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readtheblurb's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of Cold from the North in exchange for an honest review. I’m always a bit nervous about this, so I choose my review copies very carefully. Luckily, this was a fantastic debut, that lurked in some safe fantasy-trope waters, but delivered in some surprising and intriguing ways.
Cold from the North begins in Broadheim, a Nordic inspired land, that is suffering from a much colder winter than usual. We’re quickly introduced to Ogulf a young viking and his friend Melcun who posses some interesting abilities that are rather frowned upon. A rather mysterious and dangerous enemy is lurking on the horizon, flattening everything in it’s path. This causes the main characters to quickly be thrown into the deep end, deciding it’s best to run and regroup rather than fight an unknown enemy. Now, some of this might sounds familiar, which it is, but the plot was driven forward at a perfect pace and I felt myself easily drawn into the world and its characters. The Nordic/Viking theme was also never lost in the book and at times I felt that cold that the characters felt.
Rowen, the father of Ogulf and leader of his town, steps up to lead his people to safety, but how safe is safe, when you’re running from such a terrifying foe? Taking refuge in a neighbouring country the main cast begin preparing and training for an inevitable war. All of this occurs very early in the book, so that the plot felt highly action packed and really drew me in. Despite a small lull in the middle of the book, the plot quickly picks up again and throws the characters into a multitude of dangerous situations and some fantastic battle scenes.
The two main characters were extremely likeable, yet showed that edge one has when one grows up in such a dangerous and cold world. At times I felt their friendship and really rooted for them to survive. Although there didn’t feel like there was a huge amount of character building, the characters drove the plot forward and faced each situation no matter the danger, giving them a hero like feel, which I loved. I also got the feeling, by the end, that there might be some potentially huge character reveals in book two. Some of the supporting cast were also excellent, and although they didn’t have the hugest part, I am looking forward to what they have to offer.
The writing made this one of those novels that flows extremely well, carrying the story and making character interaction feel real. I could easily put this novel down and pick it straight back to once again be immersed into the story. There was a perfect amount of description aiding the world-building, but not to much to bog me down and slow my reading.
I would highly recommend this for any fans of viking-esque fantasy, especially if you have previously read books by John Gwynne. With it ending on such a satisfying note, I really look forward to getting into the sequel.
Cold from the North begins in Broadheim, a Nordic inspired land, that is suffering from a much colder winter than usual. We’re quickly introduced to Ogulf a young viking and his friend Melcun who posses some interesting abilities that are rather frowned upon. A rather mysterious and dangerous enemy is lurking on the horizon, flattening everything in it’s path. This causes the main characters to quickly be thrown into the deep end, deciding it’s best to run and regroup rather than fight an unknown enemy. Now, some of this might sounds familiar, which it is, but the plot was driven forward at a perfect pace and I felt myself easily drawn into the world and its characters. The Nordic/Viking theme was also never lost in the book and at times I felt that cold that the characters felt.
Rowen, the father of Ogulf and leader of his town, steps up to lead his people to safety, but how safe is safe, when you’re running from such a terrifying foe? Taking refuge in a neighbouring country the main cast begin preparing and training for an inevitable war. All of this occurs very early in the book, so that the plot felt highly action packed and really drew me in. Despite a small lull in the middle of the book, the plot quickly picks up again and throws the characters into a multitude of dangerous situations and some fantastic battle scenes.
The two main characters were extremely likeable, yet showed that edge one has when one grows up in such a dangerous and cold world. At times I felt their friendship and really rooted for them to survive. Although there didn’t feel like there was a huge amount of character building, the characters drove the plot forward and faced each situation no matter the danger, giving them a hero like feel, which I loved. I also got the feeling, by the end, that there might be some potentially huge character reveals in book two. Some of the supporting cast were also excellent, and although they didn’t have the hugest part, I am looking forward to what they have to offer.
The writing made this one of those novels that flows extremely well, carrying the story and making character interaction feel real. I could easily put this novel down and pick it straight back to once again be immersed into the story. There was a perfect amount of description aiding the world-building, but not to much to bog me down and slow my reading.
I would highly recommend this for any fans of viking-esque fantasy, especially if you have previously read books by John Gwynne. With it ending on such a satisfying note, I really look forward to getting into the sequel.
thewulverslibrary's review against another edition
3.0
Cold from the North by D.W. Ross is a promising fantasy debut that looks to be shaping up for a great series. This is an epic adventure filled with travels, magic and intrigue that unravels throughout the course of the book. I was fully invested in this book and will jump into book 2 as soon as i can.
Cold from the North is about an ancient prophecy that brings the darkness of an old god to prominence. Invaders have engulfed the homeland, killing the opposition and Ogulf Harlsbane has been tasked in finding the one who can stop the slaughter.
Whilst the premise is a concoction of new and familiar tropes, this book excels in being its own world. The world-building that Ross has introduced has started strong. Whilst this may not be a unique concept, Ross kept me interested and intrigued enough to race through the book taking in all its wonders.
Ogulf is our "main" point of view character but we are treated to a few different engaging perspectives along the way and Ross used this to show the vastness of the story and the world that he has created.
The pace of the book may have one small critique; when it's fast, it's really fast but when it's slow it can take a while to pick back up. Rest assured this didn't take away from the enjoyment of the book as we learned more of the history of the world, the magic used and the prophecy.
Overall, this was a solid debut and i will read Book 2 - The Darkest Dusk as soon as i can. This has the foundations of a great fantasy concept and an incredible adventure that i'm already invested in.
Cold from the North is about an ancient prophecy that brings the darkness of an old god to prominence. Invaders have engulfed the homeland, killing the opposition and Ogulf Harlsbane has been tasked in finding the one who can stop the slaughter.
Whilst the premise is a concoction of new and familiar tropes, this book excels in being its own world. The world-building that Ross has introduced has started strong. Whilst this may not be a unique concept, Ross kept me interested and intrigued enough to race through the book taking in all its wonders.
Ogulf is our "main" point of view character but we are treated to a few different engaging perspectives along the way and Ross used this to show the vastness of the story and the world that he has created.
The pace of the book may have one small critique; when it's fast, it's really fast but when it's slow it can take a while to pick back up. Rest assured this didn't take away from the enjoyment of the book as we learned more of the history of the world, the magic used and the prophecy.
Overall, this was a solid debut and i will read Book 2 - The Darkest Dusk as soon as i can. This has the foundations of a great fantasy concept and an incredible adventure that i'm already invested in.
jemimaduck's review against another edition
5.0
Having never read a fantasy novel in my life i wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did.
Fantastic plot, great characters, basically everything you want in a book.
Would highly recommend and I’m absolutely buzzin for the next one!
Fantastic plot, great characters, basically everything you want in a book.
Would highly recommend and I’m absolutely buzzin for the next one!
the_coycaterpillar_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Cold From The North encapsulated my attention from the get-go until the very last page. Norse mythology is contained in a ball of frenetic energy waiting to be released at the perfect juncture. D.W. Ross knows how to pull in his reader with his dark narrative, shivers ran down my spine at the spiraling cascade of events. This is Ross’s debut novel and it shook me at how imaginatively beautiful the prose was, the world-building was expansive and straightforward and the characterisation is crafted with precision and care. This is a story that captures the need to be taken far away, it was fantastic and I can’t wait to read book 2.
The opening chapter of Cold From the North gives the reader insight into the world. You are under no illusion of just how cold the area of Keltbran is. It’s the kind of cold that settles into your bones, you can feel the ice travelling through your veins. I love Norse Mythology but I adore any story that is written in the far reaches of the world. Ogulf Harlsbane is the son of the Chief and he is your typical warrior from Norse Mythology. Ross truly displays what is good and right with human nature and can restore my faith in humanity time and time again (even though my heart ached throughout also.)
Ogulf, his father, and the other captains face invasion and they have to make it over the Widows Trail to make it to relative safety. The journey is not without its hardships and death. Imagine climbing Mount Everest and trying to make it over cavernous gorges with inexperienced people…there is going to be death and destruction. An incident happens and Ogulf is now in possession of a golden axe, an axe that he needs to take to a woman to put a stop to a prophecy becoming realised. Melcun, Ogalf’s friend ends up releasing magic that he has been able to keep hidden until now except to Ogalf, ends up having dire consequences.
The lore aspect of Cold From the North completes the magnificence of this story. An undercurrent of unease and worry and Ross was more than happy to keep you guessing. I didn’t want this story to end but at the same time, I couldn’t stop myself from reading more. This is a book that requires no energy at all to be carried away with the storyline. The characterisation is solid from the very start. You’ll keep reading because there is no way you can take your eyes off the vivid picture the author paints with his own life’s blood. A road travelled that left me on the edge but also pushed me to look over the edge.
Cold From the North will undoubtedly insert D.W. Ross into the fantasy landscape with ease. A fantasy book that has reminded me why I love the genre so much. Ross weaves an atmospheric tale of survival and intrigue.
The opening chapter of Cold From the North gives the reader insight into the world. You are under no illusion of just how cold the area of Keltbran is. It’s the kind of cold that settles into your bones, you can feel the ice travelling through your veins. I love Norse Mythology but I adore any story that is written in the far reaches of the world. Ogulf Harlsbane is the son of the Chief and he is your typical warrior from Norse Mythology. Ross truly displays what is good and right with human nature and can restore my faith in humanity time and time again (even though my heart ached throughout also.)
Ogulf, his father, and the other captains face invasion and they have to make it over the Widows Trail to make it to relative safety. The journey is not without its hardships and death. Imagine climbing Mount Everest and trying to make it over cavernous gorges with inexperienced people…there is going to be death and destruction. An incident happens and Ogulf is now in possession of a golden axe, an axe that he needs to take to a woman to put a stop to a prophecy becoming realised. Melcun, Ogalf’s friend ends up releasing magic that he has been able to keep hidden until now except to Ogalf, ends up having dire consequences.
The lore aspect of Cold From the North completes the magnificence of this story. An undercurrent of unease and worry and Ross was more than happy to keep you guessing. I didn’t want this story to end but at the same time, I couldn’t stop myself from reading more. This is a book that requires no energy at all to be carried away with the storyline. The characterisation is solid from the very start. You’ll keep reading because there is no way you can take your eyes off the vivid picture the author paints with his own life’s blood. A road travelled that left me on the edge but also pushed me to look over the edge.
Cold From the North will undoubtedly insert D.W. Ross into the fantasy landscape with ease. A fantasy book that has reminded me why I love the genre so much. Ross weaves an atmospheric tale of survival and intrigue.
tezzarudge's review against another edition
5.0
This is a phenomenal debut book. Writing reviews is not my craft, and I almost certainly can not do this book justice with my words. What I can say is I read A LOT. And this is in the top 3 debut books I have ever read. I challenge myself this year to read as many debut and self published books as I can. I will be surprised if I come across a better one than this. I dont even want to describe the book, because I feel people need to read and experience it first hand. What I can say, is the author writes in a style that feels like it has been developed and cultured over many years. The book feels like it has come from an author with 10s of well established novels. The story itself was so captivating, imaginative, and articulated brilliantly. I honestly can not wait for book two.
wokeupolder's review against another edition
5.0
We really are blessed with the amount of amazing indie fantasy books out there, and Cold From The North is one of the best.
This book had everything I love about fantasy.
Awesome world-building: check
Cool magic system: check
Political manoeuvring: check
Prophecy/chosen one: check
Emotional character development: check
Badass fight scenes: check
D W Ross does a fantastic job of describing the land and climate to the extent that you almost start to shiver as you read. This Norse inspired story is full of rebellious, axe-weilding vikings who are fleeing their home after the invasion of an evil force who look to fulfill an ancient prophecy. If you are a fan of The Wheel of Time, or The Last Kingdom, I think you'll thoroughly enjoy this story. Imagine if Rand and Mat were Vikings.
One aspect that I really liked is how the magic system is portrayed. Melcun's struggle with controlling and accepting his powers is one you seldom see in fantasy. We are used to the "Mary Sue" magic users who develop powers and instantly become the best. But Keltbran is not a place that takes kindly to magic users so he must suppress his abilities and so, struggle to control them.
I'm a sucker for prophecies in fantasy. When they're done well, I think they are the best tropes out there. And the Onyxborn seems to be one of the better ones. I'm so eager to find out more about the prophecy soon.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I'd highly recommend it to all fantasy readers, especially if you enjoy a classic fantasy story, with a modern narrative.
This book had everything I love about fantasy.
Awesome world-building: check
Cool magic system: check
Political manoeuvring: check
Prophecy/chosen one: check
Emotional character development: check
Badass fight scenes: check
D W Ross does a fantastic job of describing the land and climate to the extent that you almost start to shiver as you read. This Norse inspired story is full of rebellious, axe-weilding vikings who are fleeing their home after the invasion of an evil force who look to fulfill an ancient prophecy. If you are a fan of The Wheel of Time, or The Last Kingdom, I think you'll thoroughly enjoy this story. Imagine if Rand and Mat were Vikings.
One aspect that I really liked is how the magic system is portrayed. Melcun's struggle with controlling and accepting his powers is one you seldom see in fantasy. We are used to the "Mary Sue" magic users who develop powers and instantly become the best. But Keltbran is not a place that takes kindly to magic users so he must suppress his abilities and so, struggle to control them.
I'm a sucker for prophecies in fantasy. When they're done well, I think they are the best tropes out there. And the Onyxborn seems to be one of the better ones. I'm so eager to find out more about the prophecy soon.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I'd highly recommend it to all fantasy readers, especially if you enjoy a classic fantasy story, with a modern narrative.
plot_head's review against another edition
4.0
Cold From the North is D.W. Ross’ debut novel, though it doesn’t read like one. In fact, I am very surprised to learn that he never even considered becoming an author until last year! Though there are a few rough edges here and there, this book does not read like an author’s first outing, much less their first attempt at writing a book.
“Death comes for you with the might of fifty thousand swords and more. The power will leave no one but the wicked alive. The world will fall to eternal darkness if it is not stopped.”
Cold From the North begins in the Norse-inspired country of Broadheim, where a deadly cold has been settled over the land for several years. Crops are failing and people are either starving or freezing and usually both. Although the events of the story take the characters away from their frozen homeland very shortly into the book, there are far reaching ripples caused by the events just prior to the start of the story. Broadheim hasn’t been sending or receiving messages from the other countries of Gelenea, the world our story takes place in. The cold is almost personified into an enemy itself, with the relief that warmth brings the characters almost palpable. Ross does a great job setting up a believable and varied setting for the story to take place in, from Broadheim to Shingally and beyond. While it isn’t fully fleshed out, the magic system is pretty interesting as well. Basically, mages can draw power from Peaks of Influence, mountains that contain stores of magic and that are scattered around the world, and use it for good or ill. It’s an interesting handicap to place on mages and one which directly affects the plot itself.
The real enemy is The Order of Maledict, an ancient order charged with fulfilling the prophecy that will bring about the second coming of their master. To achieve their goal they must locate the eponymous Onyxborn, a powerful mage that can harness vast amounts of power. The beginning of the plot shows our main character’s fleeing from the Order as they wash over Broadheim, slaughtering all in their path. As the Keltbran race for succor in Shingally, the wheels start to turn and soon the ancient prophecies are revealed. With his main inspirations being Sullivan and Islington, it’s no surprise that there are a lot of classic fantasy tropes at play here and Ross uses them well.
“Even when a day is promised, it does not fully prepare a man for the true feelings that destiny being fulfilled can bring.”
While the book is primarily plot-driven, the character’s also receive just treatment. Our two main characters are Ogulf and Melcun, two lifelong friends from Broadheim trying to find their own path through the situation they have found themselves in. Their friendship was one of my favorite things in the book and the dual-sided nature of the characters, with one being the son of a chieftain as well as a master tactician and warrior, and the other being an orphan who can wield magic, shows a lot of promise. I also really liked a few of the secondary and even tertiary characters, such as Cohl the butcher and Trayvan, and I hope to see more of them in the sequels. Unfortunately, Ross struggles to stick the landing when it comes to the character development, as Ogulf and Melcun, the two characters you follow throughout the whole story, except for a few secondary POVs here and there, end up being kind of static. There just isn’t much in the way of character arcs for either of them.
I think that my biggest complaint about Cold From the North is that the pacing slows to a crawl in some areas. The periods between the action and plot development often felt like bridges between events, rather than feeling like meaningful additions to the story and it only served to slow things down. Some scenes felt disjointed and I questioned the necessity of them. The book felt like a series of peaks and valleys and left me wishing it could have been somewhat evened out. Toward the end of the book though, this problem was less noticeable, with everything leading up to a climax for the ages that tied up several of the book’s plot lines, while opening up a few more for exploration in the sequels.
Death was chasing them now; the cold had been mobilised into an army of blades and malevolence that had stolen his lands and slaughtered his people.
Overall, I really liked Cold From the North and I am fiercely excited for it’s sequel, The Darkest Dusk. The worldbuilding was great, with the lands of Gelenea varied and vast in their creation and histories. Even though it employs some classic fantasy tropes, like prophecies, the chosen one, and a magic weapon, Ross uses them to great effect. If there were only a smidge more character development and the pacing was a little steadier, this would be nearly perfect in its execution. In the end, I only have a few complaints in a sea of praise for this book and, considering that it is Ross’ debut, I think he’s definitely an author to keep an eye on.
“Death comes for you with the might of fifty thousand swords and more. The power will leave no one but the wicked alive. The world will fall to eternal darkness if it is not stopped.”
Cold From the North begins in the Norse-inspired country of Broadheim, where a deadly cold has been settled over the land for several years. Crops are failing and people are either starving or freezing and usually both. Although the events of the story take the characters away from their frozen homeland very shortly into the book, there are far reaching ripples caused by the events just prior to the start of the story. Broadheim hasn’t been sending or receiving messages from the other countries of Gelenea, the world our story takes place in. The cold is almost personified into an enemy itself, with the relief that warmth brings the characters almost palpable. Ross does a great job setting up a believable and varied setting for the story to take place in, from Broadheim to Shingally and beyond. While it isn’t fully fleshed out, the magic system is pretty interesting as well. Basically, mages can draw power from Peaks of Influence, mountains that contain stores of magic and that are scattered around the world, and use it for good or ill. It’s an interesting handicap to place on mages and one which directly affects the plot itself.
The real enemy is The Order of Maledict, an ancient order charged with fulfilling the prophecy that will bring about the second coming of their master. To achieve their goal they must locate the eponymous Onyxborn, a powerful mage that can harness vast amounts of power. The beginning of the plot shows our main character’s fleeing from the Order as they wash over Broadheim, slaughtering all in their path. As the Keltbran race for succor in Shingally, the wheels start to turn and soon the ancient prophecies are revealed. With his main inspirations being Sullivan and Islington, it’s no surprise that there are a lot of classic fantasy tropes at play here and Ross uses them well.
“Even when a day is promised, it does not fully prepare a man for the true feelings that destiny being fulfilled can bring.”
While the book is primarily plot-driven, the character’s also receive just treatment. Our two main characters are Ogulf and Melcun, two lifelong friends from Broadheim trying to find their own path through the situation they have found themselves in. Their friendship was one of my favorite things in the book and the dual-sided nature of the characters, with one being the son of a chieftain as well as a master tactician and warrior, and the other being an orphan who can wield magic, shows a lot of promise. I also really liked a few of the secondary and even tertiary characters, such as Cohl the butcher and Trayvan, and I hope to see more of them in the sequels. Unfortunately, Ross struggles to stick the landing when it comes to the character development, as Ogulf and Melcun, the two characters you follow throughout the whole story, except for a few secondary POVs here and there, end up being kind of static. There just isn’t much in the way of character arcs for either of them.
I think that my biggest complaint about Cold From the North is that the pacing slows to a crawl in some areas. The periods between the action and plot development often felt like bridges between events, rather than feeling like meaningful additions to the story and it only served to slow things down. Some scenes felt disjointed and I questioned the necessity of them. The book felt like a series of peaks and valleys and left me wishing it could have been somewhat evened out. Toward the end of the book though, this problem was less noticeable, with everything leading up to a climax for the ages that tied up several of the book’s plot lines, while opening up a few more for exploration in the sequels.
Death was chasing them now; the cold had been mobilised into an army of blades and malevolence that had stolen his lands and slaughtered his people.
Overall, I really liked Cold From the North and I am fiercely excited for it’s sequel, The Darkest Dusk. The worldbuilding was great, with the lands of Gelenea varied and vast in their creation and histories. Even though it employs some classic fantasy tropes, like prophecies, the chosen one, and a magic weapon, Ross uses them to great effect. If there were only a smidge more character development and the pacing was a little steadier, this would be nearly perfect in its execution. In the end, I only have a few complaints in a sea of praise for this book and, considering that it is Ross’ debut, I think he’s definitely an author to keep an eye on.