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The Falcons of Fire and Ice

Karen Maitland (Goodreads Author)

3.66 · Rating details · 1,027 ratings · 124 reviews

The year is 1539 and the Portuguese Inquisition ushers in an era of torture and murder. When the Royal Falconer is imprisoned on false charges to remove him from the inner circle of the boy King, the Inquisitors strike an impossible deal with his daughter, Isabela. Bring back two rare white falcons from Iceland within the year or her father dies.

Meanwhile in Iceland, a me ...more

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ebook, 496 pages

Published August 16th 2012 by Michael Joseph (first published August 1st 2012)

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Feb 13, 2018 Peter rated it it was amazing

Shelves: literary-fiction, historical-fiction

Peril
Karen Maitland's fourth book is a divergence from historical England to give us a perspective of Lisbon and Iceland in the 16th century. May 23, 1536, marks the day that the Inquisition was formally introduced into Portugal and was intended to root out heresy within the Church. It was not by definition directed specifically at Jews, but in countries where Jews had converted to Christianity in large numbers, it did largely focus on those who were suspected of continuing to practice Judaism i Peril
Karen Maitland's fourth book is a divergence from historical England to give us a perspective of Lisbon and Iceland in the 16th century. May 23, 1536, marks the day that the Inquisition was formally introduced into Portugal and was intended to root out heresy within the Church. It was not by definition directed specifically at Jews, but in countries where Jews had converted to Christianity in large numbers, it did largely focus on those who were suspected of continuing to practice Judaism in secret. Isabelle's family and friends have Jewish sympathies and connections, and while not necessarily practising are aware that people have been executed for less. Her father is the King's Falconer and he has a closer than expected interaction with the King, not to everyone's approval.

Karen's ability to create an atmosphere and landscape in historical times is amazing and how she carefully creates a character from these elements, is fabulous. The threats and fear during this horrific period are very well captured, with spies and rumour-mongering aplenty.

The main storyline focuses on a mission to capture 2 rare white falcons after the King's Falcons are killed. Isabela is tasked with this assignment under threat that her father will be executed if she doesn't replace the dead ones. The rare White Falcons are found in Iceland, a country that is following the Protestant faith and unfriendly towards Catholic regions. In addition, the Church has sent along a companion that must ensure she does not return, but who is he among the group of people that are travelling with her, as they become embroiled in this pacey adventure.

There is always a sense of threat in these stories and Karen makes them so vivid that it generates suspense and allurement that is totally engrossing. The landscape of Iceland is very well portrayed and the dark and dreary conditions add to the foreboding, menacing feeling.

If you love mystery, suspense and adventure, in a medieval setting, there is none better than Karen Maitland to deliver. Highly recommended novel. ...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Bettie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Bettie by: Pat

Shelves: cover-love, portugal, historical-fiction, iceland, hardback, paper-read, medieval5c-16c, roman-catholic, seven-seas, summer-2012

(view spoiler) ...more

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Mar 15, 2018 Serene Morticia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 09, 2012 Blair rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, read-abroad, 2012-release, other-review-copy

I saw a copy of this in a bookshop a couple of days ago, so I presume it's safe to post my review of it here at last, although I read an advance copy back in April! Being the fool that I am, I never got round to writing a review of it at the time, which means I am now left with only vague recollections of what it was actually about and what I particularly liked/disliked. My notes from then (I was on holiday) have this to contribute:

Very good but not up to the standard of the last book. Just as e I saw a copy of this in a bookshop a couple of days ago, so I presume it's safe to post my review of it here at last, although I read an advance copy back in April! Being the fool that I am, I never got round to writing a review of it at the time, which means I am now left with only vague recollections of what it was actually about and what I particularly liked/disliked. My notes from then (I was on holiday) have this to contribute:

Very good but not up to the standard of the last book. Just as exciting and compelling as her previous novels but I didn't find the protagonists, Isabela and Ricardo, anywhere near as likeable and easy to relate to as Elena and Raffaelle from The Gallows Curse. I also found that the desolate settings (of Iceland in particular) sucked some of the interest out of the premise. It was still a great adventure but didn't grab me in the same way as the others for some reason I can't quite put my finger on.

The Falcons of Fire and Ice moves away from the author's traditional setting of medieval England, and instead is split between Portugal and Iceland. As usual, there's a big, diverse cast of characters, although the focus is mainly on Isabela, the daughter of Portugal's Royal Falconer, who must travel to Iceland to retrieve two rare falcons; Ricardo, a mischievous adventurer who never seems to be telling the truth; and Eydis, an oracle who has spent her whole life chained up inside a cave, and whose twin sister, Valdis (also imprisoned in the cave) may have been possessed by an evil spirit. Each of the three main characters gets their own first-person narrative, with the chapters split between them.

I've been a fan of Karen Maitland for a couple of years now, and I absolutely LOVED her last book, The Gallows Curse, which in my opinion was (and is) her best so far. As a result, I had exceptionally high expectations for this one, so I suppose it's not entirely surprising that, although I really liked it, I ended up feeling a little disappointed. Maitland's skill for really bringing her settings to life is sometimes a disadvantage here as the circumstances and backdrops all seem so depressing. As far as the characters went, I liked Isabela but didn't feel a strong connection with her, and I didn't particularly like or trust Ricardo throughout the book. There's a twist regarding his character right at the very end, but because I'd already developed a negative attitude towards him, this didn't really surprise or shock me. I'd also guessed the sisters' secret well before it was revealed. This isn't to say that these twists aren't executed well and exciting to read, they're just not very hard to figure out if you're concentrating on the story.

When a fairly prolific author writes a book you absolutely adore, the risk is that nothing they produce afterwards will ever quite live up to it, even if you still love everything they do. This happened to me with F.G. Cottam and Dark Echo, and it looks like The Gallows Curse might be the Maitland equivalent. The main thing wrong with The Falcons of Fire and Ice was simply the fact that it wasn't The Gallows Curse. I enjoyed it a lot and it made for a great, absorbing holiday read, but the characters didn't leave much of an impression on me at all. Writing this review some months after reading the book has given me a different perspective on it, and I'm finding that my main memories are a) a vivid impression of the bleak Icelandic landscape and b) the fact that I didn't like Ricardo! I'd say it's on a par with her earlier novels rather than displaying the progression I expected: recommended, but not the author's best. ...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Teresa rated it liked it

I've really enjoyed two of Karen Maitland's previous novels, The Owl Killers and The Company of Liars but I wasn't so keen on her last book, The Gallows Curse. Still, I was keen to read The Falcons of Fire and Ice and see if it would captivate me as much as The Owl Killers had.

The Portugal of 1539, complete with the terror of the Inquisition, was rather different from the view from my Portuguese sun-lounger - yes, the heat of the sun was rather intense but hardly a match for the pyres erected by ...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Kristin Gleeson rated it it was amazing

Set in 16th century Spain and Iceland the novel follows the fortunes of the rogue and con man Ricardo and the Marrano (Jewish convert) Isabella. On Iceland we also follow one of a pair of twins, held captive for years in a warm spring cave. Isabella is desperate to travel to Iceland to capture two falcons needed to save her father from the his imprisonment and certain death after he was falsely accused of killing the king's falcons. The Inquisition who has identified Isabella and her father as J ...more

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Sep 18, 2019 The Captain rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy

Ahoy there me mateys! This be the twelfth book in me Ports for Plunder - 19 Books in 2019 list. I have wanted to read this book for a long time. I discovered it back in the days when I had no blog and even less money than I do now. So first I read the owl killers about beguinages because I could get it from the library. That was a five star read and so I knew I wanted to read more of her work. Never did. When 19 in 2019 came around, I gave in and bought a copy of this novel because a) I h Ahoy there me mateys! This be the twelfth book in me Ports for Plunder - 19 Books in 2019 list. I have wanted to read this book for a long time. I discovered it back in the days when I had no blog and even less money than I do now. So first I read the owl killers about beguinages because I could get it from the library. That was a five star read and so I knew I wanted to read more of her work. Never did. When 19 in 2019 came around, I gave in and bought a copy of this novel because a) I had some loot; and b) I just had to know about the falcons.

This book is set in 1539 during the Portuguese Inquisition. The Inquisitors are out to destroy the "Marranos" who are the Spanish and Portuguese Jews who were forced to convert to Catholicism. Some of them still practice in secret. The Catholic Church wants all Jews to burn. In the midst of this fervor, Isabela's father, the Royal Falconer has been framed for killing the King's favourite falcons and be imprisoned. The falcons must be replaced within one year or father will die. So Isabela sets out from Portugal to Iceland to capture two new birds. Cool concept right?

Unfortunately I struggled with the execution of this one. I absolutely loved the entire section set in Portugal and how Isabel's family gets tangled into the politics of the Inquisition. The start of the journey to Iceland was where the problems with the book started. How Isabel is able to buy passage on the ship to Iceland was unrealistic. I mistakenly thought that Isabel would disguise herself as a boy and complete her tasks that way. Nope. She is so naive and travels as a girl alone. Didn't buy it. That said I loved the ship travel itself. Arrrr! But the multiple points of view started confusing me during the ship travel too.

Besides Isabel, there be Ricardo the rogue and Eywis the seer. I actually did enjoy all three characters. Ricardo is out to get Isabel but doesn't really want to follow orders. Eywis (and her twin) be trapped in an Icelandic cave because of their powers and Eywis inadvertently helps release a menace that threatens all of Iceland. The POV problem stems from the three young men on the ship (Ricardo being one) all traveling for nefarious sounding purposes and under assumed names. During the Isabel chapters the three all seemed interchangeable and I couldn't tell who was who. I was so confused even with flipping back and forth. Of course they all chased and fawned after Isabel. Bah.

Then comes the section in Iceland. Having visited Iceland earlier this year, I absolutely loved reading about the setting and life there. But the plot became plodding and the magic, while cool, didn't make much sense. Isabel makes stupid choices continuously, the three men are still annoying, and seriously they all should have died multiple times given how unprepared and pompous they were. The magic fighting evil plot felt nonsensical at times. I bought Eywis' magic and found it to be interesting. I didn't buy Isabel's part in the magic at all. I wanted falcons dang it. And then the falcons and ending were lackluster and irksome.

So did I hate this book given me complaints? No. I wanted to know how it turned out and did enjoy the characters, world building, and magic. I just was under the impression that Isabel's story would be the focus and it wasn't. The blurb was misleading and I wanted something different.

I do actually want to read more of this author's work. I enjoy her viewpoints into the magic, myths, and politics of the middle ages. I love the historical notes at the end of her books. Her author Goodreads bio describes two other works as "her first medieval thriller was 'Company of Liars', was set at the time of the Black Death in 1348 . . . [and] 'The Gallows Curse' is set in the reign of bad King John." Plus she has one called the plague charmer set in 1361 that sounds fun. The library has company of liars so when I be in the mood for another of Maitland's books I will read that next. Arrrr! ...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Jane rated it liked it · review of another edition

I have found that, when I want to travel back to the dark ages, Karen Maitland is a wonderful guide. She has so clearly studied the period, she so clearly loves the period, and she conveys all of that in wonderfully imagined and told stories.

This one pulled me in straight away, with high drama.

