Icefall

From Goodreads:

Trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen sea, Solveig, along with her brother the crown prince, their older sister, and an army of restless warriors, anxiously awaits news of her father's victory at battle. But as winter stretches on, and the unending ice refuses to break, terrible acts of treachery soon make it clear that a traitor lurks in their midst. A malevolent air begins to seep through the fortress walls, and a smothering claustrophobia slowly turns these prisoners of winter against one another.

 

Those charged with protecting the king's children are all suspect, and the siblings must choose their allies wisely. But who can be trusted so far from their father's watchful eye? Can Solveig and her siblings survive the long winter months and expose the traitor before he succeeds in destroying a kingdom?

My Rating: *****

What a fantastic book! Icefall was a bit of a surprise for me - not that I wasn't expecting to like it because I'd heard lots of good things about it, but I wasn't expecting to be so blown away. First off, I loved the Norse mythology. I'm a bit of a mythology nut in general, but I loved, loved, loved the way Norse stories and culture were used in Icefall. The book is magical and exciting. Solveig and her siblings are trapped by the ice and surrounded by people they're not sure they can trust. It's a very exciting premise and so well played-out. I was engrossed and flew through this book, trying to figure out what was going on and how they were going to survive, especially when the traitor began sabotaging supplies.

Solveig is awesome. She goes from feeling like she is the unimportant middle daughter of the king to a person who discovers her own worth and talents. She's incredibly brave at the end. And I especially loved how she was training to be a storyteller and the way each chapter began with a little bit of story told by Solveig.

This is a great book and perfect for winter. Sort of. I got colder every time I sat down to read it. :D Anyway, highly recommended for fans of mythology and well-told stories. Honestly, if I had to name the writer this book reminded me of, it would be Shannon Hale. Icefall had that same poetic tone and the descriptions were so lyrical and magical. Beautiful writing, fantastic, exciting story!