THE CRY OF THE ICEMARK
Stuart Hill
The Chicken House/Scholastic
Fantasy
ISBN: 0439686261
480 pages

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

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