In Iceland an expectant mother found herself, and her unborn children, cursed when her husband killed the last white falcons on their mountain, breaking an oath and breaking old customs for financial gain. ...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Beth (bibliobeth) rated it really liked it

I'm a big fan of Karen Maitland, and I urge anyone new to this author to read her previous works. The Falcons of Fire and Ice is based in two countries, Portugal and Iceland and each chapter is narrated by a different character. There is Isabela, a young girl forced to travel to Iceland to find a pair of rare falcons thus freeing her father from imprisonment and likely death. Our second narrator is Ricardo who is a bit of a "rogue" and is employed by the Inquisitors to "get rid" of Isabela befor ...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Nicky rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction-alternatehistory, fantasy

I didn't like this as much as Karen Maitland's other work. Maybe because I'm getting used to her style, or because this one had too long to build up in my mind -- maybe because it seemed to be over too fast, and I didn't really like the characters. Isabela, yes, but Ricardo, ugh, and somehow the whole of it didn't have the same dark urgency to it as the other books.

Perhaps even because Iceland is one of my Things and I wasn't so sure about the depth of Maitland's research here. It's not my perio ...more

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Jun 23, 2018 Robin rated it really liked it

Superstition, religion/mysticism & adventure are always on the menu in a Karen Maitland novel. I don't know if any of hers will ever be better than Company of Liars, for me, but -since that was one of my favorite books ever - that's okay. This still draws you in, keeps you hooked & has just enough creepy factor to be a dark but fun read. ...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Stephen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

enjoyed this book of falcons, birds, 16th century belem, sintra and lisbon and the travels of isabela goes in search of 2 white falcons to save her father but has to travel to iceland to find them in hostile land also split with religion, well worth reading

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Nov 03, 2020 Jennifer Shaw rated it really liked it

This was my first Maitland read and for the most part really enjoyed it. The characters, particularly Ricardo, are interesting to follow, but the plot becomes more plot-heavy than character-driven in the second half, leaving some elements unresolved. They become a little more two dimensional as time goes on, which is a shame as the ingredients are all there for complex characterisation.

The mysterious Icelandic landscape is described in a truly immersive and captivating way, I was able to comple ...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Susan rated it it was amazing

Having loved all of Karen Maitland's previous books Company of Liars, The Owl Killers and The Gallows Curse, I was delighted to read her latest offering. "The Falcons of Fire and Ice" is set in Portugal, 1539, when the country is in the icy grip of the Inquisition. Isabela is the daughter of the Royal Falconer and King Sebastian loves both falcons and the company of the gentle man who tends them; but when tragedy strikes the King is able to do little to protect him, as he is just a child and his Having loved all of Karen Maitland's previous books Company of Liars, The Owl Killers and The Gallows Curse, I was delighted to read her latest offering. "The Falcons of Fire and Ice" is set in Portugal, 1539, when the country is in the icy grip of the Inquisition. Isabela is the daughter of the Royal Falconer and King Sebastian loves both falcons and the company of the gentle man who tends them; but when tragedy strikes the King is able to do little to protect him, as he is just a child and his great-uncle is both Regent and the former Grand Inquisitor. When Isabela's father is arrested on false charges her only chance of obtaining his release is to bring back two extremely rare white falcons from Iceland within a year and a day.

Isabela is a brave and resourceful young girl who immediately sets out on a quest that seems almost impossible, despite her life being turned upside down. As well as the quest itself, there are those who wish to see her fail and others who intend to make sure that she does not complete the task. Isabela's fate is entwined with Ricardo, a likeable adventurer, and a mysterious woman chained in a cave whose sister has been possessed. Like Karen Maitland's previous novels, this contains more than a hint of magic and the supernatural. She manages to portray both the fear of the Inquisition at that time, when persecution, informers and fear of arrest overshadowed the country and the untamed beauty of Iceland, with menacing, volcanic mountains and marshy land ready to pull you into the depths. The two countries seem outwardly very different, yet both contain religious intolerance and superstitions, as well as a dread of those who are different.

