A Cavern Of Black Ice

Author: Jones, J. V.

The first in the Sword of Shadows series (which is still not yet complete with over 5 years since Jones published the last book) and a gritty, epic fantasy. Jones started writing her brand of grittiness before the arrival of the new wave of gritty with the likes of Abercrombie, Lynch, Bakker, and the likes. At this time there was only Martin and Cook who were writing with a Â gritty style.As such, Jones' work doesn't exhibit the typical 'grimdark' style that you may be used to with say an Abercrombie-influenced novel, but the world is still harsh and the characters suffer,though horror after horror. However, it's still a work where the heroes are good and the villains are bad -- this is not a work of morally ambiguous characters.But it's a great epic epic fantasy set in a dark cold world (literally -- the landscape is ice) where bad things happen and happen) with a clear quest goal in mind. It brings to mind a more gritty version of the classic Wheel of Time style questing adventure. Plenty of stuff that makes a gritty quest fantasy worth reading: action, loss, love, and death.It's thoroughly a great read, though with the author showing no new signs of finishing off the series, it's hard to really care anymore..

Booklists having this book

Best Grimdark Fantasy Books

One of the more popular subgenres of Fantasy now (there’s debate as to whether it’s a legit subgenre or just an artistic category) but one can hardly argue its prevalence... Read more

Other books by Jones, J. V.

A Cavern Of Black Ice

Set in the same world as her bestselling The Book of Words trilogy, A Cavern of Black Ice is the first book in the separate Sword of Shadows series. This... Read more

A Fortress Of Gray Ice

Sixteen years have passed since the dramatic events of Fortress of Dragons, and Cefwyn, king at last, must rebuild his devastated kingdom. The embattled ruler is aided by his powerful... Read more

A Sword From Red Ice

Master storyteller J. V. Jones (called "a striking writer" by Robert Jordan) weaves an unforgettable tale of ambition, dangerous, arrogant clan chiefs a young woman whose mystical destiny is shrouded... Read more

Sword Of Shadows

I can't say enough good things about this amazing fantasy series except that the author has gone completely AWOL and, as of 2015, looks like she's pretty much abandoned writing... Read more

A Fortress Of Grey Ice

Ash March joins the last of the mysterious, mythological Sull to help prepare them for the coming war, while Raif, an outlaw and outcast, continues the journey to find the... Read more

A Cavern Of Black Ice

The first in the Sword of Shadows series (which is still not yet complete with over 5 years since Jones published the last book) and a gritty, epic fantasy. Jones... Read more

The Baker's Boy

The first novel in a brilliantly crafted trilogy. As the King of the Four Kingdoms lays dying, traitorous conspirators prepare a political marriage to ensure their control of the crown.... Read more

A Man Betrayed

Volume 2 of the Book of Words series, is a fantasy adventure where the lethal conspiracies and deadly intrigues of the mighty can be countered only by the power of... Read more

Master And Fool

The Known Lands are teetering on the brink of war. Desperate to avert worldwide catastrophe, Jack, the baker's boy, must learn to harness the full strength of his magic to... Read more

A Sword From Red Ice

A "USA Today"-bestselling author returns with the long-awaited third novel in his Sword of Shadows series, which takes place in a vivid, fully realized fantasy world with a unique culture... Read more