A Cavern of Black Ice (Sword of Shadows) - Hardcover

Jones, J. V.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 044652414X ISBN 13: 9780446524148

Publisher: Aspect, 1999

Synopsis

The first installment in an epic trilogy returns to the Known Lands of The Baker's Boy, where Raif Sevrance, a member of the Clan Blackhail, and Ash March, a girl who is plagued by sinister dreams, are plunged into a realm of magic, war, and danger. 60,000 first printing.

About this title

Review:

A Cavern of Black Ice opens J.V. Jones's Sword of Shadows trilogy. (Her first novel was The Baker's Boy.) The story is set in a land divided among small warring clans of hunters and more sophisticated southern cities whose lords covet the clan territories.

Young clansman Raif has a touch of "old blood" magic that guides his arrows to the heart. Bad times come when a hunting party that includes his father and clan chief is wiped out by a supernaturally aided attack, and Raif's open suspicion of the brutal new leader eventually drives him into exile. Meanwhile, Iss, overlord of Spire Vanis city, keeps a chained-up sorcerer whose powers he channels by revolting means, and has unexplained but shuddersome plans for his "foster daughter" Ash--herself an unwilling focus of dread forces. Raif and Ash find themselves fleeing together through wintry, hostile clanlands, pursued by Iss's vilest henchmen, seeking the dubious goal of the Cavern of Black Ice.

What lifts this tale far above routine quest fantasy is Jones's deft characterization, relentless intensity, and unsparing depiction of pain and slow-healing injury. She has a flair for memorably horrid images. Here a sorcerer gloats over one of his nastier tricks: "A man could not fight when his corneas were snapped from his eyes like badges from a chest."

This hefty volume is over 800 pages long, but the narrative grips hard once it's gained momentum, and the pages turn increasingly fast. Strong meat. Next comes book two, A Fortress of Grey Ice. --David Langford, Amazon.co.uk

About the Author:

J.V. Jones is the bestselling author of The Book of Words trilogy and THE BARBED COIL. Among other things, she has worked as a marketing director for a software company and as a barmaid in an English pub. She lives in southern California, where she indulges her interests of natural history, social history and computer games. She is currently working on Book 2 of Sword of Shadows.

About this edition

• Publisher: Aspect
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 044652414X
• ISBN 13: 9780446524148
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 736