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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.

The backdrop for A Cavern of Ice is set in the far north of a continent that holds more civilized and established societies to the south. Here, it appears that three distinct social groups attempt to co-exist with each other. There were those men that pushed north from the southern lands, all being the bastard offspring of various nobles they sought land to claim as their own. They established the Granges. Further north, there are the Clan holdings who closely resemble a Celtic culture and ethos. They live for war, honour, drinking and kinship. Farthest north, there are the Sull who once held dominion over all the land but have been pushed further north by the expansion of the other races.

The main protoganists of the book are Raif Sevrance and Asaharia March. Raif Sevrance represents a clansman whose strong sense of duty binds him to the honour of his clan and yet also his conscience. When he is forced to choose between the brutality of his clan and his sense of right, Raif chooses to go into exile and leave his clan.

Asaharia March was abandoned at the gates of Spire Vanis, effectively the capital of the Granges. Adopted by the Surlord of Spire Vanis, who is king in all but name, so too does she become his daughter in all but name. With the onset of puberty she starts to have strange dreams and her father’s interest in her becomes constrictive. Feeling more like a prisoner than a daughter, she makes a bid for freedom and leaves behind the life she knew.

A Cavern of Black Ice is the first book in the Sword of Shadows series written by J.V. Jones. I believe I had read one book of her’s called the Baker’s Boy (from the Book of Words series). I can’t seem to recall whether it was because the second in that series wasn’t published or whether I wasn’t particularly enamoured with her writing that never saw me pick up another of her books. That was a few year back and being starved in Hong Kong for some fantasy novels (LOTR kept me ticking somewhat), I decided to pick up A Cavern of Black Ice. I am glad that I did as she is spins an interesting yarn.

First books in a fantasy trilogy are tough, since it is hard not to have the same similar themes that are prevalent in most fantasy books. The question remains on how to entice the reader to read more and to convince them to stay for the journey to the end of two other books. Some use the weight of the story itself to drag the reader to the next book, while others attempt to offer something unique in their setting. J.V. Jones appears to rely on the quality of her narrative abilities, enticing the reader with old themes dressed up in the fineries of prose.

J.V. Jones’ writing style is very descriptive and times she is exlains things in a way that paints quite a vivid picture for the reader. She appears to continue that evocative style through out the book, which is sometimes lost by other writers once the story takes over the reader’s interest. Of course, being not acquainted with her previous works, it will be interesting to see if she carries this on through the next two books in the trilogy.

While this descriptive skill gives her a strength of writing that is refreshing, the plot itself takes some time to get into. This isn’t all that surprising since it is the first book in a trilogy. One thing she does do is provide a satisfying conclusion to complete the book on its own while leaving enough questions unanswered to warrant further interest in the story. Many writers simply let the story that they want to carry throughout the entire book drive the structure of their individual books. This often leaves the reader feeling that they have not accomplished anything from reading just one book in a set of three. A Cavern of Ice is a great stand-alone book in itself.

Tags: Books