Icefall

This epic read is an exceptional tale of prejudice, fear and hope. It is well written and tells of the journey of Reynal, his new found female friends and his adopted brothers, Navid and Darj. There journey is filled with suspense,death and distrust. The tale is woven expertly and the story enthralled me so deeply, that I didn’t want to put the book down until I reached the end, and still yet, I kept looking for more. I am curious to know what happened, and how and if Rey accomplished his task, of moving the moon in the upcoming episodes.

4.5 stars!

Icefall was packed with science fiction and adventure and I have to admit, this book may be by far the best science-fiction I have ever read. It had awesome characters (I loved Reynal and Odessa) and I loved the story and the writing. The world is so intriguing and intricately created and its so EXCITING! I am so looking forward for the next book.

We are in a post apocalyptic universe mixed with dystopia. Centuries ago the Earth suffered a collision between blocks of water and it atmosphere, the major consequence is the return of the ice age. In parallel to this event, 4 people, who learnt about this event well before it happened, have built a haven of peace for a tiny part of the population. Centuries later, this part of the population lives in ease while others undergo the difficult conditions of the weather and must in addition give away some of their wealth. The mixture is rather successful, we do not know right away the whole truth about this universe and I liked to dive into it and discover it gradually.

For the characters, I found them rather endearing and pleasant to read. Odessa and Reynal are independent and they quickly realize that some impostant stuffs are happening around them. But what I especially loved was the lack of romance. So yes, I know, some adore it in novel, but personally I see it way too often and I liked that it is not forced on our characters even if the situation can evolve, I like that it is not present in this first book.

As for the plot, it's rather exciting but irregular, sometimes the rythm was slow which is related to the format of narration, designed in episode . Another point that adds to this sensation lies in the fact that our main characters meet only at the half of this book. So yes, there is action, but on the global plot things are slowly advancing to my eyes. I find however that this first book is solid in terms of construction and now that the plot is well launched want to read to read book 2.

The feel of this book is one part science fiction, one part historical narrative. The style reminds me of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series in the way the authors scientifically establish the historical context of the unfolding story. The authors use the same precision and detail as that used early on in the first of the Foundation series. Similarly, the characters ask you to engage and follow them, even though you may not empathise with them.  
This beginning, hopping between characters, meant that it took a little longer than usual to build the scene in my mind, but it was worth persevering. A thoroughly good read.