Cry of the Icemark

By Stuart Hill

Short Review - By Enfys

Cry of the Icemark is the story of Thirrin, Princess of the Icemark, and her preparations for the upcoming battle against the Polypontian Empire. It recounts her efforts to make allies with werewolves, vampires and giant snow leopards - but most especially her friend, Oskan, witch's son.

I think Mr. Hill has written a fantastic book. The characters are well portrayed, with a brilliantly thought out and well written plot. The descriptions are brilliant, with exciting and emotional scenes. The only negative is that it is a little long, and would work better as a standalone book, rather than a series.

9/10

Long review (In progress) - By Enfys

Cry of the Icemark is available in both the school and Guille-Allez libraries. It is available from Amazon for £5.24, and has an ISBN of 978-1904442608 . It is available as a paperback and as a hardback, and also as an audio CD, accompanied by the rest of the Icemark Chronicles. It is a fantasy book, telling the story of Thirrin, Princess and later Queen of the Icemark and her defense of her country against the Polypontian empire. It tells the story of her journey to find new allies and friends. The main themes of the book include friendship, destiny and magic.

The main character, Thirrin, is a proud young girl who loves fighting and would rather be out training with the housecarles than learning how to rule a country. She is a good ruler, and a good orator, turning enemies into allies with her speeches. Her character is well portrayed – very realistic and believable, while still retaining mystery. Other characters include Oskan, witch's son, quite a knowledgeable and helpful character, Maggie, the affectionate tutor who undergoes a change of heart when he discovers the irrational creatures he believed not to exist, and Scipio Bellorum (Whose second name derives from the latin 'bellum' meaning war, and the ending 'um' shows that it is he who is receiving the war.) who is a ruthless and harsh general who is yet to be defeated. My favourite character was King Grishmak. I thought he was especially well written and was quite intriguing and witty. The interactions between the characters are good, with a very clear distinction between formality and friendliness. I thought that the characters were believable, being good but not perfect. They all made mistakes and had imperfections.

I thought that the story flowed very well, with each event leading seamlessly onto another. There were exciting twists and turns, with each one hinted at yet unexpected. The characters were allowed to flow through the plot, with each lending to the other, helping them move along. The beginning of the book was perfect. I was hooked within the first page. The plot was exciting, although I think it may be a little long for some people, though not for everyone, and not for me.

The writing was somewhat modern, although not delving into chick-lit. There is the occasional long word, but hardly any through the book, and any are inconsequential. There is more dialogue than most books, with slightly less description than dialogue, and little action until near the end of the book. The descriptions were about the right length, long enough to show you what's there but short enough not to restrict the imagination.

The cover wasn't particularly interesting – the colours are quite dull, although it does show what the book is about. It is fairly eye-catching for people looking for this style of book.

Cry of the Icemark was originally recommended to me by a friend, through Book Club. I am very glad she did so. The book is first in a trilogy (of three), although I have been informed that the sequels aren't as good. The Icemark Chronicles are (currently) the only books Stuart Hill has written. I would read this book again when I had the time to sit down and read straight through it. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy or books that are a little longer than average. I would give this book 96%.