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The Snow-Walker #1-3
The Snow-Walker Trilogy
From the swirling mists and icy depths beyond the edge of the world came the snow-walker Gudrun, to rule the Jarl's people with fear and sorcery. But a small band of outlaws are prepared to risk their lives to defeat Gudrun and restore the land to its rightful leader. This trilogy follows them in their quest, from the first terrifying journey to meet the mysterious snow-walker's son, to the final battle in the lands beyond the rainbow bridge. The Snow-walker's Son follows Jessa and Thorkil who, are sent to Thrasirshall in the empty wastelands to live with the mysterious Kari, Gudrun's son. Led to believe Kari is some kind of monster they are shocked to discover he is a snow-walker, just like Gudrun, except with the desire to do good rather than evil. Together they journey back to the Jarshold to defeat Gudrun. In The Empty Hand Gudrun seeks revenge on those who banished her and sends a terrifying, faceless creature to the Jarlshold, and in The Soul Thieves, Kari and his companions must travel to the land of the snow-walkers to claim back the precious souls Gudrun has stolen. Here, Kari and Gudrun, mother and son and ultimate opponents, must fight their final battle.
544 pages, Paperback
First published April 3, 2003
49 people are currently reading
1208 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Fisher
64 books1,611 followersCatherine Fisher was born in Newport, Wales. She graduated from the University of Wales with a degree in English and a fascination for myth and history. She has worked in education and archaeology and as a lecturer in creative writing at the University of Glamorgan. She is a Fellow of the Welsh Academy.
Catherine is an acclaimed poet and novelist, regularly lecturing and giving readings to groups of all ages. She leads sessions for teachers and librarians and is an experienced broadcaster and adjudicator. She lives in Newport, Gwent.
Catherine has won many awards and much critical acclaim for her work. Her poetry has appeared in leading periodicals and anthologies and her volume Immrama won the WAC Young Writers' Prize. She won the Cardiff International Poetry Competition in 1990.
Her first novel, The Conjuror's Game, was shortlisted for the Smarties Books prize and The Snow-Walker's Son for the W.H.Smith Award. Equally acclaimed is her quartet The Book of the Crow, a classic of fantasy fiction.
The Oracle, the first volume in the Oracle trilogy, blends Egyptian and Greek elements of magic and adventure and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Books prize. The trilogy was an international bestseller and has appeared in over twenty languages. The Candleman won the Welsh Books Council's Tir Na n'Og Prize and Catherine was also shortlisted for the remarkable Corbenic, a modern re-inventing of the Grail legend.
Her futuristic novel Incarceron was published to widespread praise in 2007, winning the Mythopoeic Society of America's Children's Fiction Award and selected by The Times as its Children's Book of the Year. The sequel, Sapphique, was published in September 2008.
Catherine is an acclaimed poet and novelist, regularly lecturing and giving readings to groups of all ages. She leads sessions for teachers and librarians and is an experienced broadcaster and adjudicator. She lives in Newport, Gwent.
Catherine has won many awards and much critical acclaim for her work. Her poetry has appeared in leading periodicals and anthologies and her volume Immrama won the WAC Young Writers' Prize. She won the Cardiff International Poetry Competition in 1990.
Her first novel, The Conjuror's Game, was shortlisted for the Smarties Books prize and The Snow-Walker's Son for the W.H.Smith Award. Equally acclaimed is her quartet The Book of the Crow, a classic of fantasy fiction.
The Oracle, the first volume in the Oracle trilogy, blends Egyptian and Greek elements of magic and adventure and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Books prize. The trilogy was an international bestseller and has appeared in over twenty languages. The Candleman won the Welsh Books Council's Tir Na n'Og Prize and Catherine was also shortlisted for the remarkable Corbenic, a modern re-inventing of the Grail legend.
Her futuristic novel Incarceron was published to widespread praise in 2007, winning the Mythopoeic Society of America's Children's Fiction Award and selected by The Times as its Children's Book of the Year. The sequel, Sapphique, was published in September 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
November 14, 2009
This book was very dry. It never caught my attention, and I finished it just to finish it. The characters were completely 2-dimensional, and acted more like pawns than actual people. The writing wasn't very descriptive, and I often didn't know what was happening. The writing itself lacked humor and actual creativity. The story was okay, but it was rushed through. I wouldn't recommend this unless you are really into fantasy.
I don't remember a single thing about this collection except that there was a lot of snow.
I don't remember a single thing about this collection except that there was a lot of snow.
December 1, 2024
I ❤️ Jessa
July 28, 2018
"But the mother and child reunion", Beowulf Style
Between the recent surge of interest in Norse myths and legends and the popularity of movies like Disney's "Frozen" this is a fine time to turn our attention back to Fisher's underappreciated "Snow-Walker". It has everything you could want - a plucky and engaging young outlaw heroine cheated out of her birthright, and enough snow and ice to frost-bite your fingertips while you hold the book. Add an evil, magic wielding, usurper, Ice Queen Snow-walker and her mysterious, possibly monstrous, child/creature, (who has been exiled to an abandoned frozen castle), and you're all set.
