Prince of the Icemark

The Icemark Chronicles #0

by Stuart Hill

Brave young Prince Redrought must defend his country from a supernatural invasion force of ferocious werewolves, vampires and zombies.

When his brother, the King, is killed in battle, Prince Redrought must rally his people and learn to defend his tiny kingdom against savage supernatural invaders – werewolves, vampires and zombies. Redrought must take the fight to enemy territory in The-Land-of-the-Ghosts, and it’s there he will fall or stand for ever in the legends of the Icemark as King Redrought Athelstan Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield, Bear of the North.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Epic Fantasy, Teen, Childrens, Adventure, Fiction

321 pages, Paperback

First published June 6, 2013

About the author

Stuart Hill was born in Leicester, in the East Midlands of England, where he still lives today. His family heritage includes English, Irish, Romany and Jewish blood. As a student his grades were average at best, but he was fortunate to have a teacher who inspired in him a lifelong love of reading. Since leaving school, he has worked as a teacher and an archaeologist, and now balances life as both a bookseller and a writer.

The Cry of the Icemark is his first novel. When he was a teenager, Stuart lost "the real Thirrin," his red-haired sister Kathleen, to leukemia. The story of the brave young warrior-queen who faces impossible dangers is dedicated to her. The Cry of the Icemark won the Ottakars Prize for the best new children’s novel - Ottakars is one of the UK's leading book chains. Foreign rights have been sold to over 14 countries, and Fox have bought the movie rights.

Blade of Fire, the second in the Icemark Chronicles series was published in the UK in September 2006 and in the USA in February 2007.

Stuart says that his influences include H. Rider Haggard, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Margaret Abbey—his former grade school teacher who is also a writer of historical novels.

Reviews

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy the nostalgia however, the telling nature and simplicity of word and story made me wish I had of discovered this prequel when I first read the original trilogy as a teenager.

[Daphne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a lot weaker than any of the others in the Icemark series, and that's a shame. I almost feel like the author wrote himself into a corner by writing a prequel to the rest of the books. It meant he couldn't introduce many new characters because there would be no explanation for their disappearance in the books that took place later, it also meant that the end of the story is already pretty much known by the readers.

A few new characters were introduced, but none of them were very memorable. By far the most annoying one was the cat, it's introduced as a "witch's cat" with special powers and it gets three seperate fight scenes within the book and kills a fairly important character. This cat gets so much focus during the book that I almost started to wonder if it wasn't the real main character. It just felt out of place and weird.

Redrought himself was a little bit of a disappointment too. He felt very different as a main character than his daughter did and I didn't feel like I got to know him very well during the story. It also seemed to me that the way girls were described through his eyes was rather sexist. The book kept acting like girls are aliens who are impossible to understand and talk to as a guy. It would've been one thing it it had been just his insecurity, but an older female character agrees with him. It's an overdone thing and a bit of a pet peeve of mine.

So while it was nice to see more of Icemark's backstory and see more of Thirrin's mother(!), the story itself was weak and the characters fell flat for the most part.

[~Cyanide Latte~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading the first book in the series and parts of the second some years ago when I was in my late teens. Perhaps only a handful of years ago I finally made an effort to hunt down all of the Icemark Chronicles, and finally acquired this prequel book. This one seems to have mixed reception, with many of the readers of the series deeming it unnecessary or pointless to read, given the entire point of the first book is that Redrought dies and that spurs the plot to begin.

But for what it's worth, I enjoyed starting with this book if I am going to go through and read the entire series at last. Getting to know who Redrought was as a young king, getting to see his influence on and beginning rule of the Icemark makes me appreciate the loss of him even more, and I love the way this book makes a point of calling back your attention to the original books, referencing it in ways that feel natural. The characters here are a lot of fun and very endearing, and while this certainly took a while to get through, I think it was more than worth it. I'm glad to be getting reacquainted with the Icemark Chronicles.

[Kaavya · Rating 5 out of 5]

While cry of the icemark was my favourite in this series, these books were some of my childhood favourites and I would definitely recommend them! I read them at around 9 (I think!) and they truly were amazing.

As of 10.4.22 I reread this book (in maybe an hour and a half, perhaps less) and it was as amazing as ever! I would truly recommend it, as a tale of foreign countries and magic and friendship and love. It is very well written, and would appeal greatly to younger readers especially, I would imagine.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars - English Ebook

[Raihani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly brilliant! In the first novel, 'Cry of the Icemark' we only get to know Redrought for a brief moment as the story focuses on Thirrin. So having the chance to read about Redrought, seeing him at his lowest and growing to be a king is fantastic. I suppose what makes me so engrossed while reading this book is the fact that you get drawn into Redrought rough charm, his clumsy honesty, his outrageous logic and his exuberance. You can't help but like him more and more as the story progresses despite his many faults. Like the book states so many times, he is a contradictions! I finally understand WHY he is considered a great king by his people. The only setback of this book is that I FREAKING WANT MORE!

