There are memorable characters [in "The Snow Queen"] and a complex, suspensefully orchestrated plot that builds with steady inevitability from a slow start to a symphonic finale. A few may be put off by Vinge's unabashedly romantic approach—which does lead to scattered spots of overwriting—but many more will be captivated. That, plus an expert use of familiar SF concepts, could take the book past its certain popularity with the genre audience to success in the larger market beyond…. "The Snow Queen" is a triumph for a fine writer who is still growing and will someday surpass her achievement here.

A review of "The Snow Queen," in Publishers Weekly, Vol. 217, No. 5, February 8, 1980, p. 69.