What do you think?
Rate this book
The Emperor's Edge #1.5
Ice Cracker II
She’s wanted for crimes against the throne. He’s the empire’s most notorious assassin. With bounties on their heads and soldiers hunting them, they’re not likely candidates for heroics. But when they unearth a plot against the military’s premier ice breaking ship, they may be the only ones who can thwart the saboteurs...if the soldiers don't kill them first.
30 pages, Nook
First published December 19, 2010
21 people are currently reading
875 people want to read
About the author
Lindsay Buroker
193 books6,207 followersI'm a full-time indie fantasy and science fiction author. When I'm not writing, I'm ferrying my dogs to hiking trails for adventures.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
December 15, 2012
Note: these are short stories using characters and setting from an already existing series. Book one is The Emperor's Edge. I see people here giving this less than stellar reviews, even though they loved it, because it is short. It is meant to be short. It is supplemental material, not the whole story.I would suggest one read The Emperor's Edge first. The character development there is vital. These stories are fun without knowing the world, but I think you would miss out on a lot without reading Emperor's Edge first.
Anyway, loved these stories. Fantastic! Even better than the first book. It's only 3 short stories, but they are told very well. The small number of writing issues seen in The Emperor's Edge (book 1) are not a problem in these stories. Seems the author honed her skills and I am pleased. The exposition that stuck out like a thumb in Edge was hardly found in the Ice Cracker II stories. There was one instance where I remember some possibly unnescessary exposition (should have heen obvious from character observations/actions), but it blended in well. Didn't distract from the story. Very well done!
Anyway, loved these stories. Fantastic! Even better than the first book. It's only 3 short stories, but they are told very well. The small number of writing issues seen in The Emperor's Edge (book 1) are not a problem in these stories. Seems the author honed her skills and I am pleased. The exposition that stuck out like a thumb in Edge was hardly found in the Ice Cracker II stories. There was one instance where I remember some possibly unnescessary exposition (should have heen obvious from character observations/actions), but it blended in well. Didn't distract from the story. Very well done!
December 12, 2014
Fun short story set shortly after the end of The Emperor's Edge. Amaranthe and Sicarious have an adventure and save the day. The only thing I noticed is that at one point they mentioned their wanted posters and how Sicarious's was for him dead and hers wasn't. I know the emperor made her poster to say that he wanted her alive, but I could swear that someone (someone that the story implied was part of Forge) changed it to say dead before it went off to be duplicated and distributed. Maybe I am remembering incorrectly. If it is an error, it's a minor continuity error that is totally unimportant to enjoying this short, if you enjoy the banter between Amaranthe and Sicarious, you'll enjoy this short.
May 26, 2021
I read this as part of the anthology Ice Cracker II: And Other Stories
I really felt sorry for the captain who is going to lose everything to do the right thing. 4 stars.
I really felt sorry for the captain who is going to lose everything to do the right thing. 4 stars.
Read
March 5, 2023This is just a quick (20 plages) fun read.
November 29, 2012
I really envy Buroker’s talent at writing engaging short stories! I’ve never really been good at that sort of thing, but it is definitely on my “to-keep-working-at-until-I’m-good-at-it” list. I thoroughly enjoyed this short story from the Emperor’s Edge series! It is technically the 1.5 book of the series, coming between The Emperor’s Edge and Dark Currents. The basic synopsis is that Amaranthe and Sicarius discover two dead soldiers and a Kendorian on their jogging path and follow the clues all the way to one of the empire’s ice cracking ships. They uncover a plot to sink the ship and try to stop it from happening. It was a great plot for a short story with just enough action and dialogue to keep the plot flowing well. I only give it a four because I would have liked a little more dialogue and maybe it could have been a tad bit longer, but all in all, it was a fun read and it greatly added to my enjoyment of the Emperor’s Edge universe. Keep on writing the great stuff, Lindsay!
September 7, 2011
Kobo free download 8/2/11/Also available as a free download on GR.
I enjoyed this short story and I think I will continue reading about the characters Amaranthe and Sicarius in the next book The Emperor's Edge.
I enjoyed this short story and I think I will continue reading about the characters Amaranthe and Sicarius in the next book The Emperor's Edge.
February 5, 2013
Short filler stories of other cases Amaranthe, Books and Sicarious worked on. A little too brief but still fun to read.
