The Voyage of the Unquiet Ice

Ship Kings #2

by Andrew McGahan

Courage, betrayal, an impossible journey. Dow's quest continues in this second adventure set upon the seas of a strange and compelling world. From award-winning author Andrew McGahan.

A vast figure loomed above the ice walls. It was made, no doubt, only of cloud or whirling snow, but it was an immense manlike thing, cast hugely against the sky. Its head stared down at them blindly, but one great arm seemed to beckon, urging the Chloe onwards. And from the depths of the gulf ahead the terrible whistling rose again.

Dow Amber has set sail at last upon the battleship Chloe, but can an outsider and an enemy ever truly belong in the Ship Kings' world? All too soon, Dow finds himself entangled in rebellion and treachery, and embarked upon a desperate voyage to the frozen north that will decide the future of the very empire. In the icy wastes Dow must take his fate in hand. Is he truly destined to be a mariner? Is the mysterious scapegoat girl Ignella a friend or a foe? And where will they each stand, when the long peace of the Four Isles threatens to shatter forever?

The Voyage of the Unquiet Ice is the second adventure in Andrew McGahan's epic Ship Kings series.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure

301 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 23, 2012

About the author

Andrew McGahan (b. 1966) was an Australian novelist, best known for his first novel Praise, and for his Miles Franklin Award-winning novel The White Earth. His novel Praise is considered to be part of the Australian literary genre of grunge lit.

Reviews

[Stacey Kym · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC kindly provided by Allen & Unwin in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Voyage of the Unquiet Ice
Author: Andrew McGahan
Published: 1 August 2016
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
RRP: $16.99

Review

'The Voyage of the Unquiet Ice' was – and IS – a spectacularly told story of Dow Amber and the second instalment in the 'Ship Kings' series. There is something amazing about Andrew McGahan's writing that I really cannot describe but will try very, very, VERY hard to!
Andrew McGahan is an Australian author (of which I'm very proud since I'm Aussie, too) who has won so many incredible awards and was nominated for even more. When you read his books, you actually UNDERSTAND why he is such a highly acclaimed author! There is this constant beauty and natural flow to the writing that makes it incredible to read. And it's so correct, too! None of that colloquial, everyday slang and language that are liberally peppered in ALL young-adult and children's books. When you read his novels, you actually learn what true storytelling is about: not only the story, but the words that tell them.
What does not cease to amaze me was the depths at which the world-building has been achieved. There was this immense knowledge of the world this author has created in every single word and sentence written. It was this grounding, viable sense that wouldn't shake it's hold of me throughout the entirety of the adventure. And BOY did it make the reading experience AMAZING! I got drawn into this world where I could smell the sea, feel its strength, touch the water, see the Ship Kings's world, and taste the salty air. No words...simply amazing.
This instalment was of even more epic proportions than the first. The first can only be described as a taste of the Ship Kings' world, this second instalment is the introduction and catalyst. SOOO many things happened here that made me BEYOND excited and ECSTATIC to be able to read the third! In NO way could this novel be claimed to have suffered second book syndrome!
The pace was well set: It revealed all this information, and there was an OVERWHELMING amount of it, which was what continues to make the series so rich and vibrant, at a steady constant pace that continues to build up and up and UP until the finale has you gasping for air...and then the novel ends. There was indescribable feeling of coming back to reality that I hated every SINGLE time I had to put the book down.
Dow grows a lot as a character in this novel. He does a lot and experiences a lot. What continues to amaze me is how detailed the characters were. All of them! No matter wether minor or major! You could sense that each had this significant role which inevitably affected Dow.
'The War of the Four Isles' is one I'd highly recommend to fans of the 'Broterband' series, or any other novel by John Flanagan. Not because it's similar, but because it's so. Much. Better. Think of everything you enjoyed there, but on more momentous level!
Congratulations to Andrew McGanhan on publishing the spell-binding sequel, 'The War of the Four Isles'!

Rating Plan
1 star : Strongly did not like the book, writing and plot was bad. Idea of the book was against my liking.
2 star : Didn't like it, didn't find it interesting or gripping. Seemed to drag on to me.
3 star : An average book. Wasn't bad or good. Everything else was well done. Original idea.
4 star : Like a 3 star but has potential to it as a series or the book grew on me as it progressed and certain scenes captured me. I Enjoyed it and read it in one sitting.
5 star : I LOVED IT! I stayed up late until 3 am. Author is a genius, characters, plot, idea, development, EVERYTHING was EXCELLENT. Nothing else can possibly be said except that its 5 STAR!

