The House of Frost and Feathers by Lauren Wiesebron

Book Review

David Green

Deliciously dark, bold, and vivid, The House of Frost and Feathers is an imaginative tale of hope, fear, obsession, and found family; filled with stunning imagery and beautiful prose.

Marisha seeks to escape a life of misery and find her independence. But the infamous and feared sleeping plague is looming and there’s no cure in sight. Finding work as an apprentice to Baba Zima’s spiky understudy, Olena, Marisha is drawn into a world of magic and mystery. Can a cure for the sleeping plague be found before it’s too late? And why are dreams of masked balls and questions over Marisha’s family hounding her?

Delving into Slavic folklore and mythology, Wiesebron spins a moreish narrative that is hard to put down. While the folklore elements are alluringly otherworldly, she wisely grounds the story with themes that anyone reading will be familiar with. Marisha’s story is one of identity and found family. Where does she belong? Where is her place in the world? Such deep-rooted questions help elevate the magical world Marisha finds herself in.

The central mystery is a good one and adds to the need for “one more chapter before bed.” But there isn’t a break-neck pace. The House of Frost and Feathers is expertly measured; Wiesebron allows the reader to discover Marisha’s new world as she does and gives us a sense of time and place that’s appreciated.

Evoking, and compared to in its description, Howl’s Moving Castle. The House of Frost and Feathers brought to mind another cosy masterpiece – Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono. A common thread in all of these books, and in cosy fiction in general, is the journey to find a place where one belongs, and The House of Frost and Feathers explores this in a grounded and rich way. The reader emphasises with Marisha’s general feelings of alienation from the surrounding world because Wiesebron paints the character so well. We aren’t told Marisha feels like a pariah in society, or that she is very much the outsider. We’re shown it through the way Marisha talks to others and her actions. She is a character you can’t help but root for, and even with surprising twists in the story and the larger plot looming and demanding your attention, the reader’s focus is always pulled back to Marisha’s hopes and dreams.

The House of Frost and Feathers is out in January, and is a perfect winter read. Mixing the familiar with something strikingly new, Lauren Wiesebron is a voice to watch out for, and The House of Frost and Feathers is a book to be devoured as soon as you can get your hands on it.