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The Honours #2
The Ice House
War doesn’t end. It sleeps.
Delphine Venner is old, but she remembers everything.
She remembers what it is to be a child of war, she remembers fighting for her life and what the terrifying creatures from another world took from her all those years ago. She remembers the gateway, and those she lost.
And in that other world, beast-filled and brutal, someone waits for her. Hagar, a centuries-old assassin, daily paying a terrible price for her unending youth, is planning one final death: that of her master, the Grand-Duc. A death that will cost her everything. A death that requires Delphine.
Voyaging into this violence and chaos, Delphine must remember who she really is and be ready to fight, before war reawakens. But in the battle to destroy an ageless evil, will both worlds be saved - or will every mortal creature lose everything?
Delphine Venner is old, but she remembers everything.
She remembers what it is to be a child of war, she remembers fighting for her life and what the terrifying creatures from another world took from her all those years ago. She remembers the gateway, and those she lost.
And in that other world, beast-filled and brutal, someone waits for her. Hagar, a centuries-old assassin, daily paying a terrible price for her unending youth, is planning one final death: that of her master, the Grand-Duc. A death that will cost her everything. A death that requires Delphine.
Voyaging into this violence and chaos, Delphine must remember who she really is and be ready to fight, before war reawakens. But in the battle to destroy an ageless evil, will both worlds be saved - or will every mortal creature lose everything?
412 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2019
14 people are currently reading
460 people want to read
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May 17, 2019About 50 pages into this one I realised it was a sequel and the world built in it is way too complex to skip book 1 (The Honours). So shelving this as (part) read for now. Love the writing so I've ordered the first book and I'll be back!
June 8, 2019
I picked up Tim Clare’s latest novel, The Ice House, because of my high regard for Tim Clare as a generous, encouraging presence in the writing community. His excellent podcast, Death of 1000 Cuts, is full of insight, writing tips and exercises, and interviews with authors and publishing professionals.
Literary fiction is more my jam than fantasy, although I’ve read the classics like Tolkien and, more recently, George R. R. Martin and N.K. Jemison. I jumped into The Ice House without having read the first book in the series, The Honours, but it wasn’t hard to get oriented to the worlds inside. It took a little more effort to get oriented to the relationships driving the conflict, but those also came into focus the further I read.
Clare has an artist’s eye and a poet’s voice for description. Each scene is richly detailed, which forced me, a habitual skimmer, to slow down and visualize the space through which the charters were moving. This serves as an effective background for the action sequences to play out, which are often brutal and artfully choreographed. Spoiler alert: There are LOTS of murders. But they all make sense in the context of a 300-year old nun/trained assassin’s attempt to free herself from unbearable servitude.
I adored the character of Delphine, the 85-year old offered the chance to slip back into another world that would strip her of 70 years, giving her the chance to live again in a youthful body but with the benefit of an experienced mind. Amidst world-building and fight scenes, Clare slips in perceptive meditations on the human condition, like “What a queer, pernicious magic age was. To transmogrify so profoundly, yet so invisibly. To swap out tiny granules of a person’s being while they slept, to grow a second body over their first until they peered out from within, swallowed whole.” The Ice House offers rich rewards to those who are willing to slow down and savor them.
Literary fiction is more my jam than fantasy, although I’ve read the classics like Tolkien and, more recently, George R. R. Martin and N.K. Jemison. I jumped into The Ice House without having read the first book in the series, The Honours, but it wasn’t hard to get oriented to the worlds inside. It took a little more effort to get oriented to the relationships driving the conflict, but those also came into focus the further I read.
Clare has an artist’s eye and a poet’s voice for description. Each scene is richly detailed, which forced me, a habitual skimmer, to slow down and visualize the space through which the charters were moving. This serves as an effective background for the action sequences to play out, which are often brutal and artfully choreographed. Spoiler alert: There are LOTS of murders. But they all make sense in the context of a 300-year old nun/trained assassin’s attempt to free herself from unbearable servitude.
I adored the character of Delphine, the 85-year old offered the chance to slip back into another world that would strip her of 70 years, giving her the chance to live again in a youthful body but with the benefit of an experienced mind. Amidst world-building and fight scenes, Clare slips in perceptive meditations on the human condition, like “What a queer, pernicious magic age was. To transmogrify so profoundly, yet so invisibly. To swap out tiny granules of a person’s being while they slept, to grow a second body over their first until they peered out from within, swallowed whole.” The Ice House offers rich rewards to those who are willing to slow down and savor them.
April 15, 2020
Delphine Venner has been around a long time, whilst some people the same age as her have fading memories, she has not forgotten anything. She remembers being a child of war, and fighting for her life, she remembers the gateway and the world and terrifying creatures that live the other side of it. Most of all she remember those that she lost. She is offered a chance to pass through the gateway once again. On the other side of the gateway is someone who has been an assassin for centuries. She is waiting for her.
This assassin, Hagar, is planning one last kill, and this death will cost demand from her everything she has, but to do it she needs Delphine. She is there to find her father but is dragged unwittingly into this, the whole society descends into chaos. Venner must learn the art of fighting once again in the battle to destroy an ageless evil.
I hadn’t read the first in the series before picking this book up, and while you didn’t have to have read the first one, I think that the context from the first books would have helped me with a greater understanding of the characters. It has a complex plot with lots going on too and occasionally you have to put the books down and take a moment to get it clear in your head just what was happening. It has a frantic pace at the end and probably not one for the squeamish at times. At times it was very weird but in a Miéville sort of way. That said, this is a richly imagined book of two linked worlds and a very different fantasy from what you might have read in the past. It has a sumptuous cover too.
This assassin, Hagar, is planning one last kill, and this death will cost demand from her everything she has, but to do it she needs Delphine. She is there to find her father but is dragged unwittingly into this, the whole society descends into chaos. Venner must learn the art of fighting once again in the battle to destroy an ageless evil.
I hadn’t read the first in the series before picking this book up, and while you didn’t have to have read the first one, I think that the context from the first books would have helped me with a greater understanding of the characters. It has a complex plot with lots going on too and occasionally you have to put the books down and take a moment to get it clear in your head just what was happening. It has a frantic pace at the end and probably not one for the squeamish at times. At times it was very weird but in a Miéville sort of way. That said, this is a richly imagined book of two linked worlds and a very different fantasy from what you might have read in the past. It has a sumptuous cover too.
July 13, 2019
I finished this book at 2 Am so there was no direct write up of the review other than, 'omg I loved it, go read it' and that felt insufficient haha.
I will say when I requested this on NetGalley I had no idea that it was the SECOND book, and really this was before I leaned my lesson on checking goodreads to see, so, I'm not putting the blame on them or me, it just happened that way haha. But that really didn't takeaway from the reading experience, not as much as I thought it would (so yes you could say this would have had a full 5 stars from me instead of 4.5 if I had read the first but still, 4.5 without reading it isn't shabby).
