The Prince of Nowhere by Rochelle Hassan

What worked:

The Mist creates a dangerous and mysterious air to the opening pages. The frigid, frosty barrier surrounds the cities, protecting them from deadly monsters in the wild, but it hinders communication and isolates them from their neighbors. This icy boundary also makes Rona dream about leaving her city to explore other lands, hoping to experience the same adventures as her aunt. Her wishes come true, but they are initiated when she must find a way to help her poisoned mother. Unexpected twists upon entering the mist escalate her problems, and the whole story brings up issues of time travel.

Rona receives letters from Anonymous foretelling future events, but they create uncertainty and questions about what’s actually going on. Her adventure becomes a quest to discover the identity of the unknown person and find a way to save her mother. She’s accompanied by a boy named Ignis who’s able to transform into a crow. He’s not totally honest with Rona and his behavior is unpredictable, so he presents another mystery to be solved.

The plot evolves into the topic of time travel, and it’s interesting to see how authors handle to various paradoxes it might present. What happens if someone goes back in time and causes the death of a parent? How could the person go back in time if they were never born? If someone has the power to change past or future events, should they? What are the ripple effects of changing history? Changing happenings that have already occurred might cause unexpected consequences that are worse than the true accounts. Time travel questions become the focus of the conflict.

What didn’t work as well:

The journey into the mist sometimes gets confusing and hard to follow. That can happen when traveling through an imaginary world, but it’s easily tolerated in this book. The important thing to remember is what’s happening in the moment while how the characters get there is not. Don’t overthink how things are happening and simply enjoy what you’re reading.

The Final Verdict:

Changing the future with friendship. The Mist makes this adventure of time travel and friendship feel different, and Rona’s kind heart gives her the power to face the magic and overwhelming odds working against her. I recommend you give this entertaining book a shot.