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Icefall
Matthew J. Kirby, author of The Clockwork Three, deftly weaves a brand-new tale with chilling cleverness and subtle suspense that will leave readers racing breathlessly to the end.
Trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen sea, Solveig, along with her brother the crown prince, their older sister, and an army of restless warriors, anxiously awaits news of her father's victory at battle. But as winter stretches on, and the unending ice refuses to break, terrible acts of treachery soon make it clear that a traitor lurks in their midst. A malevolent air begins to seep through the fortress walls, and a smothering claustrophobia slowly turns these prisoners of winter against one another.
Those charged with protecting the king's children are all suspect, and the siblings must choose their allies wisely. But who can be trusted so far from their father's watchful eye? Can Solveig and her siblings survive the long winter months and expose the traitor before he succeeds in destroying a kingdom?
Trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen sea, Solveig, along with her brother the crown prince, their older sister, and an army of restless warriors, anxiously awaits news of her father's victory at battle. But as winter stretches on, and the unending ice refuses to break, terrible acts of treachery soon make it clear that a traitor lurks in their midst. A malevolent air begins to seep through the fortress walls, and a smothering claustrophobia slowly turns these prisoners of winter against one another.
Those charged with protecting the king's children are all suspect, and the siblings must choose their allies wisely. But who can be trusted so far from their father's watchful eye? Can Solveig and her siblings survive the long winter months and expose the traitor before he succeeds in destroying a kingdom?
321 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2011
132 people are currently reading
6240 people want to read
About the author
Matthew J. Kirby
29 books464 followersMatthew Kirby was born in Utah, and grew up in Maryland, California, and Hawaii. As an undergraduate he majored in history, and then went on to pursue an M.S. in school psychology. For ten months out of the year he works with students, and during the rest of the year he writes. He and his wife currently live in northern Utah.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 972 reviews
August 7, 2011
This was a different book than I expected. I'd talked to Matt Kirby about it a bit, which is how I scored an ARC, but for all our talk of skalds and eddas, there was very little talk of plot. For instance, I was under the impression (perhaps based on the cover pic) that it was an adventure (as in, the main character goes on a quest), and that it had fantastical elements.
Nope.
Notice, I'm not saying that this is a bad thing, but it is definitely a different thing. I will be honest, I am frankly wary of books that take on vikings, or any Nordic settings. This is my heritage, this is what my degree is in, and I am so FRAKKING SICK of vikings being portrayed as big, nose-picking brutes, or the medieval Scandinavian people as stupid and living in squalor. It is particularly bad in middle grade books. So I started this book with one eye closed, just in case that was where it was going.
Nope again.
This is a wonderful book that fully captures the rhythms of life in a Norwegian hall in winter. The class system, the food, stories, it's all there. The writing is flawless, and the story unfolds with a steady pace, neither rushing to give us "MORE ACTION!!!!" nor too slowly (and causing boredom).
In short, this is the sort of book about medieval Norway I wish I could have had when I was twelve. Simply fabulous, and I truly hope that there is either a sequel, or that Kirby chooses to return to this setting. He has wonderful eye for the details that make every day life fascinating, and I would love to see him take on this time period again.
Nope.
Notice, I'm not saying that this is a bad thing, but it is definitely a different thing. I will be honest, I am frankly wary of books that take on vikings, or any Nordic settings. This is my heritage, this is what my degree is in, and I am so FRAKKING SICK of vikings being portrayed as big, nose-picking brutes, or the medieval Scandinavian people as stupid and living in squalor. It is particularly bad in middle grade books. So I started this book with one eye closed, just in case that was where it was going.
Nope again.
This is a wonderful book that fully captures the rhythms of life in a Norwegian hall in winter. The class system, the food, stories, it's all there. The writing is flawless, and the story unfolds with a steady pace, neither rushing to give us "MORE ACTION!!!!" nor too slowly (and causing boredom).
In short, this is the sort of book about medieval Norway I wish I could have had when I was twelve. Simply fabulous, and I truly hope that there is either a sequel, or that Kirby chooses to return to this setting. He has wonderful eye for the details that make every day life fascinating, and I would love to see him take on this time period again.
July 7, 2018
"It seems there is no one I can fully trust, no one without a secret concealed inside themselves."
This quote describes half of the book.
Everyone has secrets. And this book keeps showing that.
The writing is beautiful, easy and fast to read. It never gets boring.
The art of telling a story plays a big part in this book.
Even though there isn't much action, this book keeps you guessing who may the traitor be.
The story has a steady pace, that focuses more in the fact that we don't know anyone as well as we think and that we always find out new things about even the closest people to us.
It also focuses on the growing up subject and realizing your place in the world and knowing yourself more, leaning that being YOU is enough.
One of the things this book shows is that our first impressions are almost always wrong, and maybe the one we judge the most, end up at the end being our closest of friends and allies.
The main character, Solveig, is very naive yet very smart.
She doesn't think highly of herself. She feels unneeded by everyone and unloved by her father.
Solveig is a gifted storyteller and a very realistic character.
And have a slow development but that allows us to see her growth.
I really liked how she narrates the story.
Every character in this book is complex and are very realistic with their fears, regrets and problems.
Solveig and Hake's relationship is my favourite from this book. They are so good to each other. Family not always comes from blood.
And her relationship with her little brother is so loving.
I loved almost all of the relationships in this book.
"And how I fear that day, for I know that when I look into my betrayer's face, I will see someone I thought I knew. And I will still love them."
One of my favourite quotes. This book has many beautiful moments.
This quote describes half of the book.
Everyone has secrets. And this book keeps showing that.
The writing is beautiful, easy and fast to read. It never gets boring.
The art of telling a story plays a big part in this book.
Even though there isn't much action, this book keeps you guessing who may the traitor be.
The story has a steady pace, that focuses more in the fact that we don't know anyone as well as we think and that we always find out new things about even the closest people to us.
It also focuses on the growing up subject and realizing your place in the world and knowing yourself more, leaning that being YOU is enough.
One of the things this book shows is that our first impressions are almost always wrong, and maybe the one we judge the most, end up at the end being our closest of friends and allies.
The main character, Solveig, is very naive yet very smart.
She doesn't think highly of herself. She feels unneeded by everyone and unloved by her father.
Solveig is a gifted storyteller and a very realistic character.
And have a slow development but that allows us to see her growth.
I really liked how she narrates the story.
Every character in this book is complex and are very realistic with their fears, regrets and problems.
Solveig and Hake's relationship is my favourite from this book. They are so good to each other. Family not always comes from blood.
And her relationship with her little brother is so loving.
I loved almost all of the relationships in this book.
"And how I fear that day, for I know that when I look into my betrayer's face, I will see someone I thought I knew. And I will still love them."
One of my favourite quotes. This book has many beautiful moments.
March 20, 2012
"And how I fear that day, for I know that when I look into my betrayer’s face, I will see someone I thought I knew. And I will still love them."
A Nordic king has gone to war. To protect his three children while he is away, he has sent them, with a small household, to a remote steading. Later, just before the fjord freezes over and shuts the steading in for the winter, he sends reinforcements: a force of berserkers who exist uneasily alongside the others who dwell there.
Our heroine is Solveig, the middle child of the king. Her beautiful older sister Asa will bring a great alliance when she marries. Her younger brother Harald will be a warrior and become king one day. Solveig, plain and seemingly unremarkable, feels overlooked by her father. She is, however, a talented storyteller, and the king’s skald, Alric, takes her under his wing and begins teaching her the art. This training provides much thought-provoking debate on the power of stories and the role of a skald, and as Icefall progresses, Solveig wonders if she will need to challenge Alric’s teachings in order to be true to herself.
For Solveig, and everyone else at the steading, is in mortal danger. The group is now shut in by the ice, and a traitor lurks in their midst. Matthew J. Kirby perfectly creates an unbearable tension. Murder and sabotage stalk the hall. Everyone suspects everyone else, even their own loved ones. Food is scarce, and the only thing that alleviates the food insecurity is when people die, leaving more for the others — food that is now salted with guilt. And as terrifying as the winter is, Solveig has had a nightmare that seems to predict even worse disaster when the spring thaw comes. Intertwined with the main narrative are flashbacks in which Solveig tells anecdotes from her past, reminiscences that tell us more about the characters — the suspects — and why they are so dear to her heart.
The characters are well-drawn. Solveig has a fantastic coming-of-age journey, beginning as an insecure girl and becoming a heroine worthy of legend. I also can’t go without mentioning Hake, captain of the berserkers: gruff and dangerous, but with layers upon layers of depth beneath the surface. Every major character is complex. Even characters who do despicable things are portrayed in three dimensions and have realistic motives for what they do, and realistic weaknesses. They may be the villains of Solveig’s story, but they see themselves as the heroes of their own — an idea that Alric touches upon in his teaching.
All of this great storytelling and characterization is enhanced even more by beautiful writing. Kirby has a great ear for metaphor: "All of the sky looks like a burnt log in the morning hearth, cold, spent, and ashen." There’s a good rhythm to the prose, too, making it feel like a story Solveig is telling us by the fire.
I very nearly missed out on Icefall twice. I received an ARC last year, but was swamped and knew my co-reviewer Bill (see his review)was a Kirby fan and passed it along to him, and then after reading his stellar review, selfishly wished I’d held on to it! Then, recently, I checked it out from the library, but kept not getting around to it, until I got an overdue notice and decided to hurry up and read it before I took it back. I’m so very, very glad I did. Don’t make my mistake, people — don’t put off reading this book. Icefall is stunningly good.