Delphine is probably one of the best MCs I've read of, and I don't mean necessarily that she was complex and multifaceted and all, but we start off in this book with a woman in her 80s, do you know how rare that is?? Not to mention I adored Martha to the point of no return and I thought that Hagar was that complex character that you couldn't just hate, but man did you sure want to shake.
Tim Clare breathes life into a whole world, giving us varied and new species and parallels, politics, intriguing characters, and does it all without making you feel like you're always getting 'lectured' on the set up of what he's given you. Butler was another favorite of mine and I love how much Martha cares for Delphine by helping her with Alice and by simply continuously staying by her side (another thing I absolutely adored and can't even put into coherent words).
If you want a book that makes you fall head over heels in love with an author's style and words and you like high/heavy fantasy, I definitely say give this book a try....just...read book 1 first (The Honors for those who are curious).
Really I tried not to fangirl over this, I didn't succeed but I hope this review helps someone!
I received this book from the Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
I will say when I requested this on NetGalley I had no idea that it was the SECOND book, and really this was before I leaned my lesson on checking goodreads to see, so, I'm not putting the blame on them or me, it just happened that way haha. But that really didn't takeaway from the reading experience, not as much as I thought it would (so yes you could say this would have had a full 5 stars from me instead of 4.5 if I had read the first but still, 4.5 without reading it isn't shabby).
Delphine is probably one of the best MCs I've read of, and I don't mean necessarily that she was complex and multifaceted and all, but we start off in this book with a woman in her 80s, do you know how rare that is?? Not to mention I adored Martha to the point of no return and I thought that Hagar was that complex character that you couldn't just hate, but man did you sure want to shake.
Tim Clare breathes life into a whole world, giving us varied and new species and parallels, politics, intriguing characters, and does it all without making you feel like you're always getting 'lectured' on the set up of what he's given you. Butler was another favorite of mine and I love how much Martha cares for Delphine by helping her with Alice and by simply continuously staying by her side (another thing I absolutely adored and can't even put into coherent words).
If you want a book that makes you fall head over heels in love with an author's style and words and you like high/heavy fantasy, I definitely say give this book a try....just...read book 1 first (The Honors for those who are curious).
Really I tried not to fangirl over this, I didn't succeed but I hope this review helps someone!
I received this book from the Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
April 30, 2019
The Ice House
Tim Clare
Allen and Unwin $29.99
ISBN: 9781786894816
Cover Art: http://assets.allenandunwin.com.s3.am...
In 2015, Tim Clare released his debut fantasy book The Honours. That book felt like a reinvigoration of classic British fantasy. Set around a stately home, Alderberen Hall, in the 1930s, if focussed on a precocious 13 year-old called Delphine Venner. The Honours had everything readers might expect of a grand British fantasy – a gateway to another world, strange creatures, secrets and a plucky heroine who gathers allies for a final battle. The end of The Honours could well have been the end of the story and the book works perfectly well as a stand alone. But in The Ice House, a name meant to trigger an association with the earlier book, Clare returns to Delphine and her world. And while this now feels like the second book in what could be an ongoing series, it is a very different beast.
The Ice House opens seventy three years after the end of The Honours. Delphine is an old woman and her friend Alice is in an old age home and her memory is slipping. She still keeps company with a giant scarab beetle called Martha, the last of her kind left in our world, and puts feelers out to anyone who might know of gateways to another reality. For those who remember the sprightly thirteen year old, the ageing Delphine Venner is a bit of a shock, but also for Delphine herself.
Because despite her age, Delphine is pretty handy with a gun and resourceful in a fight when the other world comes looking for her.
Meanwhile, in that other world in a coastal city constructed on stilts called Fat Maw, Hagar, an immortal being in a child’s body, is planning an assassination. Hagar is connected to a peer called the Grand-Duc Morgellon, peers are both immortal and can regenerate from their injuries. As his valet Hagar feels his pain for him which makes her plans to draw him out of hiding and kill him more than a little complicated. But Hagar has other worries. A doctor she has been working with has been found dead in mysterious circumstances and her plans are unravelling. For most of the book Clare follows Hagar’s story backwards in time, each jump going further back but serving to illuminate another part of her plan as it developed over hundreds of years.
In classic British fantasy style, soon both Delphine and Alice have gone through the portal (lookingglass/cupboard) and into Hagar’s world, but not in a way that feels at all derivative. The process de-ages them both to their early 20s and once again Delphine finds herself in a new body, this time suddenly, but one that has all of the moves of her younger self. She finds herself in a world that was only vaguely touched on in The Honours, and which Clare now fleshes out through geography and exploration of different races of beings many of which just served to terrify Delphine when she was 13. As well as humans the world is populated by the wolf-like and winged Vespari, the bull-headed Harka, the scarab Hanta and strange mushroom people
It is here that The Ice House completely diverges from The Honours, with most of the action and its resolution set in this world which Clare explores and describes with technicolour relish. Hagar and Delphine’s stories converge in the city of Fat Maw, a city in the middle of a huge celebration. And following this bacchanal, the potential of a civil war brewing. While this provides the excuse for plenty of action along the way, Clare builds to a explosive page-turning showdown finale deep in the bowels of an ancient temple.
The Ice House provides context for the actions and characters in The Honours and some deeper explanation of their powers without having to revisit the action in that book. But Clare significantly expands his universe by taking the action deep into the world on the other side of the portal. But even here Clare only scratches the surface of this world, leaving plenty more to be explored.
The Ice House is a stunning follow up to one of the most interesting fantasy debuts of the last few years. Clare follows in the footsteps of other modern British fantasists like China Miéville and Jeff Vandermeer in drawing on a British fantasy tradition to create a world that is at once familiar but also full of dangerous otherness. Plenty of mysteries still remain in both worlds and a cliffhanger ending means that the end of this tale is almost certainly not the end for Delphine Venner. But if Clare can deliver something different again in book three that is by no means a bad thing.
Tim Clare
Allen and Unwin $29.99
ISBN: 9781786894816
Cover Art: http://assets.allenandunwin.com.s3.am...
In 2015, Tim Clare released his debut fantasy book The Honours. That book felt like a reinvigoration of classic British fantasy. Set around a stately home, Alderberen Hall, in the 1930s, if focussed on a precocious 13 year-old called Delphine Venner. The Honours had everything readers might expect of a grand British fantasy – a gateway to another world, strange creatures, secrets and a plucky heroine who gathers allies for a final battle. The end of The Honours could well have been the end of the story and the book works perfectly well as a stand alone. But in The Ice House, a name meant to trigger an association with the earlier book, Clare returns to Delphine and her world. And while this now feels like the second book in what could be an ongoing series, it is a very different beast.
