Ice

Wintering Trilogy #1

by Stephen Bowkett

When the Ice Age gripped the world a lucky few thousand men and women retreated into the Enclaves, massive settlements built into mountains and subterranean caverns. As the blizzards raged and the ice caps advanced the rest of mankind perished. Thousands of years passed with the flame of civilisation kept alive by Little Sister, a massive Artificial Intelligence designed to nurture the survivors and pass on the cultural heritage of man. But now the great thaw is on the way and it is time to repopulate the world. For the descendants of the original lucky ones it is time to inherit the earth, and their freedom. Or so they think, for Little Sister has other plans. Plans that Kell and Shamra will discover, plans they must overturn.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Young Adult

232 pages, Paperback

First published May 17, 2001

Reviews

[A.J. Britnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, especially the language style chosen - it has a Tolkien feel about it. The setting slowly unfolds with this one so if you have trouble at the beginning picturing it, stick with it. Already started the next one.

[Joanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good idea, not executed well. It sometimes felt disjointed as though sections had been removed.

[OldBird · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ice is somewhere between a futuristic eco-punk dystopia (there's an enclave protected from the cold/dark world outside) and outright fantasy (the All Mother goddess, her seeing-eye "Glass" that everyone carries, females all being trained in telepathy, "Demons"), and while it has some really nice ideas I never really felt overly connected to what was going on.

I remember reading this one "back in the day" when it was new and feeling really interested by the storyline, but still confused at points and then never really managing to get as enthused by book 2. Re-reading now I wonder if it was the writing style that could be a little alienating. It can feel a little "old school" - to a modern YA reader it can come across a little stilted and dry, never really letting you connect with the character of Kell as we're always kept at arm's length. It also feels a bit dream-like, hopping from scene to scene without really giving the detail.

I really wish all of the concepts were more fleshed out, because I've always remained haunted by the world it was set in (the quote along the lines of "if you don't like what your eyes tell you, then pluck them out" has lodged in my mind for a very long time), and I always wanted to get to know Feo better as she intrigued me from the moment we met her. To an older me, the plot comes across as just a bit rushed and nebulous while somehow feeling like it has a very slow pace. I love the ideas, but the stylistic choices mean it's just not one for me.

[Grace Hostetter Short · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Wonderful world building. Good character development. Hard to put down. I will be continuing this series. I highly recommend it.

[Bex]

Interesting concept but so boringly executed I got 20 pages in and lost the will to live.

[Lilly Biglow · Rating 3 out of 5]

it’s a great concept but sometimes when i was reading i couldn’t tell if what was happening, was actually happening.
it also jumped from one thing to the next to the next really quickly. the ending felt so so so rushed
Obtained from Book Lovers in Valencia Spain

[Graeme Cartmell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as interesting as I thought it would be, but I still want to read the next two books, just to find out what happens.

[Rachael Clayton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13546283

[Dee/ bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great idea, but I had a hard time getting into the book and connecting with the characters.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

[Morrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jan 2007

[Venture Press · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is published by Venture Press.