessica Rubinkowski.

This book was definitely a mixed bag. There were some interesting moments but there was also too much that I didn’t like or just left me with questions.

From the beginning of the book I just felt like something was missing. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was but it just felt off and it could have been because the beginning almost seems like we are already in the middle of things and the plot has already begun in a sense. There isn’t a lot of time to form bonds with the characters before plot twists happen which then make me feeling nothing. This happened a lot for me.

It could also be because a lot of the characters were flat and even the main character, Valeria, had development issues as well. She is the strongest of the characters but I also never formed a connection to her. Her moods also changed rather quickly and sometimes it just felt like too much because she would quickly jump to conclusions.

When it came to the romance, there really isn’t anything to say about it. It was lackluster. Valeria would think about kissing him one minute and the next she couldn’t possibly understand where he is coming from when it comes to his thinking. She could never process that maybe she could be wrong about the argument they would always get into even though as the reader it was easy to tell. The love interest was flat and it made it hard to feel anything for him. Since this is a duology, I know there will be more between them in the next book but because I didn’t feel anything, even though the ending had a cliffhanger, I have no interest in continuing.

The world building was interesting and I think was the best part of the book. I did like reading about where Valeria came from and the curse. I do wish there would have been more about the Brother gods from the beginning but I’m sure they will have a much bigger part in the next book.

Overall, it was okay but just not enough to sway me to like it. I think some readers may like it if they like lighter fantasy.

The first book in a thrilling new duology, The Bright and the Pale follows Valeria, the sole survivor of a curse that froze her entire village and all of its occupants. Raised by the leader of a guild of thieves alongside her best friend Alik, Valeria is now a thief for the guild. However, when a heist goes wrong, Valeria is devastated to learn that Alik perished.

A year later, Valeria finds out that Alik is alive and needs rescuing. Valeria is overjoyed and knows that she will do whatever it takes to find him. However, to save him, Valeria is told that she must lead a group of people on a dangerous mission back to her home – a home she swore never to return to. Can Valeria survive this deadly journey and rescue her friend?

Valeria is a great protagonist. A victim of prejudice and loss, Valeria is a bit insecure and unsure at the start of the story. She loves her family and Alik, grieves them deeply, and will do anything for them. I admire her determination and grit, as well as her loyalty and fighting spirit. I also love how much she grows throughout the story from unsure to confident, even if she can be a bit stubborn and dramatic at times.

I also really liked the setting, which is particularly vivid and descriptive. Cold, haunting, and atmospheric, the imagery and detail immersed me in the story. Valeria’s journey is not easy, and the time in the cursed mountain is particularly scary. Valeria and her fellow travelers encounter things that they are not prepared for, which was scary and harrowing.

I did find the pacing a bit unevenly paced, and it took me a few chapters to become invested in the story. A lot of information at the start of the story is a little too much tell and not enough show and feels like an info dump. However, as the story progresses, the pacing evens out, and I could see why so much information was revealed so early on.

This is an action-packed story that jumps between thriller and horror. Filled with great twists and turns, dynamic characters, and an immersive setting, the book will appeal to readers of YA fantasy. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.