Land of Mist and Snow [Mass Market Paperback]

Debra Doyle (Author), James Macdonald (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 28, 2006

Called to duty at last, Lieutenant John Nevis faces his assignment with trepidation. Boarding the USS Nicodemus—a sloop of war built in a single night at the top of the world—Nevis wonders uneasily at its strange aura of power, its cannonballs of virgin brass . . . and its uncanny ability to glide swiftly through the waters without steam or sail. As great armies clash all around them, the mission of Lieutenant Nevis and the Nicodemus crew is shrouded in an impenetrable gray mist of magic and malevolence. For a fearsome adversary awaits on roiling waves—an awesomely powerful vessel fueled by cruelty and terror; a demon raider driven by an insatiable lust . . . for blood.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Debra Doyle has a doctorate in English literature. Together, she and James Macdonald have written numerous sf/f books. They live in Colebrook, New Hampshire.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harper Voyager (November 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060819197
• ISBN-13: 978-0060819194
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,027,462 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent but could have been so much more, February 7, 2007

By 

Mark Butler (Antioch, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Land of Mist and Snow (Mass Market Paperback)

This book has an intriguing premise, a world slightly different than our own (perhaps) where magic and demons exist. Set during the revolutionary war, this time instead of the Monitor and Merrimac fighting it out, the two behemoths are magic-powered warships.

Told as a series of diary entries, we follow Union Lieutenant John Nevis as he is assigned to active duty on board the Nicodemus. He soon learns it is not a "normal" ship as there cannot be any metal except copper onboard and the copper must be "virgin." Miss Columbia Abrams' diary follows her introduction into the mystical arts and gives us a glimmer of what is to come. They find themselves on board the Nicodemus as it sets off under the command of the mysterious Captain Sharps. The action heats up as the Nicodemus learns information about her Rebel counterpart, the evil Alecto with its blood-sacrifices, and begins the chase. Meanwhile, freedom-loving Columbia learns of the true nature of Nicodemus and grows unhappy that the spirit propelling Nicodemus is "enslaved" onboard.

I found the premise intriguing and enjoyable. The mystical bits were not difficult to read and made sense, although I found myself frustrated at places (why the northern latitudes for example). The novel reads quickly and has some really well-done scenes. When it works, it works very well. Unfortunately I found that as the book progressed I found the diary-entry style of the book did not work well for me and that a lot of the potential tension was wasted with the "well, its over with, now let me write down what happened" style, particularly the ending battle. I do not want to give any details away, but I will say that I expected a much "bigger" finale and ultimate resolution to the problem of the Alecto and what was driving it. Many other issues were not fleshed out enough, making the book weaker than it could have been. items such as Captain Sharps motivations and feelings at what he was forced (or would that be 'allowed'?) to do, the whole spy/resupply subplot that went nowhere, etc.

In summary, this is an enjoyable book. It reads quickly and is fun to speculate on what such a world would be like, where the freedom-loving gung-ho union spirit meets the mystical arts. Just don't expect great literature or deep characters.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Magical Warships at Sea, December 1, 2011

By 

Arthur W. Jordin (Smyrna, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Land of Mist and Snow (Mass Market Paperback)

Land of Mist and Snow (2006) is a Fantasy Alternate History novel of the Civil War. It is set within a society where magic is commonplace, but few people can perform high rituals.

In this novel, William R. Sharps is a Philosophiae Doctor of mystical letters. He has found the missing pages of the Grey Book.

Cornelius Vanderbilt is a transportation tycoon. He has financed the researches of Doctor Sharps.

William Walker is a filibuster. He has taken Nicaragua and become President of the country.

John Nevis is a Lieutenant in the US Navy. He was assigned to the War Department after his ship was burned when the Rebels took Norfolk.

Columbia Abrams is the daughter of a high official within the War Department. She is a graduate of the Hadley Female Academy.

In this story, in April, 1861, Sharps reports to Vanderbilt on his efforts to discover the missing pages of the Grey Book and his expedition to the arctic circle. After great effort, he has captured a spirit of the air.

In the summer of 1862, Columbia is invited to a dinner at their rented house in Georgetown with her father, Vanderbilt and Sharps. She has been restless and Sharps wanted to meet her. After the dinner, she is invited to study mystic arts under him.

