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A review by wolfiedude14
The Anvil of Ice by Michael Scott Rohan
adventurous
relaxing
medium-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? N/A
3.0
Generally a fun fantasy novel with corny dialogue and some pacing issues.
I have to say I'm partial to the mapped fantasy genre. If there's a map and travel in there I'm almost always completely sold. It was on this alone, and the art on the front cover that had me immediately.
It's a pretty simple call to action type of story as defined over the years in the genre. A boy, Alv, has his town (which he feels no connection to) by a force of sort of viking-like looters and is taken as an apprentice by the enigmatic Mastersmith. Following the realisation of innate skill (which he had so humbly overlooked being a poor marginalised farmer in his town) he ends up running from the Mastersmith with a buddy after some unfortunate events.
The majority of this is forging, smithing, and walking and I have to say it works surprisingly well. I've never been so interested in a guy making a sword outside of the YouTube videos you might watch at 3am, but this pulls it off. The winter-encroaching setting works quite well, and there are similarities enough to "A Song of Ice and Fire" here to say it even prefigures it. (Though opposing elements like Ice and Fire isn't particularly extraordinary.)
There were issues in dialogue that felt a little stunted such as forced old-timey turns of phrase that don't flow all that great, as well as a kind of stuttering narrative that can't fully decide whether it wants to be a mythology recounting of old tales, or a standard focalised perspective on Alv (Elof.) There were also some pacing issues. The introduction attack was so quick where we could have learned a great deal about Alv, why he hated his town, perhaps why he felt so dejected and so forth.
In all though, a good deal of fun!
I have to say I'm partial to the mapped fantasy genre. If there's a map and travel in there I'm almost always completely sold. It was on this alone, and the art on the front cover that had me immediately.
It's a pretty simple call to action type of story as defined over the years in the genre. A boy, Alv, has his town (which he feels no connection to) by a force of sort of viking-like looters and is taken as an apprentice by the enigmatic Mastersmith. Following the realisation of innate skill (which he had so humbly overlooked being a poor marginalised farmer in his town) he ends up running from the Mastersmith with a buddy after some unfortunate events.
The majority of this is forging, smithing, and walking and I have to say it works surprisingly well. I've never been so interested in a guy making a sword outside of the YouTube videos you might watch at 3am, but this pulls it off. The winter-encroaching setting works quite well, and there are similarities enough to "A Song of Ice and Fire" here to say it even prefigures it. (Though opposing elements like Ice and Fire isn't particularly extraordinary.)
There were issues in dialogue that felt a little stunted such as forced old-timey turns of phrase that don't flow all that great, as well as a kind of stuttering narrative that can't fully decide whether it wants to be a mythology recounting of old tales, or a standard focalised perspective on Alv (Elof.) There were also some pacing issues. The introduction attack was so quick where we could have learned a great deal about Alv, why he hated his town, perhaps why he felt so dejected and so forth.
In all though, a good deal of fun!