The Bright & the Pale is the first part of a fantasy duology by debut author Jessica Rubinkowski. It was slated for release this year, but with everything going on in The Year Of Our Lord Two Thousand and Twenty, the publication date was moved back to March 2nd, 2021. When I requested a review copy of The Bright and the Pale from NetGalley, I was not aware that it was part of a duology. In fact, I didn’t find that out until I was over halfway through the book. This saddens me, because THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING AND I NEED MORE NOW!!!

Valeria was orphaned at a young age, when some kind of magic encased every living person in the remote, mountain village of Ludminka in a cocoon of ice—everyone, that is, except her. Now, at seventeen, she is a member of the Thieves Guild, and she finds herself roped into a mission that will take her back to the very place she hoped never to return—to Ludminka. More specifically, to the mines deep inside the mountain that towered above the village, where stores of a precious metal called Lovite have been inaccessible for a decade, due to the freeze and a plague that followed it.

Her journey home is fraught with turmoil, especially because Valeria isn’t sure of her fellow thieves’ motivations in joining this particularly dangerous, if not deadly, quest. When they finally reach the mountain, they find more within than any of them, even Valeria, bargained for.

So, uh, yeah. I’m sorry that the above summary is so vague, but I really wanted to avoid spoilers, and some spoiler-tag-worthy things happen quite early in the story.

Onto the writing itself: At first I thought the book started off rather slowly, and even info-dumpy. However, as I read on, it turned out that all the ‘backstory’ that I thought could have been cut from the first couple of chapters truly was necessary for world-building, plot, and character development reasons. I do have to say, though, there is a Tolkien-esque amount of traveling which felt tedious at times. Luckily it wasn’t just straight-up traveling, and Rubinkowski included some exciting stuff mixed in. So basically, the writing was fine. Good. Great, even. The fact that I can only nit-pick little things that I thought were a tad annoying means that I found it very well-written, and I’m just being petty. >_<

Valeria is a very likable character, but there are also points in the book where I want to take her by the shoulders, shake her, and shout at her “(REDACTED DUE TO SPOILERS)!!!” She is stubborn and refuses to make herself vulnerable with anyone, due to fear of loss, (as well as the fact that she is from Zladonia, which technically makes her a political fugitive but I don’t have time to get into that here). But GIRL. You need to learn to trust. That’s all I’m going to say on that subject, because again...spoilers.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a fantastic debut novel, and I am looking forward to getting my hands on the second book in the duology.

This reads like debut-the pacing is off, as is the characterization. It lacks nuance in the characters. A lot of things happen and there are a lot of supposed reasons why those things are happening, but instead of making the reader intuitively understand something, the author has to spell it out for you. The main character doesn't make a ton of sense. One minute she is annoyed with Alik, the next desperately in love, the next angry at a supposed betrayal it was hard to keep up with. I didn't really understand a lot of the reasons that characters were doing things even those reasons were explicitly stated by Valeria as narration.

The set up for the book was pretty strong. I was intrigued by the world and by the supposed curse that Valeria and her "kind" had brought upon the world. The meat of the book consists of a journey to get to a cursed mountain and then some time spent in said cursed mountain. The beasties in the mountain and the whole expedition reminded me weirdly of the British horror movie "The Descent" which is strange because the monsters aren't related to that at all. The shame of it was, I wished I was watching that movie instead of reading this book. There is an ending, but it is a duology. I have no need to read the second book.

I think teens might enjoy this. It isn't particularly deep or well down, but there is enough of a story that some might enjoy it-- especially fantasy enthusiasts who just enjoy a book with world-building. There is a good bit of lore about Gods and whatnot. I didn't care for it, but I can see that some would.

Great for fans of Russian folklore. Highly entertaining adventure with unique and interesting characters.

This is a strong debut from Rubinkowski and the sequel will be even stronger.

Valeria is a sympathetic character whose last years as an orphan have turned her into a vigilante thief. Mourning the loss of her best friend, Alik, she clings to what family she has left- the Guild and Luiza.

While I enjoyed the story, the pacing seemed a bit slow at all times and the elements of the plot that lead our character to her greatest discovery tend to get murky. I would liken this to a more tame Bear and Nightingale vibe. The first few chapters drag providing the needed background, but once the quest for lovanite begins, I grew invested. I think that once you diver deeper into the Knnot you will enjoy it as well.

