About the Book:
After a thousand-year slumber, she is ready to cover Elessia in icy death.
The Daughter, ancient elemental goddess and custodian of the dead, rises after a thousand years of slumber, her power unmatched and her wrath unbridled.
Eregar, a decorated knight in his twilight years, longs for one final adventure—one last chance to test himself against sword and sorcery. He jumps at the offer of leading a band of young mercenaries into the heart of the distant Frozen Plains to assess the threat.
But when fierce warriors wielding dark magics and commanding a host of the undead march upon the last bastion of civilization, the old knight will find that more than his mettle is to be tested…
The Daughter of The Ice is the first chapter in a new sword & sorcery series set in the world of Elessia, filled with charismatic characters and intense action. Readers and reviewers alike have said it evokes the best parts of The Witcher, The Dragonbone Chair, and Wheel of Time.
Book Title: The Daughter of the Ice
Author(s): Luís Falcão de Magalhães
Series (if applicable): Age of Rekindling (Book 1)
Review:
This is another book that I picked up for review on StoryOrigin. As you may be able to guess from the synopsis, this an epic fantasy / sword & sorcery extravaganza. Basically, it was right up my street!
“As The Ice hardens the sea to shape the great glaciers and the jagged shores, so does it harden my blood, so does it harden my flesh, so does it make me strong and unbreakable.”
“The Daughter of the Ice”
The world building is fantastic, and I love the recurring theme of the ice and winter making the people in this world tough. I found the characters to be relatable, and each of our main gang ends up in a very different place to where they started. The character development is realistic, and I found I understood each character’s motivations and reasoning. With that said, my favourite characters were probably Erika and Meerak, and I hope they both feature heavily in the rest of the series.
“It’s my own damn fault, she thought. In the end, we are all responsible for our destiny.”
“THE DAUGHTER OF THE ICE”
However, a couple of the character names were really similar, and I found myself getting confused with Hrodar and Haaradon. They’re father and son, so I think having them start with the letter was intentional, but it did make my brain melt a little bit.
The only other negative I could find was that found some of the battle/combat descriptions were a little too lengthy. Others may feel differently, but for me, this took away some of the urgency of those scenes.
The author does a great job at telling the story, but I also loved the way he told it. I’ve made multiple highlights in my ebook, and I’ve scattered some fantastic quotes throughout this review. Sometimes we’re treated to full throttle action, while others we’re treated to poetic prose.
“Remember that you are the master of what surrounds you, not the other way around. Think before you act, but don’t let thought paralyse you.”
“The Daughter of the Ice”
I’m a big fan of monsters and creatures, so I was over the moon to meet some in this tale. At one point, our new friends encounter an insect of mammoth proportions, and it led to one of my favourite scenes in the book. Gotta love monstrous critter!
Overall, “The Daughter of the Ice” pays homage to many of the classic sword & sorcery stories, while also carving out its own path. The setting feels original and the characters have real depth.
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About the Author:
“My name is Luis, and I’m the black sheep of the family.
Born the scion of a household of magistrates and physicians, I was groomed from a young age to meet those expectations. I threw the chain of office away and became a bard instead.
I’ve since traveled the breadth of my homeland, picking up tales here and there. I’ve dined with aldermen and drank firewater with vagabonds; I’ve sung moonlit serenades to hussies and taken the daughters of wealthy merchants to grand balls. I’ve joined secret orders, learning their lore and passphrases; I’ve locked arms with tree-huggers and danced with them under the full moon.
But two things sing to my soul like nothing else. One, the roll of the dice, be it on the wood of the tabletop or within the shards of magical glass that are everywhere in our society. Two, the tales of daring, of heroism and valor, of wickedness and deceit, to be found among the dusty tomes of the world’s libraries.
To contribute to those, I have made my life’s work.
Stay a while, and listen…”
