Polar nights Cast into darkness : an original tale Cast into darkness :

Gr 4--7--Calling all Frozen fans who want not only the snow, but a chill down their spines. This original story by Calonita, who penned a previous "Frozen Twisted Tale," follows Anna and Elsa after the events of the two movies. The sisters have been busy with their post--Frozen 2 lives: Anna as the new Queen of Arendelle and Elsa as the Snow Queen in the Enchanted Forest. They decide to make time for each other in their busy lives by getting together at a campfire. Over toasting marshmallows, Kristoff tells a spooky story of another pair of long-ago sisters, one of whom died at the hands of the other and has become a draugr--a terrifying creature from folklore, bringing bad weather while seeking revenge. After the story, Anna and Elsa return to their daily lives, but something is amiss. The weather has turned dark and stormy, and many Arendelle citizens seem to have grown forgetful, including Anna's beloved Kristoff! Could the draugr be real? Anna and Elsa must face the monster and solve the mysteries of the past in order to save the kingdom they love. Readers who like simple, familiarly plotted stories and loved the movies will gobble up this return to Arendelle, but younger readers should be warned that the ghost in this story can provide a few scares, as could the descriptions of decaying hands, ghastly red eyes, and bumps in the night. VERDICT A spooky, simple, nostalgic story for readers who loved Frozen; an additional purchase where there are plenty of "Twisted Tale" fans, particularly older ones.--Evelyn Khoo Schwartz

Arendelle's winter solstice celebration is threatened when a fearsome draugr is awakened in this return to the world of Disney's Frozen. Determined to get everything right, Queen Anna is stressed about planning Arendelle's Polar Nights festival, which will not only celebrate the winter solstice, but also her sister Elsa's birthday. On a camping trip meant to get her mind off things for a bit, she, her fiance, Kristoff; his reindeer, Sven; Elsa; and snowman Olaf tell scary stories around the campfire. Kristoff tells the story of sisters Sissel and Inger and how Sissel, neighboring Vesterland's future queen, was killed by Inger out of jealousy. It is told that Sissel became a draugr, a reanimated corpse that causes terrible storms when seeking revenge. Following the tale, a storm hits the campers, and when they return to Arendelle, Anna, Kristoff, and the townspeople's memories are starting to fade, jeopardizing the festival plans. Drawing on Norse mythology, the draugr is fairly scary, making this novel veer at times into fantastical horror, but this element is generally tempered quickly with levity. Written with fans of the movies in mind, little worldbuilding is done, with the focus instead on the beloved, charismatic characters and their repartee as well as the sisterly ties. All characters are presumed White. Movie fans will love this next adventure. (Fantasy. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.