Bookworm Speaks! The Icebound Land by John Flanagan

Bookworm Speaks!

The Icebound Land: Ranger’s Apprentice Book 3

By John Flanagan

****

The Story: Kidnapped after the fierce battle with Lord Morgarath, Will and Evanlyn are bound for Skandia as captives aboard a fearsome wolfship. Halt has sworn to rescue Will, and he will do anything to keep his promise–even defy his King. Expelled from the Rangers he has served so loyally, Halt is joined by Will's friend Horace as he travels toward Skandia. On their way, they are challenged constantly by freelance knights–but Horace knows a thing or two about combat. Soon he begins to attract the attention of knights and warlords for miles around with his uncanny skill. Even so, will they be in time to rescue Will from a horrific life of slavery?

The Good: This will be said a lot as Bookworm reviews this series but it is no less true. The characters are what pulls this book through beginning to end. The best way to thoroughly explore a character is to take them out of their element and introduce new challenges to be thrown in their way. The author does this with all of the major characters to great effect. 

Will and Evanlyn/Cassandra are definitely out of their element in the frigid land of Skandia. Skandia is so different from Arulaen that it literally sucks the life of them, especially Will. Evanlyn is a princess and while inured to hardship, as evinced by events in the second book, becoming a slave to a Jarl is definitely outside her comfort zone. The fact that Will becomes little more than an invalid, she is forced to rely on her own wits and not those of others if she is to prevail. 

The story of Horace and Halt is an exciting story arc all on its own. Once again, the author doesn’t do all that much with them, he simply lets the two disparate personalities bounce off one another. Horace and Halt are such differing characters, Halt’s withdrawn, dry wit contrasted with Horace’s easygoing, outgoing personality, that seeing them together is very entertaining. The way that they learn from each other is extremely authentic in their interactions and since these characters are so different we see other aspects of their personalities. 

Once again we see the extent of the author’s skill at world building. It is quite obvious that the Skandians are meant to be analogues of the Vikings and Vikings were legendary warriors and pillagers and while we see plenty of evidence about that we also delve deeper into the culture of the Skandians (Vikings) and see their way of life. This even extends to Horace’s and Halt’s journey through Gallica. The way knights are portrayed are closer to their historical parallels than what modern culture has portrayed them as over the years. Many of the them were little more than enforcers for their local lords or themselves that a gallant hero.  It is to the authors credit that he builds the Skandian culture to such an extent, giving them an angle of realism. It would be all too easy to craft the Skandians as the villain race and nothing more, such as the Orc’s from Lord of the Rings. To give them multiple angles greatly aids in the crafting of the world, these characters live in. 

The Flaws: While the stories are fun this book could very well be considered a filler by most standards of fantasy series. The plot does not really advance in that there is still no resolution to the crisis that had started with The Burning Bridge. Its more of a setup for the fourth volume in the series. The character development is really what pulls the book through but the story is lacking somewhat. 

The author may once or twice delve into the stereotypes of Viking culture. The most notable of which is the fact that Vikings did not wear horned helmets. Its not that big a deal, considering its a fantasy, but it is one of those little things that can nag at the reader. 

The most controversial aspect of this tome is how Will becomes addicted to a drug called Warmweed, that the Skandians use to keep their slaves in line. It turns Will into a shuffling, mindless, drone. Leaving Evanlyn to care for him. Some may argue that portraying drug addiction, fictional it may be, is a detriment to the narrative as it sissifies the main character of Will. Also, the fact of dealing with drugs in a series intended for young readers could turn off many readers. 

The tasks that Will must perform are difficult and arduous, both mentally and physically, and the weed that Will is given genuinely seems to help him get through it all. That is what makes drug addiction so insidious. No one chooses to become addicted, they feel like they genuinely need it in order to get through their lives and before they know it, they can’t live without it. This is never expressly stated but it is there and some readers may be shocked at such a portrayal. 

To be honest: This a good way to teach kids about drug addiction. 

Final Verdict: While this may fall under the category of bridge novel, The Icebound Land is a worthy continuation of the previous arc and takes the reader through new lands and new adventures. 

Four out of Five Stars. 

thecultureworm.blogspot.com