In “Stitching Snow,” we are introduced to Essie – a feisty, young lady with a talent for piecing together electronics and a drive to survive. Along with her crew of 7 mining drones she’s doing her best, along with the rest of the inhabitants on the icy planet Thanda to keep out of the war occurring on Windsong. Sadly the beautiful planet Windsong has been plagued by the violence and corruption of King Matthias and his wife. King Matthias is desperately attempting to punish the captors of his beloved daughter, Princess Snow.
When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her Thandan home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid.
Using the familiar framework of the classic fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, author RC Lewis weaves an exciting new intergalactic adventure in the young adult title Stitching Snow. The story takes a more PG, perhaps even PG-13 edge as she dives deeper into the story possibilities – positing a father’s inappropriate regard for his daughter as the possible motivation for the queen’s jealous hatred of Snow and adds an element of political intrigue with the story of Snow’s parents union and the death of Snow’s mother.
I love the way RC Lewis explores the challenges Princess Snow faces having to step into the regal role after years’ away especially with her home planet in turmoil. The author’s choice to use Snow’s faded memories of her mother powerfully added to her journey while she struggled against doing what she knew needed to be done.
As a child of the 80’s when the term Princess evoked the image of Princess Leia aiding the Rebellion more than visions of bubble gum pink and sparkles, I appreciated the tenacity RC Lewis gives her heroine and the story’s focus on the responsibilities of royalty. I particularly enjoyed seeing if the heroine could open herself up to others after she had had to be so closed off for her own safety for so long.