The Ice House opens seventy three years after the end of The Honours. Delphine is an old woman and her friend Alice is in an old age home and her memory is slipping. She still keeps company with a giant scarab beetle called Martha, the last of her kind left in our world, and puts feelers out to anyone who might know of gateways to another reality. For those who remember the sprightly thirteen year old, the ageing Delphine Venner is a bit of a shock, but also for Delphine herself.
Because despite her age, Delphine is pretty handy with a gun and resourceful in a fight when the other world comes looking for her.
Meanwhile, in that other world in a coastal city constructed on stilts called Fat Maw, Hagar, an immortal being in a child’s body, is planning an assassination. Hagar is connected to a peer called the Grand-Duc Morgellon, peers are both immortal and can regenerate from their injuries. As his valet Hagar feels his pain for him which makes her plans to draw him out of hiding and kill him more than a little complicated. But Hagar has other worries. A doctor she has been working with has been found dead in mysterious circumstances and her plans are unravelling. For most of the book Clare follows Hagar’s story backwards in time, each jump going further back but serving to illuminate another part of her plan as it developed over hundreds of years.
In classic British fantasy style, soon both Delphine and Alice have gone through the portal (lookingglass/cupboard) and into Hagar’s world, but not in a way that feels at all derivative. The process de-ages them both to their early 20s and once again Delphine finds herself in a new body, this time suddenly, but one that has all of the moves of her younger self. She finds herself in a world that was only vaguely touched on in The Honours, and which Clare now fleshes out through geography and exploration of different races of beings many of which just served to terrify Delphine when she was 13. As well as humans the world is populated by the wolf-like and winged Vespari, the bull-headed Harka, the scarab Hanta and strange mushroom people
It is here that The Ice House completely diverges from The Honours, with most of the action and its resolution set in this world which Clare explores and describes with technicolour relish. Hagar and Delphine’s stories converge in the city of Fat Maw, a city in the middle of a huge celebration. And following this bacchanal, the potential of a civil war brewing. While this provides the excuse for plenty of action along the way, Clare builds to a explosive page-turning showdown finale deep in the bowels of an ancient temple.
The Ice House provides context for the actions and characters in The Honours and some deeper explanation of their powers without having to revisit the action in that book. But Clare significantly expands his universe by taking the action deep into the world on the other side of the portal. But even here Clare only scratches the surface of this world, leaving plenty more to be explored.
The Ice House is a stunning follow up to one of the most interesting fantasy debuts of the last few years. Clare follows in the footsteps of other modern British fantasists like China Miéville and Jeff Vandermeer in drawing on a British fantasy tradition to create a world that is at once familiar but also full of dangerous otherness. Plenty of mysteries still remain in both worlds and a cliffhanger ending means that the end of this tale is almost certainly not the end for Delphine Venner. But if Clare can deliver something different again in book three that is by no means a bad thing.
January 18, 2020
A ripping adventure of wild imaginings.
The unstoppable Delphine Venner is the heroine I've wanted to read all my life. The Ice House opens in 1930s Norfolk, and an elderly Delphine has been scarred by the loss of her friends and family. Seeking revenge, she embarks on a quest to save her loved ones. In the world of Avalonia, Delphine returns to her youth and is supported and thwarted by a cast of eccentric characters.
Clare's vivid writing sparkles with wit and originality. His prose is sharp, with surgically precise language use. The action scenes are full-on, pack-a-punch mayhem, with a wry nod to the likes of John Buchan.
The Ice House is a strap in and hang on to your hats kind of ride, from a master wordsmith. This novel pours a gallon bucket slush puppy over the notion that speculative and literary don't mix.
The Ice House is the sequal to The Honours. It is not necessary to read them in the original order.
The unstoppable Delphine Venner is the heroine I've wanted to read all my life. The Ice House opens in 1930s Norfolk, and an elderly Delphine has been scarred by the loss of her friends and family. Seeking revenge, she embarks on a quest to save her loved ones. In the world of Avalonia, Delphine returns to her youth and is supported and thwarted by a cast of eccentric characters.
Clare's vivid writing sparkles with wit and originality. His prose is sharp, with surgically precise language use. The action scenes are full-on, pack-a-punch mayhem, with a wry nod to the likes of John Buchan.
The Ice House is a strap in and hang on to your hats kind of ride, from a master wordsmith. This novel pours a gallon bucket slush puppy over the notion that speculative and literary don't mix.
The Ice House is the sequal to The Honours. It is not necessary to read them in the original order.
May 20, 2019
Sequel to The Honours. Time has passed for Delphine, but there are still adventures to be had and strange new worlds to explore. Again beautifully written but this time with added Battle Nuns!
June 29, 2023
The Ice House is a rather different and more ambitious novel than The Honours, which I really enjoyed. While The Honours is almost entirely set in an isolated Norfolk mansion over a few months, The Ice House ranges over hundreds of years and vast expanses of a magical fantasy realm. There was a lot in The Ice House that I also enjoyed, however on balance I preferred The Honours. To begin with the strengths of The Ice House: there is a lot of excellent world-building. I appreciated the vivid and atmospheric weirdness of the fantasy realm, which includes some brilliantly memorable details like the Mucorians. Delphine, who I loved in the first book, shares protagonist duties with another feral young girl, Hagar, who also constantly chooses violence. The plot was thrilling and action-packed.
I read The Ice House within a day and had a lot of fun doing so. I have two notable reservations about it. The first is the structure. Hagar's chapters kept moving backwards in time, a conceit that I have mixed feelings about in fiction. While it can be used very effectively (e.g. by John Courtney Grimwood in Effendi if I recall correctly), tension is often undermined by the knowledge that this character must survive events unscathed. I'm not sure the flashbacks always worked here. Hagar's perspective certainly provides more lore for the fantastical world and background for the conflict Delphine gets caught up in. I don't think all her chapters were strictly necessary, though. Showing the scene in which Hagar and Delphine meet from both sides at different points felt superfluous, for example. Perhaps part of the issue was that few of Hagar's flashback scenes developed her character; most focused on others and filled in background context. Hagar herself remained something of an enigma all the way to the end.
