The Girl and the Moon (Book of the Ice #3) by Mark Lawrence #WyrdAndWonder : Book Review
5 May 2022
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: #WyrdAndWonder, Book of the Ice #3, Mark Lawrence, The Girl and the Moon
Wyrd & Wonder is a month long celebration of all things fantasy check out this post for everything you need to know.
My Five Word TL:DR Review : What the f**k just happened
To be honest I’m in two minds writing this review. One is that you simply have to read all of Lawrence’s books to understand the magnitude of what he achieves in this third instalment of the Book of the Ice series. There are a number of reveals and little surprises included here that were great to read with the benefit and hindsight of having read Lawrence’s other books. At the same time I do appreciate that the idea of backtracking through so many books can be off putting for some readers in which case I would say simply pick up the series that most appeals to you and enjoy it for what it is.
If I’m going to be perfectly blunt I’m both dazzled and dazed by this third instalment. It is without doubt mind blowing but at the same time it makes me feel like I might need a reread. It makes me think of the film Interstellar (hear me out). I love that film but I feel no shame whatsoever in admitting that I needed to watch it at least three times before I really felt I’d grasped everything – and when I say ‘everything’, let’s be honest, I probably still missed things. In a very long winded way what I’m really trying to say is that Lawrence’s creation rewards patience by delivering a stunning work that encompasses multiple genres and a long picture that is cunningly clever.
You may be pleased to know that I’m going to keep this review fairly short(ish) which is not a reflection on the book but an admittance that spoilers could easily and inadvertently be dropped at this stage in the story and I have no desire to deprive readers of surprises along the way.
The story kicks off virtually where book 2 left off and we find Yaz and her companions in danger of losing their heads! I won’t elaborate on that point but can say that the action and pace is intense from the get-go. Yaz and her friends are embroiled in a desperate race to save their world and staying alive would also be nice.
We return here to the Corridor and the Convent of Sweet Mercy where novices are trained in the deadly arts and this is where our companions go, for a while, in two separate directions. I loved this part of the story, the strange conundrum that happens to one party whilst the party that remain behind help us to revisit the Convent once again seeing it through their amazed ‘eyes’.
As with all the books I’ve read by this author his writing is just my catnip. I love the way he writes and I’m not simply referring to the story or the plot, or even the pacing, the actual style just works for me on a very fundamental level. It pulls me in easily and keeps me wanting to read more. Another confession at this point – I did read until the early hours of the morning on one occasion and was so tired that when I picked it up the next day I realised that I’d have to backtrack as my brain had rebelled and although I was, technically speaking, ‘reading’ I wasn’t actually absorbing. Again, the beauty of good writing that can entrance you so much that you’re hypnotised!
In a nutshell. This book has so many winning elements. A thrilling adventure. A twisted ending. Characters that you can love (and hate), a jaw dropping conclusion and also one that is packed with emotion and a series that manages to be fantasy and science fiction combined (which shouldn’t be a surprise when you have a former research scientist in control). What a ride this has been, I’m not sure whether to unbuckle or not. I feel like this ended on a note of completion but then again when you have multiple possibilities and time travel who knows.
In terms of criticisms. A slight feeling of build up before the grande finale when it felt like things were being put into place and the pacing slowed a little but it was nice to have a breather.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 5 of 5 stars
Friday Face Off : Kings or other Emperors/rulers
10 September 2021
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books by Proxy, Friday Face off, King of Thorns, Mark Lawrence
Here we are again with the Friday Face Off meme created by Books by Proxy . This is a great opportunity to feature some of your favourite book covers. The rules are fairly simple each week, following a predetermined theme (list below) choose a book (this doesn’t have to be a book that you’ve read), compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. Future’s themes are listed below – if you have a cover in mind that you’re really wanting to share then feel free to leave a comment about a future suggested theme. I’ve also listed events that take place during the year, that I’m aware of, so you can link up your covers – if you’re aware of any events that you think I should include then give me a shout.
