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carlsefni's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
oldenglishrose's review against another edition
4.0
I picked up this trilogy second hand on a whim and I'm very glad I did. The first book has the stately feel of a Germanic epic, but the characters are interesting and well created. It borrows from the tradition without slavishly copying it, which made for a more interesting book in my opinion. I did find the occasional metatextual interjections stating that the story was taken from an ancient text to be slightly irritating as they interrupted the flow of the narrative, but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
sfletcher26's review against another edition
5.0
It's been about 15 years or so since I last read Michael Scott Rohan's Winter of the World Series of which this is the first book. I remember it being one of the best fantasy series I had ever read and I have read a great number over the years. Memory though can be a deceptive thing. Not this time though as it is as good as I remember it.
The Anvil Of Ice is in many respects a simple coming of age, good versus evil story. It's full of the usual tropes of this genre; the put upon and down trodden foundling, the power that lies hidden within him, his misuse and loss of that power and his redemption and understanding of what and who he is. This though is not a criticism, it is what it is and it is good at what it is, in fact its damn good at what it is. What raises it up a notch is the world into which the story is placed. Rohan's world is rich, multilayered and believable. The tying of magic to art of Smithcraft is inspired as is the power and force of the incroaching Ice (remember this was written well before GofT so was a new concept at the time).
The Winter of the World Series really should be better known and really deserves a reissuing from its publishers.
The Anvil Of Ice is in many respects a simple coming of age, good versus evil story. It's full of the usual tropes of this genre; the put upon and down trodden foundling, the power that lies hidden within him, his misuse and loss of that power and his redemption and understanding of what and who he is. This though is not a criticism, it is what it is and it is good at what it is, in fact its damn good at what it is. What raises it up a notch is the world into which the story is placed. Rohan's world is rich, multilayered and believable. The tying of magic to art of Smithcraft is inspired as is the power and force of the incroaching Ice (remember this was written well before GofT so was a new concept at the time).
The Winter of the World Series really should be better known and really deserves a reissuing from its publishers.
nghia's review against another edition
1.0
One of the Bingo squares for the /r/fantasy 2020 reading challenge is "Climate Change". For "hard mode", you can pick a climate change story that isn't post-apocalyptic. Post-apocalyptic climate change is (relatively) easy to find in near future science fiction but I decided to try to find a fantasy story that was about climate change that wasn't post-apocalyptic. Turns out that's a pretty big ask and there aren't exactly a lot of options!
I ended up hearing about this book from 1986. Somewhat surprisingly (since I devoured fantasy around its original release) I had never heard of it somehow. There is an encroaching ice age that is slowly swallowing much -- or all? -- of the world. Well, "quickly swallowing" by glacier standards -- it appears to be happening over a few hundred years instead of thousands. The Ice is set up not just as a natural force -- it is some kind of (not clearly defined in this book) intelligent malevolent force intent on wiping out most (all?) humans.
Really the big question heading into this book is how well fantasy from 1986 stands up to the test of time. The answer is: not great. The general level of writing in fantasy -- and really all genre fiction -- has improved tremendously since then. Better dialogue, richer characteristion, more plausible romances, etc.
The Anvil of Ice suffers from a few flaws that make it hard for a modern reader untinged by nostalgia to engage with it.
One of the biggest is the language is (intentionally) overwrought and archaic. I think it is an attempt to evoke the kind of writing people imagine the old Icelandic sagas were like. Except modern translations (cf the Penguin edition published in 2000) shows that Icelandic sagas and modern, readable English are completely compatible. Anyway, The Anvil of Ice is almost entirely written in a style like this:
and this
While not insurmountable, it is a hurdle. And once you get past the hurdle you aren't exactly rewarded with a compelling story. You get one of the worst "romances" I can recall reading. They fall instantly in love within about 60 seconds of meeting one another. They know nothing about one another but are immediately telling each other how amazing and unique they are.