My other reservation is the level of body horror. I like to think I'm fairly desensitised to this, having rewatched all three series of Hannibal so many times, but to be honest I had a horrible nightmare after reading The Ice House. The 'honours' the previous book is titled after are a form of immortality, which makes the honoured person impervious to ageing and able to heal from practically any physical harm. It also allows them to form a bond with a servant who then feels all of their pain. As The Ice House features quite a few characters with these powers in conflict with each other, it is full of violence, torture, and appalling injuries. These involve but are not limited to vivisection, attacks by rats, burning, stabbing, decapitation, and a brutal caesarean section. While reading, I thought this was perhaps a little much without dwelling on it. Then the night after finishing the book, my subconscious supplied a nightmare of being trapped in a train carriage with two people who could telekinetically control blood, their attack dog, and some of my friends. The blood-telekinetics choked each of my friends to death on their own blood and set their dog on me. I hid under a train seat, bleeding heavily as most of my right hand had been bitten off. I had the choice to die like my friends or become one of the blood-telekinetic murderers myself, which woke me up. Not a pleasant dream!
So even if you don't usually bat an eyelid at gore, be aware that the sheer density of body horror in The Ice House could still give you nightmares. Although the relentless bloody violence is certainly evocative, at times it distracts from events. Certain scenes could have benefited from a little less vicious fighting and a little more dialogue. Nonetheless, The Ice House is a successful sequel to The Honours and sustains an impressively high level of melodrama throughout.
I read The Ice House within a day and had a lot of fun doing so. I have two notable reservations about it. The first is the structure. Hagar's chapters kept moving backwards in time, a conceit that I have mixed feelings about in fiction. While it can be used very effectively (e.g. by John Courtney Grimwood in Effendi if I recall correctly), tension is often undermined by the knowledge that this character must survive events unscathed. I'm not sure the flashbacks always worked here. Hagar's perspective certainly provides more lore for the fantastical world and background for the conflict Delphine gets caught up in. I don't think all her chapters were strictly necessary, though. Showing the scene in which Hagar and Delphine meet from both sides at different points felt superfluous, for example. Perhaps part of the issue was that few of Hagar's flashback scenes developed her character; most focused on others and filled in background context. Hagar herself remained something of an enigma all the way to the end.
My other reservation is the level of body horror. I like to think I'm fairly desensitised to this, having rewatched all three series of Hannibal so many times, but to be honest I had a horrible nightmare after reading The Ice House. The 'honours' the previous book is titled after are a form of immortality, which makes the honoured person impervious to ageing and able to heal from practically any physical harm. It also allows them to form a bond with a servant who then feels all of their pain. As The Ice House features quite a few characters with these powers in conflict with each other, it is full of violence, torture, and appalling injuries. These involve but are not limited to vivisection, attacks by rats, burning, stabbing, decapitation, and a brutal caesarean section. While reading, I thought this was perhaps a little much without dwelling on it. Then the night after finishing the book, my subconscious supplied a nightmare of being trapped in a train carriage with two people who could telekinetically control blood, their attack dog, and some of my friends. The blood-telekinetics choked each of my friends to death on their own blood and set their dog on me. I hid under a train seat, bleeding heavily as most of my right hand had been bitten off. I had the choice to die like my friends or become one of the blood-telekinetic murderers myself, which woke me up. Not a pleasant dream!
So even if you don't usually bat an eyelid at gore, be aware that the sheer density of body horror in The Ice House could still give you nightmares. Although the relentless bloody violence is certainly evocative, at times it distracts from events. Certain scenes could have benefited from a little less vicious fighting and a little more dialogue. Nonetheless, The Ice House is a successful sequel to The Honours and sustains an impressively high level of melodrama throughout.
March 1, 2019
3.5 stars
I made the very foolish mistake of not reading the first book first.
Because of this,I was baffled as to Who,why,where and what for a lot of this book.
I'm not joking when I say I almost gave up on it several times.
But as you see,I finished it,and gave it a better than average rating... because I enjoyed the writing style,even when I didn't know what was going on.
Also,almost every time I was ready to step sway,something would drag me back into the story,something weird and wonderful.
I won't ever be able to explain what happened in this book,but I can say I rather liked it.
I made the very foolish mistake of not reading the first book first.
Because of this,I was baffled as to Who,why,where and what for a lot of this book.
I'm not joking when I say I almost gave up on it several times.
But as you see,I finished it,and gave it a better than average rating... because I enjoyed the writing style,even when I didn't know what was going on.
Also,almost every time I was ready to step sway,something would drag me back into the story,something weird and wonderful.
I won't ever be able to explain what happened in this book,but I can say I rather liked it.
July 4, 2019
Without reading the Honours, The Ice House was a rather jolty read for me. This is because I had to get well acquainted with Delphine first and then I had to research the story. And once I was completely absorbed in, it was almost impossible to get out. The Ice House is a fantasy but not basic in the genre. It traverses across literature, meddling with the shrewd art of storytelling. The beautiful world of Avalonia is difficult and sturdy but Delphine is now back in her youth and kicking some real action avenging the deaths of her near and dear ones'. The gut wrenching sequences, the extraordinary creatures, and beautiful description only added to the extravagance. Would rate it 4.5 🌟 and recommend it highly. But first, you must read the first book to understand what's going on in the second.
May 5, 2019
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A stunning follow-up story to Tim Clare's The Honours, this is a gripping story that will definitely keep you on your toes. Slightly verging on the brink of gore at times, it is, nonetheless, a very interesting and fascinating fantasy read, revolving around Delphine and her appointed assassin, Hagar.
Truth be told, you probably have to read The Honours before moving to The Ice House, but the read is definitely going to reward you. A recommended read for fans of the fantasy genre.
A stunning follow-up story to Tim Clare's The Honours, this is a gripping story that will definitely keep you on your toes. Slightly verging on the brink of gore at times, it is, nonetheless, a very interesting and fascinating fantasy read, revolving around Delphine and her appointed assassin, Hagar.
Truth be told, you probably have to read The Honours before moving to The Ice House, but the read is definitely going to reward you. A recommended read for fans of the fantasy genre.
February 27, 2020
I've not read fantasy for a long time and it took me a while to readjust to having to try and picture things from the ground up. Now I've finished the book I've found out it is the second in a series so this has reassured me about finding the beginning a little hard going.
It's a story about Delphine, Hagar, Lord Jenenus and the Honours. Starting off with Delphine in our world and then going through the Godstuff to another world, this book is a really good fantasy novel with beings that aren't human and Godflies. I wish I'd read the first book first but will look it up now!
It's a story about Delphine, Hagar, Lord Jenenus and the Honours. Starting off with Delphine in our world and then going through the Godstuff to another world, this book is a really good fantasy novel with beings that aren't human and Godflies. I wish I'd read the first book first but will look it up now!
maybe-read
July 13, 2019Recommended by Haley @ The Caffeinated Reader.
July 31, 2019
Not for me, I’m afraid so unable to recommend at this time.
May 2, 2019
War doesn’t end it sleeps…
The Ice House is stunningly original and beautifully written. A complex literary fantasy which demands your full attention and doesn’t let go until the final climax!
