The Bright & the Pale

Written by Jessica Rubinkowski

Narrated by Carlotta Brentan

Debut author Jessica Rubinkowski delivers the thrilling first book in an epic Russian folklore–inspired fantasy duology filled with page-turning romance, tragedy, magic, and monsters. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sara Raasch!

Seventeen-year-old Valeria is one of the only survivors of the freeze, a dark magical hold Knnot Mountain unleashed on her village. Everyone, including her family, is trapped in an unbreakable sheet of ice. Ever since, she’s been on the run from the czar, who has set out to imprison anyone who managed to escape. Valeria finds refuge with the Thieves Guild, doing odd jobs with her best friend, Alik, the only piece of home she has left. That is, until he is brutally murdered.

A year later, she discovers Alik is alive and being held captive. To buy his freedom, she must lead a group of cutthroats and thieves on a perilous expedition to the very mountain that claimed her family. Only something sinister slumbers in the heart of Knnot. And it has waited years for release.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Mar 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063064355

Jessica Rubinkowski

Jessica Rubinkowski grew up on a farm in Illinois and now lives in Central Illinois with her family. The Bright & the Pale is her debut novel.

Reviews for The Bright & the Pale

[Sarah Louise · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Started off slow but got better as the book went on. There was a bit of a dip in the middle when things slowed down and the group reached the mountain. But the pace suddenly picked up and the ending was really good. I'm definitely excited to see where the story will go in the next book and what will happen to the characters.

[sennebec · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fifty pages in, I ordered the sequel, knowing I was reading a winner and didn't want to wait long to find out what would come next. This has a solid plot, well built world, good magical structure, friendship that may be more, Gods of the trickster variety and plenty of deceit/deception. What more could one ask for?

[krau0098 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Series Info/Source: This is the 1st book in The Bright & Pale duology. I got a copy of this through Edelweiss to review. Story (5/5): This was an absolutely fantastic adventure fantasy. I have been loving reading adventure fantasies right now since I can’t have many adventures of my own! I loved the idea of a magical freeze, dueling god champions, and adventurous exploration through the bowels of a mountain. The story was intense and engaging and I couldn’t put it down.Characters (5/5): I really loved the characters here. Valeria is tough (and a bit broken) because of the loss of her family, but she is a survivor. Watching her try to make the best of her harsh life and living through the realization that her best friend isn’t dead was completely engrossing. Her best friend Alik offsets her traits nicely and is an intriguing character all on his own. The whole adventuring party is full of characters with a lot of depth that are engaging and interesting to read about.Setting (5/5): This starts out as a typical fantasy world with some interesting magical aspects. Then we journey into the heart of Knnot Mountain and enter an amazing setting. I absolutely love this cave delving setting and really enjoyed the adventure our characters had here. The world building is well done too, but it was the underground adventure setting that really made me love this story.Writing Style (5/5): This story is incredibly well written and very easy to read. The writing is fast-paced and flows effortlessly. Heart-stopping adventure is balanced well with complex characters and a broader story involving intrigue and thievery. It looks like this is Rubinkowski’s debut novel, and what a fantastic debut it is. I have been spoiled with some excellent adventure fantasies this year and this was another excellent one. My Summary (5/5): Overall I absolutely loved this fantasy adventure story. I enjoyed the fast-pace, the adventure, the intriguing world and setting, and the complex characters. I am eager to see where this story goes and excited to see what Rubinkowski writes in the future! I would highly recommend this to fans of fantasy adventure.