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A review by squids_can_read
The Cradle of Ice by James Rollins
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Nyx and her crew are now on their way to the City of Angels seeking the information that they need to get the world turning again. Kanthe is far trying to work his way to another sleeper, one that may have more information about the deadly Moonfall. Hopefully, this group of adventurers will be able to help to save the world even if that means destroying it first.
There were a lot of characters in this book. And when I say a lot, I mean at the very least about thirty important characters and countless others that were mentioned or killed off quickly. The characters who are our protagonists are well developed and their motives are apparent. Their actions align with the characterization throughout the novel. Each of these characters is distinct and interesting. However, the rest of the characters bleed into the background. This isn't a bad thing for the characters that are unimportant but for characters that are antagonists but important to the story it is a little disappointing. The characters simply feel flat and the reasons behind their actions are often told to us instead of shown through characterization. Overall, the characterization is okay but I wish there was a list of characters at the front to be able to better keep track of them.
The plot of this book was super interesting. Since we follow a great number of characters, there are a lot of plot points in the book. I liked how Rollins interweaved the different plot points and connected them in ways that I didn't expect.
The world-building is I think where this book falls apart a little bit. I think that the world is there definitely and completely thought out. However, I don't think that Rollins is able to put all of that onto the page or the book would be thousands of pages long instead of just over 650. There are some instances, though, where we get pages of exposition from a new character simply explaining things to the other. It feels like there could have been a better way to introduce this information. Additionally, I think that the main magic system in the series falls apart a little bit in this book. It felt very well defined in the first book but then the characters seemed to use it in different ways in this book. I didn't totally understand how these feats were completed and wished that there was more explanation especially since one of the characters is suddenly a master of the magic with very little practice.
Overall, this book was really enjoyable and I am excited to see where the story goes. I think that anyone who enjoys high fantasy or alternative Earth stories will enjoy this book.
There were a lot of characters in this book. And when I say a lot, I mean at the very least about thirty important characters and countless others that were mentioned or killed off quickly. The characters who are our protagonists are well developed and their motives are apparent. Their actions align with the characterization throughout the novel. Each of these characters is distinct and interesting. However, the rest of the characters bleed into the background. This isn't a bad thing for the characters that are unimportant but for characters that are antagonists but important to the story it is a little disappointing. The characters simply feel flat and the reasons behind their actions are often told to us instead of shown through characterization. Overall, the characterization is okay but I wish there was a list of characters at the front to be able to better keep track of them.
The plot of this book was super interesting. Since we follow a great number of characters, there are a lot of plot points in the book. I liked how Rollins interweaved the different plot points and connected them in ways that I didn't expect.
The world-building is I think where this book falls apart a little bit. I think that the world is there definitely and completely thought out. However, I don't think that Rollins is able to put all of that onto the page or the book would be thousands of pages long instead of just over 650. There are some instances, though, where we get pages of exposition from a new character simply explaining things to the other. It feels like there could have been a better way to introduce this information. Additionally, I think that the main magic system in the series falls apart a little bit in this book. It felt very well defined in the first book but then the characters seemed to use it in different ways in this book. I didn't totally understand how these feats were completed and wished that there was more explanation especially since one of the characters is suddenly a master of the magic with very little practice.
Overall, this book was really enjoyable and I am excited to see where the story goes. I think that anyone who enjoys high fantasy or alternative Earth stories will enjoy this book.