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The Winter of the World #2

The Forge in the Forest

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The siege of Kerbryhaine had been raised, the Ekwesh hordes vanquished, the Mastersmith slain. But for Alv - now Elof the Smith - the war was not yet Kerbryhaine was still a divided city; the Ekwesh, bloodily defeated, would look for revenge; and the Ice, implacably malevolent, continued its inexorable march southward. So from divided Kerbryhaine Elof, Kermorvan and his companions mounted an expedition to the legendary lost cities of the East; if they managed to reunite the war-torn tribes, perhaps they could stand together against the menace of the Ice. But to Elof and Kermorvan the journey would also bring of the Powers ranged for and against them; and the secrets within themselves waiting to be revealed - secrets that would play a part in the war yet to come.

397 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1987

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About the author

Michael Scott Rohan

38 books82 followers
Michael Scott Rohan (born 1951 in Edinburgh) was a Scottish fantasy and science fiction author and writer on opera.

He had a number of short stories published before his first books, the science fiction novel Run to the Stars and the non-fiction First Byte. He then collaborated with Allan J. Scott on the nonfiction The Hammer and The Cross (an account of Christianity arriving in Viking lands, not to be confused with Harry Harrison's similarly themed novel trilogy of the same name) and the fantasy novels The Ice King and A Spell of Empire.

Rohan is best known for the Ice Age-set trilogy The Winter of the World. He also wrote the Spiral novels, in which our world is the Hub, or Core, of a spiral of mythic and legendary versions of familiar cities, countries and continents.

In the "Author's Note" to The Lord of Middle Air, Rohan asserts that he and Walter Scott have a common ancestor in Michael Scot, who is a character in the novel.

[copied and adapted from en.wikipedia.org]

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Profile Image for Terry .
446 reviews2,193 followers
April 6, 2017
2.5 – 3 stars

I really feel like I ought to have liked this book more than I did and it might deserve a higher rating, but I can only go by my actual reading experience which was a bit lukewarm; I guess my book biorhythms were off for this one because on the face of it this might otherwise have become a favourite.

Rohan is a good writer and has done some interesting things within the high fantasy genre here. His magic system based on an animistic shamanism that allows its practitioners to access the powers of the natural and supernatural world via a kind of ritualistic co-inherence of symbolic elements seemed both interesting and fresh. A subset of this would be the powers and abilities of master craftsmen such as his main character Elof the smith. Elof’s own smithcraft follows a similar paradigm whereby he is able to make use of the natural characteristics of his raw materials, in combination with ritual incantations and symbols, in order to imbue them with power. I thought this element of the world building to be compelling and interesting, not to mention something that does not appear to have been done to death in the genre.

Rohan’s use of a pre-historic setting of our own world follows the model of Tolkien, though it perhaps incorporates more elements from actual geological and anthropological history as we know it. His most unique and intriguing of these elements for me was perhaps the way in which he handled his dwarf-analogues, the Duergar, who are actually a remnant of the Neanderthals who escaped from the rise of Homo sapiens by fleeing into the depths of the mountains. The next would be the fact that the overarching evil overlord against whom our heroes must contest is actually the Ice Age itself (or more properly the mystical personification of ‘the Ice’ and the various eldritch pre-human powers that are behind it). This use of demiurgic powers that drive elements of the story, and who occasionally appear as characters intervening in the affairs of men, was certainly another reminder to me of Tolkien, specifically in his use of the Valar as represented in The Silmarillion and I always like seeing this kind of mingling of the human with the semi-divine when it’s done well. Another echo of _The Silmarillion_ could perhaps be seen in Elof’s role of smith and master craftsman known for his ability to create artifacts of great power (shades of Fëanor, Celebrimbor, and even Sauron here) and some of the most interesting elements of this book for me (and even moreso in the volume that precedes it in the series) were the details of exactly how Elof learned his craft and fashioned these artifacts. Despite these echoes (in my mind at least) of Tolkien I think that for the most part they are less the outright borrowings of a slavish imitator and more the fruit of Rohan’s own story with perhaps an ‘influence’ from the grand-pappy of the genre; we’re certainly not suffering from the extruded fantasy product of those afflicted with Terry-Brooks-syndrome here.

