SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY
Thirrin, the princess of Icemark, spends her days as she likes (usually learning how to use new weapons) until rumors of war surface. Suddenly she is thrust into the position of a diplomat as well as a warrior. Along the way, she befriends a warlock with no forseeable magic as well as werewolves, cat beasts and vampires.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Thirrin is a princess and an only child. She is portrayed rather inconsistently throughout the story. Said to be incredibly smart, but without much interest in her studies and only at home when she is practicing her fighting skills with other fighters. It's revealed when she meets Oskan that she is arrogant and condescending. But she never seems to realize this and apologize. So development is rather out of the question.
Oskan was brought up by his mother, who was a witch. He lives a relatively secluded life in the woods, which is where he meets Thirrin and her party. It isn't made clear that he has any special powers, as he merely uses knowledge of herbs and medicine to tend to an injured man. That is how he earns Thirrin's respect.
Maggiore has been Thirrin's tutor since she was a small child. He believes in her completely. But he seems to have appeared out of thin air, as there is no reference to his past. Was he married and did he have a family? I have no idea.
Redrought is the king of Icemark. Unlike his daughter, he can't read, so he made sure she knew how (it isn't explained why he never learned, as you would think it was essential). He is described as having foxlike guile and amazing fighting power. I believed the latter, just not the former. He came across as more of a joke to me, who just happened to have muscles.
WILL THE REAL THIRRIN PLEASE STAND UP?
I mentioned before how Thirrin is a confusing character that often times makes no sense.
In the beginning of the story, it is said she is naturally shy but can pretend to be charming and smart (even though Maggie thinks she is actually very smart). But it's clear throughout her encounters with Oskan and the vampires that she has little acting ability. She even admits to herself she only just learned the skill of keeping her thoughts to herself, hardly the admittance of a skilled actor.
Yes, she turns on the princess attitude, but for the most part, that seems like the real her. She spends the majority of story starting fights with Oskan. Why wouldn't she try acting charming when she believes that Oskan is a powerful warlock and a great ally? That would have actually made their relationship interesting.
Also, she randomly experiences thoughts and feelings that come from nowhere. She is leading her people away from the city when she suddenly wonders if she cares about any of them.
The questions leaves as fast as it comes and I was left wondering if Thirrin would ever add up to one, consistent character. Or just a bi-polar one.
NOW BACK TO OUR NORMALLY SCHEDULED BREAKDOWN
Throughout the story, Thirrin will do amazing things or have great pressure thrust upon her, only not to realize it until way later. Then she has a five minute breakdown, then goes back to normal. Rinse and repeat.
I wouldn't mind the idea of a breakdown (but the timing could have been better) if it hadn't been so repeative and if she had actually confided in someone.
Everytime she freaked out, I kept thinking, you just realized the fate of your country depends on you, only right now? The more she did it the more it felt less believable.
And if relationships were to develop, she should have gone to Maggiore, her long time teacher and mentor, or she should have gone to Oskan. She doesn't even confide her doubts to him until much later in the story, and then it's a rather exhausted and sarcastic comment. For once she is too tired to be angry with him. It hardly feels like a trust has developed.
And when she should react in a panic, she doesn't. Ever. When a bear charges her and her men she doesn't freak out at all. She acts, then calmly wonders if she can defeat a huge bear on her own.
Has she done this before, or something? In reality, she should have panicked, questioned her own skills and thought she was going to die. Like a normal person in a crisis. Unless she is a skilled bear fighter, and they just forgot to mention that.
But she hunted a werewolf, remember? Except she never got close enough to one to realize that they could think like humans do. So there goes that idea.
And when she enters her first real battle, it's said that all fear has left her. But she never actually experienced any fear. Unless the author forgot to add that part.
THIRRIN THE MARY SUE?
Thirrin never fails. Not once. The most that happens is that she struggles with a task, then she succeeds. She wins over the werewolves with no effort. She wins over the vampires after she feels humiliated. She wins over the cat beasts with her amazing swordsmanship.
I think the author thought making her struggle slightly before achieving every goal would be enough to make her relatable and likable. When in reality, it just made her annoying. Why do I care if she keeps feeling inadequate when she keeps succeeding at everything?
Also, I felt disconnected from her. But I can't fully call her a mary sue thing, because I felt detached from every character. And with a story with an omniscent point of view (randomly jumping into different characters' persepectives) that's quite a feat. Or maybe that made it worse, since Thirrin isn't our consistent narrator. And the author makes a point to never let us in her head in key moments.
In one moment near the climax, Thirrin scolds Oskan for him acting like she cannot understand the sufferings of her soldiers. She says if they mess up, they just get flogged (I guess most won't die or anything) but if she messes up, lots of people will die. So she is the one who he should feel bad for.
That was probably the worst bit of dialogue in the entire book. Thirrin came off as a spoiled child who thought of no one but herself. And in response to others' suffering, got offended that hers wasn't put first and foremost. It was the most narcisstic thing I had ever read. I felt like I was reading a politician's speech deflecting blame.
MOSTLY DUMB OR NAIVE?
What is mary sue-ish are the times that everyone else is made to look dumb, so Thirrin can look smart. For instance, when a werewolf is brought into the banquet hall in chains, only Thirrin notes the collar he is wearing is that of the werewolf king (I thought we just learned that werewolves can think, how do we now know they have a king? Whatever). How did no one else see that?
She insists they make an alliance with the Land of Ghosts, but no one else could think of that? Are there no advisors to the king? What would make a child smarter and more experienced in diplomacy?
When people question if the werewolves are trustworthy, Thirrin “burns with a hating rage”. Because, how dare anyone question her decision to blindly trust a being that she has just met and a group of beings she knows absolutely nothing about? Of course he is a perfect ally, because Thirrin is never wrong.
In another scene, an older man loses his wife and wishes to mourn, instead of lead. Thirrin goes into a frenzied lecture, reminding him of his responsibilties and how important he is. Luckily he realizes how stupid he was and how wise beyond her years, that Thirrin is. I am sensing a pattern here.
The vampires attempt to trick Thirrin into signing a treaty that they rewrote, because they think she is too stupid to read. That's the extent to their intelligence it seems. It came off as cartoonishly dumb.
And when her wise, elder tutor stupidly says he wishes he could have glory in battle, she has to inform him that there is no glory in battle. Luckily she is fourteen and he is just an old guy who has been teaching her since she was a toddler.
THIRRIN'S FIRST BATTLE
Thirrin goes into battle and after winning, suddenly starts sobbing. She takes in the dead people and realizes they are dead. Apparently she can just shut down like a robot. Must be all of her wartime experience. Except she has none.
If the author had wanted us to feel sympathy for her, he should have had Thirrin feel this in battle. She should have froze up or hesistated before a fight and had to be saved (she hadn't killed any one before this, only facing a bear and hunting a werewolf she thought was an animal). Or she took a life only to realize what she had done after.
But her reactions are always at the wrong time, or completely random, disconnecting her from the reader, who expects Thirrin to be a relatable teenager in at least some aspects.
A WELL LEARNED PRINCESS?
Remember how Thirrin is the first in her family to learn how to read? And how she thinks of herself as intelligent and enlightened? Well apparently she doesn't know any words in any foreign languages. Because when she is asked to provide proof of foreigners, she can't do it. This makes no sense at all. Unless she can barely read and has low intelligence, it's impossible that she wouldn't have been introduced to other languages by Maggiore.
INSTANT LOVE
Another mary sue quality is the instant respect and admiration she earns from everyone (except the vampires).
Right after she commands they let go of the werewolf king, we learn that the werewolf is impressed with her. Even though as far as we know, he cares nothing for humans, which is why he didn't have any communication with them.
He later comes to Thirrin's defense when the vampires are making fun of her. He even thinks how much he admires her...even though they have spent no time together.
We get the same thing from the leader of the cat beasts. We get told through their thoughts, that they admire Thirrin and are very close to her. Even though we never see this closeness occurring.
EQUALITY NOW!
Thirrin decides the fact that a small group of her soldiers are elite and more skilled than most is a bad thing. She wants everyone to be trained equally. Which is probably the silliest and most naive thing anyone could want. But because Thirrin can't make mistakes, it all works great.
In reality, the majority of soldiers would fail, suddenly pushed far beyond their limits. They would resent Thirrin for making them look stupid and the elite forces would resent her for not appreciating their skill and their sacrifices (and assuming everyone could be just like them).
No doubt they had formed a relationship with the King and had proven their skill only now to be told they're existance is mean. This would have been a great chance for Thirrin to make a mistake, admit it, and grow as a character. Perhaps forming a relationship with an elite soldier. She would learn that everyone has a role, and the importance of a hierchy (which she should already know, because she is royalty).
OSKAN'S USEFULNESS
When Thirrin meets Oskan she learns that he is the son of a witch. But when she inquires if he can do magic, he has no idea what she is talking about. He can interpret weather patterns, use herbs for healing, and knows the language of the werewolves. So we learn right away, he doesn't know any magic. Eventually we learn he has visions, but they are usually vague.
