Review: #775
Title: The Cry of the Icemark
Series: The Icemark Chronicles - 1st book
Author: Stuart Hill
Comments: The Cry of the Icemark is a fantasy epic about the small country of Icemark. It’s situated in the north where The-Land-of-the-Ghosts lies with its werewolves and vampires, to the west and east is the sea with constant pirate raids and finally to the south, the massive Polypontain Empire. Surrounded by enemies on all sides, the Polypontian Empire sets its sights on conquering Icemark. The empire holds overwhelming numbers of soldiers, as well as one of the most ruthless and brilliant of minds in the form of its general Scipio Bellorum. It follows Thirrin, the 13 year old Queen of the Icemark as she struggles to beat back the might of the empire and save her country. She does the unthinkable and travels north to seek out allies to help in her war. The Cry of the Icemark has all the elements of a classic epic and it works superbly well here. As you journey on with Thirrin, you’ll feel the same joy, the same despair and the same surprises that the author throws at you. With such terrible odds, it would take a miracle to win and Icemark doesn’t only just rely on miracles, but on strategy as well. The author has weaved together a wonderful world mixing science and fantasy together, with clear inspirations of the Roman Empire within its Polypontian Empire. If there were any doubts of the Polypontians, they are wiped clear when they are shown to be ruthless and merciless, you actually cannot wait until they get what they deserve and have their arrogance shoved back into their faces. The writing is fantastic, with perfect scene transitions, a tight grip on both the glory and terrible facets of war, and the despair one must feel in the face of such insurmountable odds. The twist given to iconic legendary creatures such as werewolves and vampires give it a fresh breath of air. While it takes the better part of the novel to muster together the army, and the large amounts of preparations beforehand, the climax of the two armies clashing together is a sight to behold. It is told wonderfully well with fast pacing, plentiful twists and an amazing epic conclusion that swung the favour from one to the other. The Cry of the Icemark is one of the best novels ever and is not an exaggeration when it can be said to be one of the cornerstone of fantasy writing.
Rating: 8.5/10