That being said I couldn’t help but see Kermorvan, the king-in-waiting character, as little more than an Aragorn-analogue (and one who is both much less interesting and more high-handed than Aragorn ever was). Also, regardless of the fact that I am in general agreement with LeGuin’s dictum of a ‘high style’ being the natural mode of high fantasy (as she adroitly argued in her seminal essay “From Elfland to Poughkeepsie”), I must admit that sometimes Rohan’s ‘high style’ came off a little bit tortured, especially in the self-important speeches of the aforementioned man-who-would-be-king Kermorvan.

All in all this was a well-written foray into the realm of epic fantasy and it managed to avoid many of the pitfalls of the Tolkien-clones, while adding something new and fresh to the genre. Despite all of that I just didn’t find this a compelling read and was anxious to get to the end of the book and move on to something else. Not the most ringing endorsement, but I think in this case my malaise had less to do with the faults of the book itself (though there are some) and more with my own headspace when I read it.
Profile Image for Dirk Grobbelaar.
825 reviews1,222 followers
June 1, 2011
The Forge in the Forest is the sequel to The Anvil of Ice. Moody and atmospheric, The Winter of the World holds up well for a series written in the eighties.
Michael Scott Rohan introduces some horror elements in this fantasy and the feel of the novels are generally rather dark

The ‘world’ of Winter of the World appears to be an amalgamation of the Ice Age, Robert E. Howard's Hyborian Age and, you guessed it, J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth. This novel also evoked a very real sense of vast distance and remoteness, which I really enjoyed. The plot itself contains some rather grandiose and dramatic elements, as well as melodramatic coincidences aplenty, as befits a high fantasy tale.

There are one or two so-called tropes here, such as the Duergar (and the dragons of The Anvil of Ice), but these are not prominent elements. The magic element in this series is handled way differently than was the norm at the time.
Make no mistake, I LOVE the old-school fantasy stuff. I have no qualms with dragons, elves, and the like, even if I am in the minority. Bring them on, says I. However, it is refreshing to take a break now and then, and read a fantasy that, well, does it somewhat differently. So, as far as that is concerned, Michael Scott Rohan seems to have been slightly ahead of his time. This series is definitely somewhat different.

The smithing and metalwork elements that lie at the heart of these novels are what truly make them unique. Add a few very cool characters and one or two genuinely creepy scenes to the mix, as well as some truly barbaric villains, and you have another seriously underrated gem of a series. There are also some philosophical arguments touched upon, concerning the nature of life and immortality, which I found interesting.

The novel is written exceptionally well, even wistful. Good pacing and atmosphere, as showcased here, can make a good novel a brilliant novel. So, if high fantasy, or heroic fantasy is your thing, you really, really owe it to yourself to read this series. You will, unfortunately be somewhat lost if you start here. Read The Anvil of Ice first.
Profile Image for Sam.
21 reviews
February 24, 2013
A fantastic continuation of an already impressive series. The second book takes the characters, world and excellent writing from the first one and provides even more than the original.

My complaints from the first one we a limited exploitation of the world and a lacking antagonist, and this book resolves both of those issues. The adventure the gang go on is thrilling and details the excellent universe created for the books wonderfully. There is such a sense of scale in this book - it's really quite amazing how much you feel you've travelled cross the land. The pacing is perfect.

The characters are generally distilled to the four main ones - meaning you get to know and like each of them. The character progression, especially for hr protagonist is excellent and really adds to the sense of movement and change that this book has. The others develop similarly and you start to understand them more and more. A a negative the other characters featured seem to be there to be lost - 'red shirts' - and it would have been nice if there was some real peril for characters you knew and cared about. A small point but worth noting I think.

