I have about three words to sum up my thoughts on A Dream of Ice, the second installment of The Earthend Saga and they are as follows: OH MY GOD . You feel me? Okay, so, perhaps, it isn't a five star series for me personally but the thing I'm noticing about these books is pretty point blank. They just keep getting better.
There was something that was lacking of the predecessor to A Dream of Ice and this is a bit more engaging than the last. By me saying that, it gives off a falsehood that I didn't like the first in the saga. I did; quite a lot, too. It's just that there is something far more superior to this follow-up and it makes the series all the more compelling. Not only are the stakes higher (can you imagine?) there was a lot more to explore in terms of heart and mystery as well as intrigue.
A Dream of Ice is all of the qualities one loves in a good old fashioned science fiction novel. A solid prose. A great cast of characters told in rotating points of view. Everything is woven into a bigger picture, tying up all the little details and twists from the first novel into this. It sets the stage for an excellent third installment--let's talk about that cliffhanger. This is the sci-fi book for readers who are new to the genre and can appreciate it despite its flaws.
What I liked most about it was the expansion of one mysterious organization that is presently searching for the ruins of an ancient city and what one group finds while looking. I'd say the narration is split pretty evenly and it never gets messy.
I wasn't sure I would like the continuing changes in the point of view--I love Caitlin and would read entire novels told in her point of view with a little Ben sprinkled in for good measure--but the way Anderson and Rovin tied these plotlines up, the history melding into the present, is full of intrigue and a little tingle up the spine in fear. You can't help but to ache in theories of what we've yet to learn and that's what makes a bloody brilliant read.
Full on entertainment, A Dream of Ice builds on its familiar genre without fear of crossing over into other territories. I am looking forward to the third installment and can barely contain my excitement. What happens next? Where is Caitlin? Is Jacob--is our world--safe? I'm loving this series and can't wait to read more.