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5.0 out of 5 stars
Ice Crown rules, Dec 4 2003
"Ice Crown" is my absolute favorite Andre Norton book. In it, a young woman who has never had much respect (either from herself or others) finds meaning and purpose in her life, finds friends, finds happiness -- and overcomes many obstacles.The obstacles in the way are both internal and external. The internal ones deal with Roane throwing off her uncle Offlas' mental conditioning -- the same conditioning that told Roane all her life that she was nothing but a tool in his hands, something rather than someone. The external ones deal with the planet Clio; Roane, her uncle and her cousin Sandar land on Clio to look over ruins in secret. The colony below knows nothing of offworlders; they were settled by dissidents called "Psychocrats" who believed that people, in gaining technology, had lost something. However, in order to regain what they'd lost, the Psychocrats have set up a terrible situation for Clio's inhabitants. The Crowns the rulers wear (a quasi-feudal society) dictate how they act; if the Crown doesn't want something, even if the ruler does, the Crown wins. It's not a good situation. However, everything's about to change, as Roane gets lost during a terrible storm, and takes cover in an old, abandoned building. Princess Ludorica, who's just been captured by thugs, gets dropped off in the same building. Roane and Ludorica escape, form an unlikely friendship/alliance, and find Ludorica's long-lost Crown. However, Ludorica's actions change as soon as the Crown is found. She repudiates old friends, such as Colonel Nelis Imfry, and turns instead to age-old enemies, such as Duke Reddick, to consolidate her rule. This is due to the Crown's influence. Imfry nearly dies; Roane helps him to escape. And then the real fun begins, as Roane must choose between everything she thought she knew, or her own conscience. Along the way, she finds love with Nelis, who understands her like no one else despite being from a rather backward culture. I don't want to give away the rest of the plot, so I'll end here. Does Roane win out? See for yourself. And if you like "Ice Crown," be sure to pick up "Warlock," which contains "Storm Over Warlock," "Ordeal in Otherwhere," and "Forerunner Foray," three great Norton titles at a low price. Barb Caffrey P.S. I hope someone picks this book up to be reprinted soon; it truly is one of the strongest works in the entire Norton oeuvre.
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