The world that is presented is wonderful. Varied and interesting with so much texture and and detail, although you may find that certain parts drag on a little. It also follows a fairly formulaic 'lull and conversation time' to 'blind panic and action!' Pattern that you may start noticing later on. There's too many great places and characters to list but you really get to see this fantastic universe. Loved it. The plot itself is sweeping and clever. You start to see the main plot of the trilogy unravel slightly, giving you glimpses of what's to come. The ending is great and wonderfully written - something you see throughout the book.

The first book was flawed but great and this is just plain great. This one cements my love for this series, the world, the magic and the modern, relatively trope free take on epic fantasy. I can safely say that this is up in my top 5 of favourite books and, we'll see what the third one brings, but could be my favourite series. I can't wait to read next one!


SPOILERS BELOW WARNING!










The forest scenes are amazing - and Kermorvan meeting his ancestors came out of nowhere and really blew me away. The riven dell like city was excellently detailed and really fired my imagination.

The ice, in this book, truly is the antagonist. The first one left the mastersmith's death a little anticlimaxically and there wasn't the threat that there is in this one. Their adventure feels dangerous.

The companions who, suprise, all die I felt were a bit pointless. I understand that he needed the quest to have some great loss but their deaths felt cheap and you knew as soon as they were joining up who would die.

A final criticism: the characters are far too sure of themselves sometimes. The start where they're debating Kermorvan's intentions it would have been amazing if the reader doubted him a little. They're all pure and and good as gold, with Ils the only one who shows a little more depth and unknown. I hope this is developed in the last book. It's not game of thrones so I don't need to have heavy politics and agendas but a little more would be nice.
Profile Image for David Newell.
200 reviews5 followers
March 7, 2013
Once again a fantastic example of heroic adventure and the struggle against the 'evil power' In this case the Ice.
Though this paradigm is often over-used, in Rohans hands it flourishes into something beautiful. The various personalities with the 'main four' characters balance each other quite well, and make for a far more compelling group dynamic.

The journey embarked on in this story is truly riveting, and the world that seemed confusing and fractured in book one really comes together. The travellers tale is told marvellously, with focus on all the right moments, and some fantastic times of suspense and flight.

Without spoiling the story, I'll just say this:

If you enjoyed book one, this will exceed all of your expectations and then some
Profile Image for Ben.
563 reviews11 followers
June 5, 2014
A really excellent sequel to The Anvil of Ice. In many ways I feel that this book is even better than its predecessor and in no way suffers from the infamous 'middle book syndrome' which afflicts a number of trilogies. Rohan continues the story on from the events in The Anvil of Ice, directly addressing the loose ends and book is very much about Elof's quest to find Kara and what he encounters along the way.

By necessity something of a travel book, with the characters journeying from place to place, it never the less has a great plot and the things which are encountered along the way and the experiences they have are not only interesting, but relevant. Further, they really go a long to way to revealing a lot more about the world, its history and many important things about the story. There are some interesting hints about the future and more so than the first book, we begin to get a foreshadowing of what it is to come.

With less focus on Elof's background and training, Rohan gets right down to describing one of the most fascinating areas of his world, that of the great forest Tapiau'La-An-Aithan, and the Power which dwells within it. While the forest clearly lends itself to the title of the book, and in most ways it dominates the book, it is not the whole of it and Rohan does an admirable job of giving us enough to whet our appetite, and enough to sate it, without feeling over stuffed. Completely apart from the fascinating events which occur under the leafy canopies and Elof's interesting journey into this perilous heart of the continent, it is Rohan's description of the forest, the trees, the wildlife and the feeling of the forest which really steals the show. We not only get a great feeling of how large this continent spanning forest is, but we also can understand it has different aspects and different characters. This is probably the best description of an ancient forest I have ever come across and it has stayed with me for years, ever since I first read this book a good twenty or more years ago. In fact, it was the depictions of the forest which remained some of my strongest impressions of this whole series and one the main things which drew me back to reread it.