There are several housekeeping items the reader should be aware of. This was originally published as three separate books, ("The Snow-walker's Son", "The Empty Hand", and "The Soul Thieves"), and billed as a trilogy, or "The Snow-walker Sequence". It was reissued in the United States as one volume in three Parts. So, first off, look carefully at what you're buying in order to ensure that you're getting the volume(s) you want. The full tale runs to over 600 pages. Individual volumes are in the 180 to 220 page range. Also be aware that there is a fair amount of overlapping and repetition from Part to Part, reflecting the book's origins as three separate books in a trilogy, but there's no real harm in that.
Because this is a three-part epic fantasy quest adventure some characters disappear from Part to Part and new characters enter late in the game. Players you think will be important may just disappear. The three characters to watch are the rebellious heroine Jessa, the "monster" child Kari, and the evil Snow-walker Queen Gudrun. There are fairly distinct plots and quests from Part to Part and then one overarching arc involving resistance against the evil ice Queen. (MILD PLOT SPOILERS: Part 1 mostly involves discovering the identity and powers of the mystery child. Part 2 is the story of how the good guys battle the Queen's terrifying rune beast, and is the most intentionally Beowulf-ish. Part 3 finds evil enchantments and soul thefts caused by the Ice Queen, and wraps up in a final world breaking Mother/Son confrontation.)
This was written for younger readers and the character development is a bit light as a consequence. The writing is crisp and direct, and atmosphere and action and the frozen waste settings are what is emphasized. There's no romance, no deep hero thoughts, and no complex intrigue. There isn't much in the way of violence; this is more along the lines of a battle of wills between Mother and Son. That said, this is still a fantasy actioner, with a magical mythical chaser. The tales are accordingly clearly laid out and fast paced. Fisher is a story teller, and she tells a ripping tale.
Some of this sounds vaguely negative, but it really shouldn't. The overall impression I formed was that this felt like a Celtic/Norse middle grade light version of a Beowulf and Grendel tale, and that's just an excellent sort of book to have available for a younger reader. It's not wand magic; it's not a school daze story; it's not Arthurian. But it is let's all gather in the Mead Hall and have a tale", and it's just the thing to warm up a winter's chill.
Between the recent surge of interest in Norse myths and legends and the popularity of movies like Disney's "Frozen" this is a fine time to turn our attention back to Fisher's underappreciated "Snow-Walker". It has everything you could want - a plucky and engaging young outlaw heroine cheated out of her birthright, and enough snow and ice to frost-bite your fingertips while you hold the book. Add an evil, magic wielding, usurper, Ice Queen Snow-walker and her mysterious, possibly monstrous, child/creature, (who has been exiled to an abandoned frozen castle), and you're all set.
There are several housekeeping items the reader should be aware of. This was originally published as three separate books, ("The Snow-walker's Son", "The Empty Hand", and "The Soul Thieves"), and billed as a trilogy, or "The Snow-walker Sequence". It was reissued in the United States as one volume in three Parts. So, first off, look carefully at what you're buying in order to ensure that you're getting the volume(s) you want. The full tale runs to over 600 pages. Individual volumes are in the 180 to 220 page range. Also be aware that there is a fair amount of overlapping and repetition from Part to Part, reflecting the book's origins as three separate books in a trilogy, but there's no real harm in that.
Because this is a three-part epic fantasy quest adventure some characters disappear from Part to Part and new characters enter late in the game. Players you think will be important may just disappear. The three characters to watch are the rebellious heroine Jessa, the "monster" child Kari, and the evil Snow-walker Queen Gudrun. There are fairly distinct plots and quests from Part to Part and then one overarching arc involving resistance against the evil ice Queen. (MILD PLOT SPOILERS: Part 1 mostly involves discovering the identity and powers of the mystery child. Part 2 is the story of how the good guys battle the Queen's terrifying rune beast, and is the most intentionally Beowulf-ish. Part 3 finds evil enchantments and soul thefts caused by the Ice Queen, and wraps up in a final world breaking Mother/Son confrontation.)
This was written for younger readers and the character development is a bit light as a consequence. The writing is crisp and direct, and atmosphere and action and the frozen waste settings are what is emphasized. There's no romance, no deep hero thoughts, and no complex intrigue. There isn't much in the way of violence; this is more along the lines of a battle of wills between Mother and Son. That said, this is still a fantasy actioner, with a magical mythical chaser. The tales are accordingly clearly laid out and fast paced. Fisher is a story teller, and she tells a ripping tale.
Some of this sounds vaguely negative, but it really shouldn't. The overall impression I formed was that this felt like a Celtic/Norse middle grade light version of a Beowulf and Grendel tale, and that's just an excellent sort of book to have available for a younger reader. It's not wand magic; it's not a school daze story; it's not Arthurian. But it is let's all gather in the Mead Hall and have a tale", and it's just the thing to warm up a winter's chill.
April 1, 2011
I have so much to say I don't even know where to start.
I enjoy reading children's literature. I can 'read down' to the level as necessary. But I find so many glaring errors and omissions in this series of books that I find myself frustrated about every five pages. Why did I keep reading, you ask? Because once a book is in my hands, for some reason I find it next to impossible to put down! But more importantly, my son recommended it -- and it's always good to see what your children are reading.
