Ice Diaries

by Lexi Revellian

It's 2018 and Tori's managing. Okay, so London is under twenty metres of snow, almost everybody has died in a pandemic or been airlifted south, and the only animals around are rats. Plus her boyfriend never returned from going to find his parents a year ago when the snow began - but she's doing fine. Really.

She lives in an apartment that's luxurious, if short on amenities, in a block which used to be home to rich City bankers. A handful of fellow survivors are her friends, and together they forage for food and firewood, have parties once a month and even run a book club. The problem is they have no long-term future; eventually provisions will run out. Tori needs to find transport to make the two-thousand-mile journey south to a warm climate and start again.

One day she comes across an exhausted and wounded stranger face down in the snow, and saves his life. Morgan is a cage fighter from a tougher, meaner world where it's a mistake to trust people. He's on the run from the leader of the gang he used to work with. He's disturbingly hot. And he has a snowmobile.

Genres: Romance, Post Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Dystopia, British Literature, Fiction, Futuristic

282 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 9, 2012

About the author

Remix is my third novel; it's the story of Caz Tallis, who is startled one quiet Sunday morning to find a stranger asleep on her roof terrace...

I enjoy reading intelligent, pacey books with humour, and that's what I try to write. I believe it's a crime to bore the reader.

My day job (using my real name, Lexi Dick) is designing and making jewellery and silver; I've made pieces for Lady Thatcher, the Athenaeum and Her Majesty the Queen.

Reviews

[Celestine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has to be the most proper post-apocalyptic book I have ever read. It takes place in a posh residential area of London, where only the high-rise towers are accessible due to the snow that has buried everything. Few people are alive post-virus and survivors don't venture far due to the weather. Tori is in her own apartment with a small group of neighbors who, according to her, are over-educated and under-useful in the circumstances. They have become close-knit, make communal decisions, share provisions very politely, and hold poetry readings.

Then one day, Tori finds an injured man in the snow and hauls him to her apartment. Rough, uncouth, stoic Morgan doesn't really fit in with Tori's crowd, but he hangs about for a bit, healing and making stealthy plans. One day she discovers his secret - that he has a snowmobile. It is a coveted ticket out of their snowy hell. And he can only take one other person with him, if he wants. But there are others after that snowmobile, and having it can be dangerous.

Lexi Revellian does a good job defining the differences between Tori and Morgan. After his recuperation, she feels fairly safe with him, but recognizes that he has secrets and he is an unknown who could be violent and lethal if the situation required. He doesn't hide his vicious streak all that carefully, and this both disturbs and appeals to Tori. And that fact bothers her. Life is changing and Tori will have some decisions to make.

This book veers from staid community subsisting in the snow to dystopian societial mayhem. Multiple characters are well drawn and the ending is action-filled. Shades of good and bad are present in several characters, avoiding stereotypes. This was a strength of Revellian's writing. The emotional thrust of this book was on the mild side and love scenes are fade-to-black. However, there was an excellent HFN involving multiple characters.

[Stacy Mantle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and read it in only a few days. The characters are well-developed, loved the English references and dialogue, and thought the plot well-thought-out. I hadn't really thought much about a second ice age, but am thinking of it now! This is a great novel, fun and uncomplicated, but serious enough ti warrant your full attention. I will recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great read.

[Pauline Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed the author’s previous books ‘Remix’ and ‘Replica’, so this was a must for me. It’s a bit different, being post-apocalyptic with a twist of romance, and the basic premise is a bit of a stretch: after an epidemic wipes out most of the earth’s population, a sudden climate switch leaves the whole UK buried under metres of snow. The main character, Tori, has been left behind by the evacuation process and is trying to survive, along with a strange collection of others who missed the last helicopter out. There seemed to be a surprising number of couples who survived the epidemic, and everyone manages to get around rather well on all that freshly fallen snow, but never mind.

I love the idea of survival by committee (with fully minuted meetings, naturally), and scavenging by Argos catalogue, and the very British approach to keeping up one’s spirits in adversity - let’s start a book club, and have a monthly ceilidh. The author's great strength is always her characters, and the motley collection of survivors is very believable. Even the walk-on parts, like Sam and Charlie, were well-sketched with just a few light touches, and everyone knows a Nina (I certainly do), running everything in her own insistent way and brooking no argument. And Tori feels like someone you could bump into in any pub in Britain. This early scene-setting draws rather a charming picture of the post-apocalypse world (in London, anyway).

