Grace and the Ice Prince

Deborah Dowson is a Canadian children’s librarian living in Harvard,
Massachusetts.

There is trouble in the Ice World as the Evil Ice Witch places a dark
cloud of destruction over the castle that her sister, the Good Witch
Amity, must abate with a veil of protection. The veil is only a
temporary measure, so the King calls on a human child named Grace to
come to the kingdom as its Guardian. Grace does not come willingly, but
when her world is threatened she has no choice. Once in the magical
realm, she is told to follow the quest for the Diamond Heart. The
Princess Fallon, also on a quest to return to the castle, enlists the
aid of a dragon who is also seeking the Diamond Heart. When they arrive
at the castle, Fallon and the Dragon succumb to the evil witch’s
forces. But Grace prevails and the witch is vanquished, ensuring the
kingdom’s return to peace and Grace’s return home.

This is a story for lovers of fantasy who also enjoy long, detailed
description and a very slow unravelling of the plot. In fact, a couple
of times characters in the story grow impatient with the telling of a
tale, and this reader related well to that feeling. The plot is so
complicated, it is somewhat frustrating to try to make sense of it until
close to the end. Rather than suspense and adventure, Grace and the Ice
Prince is a story of discomfort and confusion for the characters as well
as the reader. Not a first-choice purchase.