Set approximately 70 years after the events in The Honours, Delphine, now in her mid 80s, finds herself thrust into the world of Avalonia, still searching for answers to what happened all those years ago in the grounds of Alderberen Hall.
The story boasts an incredibly imaginative and diverse cast of characters but with twists and turns so I was never quite sure who I was rooting for!
There’s a strange otherworldliness that reminded me how I felt after reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. Both stories stayed with me long after turning the final page, both set in a fully formed universe with no detail forgotten.
If I have one regret it’s that I should have read The Honours first. Although The Ice House does work as a stand-alone story it refers to events that take place in the first novel. For this reason I’ll be reading The Honours and then returning to The Ice House for a re-read to see what I’ve missed!
If you enjoy your fantasy fiction strange but satisfying then The Ice House is one for you!
The Ice House is stunningly original and beautifully written. A complex literary fantasy which demands your full attention and doesn’t let go until the final climax!
Set approximately 70 years after the events in The Honours, Delphine, now in her mid 80s, finds herself thrust into the world of Avalonia, still searching for answers to what happened all those years ago in the grounds of Alderberen Hall.
The story boasts an incredibly imaginative and diverse cast of characters but with twists and turns so I was never quite sure who I was rooting for!
There’s a strange otherworldliness that reminded me how I felt after reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. Both stories stayed with me long after turning the final page, both set in a fully formed universe with no detail forgotten.
If I have one regret it’s that I should have read The Honours first. Although The Ice House does work as a stand-alone story it refers to events that take place in the first novel. For this reason I’ll be reading The Honours and then returning to The Ice House for a re-read to see what I’ve missed!
If you enjoy your fantasy fiction strange but satisfying then The Ice House is one for you!
August 21, 2019
"Being old was like getting beaten up every day of your life. Mugged by time."
The Ice House as a follow on to The Honours certainly ups the ante by a fair margin. It follows the twin stories of Delphine, who is now an elderly woman, and Hagar, handmaiden to the most powerful peer in Avalonia. The pace is pretty hectic. There's a very short set up with both stories then the action starts right in the first tenth of the book.
I had previously started this book, only realising, 60 pages in, that it was a sequel. I decided I needed to read the first book, not just to make reading this one easier but to fully appreciate the story. It probably can stand alone and you would get the world Clare has created, but with a lot more work than if you read The Honours first. Plus, The Ice House doesn't go into certain things like the background of Delphine's father, which is necessary to understand him and his relationship with Arthur and Delphine.
It's much better than The Honours though so I would actually give it 4.5stars. Looking forward to the next installment.
The Ice House as a follow on to The Honours certainly ups the ante by a fair margin. It follows the twin stories of Delphine, who is now an elderly woman, and Hagar, handmaiden to the most powerful peer in Avalonia. The pace is pretty hectic. There's a very short set up with both stories then the action starts right in the first tenth of the book.
I had previously started this book, only realising, 60 pages in, that it was a sequel. I decided I needed to read the first book, not just to make reading this one easier but to fully appreciate the story. It probably can stand alone and you would get the world Clare has created, but with a lot more work than if you read The Honours first. Plus, The Ice House doesn't go into certain things like the background of Delphine's father, which is necessary to understand him and his relationship with Arthur and Delphine.
It's much better than The Honours though so I would actually give it 4.5stars. Looking forward to the next installment.
March 7, 2025
Everything I loved about The Honours and so much more. Once again Clare's worldbuilding does not handhold the reader or drown them in expository lore dumps, but lets us see it all through the eyes of our two perspective characters (and we see so much more of it now that I can't help wondering how much of this he had in his head when writing the first book—looking forward to rereading and seeing what I can spot). Once again his descriptions gives us evocative details without distracting from the (even-more-than-last-time) propulsive narrative. The use of the parallel but chronologically reversed storylines creates a perfect balance—as Hagar's storyline digs more into her backstory and reveals more about her plan, Delphine's pushes us forward into more action and suspense.
And, unfortunately, I once again have a caveat, and that's
Still, though, brilliant sequel. Hope to read more.
p.s. There's a lot of cool fantasy stuff in here, but the theodic kata (aka theological debate as martial art) is easily my favorite.
p.p.s. Getting Hagar's story in reverse really is such a great choice, letting us see her at her most vulnerable and sympathetic only after we've had to reckon with the full(ish) knowledge of what she's actually trying to accomplish.
p.p.p.s. And that cliffhanger reveal at the end that's the best kind of cliffhanger reveal which is to say it's not really a reveal it's just reminding us of information we already had.
And, unfortunately, I once again have a caveat, and that's
Still, though, brilliant sequel. Hope to read more.
p.s. There's a lot of cool fantasy stuff in here, but the theodic kata (aka theological debate as martial art) is easily my favorite.
p.p.s. Getting Hagar's story in reverse really is such a great choice, letting us see her at her most vulnerable and sympathetic only after we've had to reckon with the full(ish) knowledge of what she's actually trying to accomplish.
p.p.p.s. And that cliffhanger reveal at the end that's the best kind of cliffhanger reveal which is to say it's not really a reveal it's just reminding us of information we already had.
October 2, 2019
A beautifully imagined but occasionally difficult to follow fantasy novel
Delphine Venner is an old woman now, but she still remembers her childhood. When she was just a teenager, she encountered creatures from another dangerous world beyond our own and lost people in the fight for her own life. When she is offered the chance to return to that world, she takes it to try and save those left behind. Waiting for her in the other world are beasts, criminals, angels and a deadly assassin who is planning to end the life of her master, The Grand Duc, to escape his terrible hold. As war begins to reawaken, Delphine finds herself caught up in a centuries-old battle where her life and the lives of those she loves are on the line. All she wants to do is save her father, but Hagar is determined that she play the role set out for her in an angel prophecy and bring about the end of mortal life.
This is a beautifully written book with some of the most vivid descriptions of places and events that I have ever encountered in a novel. The author has an incredible imagination and the world he describes springs to life from the pages, building the cities and landscapes he describes in the mind of the reader. The characters are all incredibly detailed and unique - from the fearless and ferocious heroine Delphine, to Hager, the ageless assassin with the body of a child, to Martha, an endearing scarab. Nothing is unexpected in this bloody, brutal world and the plot of the story was anything but predictable, with twists and turns, on virtually every page.
I read this book without having read the first in the series (The Honours) which meant that I felt a bit lost at times when being introduced to the vibrant and colourful cast of characters and exotic locations, although the author does provide a bit of back story. However even if I had read the first novel, some of the chapters that were told from Hagar’s perspective jumped about in time, and I found myself having to double back and re-read sections to clarify what exactly was going on. Finally, some of the descriptions were quite grotesque and gory and may not be to every reader’s taste.
In conclusion, this was a gripping fantasy novel by a hugely talented writer. I would recommend it to all fantasy fans (although probably after reading the first instalment!) and to anyone looking for a rich and descriptive read.
Daenerys
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.
Delphine Venner is an old woman now, but she still remembers her childhood. When she was just a teenager, she encountered creatures from another dangerous world beyond our own and lost people in the fight for her own life. When she is offered the chance to return to that world, she takes it to try and save those left behind. Waiting for her in the other world are beasts, criminals, angels and a deadly assassin who is planning to end the life of her master, The Grand Duc, to escape his terrible hold. As war begins to reawaken, Delphine finds herself caught up in a centuries-old battle where her life and the lives of those she loves are on the line. All she wants to do is save her father, but Hagar is determined that she play the role set out for her in an angel prophecy and bring about the end of mortal life.
This is a beautifully written book with some of the most vivid descriptions of places and events that I have ever encountered in a novel. The author has an incredible imagination and the world he describes springs to life from the pages, building the cities and landscapes he describes in the mind of the reader. The characters are all incredibly detailed and unique - from the fearless and ferocious heroine Delphine, to Hager, the ageless assassin with the body of a child, to Martha, an endearing scarab. Nothing is unexpected in this bloody, brutal world and the plot of the story was anything but predictable, with twists and turns, on virtually every page.
I read this book without having read the first in the series (The Honours) which meant that I felt a bit lost at times when being introduced to the vibrant and colourful cast of characters and exotic locations, although the author does provide a bit of back story. However even if I had read the first novel, some of the chapters that were told from Hagar’s perspective jumped about in time, and I found myself having to double back and re-read sections to clarify what exactly was going on. Finally, some of the descriptions were quite grotesque and gory and may not be to every reader’s taste.
In conclusion, this was a gripping fantasy novel by a hugely talented writer. I would recommend it to all fantasy fans (although probably after reading the first instalment!) and to anyone looking for a rich and descriptive read.
Daenerys
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.
August 3, 2020
3.5 Stars
*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of this book*
The Ice House by Tim Clare is the second book in The Honours series, which is something I must have missed and was unaware of when I requested this book from NetGalley and is something that I wish I had knew beforehand. Although I did enjoy this book and I did enjoy the story by itself, while reading this book I did have this constant feeling that I was missing something. Not only some background on the characters that would have made reading and connecting to these characters and their past a lot better, easier and quicker, but some insight and world building with the world and with the overall story. This gap I was feeling while I was reading would have been complete if I had read the first one beforehand and was disappointing while reading this book, however, it didn't prevent me from reading this book and it didn't stop me from continuing on.
The writing of The Ice House is what makes this book what it is for me and it is Tim Clare's writing that made me continue on reading it and more importantly, want to continue reading, regardless of not reading the first book in the series. His writing is so imaginative and paints a picture so clearly in your head while you are reading it
The writing has this brutality to it, a vividness, but yet it is still has this poetical air to it.
* There was a scene at the beginning that was brutal and involved the death of a horse, that will stay with me, but yet I continued on. The scenes continue on, but again, this didn't stop me reading this book, even if I was tempted to look away from the page on numerous times. So do be warned if this may be a trigger for you *
I took my time with this book, getting to know the world, the characters and it was well worth getting into it, as I really got to enjoy and appreciate it more. Am I disappointed that I didn't read The Honours first? Absolutely! If I enjoyed this book as much as I did without reading the first book and knowing that I was missing a chunk of the story, then how much I would enjoy it after reading the series correctly.
*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of this book*
The Ice House by Tim Clare is the second book in The Honours series, which is something I must have missed and was unaware of when I requested this book from NetGalley and is something that I wish I had knew beforehand. Although I did enjoy this book and I did enjoy the story by itself, while reading this book I did have this constant feeling that I was missing something. Not only some background on the characters that would have made reading and connecting to these characters and their past a lot better, easier and quicker, but some insight and world building with the world and with the overall story. This gap I was feeling while I was reading would have been complete if I had read the first one beforehand and was disappointing while reading this book, however, it didn't prevent me from reading this book and it didn't stop me from continuing on.
The writing of The Ice House is what makes this book what it is for me and it is Tim Clare's writing that made me continue on reading it and more importantly, want to continue reading, regardless of not reading the first book in the series. His writing is so imaginative and paints a picture so clearly in your head while you are reading it
The writing has this brutality to it, a vividness, but yet it is still has this poetical air to it.
* There was a scene at the beginning that was brutal and involved the death of a horse, that will stay with me, but yet I continued on. The scenes continue on, but again, this didn't stop me reading this book, even if I was tempted to look away from the page on numerous times. So do be warned if this may be a trigger for you *
I took my time with this book, getting to know the world, the characters and it was well worth getting into it, as I really got to enjoy and appreciate it more. Am I disappointed that I didn't read The Honours first? Absolutely! If I enjoyed this book as much as I did without reading the first book and knowing that I was missing a chunk of the story, then how much I would enjoy it after reading the series correctly.
May 29, 2019
Have you read The Honours? No? Ok, I’ll wait.
Now then, let’s get on with The Ice House. It picks up the story of Delphine Venner, the precocious 13 year old heroine of The Honours now grown into a surly old lady still trying to find a gateway to the other world that stole her loved ones.
Like a double helix, Tim masterfully tells the story of Delphine’s rescue mission along side the story of Hagar, a battle nun out to save her world from the tyranny of death and the immortal Grand-Duc. While Delphine’s story moves forward, the alternating chapters of Hagar’s tale take us backward through time. Rather than being disorienting I found it ratcheted the tension one notch at a time until the final climax.
Tim’s beautiful prose builds an incredible, immersive world, rich with characters to love. It was really a joy to read.
I believe Tim has already said this is the middle of a trilogy. Even so, the end was both satisfying and set up for whatever comes next. I wait patiently.
SPOILERS FOR MY FAVORITE SCENES
-The fight between Delphine and Hagar in the Advocates office gets told from both perspectives at different points in the book, but rather than seeming redundant it is exciting to experience, first from one character and then the other, as you realize they have different motives and play for different stakes.
-The revelation of Butler’s nature and then later his history.
-Delphine’s first meeting with Patience.
-The sewer fight with the Simiraks. So good and so gross! Felt like I needed a shower after. I could practically smell the stink and feel the squish.
-The end was excellent. Things happen so fast but Tim plants seeds that will definitely bear fruit in the next story.
Now then, let’s get on with The Ice House. It picks up the story of Delphine Venner, the precocious 13 year old heroine of The Honours now grown into a surly old lady still trying to find a gateway to the other world that stole her loved ones.
Like a double helix, Tim masterfully tells the story of Delphine’s rescue mission along side the story of Hagar, a battle nun out to save her world from the tyranny of death and the immortal Grand-Duc. While Delphine’s story moves forward, the alternating chapters of Hagar’s tale take us backward through time. Rather than being disorienting I found it ratcheted the tension one notch at a time until the final climax.
Tim’s beautiful prose builds an incredible, immersive world, rich with characters to love. It was really a joy to read.
I believe Tim has already said this is the middle of a trilogy. Even so, the end was both satisfying and set up for whatever comes next. I wait patiently.
SPOILERS FOR MY FAVORITE SCENES
-The fight between Delphine and Hagar in the Advocates office gets told from both perspectives at different points in the book, but rather than seeming redundant it is exciting to experience, first from one character and then the other, as you realize they have different motives and play for different stakes.
-The revelation of Butler’s nature and then later his history.
-Delphine’s first meeting with Patience.
-The sewer fight with the Simiraks. So good and so gross! Felt like I needed a shower after. I could practically smell the stink and feel the squish.
-The end was excellent. Things happen so fast but Tim plants seeds that will definitely bear fruit in the next story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2019
My thanks to Canongate for an eARC via NetGalley of Tim Clare’s ‘The Ice House’ in exchange for an honest review. It was published in May 2019.
I hadn’t realised that this was a sequel to his earlier novel, ‘The Honours’, when I requested it. I started reading and as I was feeling a bit lost decided to delay reading until I had read ‘The Honours’, which I enjoyed very much. I elected to buy the audiobook editions for both novels.
This is set 73 years after the events of ‘The Honours’ and Delphine is now elderly and crippled by arthritis. She remembers the violent events of 1935 and the creatures from the other world. Meanwhile, in that other world Hagar, a centuries-old assassin, is planning the death of her master, the Grand Duke. In order for her plan to succeed she needs Delphine.
I found this a powerful literary fantasy. It moves smoothly between the stories of Delphine and Hagar for the majority of the novel exploring Hagar’s long life and Delphine’s quest to find Avalonia.
It is undoubtedly a dark and disturbing tale with some strong scenes of violence and gore. I did find that I rather missed the innocence of the first novel with its 1930s English stately home setting and young protagonist though here the world building was undoubtedly strong.
It was refreshing to see the elder Delphine being so plucky as well as the depiction of her enduring relationships with the scarab, Martha, and her mother’s former maid, Alice.
‘The Ice House’ is a novel that I would certainly recommend to lovers of dark fantasy though suggest for continuity reading ‘The Honours’ first.
I hadn’t realised that this was a sequel to his earlier novel, ‘The Honours’, when I requested it. I started reading and as I was feeling a bit lost decided to delay reading until I had read ‘The Honours’, which I enjoyed very much. I elected to buy the audiobook editions for both novels.
This is set 73 years after the events of ‘The Honours’ and Delphine is now elderly and crippled by arthritis. She remembers the violent events of 1935 and the creatures from the other world. Meanwhile, in that other world Hagar, a centuries-old assassin, is planning the death of her master, the Grand Duke. In order for her plan to succeed she needs Delphine.
I found this a powerful literary fantasy. It moves smoothly between the stories of Delphine and Hagar for the majority of the novel exploring Hagar’s long life and Delphine’s quest to find Avalonia.
It is undoubtedly a dark and disturbing tale with some strong scenes of violence and gore. I did find that I rather missed the innocence of the first novel with its 1930s English stately home setting and young protagonist though here the world building was undoubtedly strong.
It was refreshing to see the elder Delphine being so plucky as well as the depiction of her enduring relationships with the scarab, Martha, and her mother’s former maid, Alice.
‘The Ice House’ is a novel that I would certainly recommend to lovers of dark fantasy though suggest for continuity reading ‘The Honours’ first.
July 1, 2019
I got the opportunity to read this book as an advanced review copy and decided after reading some reviews, that I would read the first novel The Honours as this is the second in a series. I enjoyed The Honours and was looking forward to the second book. However the two books were very different. The Honours is set firmly in 1930s England with mysterious and sinister goings-on that young Delphine is trying to solve. The introduction of the alternate world comes very late in the book. However The Ice House is set in both our world in modern time with an elderly Delphine, and the alternate world introduced at the end of the first book. The chronology is also not straightforward in that for one of the character's perspective, each installment of the story is from progressively earlier time points. I enjoyed the characters - they are not always likeable however! - and the creation of this alternative world is very well done. Often descriptions of alternative worlds are a bit boring and laboured but this is excellently engaging.
When I read the summary of the book, I thought it sounded interesting and The Ice house was an interesting book. However it is very different in style and content to the first book. I might even go as far to say that it would be better to read this one first, if it weren't for the fact that the unfolding on the story in the first book is helped by the fact you don't know why people are doing the things they do.
When I read the summary of the book, I thought it sounded interesting and The Ice house was an interesting book. However it is very different in style and content to the first book. I might even go as far to say that it would be better to read this one first, if it weren't for the fact that the unfolding on the story in the first book is helped by the fact you don't know why people are doing the things they do.
October 28, 2021
I loved The Honours an enormous amount, it's one of the best books I've read this year, but I just quit the follow up, The Ice House, after 140 pages, which is frustrating and then some due to how much I liked the first book. But the second is a real misfire, set seventy odd years later but with the same protagonist, though this time it visits the world the supernatural creatures came from and it's a massive disappointment, very similar to our world in many ways and the characters are just as petty and annoying. The worst thing is how much time Clare spends describing every single tiny element in a room or street, and on almost every page there are three or four words that I'd not heard of before, and I don't want to sound egotistical but that very rarely happens with other novels, and it feels like he's constantly gone on thesaurus.com to make the descriptions as convoluted as possible. Even worse is that a lot of the writing feels clunky, and his similes and metaphors are often weirdly rubbish, plus the structure annoyed me too as it flits between one character arriving in this world and another who has been here centuries, but with her story jumping backwards each time instead of forwards, all of which adds up to one of the worst sequels I've ever (partially) read.
May 29, 2019
This is a lyrical fantasy with detailed world building and complex female characters. The other world has a range of humanoid/animal species each with their own culture and religion, and the scientific spin on how people can attain immortality was unlike any I've read. I liked that the characters are a range of ages and that there are quite badass women, too. (Although travelling to the other world, where most action takes places, makes Delphine a lot younger.)
Unfortunately, I didn't realise this was a follow up to the author's previous book THE HONOURS, and read this as a standalone - meaning I spent a large amount of time confused. I also found the writing style a little too flowery at times. This meant I ended up skim reading parts as I got bored, and then ended up more confused!
Read this if you've already read THE HONOURS, or you have patience to read lyrical writing very carefully! Don't make the same mistake as me.
