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Ice Prophet #2
The Flame Upon the Ice
Vintage paperback
280 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 12, 1984
86 people want to read
About the author
William R. Forstchen
116 books1,755 followersWilliam R. Forstchen (born 1950) is an American author who began publishing in 1983 with the novel Ice Prophet. He is a Professor of History and Faculty Fellow at Montreat College, in Montreat, North Carolina. He received his doctorate from Purdue University with specializations in Military History, the American Civil War and the History of Technology.
Forstchen is the author of more than forty books, including the award winning We Look Like Men of War, a young adult novel about an African-American regiment that fought at the Battle of the Crater, which is based upon his doctoral dissertation, The 28th USCTs: Indiana’s African-Americans go to War, 1863-1865 and the "Lost Regiment" series which has been optioned by both Tom Cruise and M. Night Shyamalan.
Forstchen’s writing efforts have, in recent years, shifted towards historical fiction and non fiction. In 2002 he started the “Gettysburg” trilogy with Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich; the trilogy consists of Gettysburg: A Novel of the Civil War, Grant Comes East, and Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant - The Final Victory. More recently, they have have published two works on the events leading up to Pearl Harbor and immediately after that attack Pearl Harbor, and Days of Infamy.
In March 2009, Forstchen’s latest work, One Second After, (Forge/St. Martin’s books) was released. Based upon several years of intensive research and interviews, it examines what might happen in a “typical” American town in the wake of an attack on the United States with “electro-magnetic pulse” (EMP) weapons. Similar in plotting to books such as On the Beach and Alas Babylon, One Second After, is set in a small college town in western North Carolina and is a cautionary tale of the collapse of social order in the wake of an EMP strike. The book has been optioned by Warner Bros. and currently is in development as a feature film. The book was cited on the floor of Congress and before the House Armed Services Committee by Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R.-MD), chair of the House Committee tasked to evaluate EMP weapons, as a realistical portrayal of the potential damage rendered by an EMP attack on the continental United States.
Forstchen resides near Asheville, North Carolina with his daughter Meghan. His other interests include archaeology, and he has participated in several expeditions to Mongolia and Russia. He is a pilot and co owns an original 1943 Aeronca L-3B recon plane used in World War II.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/willia...
Forstchen is the author of more than forty books, including the award winning We Look Like Men of War, a young adult novel about an African-American regiment that fought at the Battle of the Crater, which is based upon his doctoral dissertation, The 28th USCTs: Indiana’s African-Americans go to War, 1863-1865 and the "Lost Regiment" series which has been optioned by both Tom Cruise and M. Night Shyamalan.
Forstchen’s writing efforts have, in recent years, shifted towards historical fiction and non fiction. In 2002 he started the “Gettysburg” trilogy with Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich; the trilogy consists of Gettysburg: A Novel of the Civil War, Grant Comes East, and Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant - The Final Victory. More recently, they have have published two works on the events leading up to Pearl Harbor and immediately after that attack Pearl Harbor, and Days of Infamy.
In March 2009, Forstchen’s latest work, One Second After, (Forge/St. Martin’s books) was released. Based upon several years of intensive research and interviews, it examines what might happen in a “typical” American town in the wake of an attack on the United States with “electro-magnetic pulse” (EMP) weapons. Similar in plotting to books such as On the Beach and Alas Babylon, One Second After, is set in a small college town in western North Carolina and is a cautionary tale of the collapse of social order in the wake of an EMP strike. The book has been optioned by Warner Bros. and currently is in development as a feature film. The book was cited on the floor of Congress and before the House Armed Services Committee by Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R.-MD), chair of the House Committee tasked to evaluate EMP weapons, as a realistical portrayal of the potential damage rendered by an EMP attack on the continental United States.
Forstchen resides near Asheville, North Carolina with his daughter Meghan. His other interests include archaeology, and he has participated in several expeditions to Mongolia and Russia. He is a pilot and co owns an original 1943 Aeronca L-3B recon plane used in World War II.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/willia...
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 18, 2021
I’m bailing on this series early in the 2nd book. Literally, Michael’s just far too frustrating and clue-free to me. For me personally, he could never hold the position he does at that level of incompetence and short-sightedness. Prophet and short-sighted is a definite oxymoron. Or maybe Michael’s just a moron. Either way, I’m out. Life is too short to live in that world.
May 11, 2025
While I appreciate the post-apo future in a degenerated survival setting, the characters this time don't really carry the story in a believable or interesting manner. The prophet Michael has a rational mind, but more and more the frustrating young dumbassery infiltrates the narrative. On the other hand isn't he supposed to be just a little boy, leading troops?! Mua'dib, Lisan Al Gaib!
The religious sects facing Saint Michael are called the Church of Cornath, the Church of the Ezrian Brotherhood and the Sol Church. Mike is originally from the Coranth and it is hinted this standoff has been the state of the world for the last two millennia. In addition to the ice age we have had a plague in recent years that decimated the survivor population. Among them Michael's parents. Not sure of what wood they build their ice cruisers with or where they grow food, but clearly the author needed some swashbuckling ships and let's put them sliding on the ice, because it's the future but also the past in a sense!
And ice is always clean and perfectly level. There are no chasms or breaks, the ice never moves. To me that is the only fantasy aspect of this alternative future history. Otherwise it's just intrigue, wonky characters and questionable motivations.
The religious sects facing Saint Michael are called the Church of Cornath, the Church of the Ezrian Brotherhood and the Sol Church. Mike is originally from the Coranth and it is hinted this standoff has been the state of the world for the last two millennia. In addition to the ice age we have had a plague in recent years that decimated the survivor population. Among them Michael's parents. Not sure of what wood they build their ice cruisers with or where they grow food, but clearly the author needed some swashbuckling ships and let's put them sliding on the ice, because it's the future but also the past in a sense!
And ice is always clean and perfectly level. There are no chasms or breaks, the ice never moves. To me that is the only fantasy aspect of this alternative future history. Otherwise it's just intrigue, wonky characters and questionable motivations.
June 14, 2020
Book of the Tolkien/Star Wars genre, where the author attempts to put together a complex world and society. The story involves Michael the prophet who is at war with the Cornathian Brotherhood. They are members of a religion whose chief doctrine is to convince its followers to fight to the death for the religion. The battles take place in ice ships that use wind power. Also, although the protagonists have mastered gunpowder, they battle using swords and crossbows. Upon some deep historical thinking, I have concluded that the society resembles the Roman empire and its religious doctrine, before Christianity and Islam screwed it up with its moral teaching. So far from implausible, I thought the story was interesting. It was well written and although I don't consider myself a fan of fantasy/scifi, I recommend it to people who are.
June 26, 2019
This feels like an ice world version of the Dune series in some ways. The book is good, but drags at times and its too predictable. It departs from the first book and I think that hurts it. It's still a good read, but I hope the third book gets better.
May 16, 2022
Don't you hate it when a book is not quite bad enough to stop reading it?
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews