A continuation of the Moonfall series that picks up right after the first book ends and continues to follow Nyx and her crew as they attempt to stop the catastrophe of the moon falling into earth. This sequel has a lot going on, it expands on the prophecy of the first book, while delving more into the politics of the world and introducing many new characters who are all tied together in some way. As with many world-building fantasy books, it is long and there's are a lot of people to keep track of, but Rollins does a good job at keeping the pace moving. Overall, another good entry into Rollins' foray into fantasy fiction and fans of the first book should be interested in the twists and turns of this one.

The end of the world is coming, and our heroes continue their struggle to prevent it against the sinister foes set against them and the very forces of nature itself in this exciting sequel to The Starless Crown.

The Cradle of Ice introduces great new characters like Aalia and Rami and fascinating explorations of the wider world that James Rollins has created, with enough intrigue and action to keep the story moving quickly without getting bogged down in the details. Going to new places and encountering new cultures added a lot to my enjoyment of the book, and while this is definitely a book which benefits from a reread of the previous entry in the series I was fully along for the ride about a third of the way through even with only hazy memories of what happened in the last book.

Fans of the series will be well served with this book, and if this entry is any indication readers are in for a wild ride.

If you enjoyed The Starless Crown, you will love Cradle of Ice! The combination of incredible worldbuilding and thrilling action is gripping and will keep you reading long into the night. Speaking of long, parts of this book do feel overly long and slow, but I think that is to be expected with an epic like this. Those slower moments do give you time to really get to know the characters which is good since there are so many of them and even more get introduced in this story. Overall, I would recommend this book and series!

This is the second book in the Moonfall series. The moon is falling to earth and a mixed bunch of characters is trying to prevent it. The group includes a bronze woman, a young girl and her childhood friend, a thief, a disgraced knight, a giant bat, and a fierce wolf like creature. There is a lot going on and I enjoyed it. I did go back and reread the first book in the series, Starless Crown, before beginning this one. I do think you need to read them in order. James Rollins has done a great job of world building.
Thanks to NetGalley for an eGalley of this book.

Awesome sequel! I really like this not much talk about series by James Rollins and would recommend it to every fantasy readers out there!

Fast paced and plot driven this book does not stop. The beginning of the book will blow you out of the water. I will be very interested in seeing what comes next.

I throughly enjoyed this second book of the Moonfall series. As we left our heroes at the end of the Starless Crown, the group was splitting up. Our spare, his majesty, prince Kanthe, heads off to the southern Klashe to marry princess Aalia, the illuminated rose of the Imri-Ka. He is joined by the alchemist Frell and Chaaen Pratik on their journey to find another bronze artifact hidden deep in the Klashean empire. The other half of our group, Nyx, Graylin and Jace have joined the pirate Darant on his ship the Sparrowhawk, leading the bronze artifact, Shiya and Rhaif across the ice shelf to the great unknown. As we follow their stories, we meet countless new allies and enemies across undiscovered and far flung lands. Naturally, plans go awry and entire nations are affected by these two groups as they fight to prevent Moonfall. The world building and fantasy elements are quite intriguing and book three promises to introduce more new lands to round out this world on the brink of war.
I want to thank NetGalley and James Rollins for the arc of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

This book takes place right after the events of the first book, (I definitely think this series should be read in order)
and it was action-packed from the very beginning. Our group which spent the whole first book coming together has split up again to hopefully cover more ground in the mission to stop Moonfall. One is going into the frozen wastes with no idea of what will await them there... and boy are they surprised by what they find and the events that eventually lead them to their goal, and the other head to the Southern Klashe, where Kanthe and the others are hoping to find another ancient Sleeper like Shiya who can hopefully shed some answers about how to stop what's coming... or at least what they should do next.

This is a great sequel, we get a bit more background on a few of our favorite characters, and meet some new ones. There is action, adventure, political intrigue, betrayal, epic battles that take place both on the ground and in the air, and a whole new world to discover in the Frozen Wastes... Also, who would have thought that one of my favorite characters was going to be Bashalia... a Giant Bat!

While the entire book, is pretty action-packed and full of edge-of-your-seat tension about who will survive, the ending was totally ramped up and had me unable to set the book down until I reached the end. I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens in the next book!

This story picks up right where the other book left off and I'm so glad I read them back to back. I like the fast pace and the deep dive into the characters. The world is rich and I feel emersed in it whenever I open the pages. Must read for fantasy fans.

The story continues with an apocalypse destined to occur. An unlikely group has been thrown together and they don’t know what awaits them in this constantly changing world. There are new forces as well as old foes causing trouble from all sides. What losses will they need to overcome? Will they be able to continue their quest once they are forced to separate?

The Cradle of Ice is the second book in the Moonfall series. This fantasy adventure was long and rambling and I found myself wondering why I was still in the pages. I didn’t see an easy dividing section, but this book would have been better if it was split into two. Goodreads doesn’t have a third book listed (yet), but the ending leaves readers knowing that there is more to come. I don’t recommend everyone rush to this book; probably wait and see what the next volume holds.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Tor Publishing Group for an advance copy of the second book in the Moonfall fantasy series.

The second book in a fantasy series is when things start rolling. The action gears up, characters start taking on defined roles, the plot starts to become clearer, the stakes apparent. Also second books give authors a chance to make slight changes, altering a character, adding or subtracting traits, maybe making the bad guy more grayer, or even darker. Authors get that same feeling for characters that readers get, the more time they spend together the more they understand them, and want more for and from them. This also makes second books hard to write, aimless wanderings or characters who haven't progressed just makes for aimless readings about ciphers walking around. James Rollins is much to skilled to have this problem. The Cradle of Ice, book two in the Moonfall series, continues the story of Nyx and her companions, and the problems of the planet Urth and the forthcoming apocalypse.

The novel begins a little bit after the first one ended, with an introduction to what happened before. Our brave companions have decided to split their party and travel to almost opposite ends of the Urth from each other. Nyx and her group will cross the Ice Shield and into the frozen wastes, a place that few have ventured to but none have shared what they found. Prince Kanthe, known for his love of spirits in bottle form, will venture with a group to the Kingdom of Klasha, and enter a battle not only of arms and armor, but of wits and words engaging in politics and diplomacy in efforts to find out more of who and what their enemies are planning. However both groups are being watched from enemies known and unknown, all with different reasons for stopping them, and their own feelings about the coming catastrophe.

A strong follow-up to the first book, with Rollins in solid control of his large cast, his increasing large world and the kingdoms and places that live on it. And of course the apocalypse that Nyx can see happening. The world building continues with again more kingdoms, more people, and more ideas. The science and the ideas of magic are handled well, and fit together with the plot quite well. Rolllins is also good at action, which helps as there is quite a bit of it. Rollins is also good at descriptive writing, making places and people seem more lifelike, and giving readers a better sense of perspective. The narrative seems tighter, in the first book there was a lot of extra story, the writing seems more focused, as things really don't have to be introduced.

Recommended again for big fantasy fans, ones who enjoy big stories, lots of characters and lots of pages and plot. Also I think I suggested this before role playing fans will enjoy this for ideas on how to build campaigns and handle large casts with player characters and non-player characters. I am excited for the next book in the series, and eagerly look forward to it.

Nyx and her ragtag bunch of companions have split into two groups at the start of The Cradle of Ice, which starts shortly after The Starless Crown. Nyx, Graylin, Shiya, and Rhaif, accompanied by Darant and his crew, journey to the mysterious Frozen Wastes in the hopes of finding another bronze sleeper like Shiya. Kanthe, Frell, and Pratik have traveled to the kingdom of Klashe to learn more about the ancient prophecies foretelling the planet's doom in the royal library, and Kanthe has become affianced in an attempt to get closer to the library. As both parties pursue their respective MacGuffins, they are hunted in turn.

Once again, this harkens back to fantasy of previous decades with few exceptions (for example, same-sex relationships are not unusual in the Klashean kingdom, though it's just mentioned a couple of times when a character hits on Kanthe). If you enjoyed the first novel, you'll likely enjoy this one too. Similarly, if you didn't care for the first novel, I suggest passing on this because it's more of the same but with higher stakes and more characters (the best of whom, in my opinion, are Kanthe's betrothed Aalia and her brother Rami, neither of whom get nearly enough screentime). Aalia, in particular, is a good example of where the book falls short for me. She's an interesting character with a backstory, but those details are delivered through hurried exposition, diminishing the impact and failing to flesh her out as a well-rounded character.

Wow!!! Mesmerizing, fantastical, exciting,and absolutely wonderful is the 2nd book in the Moonfall series!!!!!!
Nyx and her group leave for the next part of their quest, across the Ice Shield and into the frozen wastes. No one knows what lies ahead for only a few have ever ventured beyond the Shield and none had returned. They must persevere and push on in their quest to stop the Moonfall from destroying the Urth. They are bound for the next site of a sleeper- a bronze person like Shiya and whatever challenges it holds.
Also Prince Kanthe and his group embark on their quest through betrayals , battles, friendships, marriage proposals, bombs, and many trials to complete their search for the other sleeper and what adventures that holds.
The reader is taken on an interchanging roller coaster of a ride with no guarantees that any of their quest will be successful enough to slow the inevitable. The book is of course a cliffhanger and I will anxiously await the third book in the trilogy. The characters in the book are well developed and you become attached to them and the outcome of their story. The book is Fantasy/science fiction and will be enjoyed by readers of both!!! This is an excellent read!!!!!

I was very excited to pick up where The Starless Crown left off.

The Cradle of Ice is book two in The Moonfall Series by James Rollins

This is a well written and engaging read (as was book one in this series).
I've been eagerly awaiting for this adventurous ride!
The book has surpassed my expectations in a level I cannot began to express myself.
I was hooked on every single page and chapter of the book, something I really appreciate in a book. What I loved most about the book was the storytelling and gripping storyline.
The world building dynamic and intriguing. Great suspense and action.
And the characters are beyond memorable and wonderful to read.
I really couldn’t stop reading until it was done and I’m looking forward
In short - an enjoyable read.
TCoI is a wonderful read and excellent second book in a series I know will be epic.

Another great part to The Moonfall Series!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Tor Books,
Thank You for your generosity and approving this eARC!

I honestly did not really enjoy this sequel. I enjoyed the first one but I really didn't like where this story was headed with this one. And a lot of the narrative itself didn't hold much truth to what I thought would happen based on actions in the first book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Cradle of Ice picks up where The Starless Crown left off, following the two separate crews as they race to two different parts of the world in hopes that their salvation may be found there. Nyx’s crew journeys into the (mostly) unknown, far out over the uninhabitable ice only to find wonders they never even contemplated. Kanthe’s crew finds themselves embroiled in the all too familiar world of politics and secretive scholars in the empire. Both stories weave their way towards each other and towards the common goal of finding a way to save Urth despite the obstacles and surprises thrown their way. Rollins again weaves a captivating story that pulls in myth, magic, and science. This story builds upon the success of The Starless Crown hitting all of the same successful notes. Well written characters, interesting plot lines, magi, mystery, and intrigue galore. It is well worth the time of any epic fantasy fan, though I would most definitely suggest reading the first in the series to get a firm grasp on the world and characters Rollins has created.