3.5/5 stars - To Be Released in March 2021.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

The Bright and the Pale spins a tale of a frozen village, a vicious czar, dueling gods, and a girl caught in the webs of all three. There is a ton of deception and you will never know who to fully trust until the end. This book had some moments - the biggest being the ending. Do I wish there were more creepy crawly-ness like there was in the second half? Absolutely. Do I think equating this to a Leigh Bardugo novel is pushing it? Yup. Don't go into this thinking it's going to be full of people like the Grisha. However, it is full of characters stepping up to overcome their past and it is full of subtle magic and mystery.

This book was really good and super interesting! I loved the plotline and I really connected with the main characters. I am so sad the book is over because I really enjoyed reading it.

Beautifully written, highly atmospheric debut novel.

I really enjoyed this genre bending novel. The Bright and the Pale is part fantasy, part horror, and part thriller. It ticked all the boxes for me. The winter ambiance of the book was pronounced, and it was perfect for curling up with a warm cup of tea and a pine scented candle.

The author leads us through many twists and turns throughout the book. Everything is fast paced and interesting. I had a really hard time putting it down and finished it in less than two days, which is really fast for me. Most books take me 4-5 days to finish.

The characters were dynamic and human. I connected to them, and though I cared about what happened to them, the author was great about making sure we were not happy with all of their decisions.

With everything going on in the world right now, I have had some trouble concentrating on reading and being able to relax. This book was able to suck me in and give me a much needed distraction and rest. Though it does not say it on goodreads, I believe that this is the first book in a series. I am looking forward to finding out what happens next, and reading other books from this new author.

Thank you netgalley for gifting me a copy of this magical book in exchange for an honest review.

<I>”Something is coming for us...”</I>

Wowowwow.

I’m not going to lie, I had my doubts! Don’t get me wrong, it starts off strong here but I’ve been in a major book funk so I almost quit. *gasps* how could I?!

There was a point where I sat down to read and I turned the page and it just got so so good. Jessica is a VERY talented writer. Beautifully poetic. I could literally feel the cold of the mountains and the ice.

So fast forward to the middle where we get to the GOOD good stuff, and OMG. I was legit scared, you guys. I hid under the covers for a minute... I even cried a little bit at the end. I had a major flip flop of emotions all throughout. Which is my favorite kind of read!

A group of characters goes deep into the mines of a cursed mountain. That’s all you need to know! So spooky and vivid, I felt like I was IN the mountain too. Now, go forth and read this beauty.. and grab a blanket, you’re gonna need it!

Jessica Rubinkowski has written an incredibly fun, fast paced YA fantasy perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo. I know many people will read the summary and sigh because it sounds a lot like Shadow and Bone (with a twinge of Six of Crows' heist stuff). BUT they should NOT pass over this one. I LOVED how descriptive and vivid the world was, how strong a character Valeria was and I loved her fight for life and friendship, family, and romance. I appreciated that while there was romance, there was nothing beyond kissing (a lot of YA fantasy these days has more graphic sexual scenes than I prefer to give to a tween!). And oh my gosh....that ending!!! I desperately need book two! (Dear Quill Tree and Jessica, why isn't it already in my hands!)

THE BRIGHT AND THE PALE is one of those books you should read on a blistery, cold night with a blanket and a cup of tea/coffee/hot chocolate. Even though that sounds cozy, it's only because this book is frigid. Literally there is so much ice!

I look forward to recommending this to library patrons who enjoyed Leigh Bardugo (Shadow & Bone), Katherine Arden (The Bear & the Nightingale), Joanna Ruth Meyer (Echo North), and Sara Raasch (Snow Like Ashes).

Thank you to NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for the advanced copy! A captivating debut with so many intricate details that formed together to complete this riveting novel. It was a fast-paced story that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, I CANNOT WAIT FOR BOOK TWO. I admired the blend of different genres (mystery, romance mythology) that weaved perfectly together. A solid read for a cold winter night with the beautiful atmospheric imagery. I recommend for all teen and tween fantasy readers!