The King of Ice Cream [Hardcover]

Robert Wayne McCoy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2004

From Robert Wayne McCoy comes a debut novel of astonishing power and depth that hints of a world both beyond our own and closer to us than can possibly be imagined, and the secret of a growing darkness comes to light. Buried beneath the Kentucky college town of Mill Run is a presence of ill mention in the Book of Genesis and Apocalyptic text. There was recorded a second fall of angels and these beings stood like gods among men. In total opposition to their creator's will they lusted after flesh and mated with human beings. It was because of this disobedience that God flooded the world, seeking to wipe the face of the planet clean. For humanity, however, this was just the beginning . . . Rogue forces seek to unleash a leader of the second angelic fall. Starting in the town of Mill Run the remaining angels seek to enact a plan of such magnitude, of such power, as to reshape creation. A few people aware of this event will stand against these angels, whatever the personal costs. They will experience the power and awe of the reawakening of a being older than the stars. And they will battle for the fate of humanity - with the entire world hanging in the balance.

Robert Wayne McCoy ilives in Westtown, New York. This is his first published novel. (20021201)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in the small university town of Mill Run, Ky., McCoy's run-of-the-mill horror debut opens on a quiet note. In the fall of 1992, students are arriving at the University of Mill Run, which ranks "with Harvard, Duke, and Dartmouth for Business and Law studies." The Roman Catholic university is home to the Lady of Our Sorrows Cathedral, "the third oldest church on the East Coast, with towering stained glass windows, split level seating, and even catacombs, which had been made into office space." Truman Goodspeed's ice cream emporium epitomizes Mill Run's genial atmosphere, which is soon ruined by strange trucks roaring though town and a series of over-the-top calamities including murder, crucifixion, book burning and kidnapping. Wild-eyed prophets claim insight into some mysterious or forgotten God-given force, which may exist underground. Hopefully, McCoy will bring more coherence and discipline, as well as a better grasp of geography and punctuation, to the "many novels to be penned" promised in his author bio.
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Review

"From a darkly humorous tale of the power of words (Death and the Librarian) to a never-before-published response to events of September 11 (Ilion), Friesner's 12 stories illustrate the author's acutely sensitive vision of wonder in the everyday world... Known primarily for his 'Star Wars' novels... Zahn's short stories also deliver strong plots and memorable characters... Zebrowski's many novels (e.g. Macrolife) mark him as a visionary as well as a master of hard sf. The ten short stories collected in In the Distance provide a benchmark of his creativity... the author expands his concept of the human condition to embrace the stars. Part of Five Star's continuing commitment to showcasing the short fiction of the genre's most prominent author's, these three volumes belong in most libraries where short sf is popular."
-- Library Journal (December 2002) (Library Journal 20020615)

"...Part of Five Star's continuing commitment to showcasing the short fiction of the genre's most prominent authors, these three volumes (Death and the Librarian and Other Stories/ Star Song and Other Stories/ In the Distance, and Ahead in Time) belong in most libraries where short sf is popular."
-- Library Journal (December 2002) (Library Journal 20041101)

"Four more titles in Five Star's new series (God Is an Iron and Other Stories/ Generation Gap and Other Stories/ The Lady Vanishes and Other Oddities of Nature/ Suppose They Gave a Peace and Other Stories) of short fiction by noteworthy sf authors offer a variety of tales that illustrate the depth and staying power of the genre...Most of the stories in these volumes have only appeared in periodicals. Libraries wishing to augment their sf or short fiction collections should consider any of them."
-- Library Journal (June 2002) (Library Journal )

"McCoy does an excellent job of building the atmosphere and suspense, ...A debut novel that suggests a successful future for the author and more good reading for the rest of us."
-- Science Fiction Chronicle (November 2004) (Science Fiction Chronicle )

Product Details

• Hardcover: 411 pages
• Publisher: Five Star; 1 edition (September 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594141487
• ISBN-13: 978-1594141485
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,025,981 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:

5.0 out of 5 stars strong apocalyptical thriller, September 25, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The King of Ice Cream (Hardcover)

When Luke Yeager returns to college in Mill Run, Kentucky, he notices changes have come to the town with two new malls, one of which houses Ice Cream Dreams. Luke senses something evil about the store and the men who run it and does his best to avoid it. People who eat the strawberry ice cream change, subtly at first, until they turn totally to embrace the dark. Luke knows these things because he is a Paladin, an order sworn to fight the demons and fallen angels that prey upon mankind.

Mill Run is the place where the second fall of angels plans to make their stand, seducing most of the town into obeying them. This is a special place where the oldest cathedral in America was built; a site where the leader of the fallen angels rests and waits for his minions to do the necessary work that will awaken him so they can proceed with their plan; if successful they hope to reunite with God in heaven.

From the very beginning readers know that there is something wrong with the town. Places on campus are closed to man and nobody is seen entering or leaving those closed rooms. An orange fog permeates the town but the majority of the townsfolk pay no attention to it. The smell of strawberry permeates the area, a sign of evil that is on its way. Robert Wayne McCoy has written an apocalyptical thriller that is spellbinding, enthralling and memorable, a work that uses archetypes from the Judeo-Christian system, but could just as easily used them from any religion where the forces of good and evil fight the eternal battle.

Harriet Klausner

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book gives a lot of thought into religion and ice cream, November 17, 2004

By 

Raven Man (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The King of Ice Cream (Hardcover)

What if God had a private police force out in the world that battled Demons and rouge Angles? What if one's destiny could be made and determined not only by the past but through visions of the future? What if the treat you are eating could be shaping you into a weapon of demonic or biblical proportions?

All of these questions, and more, are answered in this great first time novel by author Robert Wayne McCoy.

Luke Yeager is part of an age-old police force known as Paladins. They are the police for the church and for God; their duty is to stop any demon or rouge Angle that is causing destruction on Earth. Mill Run, KY is a small college town that just had a new ice cream parlor open. However this parlor is not what it seems and the town populace is getting addicted to a flavor that is loved by all, strawberry.

Unknown to the town, there is a fallen Angel running the ice cream parlor and he is trying to get back into God's favor by doing something that not even God himself would have ever thought possible...give Hell back to Heaven. The Paladins are trying to save the world and stop these unspeakable acts of destruction from happening. Luke wants to be a normal teen-ager but has a secret past that could haunt his future if he is not careful. A past that saw death without an answer and a future that could be dictated by an Angle or an act of Faith.

Any way you look at this, one's faith will be tested to the full ability of Man as a battle is about to be fought. A battle that could reshape the way we see the world or view God. A battle that would take one small town and turn it into a battle ground of biblical proportions. A battle that will see the rise of one man's faith and the fall of another. Luke thought his college classes were tough, wait till he has to battle an Angle.

McCoy's writing is very unique and distinctive but also smacks of recognition of authors such as Gaiman and Zelazny. His chapters within a chapter style of writing are a very interesting way of telling a story. Very reminiscent of another old book that many have held and read in their lives.

As Jay Sherman once said, "buy this book".

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars awesome, September 15, 2005

By 

Andrew Yake (USAF) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The King of Ice Cream (Hardcover)

I loved this book. His use of imagery was spectacular. He looks at the world of the supernatural in a very tangible way. If you like supernatural thrillers then you will love this one. His writing style seems to be a cross between Frank E. Peretty and Rodger Zelazny. I look forward to being able to read the next novel Mr. McCoy comes out with.