This week’s theme:
I’m Henry the Eighth I am – let’s look at Kings or other Emperors/rulers
So this week I’ve gone for a book from a series that I know I’ve highlighted before – so, why this book, well I don’t think I’ve used just this one book alone because at the time it didn’t have quite as many cover options. So King of Thorns (The Broken Empire #2) by Mark Lawrence. And here are some of the covers:
My favourite
Well, there may be more choice now but I still like the original design. Do you have a favourite?
I’ve updated the list now to include themes for next year. If you know of an event that’s coming up let me know and I’ll try and include covers that work for the event itself so that you can link up to the Friday Face Off and, as always, if you wish to submit an idea then leave me a comment – or if you’d like to host a week then simply let me know. Also, I would just mention that it’s very possible that some of these might be repeats from previous FFOs although I have tried to invent more ‘open ended’ prompt that can be interpreted differently and also prompts that relate to emotions. Finally, don’t struggle with any of these, this is meant to be a fun way of highlighting books. If you can’t come up with a book you think fits for a particular week use a freebie – perhaps a recent read for example:
Next Week : Books with ‘Murder’ in the title
2021
September (RIP event)
17th – Books with ‘Murder’ in the title
24th – A favourite thriller
October
1st – A Halloween read
8th – Chills – anything at all that almost makes you too scared to pick up the book (your own pet hate)
15th – Your favourite book of magic
22nd – Books with ‘Queen’ in the title
29th – Must be gothic
November – Sci Fi Month
5th – Your earliest sci-fi read or the first sci-fi you reviewed
12th – A book with ‘star’ in the title
19th – Futuristic vista
26th – A Black Hole – in the universe or going deep into the ground
December
3rd – Windswept, the classic figure, stood majestically, with wind blowing out in a fetching way
10th – A fairytale retold
17th – Winter Solstice approaching – anything cold and seasonal
24th – All things fire – red hair, red covers, fire breathing dragons, simply fire?
31st – What’s your catnip – if it’s on a cover you have to pick it up
The Girl and the Mountain (Book of the Ice #2) by Mark Lawrence
3 May 2021
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book of the Ice #2, Mark Lawrence, The Girl and the Mountain
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Let the long game commence
Two things I have consistently mentioned in my reviews for books by Mark Lawrence. Firstly, his style of writing is a joy to read and, secondly, he is masterful when it comes to the long game.
That being said, The Girl and the Stars, although I enjoyed it, was not my favourite of his work, although the prose was delicious and we were introduced to a bunch of new characters struggling to survive. When I say it wasn’t my favourite, of course, I should point out it was still a 4 star read for me so don’t be distracted by my pointing that out. Unfortunately Mr Lawrence has found himself up on a high pedestal, it’s a precarious place and all I can say is that with great success comes great expectations.
Now, before I start this review I would mention that this being a second book in series this review will undoubtedly contain unintentional spoilers. I would also suggest that if you’re intending to read this you should start with the first book in series as opposed to crashing in, in fact I think it might even be helpful to read Lawrence’s Book of the Ancestor series (okay, it’s not essential that you do so but I certainly got a kick out of the conclusion to this one that was definitely served better by being familiar with that series).
Very helpfully the author provides a refresher before the book begins which I really appreciated. The Girl and the Mountain then picks up almost immediately where The Girl and the Stars left off. Yaz has escaped the Pit of the Missing but is nonetheless in dire straits in fact you could reasonably suggest that a fitting catchphrase for this book (nay the series) might be ‘out of the frying pan into the fire’. The friends that accompanied her have a much more perilous journey but eventually all the characters find themselves trapped inside the home of the priests, the Black Rock – which undoubtedly, and rightly, has an ominous ring. Now this portion of the book contains plenty to grip readers. None of which I’m going to describe. I would advise you to harden your heart because along with some shocking revelations for the characters there is also a little heartbreak along the way. So, we discover that much of the way of life on the ice is founded on deception and lies, we already discovered some of that in book 1 but the start of TGatM reinforces it further and also reveals a much bigger conspiracy.
