# What is this YA fantasy novel with magical snow?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-ya-fantasy-novel-with-magical-snow/636183>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 28, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-ya-fantasy-novel-with-magical-snow/636183 "2012-09-28T20:40:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tarwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@Tarwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarwater)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-ya-fantasy-novel-with-magical-snow/636183/1 "2012-09-28T20:40:20Z")

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Inspired by [this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=667030)

More than a decade ago, and probably closer to two decades, I read a fantasy novel that had a young woman as the protagonist. At least, I _think_ it was a woman. I’m not entirely certain.

The _only_ thing I remember about the novel came near the end, when the heroine was climbing to the summit of a magical mountain. She came to a part of the slope that was covered with snow. It wasn’t only snow, though – it was a kind of magical, colored snow that blanketed the terrain in a patchwork rainbow. When the heroine tried to walk through the snow, she was assaulted… and… uh, here’s where my memory is even foggier. I think the snow transformed into another object entirely, or had a harmful effect, depending on its color. I want to say that orange and red snow was very hot, green snow was poisonous, and so on and whatever.

This has been driving me crazy for the past couple years. Does anybody know what novel I’m thinking of?

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**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-ya-fantasy-novel-with-magical-snow/636183/2 "2012-09-28T20:43:49Z")

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Sorry, not one I’ve read. I’ll work on it for you tho.

Insert mad librarian skills here.

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**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-ya-fantasy-novel-with-magical-snow/636183/3 "2012-09-29T00:16:37Z")

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It’s not possibly [The Farthest-Away Mountain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Farthest-Away_Mountain), is it?

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**Author:** ![Tarwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@Tarwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarwater)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-ya-fantasy-novel-with-magical-snow/636183/4 "2012-09-29T18:18:11Z")

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> [@jayjay](#):
>
> It’s not possibly [The Farthest-Away Mountain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Farthest-Away_Mountain), is it?

Thanks. That could very well be it. I’ll have to see if I can’t find a copy to confirm.

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**Author:** ![eclectic\_wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@eclectic\_wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eclectic_wench)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-ya-fantasy-novel-with-magical-snow/636183/5 "2012-09-29T22:36:32Z")

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Definitely The Farthest-Away Mountain. I’ve still got my childhood copy, reread it a few years back. It’s still a good book.