A Nordic king has gone to war. To protect his three children while he is away, he has sent them, with a small household, to a remote steading. Later, just before the fjord freezes over and shuts the steading in for the winter, he sends reinforcements: a force of berserkers who exist uneasily alongside the others who dwell there.
Our heroine is Solveig, the middle child of the king. Her beautiful older sister Asa will bring a great alliance when she marries. Her younger brother Harald will be a warrior and become king one day. Solveig, plain and seemingly unremarkable, feels overlooked by her father. She is, however, a talented storyteller, and the king’s skald, Alric, takes her under his wing and begins teaching her the art. This training provides much thought-provoking debate on the power of stories and the role of a skald, and as Icefall progresses, Solveig wonders if she will need to challenge Alric’s teachings in order to be true to herself.
For Solveig, and everyone else at the steading, is in mortal danger. The group is now shut in by the ice, and a traitor lurks in their midst. Matthew J. Kirby perfectly creates an unbearable tension. Murder and sabotage stalk the hall. Everyone suspects everyone else, even their own loved ones. Food is scarce, and the only thing that alleviates the food insecurity is when people die, leaving more for the others — food that is now salted with guilt. And as terrifying as the winter is, Solveig has had a nightmare that seems to predict even worse disaster when the spring thaw comes. Intertwined with the main narrative are flashbacks in which Solveig tells anecdotes from her past, reminiscences that tell us more about the characters — the suspects — and why they are so dear to her heart.
The characters are well-drawn. Solveig has a fantastic coming-of-age journey, beginning as an insecure girl and becoming a heroine worthy of legend. I also can’t go without mentioning Hake, captain of the berserkers: gruff and dangerous, but with layers upon layers of depth beneath the surface. Every major character is complex. Even characters who do despicable things are portrayed in three dimensions and have realistic motives for what they do, and realistic weaknesses. They may be the villains of Solveig’s story, but they see themselves as the heroes of their own — an idea that Alric touches upon in his teaching.
All of this great storytelling and characterization is enhanced even more by beautiful writing. Kirby has a great ear for metaphor: "All of the sky looks like a burnt log in the morning hearth, cold, spent, and ashen." There’s a good rhythm to the prose, too, making it feel like a story Solveig is telling us by the fire.
I very nearly missed out on Icefall twice. I received an ARC last year, but was swamped and knew my co-reviewer Bill (see his review)was a Kirby fan and passed it along to him, and then after reading his stellar review, selfishly wished I’d held on to it! Then, recently, I checked it out from the library, but kept not getting around to it, until I got an overdue notice and decided to hurry up and read it before I took it back. I’m so very, very glad I did. Don’t make my mistake, people — don’t put off reading this book. Icefall is stunningly good.
January 18, 2014
Solveig, her beautiful older sister and her younger brother, heir to the throne, have been sent to an isolated fort to be safe while their father battles an enemy who wanted to marry her sister. With them are a skald, or bard, some family servants, and some soldiers, including a berserker. Solveig thinks that as the middle child she has nothing to offer--she is plain, she is a girl--but the skald tells her she could learn to be one of the few female skalds. Thus, over the long winter when they are closed in by the winter, Solveig studies the craft of the skald.
But danger is everywhere. Solveig dreams of enemies coming to attack. Someone else is sharing the snowy land with them--and they may be housing a traitor, or more than one. More and more Solveig feels she is walking on very thin ice as danger and death stalk each of them.
If you're interested in Norse history and their way of life, this is a great book to read. The many small mysteries keep the tension building through the book until it's almost unbearable. I also read Kirby's THE LOST KINGDOM and liked it. I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for his books!
But danger is everywhere. Solveig dreams of enemies coming to attack. Someone else is sharing the snowy land with them--and they may be housing a traitor, or more than one. More and more Solveig feels she is walking on very thin ice as danger and death stalk each of them.
If you're interested in Norse history and their way of life, this is a great book to read. The many small mysteries keep the tension building through the book until it's almost unbearable. I also read Kirby's THE LOST KINGDOM and liked it. I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for his books!
January 19, 2019
یه جرئت می تونم بگم یکی از بهترین کتابهایی بود که تا الان خوندم.
شخصیت پردازی واقعا عالی بود، به طوری که حتی برسرکرها که برای من خیلی غریبه بودند رو به راحتی لمس کردم.
گره داستان هم خیلی جذاب و غیر قابل پیش بینی بود، به طوری که وقتی پرده از رازها برداشته شد، به معنی واقعی کلمه شوکه شدم.
بعدا نوشت_خوانش دوم:
حس می کنم هرچند بار که این کتاب رو بخونم، باز هم به این نتیجه می رسم که از همه کتاب هایی که تو کل زندگی م خوندم(که البته تعدادشون کم هم نبوده)بیشتر دوستش دارم. نمی دونم چی باعث می شه این حس بهم دست بده، فقط وقتی می خونمش با تمام وجود توش فرو می رم و نمی دونم که این از هنر نویسنده ست، یا اینکه فقط منم که این طور توش فرو می رم.
شخصیت پردازی واقعا عالی بود، به طوری که حتی برسرکرها که برای من خیلی غریبه بودند رو به راحتی لمس کردم.
گره داستان هم خیلی جذاب و غیر قابل پیش بینی بود، به طوری که وقتی پرده از رازها برداشته شد، به معنی واقعی کلمه شوکه شدم.
بعدا نوشت_خوانش دوم:
حس می کنم هرچند بار که این کتاب رو بخونم، باز هم به این نتیجه می رسم که از همه کتاب هایی که تو کل زندگی م خوندم(که البته تعدادشون کم هم نبوده)بیشتر دوستش دارم. نمی دونم چی باعث می شه این حس بهم دست بده، فقط وقتی می خونمش با تمام وجود توش فرو می رم و نمی دونم که این از هنر نویسنده ست، یا اینکه فقط منم که این طور توش فرو می رم.
March 8, 2015
With all the Rick Riordan obsessiveness and the focus on Greek/Roman/Egyptian mythology, I was REALLY excited to find a book that focuses on Norse mythology. Also really excited to find out that it was a mystery, and not set in contemporary times, and with a strong female protagonist and beautiful writing.
I listened to the audio book on this way (without knowing at first that it's narrated by my FAVORITEST audio book narrator, Jenna Lamia), and it was a great way to experience the book. First, because a lot of the names/words are not super intuitive to pronounce (of course the word "skald" is pronounced "scowled"...), and second because Jenna Lamia is THE BEST at internal monologue and thoughtful heroines.
I LOVED that this book centers around a mystery and Norse mythology, but at its core it's a book about the POWER of STORIES. It explores a lot about what it means for a story to be "true", and what it means to be a storyteller. I also loved how the author wove in the Norse mythology to parallel the journey taken by its main characters. Solveig is such a lovely, wonderful character, and I want to find out what happens to her after the book ends.
This book also has the distinction of being able to transcend age. I am pretty sure that a strong 4th grade reader will appreciate this as much as a 10th grader would. I am reading this book with my 9-12 year-old book club, and I hope they like it.
I listened to the audio book on this way (without knowing at first that it's narrated by my FAVORITEST audio book narrator, Jenna Lamia), and it was a great way to experience the book. First, because a lot of the names/words are not super intuitive to pronounce (of course the word "skald" is pronounced "scowled"...), and second because Jenna Lamia is THE BEST at internal monologue and thoughtful heroines.
I LOVED that this book centers around a mystery and Norse mythology, but at its core it's a book about the POWER of STORIES. It explores a lot about what it means for a story to be "true", and what it means to be a storyteller. I also loved how the author wove in the Norse mythology to parallel the journey taken by its main characters. Solveig is such a lovely, wonderful character, and I want to find out what happens to her after the book ends.
This book also has the distinction of being able to transcend age. I am pretty sure that a strong 4th grade reader will appreciate this as much as a 10th grader would. I am reading this book with my 9-12 year-old book club, and I hope they like it.
December 2, 2014
More people need to read this. Really it’s such a great book. The writing was unique in a way that I liked. It wasn’t overly flourished, using big words and lenghty sentences to convey a message and yet it added to the story’s magic. When people scoff about YA and middle grade books I think of these kinds of books. They are worth reading even though it’s written for a younger audience. I just don’t know how authors can do it.
In this book we have Solveig who is the second daughter of the king but because she isn’t pretty enough to be of use with marriage like her sister, she feels inadequate. The setting is in a fortress that is surrounded by mountains and they are trapped for the winter. There is a war going on outside these mountains and they were sent there for protection but they soon discover that it’s anything but safe. There is a traitor in their midst.
I would say who my favorite characters are and why but I might give something away. So I’ll just say my favorite characters are Solveig and her little brother, who is also the heir to the throne, Herald. He is easy going and has a playfulness that still belongs to young boys. Herald has an effortless way with people, but he is still young and wants so much to prove himself. And Solveig, Solveig, Solvieg, who doesn’t love an underestimated underdog? She has to discover her self-worth during this winter. She has to be stronger than ever now and realize her talents.
The Berserkers are big thug looking guys that at first sight seem barbaric but Solvieg has a way of seeing the best in people. I grew to care about them as Solveig does and she grows to love everyone in the fortress even though she knows one of them has betray her, those she loves, and her poeple. Everyone is a suspect (only Solveig and Herald you are sure about) and when they are revealed Solveig is more sad than angry because it doesn’t matter, she still loves them. I was left guessing right up until the reveal, but that isn’t a surprise I’m not usually one of those reader who figures out the twist and tries to look for clues.