In June, 1862, the CNS Alecto is completed by William Walker and sets sail from Lake Nicaragua. It travels down the river to the open sea.

In January, 1863, Nevis receives orders assigning him to the USS Nicodemus as head of the gunnery department. He is also ordered to escort a dozen guns to the ship. He passes his current tasks on to another and prepares to leave.

He first travels to the Arsenal at Albany. He inspects the brass ten-inch Rodman guns and the brass ammunition. Then he accompanies the guns down the river to the Manhattan Navy Yard.

There the guns and ammunition are loaded on the brig USS Triumph. Next morning, the brig sails with the tide. Nevis is on his way to the Thule Experimental Shipyard.

In March, 1863, the Nicodemus is freed from a pool amidst the ice and travels along the coastline toward the harbor. Nevis takes the train and the Nicodemus paces the speeding locomotive. Nevis has orders to greet Columbia at the docks and guard her virtue.

Columbia had packed for a cold clime before sailing from New York. She was ushered onboard the Triumph and taken to the Thule Shipyard. There she is met by Nevis.

Nevis accompanies Columbia on a boat to the Nicodemus. She takes an ember with her and lights the fires on the ship after coming aboard. Then she retires to her cabin.

The Nicodemus sails away from the harbor for sea trials, but events leave no time for testing. They go looking for Rebel blockage runners. Soon they fight their first battle.

Meanwhile, a French captain reports observation of a mysterious ship at sea. The ship was traveling without sails or the sound of engines. The Alecto crossed their bow at high speed and was followed by a dozen or more sharks.

This tale follows two ships powered by mystic beings. The Nicodemus was built by the US Navy, but the Alecto is a Confederate ship. The two ships are destined for battle on the high seas.

Both ships are sensitive to iron. With a single exception, everything aboard each ship has to be nonferric. The Nicodemus doesn't even have a compass.

This story doesn't explain the existence of magic that underlies the plot. The next novel in this universe is Lincoln's Sword.

Recommended for Doyle & MacDonald fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of elemental magic, sea battles, and a bit of romance. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy Fun with Accurate Technical and Historical Detail, December 25, 2007

By 

Bob "seabgb" (Midcoast Maine) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Land of Mist and Snow (Mass Market Paperback)

This an alternate history fantasy about two civil war era ships doing battle on the high seas. The twist here is that the souls of these ships are captured elemental spirits. It's an interesting premise, one that many professional, as well as recreational mariners, will appreciate; all vessels are viewed by their crews as near-living things, if not actually living things, and all crews consort with seaborne superstitions and myth.

The story begins as Lieutenant Nevis receives word he's getting the detachment of his dreams, the opportunity to leave his desk job at the War Department on Whitehall Street in New York to finally join the fight in the sailing Navy. His first assignment: to inspect and take possession of a dozen ten inch Rodman guns at the Naval Arsenal in Watervliet.

Your first inkling of the story's supernatural slant comes at the end of the first chapter, when Nevis learns the guns and cannon balls are made of pure virgin brass, and that they are destined for an experimental ship of war being constructed on the ice at Thule. For me, that was the hook. The vessel was being built on the ice and not a railway at a shipyard because, for reasons that become clear later on, the ship could not come in contact with land.

Doyle and Macdonald have constructed a logical and very entertaining supernatural story pitting good against evil, weaving in various aspects of reality and staying faithful to the prose and authenticity of the era. I was particularly impressed with their nautical detail and accuracy.

The story is told in log book or diary form, with first person entries from the various characters. If the overall effort has any fault, it lies here, as the entries don't really allow for much individuation of character. This can be a huge stumbling block for avid readers of contemporary fiction, i.e. people who prefer third person narratives and/or a more dialog driven format.

Perhaps the above is a kind way of saying the story lacked strong characterization. And maybe it does. Either way, I wasn't deterred from having a good time. Kudos to the authors for keeping me entertained throughout. And with a story that takes place almost entirely at sea. Trust me, one misstep in the nautical accuracy department and I would have tossed the book in the garage. (I would have said "overboard" but International Discharge of Waste and Dunnage laws prohibit that sort of irresponsible activity.)