The Snow-Walker's Son

The Snow-Walker #1

by Catherine Fisher

THE SNOW WALKER'S SON is a book of intrigue; of banishment and sorcery; of an ice cold winter and an unseen evil eye. Jessa and Thorkil are banished by the evil witch Gudrun to the ice kingdom to the North. Here they will be incarcerated with Gudrun's son Kari; about whom there are the most terrible tales. He is rumoured to be half-man, half-beast and is a figure of dread. After an endless journey, Thorkil and Jessa arrive and, at last meet Kari. He is not as they feared but is a slight winsome young man. His only terror is that he, too, has the power. But he is determined to use the magic wisely.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Audiobook, Magic

128 pages, Hardcover

First published March 27, 1993

About the author

Catherine 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.

Reviews

[Nicky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Snow Walker's Son is a quick and easy read, set in a Norse setting -- at least, there's Norse gods and reasonably accurate naming traditions, and some names are straight from sagas. It feels too light on substance, though: nothing of true weight really happens. Gudrun's influence on Thorkil's mind comes closest, but I'd predicted that and the manner of it, so...

I'd have been more impressed if it was in saga-style, or something like that. Then the simplicity would be a part of the form.

I am interested in seeing where this goes, but it felt like a weak beginning. Easy enough to read, even fun, but without anything to get my teeth into. A single small profiterole of a book!

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Re-read in January 2013: I remembered this book as being a long, difficult, epic saga -- which says something about how young I must have been when I first read it, as it's a very brief story. The pace is quick, moving the action along from one place to another, and the story is a tried-and-tested formula of good conquering evil. Jessa is a bland and often stupid heroine, whose actions frequently endanger the group, and Thorkil is so unlikeable that I wanted him to be buried in an avalanche. But Kari is lovely! He's viewed as a monster by everyone due to his looks and magical ability (and because his mother is a psycho bitch of a queen), but he still has an adorably sweet and thoughtful nature.

This book is probably also responsible for my love of Norse tales. Sorcery and snow -- what a combination!

[A. L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ice witch known as the Snow-Walker - Gudrun, by name - has aided her husband in taking over a vast amount of land, but despite the fact that her husband sits on the Jarl's throne, there is no doubt in anyone's mind who actually rules. Cousins Thorkill and Jessa are the last remaining bloodline of the former nobles, and now that they are teens, they are deemed old enough to be a problem. Therefore, they are banished to the same icy, forsaken fortress that Gudrun banished her mysterious, monstrous son years before. Rumors and terror abound about Kari, the son of the Snow-Walker, but when Jessa and Thorkill arrive, they find not some evil, monstrous creature, but a shy, quiet child cared for only by a single warrior. The only thing terrifying about him is that he holds the same powers as his mother. Unlike his mother, he is determined to use his powers for good, but even he isn't certain his determination is strong enough to keep him from turning to the same path his mother walked.

Three things I liked about this book: The hints of Norse mythology while still being its own. Our main character, Jessa, is not a complete pushover while still being a clearly sheltered young girl. The language and descriptions are really captivating and make everything come alive!

Three things I did not like about the book: Cousin Thorkill is worth smacking, I'm just going to say it. The plot is slow to get started and drags just a bit. I wish the magic had been explored a bit more.

It's just a really good, solid, simple young adult book that has a story to tell and tells it.

[Tamara Van dishoeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jessa en haar neef Thorkil worden verbannen door hun hoofdman en naar een kasteel gestuurd ver in het noorden waar zijn zoon woont die volgens de verhalen een monster. de reis is niet zonder gevaar want de vrouw van de hoofdman Gudrun is een sneeuwheks en zit achter hun aan. een spannend boek wat erg makkelijk weg las maar het is ook een kinderboek.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, but not sure how much I'll retain and not fussed about the next one

[Caomhghain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slight, light story with not much in the way of characters.

[Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the setting and the Viking / Norse themes. The plot was a bit basic, I definitely wanted more from it, but as a YA book it was pretty good.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been on a "fairy" tale kick as of late...two bookrings (The Faery Reel and Spindle's End), Zel (a retelling of Rapunzel) and then this one. This one feels like a fairy tale, or legend from the Norse world. I am not all that familiar with the tales of the Norse, so I don't know if this is a re-telling, or something new all together. I liked it quite a lot though. It was a quick and enjoyable read. I would really like more tales about Kari.

[Digne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This just didn't do it for me. But I think the problem was more me than the book. The book is fine. It's a simple fantasy adventure but I was in the mood for something more like Fisher's Incarceron series.

I can't remember the exact date I finished Book 1 (July 15 is just an estimate). I have the other 2 books so I may pick it up again if I feel like it.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, chock full of intrigue and adventure. My only complaint is that it was too short. The end came before I was even aware that I was at the end of the book. Definitely looking forward to the second one.

[Sandra Visser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luckily I wasn't at all disappointed after rereading this book. It's a focused, short story, but well thought-out and tension-filled. The world in which the characters live is well realised with only a few words.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young and alone on a long road,
Once I lost my way:
Rich I felt when I found another...

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow:

The ice witch, Gudrun, has a son to Jarl Ragnar - a boy she allows no one to see. Rumours are that Kari is a monster. But Kari is a boy with power; he has two ravens.

[Mary Lauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick easy read. Enjoyable. I might save the others to read in Hawaii. The contrast you know. 8-)

[Rohret Buchner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stories with evil witches are cool, but better when the witch is a more fully developed character rather than a one-dimensional psycho. Perhaps they "why" of her evil will unfold in the next two books, but a little more intrigue about the villainess would have added more depth to this first installment in the trilogy.