A Fortress Of Grey Ice: Book 2 of the Sword of Shadows

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Read reviews that mention fortress of grey grey ice cavern of black black ice sword of shadows dog lord maimed men george martin epic fantasy angus lok shadows series highly recommend next installment game of thrones robert jordan book in this series even better robbie dhoone sword from red story line.

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Mass Market Paperback Verified Purchase. Jones takes advantage of the already established setting to focus more on character and story development. Raif, Ash, and the rest are helplessly swept along towards their destinies, facing daunting trials but growing throughout this book into remarkably fleshed-out characters, something that was arguably missing from the first book. At the same time, the story maintains the same level of intensity in this book as it had in the first, as Jones continues to elevate the plot and build up towards a still-mysterious climax that I can't wait to reach.

She puts her characters through absolutely terrible scenarios, described in a no-holds-bared way that may be too much for some readers. She is among the best at evoking emotion in the reader, and utilizes that talent frequently during this book to create some frankly disturbing scenes. Even a hardened veteran of dark fantasies like me couldn't help cringing at parts of this book the fate of the old Shankshound , another thing this one had in common with its predecessor, and one of the reasons these books are so powerfully captivating.

The cast of POV characters has changed a bit since the first book, and now includes: Crope is a great new character that starts as a slave in a diamond mine but soon escapes and sets out to rescue his old lord, the Bound One. He'll be loved by all readers, and his story is sure to continue and be very impactful on the overall arc in the next couple of books.

I would actually say that Jones did an even better job in this book than the first in selecting her POV characters and in pacing the novel to each of their individual stories. And they really do remain individual in this one, but will almost surely start coming together in the next? And as is stands now, you don't get the feeling that Jones has overreached with too many stories or characters here. For the most part, each of the individual stories and characters seem to be heading towards a single, uniting goal. With this second novel, the series firms up its position amongst my favorite epic fantasies.

Can't wait to read more adventures in this cold, gritty, and unforgiving setting! I like the story line. Good character development and plot movement. Smaller issues are the many duplicate words and at one point in the 2nd or 3rd book of the series about pages into the soft cover edition, the printer stuck in about 30 pages so the book went from page back down to All the pages of the story were included. Finally, at one point in the story about Rob Cormac one of the 5 or 6 story lines the author changed Rob's name to another of the story's main characters Raif. After that I started to expect editing errors which was frustrating.

The really big issue: There is no indication that this story is going to end. Jones needs to indicate how many more books it will take to conclude the story. I won't buy another book series that doesn't have an endpoint. I don't mind if she says this is a trilogy or even a 5 book series.

A Fortress of Grey Ice

Just let the story end at some point. I wouldn't recommend this until the author actually shows that she is able to conclude the story. One person found this helpful. Well, I've read the second book now. No waiting for me, as I just discovered the series. It was still good. The writing is still She separates completely the stories, and I did as others have done, and skipped to and fro to finish each story line, except for Raif and Ash.

It was all worthy, all good, no problems, very exciting. And that brings us to the end, the very end not counting Angus Lok and the firehouse.

Hardback Editions

So, after all that build up, he kills the monster, it falls on him, and he's like "oh better get up! Like he just read the Sunday newspaper. In like 4 sentences. After that I started to expect editing errors which was frustrating. The really big issue: There is no indication that this story is going to end.

Jones needs to indicate how many more books it will take to conclude the story. I won't buy another book series that doesn't have an endpoint. I don't mind if she says this is a trilogy or even a 5 book series. Just let the story end at some point. I wouldn't recommend this until the author actually shows that she is able to conclude the story.

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One person found this helpful. Well, I've read the second book now. No waiting for me, as I just discovered the series. It was still good. The writing is still She separates completely the stories, and I did as others have done, and skipped to and fro to finish each story line, except for Raif and Ash.

It was all worthy, all good, no problems, very exciting. And that brings us to the end, the very end not counting Angus Lok and the firehouse. So, after all that build up, he kills the monster, it falls on him, and he's like "oh better get up! Like he just read the Sunday newspaper. In like 4 sentences. A whole book of amazingness, and then wraps it up in a little bitty paragraph that makes no sense to what went before. I'm not sure how to take that.

Did she just get sick of it and want to go to bed? Despite that, the whole damn book is written fantastically, so still gets 5 stars in my eyes. Looking forward to the next, that everyone says is "filler". That's ok with me. Weird, almost contrived and unpleasant ending. See all 45 reviews. Most recent customer reviews.

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Unsouled Cradle Book 1. Feedback If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us. Raif, wrongly accused and cut off from his clan by the treachery of their new headsman, has a talent for killing that is part of his curse and his burden.

But he bears another burden of greater weight. Ash is a sacred warrior to the Sull, an ancient race whose numbers have declined. Raised as a foundling, she never knew her true heritage, she must learn to accept the terrible gifts of her heritage. But as Ash learns more of her greater fate, Raif's task looms dark and desperate, for he must journey through the nightmare realm of the Want, a place where even the Sull now fear to tread.

