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eBook editions

Ice Land

by Betsy Tobin

Ice Land Cover

ISBN13: 9780452295698
ISBN10: 0452295696
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

A beautiful epic of love, longing, redemption, and enchantment in the tradition of Marion Zimmer Bradley?s The Mists of Avalon

Iceland, AD 1000

Freya knows that her people are doomed. Warned by the Fates of an impending disaster, she must embark on a journey to find a magnificent gold necklace, one said to possess the power to alter the course of history. But even as Freya travels deep into the mountains of Iceland, the country is on the brink of war. The new world order of Christianity is threatening the old ways of Iceland?s people, and tangled amidst it all are two star-crossed lovers who destiny draws them together?even as their families are determined to tear them apart

Infused with the rich history and mythology of Iceland, Betsy Tobin?s sweeping novel is an epic adventure of forbidden love, lust, jealousy, faith and magical wonder set under the shadow of a smoldering volcano.

Review:

"Tobin's second novel (after Bone House) is set in Iceland, A.D. 1000, just as Christianity is taking a foothold and the volcano Hekla is growing restive. In this slick re-imagining of Norse myth, humans, dwarves, giants and gods differ superficially but suffer life's trials equally and are susceptible to love, loss, violence and even the weather. The central character, Freya, is an Aesir (a god), who is essentially human but for her ability to fly and her address: she notes that her kind 'occupy the space that men create for something larger than themselves.' (In Freya's case, she occupies 'the tainted realm of love.') Among numerous subplots, Freya's story follows her quest for a powerful gold necklace, the Brisingamen, accompanied by a love-torn human teenager named Fulla. Tobin's rich understanding of the source material, backed up by deft historical touches — beds made of moss and skins, turf-roofed houses, earthenware cups — brings the narrative to life. Though women take center stage, Tobin sketches the thoughts of both male and female characters with skill. With an introspective dwarf, the god Odin and a fearsome band of giants, Tobin has this one aimed squarely at the Mists of Avalon audience, and she hits big." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Synopsis:

Infused with the rich history and mythology of Iceland, Tobin's sweeping novel is an epic adventure of forbidden love, lust, jealousy, faith, and magical wonder set under the shadow of a smoldering volcano.
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About the Author

Betsy Tobin was born in the United States and moved to England in 1989. She lives in London with her husband and four children.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
Tammy Dotts, August 23, 2009 (view all comments by Tammy Dotts)
Fulfilling the wishes of the Fates, the Norse goddess Freya becomes enchanted by a necklace crafted by four dwarves. The price they set for the necklace is high: Freya must spend a night with each of them. From this myth grows Betsy Tobin’s Ice Land.

Tobin weaves Freya’s quest for the necklace with that of a young Icelandic girl’s for love. Fulla lives with her grandfather in an Iceland at the turn of the first millennium. It is time for her betrothal, and, as in all good love stories, Fulla finds herself drawn to a man from a family who opposes her own.


At first glance, Tobin’s novel may seem like yet another in a long line of Tolkein-wanna-be fantasy novels. However, it is anything but.

The strength of Tobin’s writing lies in her handling of daily life. When Fulla and her grandfather attend an annual festival, the reader gets a look at how early Icelanders likely lived. Christianity is beginning to alter the religious landscape of Iceland; a new law demands everyone be baptized and follow Christ publicly, although they are allowed to practice the old religion in private.


Ice Land changes viewpoints with every chapter, focusing on a different character’s experiences and outlooks. Freya’s chapter is written in the first-person point of view, with the others in the more removed third-person point of view.

Although changing viewpoints from character to character works, the change from first- to third-person can be confusing and doesn’t seem to serve a purpose for the novel. Fulla and Dvalin’s stories hold the reader’s interest just as much as Freya’s, and the three characters work as equal protagonists.

However, that may be the only drawback of Ice Land. Otherwise, Tobin’s writing shines. The novel is paced slowly, allowing the reader to absorb early Iceland and know the characters fully. Even minor characters like Sky, the mute giant boy, and Gerdling, Dvalin’s youngest brother, shine in the novel.

Ice Land does not adhere strictly to any of the Norse legends about Freya and her necklace or Fulla’s grandfather, Hogni. Instead, Tobin takes the best of the legends and of the Icelandic Sagas and creates a detailed, interesting world of her own that is well worth reading.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780452295698
Subtitle:
A Novel
Author:
Tobin, Betsy
Publisher:
Plume
Subject:
Literary
Subject:
Romance - Fantasy
Subject:
Fantasy - Historical
Subject:
Love stories
Subject:
Iceland History To 1262.
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Edition Description:
Mass Market
Publication Date:
20090825
Binding:
Paperback
Grade Level:
from 12
Language:
English
Pages:
368
Dimensions:
7.98x5.38x.81 in. .68 lbs.
Age Level:
from 18
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Ice Land New Trade Paper
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$15.00 In Stock
Product details 368 pages Plume Books - English 9780452295698 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "Tobin's second novel (after Bone House) is set in Iceland, A.D. 1000, just as Christianity is taking a foothold and the volcano Hekla is growing restive. In this slick re-imagining of Norse myth, humans, dwarves, giants and gods differ superficially but suffer life's trials equally and are susceptible to love, loss, violence and even the weather. The central character, Freya, is an Aesir (a god), who is essentially human but for her ability to fly and her address: she notes that her kind 'occupy the space that men create for something larger than themselves.' (In Freya's case, she occupies 'the tainted realm of love.') Among numerous subplots, Freya's story follows her quest for a powerful gold necklace, the Brisingamen, accompanied by a love-torn human teenager named Fulla. Tobin's rich understanding of the source material, backed up by deft historical touches — beds made of moss and skins, turf-roofed houses, earthenware cups — brings the narrative to life. Though women take center stage, Tobin sketches the thoughts of both male and female characters with skill. With an introspective dwarf, the god Odin and a fearsome band of giants, Tobin has this one aimed squarely at the Mists of Avalon audience, and she hits big." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Synopsis" by , Infused with the rich history and mythology of Iceland, Tobin's sweeping novel is an epic adventure of forbidden love, lust, jealousy, faith, and magical wonder set under the shadow of a smoldering volcano.
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