In some ways, Falcons reminded me most of "Company of Liars" as Isabela travels with companions, unsure of which are her enemies and suspicious of everyone. It has the same sense of dark menace and tension, excellent characters and wonderful, evocative locations. I am sure all fans of Karen Maitland's books will love this as much as I did. This is brilliant historical fiction, with a twist of magic that gives it the authors own particular flavour. A real winner and highly recommended. ...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Jill Heather rated it really liked it

Karen Maitland writes what I will call medieval horror/thriller, which is a weird, weird genre. Superstition is taken very seriously: it's all real, and religion is in some respects a response to the demons etc. Her books are creepy, though not gory or particularly explicit.

This one is set during the inquisition in Portugal. At the same time, in Iceland, the Lutherans are off trying to kill the Catholics. It's a fascinating other side which I had never heard of before now. (I am suddenly interes ...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Patrick Neylan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, 21st-century, owned, supernatural, historical-fiction

Some reviewers have complained that this book is no different from Maitland's earlier books. That's a shame if true, but I've never read any of her other books so I can only judge The Falcons of Fire & Ice on its own merits. And those merits are considerable.

The ice is Iceland; the fire is the fire of the Portuguese Inquisition in the mid-16th Century. The daughter of a Portuguese falconer is forced to travel north to capture two falcons to save her father from the flames, while a charming con- ...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Maya Panika rated it really liked it

Set in the sixteenth century amidst the horrors of religious persecution and ‘holy’ wars of all stamps, Karen Maitland's tale traverses the Atlantic, from Portugal under the Inquisition, to Iceland under the heel of the Lutheran Danes.

It opens with a lot of unconnected storylines that eventually come together; a lot of characters too, many with names that I found difficult to remember. I did lose track a bit at first, but not too radically and as the individual threads begin to draw together, an ...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Paul rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-2014

The young king of Portugal's gyrfalcons have been killed, and chief suspect if the falconer. He is held captive, and his daughter, Isabela is charged with getting two more from Iceland, or her father dies.

She sets off on a voyage to get them, little knowing that other passengers on the boat are set on her not achieving her goal. She is almost left behind when the ship has to shelter in a storm, and uncovering an object, before resuming her journey. On reaching Iceland she is informed that she ha ...more

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Jun 24, 2018 Rùne Ulfeblut rated it it was amazing

Shelves: norse-medieval-history-folk-lore

'The Falcons of Fire and Ice' is, without a doubt, my favourite novel by Karen Maitland.
I loved both 'The Owl Killers' and 'Company of Liars', but this is definitely the book I loved the most.

In this book, Karen Maitland again proves herself to be the most dedicated novelist of the Middle Ages. She also manages to keep a few secrets perfectly hidden until the very end, such as the identity of one of the characters.

The novel takes place throughout Portugal and Iceland, and - as is typical of Mait ...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Georgina Newcomb rated it liked it

