A new 'Frozen' novel takes readers inside the love story of Anna and Elsa's parents. Read the exclusive excerpt.
- Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Frozen" and "Frozen 2."
- In the original "Frozen" film, Anna and Elsa are orphaned when their parents' ship capsizes in a storm.
- In "Frozen 2" it's revealed that they were sailing on the Dark Sea to uncover the source of Elsa's powers.
- "Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets: The Story of Iduna and Agnarr," a prequel young-adult novel from author Mari Mancusi, tells the love story of Anna and Elsa's parents.
- Readers are taken back to King Agnarr and Queen Iduna's teen years in Arendelle before Anna and Elsa were born.
- Insider has an exclusive first look at the book's cover and an excerpt from the opening chapter.
Author Mari Mancusi's new young-adult novel, "Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets: The Story of Iduna and Agnarr," gives readers a new perspective on the Disney story, this time through the eyes of Anna and Elsa's parents.
Save for their ill-fated sea voyage, very little is divulged about Elsa and Anna's parents, King Agnarr and Queen Iduna of Arendelle, in the original "Frozen" film.
The 2019 sequel, "Frozen 2," uncovers more about how the couple met and the reason for their journey, but Mancusi's novel from Disney Press reveals that this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Iduna's secret is revealed to Elsa in 'Frozen 2,' but Agnarr grew up never knowing who saved him from the Enchanted Forest
In the opening scene of "Frozen 2," King Agnarr tells young Anna and Elsa a story about his father, King Runeard, and the dam he built for the Northuldra people who lived in a nearby Enchanted Forest. He says the dam was meant to bring the two groups closer together, but the Northuldrans launched a surprise attack on the Arendellians, killing King Runeard and knocking Agnarr unconscious.
An unseen hero saved Agnarr before he could be trapped in the forest with the Northuldran and Arendellian fighters who were stranded there by magical spirits. He left the Enchanted Forest believing the spirits who saved him were loyal to his father's mission.
It isn't until later in the film, when the sisters travel to the Enchanted Forest, that they learn the truth. Disapproving of their connection with the magical spirits, King Runeard's "gift" was actually part of his plan to weaken Northuldra's resources and he initiated the fighting.
They also discover that their mother was a native of Northuldra and, with the help of the elemental spirit of Air, was the one who saved Agnarr. After saving the soon-to-be king's life, Iduna accompanied him on the trip back to Arendelle. The two grew up together, fell in love, and eventually married.
Whether for fear of being judged and cast out, or to protect Agnarr's memory of his father, Iduna never divulged the truth of her heritage or how she came to live in Arendelle.
Iduna and Agnarr's wrecked ship gives Anna and Elsa a clue to the real reason for their voyage
Anna and Elsa grow up believing their parents died on a two-week excursion to the Southern Sea. In the sequel film, the sisters find their parents' washed-up ship and a map that exposed the true reason for their journey. The king and queen were headed north — not south — to a mystical glacier on the Dark Sea that their mother had sung about when they were children.
Ahtohallan, Iduna and Agnarr's intended destination, is revealed as the source of the magical spirits in the Enchanted Forest and Elsa's icy powers. In an attempt to understand their daughter's powers, Iduna and Agnarr set out to reach Ahtohallan, but die trying.
In 'Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets: The Story of Iduna and Agnarr,' Iduna finally tells Agnarr who she really is
Mancusi's new novel expands on the "Frozen" universe by telling the backstory of Anna and Elsa's parents, who weren't much more than a plot point in the original film.
While at sea, Iduna finally decides it's time to tell Agnarr the truth, and that is where this new "Frozen" story begins.
Read an exclusive excerpt from Mari Mancusi's 'Dangerous Secrets: The Story of Iduna and Agnarr' below
You can find out more about Mari Mancusi's work on her website, and her recently released novel, "Dragon Ops," on Amazon. "Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets: The Story of Iduna and Agnarr," will be available November 3, 2020, on Amazon.
To watch "Frozen" and "Frozen 2," you'll need a subscription to Disney Plus. You can sign up here for $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year. (When you subscribe to a service through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners.)