The sentence and paragraph construction is enjoyable. The story idea has merit. The development of characters, their interaction with each other, story development - horrendous. Errors abound, and at times the lack of continuity and contradictions within the storyline make me want to throw the book across the room. The characters are completely lacking in depth. There is absolutely no development of relationships between the characters - however, they suddenly become endeared to one another and know all about each other. The bard - excuse me - 'skald' in the story never sings songs or tells stories or says anything particularly poetic... however, 400 pages later, they all love him for these 'constant' qualities. The heroine does nothing intellectual, but is constantly praised for her cleverness. It goes on and on. I can accept it in the Magic Treehouse, when you only have 50 pages to include an entire story -- but not in a several hundred page book.
I couldn't figure out what the target audience for these books is supposed to be. The two characters at the beginning of the book are described as 'boy' and 'girl', later as 'children'. So I guessed 6-12 years old? But a short 150 pages or so later (I believe it's two years later in time), one is running the extensive family farm holdings and I believe one was in charge of a small castle or something. (I'm not going to spend the time to go back to be exactly accurate. You can read it for yourself if you're that bored.) They are old enough to fight with swords and be married. The story is extremely juvenile, but then the book is almost 500 pages long. Truly an enigma.
All in all, I must recommend against reading this book if you are over 10 years old, or if you are a child who pays any attention whatsoever to detail or storyline.
I enjoy reading children's literature. I can 'read down' to the level as necessary. But I find so many glaring errors and omissions in this series of books that I find myself frustrated about every five pages. Why did I keep reading, you ask? Because once a book is in my hands, for some reason I find it next to impossible to put down! But more importantly, my son recommended it -- and it's always good to see what your children are reading.
The sentence and paragraph construction is enjoyable. The story idea has merit. The development of characters, their interaction with each other, story development - horrendous. Errors abound, and at times the lack of continuity and contradictions within the storyline make me want to throw the book across the room. The characters are completely lacking in depth. There is absolutely no development of relationships between the characters - however, they suddenly become endeared to one another and know all about each other. The bard - excuse me - 'skald' in the story never sings songs or tells stories or says anything particularly poetic... however, 400 pages later, they all love him for these 'constant' qualities. The heroine does nothing intellectual, but is constantly praised for her cleverness. It goes on and on. I can accept it in the Magic Treehouse, when you only have 50 pages to include an entire story -- but not in a several hundred page book.
I couldn't figure out what the target audience for these books is supposed to be. The two characters at the beginning of the book are described as 'boy' and 'girl', later as 'children'. So I guessed 6-12 years old? But a short 150 pages or so later (I believe it's two years later in time), one is running the extensive family farm holdings and I believe one was in charge of a small castle or something. (I'm not going to spend the time to go back to be exactly accurate. You can read it for yourself if you're that bored.) They are old enough to fight with swords and be married. The story is extremely juvenile, but then the book is almost 500 pages long. Truly an enigma.
All in all, I must recommend against reading this book if you are over 10 years old, or if you are a child who pays any attention whatsoever to detail or storyline.
April 29, 2017
A really fun read! It’s a Nordic-inspired fantasy series with main characters Jessa and Kari. Jessa is a really delightfully headstrong teenage girl with a personality that I personally enjoyed, and Kari is a kid with identical features and powers to his snow witch mother (who is taking over the land’s Jarlshold) that also got locked in a dungeon cell for the first six years of his life by his mom.
The first book is a little bit too plot-motivated and less character-motivated for my tastes, but I’m the sort of person that likes reading lengthy emotional whump fic. The second books took a really fantasy mystery-horror turn and was hands down my favorite - good pacing, awesome plot! Overall, the reading level is highschool-ish and the length of the books matched (all three total about 540 pages on my Kindle).
The first book is a little bit too plot-motivated and less character-motivated for my tastes, but I’m the sort of person that likes reading lengthy emotional whump fic. The second books took a really fantasy mystery-horror turn and was hands down my favorite - good pacing, awesome plot! Overall, the reading level is highschool-ish and the length of the books matched (all three total about 540 pages on my Kindle).
February 3, 2011
This is a trilogy in one book. It is completely unclear to me whether they were published separately and then collected together in one volume or if they always came like this. It never really matters, but I'm curious.
Book 1 is The Snow-Walker's Son where Jessa and her cousin (Thorkil) are exiled by the evil Snow-Walker Queen (think every Ice Queen in fantasy ever) because their fathers were rebels. They are sent to the castle in the far north where the Queen's rumored-to-be-monstrous son lives.
Book 2 is The Empty Hand. The evil Snow-Walker Queen is gone and a good king reigns. But a mysterious monster is carving a path of destruction towards the king's castle and it looks like the Snow-Walker's son (Kari) is the only one who can stop it. For a bonus, there's an evil chancellor.
Book 3 is The Soul Thieves. The Snow-Walker Queen steals the soul of the king's beautiful new wife and Jessa, Kari and the rest of the gang have to travel beyond the end of the world to defeat the Snow-Walker Queen once and for all.