‘The Falcons of Fire and Ice’ is the first Karen Maitland book that I have read. I read the back page, found it intriguing and turned to the first page. This is the test I do you see, wherever I am at a bookstore or a supermarket, this is how I choose whether I will buy the book or not. The author has two chances; the synopsis and the first page. If the synopsis tells me a story that I know I will like, then I will try the first page. The first page is where I look at the style of writing, I usu ‘The Falcons of Fire and Ice’ is the first Karen Maitland book that I have read. I read the back page, found it intriguing and turned to the first page. This is the test I do you see, wherever I am at a bookstore or a supermarket, this is how I choose whether I will buy the book or not. The author has two chances; the synopsis and the first page. If the synopsis tells me a story that I know I will like, then I will try the first page. The first page is where I look at the style of writing, I usually know instantly if I like the way the author writes; if I don't like the way they write I will not read on. The first page also tells me whether the book will keep me interested, whether I will not be able to put the book down and whether I will finish the book (although a lot of the time I give a book at least a chapter before I give up entirely.) I can tell this by the feeling I have once I have read the first page; do I want to turn to the next page? It sounds simple enough and it is, but if the story is enthralling, then I will want to see what is on page two. If I want to know what is on page two, this is when I buy the book.
I bought ‘The Falcons of Fire and Ice’ because I wanted to read the second page, but it was the journey I took with the characters, which kept me reading.
The story followed three characters, although the journey was based around the young girl (Isabela). I always enjoy reading from the point of view of the main character, this is because I feel you learn more about them this way and you really get inside their thought process. Karen Maitland does this excellently from each perspective. Though it took me a good few chapters for the male character (Cruz), in the end I grew fond of all three. Maitland takes us between Portugal and Iceland in 1539. Both countries are ruled violently by religious organisations, who force their views on all others. Isabela’s quest begins as her family are caught in the Portuguese Inquisition’s sights. To save her family from a painful death, she begins a journey that takes her across the sea and to the north. Cruz finds himself forced to join this journey when his own life is put in danger by the Inquisition. The third character and definitely my favourite, is the mysterious Eydis who along with her sister possesses unusual gifts. This is the part of the story that I like the most, the mysterious and the magical part.
Eydis’s story I found the most intriguing from the beginning, the others I thought was a little slow and dare I say dreary. Isabela is a strong soul, but unfortunately only mentally, I hoped that she would become a heroin of sorts; but she never really felt like she did to me. She was much the damsel in distress, waiting for someone else to save her rather than attempting to save herself. I felt for her but I didn’t feel bad enough for her. What is that saying? Make the readers care, then torture the protagonist. She was certainly tortured, but I don’t know whether I really cared that much. Cruz was not much of a hero either, he was almost as weak as Isabela herself, except for the extra strengths he was given for being a man (and I mean literal). There was a section near the beginning where I think that Maitland tried to gain that bond between him and the reader, but again, I didn’t really feel it there. Eydis however I loved. I loved her backstory, her characteristics and her personality. The storyline that began with her had me turning the pages at the speed of sound, I was desperate to know what she was doing and what was happening and this is why I continued on. Unfortunately I did not feel the same for Isabela and Crus’s storyline, that is, until the stories joined together and that is when it really began to get fascinating.
The story seemed a little predictable throughout, but then again if you was a chef, you would expect to be able to guess the ingredients of others cooking (I have read a lot in my short life and I certainly have written plenty.) Perhaps the fact that you followed three of the characters and so knew each of them well, made the story easy to foretell. If I was to guess, I would say that that had a massive influence on the stories predictability. However predictable it was the setting of the book and the history was absorbing. I love when an author teaches us things and Maitland taught me plenty.
I always say that it is the journey I enjoy the most, but in this case, the journey was not enough. The descriptions and the knowledge that was given by Maitland, made me feel as though I was there. I could picture the scenery, as though I was walking upon the snow in Iceland and I could feel the heat of the burning fires in Portugal. She seems to have a knack for the descriptions and this is something that I cannot say about too many authors. She has also done her homework. I doubt that she is a trained falconer and I doubt that she knew the rest of the full history’s and details she added throughout before starting this book. However you can tell that she took pride in her work to ensure the information she gave was thought-provoking and relevant.
The end of the book was a disappointment for me, I will not say why as to not ruin this for others, but I will say that I felt that it could have had a further chapter added at the end. Because of this, I feel I would not want to read another of her books as I dislike when a book does not end the way I would like and expect it to. I will however, give Maitland a second chance as the way she wrote ‘The Falcons of Fire and Ice’ had me hanging on to her every word. This is all an author really wants is it not? For its readers to want to finish their book and I certainly wanted to find out if there would be a happily ever after, and who (if any) would have their happily ever after.
...more

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Jan 19, 2020 Mark Townsend rated it it was amazing

This is the first of Karen Maitland's novels I bought. I heard her talking about it on the radio and she she impressed me hugely. Her historical knowledge oozed out through the radio waves and her ability to make a story powerful and compelling was very evident. So I bought the book and devoured it immediately. I have now read all her other books and she has definitely become one of my very favourite authors.