(and then they kiss and are in love forever and ever)
The author is continually dropping information that it feels like we should have learned about before.
One of the worst examples is when the hero comes across some pirates and it is casually dropped that (at some point?!?) he learned how to sword fight well enough to beat their captain. Not only is he a Gary Stu but the plot is entirely driven by coincidence and author's convenience.
The plot stalls entirely until a god literally teleports him 90 kilometers to a convenient meeting with pirates he can join forces with. (This is actually the second "and we were magically transported impossible differences overnight" event in the book.) Later on while walking on a glacier in the middle of nowhere they happen to come within 200 paces of his old master. While searching an entire mountain range for a secret entrance they are chased by monsters and happen to stumble into the one cave that has said secret entrance.
Nothing about the plot felt natural. It didn't help that you don't really care about who wins or loses. We're told the Ekwesh are eeeeevil. But in a cardboard 1980s mustache twirling villain way. They want to take away our freedom! By the end, I just couldn't really bring myself to care about the characters or their journey.
I ended up hearing about this book from 1986. Somewhat surprisingly (since I devoured fantasy around its original release) I had never heard of it somehow. There is an encroaching ice age that is slowly swallowing much -- or all? -- of the world. Well, "quickly swallowing" by glacier standards -- it appears to be happening over a few hundred years instead of thousands. The Ice is set up not just as a natural force -- it is some kind of (not clearly defined in this book) intelligent malevolent force intent on wiping out most (all?) humans.
Really the big question heading into this book is how well fantasy from 1986 stands up to the test of time. The answer is: not great. The general level of writing in fantasy -- and really all genre fiction -- has improved tremendously since then. Better dialogue, richer characteristion, more plausible romances, etc.
The Anvil of Ice suffers from a few flaws that make it hard for a modern reader untinged by nostalgia to engage with it.
One of the biggest is the language is (intentionally) overwrought and archaic. I think it is an attempt to evoke the kind of writing people imagine the old Icelandic sagas were like. Except modern translations (cf the Penguin edition published in 2000) shows that Icelandic sagas and modern, readable English are completely compatible. Anyway, The Anvil of Ice is almost entirely written in a style like this:
I have not that honor, that I know of. A foundling I, raised a northerner and named Alv, that is all.
and this
Of the land of Kerys the swordsman told, now a name of legend, no more, and of how the first coming of the Ice was there foreseen
While not insurmountable, it is a hurdle. And once you get past the hurdle you aren't exactly rewarded with a compelling story. You get one of the worst "romances" I can recall reading. They fall instantly in love within about 60 seconds of meeting one another. They know nothing about one another but are immediately telling each other how amazing and unique they are.
"There's something about you, I sense it—and so did Louhi, I heard her. You're somebody special, one alone, out of the ordinary…"
"So are you! So are you!"
(and then they kiss and are in love forever and ever)
The author is continually dropping information that it feels like we should have learned about before.
One of the worst examples is when the hero comes across some pirates and it is casually dropped that (at some point?!?) he learned how to sword fight well enough to beat their captain. Not only is he a Gary Stu but the plot is entirely driven by coincidence and author's convenience.
The plot stalls entirely until a god literally teleports him 90 kilometers to a convenient meeting with pirates he can join forces with. (This is actually the second "and we were magically transported impossible differences overnight" event in the book.) Later on while walking on a glacier in the middle of nowhere they happen to come within 200 paces of his old master. While searching an entire mountain range for a secret entrance they are chased by monsters and happen to stumble into the one cave that has said secret entrance.
Nothing about the plot felt natural. It didn't help that you don't really care about who wins or loses. We're told the Ekwesh are eeeeevil. But in a cardboard 1980s mustache twirling villain way. They want to take away our freedom! By the end, I just couldn't really bring myself to care about the characters or their journey.
joefryerbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
wolfiedude14's review against another edition
adventurous
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Generally a fun fantasy novel with corny dialogue and some pacing issues.
