The Snowmelt River

Three Powers #1

by Frank P. Ryan

Chance has brought together four young people in the small, historic Irish town of Clonmel. Alan is Irish-American, Kate Irish, and the adoptive brother and sister Mark and Mo are Londoners although Mo originally hails from Australia and has an exotic spiritual quality that suggests something strange, almost magical, about her. They discover that they share a terrible secret, one that cannot be coincidence, and it makes them wonder if it was fate, and not happenstance, that really brought them together, and which now binds them inseparably as friends. And then, over the long hot Irish summer, the enchantment begins... The Snowmelt River is the first of a four-volume epic fantasy series, with each book a separate adventure in itself. All four novels revolve around the coming of age, and power, of the central characters, Alan, Kate, Mark and Mo, each a very different personality, yet each making his or her personal contribution to an epic odyssey.

In October 2012, The Snowmelt River reached the #8 spot in the amzon.co.uk epic fantasy bestseller list.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic, Romance, Fiction, War, Magical Realism

705 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Hi!

I write epic fantasy novels, which began with a series of four books, These were, The Three Powers, which began with The Snowmelt River, and continued with The Tower of Bones, The Sword of Feimhin and ended with The Return of the Arinn.

I was lucky enough for my books to have gathered excellent reviews from various sources including the British Fantasy Society and Starburst Magazine, which helped to push them into the top ten bestseller list of epic fantasy novels on amazon.

More recently I began a new epic fantasy trilogy, which began with epic advantures of Eefa and Magio, who are The Twins of Moon, which got great reviews. It was followed by The Sea of Stars, which will soon be competed with publication of the third and final book, the title of which will be released soon, and which figures dragons in a major and very exciting way. All of these are published in kindle and in paperback.

You can find out more at www.frankpryan.com.

It was wonderful for the Twins of Moon Trilogy to be reviewed on Amazon and available for sales through swiftpublishers. It was wonderful to have it reviewed on Amazon as Tolkein for a younger reader. Though the twins do mature to adult by the end of the series.

Great to have another fabulous wraparound cover by the renowned fantasy artist Mark Salwowski! More at my dedicated websites
www.frankpryan.com and www.swiftpublishers.com.

The final book in the trilogy is likely to be available by late 2023 or early 2024. I'll be sure to keep folks who are interested informed as to when it is coming out.

Do write to me if you want to know anything of what is happening.

Cheers!

Frank

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consider how an individual grows in a romantic relationship. Generally, they start with courtship of a succession of several people. They figure out the certain dynamics which they desire for a spouse. When they desire an individual with the said dynamics, their relationship becomes more solid. Soon, they expand their family. And then they grow old! (Please understand this is a gross simplification to be used for my review. Do not take this account seriously.) The relationship between a writer and a reader shares intimacy similar to a romantic couple.

As I mentioned, an individual will generally start dating a succession of several people to discover certain dynamics they like within a romantic relationship. I will try to compare my ‘relationship’ with epic fantasies. My experiences with epic fantasies have not been good.

A couple of years ago, I read The Hobbit. I was immediately turned off by the writing. I have never been so negatively repulsed by an author's writing. This was a brand new experience for me. J.R.R. Tolkien had one run-on sentence after another. Some sentences went on the lengths of several complete paragraphs. I could not wrap my mind around it--I had to re-read every sentence several times. I was inundated with frustration!

So imagine this: Frank P. Ryan's writing gave me the initial goose bumps of excitement. His writing has elegance that allows the fluency and cadence to appear effortless--and this is very important with a book topping 700+ pages!

The imagery of his writing is like the hopes and desires that new-to-be parents experience when hoping the best life for their child. I hoped for magic, otherworldly creatures, struggles, character development, and so forth. Instead, I got so much more! I would love to see the depicted magic as CGI in a movie. Frank P. Ryan developed new characters that would make the Syfy channel jealous. I absolutely loved how the characters have limitations/challenges that they needed to overcome.

Another reason that my experiences with an epic fantasy was not good is because I gave up trying to read Kushiel's Dart (Phèdre's Trilogy, #1). Even with the help of a SparksNotes-like Wiki web page, I was so lost in the book. I was completely lost by the multitude of characters, which politic system was in place, who was already been killed off, which set of people were mad at another set of people and so forth. I dreaded giving up on this book, just like I dreaded an upcoming break up.

And just like a person who has been significantly hurt in a relationship, I was afraid to commit to an epic fantasy of 700+ paged book! But, unlike Kushiel's Dart, I was not lost in the relationship of Snowmelt River. I knew exactly which characters viewpoint I was reading, their specific traits, the new creatures and their politic system, and so forth.

While The Hobbit and Kushiel’s Dart were not epic fantasies for me, the Three Power’s series definitely has me longing for more, just like a date awaiting the goodnight kiss at the doorstep.