But then Morgan arrives, and shortly afterwards his former pal Mike and his gang, and things take a turn for the more sinister. From here on, the book becomes a total page-turner, leading to tricky reader decisions involving staying up into the small hours to find out what happens, or going sensibly to bed and then lying awake wondering how Tori and co will get out of their current dilemma. The book is very much a thriller, and there are fights and gunshots and plenty of action and tense stand-offs, but time after time the author disarmed me by neatly avoiding the obvious resolution and coming up with some blindingly simple common-sense solution. It was all very cleverly done, and made perfect sense for the characters.

In the midst of all the mayhem, there are wonderful moments like Tori and Morgan’s spectacular way of reaching the shop several doors away, or what must rank as one of the most peculiar dinner parties ever. Many of the characters reveal their true natures along the way, and some rise unexpectedly to the occasion. Archie, the self-described God-botherer, in particular, has moments of true heroism.

The ending is in the same style, effective and very satisfying. The romantic element is perfectly judged, with enough doubts and hesitations on both sides to be credible, and no instantaneous leap into bed, just a gentle inching towards an understanding and a state of mutual trust. The book is a wonderful mixture of post-apocalypse thriller, romance and quirky British humour. It’s entertaining rather than profound, perhaps, but for those who can suspend disbelief enough to accept the basic premise, it's a thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended. Four stars.

[Anissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I happened across this one while looking for new adult titles that weren’t contemporary romances. This one is post polar apocalypse & viral outbreak set in London. In a good twist, the book really sold me on that and the survival of the small band we really get to know through Tori, our narrator. I liked her & loved that she was intelligent & capable. The romance with Morgan didn’t captivate me but I think it was because he never seemed that finely drawn a character to me. He was there for the inevitable love interest so I could only be so invested. Also, my tepid like lost a few points when the story took to making Tori’s ex a fairly unlikable. It felt like an attempt to make the case for Tori hooking up with Morgan all the more. I liked Tori for the most part & her relationships with everyone else became as important to me because of the way she related everything. Greg was my favorite. How can you not love anyone who so loves Dr Who that in the post-apocalypse names their pet rat Rosie. I smile just recalling it.

I loved the descriptions of the city & the snow. The technical realities of daily life were well thought out and very compelling as were the plans to leave & head south. It was evident that the author took care with that. That same care was also on display throughout in Tori relating the group’s get togethers & asides she would mention. By the book’s end, I was willing to deal with the tepid romance just to find out what happens next & if the group make it south. I’m invested in that & if a sequel is written, I’d want to read it. 3.5 stars.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy reading post-apocalyptic/dystopian books but most of them have main characters who are in their teens as they tend to be aimed at the YA market so it was a pleasant change to read Ice Diaries whose main characters were in their twenties (and older).

I enjoyed the variety of chareacters in the book - they came from all walks of life.

This book is set in London in the not too distant future (2018), after an outbreak of some plague AND an Ice Age cause by global warming (not sure whether it is a mini-Ice Age or THE Ice Age). Some scary things occur - like Boris Johnson being Prime Minister!

The book focuses on a group of survivors trying to make the best of what they've got and surviving the harsh weather, lack of provisions and electricity. The book is told from the perpective of Tori. One night on her way home, she stubbles upon a stranger lying in the snow and she takes him back to her flat. She later discovers he's a Professional Cage Fighter and he was chucked out of the previous group of people he lived with, managing to escape with a gash across his torso (bad times), gold and a snowmobile (good times). The latter two items were stolen and their own soon catches up with him and starts to cause havoc in Tori's once quiet surviving society.

I really enjoyed the book.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an apocalyptic tale set in a not-too-distant future. London has been buried under 20 metres (65ft for us oldies) of snow, and most of the population recently wiped out by a disease pandemic. The few that remain, live a hand to mouth existence in the remains of the few tower blocks that poke above the snow.

Tori is one such, living in an apartment high up in the Bezier building. She and her friends form a small community that gets by by foraging down through the snow to the shops at ground level. One day, Morgan arrives; a natural fighter, mysterious and injured. Not long after, his "friends" turn up, and brown stuff starts hitting the spinny thing.

This is the first story I've read by Lexi Revellian, and I have to say it was a page turner. The characters were very well drawn, including a good selection of typically English Oddballs, and not all are as they might first seem. At time I thought she had raided some of my own friends to use as characters! The situations are gripping and tense, the peril real and dangerous (even a broken nose can be life-threatening in 60ft of snow with no hospitals...) and it has you biting your nails right up to the last page.

And in between the knifings and shootings and fire bombings there's still time for a bit of romance...