For deep within the Want is the Fortress of Grey Ice, and there he must heal the breach in the Blindwall that already threatens the world. Should he fail, not even Ash's powers can save them Mass Market Paperback , pages. Published August 1st by Tor Fantasy first published March 1st Sword of Shadows 2. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about A Fortress of Grey Ice , please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about A Fortress of Grey Ice. Lists with This Book. This one was better paced and moved much faster I felt myself being able to connect to the characters and the way that the author is proceeding with the storyline - I don't have to worry about the development of Ash and Raif's relationship. I don't think so, I ended up reading the reviews and there was a spoiler that kind of turned me off from reading further. Feb 10, Debbie rated it really liked it. It took a while to complete this but was sooo worth it!

A Fortress of Grey Ice (Sword of Shadows, #2) by J.V. Jones

Feb 28, Chernz rated it really liked it. Thinking back on it, almost nothing happened in this book. If it were to summarize what happened to each of our main characters I could probably do it in about sentences each, and with room to spare for most of them, because the plot progresses at a glacially slow pace right until the last five chapters or so when things suddenly flare up.

It was only when I finished it and had some time to think about the series as a whole, that I realized how little actually happened in Fortress. And like every big, chunky, multi volume fantasy series, for every answer we receive there are three more questions that spring up in its place. Does this mean this was as good a book as Caverns of Black Ice? I felt that death was sloppy, too sudden, and just kind of ridiculous.

Quibbles aside though, I did really enjoy the read. Apr 29, Martin Wilson rated it it was ok Shelves: It's been four or five years since I read this, so I might misremember some details, and possibly get details mixed up with the sequel. The two blend together and suffer from exactly the same problems, only further exacerbated in the third book. This series suffers from what, with the benefit of hindsight, I would like to call "Song of Ice and Fire" syndrome. The first book is great fun, tightly packed with a strong central plot and a lot of characters. Then as the series goes on, it loses focus It's been four or five years since I read this, so I might misremember some details, and possibly get details mixed up with the sequel.

Then as the series goes on, it loses focus and bogs us down with chapter after chapter about characters who are tens of miles apart and never going to meet up ever again. The trouble starts near the very start of the book when the two main characters from the first book go their separate ways on extremely flimsy pretenses. For the female lead, Ash, this will be a voyage into obscurity, as she spends two books achieving precisely nothing.

Raif, the male lead and real main character, will veeery sloooowly advance the main plot of the book. However, he only stumbles upon the titular Fortress of Grey Ice near the very end of the book and quickly dispatches the nasty monster that lives there, toppling the whole place. We're barely given any detail of what the fortress looks like and despite being teased with it all book long, it's there and gone in the blink of an eye. This would be lessened if not for the myriad of other pointless characters in the book.

Some PoV characters from the first book are kept up, or other existing characters promoted to PoV characters, but they are no longer there to advance the central plot. Instead they just keep the wheels spinning. There's a huge clan war that encircles the whole world of the book, but does not touch Raif or Ash the main characters at all.

In this we can, again, see the clear influence of Song of Ice and Fire, with the bulk of the world consumed in a boring political conflict while up north a magical undead army prepares to take over the world. By the end of the book I wished they'd get a move on and kill off the dozens of boring characters I was forced to read about. There are a couple of gems in the mix, PoV characters who are a joy to read about in their own right, but they're in the minority, and there is absolutely no reason not to rip every chapter out of the book and organise them by character. You'll miss absolutely nothing by reading all of Raif's chapters together, or all of Vaylo's chapters together.

Although you might notice how little actually happens in the book. Very disappointing after the first book was so captivating. Jan 23, Tassia rated it it was amazing. One of the first times the second book has been better than the first. The writing was much stronger, and I found I cared deeply for the characters, Effie Sevrance most notably.

There are very dark themes at play, and I was moved to tears a couple times.

Great book, great series, great author. Can't wait to finish it. I'm not prone to swearing, but that was my initial reaction on reading the last three chapters while trying to relax in a nice hot bath! But first, synopsis - errrrr! It's hard to actually say what this book is about, because of the sheer amount going on. There's literally loads of plotlines, peopled by so many characters, that the story didn't feel that cohesive to me, so actually saying what's happened is hard. In fact, that was by biggest problem with this book - it's the second book in a WTF!

In fact, that was by biggest problem with this book - it's the second book in a four book series and yet it read more like an extended prologue. There seems to be a lot of setting up of characters and situations, and yet nothing really solid to get your teeth into. Whole chapters go by and I wouldn't say that the story has moved on at all. That said, the writing is good and it's not hard to keep track of everything that is going on.

