Dust & Rain

Icefire Trilogy #2

by Patty Jansen

Fifteen years ago, a brilliant scientist built a barrier against the dangerous power that radiates from the City of Glass in the southern land, allowing the citizens of Chevakia to live without fear of their lives. Since then, the democracy of Chevakia has prospered, with free-thinking scientists developing steam power and the beginnings of electricity.

But the power, which they call sonorics, controls the weather in Chevakia.

Senator Sadorius han Chevonian is the country’s chief meteorologist. While taking measurements for his job, he is the first to notice a rapid rise of sonorics levels out-of-season. The senate is locked in trivial debate, and to make them listen, he has to take a step he never thought to make.

After the huge explosion of the machine they call the Heart of the City, Loriane has fled the southern land with the sorcerer Tandor, who hovers in and out of consciousness. But while Tandor isn’t speaking, she cannot confirm her fears that he caused the explosion, and that the child she carries has something to do with his twisted plans to seize power from the Eagle Knights who rule the City of Glass.

Just before the explosion, southern queen Jevaithi fled into Chevakia with her young lover Isandor. While they think they’re free of the tyranny of the Eagle Knights, it soon becomes clear something very bad has happened in the City of Glass soon after their escape. Something so bad that it sends waves of sonorics into Chevakia, causing even the Chevakians to flee.

Several streams of refugees are heading for the Chevakian capital. Southerners by train, Chevakians by road, into a city that is tragically unprepared, a country in turmoil with a leader whose support hangs by the merest thread.

Genres: Fantasy

ebook

First published November 30, 2011

About the author

Author of Science Fiction and fantasy and non-fiction.


Author of the Ambassador series, the Icefire Trilogy, For Queen And Country series and the Return of the Aghyrians series.

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Reviews

[5t4n5 Dot Com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when you thought it couldn't get grimmer, Patty managed to pull it off.

So the City of Glass has shattered and icefire is spilling across the land chasing lots of surviving refugees as it burns and destroys everything in its path.

Then we throw our bunch of rather troubled protagonists from the 1st book into the refugees; have another bunch of them chasing some of them and causing lots of nasty along the way; throw a whole bunch more troubled protagonists into the country they're heading to; stir up all the political nonsense that a time of crisis deserves and then hit the capital city with a huge bunch of the afore mentioned refugees coming via train and road -- oh, and, nearly forgot, the refugees are contaminated with high levels of icefire, mostly injured, very hungry and needing shelter.

The one thing i like about this book is the pacing.   Patty keeps everything concerning the refugees really moving along at a good pace until we get to the parts with the politicians.   Suddenly, the pace slows and it feels like the story is trudging along.   This is so like real life; whenever there's a crisis you can guarantee the only people dragging their heels -- forming committees to discuss things while people are actually dying -- will be the politicians who are always more concerned with what they can get out of it for their political careers.   Point well made, Patty.

It follows straight on from book one, Fire & Ice , without a pause for breath, and i'm very much diving straight into and devouring book 3, Blood & Tears , with only a little respite to write this review along the way.

So now, if you'll excuse me, i'm off to read Blood & Tears.

[Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

What surprises me most, is that at present, on Goodreads, this book rates higher than the 1st of the trilogy. I don't understand that at all. This 2nd book took what was some intriguing ideas and dropped them. This book is a story of refugees and power struggles. Magic has been cast aside. Fantasy has been cast aside. It is a rather ordinary story, lacking the magical moments that one anticipates and enjoys in fantasy.

It's not that it is bad or dull, just that it isn't a reasonable follow-up to the promise of the 1st book.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t like the first book at all but had already bought the trilogy and I hate not finishing books/series so I read this one as quickly as possible. But I didn’t enjoy this one either. It definitely felt like a buffer between the first and last book and just used as a way to make sure the characters are in the right place for the finale.

[Jimbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read.

[Warren Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be more interesting than the previous one, which focused on an unknown magical source. This book showed the frustrations of the only politician who can see the upcoming disaster for what it is, a man who is trying to live in the past, and a small group leading the way across the border. It’s definitely in intermediary book in the trilogy, because the players are now placed, but nothing has happened yet. The author’s style doesn’t lend itself to easy reading, and I wonder that it seems complicated where it doesn’t need to be. Finally, I can’t honestly say I liked most of the characters, though their journeys were at least kept interesting.

[George Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I continue to enjoy the characters and the world they inhabit. My biggest issue with the book is that it ended too soon - there was no real payoff at the end, making it just a way to get the characters from the first book to the third book (probably not an issue if it was a single omnibus edition). There were some issues with the editing, but I can overlook those when the story is compelling. I look forward to the third book and discovering the rest of the story.

[Shaun Carney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this book 3.5 stars. Not bad, but not great. Some questions come to fore that we hope are answered in book 3 (but they aren't). A new "hero" emerges and our erstwhile hero from book 1 languishes in the grip of a creature he is supposed to control, but the author doesn't tell us how the servitor controls Tandor (unless I missed something). At the very end, the author places a gun on the mantle (figuratively), that we expect to be used in the final book.

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story and characters! Loved the story but not too fond of the ending but great writing and a lot of fun to read! Great Job!!

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story moves to chevakia were the refugee's from the southern state are fleeing from the deadly icefire cloud.
This book cleverly sets up the final installment

[Teryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the concept, but felt it lost impetus.