Hill, Stuart. The Cry of the Icemark. NY: Scholastic, 2006. 490 pages. (Fantasy Series)The main characters of this story are; Thirrin – Freer Strong in the Arm Lindensheild, who is only fourteen, Oskan the witches son 15, Maggorie Totus, Grismak Blood drinker and King of the Werewolves, Tharaman Thar, the King of the snow leopards, Elemenstra, the Baslia of the Hypolitan, Their Vampiric Majesties, and Scipio Bellorum, the general to an over ranking very powerful army,… the Polypontain Army. This story takes place in the small capital of Frostmarris, in the country of the Icemark, in the Northern Continent. Scipio Bellorum had just finished his last war and is ready to go to and easily defeat the little country of the Icemark. King Redrought and his first troop of soldiers have gone out to meet Bellorum’s first round of troops just outside of the border. Little did he know that he would be outnumbered 16 men to one. They all were killed, and now, Thirrin is queen and must evacuate her people to safety. Once they have arrived in Hypolitan territory, Thirrin finds out that her father’s army has been demolished, and that there are 600 thousand more soldiers on their way. She knows that her mere army of five thousand men isn’t enough to hold them off, so she must immediately turn around and make allies for the next round of war later in the spring. She makes allies with the Wolf- folk, the Vampiric Majesties, and the talking Snow Leopards. Now she travels home and prepares for war. Three months later, spring is here and The Polypontain army is on its way. The Vampires of the Land of the Ghosts, along with the Werewolves still haven’t shown up. Only a week into the war and more than two thousand men, and 26 Leopards have died. Then, it was coming to and end, she and her army, or what was left of it anyway, were cornered.
I loved this book immensely because it was a powerful story of war, loses, and ruling a country at fourteen years old. If I were to give this book a one word label, it would be "Inspiring" because this book tells you the story of a girl who has lost everything and now must face a war with the most powerful country in the world. She makes allies with old enemies and new species only imaginable in fairy tales. This was one of the best books around. Anyone would love this read.
Reviewed by: So1cc5er