Disclaimer: I read young adult novels for the romance. When a ya book doesn't have romance I am always (not-so-secretly) disappointed. There is no romance in this book. I always kind of hoped Jessa and the Snow-Walker's son would fall in love, but no dice. So this book lost brownie points from me for something that wasn't its fault. It never purported to be a romance, it's just something I always expect.
This is really an adventure book for the pre-teen set. It has all the proper fantasy elements: evil Queen, good rebel-turned-King, mysterious monsters, magic, scheming chancellor, father-figure mentor/warrior, clever bard, spunky heroine, etc. If you get too old it all becomes repetitive, but when you're young it's still new and, hey, those things became tropes for a reason. They're effective.
As I said, it's not a romance. It's an adventure. Plenty of quests and fell monsters and creepy woods and all that. The best part of the book for sure was the atmospheric creepiness it had in parts. Fisher is very good at creating a sense of creeping dread.
I think I would've liked this book a lot when I was 10 or 11 and reading Lloyd Alexander and Sherwood Smith's Wren series and Cooper's The Dark is Rising. It's that type of book.
And this is completely random but I wanted to throw it in: what the heck happened to cousin Thorkil? He was a main character in Book 1 and then is noticeably absent in the other books. I admit I wasn't reading too closely so maybe it mentioned where he wandered off to, but I didn't catch it. I had to go back and check that he hadn't died at the end of Book 1 and I'd somehow missed it (he didn't).
Book 1 is The Snow-Walker's Son where Jessa and her cousin (Thorkil) are exiled by the evil Snow-Walker Queen (think every Ice Queen in fantasy ever) because their fathers were rebels. They are sent to the castle in the far north where the Queen's rumored-to-be-monstrous son lives.
Book 2 is The Empty Hand. The evil Snow-Walker Queen is gone and a good king reigns. But a mysterious monster is carving a path of destruction towards the king's castle and it looks like the Snow-Walker's son (Kari) is the only one who can stop it. For a bonus, there's an evil chancellor.
Book 3 is The Soul Thieves. The Snow-Walker Queen steals the soul of the king's beautiful new wife and Jessa, Kari and the rest of the gang have to travel beyond the end of the world to defeat the Snow-Walker Queen once and for all.
Disclaimer: I read young adult novels for the romance. When a ya book doesn't have romance I am always (not-so-secretly) disappointed. There is no romance in this book. I always kind of hoped Jessa and the Snow-Walker's son would fall in love, but no dice. So this book lost brownie points from me for something that wasn't its fault. It never purported to be a romance, it's just something I always expect.
This is really an adventure book for the pre-teen set. It has all the proper fantasy elements: evil Queen, good rebel-turned-King, mysterious monsters, magic, scheming chancellor, father-figure mentor/warrior, clever bard, spunky heroine, etc. If you get too old it all becomes repetitive, but when you're young it's still new and, hey, those things became tropes for a reason. They're effective.
As I said, it's not a romance. It's an adventure. Plenty of quests and fell monsters and creepy woods and all that. The best part of the book for sure was the atmospheric creepiness it had in parts. Fisher is very good at creating a sense of creeping dread.
I think I would've liked this book a lot when I was 10 or 11 and reading Lloyd Alexander and Sherwood Smith's Wren series and Cooper's The Dark is Rising. It's that type of book.
And this is completely random but I wanted to throw it in: what the heck happened to cousin Thorkil? He was a main character in Book 1 and then is noticeably absent in the other books. I admit I wasn't reading too closely so maybe it mentioned where he wandered off to, but I didn't catch it. I had to go back and check that he hadn't died at the end of Book 1 and I'd somehow missed it (he didn't).
August 4, 2014
In the midst of a deluge of knock-off YAs, a good fantasy novel is hard to find. Derived from Norse legend, it still reminded me more of Skyrim and BBC's "Merlin" than anything.
Jarlsholm was a good setting, its environs sparsely though strikingly developed. As for the rest of the world, its world-building was little but not without charm, imagination, and interest. Ironwood was pure fantasy!
There were several unexplained, and admittedly underdeveloped plots in the story (why do Jessa and Thorkil join with Kari and Brocheal, why is the magic present?) but nonetheless one really settles down and enjoys the ride. Catherine Fisher's writing does take some getting used to, but one the dullness is surpassed by the adventure it certainly is captivating. Catherine Fisher is the author of the Incarceron Trilogy (*blinks* Which I only just learned from Wikipedia), which explains my recognition of the name! Trust me, this is far superior.
Concerning Snow-Walkers.
The Soul Thieves the last volume is a titch sketchy on the Snow-Walkers and their world, according with the bit-rushed tone of that one! Kari left the reader guessing to his fate to the very end, plus Gudrun was a good villain--threatening, cold, mysterious, and ruthless. Particularly, the phrase on page 225 struck a chord, when Gudrun says distrust
Onto the resemblance to "Merlin" Kari reminded me of Mordred's plotline And here, it was uncanny.
A couple discrepancies, though none particularly damaging presented themselves: In Ironwood
Ahem. If you've managed to storm through my review of nitpicks, commendations and wishes that you benefited from it. 4/5 stars.