[Graeme Reynolds · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the summit of the fabled mountain Slievenamon in Ireland there is a doorway to an ancient land of terrible power. The gate of Feimhin has lain closed for centuries, the secret of its opening long lost. But now four orphans drawn together by Fate must pass through the portal to face their destinies. What they find beyond is the enchanted but war-ravaged world of Tír, a strange land peopled by beings of magic. Here death waits at every corner and they must learn to fight if they are to survive. And they'd better learn quickly, because their enemy, the Tyrant of the Wastelands, is growing in power.
The Snowmelt River is the first in a new, epic fantasy series that tries to explore and expand upon Irish mythology. An interesting concept to be sure, but unfortunately one that is let down by the implementation.
The pacing, especially in the first part of the book is glacial. The unfortunate reader spends half of the time being deluged with huge chunks of exposition, and the other half wondering what on earth is going through the characters minds. The plot is contrived in many places, so much that even some of the characters comment on it, and the actions of the characters in many instances just don't make any kind of sense. Why would four teenagers, for example, accept some form of vile potion from an old crone they just met, who's clothing is made up of spiders? Why would one of the characters Grandfather's send them through a mystical portal to another world without any more preparation than a few cryptic comments and some large dollops of back-story that don't really help them in their quest?
The later parts of the book improve, once the first 200 pages or so are out of the way, and the world building is extensive and well described. Once things start moving, there are a few tense scenes and some fairly interesting concepts on display. Unfortunately, because the characters were as flat as cardboard, these scenes did little to evoke an emotional response.
Fans of epic fantasy will find things to enjoy if they look hard enough, and with any luck the next book in the series will be better. As it stands though, The Snowmelt River was an effort to read and there are much better fantasy novels on the shelves worthy of your attention.

[Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this from Jo Fletcher books after I requested it. The Snowmelt River is an interesting book that questions the reality of fate and destiny. It stretches the beliefs of the characters, showing them a whole new world, in which they have to question themselves and each other. I loved how the characters grew in this book, it wasn't a tiny invisible change, it was a huge change. It was brilliantly done, the young characters are forced to grow and take on responsibility like never before. They are the chosen and people expect them to act like it. This was a long book, my copy clocking in at just over 700 pages nevertheless the author kept my attention the whole time. I wanted to continue the journey with these characters, I wanted to see them grow and change. I watched them learn and grow into their roles, it was fantastic.


The Snowmelt River begins in a small village where four orphans are drawn together. Alan and Kate were already friends but Alan's uncle, introduces them to Mark and Mo. His uncle sees the potential in Mo and with his own dark secret he knows the four of them are important. Bonding over the summer, a trip up the mountains changes them all. The great mountain Slievenamon calls them, the call thrills them, its a feeling like no other. Soon they realise something or someone needs their help. With answers from Alan's uncle, the group find themselves going through a portal to the world of Tir. Here war is raging and the four of them are destined to help. They have so many questions but no answers. They are chucked into this new world left to look after themselves. All the while time is ticking, will the gang be able to destroy the enemy and help the good people of Tir before it's too late?


Alan was the eldest of the group and he was the one whose shoulders all the responsibility fell on. He was graced with the first power which had both advantages and disadvantages. He became the leader and the more he travelled into Tir, more people looked up to him for leadership. We see him go through so much change, from a young teen boy to the mature wise mind of an adult. Kate was Alan's love interest and they were best friends. Kate was also graced with a power but it was never truly revealed what it was. Still people regarded her as powerful and she was there for her friends. Now Mark he was an interesting character, he was the one in the beginning who didn't truly believe that they were in a different world. He didn't believe what his eyes were telling him. He was also the bad boy of the group, the one who would push the boundaries and take risks and that effected both him and the others. What he does in the end of this book, made me so emotional. For once he thought about the others before himself no matter what the consequences and it was incredible. Mark was my favourite character and I can't wait to see what happens to him next. Mo was interesting, she was younger then them all but she was by far the wisest. She was wise beyond her years and she was more connected to the new world and her spirit then any of the others. Together they made an interesting group and I can't wait to see what happens next.


The world building in this novel is brilliant! The world was so vividly described. Ryan really does have a way with words, his description flows perfectly. It's some of the best writing I've ever read. I love the world building but even more so was the different races/creatures in the world of Tir. My personal favourite were the Shee, female warriors who had cat spirits, of which they could turn into when they enter the blood rage. They were great companions to the gang and they had a very interesting history. I can't wait to see more of the world in the next book and see what the gang encounter.


The Snowmelt River is a great addition to the Fantasy genre. One that teens can enjoy as well as adults. The world is believable and very interesting. The reader is sucked in from page one. I loved the whole idea of crystals giving the group powers, it was unique. I loved this book, the ending was by far the strongest and I have so many emotions towards the end, I don't now where to begin. We see the group making hard choices to save each other. We see them question fate and destiny. We see their different view points on the matter and how it changes each one of them. I love the whole idea and theme of fate and it was used greatly in this novel. The greatest thing in this book is the choices the group make and the consequences to these actions. It's just like real life, and there are many things the reader can learn from this book. I really enjoyed it and I can't make to get my hands on book two, The Tower Of Bones.


*This isn't the edition I have. I have the new edition published by Jo Fletcher Books, which isn't on goodreads yet.*

[Chelsea · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'll start my review off saying I won this book on a goodreads giveaway. This review will be straight up harshly opinionated and honest. If you love the book completely and utterly don't continue reading what I'm about to write. Secondly, this review isn't harsh because I got it for free. The first book I won I loved the story and author so much I immediately bought her other series.

Now let's get started. For me, this book had two main issues that made it impossible for me to go on. The characters and the pacing got me in the end. And, if you are inclined to continue this review note that I persisted to page 307 before completely giving up.