Once again Rohan's prose is quite excellent in the epic feeling it gives, not so much in the sense of wide scale or huge events (though there is a certain element of this as well), but rather of the style of ancient sagas and mythology. This fits with the book wonderfully and he maintains this style very well, lending a very authentic feeling to world, reinforcing it as an alternative prehistory to our world. Further, his great use of vocabulary not only fits well with the general tapestry, but it is also interesting and pleasing to come across so many new and interesting words in a single volume these days (which is a definite bonus for the Kindle and its built in dictionary and ability to check things without a delay); hist, umbels and benison just being a few of the gems which I came away with.

Finally, the book is great as a book in its own right. To be sure, it is much better having read the first part, but it works as a complete book, not simply a stepping stone in a trilogy which is one story told in three parts. Here we have a beginning, a middle and an end - all told well, with their own interesting points and all building well towards the ending. To be sure, there is a third part in this series - but if you never read it, you could still enjoy The Forge in the Forest just as much.

Really, I suppose this is more of a four and half star book for me, for while I really enjoyed it and the forest descriptions and the concepts discussed there were fabulous, the heaviness of the writing does make it a little ponderous and I will not be a hurry to reread this entire series again in the near future - though I may go back and reread a chapter or two here or there. So, one of the things which is its strength is perhaps also a weakness, particularly in the more modern style of writing. However, so rarely do I come across a book which genuinely makes me favourably compare it to Tolkien in scope and style the kindling of my imagination, that I have to give this book a full five stars.
7 reviews1 follower
February 19, 2013
Michael Scott Rohan's second Winter of the World book picks up where the first book left off, but progresses in a very different fashion. Where the first book was a more self contained coming of age sort of novel that showed our protagonist Elof rising, falling from grace, and rising again in triumph, this book is very different in kind. The notion of Apprentice/Journeyman/Master is a sort of theme for the trilogy of books, and this novel does represent the journeying years for the main hero. It's a tale of an adventure, of a single journey, representing a period for Elof that is both dark, but also one in which he does show good personal growth.

I found myself somewhat dissatisfied with the way the journey was concocted. The beginning of the book felt rushed, and ill-planed. The characters acting in bizarre ways for the simple purpose of getting the rest of the novel underway. It was a little too deus ex machina for my liking, to tell the truth.

The middle of the book is where we hit the title, as the book tells the tale of the epic quest through the great forest. A land where no one has entered and returned, and yet it's where the heroes must adventure. It's here that the novel both bogs down and where Rohan starts in on some of his best writing in the book. I felt like the description of the forest was quite strong, and it really seemed to come alive in the book. Unfortunately, the pacing just wasn't there for me, and I felt like much of it dragged on a little too long.

The last section of the book is fraught with peril, foreshadowing (aka Elof being obtuse), and interesting sequences of action and adventure to interesting locales. There's some great segments here for which people who enjoyed the first book will be glad they stuck around.

While the pace does drag a bit compared to the previous novel, the description is still top notch, the magic system remains interesting and fulfilling in its simplicity, and the characters are still endearing and interesting. The Forge in the Forest is a worthy followup to The Anvil of Ice, even if it can't quite capture the same feeling of something totally out of the ordinary.

Overall: 4 giant towering trees out of 5, go get it!
Profile Image for Shaitarn.
599 reviews50 followers
August 24, 2019
4.5 stars. It's important to re-read books you haven't touched for well over a decade sometimes. Sometimes they're still good, sometimes they're not. Thankfully, this was one of the former.
Profile Image for AyesalyaM.
40 reviews16 followers
June 23, 2022
This book is absolutely awesome, the series is really fantastic.
Profile Image for Kate.
551 reviews36 followers
September 8, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed my reread of The Forge in the Forest. It's been years since I last picked up this series, and whilst I remembered them as being good, they are actually much better than I remembered.

The feeling of mythology that MSR brings to all of the Winter of the World novels is amazing. You really feel that this could have been something that happened during the previous ice-age, that there could have been a prior civilisation, now only remembered as echoes in the deepest corners of our psyches.

The depth of the storytelling is wonderful, and the mental pictures created are beautiful. This is helped I think by the cover art on the UK editions.

