Depths of Darkness [Paperback]

A note: This review is for all six books in the series The Legend of the Ice People that have thus far been translated to English (since none of the others seem to exist here on amazon). My hope is that this review will encourage other people to go out and read them so that they will translate more of them into English!

I spotted the first six books in this series at my local library and they intrigued me enough that I collected all six and brought them home, thinking that they were going to be historical paranormal fantasy type books. The first book 'Spellbound' was okay but the main reason I kept reading was because I had all six on hand. Thank goodness I did! The story unfolds slowly, spanning several hundred years in the first six books. The cast is large, but all characters are well-developed with their own unique 'voice'. The overarching theme is the family curse of the Ice People.
A basic plot summary:

These books are the story of a family across generations. The first book, Spellbound, begins in the 1500s with 16 year old Silje, the only member of her family to survive the latest bout of plague. In the first few chapters of the book, events move swiftly to set the scene, which I think is why Spellbound is not as gripping as its sequels. Wandering through the streets of Trondelag, Silje finds and rescues a two year old girl crying over the body of her plague-dead mother and a newborn baby abandoned by his unwed noble mother. Starving and desperate with two young children in tow, Silje is saved by Tengel, a man with a wild, demonic appearance. Eventually we learn that Tengel is of the Ice People, a clan started several hundred years ago by Tengel the Evil who purportedly made a pact with the devil to gain wizardly powers. As part of this pact at least one member of every generation of the Ice People is born cursed with evil powers and often physical deformity. The present day Tengel is one of these cursed ones, but he has fought to remain good his whole life and uses his gifts as a healer.

The books follow Silje and Tengel and their descendants - the Ice People - as they grapple both with the terrible family curse and the everyday stuff of life; growing up, falling in love, death, birth. Each book is reasonably complete in itself and usually focuses on one or two family member's stories.

Some of the cursed ones are not so good as Tengel and lack a basic understanding of good and evil. One such is Sol, Tengel's niece, beautiful, charming, gifted, and untroubled by moral quandries. Her story is told in Depths of Darkness. Sol will do anything to keep those she loves from harm, up to and including cold-blooded murder.

Each book is richly interwoven with the historical context of the time. I love the fact that the characters are never repetitive, each with their own unique traits. The fantasy elements of these books are reasonably gentle, with most members of the family born 'normal'. However I would recommend these books to all those who love a good historical saga, particularly if you enjoy a fantasy twist or a bit of romance in your books. I am crossing my fingers that they keep translating these gems into English!

I am really surprised that Margit Sandemo's books about Ice People have not been translated to English yet. I read her books when I was in High School in Poland. The whole Europe is crazy about her books. They are very easy to ready and the story is so interesting. When you are reading you feel like Ice People become your friends, you are curious to find out what happens to them. It's impossible to put the books down. At the time I was reading them not all books where out so I had to wait until next one was published. That was like a torture because I wanted to find out what was next so badly. I have been looking for English editions here in USA and I am very dissapointed that its almost impossible to find it. Margit Sandemo is an amazing writer. Through her books she paints an amazing picture of Scandinavia and its legents.

I just want to put my two cents in and hope the rest of the books will be translated or appear on amazon. I've read the entire series many years ago (in Swedish) and would love to read it again. The books were then divided into 42 (or 43?) individual books focusing on different family members over the years. It is truly a great saga. It is paranormal in nature, but at the same time a historical rendition of the times in the nordic countries. Reality is wonderfully interwoven with fantasy. Some books I enjoyed more than others, but they should all be read as the overall plot carries through all the books, and you don't want to miss the ending! I'm still rooting for you, Marco and Nathaniel!

I do not know how this particular set compares to the individual books I read so long ago, but I hope they get them all translated. I would love to be able to add this to my Kindle! I have not forgotten these books - they've stayed with me. My friend and I read the forty something books during one summer vacation. We still talk about them from time to time - they're that great!

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 4 reviews  5.0 out of 5 stars