[Kath Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story suggests that in a few years’ time, a pandemic wipes out most of the world’s population. Those remaining, presumably immune, have to find a way to survive after the weather changes and Britain is covered in 20 metres of snow. Tori is a member of a group who co-operate to forage and try to keep civilisation alive in their small community. She rescues a man from the storm to find he is a renegade member of a travelling group of survivors. She, and we, don’t know who is the villain in this group, and who the good man.

Lexi Revellian is an articulate and classy writer and I enjoyed her previous books, Remix and Replica. This story is well told in the first person by Tori, an ordinary person with no special skills (like me), the characters are believable and varied and the story has a pace and an excitement born of the situation and the interaction of the people in it. In such a situation, we might ask ourselves how we would behave. The story has the possibility of being continued. I enjoyed it very much and hope that it will be.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore post-apocalyptic novels, but sometimes the violence and bad choices of characters faced with a new disaster is just too depressing. Ice Diaries was such a delightful change, keeping the best parts of the genre while deleting most of the violence and unsavoriness.

The book begins a year after a pandemic wipes out of most of the world's population, followed by an abrupt climate shift that buries London under 60 feet of snow. We open in a little community of posh Londoners who are getting by quite happily raiding supermarkets for their supplies, gathering together for ceilidhs, and looking out for one another. Our heroine is kind and spunky, but is still mourning her lost boyfriend, whom she assumes is now dead.

Enter a semi-thug dying of a knife-wound and hypothermia while lying in the snow outside her flat, and the story is off! I won't tell you about the middle because most things I say would be spoilers, but the end is fully satisfying while also leaving me yearning for a sequel. Please tell me book two is in the works?

[Rebekah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I read this, it wasn't good and yet it was so easy to read I couldn't put it down.
There was nothing inherently awful about it, just a blithe, young adult apocalyptic story.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2 1/2 stars)

I quite enjoyed Remix and when I saw the premise for this book I was intrigued. Sadly it's not as well written and although it's still easy to read and quite short it wasn't enjoyable as such. I didn't hate it I just didn't like it either.

The idea of a London 20 metres deep in snow with a tiny fraction of the current population, the rest having been carried off by a pandemic, was I thought a good one but the way it's dealt with here makes for a very cosy apocalypse. They have dinner parties and book clubs. I expected a constant sense of a fight for survival against the elements (and each other?) but although dangers of the cold were mentioned, they were downplayed to the point where it felt like the whole story could have taken place in a small village in a normal, if very cold, British winter.

I found the dialogue and story telling uninspiring. Often the characters tell you exactly what they're thinking so we're never really allowed to wonder why they did certain things. Also I found the romantic elements a bit cringe-worthy.

[L.K. Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book from the Indie Book Bargains site and I'm really glad I did. I like anything post-apocalyptic and this just fit the bill. It was a clear read and easily engaging and the characters were really interesting.

The story revolves around two catastrophic events, a pandemic and London is under several meters of snow. We join a small group of people who live and scavenge what is left of London and life continues in their little community as best it can, until a strange appears in the snow.

I really liked the two main characters, they were very human and contemporary, I felt that they were people I might know. I liked that there was a mix of personalities and that they weren't that different to what people are like now. The familiar landmarks were fun and the tension in the story was gripping.

Sequel please, I hope there's more to come!

[Sharon Benham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed Lexi's two other books I own which are Remix and Replica so I was looking forward to this one. I was not disappointed. When I knew I was coming to the end I was surprised to find myself not wanting to finish it because I was enjoying it so much, but of course I also couldn't stop reading it because I needed to find out what happened.

I love the way Lexi writes. All the characters were interesting and there was a good amount of back story to them, but not too much.

The whole idea of this book is great and quite frightening too. To see how things would be if only a few of us in the whole country survived.

I highly recommend this book. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.

[Rebecca Heap · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a short review to say fantastic. I have read Remix, Replica, Trav Zander and Torbrek as well and I think I will now be buying every book she writes! Love the diverse plot ideas Lexi Revellian has and how she creates worlds and characters that are utterly convincing, vibrant and compelling. She again does not disappoint with this book. Set in such bizarre circumstances but makes the people and the ways they tackle their situation so plausible that you really feel you are there with them. Loved the development of Morgan and Tori's relationship but didn't feel like the other characters were secondary to this (like in so many other books). Well done Lexi. Please keep them coming!

