Release: February 9th, 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Amazon
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, Kobo, IndieBound
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The Revenant meets True Grit with a magical twist in this thrilling and atmospheric debut fantasy about two teens who must brave a frozen wasteland and the foes within it to save their loved ones and uncover a deadly secret.
The answer to what freezes first is the eyes. That ain’t what most people would guess.
Everyone in Shadow Springs knows that no one survives crossing the Flats. But the threat of a frozen death has never deterred the steady stream of treasure hunters. They search for a legendary prize hidden somewhere in the vast expanse of ice. Jorie thinks they’re all fools, which makes scavenging their possessions easier. It’s how she and her sister, Brenna, survive.
Then Jorie scavenges off the wrong body. When the dead man’s enemy believes Jorie took something valuable from the body, he kidnaps Brenna as collateral. He tells Jorie that if she wants her sister back, she’ll have to trade her for the item she stole. But how can Jorie make a trade when she doesn’t even know what she’s looking for?
Her only source of information is Cody. He is the dead man’s nephew and a scholar from the South who’s never been hardened by the harsh conditions of the North. Though Jorie’s reluctant to bring a city boy out onto the Flats with her, she’ll do whatever it takes to save her sister. But anything can happen out on the ice. And soon, Jorie and Cody find they need one another more than they ever imagined. Now they’ll have to trust each other to survive threats beyond their darkest nightmares.
About the Author:
Dr. Ellie Cypher grew up in Northern California, graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz with a degree in neuroscience and behavior. She has lived and worked all over the world but currently calls the great state of Tennessee home. When not writing, she can be found spending her time caring for all manner of creatures great and small, dreaming about traveling, or wandering about the beautiful Smoky Mountains with her husband and eleven-year-old black Lab.
The Girl from Shadow Springs Review:
Firstly, I must say I loved the tone of the story. The story is intense and dark yet has gripping adventure moments of high adrenaline. It was like reading Indiana Jones meets Mad Max. The story is extreme right from the beginning when Jorie finds the frozen man, and the Rover kidnaps Brenna. I loved reading about how Jorie starts her mission to get Brenna back. The author adds something new in each chapter that makes you want to carry on reading.
Jorie is an intense character who is perfect for this kind of genre. She lets nothing get in the way of her mission and would go to any lengths to get Brenna back. Similarly, I enjoyed Cody as well, as he tries to move on from his Uncle’s loss. A few memorable moments in the book were when the beast attacked the Ox and them and saw the Tracers and the abductors take them. Jorie and Cody shared an excellent relationship and were the highlight of the story for me. I also loved Jorie’s relationship with Dev and wished we had seen him more. Bass was also memorable.
The author wonderfully paces the story, as Jorie and Cody face new challenges on their quest. I also loved the big climax in the end with the showdown between good and evil. Vela is a conniving character and was memorable as you didn’t know what she would do. I also appreciate the author for not including an unnecessary romance to digress the theme of the story.
Overall, “The Girl from Shadow Springs” is a nicely-written young adult fantasy filled with adventure, survival, and engaging characters.