I need to reread the first book again!

[Rebecca Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't say much since I shouldn't really have read this yet, considering it hasn't been released. What I will say is Their Vampiric Majesties are hilarious as ever. Arrogant, pompous, selfish, with their amazing terms of endearment such as 'my darling corpse', it's hard not to love them.

The story is yet another invasion, true, but it is more than that. It's different to the other books, and is good in its own right. Once again, the battle scenes are fabulous. Absolutely amazing.

This is a fine addition to the series, and no, no snow leopards. I know I loved them...so that one chapter in this book...ignore me, I'm rambling. Enjoy the book when it's released.

[Mike Booth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, but at times a bit juvenile and with some things that seemed very out of place, and really took me out of the world.
I read the original trilogy when I was younger, and loved them. As part of my on-going quest to reread everything that's in my bookcase (and realise that a lot of what I loved as a kid is actually kinda bad), I decided to give the series another go as I have book 2 and 3 physically. I discovered this prequal when going to add the first in the trilogy to my currently reading, and so thought I'd give it a go first.
All I really remembered of the series is that the fight scenes were great, and the idea of armies of monsters and humans clashing was really stuck with me - enough that I remembered the books very fondly. As has happened several times now, when rereading books of my youth, what I remembered loving with the rose-tinted glasses of the past on was not quite what I found. The battle scenes, while quite descriptively gruesome (which I'm sure I loved when younger), were often filled with very similar passages, and didn't always make the most sense. Describing the werewolves as being worth several human warriors and vastly outnumbering them, yet being easily driven off several times, seems like bad writing to me. Maybe I've been spoiled reading Sanderson and similar, but these battles didn't seem anywhere near as realistic in terms of timings or the way the armies fought. It's still enjoyable, but it doesn't feel anywhere near as visceral and you don't feel as involved as a reader when it's harder to believe.
As I mentioned, some of the more juvenile parts also ruined my immersion. The baby-talk with the cat seemed very unnecessary, and was the worst offender by far (especially given the frequency in which it occurred) but there were other parts as well that actually made me shake my head. It's unfortunate as without these, I think the book would've been much better, and I don't think even the target audience of YA would enjoy them - at least, I know I wouldn't have.
I also really didn't like that the author mentions America and some modern vernacular. It seemed incredibly out of place, and again completely took me out of the moment. It baffles me why it was added as it doesn't seem to make sense in the world - if the Icesheets just to the north don't have knowledge of humans, how would the vampires know of American slang? - and wasn't funny, which presumably the aim. Perhaps it's just that I'm not the target audience, but I dislike breaking the fourth wall unless it's done well, and this really wasn't.
I do think there was too much foreshadowing, which was probably as the author assumes that readers will be reading this after the trilogy, which is probably true in most cases. I think some things were teased unnecessarily, which will lesson the impact for a new reader when they occur in the main books. A lot of things were pretty clearly spelled out for no real benefit - if the reader has read the trilogy, they will know it's coming, and if they haven't, it will ruin a surprise for no real benefit.
I have been pretty critical in this review, which perhaps is unfair as I did, on the whole, enjoy the book. It's a great world, although perhaps lacking a map to help clear up some geographical questions - although that's a purely personal preference of mine. I'm still looking forward to reading the original three books, as I do have fond memories, but I hope they are better than this was.

[ReadingSloph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This prequel boo to the Icemark series was a really good read. I loved the new, interesting characters and some familiar faces. This is a very action-oriented book, filled with some love and some mystic and magic, a pretty good blend of what I like. I thought that this was one of my favourite of the series, I enjoyed the characters quite a lot and really got invested into the story. It was an easy read as it took you on a journey with the young prince and you got to see him grow and become a leader to his people. I will have to get a copy of my own as I borrowed this from a friend.

[Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not Thirrin, but I did enjoy it.

Saphia was in love with Athena, right? Kahin presents the possibility that Redrought has a crush on a boy, so the existence of gay/bi people in the Icemark is an acknowledged fact.

[Stettafire · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is brilliant, up until the ending, which felt a little rushed.

[R. Shelton, Author · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good story, well written, the whole series is a must read and you will love it as much as your kids!

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prequel to the Icemark series. You get to read the story of Thirrin's father. Best of you get the answer to his fascination with cats.

[Melissa Cabbage · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frankly, the series should not have been marketed as a 'junior Game of Thrones' because it sets the trap of comparing, and although I agree that said marketing was the reason of luring me to this book in the first place (along with the schemingly similar cover design), the critic in me would have been clicking her tongue in distaste at a declaration as bold as that. I do realise the keyword should've been 'junior' but the word was overshadowed in my mind unfortunately.

Regardless, I did find myself enjoying the book (after I decided to let go of the comparisons and enjoying it for the plot itself, because hey you can get inspirations from anywhere - including worldwide bestselling hit series - and it's wrong of me to judge if you do) as there has always been something absorbing in 'junior' fantasy books that are often rare in adult series, which I find myself often gravitating towards. Maybe it's the colourful imaginative world or the innocent characters that I find endearing, like Redrought. He was ADORABLE, and no matter how the author tried to emphasise his ugly appearance, all I saw was a cute little boy trying to play king. I absolutely loved the moments of his 'boyish' personality, and his embarrassing side with his cat. It was really cute.

Otherwise I think the first two battle scenes felt a little too rushed, like it was done within a chapter or two, and maybe that was the author's intention, so it would not be sold as another series, but it does eat into the quality of the writing sadly. Yet when it came to the courting scenes, it was a little too long, and there were other scenes that should have been cut because they seemed pointless to me, but they were there and they wasted the space in which could have been used for more descriptions of the battle scenes. But overall it isn't too shoddy, and quite an entertaining read to pass the time.

[Arsnoctis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pince of the Icemark (inedito in Italia) è il prologo di Cry of the Icemark (Icemark in italiano) e può essere preso come punto di partenza della serie oppure può essere letto in corso d'opera; io per esempio l'ho letto dopo Cry of the Icemark.
Potrebbe essere il primo prologo che apprezzo davvero -dopo tanto tempo- e posso dire di essere tornata con piacere ad Icemark grazie a queste pagine.
Un libro onesto, con degli ottimi personaggi e qualche dialogo particolarmente brillante, mi ha fatto sorridere in più di un' occasione e credo che ai fan del primo capitolo piacerà scoprire l'antefatto della vicenda, così come è piaciuto a me.
Per il momento confermo l'idea che mi ero fatta con il primo libro, questa è una serie che meriterebbe più seguito e che può essere apprezzata anche dai neofiti del genere.
L'edizione Chicken House è molto curata, soprattutto in proporzione al prezzo.
P.s. La scritta in copertina tra "Icemark" e "Stuart Hill" non ha ragione di esistere, ma spero che l'intenzione fosse solo far capire ai possibili acquirenti che si tratta di una serie valida.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this story though it didn't really match the tone or pacing of the other three books in the series.

The prince of the Icemark is supposed to be a prequel to The Cry of The Icemark, however the mythos and philosophical parts of the world are expanded here with the edition of a new group of people, the Zoroastrians, who are the merchant people of the Icemark. They were never mentioned in the other book. Spirits-of-Battle and Bare-Sarkers are introduced too. These are supposed to be part of Icemark mythology but within continuity the introduction of them serves no real purpose.

In some parts we get references to characters that won't appear until (within continuity) the second book. To those who have read and are fans of the Icemark books these references come across as fanservice instead of suspense for what will come next.

I recommend you read it if you have read the other books or not, but if you have then consider this more of a novella or one-shot within the world of the Icemark.

[Nina (Death, Books, and Tea) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was very excited about this one due to it being a prequel to the Icemark (one of my favourite series as a child) Greatly enjoyed seeing the young Redrought. Battle scenes were just as well written as in the rest of the series. Definitely read Saphia as in love with Athena (look at her thoughts about Athena eg at start of chapter 17, plus the link of Saphia/Sappho). Definitely a deserving prequel.

[Rick Mcarthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable introduction to Stuart Hill's Other Dimensional Universe that he creates here for fantasy fans. Even as it had been nearly 5 years since I first encountered the original trilogy it connects to I was able to step right back into the characters domain with no memory loss at all! Recommend it largely!

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not like this as much as the trilogy but, it was still very good. just very different from the other Icemark books. But it was different in a good way, but it's tragic that many of the persons we meet in this book, we will know what happens to them in the Cry of the Icemark. But some of them, will we never know what becomes of them.

[Devyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am terribly disappointed in you Stuart Hill! I feel you half-assed and half-hearted this book. The writing style is so off I've even wondered if you wrote this or someone else did. Prince of the Icemark doesn't have even a quarter of the sophistication and humor The Cry of the Icemark had. :(

[Chantal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully, rollicking fantasy adventure of heroism, sacrifice and overcoming obstacles without losing who you really are.

Perfectly pitched at 12-14 year olds, with plenty of action, yet not too macabre.

[Harry Clarke · Rating 1 out of 5]

horrific.
The front of the books says "a junior game of thrones" and i can honestly say that is pure bullshit. Just one of the worst, most immature, terribly written books i have ever read. Do not put yourself through the torture of this shitty culmination of hideous ink blotches. Awful.

[Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved learning more about Therrins Father and lineage but I didn't find it as gripping as the other novels.

The tone was very different. More of a younger audience. The writing was strong but simple. The simplicity is what separates it from the first two novels especially.

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!!!! Wasnt expecting a prequel, but was very happy to discover one existed and was already out!!!! Now i have to read the rest of the books! Great Read!