(42 ratings) Submit Your Own Review More reviews by author A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

Submitted by Suzanne Keefe 
(Apr 04, 2003)

Many of the fantasy novels that I've read were very self-important and wrote unneeded details ad nauseum, but not this book. It's great! I love that all the characters are completely human- even Pentero Iss, one of the main bad guys, has a soft spot for his almost-daughter, even as he plots to hold her prisoner and use her up. My favorite character is Drey, even if I don't approve of his actions against Raif...that's whats so great about the book, even the ones you like have shades of gray in them. All the references to oiliness etc. made me want to take a bath, but that's a good thing, because it shows how completely I was sucked in. I've found a new author I really like! hooray!

This story is one of those books that make you mad when they end. Ms. Jones leaves the reader hanging, and hungry for more. If you read Book of Words series, the last word of this book will leave you quite shocked. I wonder if it has anything to do with the previous series? I can't wait for the second book to come out, I really want to know what happened to Angus, Drey and Effie. Like all the books J.V. Jones writes, this one has darkness and magic in it, but it cleared up by all the good characters, all of whom have their own faults. It is a great book worth the time and emotions it takes. All fans of good fantasy should read it.

This is the finest fantasy I've read in a long time.

Oh, I was hooked by the end of the prologue, simply because of the richness of the language and the careful description, but it was the characters that not only kept my interest, but forced me to almost become part of the book itself.

Or rather, the character. While all the characters in this book were well developed, Raif has to be one of the most original main characters presented in any fantasy epic. After all, he's just a kid . . . well, a kid with more innate magic piled on him than the average fellow can handle. Of course, that's only the base of what makes Raif so fascinating -- the thing is, this kid grows and changes over the book and it's NOT the yadda-yadda coming of age process either. I won't say much more than that.

I also really liked Raif's little sister and the Dog Lord.

I was also impressed with the cultures (all well developed, particularly the clans) and the fact that there were no "race villains." You'd expect the Dog Lord, at the beginning, to be the uber warlord of Clan Bludd, acting as ruthless killer and all around bad dude -- and he's not. The villains are scattered and ambitious, not representatives of a race.

Just great stuff all around.

Wow. I'm reading this for the second time in six months. I can honestly say that Cavern of Black Ice is one of the finest fantasy books ever written. Other reviews have made comparisons with Robert Jordan. For me, this book blows anything Jordan has ever written away. The setting is entirely believable. The characters are real - not overstated, not understated. Everything is very dark and very very nasty, and Jones' concept of magic must be the most original since Tolkien. The plot moves along at an incredible pace yet never skimps on detail. This is a brilliant book. Read it.

Cavern of Black Ice marks a clear development and maturation in J.V. Jones' work. Although the Baker's Boy series was not bad, and certainly refreshing after a few books from the Wheel of Time series, they were by no means excellent. The same cannot be said for Jones' latest work which is engrossing and detailed while still moving forward at a captivating pace. Jones creates characters that are detailed yet not stagnant. The reader is drawn into a harsh, bleak world with very real characters. You should definitely read this book as there are not many like it. She uses a gritty sense of detail mixed with a fast-moving plot to create an engrossing novel.