Paperback Editions

I didn't like Raif any better than in the first book, although he does have a few moments here that are good, even if the main bit of his storyline the search for the Fortress of Grey Ice ie. Ash's character does seem to be developing, but again, with only a few chapters dedicated to her vs all the other characters, I can't say for sure. However, as to actually what is going on, I can only read on to the next book. At least some dark and evil monsters were released in this one, even if you have to read chapter after chapter of non-related stuff before they are dealt with.

First of all, if you don't like spoilers, don't read the blurb!! It's essentially a summary of the entire book. The four star rating is purely because I was disappointed by the ending. I was thoroughly enjoying the book and felt like it was building up to some exciting or unexpected event that never happened. Crope's storyline was my favourite - I loved this new character and his interaction with one of my favourite storylines from the first book. Aside from that, I just felt like the book was s First of all, if you don't like spoilers, don't read the blurb!!

Aside from that, I just felt like the book was setting the scene for the next installment. That's the only criticism I have though. Jones has the perfect combination of storytelling and literary skills and I love the world and the characters she's created. I was rooting for every single one of the characters all through the book and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series. Dec 18, Mark rated it really liked it. A soap opera with frost barbarians. Multiple characters separately dealing with changing times at the northern edge of a fantasy world.

A good read, a slowly building plot, where magic from an ancient race threatens the entire weird. Dec 29, Chip Hunter rated it it was amazing. This second volume in the Sword of Shadows series now up to 4 books continues the emotionally-intense, hard-hitting epic style that so impressed me in A Cavern of Black Ice. Jones takes advantage of the already established setting to focus more on character and story development. Raif, Ash, and the rest are helplessly swept along towards their destinies, facing daunting trials but growing throughout this book into remarkably fleshed-out characters, something that was arguably missin This second volume in the Sword of Shadows series now up to 4 books continues the emotionally-intense, hard-hitting epic style that so impressed me in A Cavern of Black Ice.

Raif, Ash, and the rest are helplessly swept along towards their destinies, facing daunting trials but growing throughout this book into remarkably fleshed-out characters, something that was arguably missing from the first book. At the same time, the story maintains the same level of intensity in this book as it had in the first, as Jones continues to elevate the plot and build up towards a still-mysterious climax that I can't wait to reach. She puts her characters through absolutely terrible scenarios, described in a no-holds-bared way that may be too much for some readers.

She is among the best at evoking emotion in the reader, and utilizes that talent frequently during this book to create some frankly disturbing scenes. Even a hardened veteran of dark fantasies like me couldn't help cringing at parts of this book the fate of the old Shankshound , another thing this one had in common with its predecessor, and one of the reasons these books are so powerfully captivating. The cast of POV characters has changed a bit since the first book, and now includes: Crope is a great new character that starts as a slave in a diamond mine but soon escapes and sets out to rescue his old lord, the Bound One.

He'll be loved by all readers, and his story is sure to continue and be very impactful on the overall arc in the next couple of books. I would actually say that Jones did an even better job in this book than the first in selecting her POV characters and in pacing the novel to each of their individual stories. And they really do remain individual in this one, but will almost surely start coming together in the next? And as is stands now, you don't get the feeling that Jones has overreached with too many stories or characters here. For the most part, each of the individual stories and characters seem to be heading towards a single, uniting goal.

With this second novel, the series firms up its position amongst my favorite epic fantasies. Can't wait to read more adventures in this cold, gritty, and unforgiving setting! Mar 11, Adam Whitehead rated it it was amazing. Ash March has visited the Cavern of Black Ice and stalled the arrival of the evil Endlords, at least for now.

She must now make her way to the homeland of the enigmatic Sull, where her true path will be revealed. Meanwhile, Raif Sevrance's role in events seems to have conclude, and he now seeks a life for himself amongst the exiles of the Maimed Men. But it seems that his destiny has not done with him yet, as he is called into the vastness of the Great Want in search of the Fortress of Grey Ice. But it seems that his destiny has not done with him yet, as he is called into the vastness of the Great Want in search of the Fortress of Grey Ice Middle volumes are always the most problematic part for any ongoing series.

They don't have a clearly-defined beginning or end and structurally can end up as a bit of a mess if the author isn't careful. In the case of J. Jones's Sword of Shadows fantasy sequence this is even more of a danger. Planned to be five books in length, this gives her no less than three middle volumes to navigate through and retain the audience's attention. She got off to an excellent start with A Cavern of Black Ice, one of the strongest opening volumes to an epic fantasy series ever written, one that showed an impressive growth in writing ability since her debut work, the somewhat more traditional Book of Words trilogy.

With its considerably more nuanced characterisation, restrained toned and thorough-but-not-overwhelming worldbuilding particularly showing that the clans may be relatively primitive, but they are not mindless savages and have complex systems of agriculture and mining , the Sword of Shadows is a more mature and interesting work.

This quality carries forwards into A Fortress of Grey Ice, though Jones is only partially successful in navigating through the problems of middle volume syndrom.

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