With self-discovery, betrayal, twists, treachery, love, Nordic myths, forgiveness, and even a little action there is a lot to look forward to in this book. Please try it if you are at all interested in fairy tales.
In this book we have Solveig who is the second daughter of the king but because she isn’t pretty enough to be of use with marriage like her sister, she feels inadequate. The setting is in a fortress that is surrounded by mountains and they are trapped for the winter. There is a war going on outside these mountains and they were sent there for protection but they soon discover that it’s anything but safe. There is a traitor in their midst.
I would say who my favorite characters are and why but I might give something away. So I’ll just say my favorite characters are Solveig and her little brother, who is also the heir to the throne, Herald. He is easy going and has a playfulness that still belongs to young boys. Herald has an effortless way with people, but he is still young and wants so much to prove himself. And Solveig, Solveig, Solvieg, who doesn’t love an underestimated underdog? She has to discover her self-worth during this winter. She has to be stronger than ever now and realize her talents.
The Berserkers are big thug looking guys that at first sight seem barbaric but Solvieg has a way of seeing the best in people. I grew to care about them as Solveig does and she grows to love everyone in the fortress even though she knows one of them has betray her, those she loves, and her poeple. Everyone is a suspect (only Solveig and Herald you are sure about) and when they are revealed Solveig is more sad than angry because it doesn’t matter, she still loves them. I was left guessing right up until the reveal, but that isn’t a surprise I’m not usually one of those reader who figures out the twist and tries to look for clues.
With self-discovery, betrayal, twists, treachery, love, Nordic myths, forgiveness, and even a little action there is a lot to look forward to in this book. Please try it if you are at all interested in fairy tales.
June 25, 2024
3.5 Stars
Five books I'm currently reading, it is 23:05, and I decide to go into a book blind. All I know is it is middle grade, very wintery, and has Norse Mythology.
Well I absolutely do not regret throwing away sleep to read this book. The writing is very simplistic and makes you feel claustrophobic but I guess that is the purpose of the book, no?
It is impressive how much was done in less than 350 pages, heck I even got attached to Hilda for the short while she appeared. My favorite relationship in the book was probably that of Solveig and Hake or Solveig and her brother.
Solveig herself was probably the highlight of the book for me. She is the overshadowed middle(?) Child that you can't help but feel bad for. Despite everything though she was genuinely a determined and smart(but slightly naive) person.
Definitely worth staying awake 'till almost 4 am for
Five books I'm currently reading, it is 23:05, and I decide to go into a book blind. All I know is it is middle grade, very wintery, and has Norse Mythology.
Well I absolutely do not regret throwing away sleep to read this book. The writing is very simplistic and makes you feel claustrophobic but I guess that is the purpose of the book, no?
It is impressive how much was done in less than 350 pages, heck I even got attached to Hilda for the short while she appeared. My favorite relationship in the book was probably that of Solveig and Hake or Solveig and her brother.
Solveig herself was probably the highlight of the book for me. She is the overshadowed middle(?) Child that you can't help but feel bad for. Despite everything though she was genuinely a determined and smart(but slightly naive) person.
Definitely worth staying awake 'till almost 4 am for
November 13, 2023
خیلی خیلی دوستش داشتم. شخصیتپردازی بینظیری داشت. بخاطر خاطرههای زیادی که با اسطورههای اسکاندیناوی دارم قسمتهای ادین و افسانههایی که تعریف میکرد جور دیگهای روم تاثیر گذاشت.
و خدای من، فصل آخر چقدر شبیه انیمهها بود. سولویگ به روش خودش زیباست و همیشه جای خاصی از قلبم بهش تعلق خواهد داشت.
بخشی از متن کتاب:
شاید وقتی مردم نمیتوانند به رنجهایشان پایان دهند، دنبال علت رنج کشیدنشان میگردند. رنج کشیدن بخشی از زندگی در این جهان است، بخشی از یک چرخه.
میگوید: قصهها به ما راهی نشان میدهند تا مسائل را ببینیم. راهی که رخدادهای زندگیمان را درک کنیم. حتی اگر موقع شنیدن قصه، متوجه آن نشویم.
و خدای من، فصل آخر چقدر شبیه انیمهها بود. سولویگ به روش خودش زیباست و همیشه جای خاصی از قلبم بهش تعلق خواهد داشت.
بخشی از متن کتاب:
شاید وقتی مردم نمیتوانند به رنجهایشان پایان دهند، دنبال علت رنج کشیدنشان میگردند. رنج کشیدن بخشی از زندگی در این جهان است، بخشی از یک چرخه.
میگوید: قصهها به ما راهی نشان میدهند تا مسائل را ببینیم. راهی که رخدادهای زندگیمان را درک کنیم. حتی اگر موقع شنیدن قصه، متوجه آن نشویم.
November 25, 2011
First Impressions:
Thea: When I started Icefall, I expected an engaging YA fantasy novel – I certainly was not expecting to be so enthralled by this beautiful, breathtaking, elegiac tale. A fable of family, loyalty, honor; a story about the strength of truth; a lovingly crafted ode to the craft of storytelling – Icefall is all of these things. In the shortest, plainest terms, I loved this book.
Ana: Icefall was not at all what I expected – the cover is quite misleading, I thought, promising the grandeur of a Fantasy setting whilst in reality the setting has very few Fantasy trappings and the story itself is of the quiet, slow kind – the kind that slowly yet surely shows its true face: it began like any other YA novel only to end as one of the strongest stories I read this year. I too, loved this book.
On the Plot:
Thea: The second daughter of a great King, Solveig has always felt overlooked, forgotten, and insignificant. Her eldest sister Asa is so beautiful, with her hair like gold and skin like cream, that a war is started for her hand. Her younger brother Harald is strong and brave, and all know that he will make another great King when their father’s time has passed. But quiet, meek Solveig is neither beautiful nor strong; she is merely Solveig. When a great war is waged between the king his a rival warlord Gunnlaug, Solveig, Asa and Harald are sent to a remote fjord with a group of the king’s most trusted warriors – guard and berserker alike – to stay out the duration of the war. As the weeks pass and the fjord freezes over, the group settles in for the winter, isolated and supposedly safe…until they find a pair of footprints they cannot account for in the snow. First there is doubt, then there is poison. Soon it becomes clear to the group that there is a traitor in their midst – and only the quiet, observant Solveig can find the truth.
Icefall, the second novel from Matthew J. Kirby, is an utterly fantastic, enthralling feat of storytelling. At first glance, it’s a story about a group of people snowed in for the winter with a traitor in their midst. On another level, it is a tale about a royal family and a shy, overlooked girl coming into her own and learning that she is so much more than anyone believes. On yet another level, Icefall is Scheherazadian – a story within a story; memories woven together to make a larger, heartbreaking tapestry. What can I say about this book to convey my awe and love for its telling? I loved the integration of Norse mythology from the rich oral history tradition of skalds to the awe-inspiring and terrifying power wielded by berserker warriors. Most of all, I loved the writing. Take for example the truths about storytelling:
A story is not a thing. A story is an act. It only exists in the brief moment of its telling. The question you must ask is what a story has the power to do. The truth of something you do is very different from the truth of something you know.
And
Until now, I thought only of what stories could do in their moment. I was the ploughman, turning the hearts of my audience like soil, thinking I could bend the earth to my will. But stories have a quieter and more subtle power than that. Now I see that I am also the ploughman’s wife walking behind him, dropping seeds into the earth, leaving them to grow in meaning. I realize that every story I have ever heard is a part of me, deeply rooted, whispering behind my thoughts.
What else can I say? I do not want to give away more because Icefall is a lush, stark beauty of a book, written in the style of Marillier and Shinn. I loved the mystery element of the novel (which I think comes to a fitting, if sad end). I loved the relationships and characters. But more on that in a bit.
Ana: Yes, yes what Thea said. I loved everything about it: its several layers of storytelling, the different aspects of the tale (part-mystery, part-coming of age, part something else altogether), the characters and the writing itself.
To me, the greatest strength of Icefall lies equally on its quietness and on how it combines beautifully the threads of a mystery novel with a coming of age tale. The former comes from Solveig herself, the type of person she is and how her quiet personality surfaces in her own narrative. Even though the plot of the novel speaks of horrible, wondrous things like treason and murder, her narrative conveys those almost in a subdued way that is all the more powerful for all the emotional punches that hides beneath. I also loved how unpredictable the mystery was – at one point I suspected everybody and when the final revelation came, I felt it was believable.
For all its quietness though, when the story reaches its climax, it is out-of-this-world awesome – it is when the story turns truly epic, as though the characters have become the creatures of legend themselves. Given how Solveig’s story is also about the power of words, the power of storytelling, this was not only fitting but also extremely cool.
On the Characters:
Ana: The characters are so well developed, the vast majority of them has depth as the days pass in their confinement, the more we learn about them and the more I grew to love them all as characters (even if I didn’t exactly love them as people) because of their weakness and strengths. I loved the relationships between Solveig and her close family and friends as well as the budding relationship with Alric, the skald and Hake, the beserker (I might or might not have lost my heart forever somewhere between the two).
Heck, even the animals had distinct personalities and this is no small feat. Yes, Hilda the Goat and Munnin the Raven, I am looking at you.
But of course, the greatest character is Solveig and this is her coming of age. Every step she takes toward being her own person is a step that comes with potential heartbreak. Every single action comes with deciding to act even as these decisions are not made lightly.
Do you know what I loved the best about Solveig and her arc? That, she is a female character with agency even though for all intents and purposes, as a female character in this particular historical context, she feels she has none. I love how Matthew Kirby explores the possibility of a girl wanting more, expecting more and achieving more when nothing is expected from her and all within the realm of believability. And to me, speaks volumes about this author’s talent.
Thea: Ahh, the characters! I LOVED Solveig so so so much. More than anything else, Icefall is Solveig’s book, as the mild mannered sister chooses to become a skald, and discovers the deep strength that lies within. In fact, Solveig might be one of my favorite literary heroines of the year because of the very reasons that Ana mentions – despite everything to the contrary, Solveig finds a new path in a world where it seems women have no options. This is an interesting juxtaposition with the tragic elder sister Asa, who, with all her beauty and grace is coveted and trapped by duty, yet finds a different way to make choices for her life. As Asa comes to accept her own strength, she faces her greatest and most daunting challenge – her father. This tense relationship defines so much of Solveig’s character, so when she finally finds her voice it so deeply moving.
Beyond Solveig, I loved the depth and nuance to all the characters, from the young and brave Harald who so yearns to be strong enough to protect his family and live up to his father’s example, to the burgeoning warrior Raudi who is trapped between being a boy and a man. I loved Alric the skald, with his gilded tongue and ability to use stories to inspire and change, but most of all I loved Hake, the captain of the berserker army – an unexpected friend and loyal heart to the end.
Even the villains of the piece are treated as honest characters with understandable intentions, which is no small feat. Like Ana, I am completely convinced of Mr. Kirby’s talent as an author and a storyteller with this expertly crafted tale.
Final Thoughts, Observations & Rating:
Ana: Icefall was an unexpected surprise. I loved this book and it is definitely a notable read of 2011. Plus, as soon as I finished it, I went and bought this author’s first book The Clockwork Three.
Thea: I adored this quiet, beautiful book from beginning to end and cannot wait to read more from Matthew J. Kirby. Easily one of my notable reads of 2011 – if not in my top 10 favorites of the year.
Thea: When I started Icefall, I expected an engaging YA fantasy novel – I certainly was not expecting to be so enthralled by this beautiful, breathtaking, elegiac tale. A fable of family, loyalty, honor; a story about the strength of truth; a lovingly crafted ode to the craft of storytelling – Icefall is all of these things. In the shortest, plainest terms, I loved this book.
Ana: Icefall was not at all what I expected – the cover is quite misleading, I thought, promising the grandeur of a Fantasy setting whilst in reality the setting has very few Fantasy trappings and the story itself is of the quiet, slow kind – the kind that slowly yet surely shows its true face: it began like any other YA novel only to end as one of the strongest stories I read this year. I too, loved this book.
On the Plot:
Thea: The second daughter of a great King, Solveig has always felt overlooked, forgotten, and insignificant. Her eldest sister Asa is so beautiful, with her hair like gold and skin like cream, that a war is started for her hand. Her younger brother Harald is strong and brave, and all know that he will make another great King when their father’s time has passed. But quiet, meek Solveig is neither beautiful nor strong; she is merely Solveig. When a great war is waged between the king his a rival warlord Gunnlaug, Solveig, Asa and Harald are sent to a remote fjord with a group of the king’s most trusted warriors – guard and berserker alike – to stay out the duration of the war. As the weeks pass and the fjord freezes over, the group settles in for the winter, isolated and supposedly safe…until they find a pair of footprints they cannot account for in the snow. First there is doubt, then there is poison. Soon it becomes clear to the group that there is a traitor in their midst – and only the quiet, observant Solveig can find the truth.
Icefall, the second novel from Matthew J. Kirby, is an utterly fantastic, enthralling feat of storytelling. At first glance, it’s a story about a group of people snowed in for the winter with a traitor in their midst. On another level, it is a tale about a royal family and a shy, overlooked girl coming into her own and learning that she is so much more than anyone believes. On yet another level, Icefall is Scheherazadian – a story within a story; memories woven together to make a larger, heartbreaking tapestry. What can I say about this book to convey my awe and love for its telling? I loved the integration of Norse mythology from the rich oral history tradition of skalds to the awe-inspiring and terrifying power wielded by berserker warriors. Most of all, I loved the writing. Take for example the truths about storytelling:
A story is not a thing. A story is an act. It only exists in the brief moment of its telling. The question you must ask is what a story has the power to do. The truth of something you do is very different from the truth of something you know.
And
Until now, I thought only of what stories could do in their moment. I was the ploughman, turning the hearts of my audience like soil, thinking I could bend the earth to my will. But stories have a quieter and more subtle power than that. Now I see that I am also the ploughman’s wife walking behind him, dropping seeds into the earth, leaving them to grow in meaning. I realize that every story I have ever heard is a part of me, deeply rooted, whispering behind my thoughts.
What else can I say? I do not want to give away more because Icefall is a lush, stark beauty of a book, written in the style of Marillier and Shinn. I loved the mystery element of the novel (which I think comes to a fitting, if sad end). I loved the relationships and characters. But more on that in a bit.
Ana: Yes, yes what Thea said. I loved everything about it: its several layers of storytelling, the different aspects of the tale (part-mystery, part-coming of age, part something else altogether), the characters and the writing itself.
To me, the greatest strength of Icefall lies equally on its quietness and on how it combines beautifully the threads of a mystery novel with a coming of age tale. The former comes from Solveig herself, the type of person she is and how her quiet personality surfaces in her own narrative. Even though the plot of the novel speaks of horrible, wondrous things like treason and murder, her narrative conveys those almost in a subdued way that is all the more powerful for all the emotional punches that hides beneath. I also loved how unpredictable the mystery was – at one point I suspected everybody and when the final revelation came, I felt it was believable.
For all its quietness though, when the story reaches its climax, it is out-of-this-world awesome – it is when the story turns truly epic, as though the characters have become the creatures of legend themselves. Given how Solveig’s story is also about the power of words, the power of storytelling, this was not only fitting but also extremely cool.
On the Characters:
Ana: The characters are so well developed, the vast majority of them has depth as the days pass in their confinement, the more we learn about them and the more I grew to love them all as characters (even if I didn’t exactly love them as people) because of their weakness and strengths. I loved the relationships between Solveig and her close family and friends as well as the budding relationship with Alric, the skald and Hake, the beserker (I might or might not have lost my heart forever somewhere between the two).
Heck, even the animals had distinct personalities and this is no small feat. Yes, Hilda the Goat and Munnin the Raven, I am looking at you.
But of course, the greatest character is Solveig and this is her coming of age. Every step she takes toward being her own person is a step that comes with potential heartbreak. Every single action comes with deciding to act even as these decisions are not made lightly.
Do you know what I loved the best about Solveig and her arc? That, she is a female character with agency even though for all intents and purposes, as a female character in this particular historical context, she feels she has none. I love how Matthew Kirby explores the possibility of a girl wanting more, expecting more and achieving more when nothing is expected from her and all within the realm of believability. And to me, speaks volumes about this author’s talent.
Thea: Ahh, the characters! I LOVED Solveig so so so much. More than anything else, Icefall is Solveig’s book, as the mild mannered sister chooses to become a skald, and discovers the deep strength that lies within. In fact, Solveig might be one of my favorite literary heroines of the year because of the very reasons that Ana mentions – despite everything to the contrary, Solveig finds a new path in a world where it seems women have no options. This is an interesting juxtaposition with the tragic elder sister Asa, who, with all her beauty and grace is coveted and trapped by duty, yet finds a different way to make choices for her life. As Asa comes to accept her own strength, she faces her greatest and most daunting challenge – her father. This tense relationship defines so much of Solveig’s character, so when she finally finds her voice it so deeply moving.
Beyond Solveig, I loved the depth and nuance to all the characters, from the young and brave Harald who so yearns to be strong enough to protect his family and live up to his father’s example, to the burgeoning warrior Raudi who is trapped between being a boy and a man. I loved Alric the skald, with his gilded tongue and ability to use stories to inspire and change, but most of all I loved Hake, the captain of the berserker army – an unexpected friend and loyal heart to the end.
Even the villains of the piece are treated as honest characters with understandable intentions, which is no small feat. Like Ana, I am completely convinced of Mr. Kirby’s talent as an author and a storyteller with this expertly crafted tale.
Final Thoughts, Observations & Rating:
Ana: Icefall was an unexpected surprise. I loved this book and it is definitely a notable read of 2011. Plus, as soon as I finished it, I went and bought this author’s first book The Clockwork Three.
Thea: I adored this quiet, beautiful book from beginning to end and cannot wait to read more from Matthew J. Kirby. Easily one of my notable reads of 2011 – if not in my top 10 favorites of the year.
January 8, 2015
Although this book is not very "action-packed," I found it very engaging. While it may not have a lot going on in terms of plot, it builds suspense well, has a cast of likable characters, and ultimately has a nice message about the power of storytelling. I really enjoyed it!
- Longer review coming eventually ... maybe -
- Longer review coming eventually ... maybe -
May 2, 2019
«قصهای بگو که در آن امید همیشه زنده بماند.»
September 15, 2021
جنگ شروع میشه شاهزاده سولویگ و خواهر و برادرش چارهای ندارن جز اینکه پدرشون رو در جنگ رها کنن و به قلعهای پناه ببرن بین کوه ها، دور از دشمن و با زمستان هایی سرد و یخبندان. اونا منتظرن تا پدرشون براشون آذوقه و لباس بفرسته یا پیکی که خبر پیروزی پدرشون رو در جنگ بهشون اطلاع بده اما به جای اینها پدرشون بهترین جنگجو هاشو میفرسته شاهزاده سولویگ با برادرش و خواهرش و مورد اعتماد ترین افراد پدرش به همراه جنگجو ها در قلعه میمونه ولی طولی نمیکشه که جنگجو ها مسموم میشن و اینا متوجه میشن خائنی بینشون هست...
یکی از چیزایی که من تو این کتاب خیلی دوست داشتم شخصیتپردازی عالی نویسنده بود. من با همه شخصیت ها زندگی کردم. من اونجا تو قلعه بودم و به اندازهی سولویگ دلم میخواست بفهمم خائن کیه...
یکی از چیزایی که من تو این کتاب خیلی دوست داشتم شخصیتپردازی عالی نویسنده بود. من با همه شخصیت ها زندگی کردم. من اونجا تو قلعه بودم و به اندازهی سولویگ دلم میخواست بفهمم خائن کیه...
November 4, 2011
Young adult fiction tied to myths and stories? Yep, that’s me. And it turned out to be a gripping and imaginative story with great characters and a unique setting.
Kirby really explores issues of trust in a community pushed to the brink while at the same telling a powerful coming of age story about a child awkwardly trying to find her identity (in contrast to the beautiful sister and the young brother and heir to the throne).
Three reasons you should read this one:
1) Great characters. Starting with Solveig this story is a mix of great characters. As noted above, Solveig struggles to find her place in the world. She is plain and has no clear place in the hierarchy of her community. Her sister is the beautiful princess who reminds everyone of her beautiful mother and whose beauty brings status to her father the king. Her brother is the young heir to the throne full of youthful energy and already showing signs of strength and courage. But it turns out she does have gifts and these will play a more important role in the life of the community than anyone would have predicted.
In addition you have Alric the sklad who is mentoring Solveig but who seems to lack any clear allegiances or commitments except his own safety. And Per the warrior Solveig idolized – who she thought was different from all the rest – but who is revealed to be all too human; and like everyone else with suspect motives and desires. Or Hake the frightening berserker who of all people seems worthy of trust. The interaction of these, and a number of interesting side characters as well, makes for fascinating reading.
2) Great setting. The tension starts from the very beginning with the idea that the ice flow will trap this party in place over the course of the winter. As the harsh winter descends Kirby ratchets up the tension with intrigue and violence. Trapped between the fjord and the glacier, and forced to live and eat in one building, the royal family shares space with warriors and servants. Soon nerves are frayed and friendships are threatened. This also serves as a great stage for the story elements as Solveig struggles to come to terms with being a skald and her gifts and identity. The sense of being trapped; the picture of a community pushed to the edge; the harsh reality of the Norse world are all captured here.
3) The power of story. Kirby not only weaves a great story himself but artfully explores the power of story in “real” life. He shows how we use stories to find our place in the larger world and to make sense of ideas, emotions, history and relationships. Stories can alter our mood, change our perspective and unite a community - among other things. kirby both shows this with his own skillful narrative and highlights it within the story using the Norse myths and the stories Alric and Solveig tell.
As should be clear from the above, Kirby weaves a great tale. There is historical detail, psychological insight, mystery, intrigue and more. And of course, there is a climatic conclusion.
A great story for readers young and old.
Kirby really explores issues of trust in a community pushed to the brink while at the same telling a powerful coming of age story about a child awkwardly trying to find her identity (in contrast to the beautiful sister and the young brother and heir to the throne).
Three reasons you should read this one:
1) Great characters. Starting with Solveig this story is a mix of great characters. As noted above, Solveig struggles to find her place in the world. She is plain and has no clear place in the hierarchy of her community. Her sister is the beautiful princess who reminds everyone of her beautiful mother and whose beauty brings status to her father the king. Her brother is the young heir to the throne full of youthful energy and already showing signs of strength and courage. But it turns out she does have gifts and these will play a more important role in the life of the community than anyone would have predicted.
In addition you have Alric the sklad who is mentoring Solveig but who seems to lack any clear allegiances or commitments except his own safety. And Per the warrior Solveig idolized – who she thought was different from all the rest – but who is revealed to be all too human; and like everyone else with suspect motives and desires. Or Hake the frightening berserker who of all people seems worthy of trust. The interaction of these, and a number of interesting side characters as well, makes for fascinating reading.
2) Great setting. The tension starts from the very beginning with the idea that the ice flow will trap this party in place over the course of the winter. As the harsh winter descends Kirby ratchets up the tension with intrigue and violence. Trapped between the fjord and the glacier, and forced to live and eat in one building, the royal family shares space with warriors and servants. Soon nerves are frayed and friendships are threatened. This also serves as a great stage for the story elements as Solveig struggles to come to terms with being a skald and her gifts and identity. The sense of being trapped; the picture of a community pushed to the edge; the harsh reality of the Norse world are all captured here.
3) The power of story. Kirby not only weaves a great story himself but artfully explores the power of story in “real” life. He shows how we use stories to find our place in the larger world and to make sense of ideas, emotions, history and relationships. Stories can alter our mood, change our perspective and unite a community - among other things. kirby both shows this with his own skillful narrative and highlights it within the story using the Norse myths and the stories Alric and Solveig tell.
As should be clear from the above, Kirby weaves a great tale. There is historical detail, psychological insight, mystery, intrigue and more. And of course, there is a climatic conclusion.
A great story for readers young and old.
July 2, 2020
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I did not click with this one and I feel a bit like I missed out on something cool because other Goodreads reviewers love it so much. Maybe I just expected more epic-journey or epic-action or epic-anything. Instead I got what felt like eons of nothing but people sitting around nearly freezing/starving/whining to death.
There is more to it. The heroine is a storyteller learning to come into her own. Lots of family dynamics and what not but...I never felt the tale.
For an epic story of vikings and mythology (though no claim to historical fiction), I'd read Cry of the Icemark.
I did not click with this one and I feel a bit like I missed out on something cool because other Goodreads reviewers love it so much. Maybe I just expected more epic-journey or epic-action or epic-anything. Instead I got what felt like eons of nothing but people sitting around nearly freezing/starving/whining to death.
There is more to it. The heroine is a storyteller learning to come into her own. Lots of family dynamics and what not but...I never felt the tale.
For an epic story of vikings and mythology (though no claim to historical fiction), I'd read Cry of the Icemark.
January 6, 2020
This book is incredible. I loved it. The plot is unpredictable, twisty, and riveting; the characters are compelling, complex, and well-developed; the writing style is masterful, tight, and achingly gorgeous; the setting is rich and believable; the themes and message are deep, wise, truthful, and powerful.
I adore the main character, Solveig. She was compassionate, kind, perceptive, empathetic, wise, and eventually very strong and courageous. She was an amazing storyteller once she allowed herself to be, and she knew what others needed and was able to help and heal others with her words. Everything about her was wonderful, though imperfect - but she didn't know her own worth. She doubted herself, did not love herself as she should, and thought she was less than her siblings, as all evidence, in her eyes, attested. She ached at the empty hole left by the lack of her father's love and approval, since he overlooked her and gave his pride and love only to her siblings. And she struggled to find her identity and the worth and strength within her, refusing to believe they existed. For how could they?
I share and strongly identify with Solveig's personality, qualities, growth, and struggles - and even her need to overcome fear of failure in order to be a storyteller. I hurt for her and felt her emotion as she went through pain, betrayal, and loss, and as she was dragged down by the weight of feeling worthless. And I rejoiced with her as she finally accepted her own freedom and found worth, identity, value, and strength within herself - not coming from another person. Her character arc and growth were phenomenally executed. I'm amazed that a male author was able to so skillfully and accurately portray such a wonderful female character - not many authors in general can, and both male and female authors often do not. Solveig was emotional and empathetic, but she was strong even when she didn't realize it. She's a girl that I and others can admire and identify with, and I wish I could have read her story as a teenager who struggled with lack of self-worth and self-esteem.
I also loved each one of her relationships with the other characters who are members of her family and household. She won each of their love and loyalty because of her amazing character and the way she treats everyone around her - things she doesn't realize about herself. And each of her friends and family, especially the truest of them, helped her overcome her obstacles and struggles and find who she had been all along. I cared about each of them along with Solveig, and the inevitable betrayal surprised me and caused me pain for her sake even though I and she knew it would come from one of her loved ones - the question was which one.
The plot was unpredictable and kept me guessing the whole time, and it drew me in with increasing questions and suspense from the very first page. I predicted a few things, but I was totally wrong about most others, and all of it happened in a way I didn't at all expect, over and over and over throughout the book. I was surprised again and again, and it all worked out in a way that made such a wonderful story. The foreshadowing was brilliant without giving things away. In addition to the plot, the development, reveal, and progression of most of the characters surprised me as well, even as it was all wonderful and natural.
There was heightening intrigue and danger through the entire book, sparking more and more explosively as it went along. Betrayal lurked under the surface and eventually burst to the fore. Everything ramped up in great intensity toward the climax, leaving me on the edge of my seat and sometimes emotional, wondering again and again what would happen as I kept reading and watched it all unfold. I could never have predicted how it turned out, but the end satisfied me and felt right even though it left my heart sore at what happened. It was bittersweet but so good, and I was glad to see Solveig overcome and arrive at a good place.