Jarlsholm was a good setting, its environs sparsely though strikingly developed. As for the rest of the world, its world-building was little but not without charm, imagination, and interest. Ironwood was pure fantasy!
There were several unexplained, and admittedly underdeveloped plots in the story (why do Jessa and Thorkil join with Kari and Brocheal, why is the magic present?) but nonetheless one really settles down and enjoys the ride. Catherine Fisher's writing does take some getting used to, but one the dullness is surpassed by the adventure it certainly is captivating. Catherine Fisher is the author of the Incarceron Trilogy (*blinks* Which I only just learned from Wikipedia), which explains my recognition of the name! Trust me, this is far superior.
Concerning Snow-Walkers.
The Soul Thieves the last volume is a titch sketchy on the Snow-Walkers and their world, according with the bit-rushed tone of that one! Kari left the reader guessing to his fate to the very end, plus Gudrun was a good villain--threatening, cold, mysterious, and ruthless. Particularly, the phrase on page 225 struck a chord, when Gudrun says distrust
"'Is the sorrow of power, and its delight.'". Somehow, not meaning to sound like a vying philosophy major, it's unerringly inhuman that Gudrun feasts on distrust. Eek.
Onto the resemblance to "Merlin" Kari reminded me of Mordred's plotline And here, it was uncanny.
"'They will never love you,' she said, 'never trust you. Power like ours is a terror to them.'"Exactly the same argument every "Merlin" villain worth their salt, especially Morgana, uses. That of every other villain with supernatural powers, too, but in any case... I was flabbergasted.
A couple discrepancies, though none particularly damaging presented themselves: In Ironwood
"outlaws, kinless men"attack them in the midst of the most inhospitable, anathematized place in their known world?.
Ahem. If you've managed to storm through my review of nitpicks, commendations and wishes that you benefited from it. 4/5 stars.
May 4, 2011
Fisher is a good story teller. There is not a whole lot of action in her books, but there is a lot of description of the weather and area. Her books have one major flaw that made the whole book difficult to read. She doesn't describe many of her characters. The main character Jessa who I really grew to admire is never described. I know she had long hair in the last book and she wore dresses that dragged and got muddy. But what the heck does this girl look like?! I have no idea. maybe she was ugly cause the boys that surrounded her didn't seem attracted to her. And who knows if she was attracted to them cause they were never described either. It would have made the story so much more interesting if she had written about an attraction between the younger characters. Who we have no idea of there age either! But they must have been old enough to go on a quest and be trusted by there elders. We know that the Sorcerer and her son had pale hair and white eyes and he was thin. But that was a major part of the story. I liked her other books about the oracle better but they even had things that bothered me. Like a serious lack of romance! This book is good for younger readers but there are some scary images.
May 8, 2020
This was an excellent series!!! I can't wait to read more of her books. This one had an air of Nordic mythology about it And that's all I'm going to say.... except READ IT!!
December 30, 2016
So, I really love the idea of this story. Its unique. I love the setting, I love the mythology- I love the landscape and I love the characters.
Well, who I imagine the characters are. The problem is this book was like a skeleton. Its a good thing I have a good imagination, because I did a lot of assuming as I read. The book was simplified and choppy. It could have been epic!! But it fell so short. There were images I loved- characters I cared about. I loved the strong female character in a story without a moment of romance! It was refreshing! But the roots of this story were too weak and I found myself constantly thinking- ok- I guess thats just the way it is in this world. I guess this character just IS rebellious just because she is.
It may be because of Patrick Rothfuss that I feel this way- his books immerse you in the world he creates on every level possible. Taste, smell, sounds, all are accounted for. You learn about WHY a character is the way he or she is... In great detail. You learn about the history of the world. If you're going to world build, do it, and do it all the way. Snow-walker made me feel like I was standing on the outside of this rich, fertile world- squinting in, kind of making out cool imagery and characters but not really being given the whole story. In a lot of ways it felt rushed. Like the author wanted to be done with it. And its so sad too because she was dealing with such rich subject matter. Lots of potential- not realized.
To sum up, this quote is the root of the issue. Let me give you a little background first though.
Here they are at the end, in a dreamland. Somewhere no one has ever been! Its literally supposed to be the end of the planet. The main characters are brought food. I have just been dragged through for almost 600 pages to get here. And I get this:
"Grettir brought the food; strange stuff, most of it, but they ate it..." Thats IT.
That's just lazy. Come ON. Really????? If you're not even going to bother describing the food in a place like that, I feel pretty let down.
I'm not sorry I read it, it made me want to read more Nordic myths, but I'm not pleased. Not one bit.
Well, who I imagine the characters are. The problem is this book was like a skeleton. Its a good thing I have a good imagination, because I did a lot of assuming as I read. The book was simplified and choppy. It could have been epic!! But it fell so short. There were images I loved- characters I cared about. I loved the strong female character in a story without a moment of romance! It was refreshing! But the roots of this story were too weak and I found myself constantly thinking- ok- I guess thats just the way it is in this world. I guess this character just IS rebellious just because she is.