So, the characters. Padraig, what-the-heck, grandparents would never step aside and let their grandchildren go off on adventures. Even if they had made the mistake before. Fate would have still happened if he'd said no, not "here kids, I'm going to serve you up on a platter." Next Alan, the most likable of the four main characters is boring. Kate decides to go along, but from the get-go she wants to go back. She also complains the entire time about how the guys aren't taking this seriously. Mark is just a jerk, I understand his situation, but that doesn't give him free rain to be a major dick. And lastly Mo, "Hi guys, I'm just here for the show," as a reader I know she's the most special alongside Alan, but the author doesn't give her anything.

The character dynamic between the four of them should sound familiar, like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in particular. Alan=Peter, Kate=Susan, Mark=Edmund, and Mo=Lucy. Only they are not related, Mark's hang up isn't that Alan is the leader, but that he got the girl.

Now on to pacing, all the way up to when I gave up. I thought it was boring. I've had this book for over a month, and it took me that long to read over 300 pages. 300 pages for me is a four to five day read at most. At times I kept thinking this book is getting really good. Once I got into the second part the story picked up. But not enough. I prefer my reading experience to not be a pendulum.

Oh, I just remembered. Extremely confusing start to a book. The author wrote about the characters as if we already knew them listing over five characters within a few short pages. Hello! Information overload.

If you've read my review, and been utterly and completely offended. Pick up this book and read it again, because if you love it. No matter what I say you'll still love it.

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy from Goodreads First Reads.

The Snowmelt River is a long book. And when I say long, I mean a seven-hundred and two page book. It's quite a long story that could lose some of its "fat." (Pages, not fat. But I think you get the point).

It may be quite long, but it's quite interesting, if you have the patience and the understanding to go through it. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone with a busy schedule and a tendency to forget things. Because 1) Obviously you need a lot of time to read 702 pages, 2) there's a lot of information to absorb and even I, the girl who remembers everything (or pretty close to everything), had to look back to double check my memory.

(If you ever read this book, I recommend that you write side notes because there's four POVs and endless number of chances of being lost. Also, you should always look back even though your pride prevents you from doing so. Believe me, it is better to be knowing where you are).

What else about The Snowmelt River?

Well, it's told from four children. Kate has the Second Power. Alan, the First Power. Mark, the Third Power. And Mo is special. Very special. Each of these characters have outstanding character traits. Like Mark, the extreme annoyance and crazy joke-making in inappropriate settings. Alan, his occasional sarcasm which is pure awesome when he does it. Mo, her sweet personality that sharply contrasts her adoptive brother. And Kate, well Kate seems to be a minor character to me, for most of the book.

Anything else?

Hmm...The plot goes well, but I think that readers may (and I say may) have trouble following up with the story. The good thing is that the plot is mostly moving, but the beginning is a little slow. The beginning builds the background, so I guess it could be a little slow.

The ending?

Can't tell you, but I can say it's quite interesting. And did I mention good?

Rating: Four out of Five

[Kris Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a modern fantasy that shifts. At first, it is a story with surreal elements to it. It then becomes something of full high end fantasy when the four protagonists’ step into another land. It is a place that is like a sister planet of Earth and is so well constructed with its own people in lore; I could not help but think of it reflecting the struggle and beauty within Middle-Earth.
All of the characters are separate from each other and easy to differentiate even with such a large cast of them. They are all interesting with character arcs that come at the appropriate times. There is a sense of underlying mystery to the children and the death of all of their parents that is hinted at later.
The book is the beginning of series and is a long adventure. It has the feeling of one of the Young Adult books that you just don’t want to put down. In this case, the size of it is an advantage because the reader gets days of reading from it. I would recommend it to any Young Adult who like a well-constructed book and anybody looking for a beautiful beginning to an epic fantasy.
On a second read, it is so much more beautiful. The reader can actually see it when they read. The imagery feels archaic in a powerful way much as a druid in Stone Henge. It feels timeless and I for one am stressing it's excellence to everyone that I know would be able to fully appreciate it (C.S. Lewis and Tolkien fans at the top of that list).

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Kate, Mark, Alan and Mo, four orphans who become friends and are called to the world of Tír, which is linked to Earth through a portal.

The character development at the start of this book is superb and I thoroughly enjoyed the exploration of Tír and finding out some of its secrets (there are more to come I'm sure). However, the end of the book meshed into one big battle - I think there were actually about three - and I felt these dragged on a little too long.

I should also point out that I knew where the book was heading, having read the second one first, which might have made the battles less exciting (are they going to survive? Yes they are because I remember them popping up in The Tower of Bones...). Overall I thought the second book held the story better, although I need to re-read it now I understand what is going on (it doesn't really work as a standalone).

If you are a fan of unusual fantasy worlds then this book is definitely worth checking out.

My copy was kindly provided by the author.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a really amazing book. I love the character description. It reminded me so very much of Eragon; just the way it was written, and in an abundance were the adjectives!!! In no way is that a bad thing!!! I was amazed at how descriptive Frank P. Ryan made his sentences. I counted at least two in every sentence without fail.
Although, I think maybe some of the adjectives were a bit too formal.

Other than that this really was an amazing book!!!

