[Mithfânion]

I love books with winter environments. Some of the ones I have read who have this is ASOIAF with the wonderful northern setting of the Stark's lands, Winterfell, the Wall and beyond, to Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, Tanith Lee's new Leowulf trilogy, JV Jones' Sword of Shadows trilogy and an unknown series by Stephen Almekinder. The atmosphere really appeals to me.

Any recommendations for good books with winter settings would be appreciated.

[SteveF]

I'd second this appeal. I like cold, bleak, barren landscapes (I do research into them) and so series along these lines hold a particular attraction to me.

[JamesL]

I agree, I have a peculiar affinity for winter/snowy landscapes in fantasy. The land beyond the wall (and the Others and the wildlings) is easily my favourite part (geographically) of Martin's world. JV Jones's Sword of Shadows trilogy is also fantastically realised; the landscape is just so bleak and unforgiving, the inhabitants so hardened. I also really liked the Icewind Dale pc games, as well as the continent of Northrend from the Warcraft universe. Some really brilliant ideas in both of those games.

I'm not sure what other authors have written snow-bound stories. I've had one floating around in my head for a long time, but am currently working on a separate idea. I know John Marco was working on a series set in a frozen land; I think it was called The Black Mirror or something, but I'm not sure what the latest is on that. Should be good though.

[SteveF]

I've had one floating around in my head for a long time, but am currently working on a separate idea.

Funnily enough, I'm thinking along similar lines. As I said in my previous post, cold stuff is the area that I do research in, specifically ice age palaeoclimatology. I'm hoping to write a fantasy novel that reflects my interest in cold places. My profile photo is a neat example!

Slightly tenuously, I just finished reading The Thief's Gamble by Juliet E Mckenna. The end of this book takes place in an Iceland style setting and I would imagine further books in the series visit this place. This probably isn't exactly what lovers of col are looking for, but it is another possible example.

[Lowlander]

Paula Volsky - Wolf of Winter (Siberian like fantasy)

Sarah Zettel - Sorceror's Treason (Russian like fantasy)

Joan Vinge - Snow Queen (sf retelling of Andersen's fairy tale, is SF but reads more like fantasy)

Avram Davidson - Ursus of Ultimate Thule

Hambly - Dragonsbane

JV Jones - Sword of Winter

Catherine Fisher - Snow Walker Trilogy (available in a paperback omnibus edition)

MS Rohan - Winter of the World Trilogy

Julia Gray - Ice Mage

Tanith Lee - Lionwolf trilogy

Moorcock - Ice Schooner : great book, one of his best

HP Lovecraft : At the Mountains of Madness

Alan Dean Foster : Icerigger novels, SF but great winter fun

Two novels who have just been published :

-Dan Simmons : The Terror (horror retelling of 1845 expedition to find the Northwest passage)

-Turtledove, Harry : Beyond the Gap. New series about a land that's coming out of a long ice age.

[Werthead]

JV Jones - Sword of Winter

Presumably you mean the four-volume Sword of Shadows series, with Mith mentioned in his post. But yeah, it's a great series to read for that winter feeling.

[Radone]

Once more, I'm in the minority. Maybe it was living in the Caribbean for a year, but everytime it gets to winter here in NC (and admittedly it hardly even snows or really gets that cold), I can't help but start dreaming of some lush, warm Caribbean sun. I would love to see that in some writing also, but I've just never seen it done properly where the actual beauty, laid-backedness, and tranquility and overall sense of just living in the moment are captured.

[Raule]

Since a few SF titles are being mentioned, Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness takes place on an icy world. In fact, that journey across the ice is one of my favorite parts of the book.

I guess there is always Philip Pullman's Northern Lights (The Golden Compass).

[Dazzlinkat]

Dennis McKiernan's 'Into the Forge' and 'Into the Fire' have good bits of cold environments in them.

R.A. Salvatore's Icewind Dale Trilogy

[Gildor]

MS Rohan - Winter of the World Trilogy



I've read the first two of these, and i'd have to say that only the first one had a very evocative and distinct wintery feel, the second goes off into a forest for a strong duration, and frankly isn't anywhere near as good as the first. And I can't comment as to the climate in the third.