A Cavern of Black Ice

Argh. I read the first 60 or so pages and we have at least four POVs, two of which are really interesting but the narrative keeps switching away, and I can't tell what they have to do with each other. It's clear that something is happening, but it's not clear what it is or how it's affecting anyone except for killing a few people.

I was really looking forward to this book but the scattershot approach, which reminds me of A Game of Thrones, just doesn't do it for me. Other authors, like David Gemmell, Kathleen and Michael Gear, and Stephen King do it without creating so much confusion.

Very dark (and cold) storytelling. The whole thing takes in an arctic environment, but it's captivating in the creation & treatment of characters and the weight of the landscape and its harshness on the story. It is like and unlike A Song of Ice and Fire, but if the SOIAF story was happening in the North, then this is exactly how I would picture it. In contrast to SOIAF, the story here is a bit more open with its magic, which is a bit refreshing. It kept me interested the whole way through, and the politics between clans, Sull, and other people kept me going, and political intrigue and dark magic is done just right. Can recommend.