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to start of by saying I was lucky enough to win an autographed copy of The Snowmelt River from Goodreads. The story starts off slow with four ophrans who range in age living in Ireland and it as follows them into a strange magical world called Tir. The four ophrans battle evil beings and face death as they traverse the portal to the world of Tir. When inside Tir Granny Dew changes each of their cells phones into an object with immense power and they must learn how to use their special gifts. Classic good vs evil. I can't not wait to read the 2nd installment The Tower of Bones

[Ti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. For a YA book, it can be slightly confusing but for a child with learning difficulties understanding the different twists turns and concepts. For the well read child teen, it is a delightful if a bit strange concept of the old tales if you cross the bridge into fairy tales. I enjoyed the book, though had to read a couple of chapters a couple of times to understand what certain terms meant and understand what certain characters developed. For the YA who is into tales of myth and fairy then this is a good read.

[Jody Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first picked up this book I couldn't read it fast enough. Then I felt a real slowdown and shift about halfway through the book. There was so much back story that it was becoming difficult to follow along. I almost wish this book had been made into 2 books so there was less names/creatures/history to remember. Some interesting beings and situations (I like the Dream Mage character). This may be a little too much for younger YA readers so I'd suggest it's more for 16+.

[Tianne Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a genre I would normally go for. I am reading this series as I won book 3 as part of the First reads giveaways. I did find it slow to take me in but once I get through the next 2 I am sure I will be awaiting more. Following the orphans on their adventure was slow to start and I felt sometimes too long winded. I am only just getting the grips of this series. Now to move to book 2

[Rose Kluin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book , it took some time to read and at points I became a little lost . If you are looking for a fast easy read this book may not b for you but otherwise I do recommend this book . I will re-read this at least once more

[Genevieve Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I generally try to be measured and reasonable, and avoid skewed passion and bias. Like, just as a general rule I value objectivity.

With that in mind, I have to say: this book is trash. Full offense, it is absolutely worthless.

To make my opinion clear in a way that avoids spending more effort on The Snowmelt River than it is due, I will provide a quick list.

Things This Book Failed To Do:

• Fully characterize any one of the four (4) main characters. It tries to sell them as archetypes who complement each other: the Well Meaning Leader, the Compassionate Healer, the Annoying Contrary One, the Deceptively Powerful Innocent. Beyond these paper-thin roles, they are essentially nonexistent as people.

• Introduce a world or mythology that the reader can understand. There are eight zillion stories of youths starting in this world and ending up in some kind of alternate dimension or place, which runs under its own rules. Narnia? The Dark Is Rising? Here There Be Dragons? So You Want To Be A Wizard? HARRY POTTER for pity's sake. All of these are understood and beloved by millions.

The "I sighed" of The Snowmelt River is "I don't understand." Every character is constantly repeating this whenever any native of the alternate world tries to explain anything. Alas, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. I still don't understand any of what happened here. Who is the dark queen? Why did she do whatever she did to the dwarf warriors? Who is the architect who was crucified? Who is the creepy old witch lady? I'm lost. The main characters are lost. At this point I have to ask myself why I'm bothering to care.

• Coordinate what is told with what is shown. Other than saying "I don't understand" all the time, the four main characters spend almost all the rest of their dialogue time arguing with each other. It's one of those situations where, for all intents and purposes, what is SHOWN is that the four of them hate each other. This, RIGHT UP UNTIL one is put under extreme pressure by the enemy and then all of a sudden "the love of his friends gave him the strength to go on." Like, really? You have never spoken a single nice word to, much less shared anything important, with this guy. Now, suddenly, you're such good best friends that thinking of him gave you the strength to overcome this supernatural monster? DOUBT.JPG

• Make you care. The characters are, theoretically, experiencing emotions. Often they are terrified. We are told that, supposedly, Mark is painfully lonely. None of this is anything the reader is able to feel. The action isn't exciting -- it just happens. This book is a dead void of emotional emptiness.

• Accomplish anything worthwhile in 700 pages. It's a long book. It's going to be a trilogy, I guess, so it's understandable that some things are left unresolved. However... it ends with one person kidnapped, one person mysteriously lost, and absolutely nothing discovered, explained, or accomplished. We still don't really know the physical, historical, or political lay of this alternate land. We still don't really understand what the heck is going on in any way. Seven hundred pages.

• Establish a consistent tone. Sometimes the main characters talk like normal stupid earth youths, doing Bugs Bunny voices and swearing. Sometimes they talk weirdly like everyone else in the alternate world, in some overblown Tolkien-esque high formal parlance. Nearly every other word in the narration is corpulent or cerulean or putrescent, while the main characters sometimes bust out some "gosh golly gee whiz" type dialogue. Stop using your SAT flashcards to describe everything.

There is straight up just nothing here.

There is no heart. There is nothing intellectually interesting. There is no fun "brainless entertainment." There is no moral. There is no emotion. There is no mythology. There is absolutely nothing here, to the point where it baffles me that this author apparently wrote 700 pages and yet didn't care at all about what he was writing. This is not really a story -- just 700 pages of meaningless words piled on top of each other for no reason.

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

After a week of reading this thing, and trudging through it, I have to give up. First of all, 700+ pages for any book is way too much. It is absolutely dismal to hold a book that thick and see yourself barely making any progress at all because you have so much ahead of you to get through. If a book is over 700 pages then it should definitely be separate and not part of a series. I certainly don't want to read a book this big knowing the story isn't even finished at the end.

At first I really thought it was going to be interesting, because of Alan and Kate liking each other. In the beginning Alan kissed Kate and she kissed him back, and I always like romance in a book. It will make a story 10 times better for me. And then Mark and his sister Mo were introduced to the story, and it went downhill immediately from there. I didn't like Mark, and I didn't Mo or her name. They bothered me so badly. Mo stammers when she talks, every time she talks, for every word. It was so annoying, so irritating I got so fed up every time I read her speaking, and if that makes me a bad person then so be it, but I can't take a stutter; it's so much more annoying in writing because you have to read each word. I couldn't stand her, and she's younger than the rest so all of them babied her and that irritated me even more.

As soon as you open the book you're being thrust into a story you know nothing about and can't understand. I thought the author would take time to explain things soon, but no, I was left adrift on the river without a paddle, wondering what in the world this story was about. There are 4 orphans, two of which are adopted siblings. Mo, the stuttering baby, and Mark, her jerk of a brother who uses language and has thoughts he shouldn't be having. I'm not sure how old he is, and I don't care enough to look it up, but he just all of a sudden really likes Kate, so much so that he despises Alan because Alan is with Kate and Kate likes him, and gets in a fight with him over it. He takes pictures of Kate all the time, even when she's in her bathing suit, which is creepy. The language these young teenagers used was deplorable. They were cussing all the time, one of them even said gd. I can't stand that, and it's pretty irresponsible as an author I think to have young people use profanity such as this when there are young people reading the book. You have to think of the audience you're writing for and if it's okay or not whether they're reading what you write, and eliminate things accordingly or else write for a different audience. I couldn't believe how much they were cussing, just cussing all the time.

Also, their conversations did not flow in any way, shape or form. They just weren't logical. I hate reading where the author knows what they're talking about, making references to things only they know about, and not including readers, so I get so lost and confused I have no idea what's going on. Every single moment, every dialogue, every action was contrived. Nothing was natural at all. Conversations are supposed to be logical and natural; they're supposed to flow and the things the characters are saying are supposed to make sense. No one was making sense in here. Someone would say something and then someone else would just come with something that didn't go with the first thing. I kept asking myself where did that come from, why are they saying that? The author had an agenda, he was going to make it happen right then and there whether readers or the characters were ready for it or not. For example, no sooner do I start the book and expect to slide into the ease of starting a new book and learning what it's all about does the author slam me upside the head with the fact that there are 4 orphans who are together, "you think 4 orphans come together and there's not a reason for it?" "You think fate didn't have anything to do with it?" and things like that. Over and over and over I'm being force-fed this conspiracy that there's a greater force that wanted these 4 orphans together. And I call it a conspiracy because I had no time to even digest that they were all triplets, and maybe form my own theories, which I wouldn't have done because personally I don't think it's that crazy for 4 orphans to come together. I was like what's the big deal, so 4 kids without parents find each other. Let's move on. But no, the author wouldn't let me. He kept bringing it up in a completely controlling manner that there was a reason. There was no buildup, no mystery, nothing really except the author forcing readers to accept the fact that he had something planned for 4 kids.

My curiosity was picked though when Mo was drawing crystals or something, and a man was there and expressed an interest in it. I wanted to know who he was, what he knew and why he was interested in her take on the world. And then it just got stupid. Mo has this weird connection to nature and describes it as the "blooming" or something like that, and they go on to compare that analogy to their new-found knowledge about themselves. I thought it was just dumb.

Mo has a special understanding of nature, and she sings like an angel, all traces of her stutter disappearing. Of course. They all stop to listen, thinking she sounds angelic and looks ethereal, singing with her head back, eyes closed and dancing around. Of course she has a beautiful voice and doesn't stutter one bit. Of course. And for some strange reason the word "sensual" is being used. Yeah...not really the word I would have young teenagers use to describe another person singing, esp someone younger than them. That's a little creepy.

It's established that an entire mountain is calling them, for some reason, and I'm expecting something interesting, again, when they start training to prepare themselves for the journey. Mark learns another language so he can read the messages, and I have high expectations. Except pretty early on it's clear they aren't going to be met.

There's a weird shadow figure that almost catches them but never does. It's not really too clear. Then a weird old crone appears, who has spiders for clothing who are actively spinning webs or something, and she concocts a potion using their cell phones. Really creative stuff. She throws all their cell phones into a pot and comes out with crystals, one for each of them, except Mo who doesn't have a cell phone, so Mo doesnt get a crystal. Poor little thing. Except, wait! The little baby isn't out of the loop just yet, it turns out she can still hear the thoughts of others, in other languages, just like the other 3. Why is that, you ask. Well I'm not sure because this is the page I quit on, and I don't care to keep reading but I'm sure it's something stupid.

I almost quit after the adopted father was introduced who puts burning crosses up to his forehead and says really crazy things like he's a messenger for God who thinks they're doing right when really they're just delusional. The kids relate it to Padraig, Alan's grandpa, and I just felt like I was in a dumb world I didn't want to be in. You don't want to read a book you think is so dumb you're intelligence is being insulted, and that's how I felt. I finally had enough of the weird/stupid/confusing/boring world with bear people with claws that ate raw fish, old crones feeding kids sludge, and where kids had crystals embedded into their foreheads and hands. Absolutely bizarre.

[Thomas Cotterill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Snowmelt River spans the Earth we know and a strange magical world called Tir. The tale opens in the picturesque Irish countryside (beautifully depicted by the author) where four young people meet and discover they are all orphans. Right away, we feel that, while quite ordinary in outward appearance, these youngsters are somehow special. Fate or some uncanny power has marked them out for a purpose as yet unknown. They have been drawn together to fulfill a great destiny. Soon they are mysteriously “called” by the nearby mountain, Slievenamon, with its ancient stone cairn and legendary portal to another world.

Ireland blooms as never before. Timeless tombs reveal long kept secrets. Surging magical forces swirl through leafy woods and green fields. The secrets of the portal have a guardian who is none other than the wise old grandfather of one of the youngsters. Armed with his advice and an eldritch sword, the four young adventurers battle evil beings and face death as they traverse the portal to the world of Tir. The story that unfolds in that wild, primitive, and rugged land is crammed with magic, excitement, and danger.

The four companions have taken their mobile phones with them and these, unexpectedly, are far from useless in the new world. A strange grimy being, known only as Granny Dew, magically transforms them into objects of immense power. Each young person has a special gift. But to what purpose? None of them knows why they have been summoned to Tir. None knows the true nature of their powers.

Yet they are immediately swept up in the vicious war that will decide who rules this enchanted land. Vulnerable furry fisherfolk and tall Amazon warriors alike look upon them as “chosen” bearers of ancient symbols and powers. Called upon to fulfill their unknown destinies, the four companions must set aside their childish ways and step forward as young adults. Doing so proves easier for some than for others. Their perilous rite of passage is a baptism of fire.

The people of Tir are not human in appearance, but all too human in every other way. We are shown the best and the worst of human character. Bold courage and willing sacrifice mingle with rank cowardice and blatant lust for power. Loyalty and sweet love vie with foul treachery and hate. The four young companions - still tender and untested - are embroiled in life as it is lived by those who stand to lose everything.

Magical objects and enchanted places abound in The Snowmelt River. A mysterious ship that is alive, giant stone heads that house the souls of long-dead warriors, crystals inscribed with glowing runes, abandoned overgrown fortresses so old their gloomy inner chambers are ankle deep with dust. Each unique thing and every lovingly depicted place add their morsel of delight to this thoroughly entertaining novel. The author has imagined a brooding sorcerous world filled with dark romantic landscapes and shivering cold, and haunted by dense blue-black shadows.

Like all rousing adventure yarns, The Snowmelt River builds to a frantic and desperate conclusion. The final battle goes on for chapters as the good people of Tir make a despairing stand against the overwhelming forces of the monstrous tyrant who has afflicted their lands. In the midst of fire and death, the four young companions live out their various unforeseen destinies.

[Charmain Sheely · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received this copy from Goodreads First Reads.

Four children named Alan, Kate, Mark, and Mo find themselves inexplicably called from another world where they meet bear-like people, women warriors, and many other interesting races and characters. They each develop unusual powers that help them to understand the language of the people around them or sense if danger is nearby.
As the book progresses they begin to change, becoming more confident in themselves and their roles as they travel from place to place in the Temple Ship, a vessel that seems to be alive and have a will of its own.
There were a lot of battles fought in the book, though I honestly thought that all but the last one were lacking. The last battle took several chapters to go through and I enjoyed those chapters the most.
Occasionally, the writing was choppy and I had to go back and reread so I could understand what was going on. I also didn't really care for the character, Alan. Out of all of them he seemed to have the least character development and he resented Mark for making passes at his girlfriend, Kate. Which is understandable, but by the time we get to the middle of the book, Mark acts like he's no longer interested in Kate as anything more than a friend, yet Alan still doesn't like him. Mark by no means was a good kid. He was considered the skeptic and the bad boy of the group, though he definitely proved himself in the end. I had expected Alan to at least, if not forgive Mark entirely, to honor him in someway or grieve for him a lot longer than he did (in case you are wonder no Mark did not die).
All he did was calmly, if somewhat sorrowfully accept Mark's fate and went on to worry about Mo and Kate. And that is what he did throughout the entire book. He would focus on the two girls and do his best to protect them, and he never even gave Mark a passing thought even though they were supposed to be friends.
The book ended on a cliffhanger that left me clambering for more. I am definitely going to have to find the second book so I can finish this adventure.
I recommend this book to anyone who has a lot of time on their hands and a love for reading epic fantasies.

[Meaghan R. (YA-aholic)]

at about page 200, the writing changes completely!!!! it's as if someone else entirely is writing. the over-detailed narrative and even the simple dialogue seem EXTREMELY forced...there is ABSOLUTELY NO flow to this book! i try to read 50-100 pages each day, but that was a HUGE struggle with this book, and i was easily getting frustrated by the writing....i HAD to put it down and walk away...hopefully i can get back to it after the book i'm reading instead of it, or maybe just before the year is over...i would like to see what happens to the characters, but it is DEFINITELY slow going...


omg, this book is over 700 pages!!!! - i assumed, by the length alone, that it would be a standalone...shocked that it isn't

not very far in, 50 pages (maybe 3rd or 4th chapter, and so far, it's really descriptive....like, REALLY...a lot of it is beautifully written, but, if this keeps up, i can see why it's over 700 pages...

the writing is EXTREMELY descriptive...i gazed and the red peeling paint of the barn on the street with the dirt divots that rounded a bend next to the windmill that is painted green on the opposite side of the road from the lamppost where i crashed my orange bike when i was ten and speeding to fast. (this in only an EXAMPLE, but pretty much the ENTIRE book reads this way)...at first, i thought the author was just building the world for us, but i'm about 200 pages in, and it persists. and while the prose is, for the most part, beautiful, 19 out of every 20 words can be omitted....easily, without losing anything to the story...it is because of this, this "over-writing" that it's taking me quite some time to get through the book, as well as it being over 700 pages, and NOT a standalone...just guessing at this point, but i'm feeling like there's only really like 200 pages worth of story, the rest comes from this over-descriptive fluff!

[Lily the Library Chick]

I tried. I tried. I honestly did try.
But when I hit upon a five page discussion which summed up went like this:
- Tell me!
- You won't understand!
- But tell me!
- But you won't understand!
- C'mon tell me!
- You just won't understand!

... I decided that rather than claw my eyeballs out, I'd dis the book.

I am obviously not cut out for Epic Fantasy (although somebody else mentioned that they liked this way better than Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey, which I actually loved back in the day (until she went cliffhanger overload at the end of each chapter by book three), so maybe I can handle epic, if just a little more happens a little faster... maybe).
I think this book is more for the sort of people who finds ants carrying stuff back to their anthill to be an adrenaline kick. Those who like for things to take their time and slowly develop into something marvelous.
Me, I'm a microwave kinda chick.

I won't star it. Can't star a book, I didn't really read.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this book for free through the Goodreads First Readers program.

Orphans Alan, Kate, Mark and Mo find themselves drawn inexplicably towards a mysterious mountain in the Irish countryside. There, they stumble into an alternate world where dark forces are at work -- and they are the only ones who can stop it.

While there are several lovely passages in this huge novel, I found it difficult to relate to any of the characters. The children's dialogue is somewhat stilted as well.

I did find the Shee interesting, however -- an all-female tribe that gives birth through parthenogenesis.

[Cindelu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book on Goodreads.

I must compare it to Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings and in doing so feel it lacks just a wee bit- not much however.
The imagery was intense and beautiful.
The fighting scenes (of which there were a lot) were realistic and one could visualize them easily.
The main characters were fairly well written but somehow I didn't feel a real connection with them.
I really felt this book was too long although epic fantasies do tend to be quite long it seems.
The book kept my attention and I did enjoy the connection between the main characters and the people of the world they stepped in to.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though the story line in this book was fairly enjoyable, I did find the pace to be very slow and boring during what should've been very exciting parts of the story.

I believe it was the over abundance of descriptive wording that made the pace so slow, because I made a note that if he -the author- had shortened a few of the paragraphs, that they would've been much faster and more enjoyable to read.

If you want a very descriptive book that is slow paced, this is your sort of read. But if not, then I would probably turn away and get something a little more fast paced.

[Sofie · Rating 3 out of 5]

'The Snowmelt River' is about four orphans who who travel through a portal to another world called Tír. I especially liked the characters and the way the auther described Tir. The plot was ok but dragged in places and I think the book would have been a lot better if it had been shortened significantly.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book difficult to follow the whole way through. It seemed choppy. It felt like inferences and connections were made but never explained that I should have understood. I am no stranger to world building and trying to follow complex plots, but this just didn't click with me I guess. Nothing to make you blush or run for cover.

[Lindalu Truitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read half of this very long adventure fantasy. I'm having a hard time getting through to the next chapter. not sure if I will finish this book, it's hard to see where the author is going with the plot.

[Nic · Rating 1 out of 5]

Review originally published in SFX magazine, 2012.

--

If you’ve ever felt that children’s fiction just hasn’t been the same since Enid Blyton hung up her pen, this could be for you. In tone and form it reads like the Famous Five with magic, except four times as long and much less fun.

The four main characters also don’t have a dog. Or, unfortunately, much in the way of personalities. Hero (bland), Love Interest (blander), Kid (plucky) and Smartarse (irritating) meet one summer in Ireland, and almost – but, alas, not quite – before Hero’s granddad can spend chapter after tedious chapter delivering portentous hints, they’re off through a portal to another world. Once there, they naturally turn out to be the long-prophesied saviours of everything, and they spend a lot of time being put into magical sleeps and given special-ability plot coupons by mysterious entities, because having to actually learn any skills might slow things down. You know, more.