Yaz and a number of companions then undertake a perilous journey in search of the ‘fabled’ green land they’ve heard about. This section of the story really concentrates on the characters. Well, don’t get me wrong, there is hardship, danger and action but for me this really cements some of the friendships and helps to show the characters in a different light. Yaz is perhaps most in her comfort zone (if you can describe such conditions as comfortable) and even she loses her way a little as their journey progresses. This journey is hard to say the least.
The story then takes a most extraordinary leap of imagination which even now is making my head spin. To be honest I really don’t want to give anything away but it’s at times like this that I have an overwhelming desire to work my way back through some of the author’s other series. Basically there’s a fusion of sci fi and fantasy here that starts to make me look at other things with curious eyes. Anyway, I can’t speculate about it because I’m going round in circles arguing with myself about what it all means and trying to figure it out. Watch this space – but don’t hold your breath.
And, undeniably I loved the way that this one concluded. Yes, it is a cliffhanger but it’s the sort of ending that makes me really anxious to pick up the next book.
What worked really well for me was travelling further afield, uncovering deceptions, greater character development and the promise of future reveals.
In terms of criticisms. I thought that there was a slight slowing down as Yaz and her friends traversed the ice, but it was only a very slight blip before the author threw in the next crisis. To be fair I enjoyed this section of the story for the character development that it allowed.
Overall I enjoyed this one. It’s a book that really takes things forward in a very interesting way and I look forward to seeing where the author takes us next.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4.5 stars
Friday Face Off : Your Current Read
23 April 2021
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book of the Ice #2, Books by Proxy, Friday Face off, Mark Lawrence, The Girl and the Mountain
Here we are again with the Friday Face Off meme created by Books by Proxy . This is a great opportunity to feature some of your favourite book covers. The rules are fairly simple each week, following a predetermined theme (list below) choose a book (this doesn’t have to be a book that you’ve read), compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. Future’s themes are listed below – if you have a cover in mind that you’re really wanting to share then feel free to leave a comment about a future suggested theme. I’ve also listed events that take place during the year, that I’m aware of, so you can link up your covers – if you’re aware of any events that you think I should include then give me a shout. This week’s theme:
Your current read (if it has covers to compare) or any recent read
Hopefully this week’s theme should be fairly easy (although sometimes with newer books there aren’t always lots of cover to compare). This week, and the book I’m currently reading, has two covers so this will be a face off. The book in question is The Girl and the Mountain (Book of the Ice #2) by Mark Lawrence, and here are the two covers:
vs
I find it really difficult to choose between these two tbh. I like both of them for entirely different reasons. I love the first one with the dark background and the font colour that really pops. Then the character wrapped up in all those furs against the cold. The second one is almost completely different in terms of overall feel with a much lighter tone and the character walking towards the rather foreboding mountain (whereas in the first cover she’s walking away from it – I had to take a second or third glance because the mountain in the first isn’t immediately obvious). I have veered between the two covers, and so perhaps my final choice is based more on familiarity but my favourite this week is:
Do you have a favourite?
I’ve updated the list now to include themes for next year. If you know of an event that’s coming up let me know and I’ll try and include covers that work for the event itself so that you can link up to the Friday Face Off and, as always, if you wish to submit an idea then leave me a comment – or if you’d like to host a week then simply let me know. Also, I would just mention that it’s very possible that some of these might be repeats from previous FFOs although I have tried to invent more ‘open ended’ prompt that can be interpreted differently and also prompts that relate to emotions. Finally, don’t struggle with any of these, this is meant to be a fun way of highlighting books. If you can’t come up with a book you think fits for a particular week use a freebie – perhaps a recent read for example:
Next week – A series that you love – highlight all the books in the series
2021
April
30th– A series that you love – highlight all the books in the series
May
Month of Wyrd and Wonder
7th – A Series where the cover changed midway through – which style do you prefer most
14th – The earliest fantasy you recall reading – or the first fantasy book you really loved, maybe the book that kickstarted your love of fantasy
21st – The Top Hat
28th – The Hood
June
4th – The nose boop – any animal, or human, with a close up shot.