I have to say I'm partial to the mapped fantasy genre. If there's a map and travel in there I'm almost always completely sold. It was on this alone, and the art on the front cover that had me immediately.
It's a pretty simple call to action type of story as defined over the years in the genre. A boy, Alv, has his town (which he feels no connection to) by a force of sort of viking-like looters and is taken as an apprentice by the enigmatic Mastersmith. Following the realisation of innate skill (which he had so humbly overlooked being a poor marginalised farmer in his town) he ends up running from the Mastersmith with a buddy after some unfortunate events.
The majority of this is forging, smithing, and walking and I have to say it works surprisingly well. I've never been so interested in a guy making a sword outside of the YouTube videos you might watch at 3am, but this pulls it off. The winter-encroaching setting works quite well, and there are similarities enough to "A Song of Ice and Fire" here to say it even prefigures it. (Though opposing elements like Ice and Fire isn't particularly extraordinary.)
There were issues in dialogue that felt a little stunted such as forced old-timey turns of phrase that don't flow all that great, as well as a kind of stuttering narrative that can't fully decide whether it wants to be a mythology recounting of old tales, or a standard focalised perspective on Alv (Elof.) There were also some pacing issues. The introduction attack was so quick where we could have learned a great deal about Alv, why he hated his town, perhaps why he felt so dejected and so forth.
In all though, a good deal of fun!
I have to say I'm partial to the mapped fantasy genre. If there's a map and travel in there I'm almost always completely sold. It was on this alone, and the art on the front cover that had me immediately.
It's a pretty simple call to action type of story as defined over the years in the genre. A boy, Alv, has his town (which he feels no connection to) by a force of sort of viking-like looters and is taken as an apprentice by the enigmatic Mastersmith. Following the realisation of innate skill (which he had so humbly overlooked being a poor marginalised farmer in his town) he ends up running from the Mastersmith with a buddy after some unfortunate events.
The majority of this is forging, smithing, and walking and I have to say it works surprisingly well. I've never been so interested in a guy making a sword outside of the YouTube videos you might watch at 3am, but this pulls it off. The winter-encroaching setting works quite well, and there are similarities enough to "A Song of Ice and Fire" here to say it even prefigures it. (Though opposing elements like Ice and Fire isn't particularly extraordinary.)
There were issues in dialogue that felt a little stunted such as forced old-timey turns of phrase that don't flow all that great, as well as a kind of stuttering narrative that can't fully decide whether it wants to be a mythology recounting of old tales, or a standard focalised perspective on Alv (Elof.) There were also some pacing issues. The introduction attack was so quick where we could have learned a great deal about Alv, why he hated his town, perhaps why he felt so dejected and so forth.
In all though, a good deal of fun!
ryan_dm's review against another edition
3.0
The quest story of a boy whose contemptuous of everybody, who becomes a blacksmith and then falls in love with a girl at barely a glance and no conversation.
Lots of smithing with an attempt to explain how life continues through an ice age. A pretty unremarkable work now and probably for its time too.
Lots of smithing with an attempt to explain how life continues through an ice age. A pretty unremarkable work now and probably for its time too.
jvan's review against another edition
3.0
Many years ago I read this series and really, really loved it. Entirely forgotten as the decades drifted past, I was reminded of it and ordered a copy of this book to see how it held up. Pretty well, I guess? It's the story of a boy who trains as a blacksmith, in a world where that is a fully magical art, and is duped by his master into creating the most potent and awful tools for the advancement of evil, and then sets about trying to right that. One thing I'd forgotten (or more likely not even noticed) is how Tolkien-esque a whole lot of it is: the writing in places, many of the characters, some of the history and setting. It's not at all Middle Earth (well, not hardly at all) but it is very much in the mode. It was fine, I guess? If the books were readily and cheaply available I'd probably get the other two and finish out the trilogy, and maybe read the fourth much later book that I never got around to, but I don't know if I will do that or not. Seems a lot of effort for something that now I just find pretty all right, and not excellent.
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