A Borrowed Heart

The story takes place in a fictional world where realities of the 18th–19th centuries coexist with magic and steampunk-style technologies. The plot is a free continuation of the fairy tale “The Snow Queen.” Kai and Gerda—now a boy and a girl—try not to remember the time when Kai was held captive by the Ice Witch, and when Gerda found him and saved him. They travel to visit friends—a prince and a princess—in order to celebrate their engagement together. But unexpectedly, the ice statues in the park of the royal residence come to life. There is no doubt— the Witch has returned. Her servants, icy warriors, wound the prince and the princess, and the four friends turn to Agnes, the former Little Robber, who learned witchcraft and became a wise woman. The prince and princess are saved, but dangerous adventures are only just beginning. The servants of the Ice Witch pursue the friends until their mistress herself appears in order to kidnap again… but this time not Kai, but Gerda! Now it’s Kai’s turn to embark on a long, difficult, and winding journey to find and save his fiancée. To reach his goal, Kai must not only fight ice monsters, but also unravel the Witch’s secret—learn the history of her love and hatred for the mysterious Ice King. While saving Gerda, Kai doesn’t even imagine what kind of turbulent whirlwind of events he will face—because among those he considers his friends and trusts without limits, there is also a traitor. The novel’s ending is open. It seems everything ended well, and the lovers are together again. But evil has not yet been defeated—so there can be no doubt it will return…