It may be because of Patrick Rothfuss that I feel this way- his books immerse you in the world he creates on every level possible. Taste, smell, sounds, all are accounted for. You learn about WHY a character is the way he or she is... In great detail. You learn about the history of the world. If you're going to world build, do it, and do it all the way. Snow-walker made me feel like I was standing on the outside of this rich, fertile world- squinting in, kind of making out cool imagery and characters but not really being given the whole story. In a lot of ways it felt rushed. Like the author wanted to be done with it. And its so sad too because she was dealing with such rich subject matter. Lots of potential- not realized.
To sum up, this quote is the root of the issue. Let me give you a little background first though.
Here they are at the end, in a dreamland. Somewhere no one has ever been! Its literally supposed to be the end of the planet. The main characters are brought food. I have just been dragged through for almost 600 pages to get here. And I get this:
"Grettir brought the food; strange stuff, most of it, but they ate it..." Thats IT.
That's just lazy. Come ON. Really????? If you're not even going to bother describing the food in a place like that, I feel pretty let down.
I'm not sorry I read it, it made me want to read more Nordic myths, but I'm not pleased. Not one bit.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2018
It was okay. Fast read. Interesting plot ideas, just kinda bland.
July 6, 2010
Sorry, I gave up. The book was overdue and I was moving too slowly. Maybe another time...
Not overly impressed (I guess my expectations were very high, since I enjoyed Incarceron, by the same author, so much) yet. But I'll give it a fair chance, maybe it will get better? A lot of tongue-twisting names that are a bit distracting (but maybe it's just me. I always suspect that authors dig into some shady website containing weird regional names, which, btw they DO!). Frozen world where the action takes place seems flat, although it could have been quite fascinating. Characters have a lot of potential, but somehow are lost in the droning of narration, some story "twists" are quite predictable. It just doesn't grip me :( Will keep reading though...
Not overly impressed (I guess my expectations were very high, since I enjoyed Incarceron, by the same author, so much) yet. But I'll give it a fair chance, maybe it will get better? A lot of tongue-twisting names that are a bit distracting (but maybe it's just me. I always suspect that authors dig into some shady website containing weird regional names, which, btw they DO!). Frozen world where the action takes place seems flat, although it could have been quite fascinating. Characters have a lot of potential, but somehow are lost in the droning of narration, some story "twists" are quite predictable. It just doesn't grip me :( Will keep reading though...
February 8, 2016
I have liked Catherine Fisher's other works quite a bit, but this one just seemed half-formed. Like the characters, settings and plots are sketches waiting to be filled out. I suppose they were written early in her career, so it makes sense that she's really come into her own with time. If I started out by reading this, I don't know if I would have sought out her later books.
Similar Titles:
The Ruins of Gorlan
Froi of the Exiles
Similar Titles:
The Ruins of Gorlan
Froi of the Exiles
September 20, 2018
Simply Norse in the best way. I used to read this book all the time when I was in high school and I’m so glad I found it again 😍 gotta say, I’m still disappointed that there isn’t more material, that has always been my only complaint 😪
March 26, 2021
This trilogy took me a long time to make my way through.
The first book was a quick read, the second as well, with a very atmospheric start, with the third one I struggled.
Only when I got to the end of the trilogy, I realised, that these books had been published from 1993 onwards, so the strict diction etc can be partially attributed to the time period this series was written in.
What I also assume is that it is one big retelling of norse myths or folktales that I am entirely unfamiliar with. The snow walkers having possibly come to the fore more recently with the white walkers of the games of thrones series.
The writing all in all is very atmospheric and if you like haunted, really scary and dipping into moments of horror stories, then this book might be for you.
Also, the snowy, icy and barren landscape that show up in this trilogy are fantastic to read. You really do feel the cold and the norse / viking setting in this very harsh outdoor world is done with excellence.
The characters in this book feel more like representations than actual people and this is also where I struggled more and more in the progression through these three books.
The story is about Kari, a Snow-Walker, an outcast and visibly different to anyone else, but we see the the story unfold through Jessa's eyes, the only woman in the company, who holds her own throughout the story.
Thinking about it, each of the characters remain in many ways unexplained, but hold a space where as a reader you can fill in your own imagination and understanding. Either this works for you or it does not.
For me it was an interesting reading experience that challenged me as well as having got to engage with the text and read and think for myself.
I went into this trilogy expecting a fantasy story for children young adults. Now that I have read it, I think of it more as of a retelling, icy, chilling, scary but interesting all the same.
The first book was a quick read, the second as well, with a very atmospheric start, with the third one I struggled.
Only when I got to the end of the trilogy, I realised, that these books had been published from 1993 onwards, so the strict diction etc can be partially attributed to the time period this series was written in.
What I also assume is that it is one big retelling of norse myths or folktales that I am entirely unfamiliar with. The snow walkers having possibly come to the fore more recently with the white walkers of the games of thrones series.
The writing all in all is very atmospheric and if you like haunted, really scary and dipping into moments of horror stories, then this book might be for you.
Also, the snowy, icy and barren landscape that show up in this trilogy are fantastic to read. You really do feel the cold and the norse / viking setting in this very harsh outdoor world is done with excellence.