[Brona's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Book #1 'The Coming of the Whirlpool'.

And I love, love, love Book #2 'The Voyage of the Unquiet.'

It's as simple as that!

It's beautifully written and constructed.
It deals with the big themes of identity, belonging and coming of age stuff.
Dow Amber is a believable, likeable hero.
The world of the Ship Kings is so well-drawn that even someone as visually unimaginative as myself can see what Dow sees.
Full review here -http://bronasbooks.blogspot.com/2012/...

[Samuel]

A great second edition to the Ship King Novels. Captures a sense of awe and greatness being faced by the unsuspecting underdog, Dow Amber.

[Samantha-Ellen Bound · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrew McGahan is a great writer - he knows how to enthrall, how to invoke emotion, how to write beautiful passages that portray a character's feelings, without being pretentious and flowery. Voyage of the Unquiet Ice also benefited greatly from upping the pace a bit: one of the things I thought the first book had working against it. This book, however, is pretty much a non-stop adventure - it is thrilling and dangerous and pushes the characters to their very limits, and it perfectly captures the wonder Dow feels setting out on his first real adventure at sea.

Full review:
http://bookgrotto.blogspot.com.au/201...

[Calzean · Rating 4 out of 5]

The adventures of Dow Amber continues. A fun to read nautical frolic.

Dow sails to the frozen North as part of the crew of the Chloe looking for the lost son of the Sea Lord. He and Nell start to bond. He makes friends with a couple of Twin Islanders and the crew think he is a good omen. His arch enemy Diego gets his revenge and the Twelfth Kingdom is attacked.

Plenty of twist and turns, Dow is capable and lucky but very human, there is touch of the fantasy to make the story interesting but still believable, and the story ends with plenty of scope for future books.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay i read through these pretty quickly, on holiday! Dow is maturing into his identity and I like that the author doesn't make this a very quickly drawn character but allows him to learn and grow as a more sustained part of the story. His adventures are part of the more complex back story of the battle between the different isles and you know that there is more coming. It doesn't seem like the characters are the story rather it is bigger than them they are just drawn into it's maelstrom! Love these books different...

[Balthazar Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second in the Ship Kings series and the adventures of Dow Amber continue. Not just continue, but get so much better. I really enjoyed this book and very much look forward to the next. There’s mystery, action, political intrigue and even a little romance, plus heaps of betrayal and danger at every turn. This is a totally enjoyable read of life in this fantasy world of sailing ships, exploration and rebellion.

Read the series.

[Tehani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, and it's a beautiful package (in hardcover), but I was terribly disappointed by the number of errors in the book – simple grammatical issues I don't expect from such an accomplished writer or publisher. Story, characters etc five stars, but if I could, I'd knock it down to 4.5 for the lack of proofreading.

[Jeanne Ferrier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had already enjoyed the first book in the series, I liked the sequel even better! There's only one slow-paced moment, when McGahan describes the ship and its organization, but by doing that he brings in a lot of interesting information so I didn't mind. The rest of the novel is pretty fast-paced with really good plot-twists. Definitely a must-read!

[Chantal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delightful fantasy adventure, with lots of action, unscrupulous characters and surprising twists. Great middle school adventure reading. Actually deserves 3.5 stars and I am looking forward to Number 3.

[Lyn Battersby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyn is a judge for the Aurealis Awards. This review is the personal opinion of Lyn herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.

I will be rating this once the AAs are announced.

[Jacinta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the second book in this story, Dow the main character is strong and appealing. This is a real rip roaring sea adventure and the mystery keeps you engaged to the very end. Can't wait for the next instalment.

[Camille White · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me ages but I finally finished and it was a lot of fun. Im a sucker for a good ocean/adventure/sailing story.

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dow Amber's adventures continue in this dense, detailed, tightly woven narrative, full of suspense and drama.

The writing is assured and the emotion controlled. Its all so vivid and complete.

[Kerryn Whiteside · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really 3 and a half! Dow's relationship with Ignella and strange journey to the polar region occupy much of the narrative. Why is Ignella a scapegoat? Whose side is she on?

[Poookeee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second installment was even more exciting than the first book. I love how Andrew McGahan is developing his characters through the different adventures

[Vanessa Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting and amusing to read. The characters are great and the pacing makes the book difficult to put down.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great adventure on the high seas, for young and old.

[Leone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second read and i loved it as much as the first time i read this book. Complex characters, great story line and fast paced action in parts. On to the 3rd book!

[Ju Transcendancing]

Redacted due to Aurealis reading.