Not that he doesn't have value, just not much to do with magic. He does end up revealing that the towns folk have nothing to fear because the enemy calvary is a day's ride away (for some reason he didn't decide to share this even though it was obvious to Thirrin that everyone was still afraid). He just knows, so I guess that's magic.
He ends up being well spoken and a diplomat, calming down the fleeing people of Icemark as well as persuading the vampires to help. I found those skills rather unlikely and tacked in, so he could keep being useful (not that the other nonmagical skills weren't already useful). This young man spent his life in seclusion, living in a cave in the woods with his mother. Just where did he learn his great people skills? His lack of tact with Thirrin when refusing to notice her status as a princess would say otherwise.
It would make more sense for there to be other characters that Thirrin could confide in or have them offer advice, like the weaponsmaster, who we learn has been training her for three years. Or a fellow warrior, that she admits are the only people she feels comfortable with. Oskan seems to have been forced to fill rolls that don't make sense for him. He carries a huge responsibilty, that should belong to a group of trusted advisors instead.
And yet Thirrin seems to believe he is a powerful warlock before she has any evidence.
OSKAN THE CHOSEN ONE?
In order to remind you that Oskan is an amazing warlock (who has vague visions that don't help much) he ends up being called a chosen one by a group of powerful witches. Thirrin tells the reader all about their history that she didn't bother mentioning until now.
But neither Oskan nor Thirrin take them seriously and I was left wondering if I wasn't supposed to either. In fact, they don't even discuss it. I was left confused, wondering what the point of it all was. Oskan should have either been annoyed or confused. Maybe worried. The last thing I expected was him to make light of it. He is not a lighthearted character.
Also, his character is almost as inconsistent as Thirrin. As I mentioned above, his skills don't really make sense. As for his personality, because of his lack of backstory, we don't really understand his motivation. During a huge fight with Thirrin, Oskan suddenly thinks he can use his amazing powers for “glorious selfishness”. Because his mother said he had to choose light or dark, eventually. But nothing has seemed dark in him at all and suddenly he is as dramatic as a cheesy villain. He had been selfless until this moment, even though he knows no one nor cares for the people of his country (he hasn't had any relationships with anyone his whole life, besides his mother, remember?)
Also, there is another moment where he goes crazy when he thinks he is going to be left behind. It is as if he suddenly has another personality. But instead of being scared by his irrational behavior, Thirrin is impressed. He came off as nuts to me. But I suppose it's just another case of an inconsistent character, just like Thirrin.
MYTHS COME TO LIFE
Thirrin eventually learns that the Holly King and the Oak King (characters in nursery rhymes) are real people. She is in awe over this, for about a page. Then she goes back to yelling at Oskan.
Speaking of Oskan, he, on the other hand, explains that they have always existed and he has always known about them. He just never bothered to tell anyone this amazing fact. Or maybe he and his mother were always secluded so he didn't know they were thought to be a myth? It's never explained.
In reality, Thirrin should be rethinking her whole life. If nursery rhyme characters are real, what else is? And why has no one else known about this? Thirrin never bothers to ask anyone, not even Oskan. She should be confused about who he is and why he knows such secretive things. But instead she ignores this huge question mark, standing right next to her
Was Oskan's mother a great witch with power so amazing that mythical beings revealed themselves not just to her but her son as well? And was he too dumb to realize no one else knew they were real?
They merely appear because the story calls for Thirrin to accomplish amazing things, without earning them. And to show Oskan is amazing, without ever doing anything to prove it. If his mother was the true cause of this revelation, then she should have merited more than a paragraph of the story.
THIRRIN & OSKAN
Most of the drama between Thirrin and Oskan is brought on by Thirrin's sarcasm and defensive nature. But it's hard to tell if that's really her or her pretending to be a princess. Maggieore says she can be charming when she is not trying to be a princess, and it's made clear when she is trying, as in when she first takes tea with Oskan in his home. But even before that she is sarcastic towards him.
I also didn't get why she had to rely on him alone when it's said that she gets on well with the warriors in her castle. Shouldn't she have a few friends, or at least people she respects and trusts?
There is a time where she admits to herself she trusts him, but doesn't know why. Unfortunately, this is missing a chance to actually develop a relationship and ask actual questions of Oskan. How did he know about mythical beings? That could be an actual conflict, if Oskan was keeping a secret. But this is forsaken for boring arguments where Thirrin always ends up in the right anyway. I think there is only one time in the whole story where she is wrong.
