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The Girl and the Mountain by Mark Lawrence – Review & Giveaway

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The Girl and the Mountain by Mark Lawrence – Review & Giveaway

 

 

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Description:
On the planet Abeth there is only the ice. And the Black Rock.

For generations the priests of the Black Rock have reached out from their mountain to steer the fate of the ice tribes. With their Hidden God, their magic and their iron, the priests’ rule has never been questioned. But when ice triber Yaz challenged their authority, she was torn away from the only life she had ever known, and forced to find a new path for herself.

Yaz has lost her friends and found her enemies. She has a mountain to climb, and even if she can break the Hidden God’s power, her dream of a green world lies impossibly far to the south, across a vast emptiness of ice. Before the journey can even start, she has to find out what happened to the ones she loves and save those that can be saved.

Abeth holds its secrets close, but the stars shine brighter for Yaz and she means to unlock the truth.

 

 

Review:

The Girl and The Mountain by Mark Lawrence is the 2nd book his Book of the Ice series. I loved Lawrence’s Book of Ancestor series, and did enjoy the first book of Book of the Ice series, The Girl and the Stars. Though I did enjoy much of this 2nd book, I did have some mixed feelings. 

The Girl and the Mountain picks up where the first book left off, with our heroine, Yaz waking up back on the ice, Abeth, with the evil priests imprisoning her and determined to change her to their rule and the Hidden God.  With some of her friends having risen to the top, in a short time she is rescued and despite meeting the evil Hidden God, and learning the truths, she will go to find the sea and the land of green.  With Quell and Zeen deciding to stay behind in their homes on the ice, Yaz, Maya, Erris, Quina and Thurin go on their way to a wild, dark, dangerous trek, with so many dangerous creatures and evil to battle all along the way.  They learn more about the other clans, including the Missing, the evil Gods, etc; and meet new friends, such as Mali and Zox. 

This was an exciting non-stop action filled story, but my mixed feelings are based on the so many details, which got confusing at times, especially with a lot of changes in the lands and evil beings. Everyone was trying be a step ahead of the enemies, who were constantly trying to kill them, with Yaz being pulled away from her friends a lot.    What I did love about the story was Yaz being a great heroine, and her fabulous friends that we spend a lot of time with.

This is a difficult review to do, since there is so much that happens from start to finish, and to tell too much more would be spoilers.  As I had noted previously, The Girl and the Mountain was a fantasy in a different kind of world that is beyond normal.  The cruel conditions, the dangerous people, the constant battles and the need to survive keeps us engrossed into this story.  I will say there is sort of a cliffhanger at the end.  If you enjoy fantasy, you can never go wrong with Mark Lawrence. I suggest you read The Girl and the Mountain.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Mark Lawrence’s publisher is graciously offering a Hardcover copy of the first book in this series, THE GIRL AND THE STARS to (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

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4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

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8. Giveaway open to USA only

9.. Giveaway runs from April 14 to 18, 2021

 

 

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The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence – a Review

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The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository / Google Play / Apple

 

Description:
In the ice, east of the Black Rock, there is a hole into which broken children are thrown.

On Abeth the vastness of the ice holds no room for individuals. Survival together is barely possible. No one survives alone.

To resist the cold, to endure the months of night when even the air itself begins to freeze, requires a special breed. Variation is dangerous, difference is fatal. And Yaz is not the same.

Yaz is torn from the only life she’s ever known, away from her family, from the boy she thought she would spend her days with, and has to carve out a new path for herself in a world whose existence she never suspected. A world full of difference and mystery and danger.

Yaz learns that Abeth is older and stranger than she had ever imagined. She learns that her weaknesses are another kind of strength. And she learns to challenge the cruel arithmetic of survival that has always governed her people.

Only when it’s darkest you can see the stars.

 

 

Review:

The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence is the 1st book in his fantasy Book of Ice series. I have become a big fan of Mark Lawrence after I read and loved his Book of Ancestor series.  I did enjoy The Girl and the Stars, and though it was a good story, I felt this was totally a different kind of read, even if it does take place in the same world as Book of Ancestor. 

We meet Yaz, our heroine, at the start, as the clans, who live in a brutal cold ice-covered world, have to attend every few years a gathering run by the priest regulator.  Yaz fears that she will die, as the priests will push away the children who they consider broken (no ability, disabled, too small or big, etc) into a large hole in the ice never to be seen again.  To Yaz’s shock, the priest keeps her and pushes her younger brother down the black hole; she throws herself down the gap to try and save him. This was an amazing and shocking start that kept us enthralled, as Yaz lands in the dark, and is immediately attacked by a giant monster.  As she tries to run, she is helped by strangers who come to her rescue.

We get to meet many of the survivors (young and older) who live in the ‘Missing’ cities below.  Yaz will join with Arka (who has lived there for 20 years) and her team, who have to survive the dangers, such as Gerant (large beings), Tainted, Hunters (vicious creatures).    I really liked many of the secondary characters Lawrence created, such as Thurin, Erris, Arka, Maya, Quell, and even the bad ones such as Theus and Pome.

What follows is a nonstop action filled story, with everyone trying be a step ahead of the enemies, who are constantly trying to get them to join their team or kill them.  Yaz is determined to find her brother at any cost.  She is pulled away from her group many times along the way, and in doing so, learns about the powers she has with the stars, that will help her and her friends survive.   I loved Yaz, as she became such a great heroine, especially using her stars to guide her. 

The Girl and the Stars was a fantasy in a different kind of world that is beyond normal.  The cruel conditions, the dangerous people, the constant battles and the need to survive keeps us engrossed into this story. To tell too much more would be spoilers, as you really need to read this to understand all the factions involved.  I will say there is sort of a cliffhanger at the end.  If you enjoy fantasy, you can never go wrong with Mark Lawrence. I suggest you read The Girl and the Stars.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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