August 2, 2013
Quick read with the characters from Emperor's edge in three short stories. Amaranthe, Sicarius, Books et al continue to try and find ways to turn from being classed as outlaws to solid citizens.
December 13, 2021
A very fast paced novella with an incredible female lead. In this story they are paired to save the city/nation from some magical enemies sent to shut things down for the winter. Her brilliance and great thinking lead this team in a very impressive way.
If you want a fast paced, non-stop action story give this a read.
If you want a fast paced, non-stop action story give this a read.
January 14, 2020
Amaranthe and Sicarius are criminals - but they discover a plot to destroy the Ice Cracker II which the town needs in order to get food through during winter. They know that no-one will believe them and so they have to save the day.
freebie-owned-to-read
August 20, 2021
June 21, 2017
Sicarius and Amaranthe in a snowball fight? #signmeup
January 19, 2019
This is a nice short story for fans of The Emperor's Edge series.
July 3, 2019
Really enjoyed this short and already grabbed a few more books by the author. I'll be checking out more stories about these two soon!
December 5, 2019
This is a favorite, return-to-multiple-times series. Amaranthe and Sicarius are one of my very favorite couples I've encountered over the years. I love them.
April 7, 2023
Great short story. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
September 4, 2023
This was a quick read and has been in my library for some time, but now I am going to have to find out how the story began.
April 2, 2024
Nice to see Amaranthe through the eyes of others! We get to see more of Book personality and more interactions with Sicarius
October 15, 2024
Love the short stories. The first and last with Sicarius and Amaranthe is interesting. Seeing Books' also gives more insight into his perspective.
May 16, 2025
Good Emperor's Edge short story collection.
August 22, 2025
A collection of short stories that add to the understanding od the characters i the series.
June 16, 2024
This is my first foray into the world Lindsay Buroker has fashioned for The Emperor's Edge series, and it was just as fun as another novella by the same author that I adored, Flash Gold. I'm a big fan of the way the author writes, and the stories she creates are original and a mashup of almost all my favorite genres: fantasy, steampunk, a little mystery and some well-written, hinted at chemistry rather than a full-blown romance. I randomly picked this to start before The Emperor's Edge because it is a very short novella, only about 60 pages, but Buroker seems to work rather well within the confines of a short story. Her writing flows well and the dialogue and interaction between the characters, is witty and one of the best aspects of the novella ("I know this is dangerous, probably more for you than me-- my poster just says wanted, yours says kill on sight..").
But don't be mistaken, there is enough happening in thosetooshort sixty pages to keep the plot moving briskly. Assassins, deceptions, conspiracies abound, making this an intricate and convoluted short story. As with the other novella I've read, the pages fly by with speed and I was sucked completely into the story.
There is not very much characterization or character depth in the story, for two reasons. One, the author is using recurring characters from other works of hers in which they have more detail and personality ascribed to them. Reason two: there's only so much punch you can pack in 60 pages. With all that the novella has going on, the amount of depth created for each of the two is perfect. Amaranthe is a fun, vivacious character. Above all, she was resourceful and self-sufficient. I always enjoy reading books with strong, believable, kickass female characters and Lindsay Buroker seems to write them often and reliably. She's also smart, without being obnoxious or having it be her fatal flaw.
Sicarius was silent and intriguing as the talented and deadly assassin who is trying to outrun his dark past; clearly, I'll be focusing on him in the future books in this series I read.
My only complaint is the same as it was for Flash Gold: I simply want more. This was shorter even than that, and was over far too quickly. I know there is The Emperor's Edge and its soon-to-be-released sequel (yaaaaay!!) Dark Currents, but it's such a shame to be pulled back out of such a well-crafted world so abruptly. Not to say the resolution was not well done, because it was, it just came too fast for my preferences. I guess I'll just have to read The Emperor's Edge, then Encrypted (it's a prequel, apparently set 20-25 years before The Emperor's Edge) and wait patiently for Dark Currents.
But don't be mistaken, there is enough happening in those
There is not very much characterization or character depth in the story, for two reasons. One, the author is using recurring characters from other works of hers in which they have more detail and personality ascribed to them. Reason two: there's only so much punch you can pack in 60 pages. With all that the novella has going on, the amount of depth created for each of the two is perfect. Amaranthe is a fun, vivacious character. Above all, she was resourceful and self-sufficient. I always enjoy reading books with strong, believable, kickass female characters and Lindsay Buroker seems to write them often and reliably. She's also smart, without being obnoxious or having it be her fatal flaw.
