Trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen sea, Solveig, along with her brother the crown prince, their older sist...
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Jul 24, 2011
Claire
rated it: 
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Set in the frozen north, the King’s children along with a very small band of servants have escaped a war with Gunnlaug that started with a spurned marriage proposal. They are hidden away in a fjord waiting (hopefully) out of harm’s way.
Kirby makes a large bow to the oral tradition of story telling as he relates The king's children's desperate fight for survival against cold, hunger and treachery. Asa is the oldest daughter, she possesses an ethereal and arresting beau More...
Set in the frozen north, the King’s children along with a very small band of servants have escaped a war with Gunnlaug that started with a spurned marriage proposal. They are hidden away in a fjord waiting (hopefully) out of harm’s way.
Kirby makes a large bow to the oral tradition of story telling as he relates The king's children's desperate fight for survival against cold, hunger and treachery. Asa is the oldest daughter, she possesses an ethereal and arresting beau More...
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Dec 24, 2011
Pam
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There is something ever so magical about middle grade fantasy. Rarely does it ever fail to pull me in and immerse me in prolific language and prodigious landscapes.
Icefall by Kirby was by far one of the best Norse MG fantasies I have ever read. The setting was brutal, the characters gruff and believable, I was able to sink into icy oblivion in the middle of the summer. Kirby’s story telling skills are incredibly verbose while not overwhelming the younger reader. I feel Kirby did an a More...
Icefall by Kirby was by far one of the best Norse MG fantasies I have ever read. The setting was brutal, the characters gruff and believable, I was able to sink into icy oblivion in the middle of the summer. Kirby’s story telling skills are incredibly verbose while not overwhelming the younger reader. I feel Kirby did an a More...
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Feb 17, 2012
EA
rated it:
I saw this book on the shelf and remembered hearing some of my favorite authors talk about it. I picked up it thinking I would get around to it because I have more free time that I use to.
When I started this book I knew I was doomed. I was drawn into the world so fast and I really cared about the characters. I wanted to know what was going to happen to all the characters but Solveig, the main character, I really liked. Most of the time I get fed up with teenage, female protagonists More...
When I started this book I knew I was doomed. I was drawn into the world so fast and I really cared about the characters. I wanted to know what was going to happen to all the characters but Solveig, the main character, I really liked. Most of the time I get fed up with teenage, female protagonists More...
Jan 21, 2012
Patricia
rated it:
Solveig’s father, a Norse king, has sent her and her siblings away to a remote fortress to protect them while he is at war with a rival king. During the long, Scandinavian winter, the three children, a handful of household staff, and two dozen warriors wait for the ice to melt so they can return home. To escape the dullness of the endless days indoors, Solveig befriends the official storyteller, the skald. The skald agrees to teach Solveig his craft, and Solveig learns that she has a natural gif
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Jan 20, 2012
Brooke
rated it:
Sent into a frozen fjord to keep them safe from warring neighbor lords, Crown Prince Harald, his beautiful oldest sister Asa, and middle sister Solveig find themselves surrounded by Berserkers, Odin's wild warriors, for protection. When food begins to disappear and the soldiers find themselves poisoned, it is clear one of them is a traitor. They must keep peace among themselves to survive the frigid winter, but when the winter begins to thaw . . . .
I started this book three days a More...
I started this book three days a More...
Jan 18, 2012
Rene
rated it: 
What a great story! Matthew Kirby has written a Norse saga that absolutely captivated me. I don't read a lot of books for the middle grades (grades 3-6) but this is one of those to hand to any kid age 10 and up who wants a little action and mythology.
Solveig is sequestered in a winter castle waiting for her father the king to come and take the family home. She is holed up with her sister, a beautiful girl who will be bartered for marriage and lands, her brother, the young crown prin More...
Solveig is sequestered in a winter castle waiting for her father the king to come and take the family home. She is holed up with her sister, a beautiful girl who will be bartered for marriage and lands, her brother, the young crown prin More...
Jan 07, 2012
Rosalyn
rated it:
I really loved this book. I'd read Clockwork Three and thought it was decent, but this particular book was lovely. I always like seeing authors improving their craft as they write.
This book follows fourteen-year-old Solveig, who's sent to a distant, inaccessible island during a time of war, along with her younger brother and older sister, for their protection. When the fjord ices over, Solveig and her small community (a skald (bard), housekeeper, and some berserkers) are effectively tr More...
This book follows fourteen-year-old Solveig, who's sent to a distant, inaccessible island during a time of war, along with her younger brother and older sister, for their protection. When the fjord ices over, Solveig and her small community (a skald (bard), housekeeper, and some berserkers) are effectively tr More...
Dec 29, 2011
Maureen
rated it: 
Opening: “The fjord is freezing over.”
Interestingly, although this book is in fact historical fiction, I somehow kept expecting it to become a historical fantasy. I don’t want to say that Kirby didn’t research his subject, because I’m sure he did. But if I’m trying to put that feeling into words, that’s what I keep coming back to: it felt like the world wasn’t entirely tied to our own. This isn’t exactly a criticism, and in fact I think it might help lure in readers who are wary of h More...
Interestingly, although this book is in fact historical fiction, I somehow kept expecting it to become a historical fantasy. I don’t want to say that Kirby didn’t research his subject, because I’m sure he did. But if I’m trying to put that feeling into words, that’s what I keep coming back to: it felt like the world wasn’t entirely tied to our own. This isn’t exactly a criticism, and in fact I think it might help lure in readers who are wary of h More...
Dec 13, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
I loved this book. Not at all what I thought it was going to be, but definitely worth the read. Sure, not a whole lot happened in the book, but it was the journey it took you on that was worth while. It was utterly believable and I loved the Norse myths that were told throughout the tale.
For instance, I was under the impression (perhaps based on the cover pic) that it was an adventure (as in, the main character goes on a quest), and that it had fantastical elements.
Nope.
More...
For instance, I was under the impression (perhaps based on the cover pic) that it was an adventure (as in, the main character goes on a quest), and that it had fantastical elements.
Nope.
More...
Nov 26, 2011
Jane
rated it:
The King, after refusing a marriage proposal for his beautiful eldest daughter, Asa, sends his three royal children to a remote fjord with a band of loyal servants and warriors to keep them safe while he goes to war. The children know it will be a long cruel winter before either the King or his enemy comes for them. Right before the fjord freezes, a band of beserkers, the King's personal guard, arrives to shore up the fjord's defenses. The story is told from Skolveig's perspective, the middle
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Nov 13, 2011
Skedatt
rated it:
Just when I thought that all of the new YA books were meaningless drivel, out comes one to prove me wrong. What a welcome change.
A character-driven novel set in a nondescript fjord during the Viking age, it tells of the arrival of a young woman who learns to be more than what she thinks she can in very difficult circumstances.
It is based in stories--stories as ways for us to understand the world. Not just the usual explanations, like why we have the sun and moon, or ech More...
A character-driven novel set in a nondescript fjord during the Viking age, it tells of the arrival of a young woman who learns to be more than what she thinks she can in very difficult circumstances.
It is based in stories--stories as ways for us to understand the world. Not just the usual explanations, like why we have the sun and moon, or ech More...
Nov 06, 2011
Kiirsi
rated it:
I read this book on the recommendation of someone, and at first I was thinking, "What do people see in this book?"
But I did enjoy the last 100 pages or so. It's just that it was so slooooooow for most of it. Most of the book takes place during a freezing winter in a valley where three children of a Scandinavian king have been taken for safety during a war. The fjord and mountain pass are frozen, so there's no way the enemy can get to them, right?
Wrong. There More...
But I did enjoy the last 100 pages or so. It's just that it was so slooooooow for most of it. Most of the book takes place during a freezing winter in a valley where three children of a Scandinavian king have been taken for safety during a war. The fjord and mountain pass are frozen, so there's no way the enemy can get to them, right?
Wrong. There More...
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Nov 05, 2011
Barbara
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The three offspring of a king in the frozen northlands wait for a message that it's safe to come home. Protected by those who are loyal to him as he battles another ruler who has started a war over Asa, the king's beautiful oldest daughter, they are essentially trapped since the winter weather has frozen the waters around them and made treacherous any possible escape route. As their supplies dwindle, reinforcements arrive from the king. The second daughter, Solveig, has long felt overshadowed by
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Jul 15, 2011
Vicky
rated it:
Stuck in a tiny fortress situated between high mountains, a glacier, and a frozen fjord, Solveig, her brother Harald, and sister Asa, are surrounded by their father’s warriors, a few servants, and a skald (storyteller). The king sent them to the far north for their protection during a war, but no one considered treachery from one of their own.
Solveig has always been the overlooked on. She is not beautiful like her older sister, nor a male heir like her younger brother. She’s just Solve More...
Solveig has always been the overlooked on. She is not beautiful like her older sister, nor a male heir like her younger brother. She’s just Solve More...
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Oct 24, 2011
Leah
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I got this from browsing my library's audiobooks (yes, my library has audiobooks I can download from home and listen to on my iPod!), and I'm glad I stumbled across it.
The setting put me slightly in mind of Ronia, the Robber's Daughter, but grew into a tale more subtle and advanced (not to say that I don't love Ronia!). The characters were engaging, and the plot twisted nicely (even though I did figure out some parts of the mystery before they were revealed, the foreshadowing was not heavy More...
The setting put me slightly in mind of Ronia, the Robber's Daughter, but grew into a tale more subtle and advanced (not to say that I don't love Ronia!). The characters were engaging, and the plot twisted nicely (even though I did figure out some parts of the mystery before they were revealed, the foreshadowing was not heavy More...
Oct 14, 2011
Cindy
rated it:
It’s amazing exactly what books will attract your attention and pull you in from the start. For one reason or another Icefall really grabbed my attention and had me staying up to the wee hours of the morning trying to finish this book.
Expectations going into Icefall weren’t really high. I had read Matthew J. Kirby’s debut novel The Clockwork Three and was utterly disappointed. It wasn’t so much the writing style or even the plot, but there is a continuing habit to market Kirby’s boo More...
Expectations going into Icefall weren’t really high. I had read Matthew J. Kirby’s debut novel The Clockwork Three and was utterly disappointed. It wasn’t so much the writing style or even the plot, but there is a continuing habit to market Kirby’s boo More...
Sep 07, 2011
Claire
rated it:
I'm not sure what exactly it is about this book that made me love it so much. It could be Kirby's pristine, purposeful prose, which weaves a delicately gritty (yes) spell from page one.
Or maybe the heroine, courageous, determined, compassionate Solveig, whose journey from feeling worthless to realizing she's been more than worthwhile all along made me tear up on several occasions.
Or maybe the endearing array of secondary characters who populated this book and made it fe More...
Or maybe the heroine, courageous, determined, compassionate Solveig, whose journey from feeling worthless to realizing she's been more than worthwhile all along made me tear up on several occasions.
Or maybe the endearing array of secondary characters who populated this book and made it fe More...
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Jan 24, 2012
Afton
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Solveig is trapped. A massive glacier on one side and a frozen fjord on the other have sealed her and her two siblings in a wintry, protective hold while her father, a Viking king wages war on his rival. A handful of servants and trusted men, along with a band of Berserker warriors guard the hold and the three royal children. But Solveig is not just trapped physically. She is also trapped emotionally; unsure of her place in her family. With a beautiful older sister who will soon make an strategi
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Nov 04, 2011
Kevin
rated it:
Young adult fiction tied to myths and stories? Yep, that’s me. And it turned out to be a gripping and imaginative story with great characters and a unique setting.
Kirby really explores issues of trust in a community pushed to the brink while at the same telling a powerful coming of age story about a child awkwardly trying to find her identity (in contrast to the beautiful sister and the young brother and heir to the throne).
Three reasons you should read this one:
1 More...
Kirby really explores issues of trust in a community pushed to the brink while at the same telling a powerful coming of age story about a child awkwardly trying to find her identity (in contrast to the beautiful sister and the young brother and heir to the throne).
Three reasons you should read this one:
1 More...
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Dec 28, 2011
Melody
rated it:
I want to start out by saying that I thought this was going to be a fantasy chapter book for boys but it turns out to be historical fiction for girls. Seriously, the cover is a bit misleading, right? Having said that, I wasn't disappointed in the least. This is one of the best books that I've listened to all year.
Solveig is the plain, middle child of a Norse king. Her older sister, Asa, is a stunning beauty who captures the attention of all in her presence. Her younger brother, Harald More...
Solveig is the plain, middle child of a Norse king. Her older sister, Asa, is a stunning beauty who captures the attention of all in her presence. Her younger brother, Harald More...
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Dec 18, 2011
Vonna
rated it:
Matthew Kirby's writing in The Clockwork Three let me know I could expect more and greater books from him in the future, and boy, was I right! I loved this Viking era tale of three royal children--a beautiful princess whose hand in marriage is coveted by the King's enemy, a little boy who is the king's heir, and our hero Solveig, the plain, younger sister who has no special worth in her family.
Solveig discovers her own worth through stories, retelling the ancient tales of kings and More...
Solveig discovers her own worth through stories, retelling the ancient tales of kings and More...
Dec 26, 2011
April
rated it:
Originally reviewed here
Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby is one of those books that upon closing I said out loud to the empty room ‘that was a really good book’ because I just have to vocalize my feelings sometimes to make them real. With Vikings, fjords, betrayals and middle child syndrome, Icefall is pretty much a book that hits my buzzer points of awesome.
Icefall by Matthew Kirby opens with the Viking king’s children, Solveig, Asa, and Harald waiting on a fjord for the king More...
Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby is one of those books that upon closing I said out loud to the empty room ‘that was a really good book’ because I just have to vocalize my feelings sometimes to make them real. With Vikings, fjords, betrayals and middle child syndrome, Icefall is pretty much a book that hits my buzzer points of awesome.
Icefall by Matthew Kirby opens with the Viking king’s children, Solveig, Asa, and Harald waiting on a fjord for the king More...
Dec 17, 2011
Mary
rated it:
An excellent fantasy book than nonfantasy fans will still enjoy. Asa, Harald, and Solveig are the king's children, whom he has sent away to a remote icy area while he battles a war. It turns out the war started because Gunnlaug wanted to marry Asa, the king's oldest daughter but he refused to let him. This is not entirely true, but readers will have to find out for themselves why. Kirby slowly reveals more about Asa and Per, a guard. Solveig, the king's youngest daughter, and Hake, the king
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Dec 03, 2011
Judith
rated it:
Finally a book I was willing to stay up late to keep reading. I enjoyed the character development, the storyline, the fact that historic information about the place/time was introduced in such a way that the reader assimilated the data without the "history" getting in the way of the story. For example, the berserkers were introduced into the story from the point of view of the protagonist who already understood who/what a berserker was. As her understanding grew, so does that of th
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Dec 06, 2011
Anne
rated it:
Wow - beautiful writing, stunning setting, and characters you really grow to care about. Solveig's voice rang true and memorable, and the gradual uncovering of Haka's personality fit naturally with the developing plot. I loved the message of the power of words and stories, and the importance of finding your identity. So many passages I want to reread, to savor! The plot develops slowly at first, but by the end builds up to suspense you can't put down.
The audiobook was a joy -- More...
The audiobook was a joy -- More...
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Nov 08, 2011
Christine
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Solveig, Harald, & Asa, children of a king, are sent to a remote destination for their safety. But it turns out that their protectors might not be as loyal as the king had thought. During a long, cold, winter, with nothing to entertain but stories from the skalds (storytellers/historians), we learn of their traditions, beliefs, and relationships with each other. Who is the traitor in their midst? Just when you think you have an idea, another story is told that places doubt.
Although the st More...
Although the st More...
Nov 25, 2011
TheBookSmugglers
rated it:
First Impressions:
Thea: When I started Icefall, I expected an engaging YA fantasy novel – I certainly was not expecting to be so enthralled by this beautiful, breathtaking, elegiac tale. A fable of family, loyalty, honor; a story about the strength of truth; a lovingly crafted ode to the craft of storytelling – Icefall is all of these things. In the shortest, plainest terms, I loved this book.
Ana: Icefall was not at all what I expected – the cover is quite misleading, I thoug More...
Thea: When I started Icefall, I expected an engaging YA fantasy novel – I certainly was not expecting to be so enthralled by this beautiful, breathtaking, elegiac tale. A fable of family, loyalty, honor; a story about the strength of truth; a lovingly crafted ode to the craft of storytelling – Icefall is all of these things. In the shortest, plainest terms, I loved this book.
Ana: Icefall was not at all what I expected – the cover is quite misleading, I thoug More...
Sep 21, 2011
Mandy
rated it:
Summary:
Solveig is the middle and forgotten child of a king. When the king is at war, his children are sent away to be hidden and protected. It is then that through starvation, treachery, capture, and soul searching that Solveig tells the tale of who she really is and by her acts of heroism, lets her voice be heard.
Solveig is the middle and forgotten child of a king. When the king is at war, his children are sent away to be hidden and protected. It is then that through starvation, treachery, capture, and soul searching that Solveig tells the tale of who she really is and by her acts of heroism, lets her voice be heard.
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Oct 13, 2011
Lisa
rated it:
Solvieg is the middle child of the King. Her older sister Asa out shines her as the most beautiful in all the land. Her younger brother Harald is the bravest of all the boys. She is overlooked by her father because there's nothing special about Solvieg. Her father is at war and has commanded all the children and their protectors take refuge on a mountainous glacier. They would be safe if there wasn't a traitor in their midst.
The first hundred pages were mostly internal dialog of the main c More...
The first hundred pages were mostly internal dialog of the main c More...
Jan 07, 2012
Sarah
rated it:
Last night, I stayed up until 2 am finishing "Icefall" by Matthew J. Kirby. When I first picked this book up I quickly dubbed it a “boy book” judging by its cover. That’s what I get for generalizing. This is a great read for anyone, boy or girl, especially because the main character, Solvieg, is a young girl struggling to find her voice in the world, a concept that everyone can relate to.
The plot is cleverly laid out like a Nordic game of Clue, the characters all living tog More...
The plot is cleverly laid out like a Nordic game of Clue, the characters all living tog More...
