A Cavern of Black Ice - J.V Jones

A CAVERN OF BLACK ICE

(Book One of 'Sword of Shadows')


AUTHOR - J.V Jones

BEST-SELLERS - 'The Book of Words' trilogy

SYNOPSIS - When Raif Sevrance and his brother return home to their clan as the only survivors of a vicious attack in which both their father and the clan chief were killed, it is not only grief that clouds Raif's thoughts. The new chief's reign is a brutal one, made worse by his brother's acceptance of it. When his uncle, Angus Lok, invites Raif to accompany him to Spire Vanis, it seems that he has no choice but to leave his home. It is the start of a journey that will change his life - and the world he inhabits.

EXCERPT - Engorged with blood, heavy with life force, driven by the one thing that the gods had no power over, the heart filled Raif's sights like a glance into the sun. Things became known to him, small things around the body that surrounded the vital, pumping core. The weasel man's blood ran too fast, rushing through his body like hot steam in search of release. His liver was hard and dimpled, dark with disease, and only one testicle hung from his groin.

This and more Raif knew in less time than it took for a used breath to ascend from his lungs. It meant nothing. Nothing. The heart was his.

He kissed the string and released the arrow, and by the time his shoulders had dealt with the recoil, the weasel man was dead. Heart-killed. His legs dropped beneath him, his bladder failed, and he was gone.

FL Speak - When you think of fantasy, i want you to think of something other than Artemis Fowl, twilight, Harry Potter and LOTR. There is a whole different universe out there and this book just proves how ignorant i was of fantasy writers.

A good read. Won't compare it to Tolkien because that will be blasphemy and still won't compare it to Rowling as its not something a teenager would actually understand. This is a book for serious fantasy readers. Excellent characterisation and a superb background over the proverbial story arc. No you won't be finding Trolls or Orcs or Elfs here, this is later day fantasy where men were dominant and sorcery was feared.

Its the story of a boy from a clan faced with the consequences of his choices, his journeys to the end of the places the world of men knew, his commitments and his struggle to control his destiny and those that came with it.

My rating - 3.8 outta 5. And with 3 other books remaining before the story concludes, it can only get better.

PRICE - INR 350 from Orion Press