A Cavern of Black Ice
In Spire Vanis, the lord commander's foundling daughter is haunted by nightmares of ice; in the Blackhail clanhold, two brothers find their kinsmen slaughtered by swords that draw no blood; at a remote farmstead, a hardened warrior leaves his family to follow a raven's summons...
And soon, in a deadly wilderness where nature and the gods have no mercy, two young fugitives must confront a millennial prophecy, as J. V. Jones takes readers on a journey deep into the stark beauty, cruel peril, and incredible magic of the Known Lands, in the first volume of a powerful new epic...
A CAVERN OF BLACK ICE
In the distant Northern Territories, fortress cities cling to barren peaks, fierce clans hunt the frigid steppes, arctic wastes are the last refuge of an enigmatic, ancient people – and an apocalyptic destiny has begun to unfold...
Once in one thousand years an innocent is born with the uncontrollable power and need to reach across the barrier of worlds, into the realm of the dead – and release the Endlords from their eternal prison, to annihilate all life.
Now, after a millennium of truce, war erupts between the cold giants of the far north. As the great and ancient clan of Blackhail brings war to the Dog Lord of Clan Bludd, two warriors are caught in the bloodshed. Raif and Drey Sevrance are brothers and clansmen alike, but soon the cold-blooded schemes of their new chief will tear them apart and brand Raif a traitor to his clan.
Meanwhile, in the cool limestone caverns of Mask Fortress, Ash March stumbles upon an old and terrible evil hidden away from the light. Penthero Iss, uncrowned king of Spire Vanis and the man who calls himself Ash's father, has discovered a monstrous way to steal magic from his captives. And Ash fears she will be next.
Suddenly, Raif and Ash are each helped to escape by Angus Lok, whose amiable manner belies his mysterious past. But Angus is acting on the raven-sent message of a distant shaman; there's nothing accidental about his intervention and his mission to guide Raif and Ash on a treacherous journey to A CAVERN OF BLACK ICE.
Passionately envisioned and filled with richly evoked new characters, this story is the beginning of J. V. Jones's most ambitious and accomplished work to date.
"A Cavern of Black Ice has vivid action, real characters, and a richly detailed setting. It's a splendid achievement." - David Drake
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J. V. Jones
In the dim-lit corners of epic fantasy, where bleak snowscapes stretch endlessly and characters wrestle with fate and survival, few voices cut as sharply—or as humanly—as that of J. V. Jones.
Born in Liverpool, England, J. V. Jones didn’t come to storytelling through the usual doors of academia or literary acclaim. She grew up behind the counter of her father’s pub, soaking in stories from all walks of life—every overheard confession, joke, and sorrow was fuel for the intricate emotional layers that would later define her writing. These roots, grounded in raw humanity, remain one of the quiet powers behind her fantasy worlds.
Sword of Shadows
In this powerful saga of redemption and renewal, J. V. Jones brings to vivid life the magnificent tapestry of a world at once desperately
fighting for survival against supernatural monsters and rent by
internecine warfare. The frozen land at the north of the world was once
ruled by a legendary nation of superhuman warriors. But that age has
passed, leaving ancient clans to struggle for dominance as supernatural
forces beyond their control threaten their very existence.
Amid the chaos of world-changing violence, unlikely heroes emerge. An
unwanted warrior, a forsaken woman of power, the betrayed widow of a
slain clan chief: these are the heroes rising to claim what has been
taken from them and to reshape the world.
Sword of Shadows consists of four books and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of two more books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Reviews and Comments
A Cavern of Black Ice is the first book of the Sword of Shadows series. I enjoyed reading A Cavern of Black Ice. It was a good and very entertaining fantasy book, which can be recommended for all fantasy fans. It was difficult to decide if I should give this book four or five stars, because this book isn't as good as some other fantasy books. I decided to give five stars, because A Cavern of Black Ice is fantasy entertainment at its best.