The dialogue is po-faced even by fantasy standards, and the approach to worldbuilding consists of plastering paragraphs with names from Irish mythology and describing the colour of people’s hair a lot. Villains hiss, cackle, and yell Hero’s surname into the wind every fifty pages or so (“Duuuuvaaaal!”); one even keeps all the correspondence he had with the bad guys about how he’s totally going to betray everyone in his bedroom. Pre-teens might like it, but steer them towards Tamora Pierce or David Eddings, instead; they’ll thank you for it, later.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book as an irish theme for my book club.
At first I struggled with it, for the first 200 pages his over excessive use of description really bugged me and I found myself skim reading parts of it.
And although I really love Irish mythology and folklore, his use of it seemed irrelevant in places. As though he was trying to show off with the amount of folklore he knew.
After a while though the story started to flow better, and it captured my attention a lot more. I connected to the characters more and enjoyed the adventure in the story. There were still parts where I didnt exactly know what was going on. It seemed sometimes that the author was only half including you in the story he was envisioning in his mind.
I also didnt feel there was much need for a love story between two of the teenage characters, I felt that those parts were slightly cringey to read and thought the atory would have evolved just aswell without it included.
In all though I enjoyed it and will read the next installment.

[Hannah Grisham · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finally finished this book after at least 10 years! I got this in middle school and was like “wow, a 700 page book, I’m going to finish this really fast and be so cool”. WRONG! It was so boring that I forgot about it, and then I found it in my garage in the fall and was like “I remember this book, I’m going to read it again since I’m older and so much better at reading”. 😳 this book is so bad that middle school me and 24 year old me both were confused and bored out of my mind. It was SO BAD. The only way I got through was willpower and heavy skimming. It probably would have been fine if I started on page 300, but having to drudge through the first half made me not care to understand the second half. Apparently there are 3 more books in the series that I will not be reading 🙌

[Jules]

After feeling very confused by the lack of actual explanations for anything, the oddly adult references and language (made by 14/15 year olds) and the repetitive 'this must be fate's I looked up the reviews. Apparently the entire book is like that so I'm going to dnf it. Too many other books to focus on and it looks like the potential of this book wasn't fully realized.

[Your Common House Bat · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this wasn't the worst book I ever read, I didn't particularly care for it either. It was just meh to me, probably because I had higher exceptions for it. The imagery was beautiful and the story line was great but the execution was just underwhelming to me. There was just something about Snowmelt River that didn't appeal to me. It was very slow paced which is not good for a book 700+ pages in length. I tried to just take a step back and enjoy the journey, visualizing myself in the new land, but even that didn't work. That said it wasn't awful enough for me to drop the book altogether--I did finish it. Though I admit to skimming at parts and skipping pages.

I think my main problem is that I was confused the whole time--and that was before I started just skimming. The reason I opted to skim was BECAUSE I knew I'd be confused no matter what. The strange thing is that I wasn't confused because I didn't know what was going on. Because I did know what was happening. I just didn't know WHY it was happening half of the time. Like the reasoning was briefly touched on but not enough for it to feel right. For instance the reasoning and what lead up to the first succubus encounter was very sketchy until nearly 200 pages or so later! And I feel like it just didn't work for the book. That said, I feel like this book had a very unnatural flow. And to me it had the literary equivalent of bad YouTube jump cuts. So yeah I knew what was happening but I didn't know how or why. And then there's the fact that certain plot-lines seemed to be forgotten all together or as the story progressed, seemed irrelevant in hindsight. I'm talking about Grimstone, namely his cross. There was a whole backstory on it and it was what initially connected the four to the other world. But after that Grimstone and the cross just seemed like a distant memory. Which could work because the four friends changed so much (an oh Ryan let us know that) but it's another thing that just didn't work. It didn't work because I was certain that Grimstone, or at least his cross would have more significance later on.

Similarly I feel as though a lot of information was dumped on me like the world names and character names. Normally this is not an issue for me when reading fantasy--especially since I read so much of it. The problem is that the characters themselves didn't really have much substance to them. Aside from maybe Granny Dew--who was a fascinating character to me and made the book worth reading for me. While I liked Mo and the Dark Queen, I still feel like they didn't really stand out. Again, none of the characters did. Alan was your typical cardboard cut out noble knight-like hero. Mark was the classic foil to Alan; the bad boy with a heart of gold. He reminded me of a less astounding version of Edmund from Narnia. Likewise Alan was a poor mirror to Peter. Hell, Kate reminded me of Susan and Mo resemble Lucy. That said Kate was probably the least remarkable to me, to the point where I wondered why she was even there at all. She hardly said or did anything of importance. Maybe she's to play a bigger role in the next book, but even so she should be important in the first book too. It got to the point where I hated her character; not because she did anything dislikable but because she was just so flat and boring. Mo was cool enough, her stammer was intriguing while it lasted--it made her distinguishable. But typically her defining character trait was wiped. Which wouldn't be a problem if she had other note-worthy characteristics. The Dark Queen was another character who had a lot of potential. We briefly got some background on her, but it was very rushed making her nearly as flat as the other 4. And the rest of the characters I really can't say much for because they just stood out to me so little. Heck some of them kind of just blended together in my mind.

Speaking of rushed. That was another issue with this book that I had. The friendship between the four just seemed so under developed. One day they just met and bam, friendship. One more minor annoyance I had was the constant repetition; 'metamorphosing' and 'matrix' are two of them. There has got to be at least one synonym for each that Ryan could have alternated between. And the whole "we're changing" mantra got so old after a while. We get it you guys are changing! We got it after the first 3 times! Perhaps those lines could have been swapped out for actual character development or plot explanation.

I don't know this book was just a 700 page let down for me. It had it's moments of glory, I'll give it that, but Snowmelt River is just one of those books I wouldn't recommend unless you have plenty of time to kill.