What do you think?
Rate this book
Darwath #5
Icefalcon's Quest
While chaos reigned in the Eastern Lands, the Keep of Dare stood as a bastion against war and bandits and the spawn of unnatural sorceries. Then twin blows rocked the the fearsome Alketch army mounted siege, even as young Prince Tir was snatched from the heart of the Keep. Behind the terror was the depraved, hook-handed general Vair na-Chandros. He had learned that the royal child possessed forbidden a secret with which the bloodthirsty Vair intended to conquer the world.One single man posed a threat to Vair's vaunting the legendary warrior known as the Icefalcon. Banished by his own people and scorned as a barbarian by others, only he could hope to free the boy from Vair's clutches. With his sister Cold Death--a sorcerer whose magic was as sharp as her tongue--the Icefalcon embarked on a dangerous mission of rescue and redemption.Braving nightmare demons and the endless hordes of Vair's inhuman soldiers, he shadowed Vair and his small captive beyond the reaches of the known world. And when the boy led Vair to the forgotten Keep of the Shadow at the End of Time, the Icefalcon would face his greatest battle . . . for his prince, for his honor, and for all eternity.From the Hardcover edition.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1995
24 people are currently reading
548 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Hambly
205 books1,591 followersaka Barbara Hamilton
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
April 23, 2020
An enjoyable read which started out slow, peaked in the middle, and was far too rushed at the end. As always the world of Darwath was intriguing, capturing my imagination with new tidbits of lore about its mysterious past, and while I was initially unexcited with the idea of the Icefalcon (whom I had never found terribly interesting before) being the main character of this story, I have to admit he was much more complex and compelling than I ever dreamed possible. My main issues with the book actually only arose in the last seventy pages or so when the author resorted to several deus ex machina contrivances to neatly get characters out of impossible situations as well as wrap up story line after story line. All of which means this was a flawed book that I am still glad I reread as part of my latest Darwath binge but which just isn’t anywhere close to as great as the original trilogy.
January 22, 2015
Readers and serious fans of the Darwath world should remember and be tolerant of this fact. Time has passed, both in the real world of the author's life, and in the world of Darwath. Things won't be the same, people won't be the same, and inevitably, the author's style might have evolved and progressed slightly differently. So might her view of how to approach this beloved world and the people in it.
This is the most recent (possibly last) book set in the world of Darwath, which starts with Barbara Hambly's book The Time of the Dark. It is set 7 years after that first book, and distanced by many more years in publication.
Whenever an author re-visits an older series or set of characters, there's this fear of the George Lucas Effect. We're afraid that fans of the older works (such as the original Star Wars trilogy) are going to freak out at us because our newer works (such as the new Star Wars trilogy) will not be carbon copy clones of the first work. They want the same fuzzy bunny feelings they got from the first set! But the fact is, you can never go back. You can't go back.
That is the point of this book, and the style that it's written in is a subtle counter-point. Unlike the other Darwath books, this story does not follow the activities of the two main characters, Rudy and Gil. Instead, time has passed, the little bundle of infant joyful-desire-to-brain-himself-on-concrete prince has grown up. This is his story. This is the story of how a boy became a king.
Altir is 7 or 8 now, and involved in his own terrifying and sometimes creepy sick-making adventure. We get to see a darker side of Barbara Hambly in this book, we get to see the side of her authorship which can coldly and in detail describe gory imagery and scary ideas. She brings a bit of her horror-writing into Darwath. I can see how some people might freak about that, but it's nice to see all facets of a world, just as it's ok with me for Barbara to explore her other authoring skills in the world of Darwath.
Icefalcon's Quest is also the story of how a teenager grew up to become a man. I can't forget, after all, this is Icefalcon's story. Icefalcon was one of those side characters in the original series that has so much potential and strength of personality, that it was inevitable Barbara Hambly would want to write about him! And right now our friend had probably been happy that we were busy talking about Tir and hadn't noticed him creeping soundlessly in the wash over there while he observed us talking. And yea,as he most likely told me with an arrogant sniff: we're not friends.
This book is chock full of the personality of the Icefalcon. I'm thrilled at a peek into his world of the past versus the world as it is now, which intersperses in the main storyline of Tir's adventure. I notice one major difference in this book though. It's a good story, but it doesn't have the depth of philosophical inquiry I'd expect. There's a bit, there is a slight villain-who-is-just-a-victim, but there is no actual villain-who-isn't-a-villain like the other books. It's very black and white, with good guys that should die and bad guys that should not. And helpless nice people trapped in between. The imagination and ideas behind the story are still sharp as one of Icefalcon's daggers, and the depth of characterization, along with meeting new people, more than make up for my complaint about the lack in the last novel, Mother of Winter.