MAGGIE & THIRRIN
Maggiore is introduced being frustrated with Thirrin, but not because she is unskilled, merely that she hasn't revealed her skills yet. They are portrayed as being very close but we are merely told this. Nothing is shown. When they are separated and then brought back together, Thirrin acts like a little girl, reminding us that she is close to Thirrin. Because we wouldn't know otherwise.
THIRRIN & HER FATHER
In the beginning we learn that Thirrin wishes to earn her father's respect and gratitude. She also feels guilty when he notes that she only comes to see her when she wants something. Whatever the relationship could have been, it doesn't have the chance because her father is in less than half of the story. But since it isn't clear who Thirrin is exactly, perhaps the relationship couldn't have ever been anything other than shallow anyway.
For instance, when Thirrin is out with some soldiers they hunt down a werewolf. He attacks her and she fights him off. When she tells her father he doesn't seem overly concerned, which is odd, seeing how she is his only daughter and the heir.
So one would think that Thirrin is independent and a skilled fighter. And yet the whole story is about proving herself. She already seems kind of amazing. What's really to prove? And who to prove it to? Maggiore already thinks she is great or will be soon. Her father isn't in the story long enough for her to prove anything to him.
MODERN WORDS AND ANCIENT PEOPLES
Thirrin says she doesn't believe in the superstitions of her people, as she is rational and scientific. But according to her, she was the first in her line to be taught to read. I am guessing in her world, the idea of Queens and Kings were just starting. It would make sense that they would still be holding onto traditions of their culture. And yet Thirrin dismisses them all.
Perhaps this was so she would have an arc, because when she meets all sorts of beings that she doesn't even believe in, she could change. But she never alters in any meaningful way. She just says, "Oh! Those are real. Wow. That's amazing." Then she forgets about them.
I feel these truths are revealed in order to show how amazing Thirrin is. As Maggiore points out, he learns all of these secrets because of her.
Then we come to the enemy, a group of people so secluded and ignorant, that they don't believe in things like vampires and werewolves. How can this be? Have they never left their country? Have they never been invaded? Do they have some amazing, huge wall that no one can get through? I have no idea. They just believe in science. Like in Nacho Libre.
Thirrin's people have met with vampires and witnessed werewolves often enough. But they don't have any evidence to share with these guys and no one else has ever bothered either.
I found this unbelievable, nor did I think such an ignorant people stood a chance against beings they didn't even know existed. Thirrin again, uses the word “science” to explain why they are so stupid.
Later Thirrin inquires about the cat beasts and their creation myths. And yet according to her, mythical beings exist. But she knows that the cat beast's story is indeed a myth.
I wish the author would stop inserting modern terms into a culture that is supposed to have just been learning to teach its royalty to read and write. There was no science in ancient times like there is today. They did not even have the word. Nor did pagans consider others' stories to be myths, but not their own. When an ancient people were conquered, the foreign gods were added to the worship list. And yet modern ideas are forced awkwardly into the story.
CARTOONS IN UNEXPECTED PLACES
There are a few scenes scattered throughout that feel weirdly cartoonish. The fact that Redrought has a pet kitten that he hides in his beard is one. His fluffy slippers are another. And apparently there is a fat, old elf who brings present around Yule. So he is the precursor to our Santa (don't tell Saint Nicholas). I found it weird that adults and thirteen year old Thirrin would believe in a gift giving being that no one had ever seen.
Thirrin sends a messenger to the invading army to blow a raspberry. For some reason.
A DEATH IN THE FAMILY-SPOILERS
Redrought ends up dying in battle, and we see his battle. I have to admit I found the battle dull but that's not my main issue. My main issue is the fact that I barely knew him so when he died I felt nothing. I almost would have rather had not known and had to find out with Thirrin. My other issue is later on, we get shown the afterlife. A valkyrie comes to Redrought to take him to Valhalla. There is no mention of norse mythology in any other part of the story. It felt completely out of place.
SHOW, DONT TELL
Like I mentioned before, other characters tell the reader how much they love and admire Thirrin but we never see any relationship forming. Same with Maggiore. The only attempt made at a relationship is Oskan.
King Grimask steps forward to defend Thirrin from the vampires, explaining to the reader how much he has grown to admire her. Even though there have been zero scenes of this happening. We just have to take his word.
At her father's funeral, we zoom far away when Thirrin breaks down crying, so we can know how strangers will never forget the sight of her. It's as if the author has no idea what is important to the reader. So we can never properly bond with Thirrin. We just keep being told about her.
THE MATRIARCHY
When everyone enters a neighboring country, Maggie notes that no men are in power. And all of the people worship goddesses, not gods. He think's that strange but then says: “everyone seems happy so it's okay.” Which is the weirdest reaction I have ever seen.
It should have made him question his own country's system (which I guess was a patriarchy but is now willing to be led by a girl). It would be normal to be skeptical and wonder just how woman do all of the leading but the men do all of the fighting and dying. How would that kind of system function? How are the men treated in comparison to the women? How did this system form? But the studious educator doesn't bother thinking these questions let alone asking them.
WORLD BUILDING
There is an attempt made at building Thirrin's world throughout the story. I admit, I found most of it dull because I never cared for Thirrin or Oskan. And If I didn't care about them, why would I care for their world?
For the most part, it feels like the author thought of cool things like, vampires, werewolves and talking cats and threw them all in there without any thought to their backstories and the fact that these cultures should have all had a huge intermixed history.
Instead the cat beasts are creatures the Icemark people have never met. The Oak King and the Holly King were just discovered. We just learned the werewolves can think (and therefore must have an actual history and culture) and the only creatures we know about, the vampires, come off as cartoonish.
Even the witches come out from thin air to tell Oskan that he is a chosen one. He has no idea what that means and neither does Thirrin. Because the author didn't bother setting up this idea.
Later on, I learned there were cannons and pistols. So, it's like an ancient pagan world before Christianity but also like the 1600s. It feels like a hodgepodge of things were thrown together without any rhyme or reason.
INSIDE THE ENEMY'S MIND-SPOILERS
We get whole chapters from the enemies view. I am not sure what the goal was. I suppose it was to introduce the villain, otherwise we wouldn't see them until the majority of the story was over.
Even so, they come across as shallow, power hungry villains with no rational reason to invade. They are just the bad guys. They think Thirrin is dumb. And even when Thirrin miraculously defeats the general in a one on one fight, they decide that means that the people must all be killed. Because they are too hard to rule over? I guess. The author works hard to show you that the bad guys are bad, and that's basically it.
I didn't need to wonder if the bad guys were bad, I just would have liked them to be less cartoonish. Who knows, maybe once Icemark made a mistake and wronged them? Maybe they are lacking in a resource and feel they have no choice but to invade? Maybe they were slighted long ago and decades of resentment has finally led to a leader willing to go to war? Maybe there was a misunderstanding? Or...they could just be bad. So Thirrin could have an enemy to defeat and look good by comparison.
OSKAN'S MOTHER
Oskan's mother passed away, leaving him the home and his skills. But I honestly can't recall if they mentioned how long ago she had passed. Oskan didn't seem to be too upset about it. Perhaps he had finished mourning her passing, long ago.
His relationship is mentioned sporadically with minimal details throughout the story. You would think Oskan might have some mixed feelings about his upbringing. After all, he never met his father and his mother never told him who he was. Maybe some anger issues or having to forgive his mother's careless nature?
Oddly enough, Oskan came across as only slightly curious about his father, who he had been told wasn't a human. That's it. What could have been a huge part of his character is ignored. We never learn who his father is and by the time the book was done I didn't care. Why should I? If Oskan barely gave it a passing thought, why should I?
CLIMAX-SPOILERS
In the final battle, Oskan decides to try summoning lightning, because Thirrin asked him if he could. And even though he never has and was never taught how to do so, he tries anyway. He fries himself but is healed by a woman that Thirrin takes him to.
CONCLUSION
The story wasn't original, but it wasn't a bad idea. A young princess has to rise to power during wartime and lead her country, gathering allies and meeting fantastic creatures.
The main problems are the shallow characters (some with no backstories at all, others with bare bones that the author seems to forget to expound upon) and their nonexistant relationships with one another.
There is also the inconsistent portrayals of Thirrin and Oskan and the constant telling about relationships that have formed, without ever seeing them happen.
And of course, Thirrin's Mary Sue-like nature at getting everyone to like her instantly and never failing at anything (but at least she feels bad sometimes).
And then there are the plot holes. Like Oskan knowing about magical creatures, but never mentioning this to Thirrin, and Thirrin never asking him how he knew them and why.
Thirrin believing that Oskan is a powerful warlock, without ever seeing any power other than vague prophecies and vague feelings about stuff he just knows.
And a young man who grew up with his mother in a cave becoming a well spoken diplomat who is willing to risk his life for a country that he doesn't even call his own. Because Thirrin is just that amazing (he forms no relationships with anyone else).
And a princess that has been tutored from a young age but doesn't know one word in a foreign tongue. As well as important information that no one bothers to mention until the last second.
I give “The Cry of the Icemark” a half a star.
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