11th – A cover that annoyed you and why
18th – Out of Perspective, or make you feel a bit dizzy
25th – Upside down, back to front or topsy turvy
July
2nd – A book with a landscape you’d like to visit
9th – A Wicked Grin
16th – Books with ‘book’ in the title
23rd – A Black Hole – could be in the universe or going deep into the ground
30th – Chaos – maybe too much going on in this one
August
6th – “They cluck their thick tongues, and shake their heads and suggest, os so very delicately!” – The Motel
13th – A favourite holiday read
20th – Dressed to kill (could be literally someone dressed to kill, or someone dressed up for a big night out
27th – Sunbathing or on the beach
September (RIP event)
3rd – 1920s feel, noir detective
10th – I’m Henry the Eighth I am – let’s look at Kings or other Emperors/rulers
17th – Books with ‘Murder’ in the title
24th – A favourite thriller
October
1st – A Halloween read
8th – Chills – anything at all that almost makes you too scared to pick up the book (your own pet hate)
15th – Your favourite book of magic
22nd – Books with ‘Queen’ in the title
29th – Must be gothic
November – Sci Fi Month
5th – Your earliest sci-fi read or the first sci-fi you reviewed
12th – A book with ‘star’ in the title
19th – Futuristic vista
26th – A Black Hole – in the universe or going deep into the ground
December
3rd – Windswept, the classic figure, stood majestically, with wind blowing out in a fetching way
10th – A fairytale retold
17th – Winter Solstice approaching – anything cold and seasonal
24th – All things fire – red hair, red covers, fire breathing dragons, simply fire?
31st – What’s your catnip – if it’s on a cover you have to pick it up
Wondrous Words and Can’t Wait Wednesday : The Girl and the Mountain by Mark Lawrence
3 February 2021
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Bethany Clift, Book of the Ice #2, Can't wait Wednesday, Last One at the Party, Mark Lawrence, The Girl and the Mountain, Wondrous Word
Every Wednesday I take part in Waiting on Wednesday, I’m also hoping to take part in a new meme being hosted by Elza Reads called Wondrous Words Wednesday. I’ll be combining these into the same posts as they’re both short and sweet.
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is : The Girl and the Mountain (Book of the Ice #2) by Mark Lawrence. I’ve been waiting for a description for this one so that I could showcase it. Here goes:
On the planet Abeth there is only the ice. And the Black Rock.
For generations the priests of the Black Rock have reached out from their mountain to steer the fate of the ice tribes. With their Hidden God, their magic and their iron, the priests’ rule has never been questioned. But when ice triber Yaz challenged their authority, she was torn away from the only life she had ever known, and forced to find a new path for herself.
Yaz has lost her friends and found her enemies. She has a mountain to climb, and even if she can break the Hidden God’s power, her dream of a green world lies impossibly far to the south, across a vast emptiness of ice. Before the journey can even start, she has to find out what happened to the ones she loves and save those that can be saved.
Abeth holds its secrets close, but the stars shine brighter for Yaz and she means to unlock the truth.
Expected Publication : April 2021
You can also check out the first chapter here.
Check out both covers here: do you have a favourite?
***
This meme was first created by Kathy over at Bermuda Onion Blog and has now been adopted by Elza Reads.
Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme where you can share new words that you’ve encountered, or spotlight words you love.
No rules just enjoy and for further info check out Elza Reads.
My word this week is:
Schadenfreude
Now, as this is my first week, I helpfully made a note of a couple of words that I fancied using and then very unhelpfully didn’t write down which book I read them from. Yeah…. So, I’ve wracked my tiny little pea sized brain and I’m fairly certain I know where I picked this week’s nugget from. So, definition:
Here’s an interesting article about the secret joys of the word.
And here’s the book where I’m 99.8% certain I read this last week, for which my review is due on Thursday:
Last One at the Party by Bethany Clift. Description here.
That’s it for this week. If you’re taking part in both of these or either please don’t forget to link up.
Books and travelling with Lynn 