[Gordon Ralph · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great read this was!. I do like Lexi Revellions style and great imagination ! it hits just the right note with me. I've read most of her books as I like Sci Fi a lot , this one had me a bit worried as it was labelled as a "Romantic novel" but I need not have worried and I gave it a go . Yes there was romance going on but what good film doesn't these days? so why not in books?. I just love how Lexi describes the characters and scenes so well she draws me into the book and I find it hard to put down ...the mark of a good book I believe !. A must read for anyone into post apocalyptic drama !

[Lexie Conyngham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gripped me from the start: the setting, futuristic London in deep, deep snow, was thoroughly convincing and the little party living at the tops of high rises and how they survived in the snow was fascinating enough. Then the action started and you're really swept along: the pace is fast and exciting. The violence is nicely dealt with, not overdone but realistic. I see Lexi has written two other novels which I hope to read, soon - sorry they don't seem to be set in the same place, though, as I felt there was potential for more, there!

[Kimberly Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read Lexi's other books and received an email from her informing her readers about the new book. I hadn't been reading for several weeks, everything I looked at wasn't catching my interest.
At first, the book seemed too way out for my liking. But in typical Lexi form, she hooked me and I could not put it down. I highly recommend this book and both of her others. She is an incredible writer!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I loved some of the apocalyptic ideas it gave about living in a snow covered land. The main character is feisty but caring just like what we would all dream of being. I will always look forward to Lexi's books and even though they have covered diverse story lines , reality, apocalyptic and even dragons I have loved them all and cannot wait for the next.

[Michelle TheOtter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a really good read, the catastrophic event happening is well thought out, and I could imagine, in the future, this happening.
It's set in London, and references landmarks that, I would think, most people are familiar with, which gives it a realistic base.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. Well paced and well written.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This inventive post-apocolyptic novel set in the very near future, like most of this author's work, was hard to put down. Compared to most such survival tales it's a bit light on the grit and violence but I found the snowed-in London scenario unique and intriguing.

[Patricia Kaniasty · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Kinda left you hanging at the end. Do they make it south or not?? What happens to the group?? Never comes to any conclusion.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are enduring a summer of constant record-breaking triple-digit heat and drought so a dystopian snow world was very appealing to me. I thoroughly enjoyed this very British version of the SHTF. The characters were varied and the dialogue was clever. The author didn't try to overthink why the weather changed...it just did and the plot was about trying to survive while still enjoying living. It was very different from most post-apocalyptic books. If you want something more than zombies or gun mayhem, you should read this one!

[Morv · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story focuses around Tori, a young woman who, along with a few other's in her 'community' have been left stranded in London due to a terrible epidemic that swept over the country, killings millions and then came the snow. It's been a year since everything happened and Tori and the other people around her are all surviving and working together to keep doing so, when she comes across a man called Morgan who passed out in the snow and who also brings a lot of trouble as well.

As a main character Tori was kind of interesting, she mourned for her boyfriend David, who left to check up on his parents while she did the same for her mum, however they never found each other although Tori holds hope that he is still alive. She's a decent character, if a bit idealistic with how other people are dealing with what has happened to them.
A few of the side characters, like Nina who was annoying however she barely made any kind of true impact for the reader to fully gauge on their own just how annoying she could be; however Greg was interesting to read, although you could tell that he wasn't completely there he still came across as real, he felt real in the story and there was just something about him that connects.
Archie was/is a Priest and while he does seem like a decent man, again something is missing, he is also rather naive about the world he lives in, although whether that is due to his beliefs or if he really hasn't experienced any harsh treatment is something we don't learn about.
It might just be me who is seeing this, but the community that Tori is in are all really naive and just don't think that what they have won't last for long. None of them explore further afield to see what other places are doing and if they could combine together.
When Morgan turns up it's very much like a breath of fresh air, he bring about a whole lot of danger and yet it shakes up Tori into being a more interesting character.

Morgan is a tough guy, yet at the same time he does come across as rather smart, although out of touch when it comes to basic manners and the like. This could just be his way of surviving, putting such things that aren't needing when he needs to look out for himself.

The plot is great, the story goes along really nicely. I think the only thing I really disliked was in the early chapter was when Tori was explaining to the reader exactly what had happened to the population of Britain, but it was put down that readers could not read it. Since it gave a lot of information to the book missing this part of information isn't advisable and the information that was put down wasn't that bad, although that could just be due to me reading a far amount of these kinds of books.

