Customer Reviews

A Sword from Red Ice: Book Three of Sword of Shadows

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Great world building with many interesting characters and social/political systems in play. Good sensory detail and dialogue. There are more interesting people and story lines running here than in most books. But this books shares the weakness of the later Robert Jordan books: very little happens. It should not take this long for Raif to find the sword, or for Raina to decide to act, or for the dog lord to travel to safety, or for Ash to......by the way, exactly what is she doing except travelling around wondering what it means to be a Reach.

Here is what I would say to people considering buying the book. If you like Jordan and George R. R. Martin, then you are in the right territory here. If that sense of things not really happening bothered you in Jordan's recent books, it will bother you here too. If you are just happy to be inside the world she creates and watch the characters interact and speak and hint at possible futures in which they really will do something except wander around trying to figure out what they should be doing then you will be happy.

Yes, I am hooked enough to buy the next one. I do want to see what Raina will do, where Effie ends up, how Raif will face his future, what Ash's role will be etc.... But I did have that feeling that the book went deadly slowly for 600 pages hinting at significances but never clarifying things, and then suddenly had something big happen to each character so that there seems a promise of action in the next volume.

Let's hope her editor pokes her along a little bit and she gets down to it. I beg the Stone Gods of Blackhail not to let this become a ten volume dragging series like Jordan's work.

Well, here it is. After about 2 years of waiting, the next book of the series is finally released. I have to say I am both overjoyed and depressed that this isn't the end of the series as I originally thought. It turns out this book is actually number 3 of 5. So, it looks like I'll be waiting about 4 years for the rest of this series.

I loved the first two installments of this series. The character development, the action, the history and those little bits of detail really drew me right into the story. While I would have no trouble giving the first two books 5 stars, I can't seem to do it with this book.

It was well written, just like the other two, but it lacked the depth I was hoping for. Of the seven or so storylines contained in this installment, there are really only 2 or three which are of any interest. For a 600 page book that comes to about 160 pages of good stuff.

Most of the storylines accomplish nothing. One character spends the entire book floating in a boat. That is it, no real development, no interesting twists, just floating on a boat for about 100 total pages. Another character spends their portion of the book wandering around a forest, while it picked up for the last 2 pages it was really just a very vivid description of what it was like to wander around in a snow covered forest for a long time.

Raif's story is really the only saving grace of this book since his story is the only one which goes somewhere. If the author just wrote Raif's side of the story, you would likely not miss a thing. While his trials, torments and victories are nothing in comparison the the previous installments, his journey still makes it worthwhile.

Since you shouldn't expect the next book for another 2 years, I wouldn't race to pick this up. If you are a major J.V. Jones fan (as I am) you likely own the thing already, in which case I hope you enjoy it. For everyone else out there, pick it up when it is convenient for you and enjoy.

J.V. Jones is a marvelous world builder, and fans of George R. R. Martin and Robert Jordan shouldn't hesitate to explore her world. All three writers share a common theme: human beings fight among themselves when they need to be preparing for an apocalyptic battle with powerful non-human foes. The three series also share another characteristic: they are unfinished. Jones' Sword of Honor was originally believed to be a trilogy, and now is said to be at least five books. A Sword from Red Ice is eerily like Martin's A Feast for Crows in that a remarkably talented author simply loses control of the ongoing momentum of the series. The previous entries by Jones and Martin threatened to spin out of control; A Sword from Red Ice and A Feast for Crows actually do. Whereas Martin and Jordan keep introducing new subplots and new characters instead of developing the marvelous characters and resolving the situations that drew us into their work, Jones gives us page after page of lovingly detailed geology, botany, and anthropology. Her world comes to life; her story, unfortunately, does not.

A further drawback is that the copious plot threads are all so similar. Raif wanders through the Want. Ash wanders toward the Sull homeland. Vaylo Bludd wanders somewhere away from his enemies. Effie and her captors travel along a river. (The Raina and Bram subplots are the only exception, and we don't really get the drift of the Bram subplot until near the end of the book). The marvelously drawn main characters don't interact with each other in this long novel, except for Vaylo Bludd's brief encounter with Bram. The Effie subplot is extended and unresolved in the manner of late Jordan, just as the kidnapping of Faile dragged on through three or four of Jordan's books.

Raina Blackhail's story could be a stand-alone novel; so could Bram's coming of age. The main plot (Raif, Ash, the Endlords) is somewhat familiar but well handled; the world of the clanholds (a splendid combination of Native American and Scottish elements) is completely original. The whole conception of the lamb brothers in the new book, for instance, is deeply moving. Jones' fascination with the life of the clanholds has in effect taken over from the story of Ash and her unfortunate powers. The novel has turned into a kind of encyclopedia.

The third installment of the series expands a little bit more into the world of the 'Sword of Shadows' but does not resolve anything.

I am guessing the Ms. Jones has been reading George R R Martin lately as the structure of the story has a lot of similarities to Martin's.

Overall, this could have been a great series but so far it is just good.

a) Plot and Story: The plot is just ok. I wish Ms. Jones delved a little bit more into the history of her world. The Evil Shadows are not really discussed and described in detail. In this third installment, we do not really learn anything new about them. They are very one dimensional and not at all interesting.