The characters in this book feel more like representations than actual people and this is also where I struggled more and more in the progression through these three books.
The story is about Kari, a Snow-Walker, an outcast and visibly different to anyone else, but we see the the story unfold through Jessa's eyes, the only woman in the company, who holds her own throughout the story.
Thinking about it, each of the characters remain in many ways unexplained, but hold a space where as a reader you can fill in your own imagination and understanding. Either this works for you or it does not.
For me it was an interesting reading experience that challenged me as well as having got to engage with the text and read and think for myself.
I went into this trilogy expecting a fantasy story for children young adults. Now that I have read it, I think of it more as of a retelling, icy, chilling, scary but interesting all the same.
June 28, 2018
Sooo this was a really good book and it came this {} close to having 5 stars. But it was more like 4.5 because of just a couple things.
1 character development
Other than Kari I felt like there was really none? Jessa was pretty much the same as she was when she first started, as were all the other spoiler characters.
2 wrapping things up
So all-in-all I felt like the books ended really well, except for a few things. That stranger who met them, in the end, taking the gem and just disappearing was really weird. (you know what I'm getting at if you've read it) Also it never really stated if that girl who was in all that trouble ever got back to the guy who loved her and was important. (again, you'll know what I mean if you've read it) Lastly,
So enough with the bad stuff. Onto the good!
I LOVED what Kari was. I can't say much but it was unexpected and amazing and he's just so... I can't even come up with a word for it!
Jessa is cool! She's brave but she's not a super i-can-do-no-wrong type of girl. She can be weak, and she's not the best warrior, but she's amazing! And clever. Although I felt like the author overdid it with the other characters saying how clever she was. It was kinda forced.
I did like how at the end
Also the ravens! THE RAVENS
Content: nothing that I can think of.
1 character development
Other than Kari I felt like there was really none? Jessa was pretty much the same as she was when she first started, as were all the other spoiler characters.
2 wrapping things up
So all-in-all I felt like the books ended really well, except for a few things. That stranger who met them, in the end, taking the gem and just disappearing was really weird. (you know what I'm getting at if you've read it) Also it never really stated if that girl who was in all that trouble ever got back to the guy who loved her and was important. (again, you'll know what I mean if you've read it) Lastly,
So enough with the bad stuff. Onto the good!
I LOVED what Kari was. I can't say much but it was unexpected and amazing and he's just so... I can't even come up with a word for it!
Jessa is cool! She's brave but she's not a super i-can-do-no-wrong type of girl. She can be weak, and she's not the best warrior, but she's amazing! And clever. Although I felt like the author overdid it with the other characters saying how clever she was. It was kinda forced.
I did like how at the end
Also the ravens! THE RAVENS
Content: nothing that I can think of.
October 23, 2017
This set of books is an adventure for sure but it lacked emotion. I got through the books on the adventure alone but it still felt lacking. Brochael raises Kari from the age of 5 and yet he never fully trusts him. There are no mention of good memories in Kari' s life. Then you have Jessa who is supposed to be a young girl but she has no interest whatsoever in boys. She is a land holder that but instead of responsibilities she can take off on a whim. None of them in any of books one through three do any of the characters tell Kari that they love him. They seem to be his friends but they doubt him and fear him. How do they expect him to fight the influence of his mother if they don't teach him about love? How is he supposed to thrive and grow as an individual if he never has fun but instead is always treated with distrust and looked on with fear? That hardly seems like a life worth living.
March 6, 2017
Since Gudrun came from the frozen mists beyond the edge of the world, the Jarl's people have obeyed her in hatred andterror. But the enchantress has one weakness: a son, Kari, banished to a forbidding fortress in the north, never seen by the Jarl's people. In secret they wonder: Are the rumors true? Was he born a monster? Now Jessa and her cousin Thorkil have been exiled to the north, and if they survive the journey, they will find the truth: Is Kari a beast? Or the means to stop the sorceress?
It was good, though slow at times. I wasn't ever completely drawn into the story, and some events seemed random and/ or disconnected. I think that Kari and Jessa should have done more together. It will keep you busy and entertained til you find the slow spots, then you'll have to force your way through til it picks-up again. Good Reading Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was good, though slow at times. I wasn't ever completely drawn into the story, and some events seemed random and/ or disconnected. I think that Kari and Jessa should have done more together. It will keep you busy and entertained til you find the slow spots, then you'll have to force your way through til it picks-up again. Good Reading Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 17, 2020
I read the first two books in this trilogy when I was a kid but never got my hands on the third. I'd always remembered how much I loved them, though, and so finally, at the age of 28, I bought the three-in-one trilogy and read the whole thing. So glad I did! This is absolutely one of those kids' books that reads well to an adult.
I'd remembered the fantasy elements of the book but had forgotten the extent of the horror. There's some genuinely creepy stuff in here, and the author is so good at building atmosphere and tension. She's also a very descriptive author, and this is a great winter read because you'll really feel the cold of the icy landscapes and the cosiness of every crackling fire and fur blanket.