I picked up a lot of story that perhaps I hadn't got before, especially the interactions between Ils and Kermorvan, and more of the history of the Duergar race - described by the author in the Appendix as Neanderthals.

The Appendices are as interesting as the story. MSR goes into huge detail, fitting the flora and fauna, peoples and smithcraft into the natural history of the earth.

I was just hugely impressed by this story, it's not dated one bit and is really well thought out mythology based fantasy. It should be better read and appreciated!
Profile Image for Carl.
197 reviews54 followers
August 25, 2007
Second book in one of my favorite series. Not as good as the first, in my opinion-- but then again, could be seen as better by some. With each book the world being explored grows larger than the reader expected, which is a beautiful device. MSR balances the exploration of the main character (or his self-discovery, maturation, etc) with the exploration of the secondary world very well, so that it is hard to tell which I enjoy most. I hardly have words to describe how much I like this series.
2,380 reviews17 followers
February 11, 2019
Slowed down in the middle but pushed through. Not quite as enjoyable as the first one.
Profile Image for Tristan.
1,415 reviews18 followers
April 17, 2019
Although the first book concluded as a self-contained story, the second book picks up the tale immediately. It is best to read them back to back, to follow what is going on. It is also useful to read the appendices of book one before tackling book two, as they provide very useful background to the politics and history that dominate the first few chapters of book two. And it helps understand the big twist at the end.

These first chapters are notable for an impassioned argument against nativism, racism, and isolationism, as well as a similarly powerful argument for the welcoming and integration of refugees. Although first published some thirty years ago, this progressive world view is highly relevant in these days of Trump, Brexit, populism, and rising intolerance.

The high quality of the first book is continued in the second, longer volume. However, there is less intensity in the narrative: instead of a singular quest for personal redemption, there are two quests in progress: Elof seeks Kara eastwards, and Kermorvan seeks in the east reinforcements against the Ice.

Although a few chapters devoted to travelling and the perils of the Forest feel slow compared to the pace of the first book, there is formidable worldbuilding in the section devoted to the Halls of Summer. The human history of this world and the history of the Powers, has breadth and depth approaching that of Tolkien, as well as wisdom. The actions of the Powers may appear benevolent at the outset, but there are always ulterior motives that may lead to the downfall of mankind, but thereby cause the downfall of the Powers themselves in the face of the Ice. This is powerful storytelling. The travelogue continues thereafter, but the final battle is tense and exhilarating with many twists and turns that build on the story set out in this book and its predecessor. This climax does not disappoint.

It’s interesting to see a reflection of ancient religions in the bad guy’s stated beliefs: the mind is good and the body is bad. This is opposed to the good guys’ apparent view that life and mind are indivisible.

Overall, this is cracking stuff, if a little lengthier than it need be. A strong four stars out of five.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jacob Guy Segalov.
380 reviews3 followers
June 16, 2023
שני סימנים שהספר לא בשבילי:
1. בשבוע שקראתי אותו, קראתי את כל מוספי עיתון שבת
2. למרות שמדובר בספר שני מטרילוגיה, ולמרות ששאלתי את הספר השלישי מהספריה, אוותר עליו.

ישנם ספרים מוצלחים שמציגים קילשאות ולא מחדשים דבר. זה לא המקרה.
993 reviews3 followers
August 28, 2018
Though it was nice to have the story continue, this book drags in the middle, with a lot of travel. Still an enjoyable read, but I didn't find it as compelling as the first.
2 reviews
December 14, 2020
Exceptional Fantasy. The author displays a mastery of the English language that is surprising and rich. He uses it to make his characters and inner struggles fascinating and meaninguful.
1 review
August 21, 2023
Good read.

Good story, great characters, but sometimes a little slow. I would not hesitate to read it again though. Looking forward to the next!
4 reviews
August 22, 2024
Great book. Really enjoying the expansion of the world as the story is progressing, it feels like it's not overwhelming at all. The characters are brilliant and this book it feels like you really get to know them better than the first. Really enjoying this series.
Profile Image for Onefinemess.
296 reviews9 followers
November 20, 2012
First off – how crazy is it that I couldn’t find a version of the cover on my book on the net? There were two other covers (never paperback and hardcover) on Amazon, but none for my paperback. Ok they’ve got one at librarything but it’s all muddy. GAH. Guess I’ll have to go scan it… there we go. Nice cover.

Now, onward.

This series is definitely slow burn fantasy – not quite as slow as Tolkien, but it does remind me a lot of that in the sense of descriptions of vast forests and underground labyrinths. He’s definitely of that school, but not in a derivative manner. As for the plot of the series itself… epic quest set in magical ice age Earth. The pacing is a bit slower than most modern fantasy I’ve read, but it’s a nice alternative. 3/4 of the main characters are well fleshed out and interesting in their own rights, and the 4th is decent enough – my one complaint is that I can’t figure out why he’s there at all. I mean, I see why he’s there from the character’s perspective, but from a story angle I’m not sure what he brings.

I recommend the book for anyone into epic fantasy, especially of the more classical (re: Tolkien, non-pulp classic fantasy) sort. Things take longer to happen, pages are rich in description, etc. It has an interesting take on magic (most human magic involves the act of forging and binding “virtues” into crafted items) and the interplay between “gods” and men. Some might say parts were not fleshed out well enough, but this is only a ~300 page book – not a modern 600-800 page monster where the authors have time to spare for every little detail.

THREE AND A HALF STARS

PS. Can you tell by now that 3.5 is the rating I give to books that are “worth buying, but not spectacular”? Boks that I quite enjoy, and will probably re-read someday, but am not blown away by?
Profile Image for Su.
122 reviews9 followers
June 3, 2020
Continuing the story of Elof and the Winter of the World, M.Rohan launches straight into the familiar narrative, but then inexplicably the story is derailed by an illogical direction that makes no sense. Confusion and incomprehension abound until at the nadir of Lys Arvalen, implausibility is stacked Ossa upon Pelion, threatening the reader's suspense of disbelief.

It all comes together at the end satisfactorily, but you're left wondering, was this just a rewrite of the first book. ...and why, oh why, Tapiau and the faded flower of Morvan?

2014 Re-read Notes:
Okay, I think I get what M.Rohan was aiming at, and it's important to realise that the story is not necessarily about Elof, or what you want as a reader, and to toss out traditional perceptions of how high fantasy is 'supposed to work'. If you distance yourself from the characters and appreciate the overall story, taking the long view of the world stage and what is happening it makes much more sense. Also, much like Jean M. Auel's paleolithic fantasy series, it gives him more opportunity to tie in his story's events and geography to actual archaeological and palaeontological research.

In this context, while an unsatisfying stereotypical coming of age/chosen one story, it is appropriate to the wider background of the story and the events taking place around Elof, which he is inevitably drawn into.