But remember, this book will be different. Rudy and Gil and Alde are left behind. In fact, the keep itself with all it's petty issues and citizenry are ignored in the background of this story. People who get caught up and play victims of the George Lucas Effect forget that we can never go back in time and become the people we were when we first read the Darwath stories. Likewise, Barbara Hambly should not be forced to live her life in a stasis field, denied the right to evolve and adapt her created world to suit new techniques, styles, and ideas as she herself has been changed by life. And as the book makes clear, even Tir can never go back unchanged to his home, his mother, his step-father, and half-sister. Life will be different. Life changes us. The only true death is a stagnation and lack of purpose. Even impregnable and seemingly solid things like a keep can be destroyed. That is the point, of the story, and also the book itself.
This is the most recent (possibly last) book set in the world of Darwath, which starts with Barbara Hambly's book The Time of the Dark. It is set 7 years after that first book, and distanced by many more years in publication.
Whenever an author re-visits an older series or set of characters, there's this fear of the George Lucas Effect. We're afraid that fans of the older works (such as the original Star Wars trilogy) are going to freak out at us because our newer works (such as the new Star Wars trilogy) will not be carbon copy clones of the first work. They want the same fuzzy bunny feelings they got from the first set! But the fact is, you can never go back. You can't go back.
That is the point of this book, and the style that it's written in is a subtle counter-point. Unlike the other Darwath books, this story does not follow the activities of the two main characters, Rudy and Gil. Instead, time has passed, the little bundle of infant joyful-desire-to-brain-himself-on-concrete prince has grown up. This is his story. This is the story of how a boy became a king.
Altir is 7 or 8 now, and involved in his own terrifying and sometimes creepy sick-making adventure. We get to see a darker side of Barbara Hambly in this book, we get to see the side of her authorship which can coldly and in detail describe gory imagery and scary ideas. She brings a bit of her horror-writing into Darwath. I can see how some people might freak about that, but it's nice to see all facets of a world, just as it's ok with me for Barbara to explore her other authoring skills in the world of Darwath.
Icefalcon's Quest is also the story of how a teenager grew up to become a man. I can't forget, after all, this is Icefalcon's story. Icefalcon was one of those side characters in the original series that has so much potential and strength of personality, that it was inevitable Barbara Hambly would want to write about him! And right now our friend had probably been happy that we were busy talking about Tir and hadn't noticed him creeping soundlessly in the wash over there while he observed us talking. And yea,as he most likely told me with an arrogant sniff: we're not friends.
This book is chock full of the personality of the Icefalcon. I'm thrilled at a peek into his world of the past versus the world as it is now, which intersperses in the main storyline of Tir's adventure. I notice one major difference in this book though. It's a good story, but it doesn't have the depth of philosophical inquiry I'd expect. There's a bit, there is a slight villain-who-is-just-a-victim, but there is no actual villain-who-isn't-a-villain like the other books. It's very black and white, with good guys that should die and bad guys that should not. And helpless nice people trapped in between. The imagination and ideas behind the story are still sharp as one of Icefalcon's daggers, and the depth of characterization, along with meeting new people, more than make up for my complaint about the lack in the last novel, Mother of Winter.
But remember, this book will be different. Rudy and Gil and Alde are left behind. In fact, the keep itself with all it's petty issues and citizenry are ignored in the background of this story. People who get caught up and play victims of the George Lucas Effect forget that we can never go back in time and become the people we were when we first read the Darwath stories. Likewise, Barbara Hambly should not be forced to live her life in a stasis field, denied the right to evolve and adapt her created world to suit new techniques, styles, and ideas as she herself has been changed by life. And as the book makes clear, even Tir can never go back unchanged to his home, his mother, his step-father, and half-sister. Life will be different. Life changes us. The only true death is a stagnation and lack of purpose. Even impregnable and seemingly solid things like a keep can be destroyed. That is the point, of the story, and also the book itself.
February 3, 2015
This is at least the 2nd time I've read this book, possibly the 3rd. I enjoyed the whole Darwath series, but Icefalcon's Quest is my favorite by far.
The Icefalcon is such a romantic character - a young man, a loner, exiled by choice from his people as a teenager but still following their ways, aloof and alone but developing a few close friendships and carrying the torch of unrequited love for another Guard. He joins the Guards because he wants to learn to fight like them, and stays because he enjoys the work and the company. He has extraordinarily high standards for himself, to the point where he intimidates most people. But he can be unfailingly kind to others, even understanding.
Despite being a loner he's wise in his own way, telling a lost and frightened child that "Everyone has to go back... Sometimes when we have been hurt, betrayed, sometimes when we think we have brought our ill down upon our own heads... It is difficult then. Sometimes it takes a long while to turn around and face what we fled. We don't even need to defeat it. But we must be willing to look at it once again." He spends 10 long years as a Guard, thinking all the while that he wants to go home again, fight his rival, and take his rightful place as a leader for his people. But when faced with the actual choice, he decides against it. His sister tells him that he's not the leader his people need, and he listens to her. He chooses happiness - his own and his people's - over pride.
My favorite bit might be when the hero of this adventure tale wins the big battle by... telling a story. Icefalcon was raised in an oral history culture where made-up stories are laughed at if not considered dangerous. All the important information is about where herds graze, what the stars looked like the year of the big rains, bloodlines for their horses, etc. Instead of telling stories around the campfire, his people recite those facts and knowledge. So when Icefalcon finally spins a tale, it's much more than a simple story, it's a major break from the traditions and teachings of his people. That's when he truly makes the leap from the culture he was raised in to the culture he's chosen for himself.
The Icefalcon is such a romantic character - a young man, a loner, exiled by choice from his people as a teenager but still following their ways, aloof and alone but developing a few close friendships and carrying the torch of unrequited love for another Guard. He joins the Guards because he wants to learn to fight like them, and stays because he enjoys the work and the company. He has extraordinarily high standards for himself, to the point where he intimidates most people. But he can be unfailingly kind to others, even understanding.
Despite being a loner he's wise in his own way, telling a lost and frightened child that "Everyone has to go back... Sometimes when we have been hurt, betrayed, sometimes when we think we have brought our ill down upon our own heads... It is difficult then. Sometimes it takes a long while to turn around and face what we fled. We don't even need to defeat it. But we must be willing to look at it once again." He spends 10 long years as a Guard, thinking all the while that he wants to go home again, fight his rival, and take his rightful place as a leader for his people. But when faced with the actual choice, he decides against it. His sister tells him that he's not the leader his people need, and he listens to her. He chooses happiness - his own and his people's - over pride.
My favorite bit might be when the hero of this adventure tale wins the big battle by... telling a story. Icefalcon was raised in an oral history culture where made-up stories are laughed at if not considered dangerous. All the important information is about where herds graze, what the stars looked like the year of the big rains, bloodlines for their horses, etc. Instead of telling stories around the campfire, his people recite those facts and knowledge. So when Icefalcon finally spins a tale, it's much more than a simple story, it's a major break from the traditions and teachings of his people. That's when he truly makes the leap from the culture he was raised in to the culture he's chosen for himself.
September 10, 2024
The last in the series (except for a few novelettes on various websites), this one focuses on a side character from earlier books. Enjoyed the change of perspective, and a few nods to our world thrown in.
This one is a few years after the last, which was a few years after the original trilogy. The famine of the previous novel has been overcome, but there are still battles between groups of peoples. A powerful wizard (or at least his artifact) and a power mad warlord make for a chaotic team.
I'll read the novellas if I find them. Really enjoyed mentions of baseball and (to an extent) Star Trek. This has been a fun series, and Barbara Hambly is a good writer (also including Star Trek novels, coincidentally).
This one is a few years after the last, which was a few years after the original trilogy. The famine of the previous novel has been overcome, but there are still battles between groups of peoples. A powerful wizard (or at least his artifact) and a power mad warlord make for a chaotic team.
I'll read the novellas if I find them. Really enjoyed mentions of baseball and (to an extent) Star Trek. This has been a fun series, and Barbara Hambly is a good writer (also including Star Trek novels, coincidentally).
March 21, 2021
Icefalcon's Quest has some good moments, and the first 2/3rds are pretty solid, with only a few odd errors and inconsistencies. But the final act is difficult to follow, leaving numerous holes in the narrative and too much for the reader to fill in for him or her self.
Hambly's Darwath Trilogy was my introduction to high fantasy, and as such I had hoped for more. I'm not terribly disappointed - it was worth the read - but I wish it had been better and more thoroughly told. It feels as though she got tired of the writing and rushed the end to get it off her plate as quickly as possible.
Still, anything that happens in Darwath is worth the experience...
Hambly's Darwath Trilogy was my introduction to high fantasy, and as such I had hoped for more. I'm not terribly disappointed - it was worth the read - but I wish it had been better and more thoroughly told. It feels as though she got tired of the writing and rushed the end to get it off her plate as quickly as possible.
Still, anything that happens in Darwath is worth the experience...
July 9, 2007
While I generally enjoy Barbara Hambly's books, trying to read this one was like slogging through half-frozen treacle. Sticky, annoying, and impossible to move forward.
September 6, 2025
Totally missed that this was a Darwath book when I picked it up; I read that trilogy long ago to the point that I've mostly forgotten the details. (I've always been a sucker for that kind of portal fantasy, long before it was even considered a sub-genre) I was just thinking I hadn't read anything from Hambly in a long time, and I've never been mad at it, so why not grab this one?
This was an entertaining and interesting book, in many ways a character study of an enigmatic side character from earlier books given a stage of his own in a fairly straightforward story that gets interestingly twisted. The Icefalcon is a complicated personality who probably doesn't see himself as being complicated at all, but has ingrained so much of how he was raised and the things he's learned that he doesn't even see any of it as being deep or complex.
But he's an interesting dude, gifted and skilled, dangerous and relentless. But he's also someone who has grown far past his simpler tribal life and really doesn't realize it, in part because he's never been forced to confront any of it. In this quest he does, and it's pretty good. I'd argue the best part is the almost brotherly relationship he develops with the chief of another tribe who finds his course running somewhat parallel to the Icefalcon.
Good stuff. Hambly has found some interesting stuff in the wreckage of her world that survived the apocalypse and I'm happy to have her keep telling it. Rudy & Gil make appearances and add to their lore in solid ways, but they're very much supporting characters this time and there's nothing wrong with it.
This was an entertaining and interesting book, in many ways a character study of an enigmatic side character from earlier books given a stage of his own in a fairly straightforward story that gets interestingly twisted. The Icefalcon is a complicated personality who probably doesn't see himself as being complicated at all, but has ingrained so much of how he was raised and the things he's learned that he doesn't even see any of it as being deep or complex.
But he's an interesting dude, gifted and skilled, dangerous and relentless. But he's also someone who has grown far past his simpler tribal life and really doesn't realize it, in part because he's never been forced to confront any of it. In this quest he does, and it's pretty good. I'd argue the best part is the almost brotherly relationship he develops with the chief of another tribe who finds his course running somewhat parallel to the Icefalcon.
Good stuff. Hambly has found some interesting stuff in the wreckage of her world that survived the apocalypse and I'm happy to have her keep telling it. Rudy & Gil make appearances and add to their lore in solid ways, but they're very much supporting characters this time and there's nothing wrong with it.
November 13, 2020
This is my favorite book of the series - it steps beyond traditional western fantasy, where I've found the worldview is generally not too different from my own, and makes us passengers in Icefalcon's head. He is definitely Other - he and his people inhabit the Real World, as opposed to the civilized people they prey on - and it's both a solidly prosaic and a mystical place.
Everything about the White Raiders - the names of the people and the tribes, their worldview, their horrifying sacrifices to their Ancestors - is consistent and engrossing. The plot itself slots neatly into the events of earlier books; it's a little expository, but still moves forward really quickly. Hambly is also one of the first and only fantasy writers to make technology and magic work together, to my mind - more current writers are doing it well, now, but Hambly was certainly one of the first and best. Her technology is technology, even when imbued with magic - and her haunted houses are frigging terrifying. And when someone gets hurt in these stories, they don't walk away - there's a real consequence to injuries in her stories, and a protracted recovery or lasting consequence.
I believe this is the end of the series - not really a hopeful one, as the ice in the North makes its inevitable advance - but I guess that's life.
Everything about the White Raiders - the names of the people and the tribes, their worldview, their horrifying sacrifices to their Ancestors - is consistent and engrossing. The plot itself slots neatly into the events of earlier books; it's a little expository, but still moves forward really quickly. Hambly is also one of the first and only fantasy writers to make technology and magic work together, to my mind - more current writers are doing it well, now, but Hambly was certainly one of the first and best. Her technology is technology, even when imbued with magic - and her haunted houses are frigging terrifying. And when someone gets hurt in these stories, they don't walk away - there's a real consequence to injuries in her stories, and a protracted recovery or lasting consequence.
I believe this is the end of the series - not really a hopeful one, as the ice in the North makes its inevitable advance - but I guess that's life.
May 31, 2018
Set two years after the events of Mother of Winter, Icefalcon's Quest begins when the outcast barbarian Icefalcon rescues some travelers from bandits. After returning them to the safety of Dare Keep, his adopted home since the defeat of the Dark 7 years ago, it sets of a series of events in motion which forces Icefalcon to return to the icy tundra of his home. On the trail of a kidnapper, and cut off from his allies, Icefalcon has to deal with an old enemy while avoiding the death sentence which exiled him in the first place.
This sequel minimizes the focus of other characters from the Darwath series. They're present, but in supporting roles at best. This book is all about Icefalcon, finally giving readers information about his background, and putting him to the extreme limits of his endurance, and facing off against some truly dark magics, with only his wits and skills to save him. A great addition to the series, expanding the details of the world, filling in more of the ancient history, as well as geography by detailing the frozen northlands which Icefalcon is from. Everything fits well into the established tone of the world, and the new characters introduces are a good mix of engaging and grounded.
This sequel minimizes the focus of other characters from the Darwath series. They're present, but in supporting roles at best. This book is all about Icefalcon, finally giving readers information about his background, and putting him to the extreme limits of his endurance, and facing off against some truly dark magics, with only his wits and skills to save him. A great addition to the series, expanding the details of the world, filling in more of the ancient history, as well as geography by detailing the frozen northlands which Icefalcon is from. Everything fits well into the established tone of the world, and the new characters introduces are a good mix of engaging and grounded.
November 6, 2024
This final book in the series was my least favourite, but there were definitely good parts of the book:
* The Icefalcon’s character had not been very developed in the preceding books. We were told quite a lot about his appearance, skills and weapons, but he seemed to be quite distant and austere. In this book, he really grew as a person and it was really interesting to read about the changes.
* There were intriguing descriptions of magical technology that had been, apparently, hidden away for thousands of years of years, but were resurfacing for a variety of reasons.
* Many parts of the plot were exciting and well written as were the descriptions of the various settings.
* It was nice to encounter well-loved characters from the previous books now and then. I also enjoyed reading about Tir and how he was growing up.
However, some sections of the book did not work well for me. The “spirit walking” became irritating and there was a strange jump in the plot with the arrival of our hero-wizard. Also, everything was too rushed at the end to kind of round off the tale.
It is definitely worth reading this book if you have read the rest of the series first, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a standalone.
* The Icefalcon’s character had not been very developed in the preceding books. We were told quite a lot about his appearance, skills and weapons, but he seemed to be quite distant and austere. In this book, he really grew as a person and it was really interesting to read about the changes.
* There were intriguing descriptions of magical technology that had been, apparently, hidden away for thousands of years of years, but were resurfacing for a variety of reasons.
* Many parts of the plot were exciting and well written as were the descriptions of the various settings.
* It was nice to encounter well-loved characters from the previous books now and then. I also enjoyed reading about Tir and how he was growing up.
However, some sections of the book did not work well for me. The “spirit walking” became irritating and there was a strange jump in the plot with the arrival of our hero-wizard. Also, everything was too rushed at the end to kind of round off the tale.
It is definitely worth reading this book if you have read the rest of the series first, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a standalone.
April 21, 2025
I bought the Darwath series years ago but never got around to reading the books until recently. The fifth book is as good as the fourth. Both of these are slightly better than the original series because Hambly has improved as a writer. All of the books are fairly conventional heroic fantasy, but Hambly's characters are distinctive as are the horror elements in the series. This final book is no exception because it focuses on the White Raiders with Icefalcon and the young king Tir as main protagonists. Ingold, Gil, Alde and Rudy are mainly minor characters. The plot centers on a plan to invade the Keep of Dare using a transporter system with portals in other Keeps. I'm not certain that the existence of other Keeps was even mentioned in previous books so this is a new angle to the series. There is also a very strong element of horror and cruelty in this book foreshadowing to some extent the role of demons in some of Hambly's later works. Ultimately, this is a very good book, and I would not mind a sixth Darwath book
November 22, 2020
If you've read the first four Darwath books already, there's no reason not to read this one. You learn a little bit more about the Icefalcon, who takes center stage here, and his people, even if there are no major revelations; there's some more information about the people who built the Keep of Dare originally; Hambly manages to keep the suspense going without relying too much on the "child in danger" aspect of the plot; and, as per usual, everybody is freezing cold practically all the time. The way that Hambly has to strain to get Ingold out of the way at key points, in order to prevent him from just solving the problem, starts to get fairly noticeable, but otherwise it's a perfectly fine entry in the series.
June 13, 2023
I really liked Icefalcon in the previous novels. The hints about his background and clan were interesting. His ties to Endor were compelling. However, this novel included so much pain, and I have psychological issues with characters being cloned. Reading about the horrors the child went through damaged me.
Icefalcon runs across a man and woman in the woods being attacked by bandits, and steps in the rescue them. He then brings them into the Keep for safety, although there is something about the man that bothers him. The woman claims to have memories from an ancestor; Gil is fairly certain she’s faking it. Naturally, Ingold, who would be able to “read” the woman, has been called away to locate some precious books. Then, things get complicated….
Icefalcon runs across a man and woman in the woods being attacked by bandits, and steps in the rescue them. He then brings them into the Keep for safety, although there is something about the man that bothers him. The woman claims to have memories from an ancestor; Gil is fairly certain she’s faking it. Naturally, Ingold, who would be able to “read” the woman, has been called away to locate some precious books. Then, things get complicated….
February 26, 2021
In contrast to the earlier Darwath books, Icefalcon's Quest ditches our usual main characters to give us the perspective of the Icefalcon, Guard and White Raider extraordinaire, on a hunt to rescue Tir. Over the course of the book we view the world entirely differently from the previous 4 books, and Hambly explores the meanings of revenge and moving on for the greater good.
Beautifully written, a plot that explores both old characters and new places, and a writing style that sinks you into the Icefalcon's psyche, this book is a non-traditional, yet fitting, end to the Darwath series.
Beautifully written, a plot that explores both old characters and new places, and a writing style that sinks you into the Icefalcon's psyche, this book is a non-traditional, yet fitting, end to the Darwath series.
July 12, 2017
The Icefalcon was one of the more interesting characters from the Darwath books, so it was nice to be able to spend more time with that character and see some things from his perspective.
In this book we meet the Icefalcon's big sister, who is pretty bad-ass, and I wish there had been more of her in the book.
The flow of the pacing was a little weird in some parts of the book, but overall I really enjoyed it.
In this book we meet the Icefalcon's big sister, who is pretty bad-ass, and I wish there had been more of her in the book.
The flow of the pacing was a little weird in some parts of the book, but overall I really enjoyed it.
March 24, 2018
I liked this quite a bit. It was interesting to see more about Icefalcon’s people. The way their culture and language reflect back on each other was neat.
The descriptions of people in the duplication box is utterly horrific. It was well done though and I think necessary. It would be too easy to side step the awfulness since the victim ‘survives’. It was still terribly vivid.
I read this when a song with lyrics about “In the real world” was on a lot. It was a little surreal :)
The descriptions of people in the duplication box is utterly horrific. It was well done though and I think necessary. It would be too easy to side step the awfulness since the victim ‘survives’. It was still terribly vivid.
I read this when a song with lyrics about “In the real world” was on a lot. It was a little surreal :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2021
Loved this whole series - this is probably the weakest of the books but a weak Barbara Hambly is still by far and away better than most fantasy books. The characters are real, the situations scary and the world building is amazing.
December 5, 2017
Interesting at moments. But awful, can’t even finish it.
March 27, 2025
A look into Icefalcon's past through an excellent storyline.
March 1, 2012
One of the stand alone novels set in the same world as Hambly's Dawarth trilogy, Icefalcon's Quest centers on the Icefalcon, who has been cast out of his barbarian nomad tribe and now lives at the Keep of Dare. He is one of the elite Guard and a trained warrior who still keeps his native code of honor, often at odds with the more civilized society he has chosen to live in.
In this story, a rogue mage infiltrates the Keep and kidnaps young Prince Tir. Tir, as heir to the royal line, has the race memories of his people, although the flashes he gets are not always clear or easily interpreted. His kidnappers plan to use those memories to unlock the secrets of a lost, ice-buried Keep and use the knowledge to conquer the land. Icefalcon, blaming himself for not recognizing the disguised mage, sets out to rescue Tir. His journey brings him back to his native land, where he must face his past, as well as try to safeguard the future.
As with any of Hambly's works, this is an enjoyable read. The story flows well, with conflict, tension, and both inner and outer struggle. The turmoil that eight year old Tir faces is intense and frightening. Vair na-Chandros is chillingly evil, if a little one-dimensional. He doesn't appear to have any redeeming qualities, although that characterization fits him well, and makes him a frightening adversary. The mage Bektis is both daunting and vulnerable as he tries to hide his few weaknesses from na-Chandros. Other characters are given enough personality to make them real and interesting.
By far, the most fascinating character in the Icefalcon. Introduced in the original Dawarth trilogy, he is a bit of an enigma. His outlook and apparent lack of emotion can be off-putting at first, but if you pay attention to his background as it is slowly revealed, it becomes clear that the Icefalcon is a far more complex and intriguing character than he might seem. His journey is not only one of adventure and the rescue of Prince Tir, but also an internal struggle with who he is. He comes face to face with himself and the choices he's made, conscious or not. Icefalcon was one of my favorite characters in the Darwath sagas, and is even more so after reading this book.
The story takes place in the same basic geographical area as the earlier trilogy, although here the rescue mission takes Icefalcon and company farther into the approaching glaciers. It is not necessary to have read the earlier books to read this. There are some references to the earlier stories, but the pieces given are enough to fit the background in without needing to know every detail. The main characters in the early stories, Rudy, Gil, and Ingold are not a main part of the tale, although they do appear. Icefalcon's Quest is a tale that stands on its own quite well.
I very much enjoyed Icefalcon's Quest. It is another well written, fluid story, and a solid choice for fantasy fans.
In this story, a rogue mage infiltrates the Keep and kidnaps young Prince Tir. Tir, as heir to the royal line, has the race memories of his people, although the flashes he gets are not always clear or easily interpreted. His kidnappers plan to use those memories to unlock the secrets of a lost, ice-buried Keep and use the knowledge to conquer the land. Icefalcon, blaming himself for not recognizing the disguised mage, sets out to rescue Tir. His journey brings him back to his native land, where he must face his past, as well as try to safeguard the future.
As with any of Hambly's works, this is an enjoyable read. The story flows well, with conflict, tension, and both inner and outer struggle. The turmoil that eight year old Tir faces is intense and frightening. Vair na-Chandros is chillingly evil, if a little one-dimensional. He doesn't appear to have any redeeming qualities, although that characterization fits him well, and makes him a frightening adversary. The mage Bektis is both daunting and vulnerable as he tries to hide his few weaknesses from na-Chandros. Other characters are given enough personality to make them real and interesting.
By far, the most fascinating character in the Icefalcon. Introduced in the original Dawarth trilogy, he is a bit of an enigma. His outlook and apparent lack of emotion can be off-putting at first, but if you pay attention to his background as it is slowly revealed, it becomes clear that the Icefalcon is a far more complex and intriguing character than he might seem. His journey is not only one of adventure and the rescue of Prince Tir, but also an internal struggle with who he is. He comes face to face with himself and the choices he's made, conscious or not. Icefalcon was one of my favorite characters in the Darwath sagas, and is even more so after reading this book.
The story takes place in the same basic geographical area as the earlier trilogy, although here the rescue mission takes Icefalcon and company farther into the approaching glaciers. It is not necessary to have read the earlier books to read this. There are some references to the earlier stories, but the pieces given are enough to fit the background in without needing to know every detail. The main characters in the early stories, Rudy, Gil, and Ingold are not a main part of the tale, although they do appear. Icefalcon's Quest is a tale that stands on its own quite well.
I very much enjoyed Icefalcon's Quest. It is another well written, fluid story, and a solid choice for fantasy fans.
March 9, 2015
The Icefalcon is an interesting enigma of a character throughout Barbara Hambly's "Darwath" series. This book, "Icefalcon's Quest," is designed to flesh out and give the background of the Icefalcon. It's definitely a book that needed writing and actually does a pretty good job of giving us that information. But, unfortunately, the story could have been (and should have been) better. I've got three main problems with it. First, for all that it dumps us right into Hambly's signature despair, it takes fully two-thirds of the book before we even get an inkling of what's happening. Instead, those first two hundred pages are filled with the Icefalcon following Tir. Yes, we're getting all the Icefalcon stuff. But, we're sitting there for all those pages scratching our heads and wondering when the story is going to go someplace. Second, there are just too many gaping holes in what's happening. For instance:
- The wet-work in this book is personally handled by our old pal Bektis, the somewhat incompetent, pompous, and cowardly court mage. He'd never do that.
- We never get an explanation of why Bektis is doing this (especially since he's got a nifty new gadget that should keep him out from under someone's thumb).
- We get almost no explanation of Bektis' nifty tool nor why he would continue using it more than once.
- The rationale we get in the last few pages of the book for the main bad guy doing this is horribly weak.
- It makes no sense that all the resources (and their ability to be used) that the bad guys have were found where they were.
And, finally, it's just silly to think that all those guys with swords and the wizard with the nifty tool would put up with the abuse that the lead bad guy heaps on them. These guys have passed straight through henchman status and are plummeting through minionhood. So, all together, I can only rate the book at an OK 3 stars out of 5. It's good for an Icefalcon fix, but as a story, it's just too weak and drawn out. If Hambly had condensed the first couple of hundred pages down to 50 or so, and then worked some more with the last 150 pages, it would have been better.
The novels in the Darwath series are:
1, 2, and 3. The Darwath Series: The Time of the Dark, The Walls of Air, and The Armies of Daylight
4. Mother of Winter (Darwath)
5. Icefalcon's Quest
- The wet-work in this book is personally handled by our old pal Bektis, the somewhat incompetent, pompous, and cowardly court mage. He'd never do that.
- We never get an explanation of why Bektis is doing this (especially since he's got a nifty new gadget that should keep him out from under someone's thumb).
- We get almost no explanation of Bektis' nifty tool nor why he would continue using it more than once.
- The rationale we get in the last few pages of the book for the main bad guy doing this is horribly weak.
- It makes no sense that all the resources (and their ability to be used) that the bad guys have were found where they were.
And, finally, it's just silly to think that all those guys with swords and the wizard with the nifty tool would put up with the abuse that the lead bad guy heaps on them. These guys have passed straight through henchman status and are plummeting through minionhood. So, all together, I can only rate the book at an OK 3 stars out of 5. It's good for an Icefalcon fix, but as a story, it's just too weak and drawn out. If Hambly had condensed the first couple of hundred pages down to 50 or so, and then worked some more with the last 150 pages, it would have been better.
The novels in the Darwath series are:
1, 2, and 3. The Darwath Series: The Time of the Dark, The Walls of Air, and The Armies of Daylight
4. Mother of Winter (Darwath)
5. Icefalcon's Quest
June 28, 2013
One of the Darwath series. Icefalcon is a guard at the Keep. He needs to rescue the young Lord of the Keep of Dare, who has been kidnapped. Great adventure. Excellent fantasy genre. The Talking Stars People have some 'early Native American' overtones. [Andre Norton used to do that a lot.] Well worth a read.
First paragraphs
CHAPTER ONE
Had the Icefalcon still been living among the Talking Stars People, the penalty for not recognizing the old man he encountered in the clearing by the four elm trees would have been the removal of his eyes, tongue, liver, heart, and brain, in that order. His head would have been cut off, and, the Talking Stars People being a thrifty folk, his hair taken for bowstrings, his skin for ritual leather, and his bones for tools and arrowheads. If it was a bad winter, they would have eaten his flesh, too, so it was just as well that his misdeed occurred in the middle of spring. The Icefalcon considered all this logical and justified: the laws of his ancestors were not the reason that he no longer lived among the Talking Stars People. All the horror that followed could have been avoided had he minded his own business, as was his wont.
Hambly, Barbara (2011-07-06). Icefalcon's Quest (Darwath) (Kindle Locations 56-63). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
First paragraphs
CHAPTER ONE
Had the Icefalcon still been living among the Talking Stars People, the penalty for not recognizing the old man he encountered in the clearing by the four elm trees would have been the removal of his eyes, tongue, liver, heart, and brain, in that order. His head would have been cut off, and, the Talking Stars People being a thrifty folk, his hair taken for bowstrings, his skin for ritual leather, and his bones for tools and arrowheads. If it was a bad winter, they would have eaten his flesh, too, so it was just as well that his misdeed occurred in the middle of spring. The Icefalcon considered all this logical and justified: the laws of his ancestors were not the reason that he no longer lived among the Talking Stars People. All the horror that followed could have been avoided had he minded his own business, as was his wont.
Hambly, Barbara (2011-07-06). Icefalcon's Quest (Darwath) (Kindle Locations 56-63). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
December 26, 2013
I found the world and side plot quite well done. The detail and plot are effectively done, but the main plot, Ice Falcon's, is too distracting and oddly presented for any proper, fluid read. I found myself unable to keep any flow going trying to follow the storyline. I'd be at the Keep of Dare following what was happening on their end, and all was good; then, I'd be back with Ice Falcon trying to take his world seriously. It never worked. I couldn't get behind someone who speaks with Smells Like Toast and Black Water. I know those aren't the actual names they use, and I realize he's essentially a First Nation's character. It was neat to view the world through his mind where time is charted by the time the river froze and back when the trees burned, but I couldn't take his storyline presented in such a fashion seriously. I just lost all flow gained while reading the Keep progress. It made for a very disjointed and unsatisfied reading experience. The description was nice, and the attempt and motivation to present this unique view of the Darwath world is worthy of two stars, but that's all it gets. This novel just doesn't get close to the skill I found in the Time of the Dark series up to to this point.
October 17, 2009
There were some good ideas in this book, but both this and Mother of Winter don't have the energy and cohesiveness that the orginal Darwath Trilogy does.
This story is seen fromn the Icefalcon's perspective, and whilst it starts off being interesting, I really miss Ingold, Rudy, Alde and Gil. This milieu is just not the same without their banter and interchanges. Icefalcon is far too humourless.
Also, what is it with Hambly's fascination with demons? There were no demons in the first three books and all of a sudden, the Wath acquires the same sort of demons as the Dragonsbane and Sun Wolf worlds. This is actually a shame, because the thing that made the Darwath books so special was their individuality.
This story is seen fromn the Icefalcon's perspective, and whilst it starts off being interesting, I really miss Ingold, Rudy, Alde and Gil. This milieu is just not the same without their banter and interchanges. Icefalcon is far too humourless.
Also, what is it with Hambly's fascination with demons? There were no demons in the first three books and all of a sudden, the Wath acquires the same sort of demons as the Dragonsbane and Sun Wolf worlds. This is actually a shame, because the thing that made the Darwath books so special was their individuality.
March 17, 2014
I could really be a fan of Barbara Hambly, if only she would write more in her own worlds instead of writing for the Star Wars franchise.
Still, this rather loses its way. Having started with a war between humanity and some subterranean alien presence in The Time of the Dark, and ended the war in <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>The Armies of Daylight , Hambly seems to have rather lost her way — or perhaps to just be writing in the vein of her Star Wars contributions. All her fans no doubt did want to know more about Icefalcon, but this didn't really draw me in.
December 27, 2012
Final book in the Darwath series...not as well written and structured as the others in the series but worth reading... Fills in the story of the Icefalcon and how he came to leave his people to live in Dare Keep.....basic story has young Tir kidnapped w only Icefalcon able to follow... Parts of story are a bit contrived.....almost as if the author didn't quite finish fleshing it out but wanted to finish it so used the artifice of spirit walking to reach the conclusion...
September 11, 2016
Again, another well written novel in the Darwath series, focussing almost entirely on what was previously a secondary character. I could see the interest in him from the previous books, so I didn't mind the change of perspective. I was minorly perturbed by what seemed to be, to me, some contradictions in his behaviour that smacked of not quite having his personality thoroughly meshed out before writing, but it didn't, overall, detract from the enjoyment of the story.
October 15, 2012
I liked this one better than "Mother of Winter" but less than the original trilogy. I'm glad it wasnt as dark as "Mother of Winter" because there's only so much bad stuff that can happen to one group of people before I say enough!
I liked the focus on Icefalcon since he was such a mysterious character in all the other books. But this book is probably something I won't be rereading.
I liked the focus on Icefalcon since he was such a mysterious character in all the other books. But this book is probably something I won't be rereading.
May 15, 2014
I wanted to like this more than I did, but I think the pacing and plot just fell a bit flat. Definitely not as good as the books form the Darwath trilogy, but I loved Icefalcon so much the prospect of a whole book with him was too much to resist. Good read if you really love the character, but you still might have to speed read through some boring parts.
March 13, 2009
This was a guilty pleasure read all the way. Takes me back to the junior high days when I first read Hambly's Darwath trilogy. For me her fantasy stuff never stood up to her January detective novels and this one isn't any different. Interesting, but not something I'll likely pick up again.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews