The Way Past Winter

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Pub Date 06 Oct 2020 | Archive Date 01 Nov 2020

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Description

Mila, her sisters, and her brother Oskar live in a small forest cabin, surviving in a world gripped by frost and snow. When mysterious, fur-coated men show up on her doorstep, Mila and her family grant them shelter for the night. But in the morning, the men are gone—and they’ve taken Oskar with them. Determined to save her brother, Mila and her sisters set out on a mission to rescue him. But challenges await them at every turn: wolves with the speed of demons, tempestuous gold, an untrustworthy mage—and always the relentless, stinging freeze of winter.

In this riveting adventure, award-winning and internationally acclaimed author Kiran Millwood Hargrave unleashes magic, an eternal winter, and one girl’s unbreakable determination to reunite her family. Inspired by European folklore, this is a classic adventure story in the vein of Phillip Pullman, Anne Ursu, and Kelly Barnhill that evokes the best of the middle grade fantasy genre.

Mila, her sisters, and her brother Oskar live in a small forest cabin, surviving in a world gripped by frost and snow. When mysterious, fur-coated men show up on her doorstep, Mila and her family...


Advance Praise

“I loved curling up on a snowy night with The Way Past Winter!  Kiran captures all the magic of a classic fairy tale; this story of strong sisters, a shapeshifting bear, eternal winter, parents' mistakes, and stolen children is captivating and impossible to put down. For anyone who loves brave heroines and the timeless feel of stories like Breadcrumbs, Snow and Rose, or The Jumbies!” —Tui T. Sutherland, bestselling author of the Wings of Fire series

“At once an epic adventure and an intimate tale about family. More than just a gripping story, it presents a timely and powerful allegory for how humanity and nature are inextricably linked. A truly beautiful book.” —Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of The School for Good and Evil

  “An ode to the frozen north, to sibling love, and to the lure of adventure.” —The Guardian 


“I loved curling up on a snowy night with The Way Past Winter! Kiran captures all the magic of a classic fairy tale; this story of strong sisters, a shapeshifting bear, eternal winter, parents'...


Available Editions

EDITION Hardcover
ISBN 9781452181554
PRICE $17.99 (USD)

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (PDF)

Average rating from 14 members


Featured Reviews

This is a beautifully written fairy tale. I loved that the hero of the story was a strong, capable girl who overcame her fears and doubts to do what it took to save her brother and keep her family together.

The plot was wonderful, and the characters developed in such a way that made them alive and created a connection between them and the reader. I cared what happened in the story and I cared about the characters themselves.

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A BIG Thank You to Netgalley and Chronicle Books for providing me an advanced reader’s copy of “The Way Past Winter” for my review.

What a beautiful story! It is one of those books that makes you appreciate nature. Living in a commercial world, at times we fail to see realize that even Mother Nature has a life which we take for granted and misuse. The author has beautifully highlighted how important it is for us to maintain the balance and give back to nature.

Mila is a wonderful protagonist who is willing to go till the end to save her family. Pipa is adorable as the feisty sidekick sister. I really liked how she stood up to Mila and protected her even if Mila protested. She also made the book lighthearted with her humor. Also, Rune was great as the mysterious character who helps them in their journey. The author really has a beautiful tone in her writing. The story is magical, beautiful, scary, adventurous, humorous, and though provoking. You never know what to expect or who the villain could be as the main villain possesses others to do his work.

My only criticism to the story is if knew the history of some character. I really liked Rune in this book but felt that he was still a mystery in some ways. Same for Mila’s father. The father seems like an interesting character, and I was hoping to read more about him and his scenes when the bear attacked him. For some reason, the story felt a bit incomplete because I felt like I really didn’t know the characters to really understand them.

But apart from that, I really enjoyed this tale. If you like to read a good fantasy, adventure middle grade novel, you will enjoy reading this book.

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The Way Past Winter is a middle grade wintery fantasy tale that is super warm and inviting. It starts off as three sisters looking for their brother Oskar who believes he has been kidnapped. With a help of a mage, they have an adventure going North to save him. I enjoyed the book from the beginning to the end.

Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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This story has the feel of a classic adventure tale, centered around a group of siblings, against a backdrop of never-ending winter. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and made me feel warm and fuzzy, despite the icy setting.

Mila and her siblings have been on their own for several years, and they don't always get along, but when her brother Oskar disappears with the strange men who show up at their door, she knows he didn't leave willingly. Mila and her sisters, along with a strange boy mage, then go on a journey to find Oskar and bring him home. Strong familial relationships (especially between siblings) in books are like catnip to me; I can't get enough of them, and this book does it well.

The setting of the story is very vague. The fantasy elements are based on Northern European folklore, but it wasn't completely clear on whether the story was set in Northern Europe, or just inspired by it. I was leaning more towards the former, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter.

Overall, this is a cozy, polar fantasy perfect for reading while curled up under a blanket with a mug of your favorite hot beverage.

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The Way Past Winter is a literary fairy tale filled with vibrant description, interesting characters, and a sense of magic and wonder. I highly recommend this as a read aloud book, as it could lead to a lot of interesting conversations as you read.

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While it appears this middle grade fantasy novel was originally published back in 2018, I had not heard of it until receiving a NetGalley copy. I enjoy the newer cover and the more childlike opening chapter illustrations, as they make it feel like the story is for a younger audience.

I often find that middle grade fantasy seems like a difficult genre to write. Sometimes, the subject matter comes off as being too adult. But I felt The Way Past Winter did a perfect job of providing enough magic and adventure while still being appropriate for younger grade levels. It was an intriguing story from beginning to end-a missing father, and endless winter, a vanished brother, and the three sisters that set out to find him. I thought it was very well written and know that quite a few of my students would enjoy it as well.

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A moody, snow-bound fairy tale featuring three sisters in pursuit of their brother who has been ensorceled by a vengeful bear spirit. I was strongly reminded of a number of Russian-inspired fairy tale offerings that have been cropping up in the fantasy genre, although this story is far more appropriate to middle grade readers than others both of that ilk and Hargrave's own body of work. I hope she does more middle grade focused works, as she has a talent for it.

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Atmospheric is a word that will be used often to describe THE WAY PAST WINTER by Kiran Millwood Hargrave and it could not be more accurate. This story is a treasure -a snowy fairy tale adventure- with Hargrave as our magical storytelling guide. I'm looking forward to reading her back list and everything else she writes going forward.

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I thought this was a beautiful story for adults and children. It would be a perfect read aloud for the winter season!

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A solid middle grade fantasy set in a mythical Scandinavia world. I liked that although the environmental message is strong, it doesn't overwhelm the story. The plot itself feels familiar: children on a quest to find their missing parents, accompanied by a magical character, who ultimately must overcome evil on their own. This will appeal to fans of Grace Lin's "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" or Kelly Regan Barnhill's "The Girl Who Drank the Moon".

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The Way Past Winter by Kiran Millwood Hargrave is absolutely enchanting. This book is a beautiful work of art.

Mila and her siblings go on a journey of a lifetime to save their brother Oskar from the clutches of The Bear.
Filled with adventure, courage, magic, and hope, Mila and her siblings prove that with each other, anything is possible.

Thanks to NetGalley, Chicken House Ltd, and Kiran Millwood Hargrave for an ARC in return for an honest review.

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I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This is a great middle-grade winter read with a fairy tale feel.

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Set in a land plagued by a years long winter and rooted in folklore, this is a tale about sibling relationships with a backdrop of magic. It's a sweet story with well drawn characters who you want to follow across frozen lands and dangerous adventures.

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