The Ice Whisperers

Bela has grown up under the care of her Great Aunt Olga in Poland, but has always felt that she doesn’t belong there and that there is more to her family history than she has been told. On learning of her mother’s death, Bela is sent to live with her uncle in deepest Siberia, where she soon discovers that there is even more mystery surrounding her parentage and that all is not as it seems.

With help from within the household, Bela bravely takes steps to find out more about her history and finds herself transported to a magical fantasy spirit-world, where she meets her half-sister Ren-ya, born 40,000 years before her!

Despite initial mistrust on both sides, Bela and Ren-ya will need to join forces to save the existence of their people and the spirit world they are in, with help from the spirit creatures they encounter along the way.

There are strong themes of family and identity running throughout the book, as the two girls gradually grow to understand each other and learn what is important to them.  Young readers will enjoy the fast-paced adventure and thrill of the fantasy world, with plenty of suspense and a good sprinkling of unexpected twists to the tale.

There were also more darker moments than I was expecting, but these are in keeping with the ‘Ice Age’ element of the world they are in and how inhabitants of this would have had to survive. I enjoyed the inclusion of the prehistoric animals, alongside the collection of fantastical spirit creatures, plus the mix of historical fact and fantasy throughout this new world.  Author Helenka Stachera uses beautifully descriptive language throughout to fully immerse the reader in her frozen world, with simple but effective illustrations from Marco Guadalupi.