Falcons of Fire and Ice is an epic that keeps you guessing until the very end. It takes ...more

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Aug 24, 2020 Mandy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, audio, library-reads-2020

I've enjoyed two Mailtand novels before this one, A Company of Liars and The Owl Killers, but this is the first I have listened to on audio and I thought the narrator did a great job with all the different accents, it really brought the story to life. Would I have enjoyed it as much as the previous two novels if I'd read a physical book I don't know? But I really enjoyed this one.

A great mix of history, mythology/folklore and adventure. She really knows her stuff! ...more

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Jan 03, 2018 Brandi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction

I liked the authors approach to the Inquisition, and that she took her characters outside of the typical geography and put them in Iceland. The end was left open enough to make you wonder if the main character was truly going to reach her goal and if she did what her life might be like.

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Oct 06, 2012 Wolf rated it it was ok

Karen Maitland's latest novel is a disappointment. It fails to fulfil the promise that her first book (Company of Liars) showed or even the promise of that the backcover blurb suggests.

Please be warned that some SPOILERS are discussed below.

Set in sixteenth century Portugal and Iceland it promises a potent brew - the Inquisition and religious persecution, surviving pagan beliefs and the almost legendary Icelandic gryfalcon. Anyone who has visited both Iceland and Lisbon and Sintra in Portugal wi Karen Maitland's latest novel is a disappointment. It fails to fulfil the promise that her first book (Company of Liars) showed or even the promise of that the backcover blurb suggests.

Please be warned that some SPOILERS are discussed below.

Set in sixteenth century Portugal and Iceland it promises a potent brew - the Inquisition and religious persecution, surviving pagan beliefs and the almost legendary Icelandic gryfalcon. Anyone who has visited both Iceland and Lisbon and Sintra in Portugal will be excited that such strong locations will be the setting for the story. But the elements of the story are clumsily handled and the settings generally so colourlessly described that no sense of place ever really comes across.

A greater problem is that the story never fully convinces, certainly not as the historical novel it appears to be. One of the central characters is supposed to be a charming rogue who lives by his wits. Rather than being a conman attuned to those around him, reading situations and playing people, the character, as presented, is a complete idiot, incapable of picking up on clues that only the truly dense would fail to see as obvious.

Another is the daughter of the royal falconer of Portugal. Portugal was extremely wealthy with overseas links to colonies and trading posts India and the New World. In an age when any position that conferred royal patronage and access to the monarch was something nobles would abase themselves to gain, the position of chief falconer to the King would be a highly respected and important position, its occupant one of the most privileged people in the kingdom. Yet we are asked to accept that in fact he lives the most modest of lifestyles, without any servants at home. In the society of the sixteenth century this just is not plausible.

We also discover that she is the child of a family of Jewish converts. Two issues arise from this. The first is that her reaction does not convince: she feels entirely rejected by the Christian Church. Yet having been raised a devout Catholic one might expect that her first reaction would be to accept that only those of Jewish descent who continue to practise their old religion would be persecuted - or at the very least should be persecuted. Our beliefs are rarely so completely reversed, no matter what the situation.

Secondly, when the inquisition (who are characterised as simply villainous, rather than fanatical but honest) discover this they seek to use this fact against the father. He is set up by killing two of the falcons he cares for. Why the Inquisition need to kill the falcons rather than simply accuse him of heresy is far from convincingly explained. One might have thought it hard to swallow that a falconcer would kill his own prized animals (and thereby diminish his own standing). They then, however, agree to the daughter making a journey to Iceland to get two more falcons. And on the success or failure of this, we are asked to believe, the fate not just of the father rests but indeed that of all the converted Jews of Portugal. The inquisition were not fools, nor were they given to ridiculous bargains and this sounds wildly improbable.

I suspect that the author might respond that the story is not supposed to be taken wholly literally. It is an element deliberately taken from the logic of folktales and fairy stories, not the real world. Much like The Company of Liars these traditional stories repeatedly surface in this book. Unlike Maitland's first novel, however, where they felt fully integrated into the structure and purpose of the narrative, here a series of falcon related tales are simply dropped in. They serve no particular purpose, and do not move forward or reflect the main story.

The story is told in a manner that, otherwise, suggests that we are supposed to believe that the sixteenth century world is real. The characters are described in terms that invite us to look at them as having depth, unlike the protagonist in a Grimm's fairytale. Narrative elements need a similar degree of plausibility and depth to fit.

This causes most difficulty when the issue of magic is raised. The Company of Liars trod a clever line where the use of magic might be real or it might be primarily psychological. Here no such ambiguity exists. We have to accept here that magic is real, that the supernatural does exist and has genuine physical effects. This too jars with a background that appears solidly rooted in our real world.

Even having accepted that this is fantasy the reader is likely to still be disappointed: it is badly done fantasy. The danger with magic and magical characters is that they can end up as little more than examples of 'deus ex machina' - and here we have a character who is exactly that. She shows up occasionally and mysteriously before wandering out of the story again from time to time. She never manages to appear when particularly helpful (this is for most of the story) but does show up at the very end to wrap matters up quickly.

All-in-all, a real disappointment. It is not badly written and it contains some nicely done elements, but overall I could not recommend it.
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Sep 02, 2017 Ria rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-that-i-would-recommend

A great story that had me gasping with surprise at a few moments!

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Sep 30, 2017 Tina Hileman rated it it was amazing

Zombies, glaciers, volcanoes, royal falcons, religious hatred and much, much more are in this story! It takes place in 1564, a time of religious upheaval and persecution of Jews by the Catholic Inquistion in Portugal and finishes in Iceland. One of the best stories I have read in a long time.

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Jan 02, 2013 Steve Rippington rated it really liked it

It's hard to know what to label this; it's part medieval mystery, horror story, and thriller. Karen Maitland has a knack for atmospheric writing. I've read a few of her books now, and every time I feel like I've been transported into a world that's part historical, part magical invention. The superstitions of the time are consistently presented as they would have appeared to the people of the time, in a way that blurs the distinction of fiction and fact.

The Falcons of Fire and Ice follows the st ...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Squiff Drake rated it really liked it

Set in the Portugal and Iceland in the 16th century while the Inquisition rages in Portugal and the Danes bring Lutheranism to Iceland. Isabela the daughter of the Falconer to Portugals young King sees her father arrested for killing the royal white falcons. Her father and family will be killed if the falcons are not replaced. Isabela set off for the far Northern lands where the falcons are found in the hope of securing her father freedom but the church has its reasons for wanting her to fail. T ...more

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Aug 17, 2014 Anthony Burt rated it it was ok

I love Karen Maitland's historical thriller novels, but this one was nowhere near as good as her others, in my opinion. About a girl called Isabela who has to go on a journey to find two white falcons (in order to save her father's life from the Spanish Inquisition, who want to kill him because of being falsely accused of killing the King's falcons), there is a lot of fantastically detailed Icelandic and Portugese religious history in this book, but there was just something very tenuous and empt ...more

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Aug 16, 2013 Lauren rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2013

I liked this better than Company of Liars, which I'm not sure if I reviewed on here or if it was before Goodreads ... if it was on here (I am too lazy to check), then I probably ended up giving that one a higher rating for whatever reason. Anyway, point being, The Falcons is a better book no matter how my ratings may conflict.

However, it's not a great book. It's a good summer read for someone who is OK with light fantasy but would prefer the trappings of the normal world. I suppose my main probl ...more

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About Karen Maitland

Karen Maitland

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Karen Maitland has recently moved to the wonderful county of Devon and has a doctorate in psycholinguists. She is fascinated by the myth and magic of the Middle Ages, which she draws on for her novels. She experienced the medieval lifestyle for real, when she worked for eighteen months in a rural village in Nigeria, living without electricity, plumbing or sanitation.

Her first medieval thriller wa ...more