FuschiaReads.

....and sometimes watches.

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Kingdom River


Mitchell Smith 2003 Forge HC 400pp

“The ravens had come to This’ll Do.”

Despite only telling you in little writing several pages in that this is ‘Book 2 of the Snowfall Trilogy’ and DESPITE the very lame cover (is that a chick in a chainmail bikini with a cross bow I see before me?) this is a very cool book.

Set in a Earth future several hundred years after a rapid and devastating drop in temperature that left the world a cold and lonely place, North America has splintered into several – aggressive – tribes. ‘Warm-time’ culture is prized and there are much copied books, words and phrases and a knowledge of this time is seen as a mark of culture and learning.

Not being north american myself puts me at a severe disadvantage when it comes to these types of books as really, a march from Virginia to Texas means nothing to me. Is it far? Is it near? Do I care? Also not really caring about the minutiae of planning an epic battle campaign made for some skimmed pages. That said, the characterisation is very strong and the world Mr Smith has built is quite believable – even with all the weird mind powers and teeth-sharpened cannibal princesses.

Apparently the first book is set a generation before which is what probably allowed me to read this one and understand most of it.

Recommended for a lazy Sunday when you have all three books

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