THE ANVIL OF ICE (WINTER OF THE WORLD, VOL 1) [Paperback]

Look, the fantasy books world divides into two divisions:

Those who keep you awake all night, and those who don't. The Anvil of Ice belongs to the first category. This is the first book in Mr. Rohan's trilogy: THE WINTER OF THE WORLD.
In this book you will be introduced to the unique world, and to the fascinating characters in the trilogy.

Michael Scott Rohan brings you into a very exciting world in a very descriptive way - that's the magic of the book - as you read you will feel you actually belong to that world. The world combines prehistory of Earth , ancient wisdom, and magic, combined in the mystic smith craft.

The story line and change of incidents are so rapid, you wouldn't want to leave the book, fearing you will miss something... the main character constantly changes, keeps you anxious to read more and more...

Mr. Rohan melts romance, fantasy, action, and smithery all together forming the perfect alloy, a work or art - The Anvil of Ice. Just like his most skilled Smith in the book would have done.

I can keep talking on this book forever, but I guess you should spend your time reading The Anvil of Ice rather than reading reviews on it.

So let me finish with the main point of this review:

I really enjoyed the first book of the trilogy, and I truly recommend it, because this book does to you what all fantasy books are meant to do - take you away from reality into a dream

Rating System:
1 star = abysmal; some books deserve to be forgotten
2 star = poor; a total waste of time
3 star = good; worth the effort
4 star = very good; what writing should be
5 star = fantastic; must own it and share it with others

STORY: When a coastal village is attacked by the seafaring, cannibalistic Ekwesh, a young thrall, Alv, is spared by their leader, Mylio the Mastersmith. In the shadow of the Great Ice, the sinister Mylio makes the boy his apprentice. Thus starts the journey for Alv (later named Elof) who discovers the ability within himself to smith items of power beyond what he or others imagine. His journeys take him to the deepest mountains of the duerger and to the lands of the children of the forest then to the battlements of the Southerners where he alone may have the ability to turn the tides of the coming Ice.

MY FEEDBACK:
Several series I read in High School Ive hated later as an adult (i.e. Dragonlance). But this series still kept me turning page after page in anticipation of what will happen next. I have no complaints about the setting, characters, plot, sense of originality or overall writing.

The only complaint I have is that it seemed at a couple of points that a female duerger (dwarf in my mind and based on authors descriptions) spoke in the exact same matter as a Southern Lord. This got a bit irritating for me, but the rest of the story allowed me to overlook this.

This is one of those well crafted stories that build up to a single climatic event vs. the current trend in media where every 15 minutes a climatic event occurs. But nowhere along the lines of building up to the event did I find the story slow, cliche, or boring. This is definitely up there in my top 5 series of all time. Get your hands on a copy ASAP. You won?t be disappointed.

***Update 11/26/2012***
Since I finally tracked down all six books in the related series (all out of print and last 3 nearly impossible to get in the States), today I reread book 1 The Anvil of Ice, while sitting and waiting for jury duty.

I can't think of any other book where the main character grows/learns to become a magesmith (can imbue power into items he crafts). I think this makes the story fresh and unique. I especially appreciate there are no cliche prophecies of the chosen one who will come one day to fight off the dark ones. That ruins so many stories for me, but lucky not present here.

Again I'm left very satisfied with this read, which solves a major plot, but also ends like a cliffhanger.
You could choose to stop with book 1 or keep reading. I immediately pulled book 2 out of the garage and am starting that now.

I read a lot of fantasy, and every so often as I read the newer stuff that comes along every year, I get tired of it - of the sex, the language, of the too too realness of the characters. Fantasy is fantasy and sometimes I need to go back to the older stuff to cleanse myself of the junk you read about in fantasy nowadays. Not to cut it down because its good stuff, but Im talking about writers like Martin, Maeville, etc. So every once in a while I go looking for good, new to me, older fantasy and I found Anvil of Ice in a second hand store, bought it because I liked the name (I'd never heard of Rowan). Its awesome. Its not for everyone. Its high style and mythic characters are surely a turn off for today's fantasy reader, but its a gorgeously written book (and series). The language use is on a par with anything I've ever read. Rowan's world building, his attention to detail, his pacing are all great. There are moments in this story, particularly when Elof is forging something, when you're transfixed and cannot stop reading. It might sound silly to get excited over a thick description of the forging of a magic sword, but its bordering on suspenseful. Its great. This book and this series are wonderful examples of an older style of fantasy that should never be lost. Its perfect.