Review: The Cradle of Ice

The Cradle of Ice by James Rollins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rollins has big, big plans for his high fantasy MoonFall series for sure. When the first book came out, and a bookseller at Klindt's in The Dalles told me that there were already plans for four books in the series, I did wonder at the time how Rollins would stretch out an apocalyptic scenario that long. With this book, it's pretty clear that Rollins is playing a long game on the level of A Song of Ice & Fire, but unlike George R.R. Martin, I trust Rollins to make the landing, let alone stick it. After all, he did cite Brandon Sanderson as an influence on the first book, and with this new series, he's approaching Sanderson levels of productivity. Not quite close, but about as close as anyone can get, really.

While it does get annoying that there are so many quick cuts to different "parts" like the first book, it's organized a bit better because we have Nyx and Kanthe as the primary POVs of alternating parts, separated geographically across the Urth as they are - Nyx in the frozen western icelands, and Kanthe down on the Southern Klashe where he may have an arranged marriage to help him gain a much needed political advantage against his treacherous father and brother. (Oh, and a ridiculously flirty bisexual af buddy, Rami, who feels like the Rollins version of Oberyn Martell - may he not suffer the same fate Oberyn did, or anything even similar, or I will never ever forgive Rollins for such a sin.)

So yeah, while the apocalypse is still years away in universe, the politicking never stops - as it usually doesn't in a time of crisis. And naturally, the ending shows much promise for how to start setting things right in Book 3...if the forces of evil don't use the same MacGuffins first.

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