Ice Queen

From the bestselling author of Practical Magic — a miraculous, enthralling tale of a woman who is struck by lightning, and finds her frozen heart is suddenly burning.

Be careful what you wish for. A small town librarian lives a quiet life without much excitement. One day, she mutters an idle wish and, while standing in her house, is struck by lightning. But instead of ending her life, this cataclysmic event sparks it into a new beginning.

She goes in search of Lazarus Jones, a fellow survivor who was struck dead, then simply got up and walked away. Perhaps this stranger who has seen death face to face can teach her to live without fear. When she finds him, he is her opposite, a burning man whose breath can boil water and whose touch scorches. As an obsessive love affair begins between them, both are forced to hide their most dangerous secrets — what turned one to ice and the other to fire.

A magical story of passion, loss, and renewal, The Ice Queen is Alice Hoffman at her electrifying best.

"The veteran, bestselling author takes risks — most of which pay off — in her dark tale of a woman literally struck by lightning....Far from perfect, but Hoffman's more adventurous fans will appreciate this interesting effort." Kirkus Reviews

"As Hoffman's spellbinding and wonderfully insightful tale unfurls, she pays charming tribute to librarians, revels in metaphors of hot and cold, and poetically explores the meaning of trust, the chemistry of healing, and the reach of love." Booklist

"[H]ypnotic....Less-skilled hands would have left readers awash in sticky metaphors of heat and ice. Have no such fear with the formidable Hoffman. Highly recommended." Library Journal

"[Hoffman's] best novel since Practical Magic....Within The Ice Queen...she defines the difference between lightning and magic: 'Magic makes sense. Lightning does not.' At the same time, she explores the consequences of both with luminous clarity. It is a stunning feat." Chicago Sun-Times

"A poetic and moving tale...The Ice Queen is one of Hoffman's finest novels....It is proof that the work of talented New England fabulists like Washington Irving continues, unabated, into the 21st century." Denver Post

"Hoffman comes close to writing these characters more as fairy tale symbols than as living, breathing people....Despite its flaws, The Ice Queen is an admirable addition to the unique genre of adult fairy tales." Rocky Mountain News

"Alice Hoffman's new Gothic romance is supposed to be a modern fairy tale but, brother, the results are grim. The story heads off into the dark woods of magical realism with a basketful of guilt and despair, but it quickly falls down a well of contrivances." Washington Post

"Hoffman leads with her weaknesses in her new novel...but her strengths ultimately battle them to a TKO....Hoffman is still dauntlessly following her muse's bread crumb trail into the heart's dark forest." Los Angeles Times

"[T]he whole book seems contrived....This is really a feel-good book masquerading as a dark and bitter story, Andersen dressed up as Grimm." BookReporter.com

Be careful what you wish for. A small town librarian lives a quiet life without much excitement. One day, she mutters and idle wish and, while standing in her house, is struck by lightning. But instead of ending her life, this cataclysmic event sparks it into a new beginning. She goes in search of Lazarus Jones, a fellow survivor who was struck dead, then simply got up and walked away. Perhaps this stranger who has seen death face to face can teach her to live without fear. When she finds himhe is opposite, a burning man whose breath can boil water and whose touch scorches.

From the bestselling author of Here on Earth, a miraculous, enthralling tale of a woman who is struck by lightning, and finds her frozen heart is suddenly burning.
Be careful what you wish for. A woman who was touched by tragedy as a child now lives a quiet life, keeping other people at a cool distance. She even believes she wants it that way. Then one day she utters an idle wish and, while standing in her house, is struck by lightning. But instead of ending her life, this cataclysmic event sparks a strange and powerful new beginning.
She goes in search of Lazarus Jones, a fellow survivor who was struck dead, then simply got up and walked away. Perhaps this stranger who has seen death face to face can teach her to live without fear. When she finds him, he is her perfect opposite, a burning man whose breath can boil water and whose touch scorches. As an obsessive love affair begins between them, both hide their most dangerous secrets--what happened in the past that turned one to ice and the other to fire.
A magical story of passion, loss, and renewal, The Ice Queen is Alice Hoffman at her electrifying best.

A small town librarian lives a quiet life without much excitement. One day, she mutters an idle wish and, while standing in her house, is struck by lightning. But instead of ending her life, this cataclysmic event sparks it into a new beginning.

From the bestselling author of Practical Magic comes a miraculous, enthralling tale of a woman who is struck by lightning, and finds her frozen heart is suddenly burning. A magical story of passion, loss, and renewal, this work is Hoffman at her best.

Alice Hoffman is the bestselling author of 17 acclaimed novels, including Practical Magic, Here on Earth, The River King, Blue Diary, Illumination Night, Turtle Moon, Seventh Heaven, and At Risk. She lives outside Boston.