The characters are all well-drawn and feel real with their various flaws, doubts and growth. There's no romance in these books, which was a plus to me. It's all very plot driven, and the important relationships are friendships, which are tested and developed through the trilogy. I rarely read a series and want more at the end (in fact, I rarely read series in general) but after I'd finished the final book I wished there was more of this world and these characters. I'll absolutely be reading this again, hopefully during a colder future winter when it's snowing outside. That would be perfect.
I'd remembered the fantasy elements of the book but had forgotten the extent of the horror. There's some genuinely creepy stuff in here, and the author is so good at building atmosphere and tension. She's also a very descriptive author, and this is a great winter read because you'll really feel the cold of the icy landscapes and the cosiness of every crackling fire and fur blanket.
The characters are all well-drawn and feel real with their various flaws, doubts and growth. There's no romance in these books, which was a plus to me. It's all very plot driven, and the important relationships are friendships, which are tested and developed through the trilogy. I rarely read a series and want more at the end (in fact, I rarely read series in general) but after I'd finished the final book I wished there was more of this world and these characters. I'll absolutely be reading this again, hopefully during a colder future winter when it's snowing outside. That would be perfect.
February 23, 2022
Three books in one chronicling the story of a group of people in a Nordic inspired land dealing with the schemes of a powerful snow witch
An interesting book with an interesting premise, sadly its hindered by what feels like the author trying to rush through each story as fast as possible, with a couple of side tracks on the way to keep things interesting. One could probably sit and read the whole thing in about four hours. The action at times can also feel inconsistent and hard to follow without going back and reading it a couple of more times. In spite of those issues I did want to keep reading, so it must be doing something right. I just cant quite put my finger on what that is.
An interesting book with an interesting premise, sadly its hindered by what feels like the author trying to rush through each story as fast as possible, with a couple of side tracks on the way to keep things interesting. One could probably sit and read the whole thing in about four hours. The action at times can also feel inconsistent and hard to follow without going back and reading it a couple of more times. In spite of those issues I did want to keep reading, so it must be doing something right. I just cant quite put my finger on what that is.
March 24, 2017
This was not the author's best effort in my view. I didn't connect with the characters much although I liked them. The traveling distances seemed unusually short which surprised but didn't dismay me. It seems common in adventure books that the heroes travel for weeks not days. The magic was not well defined and the description of the far north was all about ice and snow till suddenly it was about fire and heat.
April 10, 2019
I read these first in spanish as a teen and now, rereading them, they uh, they did not hold up.
I suspect these were written for a younger audience than what the stories asked for. They wanted to be longer books for sure, and all the characters were asking for further development.
Still enjoyed it but I mean it was better in my memory. I was particularly amused at all the very obvious (now) norse myth references that completely flew over my head when I first read it.
I suspect these were written for a younger audience than what the stories asked for. They wanted to be longer books for sure, and all the characters were asking for further development.
Still enjoyed it but I mean it was better in my memory. I was particularly amused at all the very obvious (now) norse myth references that completely flew over my head when I first read it.
April 6, 2022
An interesting story, but (I thought) poorly written. I was in the dark for most of the story, wondering about characters and their motivations. Lines like "There was no doubt what he was thinking" left me vaguely angry, as if I was being called stupid for not being able to guess what a character was thinking about!
This is probably a good book for a young reader, just staring to love fantasy - it moves quickly, with only the bare bones of the story left in place.
This is probably a good book for a young reader, just staring to love fantasy - it moves quickly, with only the bare bones of the story left in place.
February 13, 2025
Only read the first of these three novels so far. I will update if need be. Actually 3.5...not quite a 4. I enjoyed it. One thing did not make sense (I don't want to say because it is a pretty big spoiler). A big plot point was obvious and Jessa acted irrationally in service of moving the plot forward...I wish the author had found another way to do the same thing...but good. Looking forward to the other two at some point.
October 9, 2017
Some odd mystical parts, fairly good plot, but a few thematic holes that made it somewhat difficult to follow. I was glad to see a survival story set in a kingdom struggling to regain a sense of its identity; I got the sense that the author had come to terms with snow but maybe needed some work on the evil-stepmother theme.
March 30, 2023
One of my closest friends and I shared all our books growing up. Somehow, though, I missed this one, which was her favorite when we were in high school. Maybe that's why reading it felt cozy and nostalgic, even though it was my first read. With all around beautiful writing and story building, I can see why this one was my friend's favorite; I so enjoyed it too!
July 13, 2017
A Norse-inspired tale that follows an exiled son whose existence is the only thing his manipulative mother fears. This story involves mirrors, magic, snow, and snakes, and is largely influenced by Nordic language and mythology.
One of my favorites.
One of my favorites.
May 16, 2019
The first book didn't seem as interesting as books two and three. The first book was a good introduction to our characters and world, and the following books built on it nicely. The third book felt like a game of Dungeons & Dragons, and I mean that in a positive way.
December 23, 2022
Gelesen vor JAHREN und ich erinnere mich an kaum etwas... Aber ich weiss noch, dass ich es geliebt habe und die ganze Atmosphäre und Welt sehr mochte, genau wie die Charaktere. Und es ist sehr von der nordischen Mythologie inspiriert bzw daran angelehnt.
December 9, 2017
Read book 3.
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