The setting was incredibly rich with just the right amount of realistic detail, making a historical setting feel real and alive. The book brings a Viking hall and Viking characters to vivid life, and it feels like it really happened - even if the events of the story, unlike the setting, do not seem to be based on any specific part of history.
The writing style was simply amazing from the very first. The author's writing is beautiful, skilled, and natural, and I could hear Solveig's voice in her POV the entire time. It really did feel as if she was telling the story herself - like I was listening to her own words. Every beautiful description, every vivid metaphor, every well-chosen word, every moment of the well-spun story was that of a born skald, or Viking poet and storyteller. Her wordcraft had incredible beauty and power. That speaks of the author's skill, as does the fact that it didn't even feel as if there was a modern author behind it. I also didn't even notice at first that the book was written in first-person present tense - a style which sometimes stands out too much and feels unnatural or forced to me, but which felt completely organic and natural in this book.
The themes and message of this book were beautiful and profound - and full of wise truth. And they weren't limited to the powerful story of Solveig overcoming her lack of self-worth and finding her strength. She and the other characters represented other themes as well, including sacrifice, trust, friendship, love, loyalty, betrayal, hope, and redemption. The book explored what happens when a person can no longer trust their loved ones; what defines truth, lies, and identity; and what kind of loyalty spurs someone to protect and fight for another person till hope is lost and the end comes.
Also, the title and cover are gorgeous and represent the story well, even though the cover makes it seem like fantasy - which, I suspect, may even have been cleverly intentional. It seems to me like this book could be historical fiction, fantasy, both, or neither, leaving the genre ambiguous and bridging the gap between them - and between other genres it combines, including mystery adventure, and suspense, since it's all those but none at the same time.
One thing I slightly disliked, and the reason I wouldn't give this book to a younger preteen, was that the villain was a creepy and disgusting man who did not treat young girls very nicely. The author handled it really, really well, however, and made it very subtle and not over a line of my comfort zone. Also, almost all of the icky-ness was merely implied or hinted at, or consisted of unrealized potential, and it usually only resulted from me filling in the blanks as an adult reader, so a middle-grader might not catch all the implications. There was also a decent amount of violence, wounds, death, and blood that didn't bother me and were not gratuitous - but which might be too gory for younger readers. Also, as part of the realistic Viking detail, there were many references to Norse myths, legends, gods, and superstitions, including prayer to Odin, undead ghosts, and berserker rage. I'll give this book to my teen brother right now, but I'll probably wait to give it to my little sister until she's closer to his age.
I was thinking for most of the book I'd give it four stars, with moments that made me consider making it higher. But when the intensity of the climax came, I was so drawn in by - and emotionally invested in - the characters and the action that my rating did become higher. While I didn't love everything, I loved most things, and the ending won me over even more completely and caused me to give the book another half star. This book fully earned each of the 4.5 stars I grant it in total.
Overall, Icefall is in every way a well-written and compelling juvenile fiction or young adult novel. I would have loved to have read it when I was craving more good Viking books as a young teenager who dearly loved Viking historical fiction, but I loved it just as much now - and I do still love Vikings. I recommend it heartily to anyone, young teens and up, who loves complex plot and characters - and especially to any historical fiction or fantasy reader, since it will appeal to both groups even though it seems to be historical fiction.
January 15, 2019
4,25 stars
I don't understand why the first genre of this book is listed as "fantasy" when there's almost zero actual magic except for maybe "berserkergang" which still was a thing (though not a very explained one). This is historical fiction just not the usual kind. It's the story of Solveig, the second daughter of the king, who tries to find her place in life while there's a war going on in the background. The only "magic" that is present in the narrative is the power of storytelling and how it affects people which was a great topic for exploration. I honestly found this whole book very refreshing and interesting, I loved Solveig as the main protagonist and my only complaint is a rather vague ending. But, overall, a very solid read.
I don't understand why the first genre of this book is listed as "fantasy" when there's almost zero actual magic except for maybe "berserkergang" which still was a thing (though not a very explained one). This is historical fiction just not the usual kind. It's the story of Solveig, the second daughter of the king, who tries to find her place in life while there's a war going on in the background. The only "magic" that is present in the narrative is the power of storytelling and how it affects people which was a great topic for exploration. I honestly found this whole book very refreshing and interesting, I loved Solveig as the main protagonist and my only complaint is a rather vague ending. But, overall, a very solid read.
October 27, 2018
On the brink of war, a Viking ruler sends his three children to safety before his stronghold falls under seige. The children, their servants and a small group of soldiers and berserkers are shut in during a particularly harsh winter. They struggle to survive on meager rations and once conflict and distrust settle in, things take a dark turn when their fragile community is sabotaged from within.
This YA historical fiction tale, based on the theme of being trapped or confined, was just okay. To be fair, it's a kind of storytelling tension that has never really appealed to me in the first place. I loved Matthew J. Kirby's A Taste for Monsters, but Icefall was just ear fodder for my long commute and I'll probably forget all about this book in a couple of months.
This YA historical fiction tale, based on the theme of being trapped or confined, was just okay. To be fair, it's a kind of storytelling tension that has never really appealed to me in the first place. I loved Matthew J. Kirby's A Taste for Monsters, but Icefall was just ear fodder for my long commute and I'll probably forget all about this book in a couple of months.
December 9, 2024
یه تک جلدی جذاب ☺️ مخصوص طرفداران اسطوره شناسی نورس
https://youtu.be/ZmgeDrh6vj4?si=aiSFl...
https://youtu.be/ZmgeDrh6vj4?si=aiSFl...
November 24, 2021
This was a great story: Full of suspense and intrigue, beautiful writing, and heartfelt characters. I loved the setting, the storytelling aspect, and the threads of doubt and suspicion through the whole scenario. I read it just a few days, and had to race through the end cause I couldn’t bear the suspense.
The book was a bit of a downer, though. I would hesitate to recommend it to middle grade readers, except that I was obsessed with reading tragedy when I was younger. So maybe it just depends on the reader. As an adult, all of the hardship turned me off the story a little. I’ve experienced too much discouragement in the past year or two to find it all that entertaining in fiction.
The book was a bit of a downer, though. I would hesitate to recommend it to middle grade readers, except that I was obsessed with reading tragedy when I was younger. So maybe it just depends on the reader. As an adult, all of the hardship turned me off the story a little. I’ve experienced too much discouragement in the past year or two to find it all that entertaining in fiction.
May 15, 2021
چرا یادم رفته بود این دوستمون رو اد کنم؟ :)
چهار-پنج سال پیش خونده بودمش. و خاطرهی خیلی خوبی ازش تو ذهنم مونده. یادمه که چقدر فضای جدید و خاصش رو دوست داشتم. یه حال و هوای عجیبی داشت...
دوست دارم دوباره بخونمش همین روزا.
فعلاً با توجه به اون حس گنگی که یادم مونده ۴ دادم، ولی به نظرم اگه دوباره بخونمش شاید بالاتر هم بره امتیازش.
چهار-پنج سال پیش خونده بودمش. و خاطرهی خیلی خوبی ازش تو ذهنم مونده. یادمه که چقدر فضای جدید و خاصش رو دوست داشتم. یه حال و هوای عجیبی داشت...
دوست دارم دوباره بخونمش همین روزا.
فعلاً با توجه به اون حس گنگی که یادم مونده ۴ دادم، ولی به نظرم اگه دوباره بخونمش شاید بالاتر هم بره امتیازش.
July 24, 2011
*********
Set in the frozen north, the King’s children along with a very small band of servants have escaped a war with Gunnlaug that started with a spurned marriage proposal. They are hidden away in a fjord waiting (hopefully) out of harm’s way.
Kirby makes a large bow to the oral tradition of story telling as he relates The king's children's desperate fight for survival against cold, hunger and treachery. Asa is the oldest daughter, she possesses an ethereal and arresting beauty--the kind that launches ships. Herald is the frisky son who will inherit the King’s position. Solveig is the forgotten middle sister, neither beautiful nor male and completely ignored by the King.
Centering on Solveig and the discovery of her hidden talents as a skald; Kirby weaves wisps of old tales into something new and inspiring, showing how the tales we tell define and direct our cultures. Solveig has prophetic dreams, learns the restorative and creative nature of stories, discovers her courage along with something of the nature of love and honor.
Set in the frozen north, the King’s children along with a very small band of servants have escaped a war with Gunnlaug that started with a spurned marriage proposal. They are hidden away in a fjord waiting (hopefully) out of harm’s way.
Kirby makes a large bow to the oral tradition of story telling as he relates The king's children's desperate fight for survival against cold, hunger and treachery. Asa is the oldest daughter, she possesses an ethereal and arresting beauty--the kind that launches ships. Herald is the frisky son who will inherit the King’s position. Solveig is the forgotten middle sister, neither beautiful nor male and completely ignored by the King.
Centering on Solveig and the discovery of her hidden talents as a skald; Kirby weaves wisps of old tales into something new and inspiring, showing how the tales we tell define and direct our cultures. Solveig has prophetic dreams, learns the restorative and creative nature of stories, discovers her courage along with something of the nature of love and honor.
January 2, 2012
Wellwritten but slow moving. I revisited it based on the reviews but I don't see it having wide appeal... Its very nicely done, but i think its a tough sell to middle school readers, unless they are already into viking talles... The cover promises Thor, but the insides are more Hamlet... Politcal intrigues, historical fiction...l however i will read a little more... I do like the norse tales interwoven and the main character grows on me...
I worry that it will turn into a typical lineage story like many castle set, however it s growing in me, though i still think it might be a tough sell...
I worry that it will turn into a typical lineage story like many castle set, however it s growing in me, though i still think it might be a tough sell...
September 23, 2013
Ew. This book fr was like the most horbs book ever. I was bored af like every time I even looked at the stupid thing. It dragged on with very little suspense or anything to make the book interesting. DONT READ THIS EVIL BOOK. I hope the evil person that made this book dies in a chemical fire for this crime against books.
-Nick :)
-Nick :)
September 9, 2025
It's kind of slow... but not a terrible book. There were things I liked such as showcasing the power of stories...and things I didn't like such as all the gods and the skald saying that he could make up gods and who was to say they were any less real.
Characters:
The main character is Solveig, and I really liked her. I felt for her as the overlooked middle child and connected with her want to be needed and something important to her family. Her choice to be brave in the face of fear was inspiring!
I enjoyed Harald, Solveig's younger brother! Raudi and his mother Bera...Alric ended up being one of my favorites despite my doubts, and Hake was great!
Asa seemed sweet, though we don't see much of her... Per was very nice... and Ole, well, he flipped flopped between grouchy and nice.😂
Theme:
Stories have the power to change the world.
Romance:
On the side... nothing bad, just mentions.
Language:
N/A...though there are many mentions of viking gods.
Magic:
N/A
Violence/Gore:
Mentions of blood and carcasses, poison, death, broken bodies, and vacant eyes. Also, a pet that gets killed and eaten.
Hake is a berserker...so if you know anything from viking Lore, you know they were brutal fighters, and there is a short scene where that is touched on.
Overall:
This was a pretty enjoyable book, albeit kind of slow due to so many stories being told by the characters inside the book.
I wasn't a fan of how much the viking gods were in it...especially not the scenes with prayers to Odin. But, the characters are vikings, so I was kind of expecting there to be some of that.
Recommend for ages 14+
Characters:
The main character is Solveig, and I really liked her. I felt for her as the overlooked middle child and connected with her want to be needed and something important to her family. Her choice to be brave in the face of fear was inspiring!
I enjoyed Harald, Solveig's younger brother! Raudi and his mother Bera...Alric ended up being one of my favorites despite my doubts, and Hake was great!
Asa seemed sweet, though we don't see much of her... Per was very nice... and Ole, well, he flipped flopped between grouchy and nice.😂
Theme:
Stories have the power to change the world.
Romance:
On the side... nothing bad, just mentions.
Language:
N/A...though there are many mentions of viking gods.
Magic:
N/A
Violence/Gore:
Mentions of blood and carcasses, poison, death, broken bodies, and vacant eyes. Also, a pet that gets killed and eaten.
Hake is a berserker...so if you know anything from viking Lore, you know they were brutal fighters, and there is a short scene where that is touched on.
Overall:
This was a pretty enjoyable book, albeit kind of slow due to so many stories being told by the characters inside the book.
I wasn't a fan of how much the viking gods were in it...especially not the scenes with prayers to Odin. But, the characters are vikings, so I was kind of expecting there to be some of that.
Recommend for ages 14+
October 8, 2011
There's a certain breed of middle grade fiction novel for kids that defies easy categorization. Call them fantasies without fantasy. These strange little novels pop up from time to time encouraging readers to believe that they are reading about something fantastical without having to throw magic spells, ghosts, or singing teacups into the mix. Frances Hardinge's Fly by Night and Fly Trap fit this description. Ditto any book that really involves an alternate world. Now when I received my copy of Matthew Kirby's Icefall I had an inkling that it would definitely be that kind of book. This notion was confirmed when I flipped to the first entry in my advanced reader's galley and read the following classifications. They call it: "Action & Adventure", "Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic", and "Mysteries & Detective Stories". Highly amusing since there isn't much in a way of science fiction or fantasy or magic here. Action, Adventure, Mysteries, and Detective Stories though? Tons! And entirely worth discovering too.
It's tough being the middle child. Solveig knows this, but it doesn't make her life any easier. Neither a beauty like her older sister Asa nor . . . well . . . male like her younger brother Harald, Solveig has never attracted the attention of her father, the king. Now with their nation at war, the three children have been sent to a distant mountain fortress to wait out the days until the battle's end. As they wait they are joined by their father's guard, the highly unreliable and frightening berserkers. At first Solveig is put off by their manners and actions, but as time goes on she grows to trust them. That's part of the reason she's so shocked when someone attempts to poison them all off. Though the community in this fortress is small, someone amongst them is a traitor. And in the midst of her training to be a storyteller, Solveig must discover the culprit, even if he or she is someone she dearly loves.
Now when I said that this book didn't contain so much as a drop of magic within its pages I was being facetious. Truth be told, aside from the whole alternate world building Kirby does allow Solveig some premonitions in the form of dreams. And yes, the dreams seem to foretell what will occur in the future. Admitted. That said, I get the feeling that Mr. Kirby included the dreams almost as an afterthought. To be perfectly blunt, they come right out. Their sole purpose is to foreshadow, and foreshadow they do. There are certain fictional tropes for kids that just rub me the wrong way, like prophecies and the like. Portentous dreams, as it happens, don't bother me one way or another unless they rate too much importance. In Icefall Kirby grants his characters' dreams just the right amount of attention. Not too much. Not too little.
The book would actually make a fairly effective murder mystery play, should someone wish to adapt it. Like any good murder mystery the suspects are limited, cut off from the rest of the world. Scenes can only be set in the woods or in the buildings, and not much of anywhere else. Then there's the whole And Then There Were None aspect. Anyone could be a suspect, and Kirby does a stand up job at not making the culprit too easy to identify. A big smarty pants adult, I thought I'd figured it out partway through, but it turned out that I was only solving a portion of the mystery. Well played, Mr. Kirby, sir. I should probably be more upset that Solveig never really solves the mystery unless forces beyond her control take over, but surprisingly I didn't really mind. For me, the focus of this book isn't the mystery aspect, but Solveig's own personal journey.
I like to keep my ear to the ground and pay attention to the books that garner a bit of buzz. And Icefall, much to my surprise and pleasure, has legs. Both adults and kids have really responded to Kirby's writing here. Considering that we're not dealing with a notebook novel or a story involving witches, wizards, vampires, zombies, or the future in any way, shape, or form, this is interesting to me. Who would have thought that a story involving a Viking-like girl with low self-esteem would garner such love? I credit Kirby's writing. Though the murder mystery is a good way to lure in potential readers, the real strength to the tale lies in the blossoming of Solveig. Her desire to become a storyteller is there, but this isn't a book where the heroine decides she wants something and then shows an immediate and natural acuity for it. Solveig struggles with her gift, and fights to improve it. Better still, Kirby has the wherewithal to hinge his plot on Solveig's growth. What she learns in the course of the story is directly responsible for the story's climax. To wit, this is a novel where the protagonist begins the book with an apologetic "I am only Solveig" and ends with a strong, no nonsense, "I am Solveig".
Long story short (so to speak) when reading Icefall you believe in Kirby's characters, relationships, setting, and the ability of the heroine to learn and grow. Mr. Matthew Kirby debuted as a middle grade novelist last year with his original and amusing The Clockwork Three. That, compared to this, was a book with epic intentions but was, in its way, very much a debut novel. With Icefall, Mr. Kirby's writing has matured. There's a depth to it that sets the book apart from the pack. This is a story that stays with the reader for long periods of time. Maybe folks will find it a bit predictable or slow at times, but with its reliable writing and killer ending (literally), this is a book that establishes Mr. Kirby as a writer to watch closely. I like where this fellow is going and I like this novel. And so will the kids.
For ages 9-14.
It's tough being the middle child. Solveig knows this, but it doesn't make her life any easier. Neither a beauty like her older sister Asa nor . . . well . . . male like her younger brother Harald, Solveig has never attracted the attention of her father, the king. Now with their nation at war, the three children have been sent to a distant mountain fortress to wait out the days until the battle's end. As they wait they are joined by their father's guard, the highly unreliable and frightening berserkers. At first Solveig is put off by their manners and actions, but as time goes on she grows to trust them. That's part of the reason she's so shocked when someone attempts to poison them all off. Though the community in this fortress is small, someone amongst them is a traitor. And in the midst of her training to be a storyteller, Solveig must discover the culprit, even if he or she is someone she dearly loves.
Now when I said that this book didn't contain so much as a drop of magic within its pages I was being facetious. Truth be told, aside from the whole alternate world building Kirby does allow Solveig some premonitions in the form of dreams. And yes, the dreams seem to foretell what will occur in the future. Admitted. That said, I get the feeling that Mr. Kirby included the dreams almost as an afterthought. To be perfectly blunt, they come right out. Their sole purpose is to foreshadow, and foreshadow they do. There are certain fictional tropes for kids that just rub me the wrong way, like prophecies and the like. Portentous dreams, as it happens, don't bother me one way or another unless they rate too much importance. In Icefall Kirby grants his characters' dreams just the right amount of attention. Not too much. Not too little.
The book would actually make a fairly effective murder mystery play, should someone wish to adapt it. Like any good murder mystery the suspects are limited, cut off from the rest of the world. Scenes can only be set in the woods or in the buildings, and not much of anywhere else. Then there's the whole And Then There Were None aspect. Anyone could be a suspect, and Kirby does a stand up job at not making the culprit too easy to identify. A big smarty pants adult, I thought I'd figured it out partway through, but it turned out that I was only solving a portion of the mystery. Well played, Mr. Kirby, sir. I should probably be more upset that Solveig never really solves the mystery unless forces beyond her control take over, but surprisingly I didn't really mind. For me, the focus of this book isn't the mystery aspect, but Solveig's own personal journey.
I like to keep my ear to the ground and pay attention to the books that garner a bit of buzz. And Icefall, much to my surprise and pleasure, has legs. Both adults and kids have really responded to Kirby's writing here. Considering that we're not dealing with a notebook novel or a story involving witches, wizards, vampires, zombies, or the future in any way, shape, or form, this is interesting to me. Who would have thought that a story involving a Viking-like girl with low self-esteem would garner such love? I credit Kirby's writing. Though the murder mystery is a good way to lure in potential readers, the real strength to the tale lies in the blossoming of Solveig. Her desire to become a storyteller is there, but this isn't a book where the heroine decides she wants something and then shows an immediate and natural acuity for it. Solveig struggles with her gift, and fights to improve it. Better still, Kirby has the wherewithal to hinge his plot on Solveig's growth. What she learns in the course of the story is directly responsible for the story's climax. To wit, this is a novel where the protagonist begins the book with an apologetic "I am only Solveig" and ends with a strong, no nonsense, "I am Solveig".
Long story short (so to speak) when reading Icefall you believe in Kirby's characters, relationships, setting, and the ability of the heroine to learn and grow. Mr. Matthew Kirby debuted as a middle grade novelist last year with his original and amusing The Clockwork Three. That, compared to this, was a book with epic intentions but was, in its way, very much a debut novel. With Icefall, Mr. Kirby's writing has matured. There's a depth to it that sets the book apart from the pack. This is a story that stays with the reader for long periods of time. Maybe folks will find it a bit predictable or slow at times, but with its reliable writing and killer ending (literally), this is a book that establishes Mr. Kirby as a writer to watch closely. I like where this fellow is going and I like this novel. And so will the kids.
For ages 9-14.
May 22, 2020
This middle grade mystery was really, really good. (It’s a mystery, and it’s historical fiction, so it’s not too surprising that I enjoyed it.) Beautiful writing, interesting characters, lots of twists, and a satisfying ending. I read it with my twins and we were all eager find out what happened next. The story is about Solveig, youngest daughter of a Viking chieftain. Her father sends her and her siblings away to an isolated fjord so they’ll be safe during a war. But someone at the steading is a traitor, and as Solveig discovers more about herself and her abilities, she also has to help save those she most cares about.
December 31, 2018
3.4/5
This was a very different book from anything I read so far, it’s set in a viking kingdom with a very good set of characters.
I thought I was going to read a fast paced full of stuff book, it was instead actually pretty slow even if well written.
The finale was good as well as the story in general. But because the setup is not my cup of tea I didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected!
This was a very different book from anything I read so far, it’s set in a viking kingdom with a very good set of characters.
I thought I was going to read a fast paced full of stuff book, it was instead actually pretty slow even if well written.
The finale was good as well as the story in general. But because the setup is not my cup of tea I didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected!
February 20, 2020
The king's children have been sent to a hidden fortress to wait out the war. Solvieg, her younger brother Harold, and older sister Asa, have a contingent of the king's guards to protect them. But then another group shows up, a group of the unpredictable berzerkers, claiming the king has sent them as well to protect the children. And as the fjord freezes over and winter sets in, it soon seems as if there is a traitor in their midst.
Matthew Kirby does not write stories for readers with short attention spans, the kind who can only tolerate a fast-paced action-packed adventure where shallow characters jump from one improbable scene to the next, where formerly ordinary teenagers find out they have magical super powers or that the fate of the world hangs on them. Instead, Kirby writes magical stories about real life and scared people who find out they have more in them than they realized, and are heroes in their own right. And he writes stories for READERS!
Icefall starts rather slowly, pulling us gradually into the world of the stetten (I'm probably not spelling that right since I listened to the audiobook). For those who have a little patience, the winter fjord soon closes around you and you're wrapped up in the story and questioning who can be trusted and whether there's even a traitor or not. You find characters you love, and some you thought you disliked but aren't so sure about anymore. And they are characters you really care about! In the afterword, Kirby says he's not sure we have a modern equivalent to a 'skald' (sounds like 'scowled'), but I think he comes pretty close.
And a word about the narrator - I thought Jenna Lamia did an awesome job as the voice of Solvieg. I don't know how most of the names and words are spelled, but it didn't matter. I thought she had a very pleasant voice!
Matthew Kirby does not write stories for readers with short attention spans, the kind who can only tolerate a fast-paced action-packed adventure where shallow characters jump from one improbable scene to the next, where formerly ordinary teenagers find out they have magical super powers or that the fate of the world hangs on them. Instead, Kirby writes magical stories about real life and scared people who find out they have more in them than they realized, and are heroes in their own right. And he writes stories for READERS!
Icefall starts rather slowly, pulling us gradually into the world of the stetten (I'm probably not spelling that right since I listened to the audiobook). For those who have a little patience, the winter fjord soon closes around you and you're wrapped up in the story and questioning who can be trusted and whether there's even a traitor or not. You find characters you love, and some you thought you disliked but aren't so sure about anymore. And they are characters you really care about! In the afterword, Kirby says he's not sure we have a modern equivalent to a 'skald' (sounds like 'scowled'), but I think he comes pretty close.
And a word about the narrator - I thought Jenna Lamia did an awesome job as the voice of Solvieg. I don't know how most of the names and words are spelled, but it didn't matter. I thought she had a very pleasant voice!
June 24, 2017
CONTENT: Quite a bit of superstition. Several characters ask a girl if she has behaved decently in her relationship with a young man. Some people accuse the man of not acting honorably with her. Several characters worry about what an invading warlord will ‘do’ to a beautiful girl. Some graphic descriptions of bodies. Several scary dreams/premonitions. A lot of deprivation and torment. Groups are poisoned and suffer painful deaths. Descriptions of disposing of bodies. Lots of mythology and mysticism in Solveig’s stories and a few details about women lying with their husbands. Pagan religion is mentioned and practiced. Last of all, berserkers suffer ‘fits’ – which I know to be demonic and familiar spirits, and either they or others around them try to ‘pray’ to heathen gods to get free of them.
I stayed up into the wee hours to read this book, but I couldn’t put it down.
I had a little trouble getting into this book at first, mostly because I had some preconceived notion about where I was and was confused about the setting, but once I was past that, I settled into the amazing rhythm of this book.
This is one of the most beautifully poetic writing styles I have read in a long time (similar to The Book Thief), each sentence structured like an individual work of art, creating images that we can see, touch, smell. I could feel the suspicion inside me, smell the scents of the stead, hear the moaning of the glacier.
The lovely cadence of this book are like snowflakes, soft, enchanting, perfect, one melting into another. A book that is a true tribute to readers who want to relish words and rythmns.
And Solveig is one of the best female characters I have read in a long time; she was a strong woman, without ever having to lift a weapon or beat-up a guy. Her struggles and insecurities and how she overcomes them are so palpable. And in that end scene, as she stands on the cliff with her berserker, her hair flying in the wind, looking out over the ocean and declaring: “I am Solveig.” There is an immense power in that scene that made me murmur: “Wow.” Under my breath and actually caused tears to spring to my eyes—something that hardly EVER happens when I read.
The arc involving Solveig’s mentor is also worth special note because of its beautiful culmination. I especially liked how Solveig sticks to the truth, no matter what ‘more experienced’ or ‘more successful’ people tell her to do.
And Solveig and Hake – what a sweet and beautiful relationship, I just wish it had had more obvious resolutions.
The answer to that problem…. A SEQUEL, PLEASE.
I stayed up into the wee hours to read this book, but I couldn’t put it down.
I had a little trouble getting into this book at first, mostly because I had some preconceived notion about where I was and was confused about the setting, but once I was past that, I settled into the amazing rhythm of this book.
This is one of the most beautifully poetic writing styles I have read in a long time (similar to The Book Thief), each sentence structured like an individual work of art, creating images that we can see, touch, smell. I could feel the suspicion inside me, smell the scents of the stead, hear the moaning of the glacier.
The lovely cadence of this book are like snowflakes, soft, enchanting, perfect, one melting into another. A book that is a true tribute to readers who want to relish words and rythmns.
And Solveig is one of the best female characters I have read in a long time; she was a strong woman, without ever having to lift a weapon or beat-up a guy. Her struggles and insecurities and how she overcomes them are so palpable. And in that end scene, as she stands on the cliff with her berserker, her hair flying in the wind, looking out over the ocean and declaring: “I am Solveig.” There is an immense power in that scene that made me murmur: “Wow.” Under my breath and actually caused tears to spring to my eyes—something that hardly EVER happens when I read.
The arc involving Solveig’s mentor is also worth special note because of its beautiful culmination. I especially liked how Solveig sticks to the truth, no matter what ‘more experienced’ or ‘more successful’ people tell her to do.
And Solveig and Hake – what a sweet and beautiful relationship, I just wish it had had more obvious resolutions.
The answer to that problem…. A SEQUEL, PLEASE.
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