Another part that got to me was the romance between Morgan and Tori, not saying that it couldn't happen, however Tori never struck me as the kind of woman who would easily sway into the arms of another man, particularly one she only knew for a week. Then there was the amount of romantic interaction between herself and Morgan, now Morgan came across as a rather hands off man, although he would probably kiss Tori and everything I couldn't imagine him doing it publicly for other's to see, which could have been my reading his character wrong.

The action of the book was really nicely placed, there wasn't too much in one part and there was a lot to keep you hanging at the edge of your seat.

[A.K. Michaels · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this last night and I enjoyed it immensely. I liked the character of Morgan very much - he would be the type of person most likely to survive this kind of apocalyptic disaster. Humankind being as it is, unfortunately, there would be more Mike's around than there was in the book - that's just us pesky humans for you and this type of disaster would bring them out of the woodwork big time. That was the one teeny, tiny, niggling thing for me, apart from him and his motley crew everyone else was nice and I'm not so sure that would be the case. I would like to think it would be but somehow I don't think it would. As Tori, Morgan and the others rode off into the snow it would be great to follow what happened next. I can see them getting into all kinds of scrapes - with Morgan there to get them out of them and of course follow what could turn into a great romance and love story between Morgan and Tori - which we only got a glimpse of. The smoulder was there - would like to see the fire.
I liked the fact that Tori wasn't all 'glammed up' and her character came across as being very believable and likeable as did the other characters.She struggled to 'forage' for food and other things and I could almost feel the cold as she snuggled in her bed with layers of clothing on. There were some fight scenes with Morgan and I enjoyed those as they came across as being all too real. As did her having to escape Hong and warn Morgan of danger - won't put a spoiler in here - but the outcome was not one she had ever thought possible and her reactions were very real. I really enjoyed this and I recommend the book for a good read. Enjoy

[Elizabeth Jasper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to have a lie in yesterday morning as snow was forecast and so started to read this book. By the time I paused, thick snow covered the landscape outside and I really felt sympathy for the various characters and their situation. Through a cold and miserable day, I read on, warm and cosy indoors in spite of the weather outside, able to empathise with the dilemmas and situations the characters found themselves in.

The characters are a good balance of very, very good (Archie) and unctuously evil (Mike), with plenty of variety in between. Bravery, love, devotion, selfishness, evil and optimism all have a place in this story, which has a most satisfactory ending but offers scope for a sequel at some time and, yes, I'd be interested in reading that, too. I enjoyed the well-thought-out domestic problems and ingenious solutions faced by characters living with 20 metres of snow in a deserted, post apocalypse London.

While not totally believable, the story engaged me right to the end and I was able to push aside any concerns as I read, taking the story for what it is, rather than what it might have been had it been written by another writer with a heavier theme. I prefer it this way.

[Donna Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something about the writeup about this one lured me out of my mystery/suspense comfort zone, and I'm glad it did. What I liked about the main character was how she related to the other people in her little band of survivors. There was love interest and drama, too--would they accept the status quo, which was very few people, finite supplies, and snow piled up to the 8th floor of London's high rises? Or would some of them brave the 2000 mile trip south to warmth and a better life? Well written and enjoyable, a welcome change.

[Candice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five-star premise, though I found Tori's willingness to side with the guy she rescued over the villain a bit odd, given that they're pretty much both bad guys. I could have accepted having her acknowledge she was doing it because of physical attraction, but it was harder to buy with no real reason other than that their relationship drives the plot.

I docked it a full star because (unless I misread something, which is entirely possible) all the characters of color are villains. I have no patience for this anymore, I'm afraid.

[Nicolas Chinardet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came to this book with very low expectations; my only interest in it spawned by my being a resident of one of the buildings featured in it. I must say I was very pleasantly surprised. This is highly readable and enjoyable: perfect for a day in bed with your own hunky cage-fighter and 20m of snow outside... The conceit is reasonably believable with few inconsistencies and a good pace to the story. The writing is pleasant and only gets a little sloppy towards the end.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

another winning ebook from this author! set in the near future, in an England that is buried under 60 feet of snow, the few survivors of both the pandemic and the cold/snow that hit the world struggle to survive. our heroine rescues a man who has been injured and he introduces danger and violence into her little world.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this book - it was refreshing (icy!!) and easy. This vision of the future was realistic and despite the turn in the story there wasn't anything outrageous in it. I liked the characters and enjoyed the read. I was torn between 3 and 4 stars and went for 4 because although somewhat formulaic it worked really well and kept my interest.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a free kindle book and it was really enjoyable. It makes you think about what it would be like to survive a global catastrophe. I just wish the ending wasn't so abrupt. I wanted to know what happened!!!