Unfortunately, I didn't realise this was a follow up to the author's previous book THE HONOURS, and read this as a standalone - meaning I spent a large amount of time confused. I also found the writing style a little too flowery at times. This meant I ended up skim reading parts as I got bored, and then ended up more confused!
Read this if you've already read THE HONOURS, or you have patience to read lyrical writing very carefully! Don't make the same mistake as me.
February 10, 2020
I am thankful that I read The Honours before I tackled The Ice House, although many say you can read this as a standalone I am afraid I would beg to differ because so much of the back story happens in the first book.
Firstly I love the character of Delphine, the novel starts 70 years after the events of the first and as a result Delphine is now a feisty OAP rather than the child we knew from the first novel. Secondly I really enjoyed the novel is essentially told from two points of view, Delphine's and Hager, a servant of the Grand-duc.
This is a complicated story which is at times difficult to follow and requires concentration but the world of Avalonia is quite fascinating if not brutal. My only slight problem is that not much actually happens in the story, the ending was well slightly disappointing as it felt like nothing had really been achieved. I can only assume it is setting up for the next book in the series. Overall with all things considered still a four star read.
Firstly I love the character of Delphine, the novel starts 70 years after the events of the first and as a result Delphine is now a feisty OAP rather than the child we knew from the first novel. Secondly I really enjoyed the novel is essentially told from two points of view, Delphine's and Hager, a servant of the Grand-duc.
This is a complicated story which is at times difficult to follow and requires concentration but the world of Avalonia is quite fascinating if not brutal. My only slight problem is that not much actually happens in the story, the ending was well slightly disappointing as it felt like nothing had really been achieved. I can only assume it is setting up for the next book in the series. Overall with all things considered still a four star read.
March 20, 2020
Great characters and world, but the story is a little lacking
A few positives first: this book like the last one has a great sense of details and evoking a world. And the world of this fantasy novel is rich and weird, which i always quite like.
The elements of the novel that are good are the characters of Delphine again, she is strong and willful as ever. And the new character Hagar is also intriguing.
The main issue i had with the book is that the actual plot didn't really seem to hook me much. There were intriguing hints and glimpses to some mysteries and politics, but i felt the stuff wasn't explained gully nor delveled into as much as i wanted. Anytime they talked about these things i was a bit confused, like the world was there but i couldn't get a handle on it.
I think it's a good book to read for something different in fantasy. I always appreciate someone going for more weirder stuff.
A few positives first: this book like the last one has a great sense of details and evoking a world. And the world of this fantasy novel is rich and weird, which i always quite like.
The elements of the novel that are good are the characters of Delphine again, she is strong and willful as ever. And the new character Hagar is also intriguing.
The main issue i had with the book is that the actual plot didn't really seem to hook me much. There were intriguing hints and glimpses to some mysteries and politics, but i felt the stuff wasn't explained gully nor delveled into as much as i wanted. Anytime they talked about these things i was a bit confused, like the world was there but i couldn't get a handle on it.
I think it's a good book to read for something different in fantasy. I always appreciate someone going for more weirder stuff.
July 8, 2019
It wasn’t until I was halfway through this book and adding it on to Goodreads, that I realised it was the second in a series. So I would say that it can be read on it’s own - but I’m going to buy the first book and read it now! I love this world building! It would be interesting to read about Delphine’s childhood, the discovery of the Honours and the gateway.
There’s a great cast of characters in this book - the females have great representation and lead the story. They’re strong, brave and don’t wait for someone else to do what they can do for themselves.
The Honours refers to a gift given to certain, chosen people from this otherworldly, accessed by the gateway, and it makes them immortal - which I thought was a great touch.
I feel that only the surface has been scratched, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series (there had better be one - we’re certainly left thinking that there will be one!). Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book - this is all my own, unbiased opinion, and I’m sorry for taking so long to review it!
There’s a great cast of characters in this book - the females have great representation and lead the story. They’re strong, brave and don’t wait for someone else to do what they can do for themselves.
The Honours refers to a gift given to certain, chosen people from this otherworldly, accessed by the gateway, and it makes them immortal - which I thought was a great touch.
I feel that only the surface has been scratched, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series (there had better be one - we’re certainly left thinking that there will be one!). Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book - this is all my own, unbiased opinion, and I’m sorry for taking so long to review it!
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July 9, 2020I'M READING THE ICE HOUSE WHICH IS THE SECOND IN A VERY VIOLENT PORTAL-TO-A-FANTASY-WORLD SERIES. THE FIRST ONE WAS SET IN OUR WORLD IN I THINK THE THIRTIES AND IN THE SECOND ONE THE PROTAGONIST WHO WAS A CHILD IN THE FIRST IS A CRANKY AND CREAKY OLD LADY WHO GOES TO THE OTHER WORLD. I LIKE IT A LOT BUT IT'S VERY GORY AND SOMEHOW A VERY SLOW READ BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH DESCRIPTION OF FANTASY ELEMENTS GOING ON.
I THINK I'VE READ THE FIRST ONE OF THOSE! DID IT HAVE A GIRL AND A GRUMPY OLD GROUNDSMAN?
YES! I MIGHT HAVE READ IT BECAUSE OF A MEME RECOMMENDATION! I SHOULD ADD THAT ALTHOUGH THE WRITER IS A MAN HE'S NOT WRITING IN A LOL MAN WAY. I THINK ALL OF THE POV CHARACTERS ARE FEMALE AND PRETTY GRATE.
I THINK I'VE READ THE FIRST ONE OF THOSE! DID IT HAVE A GIRL AND A GRUMPY OLD GROUNDSMAN?
YES! I MIGHT HAVE READ IT BECAUSE OF A MEME RECOMMENDATION! I SHOULD ADD THAT ALTHOUGH THE WRITER IS A MAN HE'S NOT WRITING IN A LOL MAN WAY. I THINK ALL OF THE POV CHARACTERS ARE FEMALE AND PRETTY GRATE.
January 9, 2024
As perfectly self-encapsulated as The Honours was, The Ice House manages to build upon it in truly incredible ways. Dipping quickly out of modern Earth (ugh, right?) and into a world right next to ours that's as vividly described and realized as any fantasy setting I've ever encountered. Anachronistically told (following one character backwards in time and another forwards) it borders on heady and confusing, but to me was just a glorious waking dream of action, adventure, love, regret, magic, treachery and second chances.
October 19, 2020
If you read this book like a car speeding down a meadowed highway, devouring pages to get the plot points without looking at the detail, you will rob yourself of wonderful reading experience. Tim Clare puts what he preaches on his Death of 1000 Cuts podcast into practice with a story that is immersive and thrilling. Clare does well to make words work harder then they ought to. Read it slow. It is well worth your time.
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