The subplots of this story sometimes are childish and are not followed through at all. It seems like Ms. Jones develops a story line, builds the character and then tires of the character and kills him/her for no apparent reason. Martin kills his characters of in style but Ms. Jone just gets tired of them and whack they go.

b) Characterization: Character development is not too bad however, I just cannot let go of the feeling that there is something missing here. I cannot put my finger on it but somehow, I do not feel anything about any of the characters. Again, I think Martin's influence is apparent here. However Martin knows exactly how to bring a chapter on one character to a conclusion and when to re-start writing about the character again while Ms. Jones forget about a character for over 100 or so pages and then re-introduces that character back into the plot. That really annoys me

c) I have a real problem with the endings on individual installation of this series. The story, for most part, is fast paced however, when we get to the ending, I really feel disappointed as it mostly fizzles down and is anti-climatic

I am not sure whether Ms. Jones does not know how to end each book or this is intentional. If intentional, then it really is annoying

Overall, in the absence of any other good fantasy series, I think I will still buy the next book but I wish Ms. Jones looks at some of the so so reviews here

Cheers

I have mixed feelings about this book.

There are a lot of positives here. "A Sword from Red Ice" is the third entry in J.V. Jones's Sword of Shadows series. The series is set in a harsh northern environment inhabited by warring barbarian clans. Both the setting and the plot, in which each character is subjected to his or her own form of betrayal and exile, are relentlessly bleak and clearly intended for mature audiences. Like Martin's Song of Ice and Fire, this is dark fantasy set in a vividly realized world. Where Martin's series develops a large cast of characters and pits them largely against each other, Sword of Shadows focuses on a smaller set of protagonists and their struggles against larger, darker forces as well as the environment itself. Both the characters and writing style compare favorably with Martin's, which in my view is high praise.

Unfortunately, there are a few negatives as well. A Sword from Red Ice reads like a very typical `bridge book' in a series, and spends much of its time dealing with the aftermath of previous events and setting the stage for action to come. The bleak situations and harsh trials to which Jones subjects her characters make this lack of advancement of the overall plot even more noticeable and somewhat frustrating. This is a compelling read, but even the resolution of the most important plot threads end up feeling like set up for Jones's next novel, which, given that the first book in the series was published in 1999 and the second in 2003, may be a long way off.

I would recommend the first book in this series, "A Cavern of Black Ice", enthusiastically to any fantasy fan, and the second, "A Fortress of Grey Ice" to those who particularly enjoy the first. I enjoyed A Sword From Red Ice, but until I read the next book and see some meaningful advancement of the overall plot, would recommend it only to fans of the series.

Having read "The Barbed Coil" and the first 2 books in the "Sword of Shadows" series, I can say that I was not badly disappointed.

The book starts of well, meanders towards the middle and then picks up some pace towards the end. This Series is still lacking focus and I would feel that this book could be condensed into 1/3rd of the written content and not lose any of the story at all.

The author's "The Barbed Coil" still rates as a first class fantasy in my opinion - crisp ,well written (with some minor flaws) and thoroughly enjoyable and this series is no where close to that.

All said, one can read this book and whileaway time.

The books are long and laborious. They are not a bad read, but too much of nothing happens in these books. The series started off great, but it has obviously been unnecessarily stretched out to fit into 5 books. I have definitely read worse books, so this gets 3 stars.

I picked up this series on a recommendation from a trusted friend. I really enjoyed the first book. The second book was ok, and the third book is alright. I haven't yet finished it. I thought this was a trilogy so hearing that there are two more books to come gives me a little more confidence to finish this 3rd book. I was worried about tying up everything in this book! Now, at least I don't have to worry about that.

I have to say that I never skip forward in books but I find myself incredibly bored with certain chapters...mainly marifice eye. So, I have been peeking forward looking to chapters following marifice eye and then going back to read them. I know, it's bad.

I guess I'm also disappointed in character development. I don't really think Raif is learning anything too interesting. Ash's journey is also kind of bland. I honestly don't care what happens to Drey. Effie I'm interested in, but not sure if her role in the story is really going to be anything too exciting.

Anyway, A good start to the series, but I think if I would have done some research i would have waited until the entire thing was out before starting. I will now finish the 3rd book, but I'm not sure I will be able to move the 4th and 5th book up to the top of my reading list when they are finally released.

"A Sword from Red Ice" continues the "Sword of Shadows" saga with the main characters adventuring throughout the well-crafted and fascinating world. The novel unfortunately concentrates on the journeys of the primary individuals and does not engage the reader with significant action or growth. Raif Sevrance leaves behind a group and merges with other groups a couple times; Ash March finds another traveling companion; Effie Sevrance floats on a river; Vaylo Bludd, now a sympathetic clan chief, struggles with losing his family while evading capture in enemy territory; Marafice Eye has taken to the battlefield facing the clans. Raina Blackhail sections contain a little political maneuvering yet one has to admire her courage and strength in the face of such odds.

Bram Cormac along with Marafice Eye and Crope are the most engaging plotlines in the novel mostly because they have actual activity. After leaving his brother, Bram has been directed to Clan Castlemilk to begin a new life that opens many opportunities for his future. Marafice's cunning calculation leading up to and following his combats maintains the strong anti-hero theme. The few chapters involving Crope's master Baralis allude he may be an awesome sleeper, potentially a powerful influence in the realm. Angus Lok, once a solid character, is minimally addressed.

The editing could have been better, I found a couple words repeated and an asterisk. Despite the nice series summary at the beginning, a comprehensive appendix would have been useful.

Thank you.

I've been impressed with the first two books of the series. I am not an avid J.V. Jones reader, but I liked her style and the tempo of the books. The third, which was originally planned to be the final but is now 3 of 5, continues along the same lines. Reif and Ash are doing their things, Clans and the Spire Vanis theirs. The plot kind of trudges along and the books seems a bit stretched out, honestly I wish she would have just finished the series with this one.