It also underlies the journey of Elof and in retrospect of his fate, revealed in the third book, is more than appropriate. It also underlines the relationship between the gods and the peoples of the world, and how one affects the other, but also the convoluted attempts for each to control the other, and the inevitable succession of evolution through time.
Profile Image for John Montagne.
Author 3 books13 followers
July 30, 2011
Rohan manages to keep impressing me with his ideas and writing style, his magic system that is largely woven (literally sometimes) with smithy work becomes more elaborate and believable in the context of the fantasy. In Forge in the Forest he starts to bring out a feeling that is more akin to the horror genre... and I found it quite good. I also like how he is one of the few writers of paleofiction/prehistoric fiction of the fantasy variant, that features Neanderthals as an intelligent race, unlike most fantasy works that feature them as merely orcs with a different name. The Winter of the World does a great job in further elaborating on the fantastical interpretation of the threatened Ice Age, and Rohan's character development is top-notch... though his spear-carriers are obviously see-through. Not that his spear characters aren't plausible, but you kinda know when one of them is only there as a "cameo". The world Rohan paints for us many thousands of years ago is quite intriguing, and its I found myself wishing he'd made a longer appendix - not because I needed it for referencing, but because I found it that interesting. *Disclaimer - I do like prehistoric fantasy works, so my opinion is a little bias.
171 reviews13 followers
June 12, 2010
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. As the title suggests, smithcraft is central to the book, and Rohan has a knack of taking complicated forging and metalworking processes and describing them in a way which makes them interesting, understandable and easy to visualise. Unfortunately, this is sometimes to the detriment of other areas of plot, which sometimes feel cursory and inexplicable. The gradual removal of the other travelling companions, for example, often came across as rather abrupt and contrived. That said, this was a lovely rambling epic of a book and I look forward to reading the next installment.
Profile Image for acemace.
13 reviews
March 2, 2015
What happened? The first book was pretty interesting and a lot was happening. The second book is horrible. I thought it would get better after the beginning (which seems to drag on. I got sick of Kermorvan's kingly speeches). That's not the case... slogging through pages after pages of the party wandering through a boring forest and then more unnecessary pages at their next destination. I just can't believe it. This book is awful. Also, why is Kara still a main point in the story? She almost never shows up. The Elof and Kara side of the story is very superficial.

I'm not sure if I can finish this book.
467 reviews2 followers
June 17, 2013
Consistently good story-telling. I, for one, enjoy the stylized manner of speech most of his characters share. It's just . . . well, slap-dashing good. I enjoy the treasure he has delved from Tolkein's Lord of the Rings just as much as in the first book, perhaps even more. Rohan's forever summer forest has at its center the slightly off humming of Tolkien's Old Man Willow, that creature on the Withywindle with his black heart. And, the quest of our doughty seekers had a big surprise for me when they arrived at their goal . . . the evil that lurks just beyond the shores!
Profile Image for Chris Jags.
Author 17 books27 followers
July 23, 2014
This sequel to Anvil of the Ice holds up even better, in many ways, than its predecessor. It hits all the right notes for me: strong writing, attention-grabbing set-pieces, a dark edge, emphasis on exploration and discovery, and plenty of nods to mythology in it's faux-prehistoric earth setting.

If I had one problem with it, I generally prefer characters not to be written as obviously disposable, as some of the ciphers in here appear to have been, but it's a small bone to pick with a great book and my personal favorite of the Winter of the World trilogy.
Profile Image for Simon Fletcher.
724 reviews
July 2, 2016
The second of Michael Scott Rohan's Winter of the World saga is an absolute ripping yarn that richly deserves a greater readership and a new edition (especially as I'm reading mine, for the Nth time, to a well thumbed and tatty death).
Following on from the Anvil of Ice, The Forge in the Forest follows the adventures of Elof, Ils, Roc and Kermorvan as they battle against the powers ranged against them.
This has been one of my favourite series since it first started coming out in the mid 1980's.
1 review
September 26, 2016
I have embarked upon this journey before, and now I'm reading them again. I will revisit this trilogy numerous times in the future, just to journey along with Rohan's characters . A hero trying to make up for his past, an evil to large to comprehend and willful trickster powers. "Rohan creates a haunting sense of mythology rather than fantasy... Pages turn as if by magic" Jean M. Auel. So go on, let the pages turn themselves.
Profile Image for Will Once.
Author 8 books125 followers
May 20, 2018
I must have read and reread this book 4 or 5 times by now. It's a rollicking good adventure, let down a little by the fact that it desperately wants to be Tolkien and the language can sometimes be a bit purple.

And it has to be said that, for me, book 2 isn't quite as good as books 1 and 3. The quest seems to come from nowhere and then takes an age.

But good fun all the same. Recommended.
4 reviews
June 4, 2024
A perfect sequel to the Anvil of Ice; expands upon the characters and universe established in the first book and flips it all on its head with a big plot twist at the end. The story explores some interesting and dark themes like racism, mortality and the fragility of sentience. Has the best ending of the whole trilogy but doesn't quite beat the first book overall.
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