Rating: 
Summary: Cliche
Review: I thought this was a rather sterotypical fantasy novel with cookie cutter characters. I feel like I've read this story before. An ok book, but nothing that really grabbed me. The writing was very smooth which made it an easy read and there was good use of description. There was one thing that really bothered me about this book though, and that was the fact that the Blackhail Clan just nodded and went along with every lame story that Mace fed to them. The Blackhails must be the dumbest clan in all the clanholds as most of Mace's explanations were ridiculously easy to see through.
Rating: 
Summary: An Epic Fantasy in a Cold, Harsh Land
Review: J.V. Jones really did her research on this one. The story is based in a world immersed in snow. Her vivid descriptions of the effects of extreme cold on the human body were excellently depicted. The story starts out with several intricately woven story lines developing. In the Clanholds, two boys return to camp and discover that everyone in their party has been killed with swords that do not draw blood; a horrible war between the clans is threatening to erupt as a result. In the city of Spire Vanis, a young girl is experiencing increasingly horrible nightmares of cold and ice. On a remote homestead, a warrior is summoned to leave his family by a raven. As the story unfolds you find that everyone is inexplicably linked together. I did find it to be a little long, but I did not feel that there were any parts that could have been shortened without affecting the feel of the book.
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent read.
Review: As a constant traveller I often find myself picking up books in the airport book stores to ebb the boredom of plane rides. When I picked up A Cavern of Black Ice it was to make up for not having a new Jordan or Goodkind book around. As I began to read this book though I became more and more enthralled with it, and had trouble putting it down. When I finished it I could only hope that the next would be out soon. Excellently written and intricately woven the world that J.V. Jones has created contains all the necessary elements for an excellent series. This book is a must read.
Rating:
Summary: Can anyone tell me...?
Review: What has happened to the sequel "A Fortress of Gray Ice?" There was a lot of hoopla that the book was coming out, then suddenly nothing. Has the book been delayed? Did it get rejected? Did Ms. Jones die? Can anyone tell me? Thanks!
Rating:
Summary: An enthralling ride
Review: As a fan of JV Jones, i was not disappointed with this book. She has keenly followed her tradition of great writing, which she established in the 'Bakers Boy' and has once again provided a compelling story line interwoven with in-depth character development. I look forward to the next book in this series and hope that it maintains the high levels of excellence I have come to expect from Ms. Jones work.
Rating:
Summary: comfortable.
Review: I liked this book, Jones abality as a writter has increased a tremendous amound since she first wrote bakers boy. Yet with this book, which I did enjoy, it seemed that Jones was using a very similar story line as to what she used in the book of words series, I hope not and seriously look forward to reading the next installment of the series.
Rating:
Summary: The best I have read in a long time.
Review: This is the first book I have read from J.V. Jones and I was blown away. She presents vivid characters in a realistic land. Magic is used sparingly and believably. I felt for the characters and hated the villians. I never wanted the book to end and I can't wait for the next book in the series.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent first volume in a new series
Review: This is the first volume in a new series by Jones called Sword of Shadows.Set in the same world as Jones's earlier trilogy, The Book of Words, A Cavern of Black Ice is much more complex and certainly more terse and gritty than "Book". In fact, it's excellent, from its grim but very convincing portrayal of the dour clanholds and their bitter feuds to the very names of the many well-drawn characters: Marafice Eye, Heritas Cant, Sarga Veys... So much happens in this book (in terms of both action and emotion) that, just for once, 800 pages seems very short. In fact, in spite of its length, the writing is downright sparse and economical, which in itself is rare. To be brief: along with George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones, this is the best first volume in a fantasy series to be published in the last ten years or so. Buy it by all means. I have only one quibble to make and it's already been addressed by others before me: the scene dealing with the the Cavern of the title is out of place and inconsequential in relation to the rest of the book. However, this is immediately set off by the final pages of the book, by, indeed, the very last line. If you've read The Book of Words, you're in for something of a shock.
Rating:
Summary: A very good book you can fall into
Review: This is a great book that is very well written with numerous indepth plots that fit together very nicely. Once you read the first 20 pages you are hooked on the book. The characters are great--you really get to love and know the main characters very well and the villians, like Mace Blackhail, are really set up well so you hate them easily and hate them more for getting away with their crimes. And they are so well created so that they fit into the book perfectly. I think that the world the book is set in is just great. With the all the clans and then the other more advanced cities around them, its just set up very well. And the dreaded Sull, which we see little of, just add a little fear effect needed. All they geography and peoples make the world fit together and you can really get in touch with it all. A very well written book, I await the next in the series.
Rating:
Summary: The current leader of the genre.
Review: A definite maturation from the first three books, Jones' control is now complete and ready to bloom forth a masterpiece. The magic is particularly well defined, and knowledge of the human psyche is very deep. A wonderous tale. The only problem with all of these tales is the interminable wait!
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