If I was to recommend a good action packed fantasy to someone then out of the many good books I would choose Stuart Hill’s Cry of the Icemark. It is a fast story for readers who love to pick up a book and make sure they stayed glued to their seats till the very last page.
I want to try not to go much into the story but I have to “pull a Sparknotes”, because if I don’t you won’t understand it, especially those who have not read it. The setting and characters are something similar to The Chronicles of Narnia. Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-hand Lindenshield, Wildcat of the North, Taker of the Hand of Bellorum is a fourteen year old heir to the throne of the Icemark.
After her father dies in Battle against the empire, Thirrin is named queen of Icemark and has to lead her country to safety for the winter. She knows that as spring approaches she must gather troops to fight off the empire and their commander Bellorum. Taking advantage of time, Thirrin and her royal adviser, Oskan witch’s son, set out to find allies in the North. Thirrin manages to make alliance with the deadly Vampiric Majesties but still not convinced she sets out to seek help from the snow leopards.
As she succeeds again Thirrin now has allies that surround the country. Vampires, Wolf-folk, Snow leopards are now ready to fight against the empire. As the bloody war takes place Thirrin and Oskan face many issues but the end is rewarding. Bellorum is defeated and Queen Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-hand Lindenshield, Wildcat of the North, Taker of the Hand of Bellorum settles to rule her country with Oskan the Warlock at her side.
The plot may make you want to go and buy the book right this moment, but it is not only the five hundred ten page story that makes it such a good read but it is more of how you perceive everything as the story progresses. For example I felt afraid for the characters when Thirrin and Oskan visited the Vampiric Majesties; the setting was described in a way that made you eerily aware of everything in the scene and how you get glimpses of what the characters are thinking set a such a great mood that you for once feel as you are there, as if you are part of the story.
You also feel great emotions during the war. However, the war is a smaller part of the book, only amounting to around one hundred of the total pages… but every page makes you feel as if you are fighting yourself, alongside the characters you have come to know.
Another thing about the war is how it is described with detail, somewhat like Lord of the Rings. If I recall correctly, in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, the war was not much of strong element, more like a backdrop for what was happening at that one moment. Cry of The Icemark does a superb job as on the war: as the solders march and chant “Blood, Blast and Fire!” you feel their speech. If an ordinary soldier dies you feel sorry for him and maybe even shed a tear or two.
As Thirrin fights mightily with her sword you can see her fight. You can feel her burden. You can understand how much she cares for her country. Understanding the characters in a book is very important in order to see the logic behind their actions. Cry of the Icemark has done a good job is showing how the characters feel so the reader can see things from their view.
Reading the above, the story may seem like it would make one of the best books written, but it has one thing that for impatient people like me have a problem dealing with: at times, as a reader, you begin to feel that the story has stopped or as if the main problem is being avoided.
For instance, as Thirrin and Oskan travel to form an alliance with the leopards their journey is, as it seems to me, unnecessarily long. During that time I wanted to find out whether the leopards would agree or not but the book was too busy telling me about the storm approaching and describing the setting.
The other details and plot points may have been important but I was impatiently waiting for what was to happen next. For at least twenty pages I waited until I had waited so long and lugged through so many pages that I just wanted to skip ahead but luckily I didn’t need to (my impatient patience paid off in the end).
Overlooking the element of length and speed of the plot, the book is well-written and a good read, but it also holds an element of repetition. The book is like déjà vu on paper, in a way: nearly all the elements can be found in other adventure and war epics. However, don’t hesitate from reading The Cry of the Icemark because of this, though. The book is great for a long summer day (the aspects of ice may make you feel better on a hot summer day, as well!) which you wish to make exciting at every page.