Sicarius was silent and intriguing as the talented and deadly assassin who is trying to outrun his dark past; clearly, I'll be focusing on him in the future books in this series I read.
My only complaint is the same as it was for Flash Gold: I simply want more. This was shorter even than that, and was over far too quickly. I know there is The Emperor's Edge and its soon-to-be-released sequel (yaaaaay!!) Dark Currents, but it's such a shame to be pulled back out of such a well-crafted world so abruptly. Not to say the resolution was not well done, because it was, it just came too fast for my preferences. I guess I'll just have to read The Emperor's Edge, then Encrypted (it's a prequel, apparently set 20-25 years before The Emperor's Edge) and wait patiently for Dark Currents.
September 5, 2011
Ice Cracker II is a collection of three short vignettes taken from the world of Buroker's novel, The Emperor's Edge. I really enjoyed these shorts. Buroker has a smooth writing style, the dialogue between her characters is realistic and snappy, and offers just enough detail to paint a picture of the world without drowning her readers in it. The setting is fascinating - a cold, snowy, northern clime, an Empire where magic is illegal (even though the official teaching is that magic doesn't exist) - and the characters are also interesting.
Amaranthe, the central character, is strong and courageous, with the tendency to go off and save people, even when the stakes are against her. She's a fugitive with a price on her head, having been framed by a former associate. Her hope is to perform enough good works to come to the Emperor's attention and to hopefully be cleared of any wrong-doing. She is handy with her repeating crossbow and a sword, and pretty kickass, even though she does occasionally doubt her effectiveness as a leader of a band of men.
The other two characters are Sicarius and Books, fellow fugitives. Sicarius, the taciturn, grim, forbidding former assassin with a highly checkered past, and Books is a former professor, mild-mannered and a bit damaged from past tragedies, though he has a sense of humor that I really enjoyed. Each character's voice comes across clearly, even Sicarius, who rarely speaks.
All in all, I really enjoyed these tales. They're intriguing enough that I plan on downloading The Emperor's Edge so I can get a fuller picture of this fascinating universe.
Amaranthe, the central character, is strong and courageous, with the tendency to go off and save people, even when the stakes are against her. She's a fugitive with a price on her head, having been framed by a former associate. Her hope is to perform enough good works to come to the Emperor's attention and to hopefully be cleared of any wrong-doing. She is handy with her repeating crossbow and a sword, and pretty kickass, even though she does occasionally doubt her effectiveness as a leader of a band of men.
The other two characters are Sicarius and Books, fellow fugitives. Sicarius, the taciturn, grim, forbidding former assassin with a highly checkered past, and Books is a former professor, mild-mannered and a bit damaged from past tragedies, though he has a sense of humor that I really enjoyed. Each character's voice comes across clearly, even Sicarius, who rarely speaks.
All in all, I really enjoyed these tales. They're intriguing enough that I plan on downloading The Emperor's Edge so I can get a fuller picture of this fascinating universe.
October 5, 2014
This is an enjoyable, and actually quite moving story. However I found the continuity errors frustrating (assuming this book IS numbered correctly, as coming between The Emperor's Edge and Dark Currents). Apart from the factual inconsistences (such as the terms of the bounty on Amaranthe changing), the whole tenor of the Sicarius/Amaranthe pairing is more in tune with the understanding reached by the end of Book 2. And Amaranthe is being superhero-style competent, which rather jars.
So I am ambivalent about this. It's a nice enough short story, but, for me, it detracted from, rather than added to, the sequence as a whole.
n.b. Some reviews refer to "3 vignettes". That may be true of "Ice Breaker II and other stories",Ice Cracker II: And Other Stories, but THIS book contains only 1 short adventure, involving Amaranthe & Sicarius - but no other team members.
So I am ambivalent about this. It's a nice enough short story, but, for me, it detracted from, rather than added to, the sequence as a whole.
n.b. Some reviews refer to "3 vignettes". That may be true of "Ice Breaker II and other stories",Ice Cracker II: And Other Stories, but THIS book contains only 1 short adventure, involving Amaranthe & Sicarius - but no other team members.
February 14, 2011
Really fun romp with interesting characters. Totally got sucked into the world and character back stories. Some people might have trouble with the brevity of the story. But I'm familiar with these type of ebooks that are introductory in nature and intended to encourage readers to try the longer works of fiction featuring the same characters and setting. I think the author did a wonderful job of telling a complete story in a relatively short amount of time. The writing is exceptional and the text well-edited.
The only thing that prevented me from giving this story another star is the fact that there just isn't enough meat in the story to sink my teeth into. This is an inherent problem with bite-sized works of fiction. Based on the prodigious skills displayed by the author, I imagine the full-length novels don't have this problem. Looking forward to reading the feature novels so I can learn more about these wonderful characters.
The only thing that prevented me from giving this story another star is the fact that there just isn't enough meat in the story to sink my teeth into. This is an inherent problem with bite-sized works of fiction. Based on the prodigious skills displayed by the author, I imagine the full-length novels don't have this problem. Looking forward to reading the feature novels so I can learn more about these wonderful characters.
March 1, 2013
A short side-story to the series. You can pretty much read it any time but I suggest you read the first book of the series The Emperor's Edge before you read this to get background because this will seem pretty meaningless if you don't. This is a side story of the h&h who go off on a mini-adventure to stop a disaster from happening. We get our witty kickass heroine and our somber stoic hero once again and I loved every minute of it!
Once again I just wanna gush at Lindsay Buroker 's creativity in bringing to life this industrialized fantasy world and I would also like to thank her because this was actually free on iTunes (as well as the first book of the series) so it motivated me to keep reading.
Once again I just wanna gush at Lindsay Buroker 's creativity in bringing to life this industrialized fantasy world and I would also like to thank her because this was actually free on iTunes (as well as the first book of the series) so it motivated me to keep reading.
November 26, 2011
Like the reviewer before me, I'm not a big fan of short stories (I prefer the long build up of characters and plot), but when I read that this compilation consisted of the further adventures of the characters from Emperor's Edge, I bought it without hesitation. If you have read Emperor's Edge and enjoyed the story and characters, I would suggest this book as well. The reader gets to join Amaranthe on three more missions after forming her group, and although not as in-depth as the first book, these short stories create a nice continuation (and a happy preview of what we'll hopefully see in future books). Can't wait for more from this series!
September 25, 2014
This was a short, well written read. I enjoyed Amaranthe and Sicarius from book 1 The Emperor's Edge and look forward to book 2 Dark Currents. I do recommend reading book 1 first.
A favorite quote:
"I know this is dangerous," she said, "probably more dangerous for you than me-my poster just says wanted, yours says kill on sight...."
A favorite quote:
"I know this is dangerous," she said, "probably more dangerous for you than me-my poster just says wanted, yours says kill on sight...."
September 17, 2013
I like this story. I LOVE the series!!
This short story is not a 'must-read' as far as the series goes. . . but it is a 'must-read' as far as I am concerned, because I can't get enough of the "Emperor's Edge" series (or the whole 'Turgonian/Kyatt' world, for that matter!)
Read the "Encrypted" series (Encrypted, Enigma, and Decrypted), then read the whole "Emperor's Edge" series.
This is great High Fantasy, set in a unique world unlike anything else I've read. The series also has enough Romance, Science Fiction, and just a touch of "Steampunk", so that it is able to delight readers of almost all genres. I HIGHLY recommend Lindsay Buroker's books!
This short story is not a 'must-read' as far as the series goes. . . but it is a 'must-read' as far as I am concerned, because I can't get enough of the "Emperor's Edge" series (or the whole 'Turgonian/Kyatt' world, for that matter!)
Read the "Encrypted" series (Encrypted, Enigma, and Decrypted), then read the whole "Emperor's Edge" series.
This is great High Fantasy, set in a unique world unlike anything else I've read. The series also has enough Romance, Science Fiction, and just a touch of "Steampunk", so that it is able to delight readers of almost all genres. I HIGHLY recommend Lindsay Buroker's books!
October 5, 2011
This is a collection of 3 short stories dealing with characters from The Emperor's Edge. I would say that to fully understand and enjoy these you must read The Emperor's Edge first. All of the stories contained in this collection deal with the continuing quest of Amaranthe and her band of outlaws. The characters are still written very well with good dialogue and I found some parts amusing as well. I think if you enjoyed The Emperor's Edge this collection is a must have.
I would highly recommend the works of author Lindsay Buroker to any lover of Fantasy, action or adventure!
I would highly recommend the works of author Lindsay Buroker to any lover of Fantasy, action or adventure!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews