John’s Blog

Blood! Blast! And fire! The fearsome war cry of the Icemark gives the book some of it’s fiery atmosphere, despite the fact that the story takes place in a land locked in winter. Mr. Stuart Hill tries to tell us that no matter the odds, one can still be victorious in whatever they do, if they have the perseverance and talent to do it. He proves this brilliantly by telling us the story of Princess Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield (A.K.A: Thirrin). Princess Thirrin becomes a Queen much earlier than she would have liked. Her father, King Redrought, dies protecting his kingdom from the great, ruthless and undefeated Polypontian Empire. At fourteen years old, Queen Thirrin has an unsteady grip on the throne of her kingdom that slowly helps her to become a truly great monarch. She becomes allies with the most unimaginable creatures she has ever known. Vampires and werewolves are two examples. She also befriends tree nymphs, giant, talking Snow Leopards, and other undead creatures. Gathering them alone took the greatest of efforts, and about ninety nine point nine percent of Earth’s current adolescent population couldn’t have done it without becoming mentally scarred from the stress. They also probably couldn’t fight in a war, or kill a single person without throwing up. But it is possible. That point one percent that could do it probably has a willpower to match Thirrin’s.

If I were to suggest this to a friend, I would tell them that it was mostly a story about war and the events that happen in between each battle. Someone that enjoys action and knows what the heat of battle feels like could probably connect to this book, and therefore enjoy it immensely, as I have, even though I haven’t been in fights since I was about six.

After finishing this book, I felt truly satisfied, as almost no other books really have. The ending answered the question: “so what?” and made me feel relieved, as Thirrin’s kingdom prevails over the Empire, and knowing that she and the Icemark could live in peace made me feel, as I have said, thoroughly satisfied.

This story has many different moods in it. Sometimes Mr. Hill makes you feel as if you want to rip apart the Polypontian Empire, sometimes you want to cry over a deceased character, and sometimes you can feel your heart racing with eager anticipation. The part that really makes my anger burn is when Thirrin leads her final charge against the enemy. Amazingly, even though it was only in text, Thirrin’s words gave me strength. When Oskan, Thirrin’s best friend (who happens to be a warlock, or male witch), calls down thunder, it hits him and kills him. I almost felt like crying when I read this! The most exciting part of this story is Yuletide, which is like Christmas in the Icemark. I could practically feel the festivity and excitement going around the kingdom.

~ by JKim on . Tagged: gr7, la7, la7a_h, vlumsden