Snowcastles

by Duncan McGeary

Through the snows of Godshome to the Twilight Dells, a banished prince quests to regain his magical throne.

Genres: Fantasy

160 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1981

About the author

I've lived in Bend, Oregon my whole life (which is becoming increasing rare in this boom town.) After the U of O, I wrote Star Axe, Snowcastles and Icetowers.

While trying to write full time, I started filling in at a local book/comic book store, Pegasus Books. Eventually, I became full time and then manager, and then 30 years ago, I bought the store.

My wife opened her used bookstore, The Bookmark, ten years ago and is also writing these days. She has a book online called, Telling Tree, which is wonderful, and will publish her the second book of her trilogy, Once on a Blue Moon.

I have two sons, Todd, an artist, and Toby, a chef.

So my writing career took a back seat while I tried to keep the store alive and raise a family.

In the last few years, the store has become stable enough that I've been able to come back to writing and I've been writing like crazy.

I've just sold a four book deal to Books of the Dead Press. Led to the Slaughter has been released e-book and will soon be available in print form on Amazon. I also sold a trilogy, The Vampire Evolution, which consists of Death of An Immortal; Rule of Vampire; and Blood of Gold.

I've been very busy, with several other books in the works.

I hope you guys will check out my books. I try to make them entertaining and fast reads.

Reviews

[Leothefox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sword and Sorcery is one of my favorite genres to read. When it's done right it pairs brawn, suspense, weirdness, and outright horror into something more. Duncan McGeary's “Snowcastles” is technically part of this genre (swords and magic do figure predominantly), but it's almost in too big a hurry to really attend to the essential ingredients.

Why is “Snowcastles” in such a big hurry? Well, you see, this is not merely some diverting entertainment in this hallowed volume, no... you see, this is anything but a mundane entertainment: it is the first volume in an epic saga!

I guess there isn't anything wrong in wanting to launch a series, or even a “saga” (and yes, the sequel, “Icetowers”, was actually written), as long as you have a solid book to build from.

So, our hero, Greylock, is an exiled prince running rapidly away from the frozen Godshome because his evil old uncle, the king (the book calls him Tyrant and Capitalizes it, just like That!) has sent some guys to kill him. His people live way up on a mountain and believe that everybody who live at lower elevations are “demons” and that the unlivable wastes higher up the mountain are the home of the gods. It's an idea somebody like Edgar Rice Burroughs could have done a lot with, but Duncan McGeary is in too big a hurry to be Edgar Rice Burroughs.

The plot comes right off the shelf, with the muscly Greylock immediately paired with an old wizard and his granddaughter who set out right away to help him regain his kingdom. Imagine the 1939 version of “The Wizard of Oz”, but a rushed one that skips the songs, it really happens that fast. Some minor peril occurs thanks to a race called The Wyrrs and then we're off to human villains and transparent political upset.

Some minor character points are attempted and a sense of scope is sorta there (there are some maps and diagrams at the start of the book, not that you need them), but the real Sword and Sorcery stuff is lacking. Greylock does have a sword and he gets it thanks to some sorcery, but it might as well be a paperweight for how much we see him use it. The fact is that he doesn't really have to fight his way through much of anything, since action would only slow down our journey to the next plot point. The characters seem just as sure as their creator that things will work out since the prospect of failure is only hinted at. In fact, it never seems to occur to Greylock that there is an option open to him other than returning to his homeland in force and he is really far too self-assured for a guy entering a world alien to his own.

In many ways, this book does put in more of a token effort at its genre than some other 70s fantasies I've read and it lacks some of the vulgarity those others wallowed in as well. The problem is that in the bargain we get a book with no guts. There is no violence to speak of and the sorcery never feels weird or eerie, merely convenient. It went quick enough and the setting has some imagination to it (call it 2.5 stars, based on this) but I will not be reading the sequel.

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a short swords & sorcery novel that reads a bit like a transcript of a D & D adventure, except without any humor or characterization. My mind kept wandering.... Not a bad story, but nothing memorable.

[K.M. Mayville · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not terrible. Some problematic age-play nonsense that I skimmed over, but otherwise, the world is interesting enough to carry the bland story. If you like short sword/sorcery pulp fiction supplemented by FIVE (--four too many, dudes--) overly detailed fantasy world maps, you'll enjoy this quick jaunt of a heroes' journey. It has a couple moments that make it stand out (to include an insightful dialog about the nature of power retention that I felt was too cerebral for the intended audience this was written for) and the language was easy to follow.

This is only half the overall narrative, obviously. But I will not be reading the second book. It supposedly digs into Greylock's relationship with the Wyrrs and that plot line starter in this book just did not appeal to me--Not because the Wyrrs aren't compelling, but because Greylock is a cardboard cut-out of a protagonist and following his struggle about being a beef cake with no flaws fighting the pull of destiny sounds absolutely yawn-inducing.

If it weren't for the funny grandpa/granddaughter banter and the schlocky villain, this would probably be a 2/5. And I imagine if Greylock had a personality beyond "is the protagonist", I might have rated this one higher. Alas, 3 stars it is. Cheers.

[Hugh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting concept, but a lack of development. The conflicts seemed inconsequential to the main characters. They all wore plot armor for the entire book. Nothing felt endangered, and nothing was lost. So the "happy ending" doesn't seem as rewarding.

I felt like there were a lot of intriguing world building bits that could've been expanded but instead they were rushed through. Also there were a lot of promises made to different characters at the beginning of the book but in the resolution we only get closure for two of them. I just wish it was a little more polished.

[Sarah Ehinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

For its age, the story held up pretty well. I like that the female characters weren't there just for eye candy. The quest was fairly straightforward, but set up the next adventure nicely.

[Franklyn S. Newton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not great, but bangin cover though

[Kekoa Blevins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping he would use that massive maul in the cover so I just had to imagine it up when he finally did slay a few scumbags:: through out the book :: it made it so much better ::


And pretty cool concept with the high altitude snow kingdom :: reminded me of the same write up for the animated movie smallfoot::

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was all right. Not the best I've read in heroic fantasy. Not the worst either.

[bluetyson]

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