The Cry Of The Icemark (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) [Library Binding]

Stuart Hill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2006

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. The Icemark is a kingdom in grave danger. Its king has been killed in battle, its enemy lies in wait, and its fate rests on the shoulders of one girl.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8–This epic fantasy has at its center a spunky 13-year-old warrior princess. When her father dies in a heroic battle with a gigantic invading army, Thirrin becomes queen of her small but hardy country, the Icemark. Having already made allies of the werewolves and found a friend and advisor in a young warlock, Oskan, she sets off with him to forge new alliances. They journey to the land of the Vampire King and Queen and persuade them to join the alliance, and then go on to the dangerous talking snow leopards, the leader of whom becomes a most valuable friend. The final third of the book deals with the extended siege of the capital city and the bloody battles in and around it, leading to the eventual defeat of the invaders. Characters tend to be two-dimensional and conflicts within and between them do little to influence the plot. Thirrin's shyness in personal encounters, for example, quickly disappears. Oskan goes through experiences that should be transformative, especially in a young person, but he shows no evidence of inner change throughout the book. In general, the writing tends to be explanatory rather than descriptive, and this leads to a flatness in what should be an exciting story. Nancy Farmer's The Sea of Trolls (S & S, 2004) tackles a similar northern setting with far more realism and suspense. While lovers of Christopher Paolini's Eragon (Knopf, 2003) may take to this novel, and its courageous female protagonist is laudable, in the presently crowded field of fantasies, it will struggle to stand out.–Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 8-11. Fourteen-year-old Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield, Wild Cat of the North, shoulders burdens as heavy as her name is long. She inherits the throne of Icemark just as the ruthless, as-yet-undefeated Polypontian Empire mobilizes for an invasion. Although Icemark's scrappy peoples resemble Vikings, and the Polypontians recall the conquering Romans, realism dissipates as Thirrin forges alliances with werewolves, vampires, and giant, talking snow leopards reminiscent of Philip Pullman's armored bears. The influences of Tolkien are likewise evident, particularly in the emphasis on the strategic maneuverings of underdogs, as well as the epic grandeur (not to mention grisliness) of battle, over character development. But for readers whose imaginations are stirred by clashes of pike and saber and lusty cries of "Blood! Blast! And Fire!" this extravagant first novel--especially its more swiftly paced latter half--offers ample rewards. For others, it is Hill's affection for his characters, especially the warrior-queen "who could make peace between night and day, between dark and light," that will prove infectious. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Library Binding: 490 pages
• Publisher: Turtleback (June 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1417779535
• ISBN-13: 978-1417779536
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,152,950 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Debut Novel!, April 3, 2005

By 

T. J. Jones "TJ" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Icemark Chronicles #1: The Cry of the Icemark (Hardcover)

"The Cry of the Icemark" by Stuart Hill was a brilliant adventure/quest/coming of age story about the young princess Thirrin Freer Strong-In-The-Arm-Lindinshield of the small kingdom of the Icemark. Thirrin is a feisty heroine who never gives up when it comes to defending her country. Her beliefs and doubts about the upcoming war that she must face from the fierce Scipio Bellorum of the Polyponitian Empire are very believable and fuel most of her emotional parts of the story. The idea that Thirrin must travel to the land-of-the-ghosts to befriend werewolves, vampires, and giant snow leopards as her allies was very intriguing and were my favorite parts of the story (besides the amazing climax!). Thirrin must accomplish this daunting task with the help of my favorite character from the story, Oskan, a young warlock. Oskan was a different sidekick; he was Thirrin's royal adviser and treated her as no other person had treated her before. When you first meet him, he is a poor peon who did not care that Thirrin was a princess and treats her as any other person, maybe just what she needed. Oskan essentially shows the real person behind Thirrin's masked toughness which Hill conveys through most of the novel. Hill masterfully shows the real people and maturation behind these two young characters who must take on so much at such a young age. Overall, this story had some flaws of a first novel, such as somewhat bad pacing in the beginning; but the reward of Hill's rich descriptions, vivid characters and their emotions and developments as real people, and the sheer imagination and passion that Hill brought to his story and the lessons it shows such as bravery and never doubt yourself, encompass the spirit of this amazing first novel. I look forward to the next book from this talented new author.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An action-filled, fast-paced adventure, September 22, 2005

By 

Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Icemark Chronicles #1: The Cry of the Icemark (Hardcover)

Thirteen-year-old Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield is being groomed as queen of the Icemark, the small snowbound northern kingdom ruled by her father, the larger-than-life King Redrought. Intimidated by social situations and bored by learning traditional academic subjects, Thirrin's only passions are her studies of great military campaigns, her phenomenal skill at axe-throwing competitions, and her lust for battle.

