Published By: Macmillan Children’s Books
Pages: 352
Released On: 01/10/2026
Reading Age: 8-11
Illustrator: Elisa Paganelli
Eleven-year-old Annika may be heir to the ocean-ruled kingdom of Iffenwild, but she’d much rather be sailing with her traveling theatre troupe than learning how to be queen. But when her beloved uncle Max – the king – returns gravely injured from a secret mission to the Utter North, her world shifts in an instant.
Determined to find a long-lost cure, Annika journeys into the frozen North: a land of towering ice cliffs, frozen seas, and powerful ice magic. But the deeper she ventures, the clearer it becomes that something far darker is stirring. If Annika fails, it won’t just be her uncle’s life at stake – it will be the fate of the entire magical world.
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Books for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I love the Greenwild series so much and I was sad when the last book said it was the end of the trilogy. So I was super excited that Pari hasn’t left the world of Greenwild completely.
If you want to believe in magic again, read the Greenwild books – you won’t doubt the existence of magic anymore. And once again Elisa’s illustrations are beautiful and really add an extra layer to the story.
It’s been a while since I read the last Greenwild book and whilst I know this is set in the future of that trilogy, I was still a little worried I’d forget important aspects but I didn’t. You’re immediately drawn into this world, and even though it’s a new story, there’s still so much about it that was recognisable, like returning home.
The way she’s described the location gives it so much atmosphere. You’ll find yourself almost shivering with the cold like the characters – which after what seems like a never-ending heatwave was a nice change.
I like how she’s given two views on magic. In books, kids books especially, magic is often seen as fun and exciting. And it is. But it can also be harsh and dangerous and I like that Pari has balanced both.
I wondered if I’d miss the original characters because, whilst they are in this book, they’re more mentions, used to propel Annika’s story. But I didn’t. They’re great little flashbacks for those of us who have read the original trilogy, but the new characters are just as interesting to read about and follow on this journey.
There’s one thread that goes through the original series and now this one, and that’s the connection to nature and animals. It’s a beautiful thing and I think Pari does an exceptional job at depicting it.
There are some serious topics in it – I won’t spoil it – and whilst they’re done sensitively, at no point does it lose its foundation which is a fun, exciting, adventurous, fantasy story for young readers.
It’s one of those books where you say, “Just one more chapter“, and you keep saying that until you’re finished. It’s not a short book and would probably be considered quite a long one for the reading age, but it’s so addictive that it flies by.
I wonder if this is the start of a new series or just a one-off visit, but I’m really hoping it’ll be a new series because it’s just epic.
Books By Your Bedside 