The Forge in the Forest: The Winter of the World [Hardcover]

Michael Scott Rohan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The encroaching glaciers of an Ice Age provide the dramatic background for Rohan's fantasy trilogy, the Winter of the World. This second volume picks up magesmith Elof Valantor in the city of Kerbryhaine, recently beseiged by the Ekwesh. Though hampered by politics and urban prejudice, Elof and regal Keryn Kermorvan lead a small band to seek aid. Their odyssey through the Great Forest, from which few ever return, becomes a string of Homeric terrors and wonders. The travelers are prey to saber-toothed tigers, receive help from the forest folk, are seduced by woodland sylphs, pay a visit to the island of the dead and, in the most interesting sequence, have an extended stay in the Halls of Summer, a land of the Lotus Eaters where the heroes of legend still live and the godlike Lord of the Forest rules supreme. Rohan labors mightily but this is seldom more than a reshuffling of Tolkien motifs.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Elof, the magesmith who dealt a crushing blow to the forces of the Ice endangering his world, sets off once more on a questthis time to find and unite the people of the legendary Eastern lands with their Sothran descendants. This second volume of a trilogy expands upon the vivid fantasy world introduced in The Anvil of Ice. This will appeal to fans of high fantasy. JC
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 379 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1st U.S. Ed edition (November 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688073670
• ISBN-13: 978-0688073671
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,884,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rohan is a master of language. His proze is magic, April 24, 2002

By 

J.C. Vermij (Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forge in the Forest (Hardcover)

The Winter of the World Trilogy (Anvil, Forge and Hammer) stands out as a classic in the Fantasy Genre. In my opinion MSR has succeeded very well to integrate nordic mythology in his writing. Especially the Smithcraft and the Powers wrought in the fire of a Mastersmith are cleaverly written. The Powers come from runes set into the metal. It's description and potential is one I like very much.

As one reviewer said before, MSR is highly underrated. His way with words surpasses many in the field. Highly poetic and --in writing style and tecnique -- matching Tolkien every step of the way.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The second volume is even better than the first, February 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Forge in the Forest (Hardcover)

The second installment of Michael Scott Rohan's trilogy progresses the story of the apprentice smith Elof. I am reading George RR Martin's _A Game of Thrones_ as I write this, and I cannot help but draw some parallels between the two novels. The strength of Rohan is in my opinion his wonderful use of the English language. The prose is rich, it is a wonderful book just because of it. And the story is very good. In the previous book, our heroes traveled through well-known territory, there was no tension and suspense from that point of view. In this book, they set out in search of a lost people through uncharted territory, and the reader follows their footsteps wondering what Elof and his band will stumble into next. However, Martin's book is tremendous in its characterization. Every character is very realistic, each one seems to be showing a facade to the people around him but is really much more intricate underneath. Although Elof, Rohan's main character, shows signs of progressing as a personality through the first two books, he really is the only one with any real depth. Otherwise, read this (if you are luck enough to find it) and enjoy the wonderful story.

5.0 out of 5 stars The middle book of his trilogy, it deserves equal praise., May 14, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Forge in the Forest: The Winter of the World (Hardcover)

As the one book of the trilogy yet to receive a review, I thought I'd write one, both out of tribute to M. S. Rohan, one of the greatest fantasy writers ever and certainly the most underaclaimed, and because the book merits it on its own. The Forge in the Forest leads the band of friends from the first volume into the great and uncharted forests of ancient powers in their quest to reach the East Coast of their continent. Every page is unbelievably well written in a style in the same echelon as Tolkein. In fact, Rohan's trilogy is in many ways Tolkein's equal. Only the vast scope of Tolkein eclipses this otherwise perfect trilogy.