Icefalcon's Quest (Darwath, No. 5) [Mass Market Paperback]

Barbara Hambly (Author), Donato Giancola (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 28, 1998

Chaos reigned in the Eastern Lands: as the fearsome Alketch army mounted siege, the young Prince Tir was snatched from the heart of Dare's Keep. Behind the terror was the depraved, hook-handed general Vair na-Chandros. He had learned that the royal child possessed forbidden wisdom; a secret the bloodthirsty Vair intended to use to conquer the world.

One man posed a threat to Vair's vaunting ambition: the legendary warrior known as the Icefalcon. Banished by his own people and scorned as a barbarian by others, only he could hope to free the boy from Vair's clutches. With his sister Cold Death--a sorcerer whose magic was as sharp as her tongue--the Icefalcon embarked on a dangerous mission of rescue and redemption that would force him to wage his greatest battle . . . for his prince, for his honor, and for all eternity.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Hitherto, Hambly's books about Darwath, a world menaced by awakened malign sleepers and an ice age, have been classic portal fantasies, in which the emphasis is on two transplanted Californians, Gil and Rudy, who are learning to cope with a world of magic and swordplay. In the original Darwath trilogy, the menace is the Dark, hivemind beings with a taste for human flesh who wreck civilization in a matter of weeks when their brainless hominid herds die; in the singleton Mother of Winter, it was devouring fungi and the old cold mind behind them. This new book shifts emphasis to Icefalcon, the exiled plains nomad who has come to value civilization without feeling a part of it, and to the corrupt magus who kidnaps Rudy's young royal stepson for his ancestral memories. Lost in the wastes of the North is another refuge against the cold and the Dark, a Keep which has, rather literally, a mind of its own. Icefalcon has to cope with the cold and the vividly evoked claustrophobia of old dark places; he also has to comprehend the rejection of his barbarian clan. This is an intelligent fantasy thriller about choices, particularly the ones you never knew you made. --Roz Kaveney, Amazon.co.uk

From Library Journal

As the armies of war leader Vair na-Chandros prepare to lay siege to the Keep of Dare, a rogue wizard kidnaps Prince Tir, intent on taking his young captive to the icy northern lands. Blaming himself for the prince's abduction, the Icefalcon?an outcast barbarian now dwelling within the Keep?sets out on a desperate rescue mission, knowing that his journey will end in a confrontation with his past. Set in the same world as Mother of Winter (LJ 9/15/96) and the Darwath trilogy (The Time of the Dark, Del Rey: Ballantine, 1994; The Walls of Air, Del Rey: Ballantine, 1983; The Armies of Daylight, Del Rey: Ballantine, 1983), this tale of honor and loyalty features one of Hambly's most memorable characters. The author's graceful style and fluid storytelling ability make this title a good choice for fantasy collections.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (November 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345388240
• ISBN-13: 978-0345388247
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #149,050 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Old characters, old enemies, none of the old magic, April 22, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Icefalcon's Quest (Darwath) (Hardcover)

In Barbara Hambly newest Darwath novel, old heroes return to fight old enemies as Prince Altir is kidnapped, the Keep of Dare is threatened, and the Icefalcon embarks on a mission of rescue. It is seven years since the end of the Time of the Dark and the routed Alketch general Vair na-Chandros is trying to gain power. He thinks that Prince Altir's racial memories about the time around the Dark's first rising will provide the key to gaining this.

Unfortunately, none of the old excitement of Hambly's previous novels set in the Kingdom of Dar returns in this book. Icefalcon, an intriguing and enigmatic character in the Time of the Dark series, is presented so blandly that the reader does not share any sense of danger as he travels across the homelands from which he has been exiled, following the southern commander who has kidnapped Tir. The northern tribes, which seemed so frighteningly dangerous before, are reduced to a garbled mix of unrelated names that blithely talk about the wind and the weather.

All the characters seemed emotionally uninvolved in the conflict, except for Tir, who is swept along by events. The great secrets that he possesses both help and hinder the party, but never embroil the characters in any kind of internal struggle. There is great potential in the ideas presented in this novel but they are never fully exploited to bring us closer to the characters. In the end, I was extremely disappointed when Hambly resorted to a deux ex machina to bring help to the Icefalcon and his companions.

My advice is to read the Time of the Dark trilogy and then let the characters all live happily ever after (or not) in your own imagination.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Immensely readable!, May 31, 2002

By 

Natasha Abed - See all my reviews

This review is from: Icefalcon's Quest (Darwath, No. 5) (Mass Market Paperback)

I bought this book because I liked the blurb on the back, and thought that it would make for interesting reading...needless to say, it's a move I absolutely do not regret. I haven't read any other book in the Darwath series, so perhaps that's the reason for my enthusiasm and fascination, but I've read Icefalcon's quest many times, and it's been enjoyable with every read.

The description of Icefalcon's emotions and understanding appear at first glance to be quite droll, but in understanding the tribal feuds and lifestyle, the reader starts to understand that the portrayal of Icefalcon is true to nature. It's not to say that he doesn't experience emotion or pain or fear, but rather that within his tribal upbringing, it is death to lay claim to such feelings. Only the strongest survive, and fear and cowardice have no place in the tribal structure.

The tribulations that Tir had to undergo, and his character's development as a result were very real and moving for me....The dark magic and evil was a potent stimulus in the book - and I was unwittingly caught up in the brutal descriptions of war and evil.

On the whole, I would definitely recommend Icefalcon's Quest... whether you buy it or borrow it, read this book and decide for yourself!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite character has his own story!, May 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Icefalcon's Quest (Darwath) (Hardcover)

When I first began the Darwath series, I was immediately intrigued by the Icefalcon, a captain of the Guards in the Keep of Dare. Hambly drew his character from the beginning as both charismatic and enigmatic, and I was hooked. I was happy to find that she had devoted an entire book to him, explaining more about his background as a White Raider and how he views the world. Strange at first to see his point of view, after so long only knowing him through the eyes of Gil and Rudy, but by the end of the book I only liked him more. While you could read this book by itself apart from the series, it is a lot more interesting if you already know the characters involved. I hope we see a sixth book. . .