When Thirrin encounters Grishmak, the king of the werewolves, and spares his life, she gains the loyalty of Grishmak's "people," who live in the fearsome Land of the Ghosts. As outside invaders threaten their small land, Thirrin urges King Redrought to form more alliances with the inhabitants of the Land of the Ghosts. Her father brushes Thirrin off, but when he dies in battle, it's up to Thirrin to foster allegiances and lead her unlikely army against the daunting enemy with a cry of "Blood! Blast! And Fire!"

Debut novelist Stuart Hill's THE CRY OF THE ICEMARK is a hefty volume, the first in a projected trilogy. Thirrin is an appealing character, as is her companion Oskan, the witch's son. Hill draws freely from any number of traditional and mythological stories to people his narrative: the text is populated with werewolves, witches and vampires. The Icemark itself bears a resemblance to old Norse kingdoms (King Redrought is taken to Valhalla), and the invading masses (who speak Latin and are led by Scipio Bellorum) seem suspiciously like the Roman Empire.

Unfortunately, Hill's writing style is a little too flat and explanatory, relying on exclamation marks rather than effective prose to convey emotion. The characters, particularly the secondary ones, also are somewhat flat, reduced to one or two defining characteristics (King Redrought, for example, is fearsome in battle but wears fuzzy slippers and dotes on a kitten) rather than being more fully and complexly drawn.

Nevertheless, fans of action-filled, fast-paced adventure stories, particularly those who enjoy battle scenes, will find much to appreciate in THE CRY OF THE ICEMARK.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly Written, November 24, 2004

By 

Gary H. Cassel "Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews" (Baltimore, MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Icemark Chronicles #1: The Cry of the Icemark (Hardcover)

Stuart Hill's first novel, The Cry of the Icemark, is a brilliantly written tale of destiny and personal discovery. It concerns a fourteen year old princess, who after her father has just died in battle, finds herself ruler of a country on the brink of war. With the help of a witch's son she makes allies with Vampires, Snow Leopards and Werewolves who agree to join her in her battle against a greedy, unstoppable nation.
The Princess and her advisor, Oskan Witch's Son have to face the Polypontus, a nation whose only goal is to expand their ever-growing borders. They will forge alliances, create battle plans, insure the safety of the Icemark and try to stop an undefeated army, and all of this before their 16th birthdays. The story is set in an imaginary land called the Icemark and travels to exotic places such as The-Land-of-the-Ghosts to visit with Vampires and other fantastic creatures. We follow the princess on a journey to the Hub of the World, to a kingdom known as the Icesheets, where Tharaman-Thar rules the Snow Leopards and deep into the forest, where the Holly King and the Oak King reign over all beings in the wood. Her journey becomes ours as we breathlessly read Hill's book, feeling the character's pain, fears and triumphs.

Hill's characters are rich and realistic, and his writing allows a clear view of his imaginary kingdom, The Icemark. As Thirrin steps through the gates of her home, readers see what she sees, a "fortress dominating the streets from its position high on the hill. The royal banner of a fighting white bear on a blue background was clearly visible as a cool breeze stretched it flat and snapping in the air as though it was leading the charge of King Redrought's cavalry". A rival to the Harry Potter stories, Hill's tale will capture the imagination of young readers and have them eagerly reading the story, caught up in the remarkable journey of Princess Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield.
The Cry of the Icemark comes with a Compact Disc in the back containing conversations between the author and publisher, with the author reading excerpts from the novel. Although younger readers might not find these conversations interesting, older readers and their parents will be intrigued. Although the book cover suggests that the novel is suitable for readers nine through twelve, it should be recommend it for ages 12 and up because of some mild violence.
Reviewed by Carolyn Devilbiss for Flamingnet Book Reviews
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