What do you think?
Rate this book
Kell has always dreamed of the world beyond the Enclave and imagined a life of freedom where he could choose his own path.
Yet the Enclave is safe and harmonious. Ruled by the All Mother, it has protected the Community from the endless frozen dark and from the fury of the Ice Demon for thousands of years.
Those living in the Enclave are led to believe that the All Mother is a benevolent and worldly leader who would never let Kell or any of her people come to harm.
But Kell is restless and stifled by the doctrines of the Enclave. He wonders what lies outside this world and begins to ask questions. Too many questions. Dangerous questions.
The teachings of the All Mother are sacred and to doubt her is treacherous. Even his beloved friend Shamra thinks he should silence his thoughts of escape for his own protection.
There are people watching, knowing and hearing all the time.
Soon Kell hears whispers of a rebellion against the All Mother. Whispers of liberation. Whispers of possibility.
To be disconnected could be a dream, or a nightmare.
Kell realises there is only one way to find out.
‘Ice’ is a mesmerising adventure of a mythical world locked in snow and ice. It is a troubling vision of a future that has succumbed to a new ice age where some dare to dream of a new beginning. ‘Ice’ is the first part of The Wintering, a major trilogy.
Stephen Bowkett was born and brought up in a mining valley in South Wales. He taught English at secondary school in Leicestershire for many years before becoming a full-time writer, and a qualified hypnotherapist. He has published twenty-five books, mainly science fiction and fantasy, for both adults and children. He also writes poetry, plays and educational non-fiction.
Venture Press is a science fiction and fantasy imprint of Endeavour Press, the UK’s leading independent digital publisher. We are committed to the discovery and rediscovery of immensely talented authors in the SFF genre, and continue to push boundaries in search of great literature. Join us as we venture across universes and unknown landscapes – past, present and future.
Sign up to our newsletter: http://bit.ly/1LUVI4n
Follow us on Twitter @venture_press
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1NnFow7
Yet the Enclave is safe and harmonious. Ruled by the All Mother, it has protected the Community from the endless frozen dark and from the fury of the Ice Demon for thousands of years.
Those living in the Enclave are led to believe that the All Mother is a benevolent and worldly leader who would never let Kell or any of her people come to harm.
But Kell is restless and stifled by the doctrines of the Enclave. He wonders what lies outside this world and begins to ask questions. Too many questions. Dangerous questions.
The teachings of the All Mother are sacred and to doubt her is treacherous. Even his beloved friend Shamra thinks he should silence his thoughts of escape for his own protection.
There are people watching, knowing and hearing all the time.
Soon Kell hears whispers of a rebellion against the All Mother. Whispers of liberation. Whispers of possibility.
To be disconnected could be a dream, or a nightmare.
Kell realises there is only one way to find out.
‘Ice’ is a mesmerising adventure of a mythical world locked in snow and ice. It is a troubling vision of a future that has succumbed to a new ice age where some dare to dream of a new beginning. ‘Ice’ is the first part of The Wintering, a major trilogy.
Stephen Bowkett was born and brought up in a mining valley in South Wales. He taught English at secondary school in Leicestershire for many years before becoming a full-time writer, and a qualified hypnotherapist. He has published twenty-five books, mainly science fiction and fantasy, for both adults and children. He also writes poetry, plays and educational non-fiction.
Venture Press is a science fiction and fantasy imprint of Endeavour Press, the UK’s leading independent digital publisher. We are committed to the discovery and rediscovery of immensely talented authors in the SFF genre, and continue to push boundaries in search of great literature. Join us as we venture across universes and unknown landscapes – past, present and future.
Sign up to our newsletter: http://bit.ly/1LUVI4n
Follow us on Twitter @venture_press
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1NnFow7
235 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 17, 2001
20 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 11, 2018
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.
September 26, 2012
Good idea, not executed well. It sometimes felt disjointed as though sections had been removed.
February 14, 2021
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.
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.
August 20, 2017
Excellent
Wonderful world building. Good character development. Hard to put down. I will be continuing this series. I highly recommend it.
Wonderful world building. Good character development. Hard to put down. I will be continuing this series. I highly recommend it.
dnf
February 17, 2020Interesting concept but so boringly executed I got 20 pages in and lost the will to live.
May 6, 2025
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
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
April 27, 2013
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.
August 19, 2015
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13546283
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13546283
October 19, 2015
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.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
May 26, 2015
Jan 2007
September 18, 2015
This book is published by Venture Press.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews