Blade of Fire: The Icemark Chronicles - Hardcover

Hill, Stuart

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0439841224 ISBN 13: 9780439841221

Publisher: Chicken House, 2007

Synopsis

Following THE CRY OF THE ICEMARK, a huge success in England and critically acclaimed in the U.S., the second epic adventure in The Icemark Chronicles.

Many years have passed since Queen Thirrin and her allies defended the Icemark against a brutal invasion. But now General Bellorum is back, along with his bloodthirsty spawn, twin sons even more vicious than him. Thirrin and Oskan also have a family: two girls and three boys. But darkness lurks within the House of Lindenshield: Medea, the couple's cold-hearted, fifteen-year-old daughter, who's just coming into her magical powers, may be the downfall of the kingdom. It's up to her brother, Charlemagne, crippled by polio as a child, to return from exile and rescue the land he loves.

About this title

About the Author

The Cry of the Icemark, Stuart Hill’s first novel is not only a remarkable debut but also a personal tribute. When he was a teenager, Stuart lost “the real Thirrin,” his red-haired sister Kathleen, to leukemia. The story of the brave young warrior-queen who faces impossible dangers is dedicated to her. The Cry of the Icemark won the Ottakars Prize for the best new children’s novel, an award given by one of Britain’s leading book chains. Fox 2000 Pictures will turn the story into a major motion picture and foreign rights have been sold to over 14 countries.

Among his influences Stuart counts H. Rider Haggard, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Margaret Abbey—his former grade school teacher and a writer of historical novels. Before beginning The Cry of the Icemark, he asked himself what had grabbed his interest as a young reader. The answer? Heroes, magic, monsters, and talking beasts. From noble Snow Leopards to ancient Vampire royalty to ferocious Wolf-folk, the characters in Icemark are sure to spark the imagination of children everywhere, and Stuart is already at work on the sequel to Thirrin’s epic tale.

Stuart was born in Leicester, in the East Midlands of England, where he still lives today. His family background includes English, Irish, Romany, and Jewish blood. Although, as a student, his grades were average at best, Stuart was fortunate to have a teacher who inspired in him a lifelong love of reading. Since leaving school, he has worked as a teacher and archaeologist, and now balances life as both a bookseller and an author.

Reviews

Grade 5–8—In this story set 20 years after The Cry of the Icemark (Scholastic, 2005), Queen Thirrin and Oskan Witchfather now have five grown children who make up the royal House of Lindenshield. The book mainly focuses on Charlemagne, their youngest child. His greatest desire is to be a warrior and to defend his kingdom like all of the other members in his family. Unfortunately, he suffers from a physical ailment as a result of polio, which prevents him from satisfying his dream. To make matters worse, war has been waged between Icemark and its chronic nemesis Scipio Bellorum. Charlemagne is exiled for protection but leaves with the mystical promise that he will save Icemark from ultimate destruction. At the same time, his 15-year-old sister, Medea, begins using her magical powers to side with the enemy. What results is a typical high-fantasy novel complete with epic battles and a fight between good and evil. The characters contain little depth, and their actions are predictable despite situations that lend themselves to vast, creative transformations. Although fans of the first book may find pleasure in learning more about Queen Thirrin, this novel does not stand alone, often succumbing to trite plotlines and slow pacing. Readers of fantasy are more apt to enjoy Cornelia Funke's Inkheart (Scholastic, 2003) or one of the other novels from the increasingly abundant genre.—Marie C. Hansen, New York Public Library
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Icemark's polio-scarred Prince Charlemagne sees himself as the "limping runt in a family of warriors" but comes into his own when his parents send him abroad to accompany refugees fleeing war. Horizons broadened by foreign cultures, Charlemagne forges alliances that echo those made by his redoubtable mother 20 years earlier in The Cry of the Icemark (2006).Epic in scope, the high-fantasy action moves right along, and the coming-of-age struggles of Thirrin and Oskan's offspring are sufficiently engaging to allow newcomers to the Icemark Chronicles to step in midstream. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Chicken House
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0439841224
• ISBN 13: 9780439841221
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 584