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The Seaborn Cycle #2
Iceborn
11 hours and 14 minutes
In the thrilling sequel to Seaborn, the Windborn threaten war against the Fair Isles - and three women of the sea hatch daring plans to change their fates.
Bela, the reluctant hero, journeys into the inhospitable Sea of Ice in search of the ancient portal that broke the world.
Shae, the ship-less Bone Pirate, stands with a Windborn exile before an arms of remorseless metal beings.
And Alira, the huntress, faces the revelation of what the Bloodborn are, and the truth of their horrible magicks.
In desperation, in determination, and in hope, every step they take reveals new secrets about their past - and new fears for their future.
In the thrilling sequel to Seaborn, the Windborn threaten war against the Fair Isles - and three women of the sea hatch daring plans to change their fates.
Bela, the reluctant hero, journeys into the inhospitable Sea of Ice in search of the ancient portal that broke the world.
Shae, the ship-less Bone Pirate, stands with a Windborn exile before an arms of remorseless metal beings.
And Alira, the huntress, faces the revelation of what the Bloodborn are, and the truth of their horrible magicks.
In desperation, in determination, and in hope, every step they take reveals new secrets about their past - and new fears for their future.
12 pages, Audible Audio
First published September 30, 2021
18 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Michael Livingston
56 books239 followersA native of Colorado, Michael Livingston holds degrees in History, Medieval Studies, and English. He lives today in Charleston, South Carolina, where he teaches at The Citadel.
In his author life, he is a winner of the prestigious international Writers of the Future Contest (in 2005), and his novel SHARDS OF HEAVEN, the first in a trilogy of historical fantasies, will be published by Tor Books in November 2015. He has also published in a variety of other genres and venues, from a historical retelling of BEOWULF to a brief story about quantum physics in the world-renowned journal of science, NATURE.
In his academic life, he has published more than a dozen articles on subjects as varied as early Christianity, BEOWULF, Chaucer, James Joyce, J.R.R. Tolkien, and digital and practical pedagogies (though never all of them at once!). He has investigated European maps of America that pre-date Columbus, found unrecorded Anasazi ruins and artifacts, and written about the handwriting of fourteenth-century scribes. He is the general editor of the Liverpool Historical Casebooks Series, for which he has edited casebooks on the Battle of Brunanburh (Exeter, 2011), the Welsh rebel hero Owain Glyndwr (co-edited with John Bollard; Liverpool, 2013), and, coming soon, the Battle of Crécy (co-edited with Kelly DeVries; 2015).
In his author life, he is a winner of the prestigious international Writers of the Future Contest (in 2005), and his novel SHARDS OF HEAVEN, the first in a trilogy of historical fantasies, will be published by Tor Books in November 2015. He has also published in a variety of other genres and venues, from a historical retelling of BEOWULF to a brief story about quantum physics in the world-renowned journal of science, NATURE.
In his academic life, he has published more than a dozen articles on subjects as varied as early Christianity, BEOWULF, Chaucer, James Joyce, J.R.R. Tolkien, and digital and practical pedagogies (though never all of them at once!). He has investigated European maps of America that pre-date Columbus, found unrecorded Anasazi ruins and artifacts, and written about the handwriting of fourteenth-century scribes. He is the general editor of the Liverpool Historical Casebooks Series, for which he has edited casebooks on the Battle of Brunanburh (Exeter, 2011), the Welsh rebel hero Owain Glyndwr (co-edited with John Bollard; Liverpool, 2013), and, coming soon, the Battle of Crécy (co-edited with Kelly DeVries; 2015).
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 17, 2022
Surprisingly, it was better than I thought. The Seaborn being the 1st book was also quite good but the 2nd is only available on Audible. Eleven plus hours flew by with this recording.
November 24, 2025
Very good! Picked up the pace from book one and gave all the pirate, battle, magic energy. I love the three main characters being in such different circumstances.
April 17, 2023
I thought this book was definitely better than the first book in the series. There was a lot of action in this book, and each of the three women had their own journeys in stories. Bela and her crew sailed. The sand crow into the ICC. They lost their ship, Bela was attacked by a bear, and mutiny broke out among the sailors. Shae how did adventure of her own. She was spirited away by ther enemy, the airborne people. She had her own adventure with the airborne and the metal men. Alira joined the storm born and was fighting for her life against the blood-borne people. I like the end of this book but I have a feeling that this series is not over. I can’t wait to read the next book in series.
June 25, 2025
ICEBORN is a second book that didn't grab me as well as the first, because of its narrative structure.
The three perspectives - Bela, Shae, and Alira - are separate for the entire book. At one point near the end, two of them can hear the same third party, but that's it. They are not affecting each other's stories. They could be entirely separate books without affecting the overall story flow.
This is never my favourite set up for a book - because why is it one book if there is no interweaving and action consequence? I think that's why it took me so long to get into this one (I read two other books between starting this book and finishing it).
I did, naturally, have a favourite - Shae. She's in a new world with new characters and her dynamic with Kayden is really nice - I wish there was more time with her to flesh out their relationship and get deeper into the intricacies of this world, the tensions and pressures on Kayden. I hope we get more of them in the final book, STORMBORN.
I also liked Bela and Tew's dynamic. They're in an icy world with few people to rely on, and in a matriarchal society, the male reader (who is "cut" so cannot father children) is low down the ranks. However, the extreme of their environment starts breaking down that prejudice and I enjoyed watching a mutual respect and friendship spring up between them.
The three perspectives - Bela, Shae, and Alira - are separate for the entire book. At one point near the end, two of them can hear the same third party, but that's it. They are not affecting each other's stories. They could be entirely separate books without affecting the overall story flow.
This is never my favourite set up for a book - because why is it one book if there is no interweaving and action consequence? I think that's why it took me so long to get into this one (I read two other books between starting this book and finishing it).
I did, naturally, have a favourite - Shae. She's in a new world with new characters and her dynamic with Kayden is really nice - I wish there was more time with her to flesh out their relationship and get deeper into the intricacies of this world, the tensions and pressures on Kayden. I hope we get more of them in the final book, STORMBORN.
I also liked Bela and Tew's dynamic. They're in an icy world with few people to rely on, and in a matriarchal society, the male reader (who is "cut" so cannot father children) is low down the ranks. However, the extreme of their environment starts breaking down that prejudice and I enjoyed watching a mutual respect and friendship spring up between them.
June 13, 2023
I loved the evolving world and the views of all the different Born throughout the story. It shows how isolation and misinformation can change historical facts over time but piecing together all of the parts bring the real story to light. I am excited to continue the story in the next book.
July 5, 2023
Three women go in search to save the world. One goes to the ice and cold. One is unconscious as she travels to the windborn realm. One is thought lost and will now fight to save the world. Great sequel to the Seaborn. Looking forward to the next one!!
September 6, 2023
Well, the accents are all over the place but I suppose that’s better than a voice actor that can’t differentiate between characters. I think that the old lumicor is my favorite. I also like Shae’s storyline the best. Gets interesting in this one but I feel like it’s a little melodramatic
April 3, 2024
4.5
THIS is how you write a sequel! A fantastic continuation of the story and I love the world Livingston has expanded.
Bela is one of my favorite characters these days. She's just so awesome, and her evolution in this sequel was very enjoyable.
THIS is how you write a sequel! A fantastic continuation of the story and I love the world Livingston has expanded.
Bela is one of my favorite characters these days. She's just so awesome, and her evolution in this sequel was very enjoyable.
May 6, 2023
really liking this trilogy so far
December 5, 2023
I enjoyed this one. I can't wait even more for the women to have their reunion because everyone has played a major part in the entire set up.
May 15, 2024
This was a great second book in the series with bears and action and an overall good story and characters.
December 14, 2023
I am so glad I continued reading after book 1. The previous book didn’t leave me with a great desire for more from this series, but it was interesting enough that I eventually got around to this one and it is SO much better. Things actually happen at regular intervals, the story has a nice pace to it, the development of the relationships between our existing characters was great, and they even started to address the weird sexism metaphor they burdened themselves with in the first book. I really liked the romance element and the way they tied two of the main storylines together at the end. My only critique would be that the third story line still felt a little auxiliary at times, but even that was much improved from book 1. All in all, this book took this series from one I barely cared about to one I didn’t want to end.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews