The Girl and the Mountain by Mark Lawrence is the second in the Book of the Ice trilogy. In this book we leave off only a few moments after the first book ends.
For longer than anyone currently living, the priests of the Black Rock have all but controlled the Ice Tribes. They take much in trade with little return and the weakest of the tribes get thrown into the pit, “for the good of all.”
But when Yaz of the Ictha jumps into the pit after her brother Zeen, fates will change and new paths will need to be forged.
When Yaz is separated from her friends and placed within the hands of her enemy, will she be able to overcome Hidden God’s powers and follow her dream of finding the green world?
I was happy to continue on with this world that I first discovered in Red Sister. And much that was alluded to but never explained in the Book of the Ancestor series, comes more into focus in this series.
That being said, book two felt like two totally different books all mashed up into one. Halfway through, there is definitely a conclusion to the story and then suddenly a new chapter–a new story starts. It was a little jarring and could have easily been resolved with a “Part Two” header.
The first half, or part as I am going to refer to it, was just a tad disjointed for me. There was maybe too much going on in too many different placed. But the second half really shown for me. I loved Yaz’s journey to the green belt and am so, so, sooo excited to see some familiar faces. The ending got me really excited for the third book.
Overall, this was an interesting read which brings a lot of new depth to the world of Abeth. This one gets 3.5-4 stars from me.
That’s all for now!
-M-