icefall

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Icefall

Matthew J. Kirby

Matthew J. Kirby. Icefall. Scholastic, Scholastic Press. New York. 2011.

Icefall is a fascinating story about a young woman who has to embark on a treacherous journey to save a world that she just discovered. Written in 2010 by Matthew J. Kirby and published in 2011, this is a well-loved book among adolescents.

A thousand years ago, in world far from our own, a high-spirited lady by the name of Spark, bored with her current life of poverty, set out on her own to a land far to the south that was almost uninhabited. She met an enormous amount of dangers and struggles but after weeks of traveling came to an abrupt halt. To Spark’s surprise in the middle of nowhere lay a beautiful metropolis.

After a few days she came to learn more about the metropolis. It was named Hasname-aslacoo. When translated from the ancient language Hasname-aslacooish it means “a light in the never ending darkness.” The charm of the city persuaded Spark to settle down in Hasname-aslacoo, but after a while the Hasname-aslacoolians encountered some trouble.

Soon Hasname-aslacooians were afraid because the weather was turning bitter, but not as just a normal end of Autumn storm. Soon the sky turned grey and the clouds came in like a rampage of millions of grey horses galloping through the sky. It was the kind of storm that people wouldn’t survive in. It was said long ago by the wise council of elders that when the storm would come a light in the never ending darkness would be the only cure. This is where the name Hasmane-aslacoo was born. Although, if the flame will not become a fire the whole world would suffer.

Icefall is a beautifully-written that the reader will not want to put down. Whoever reads it will discover the sorrows and triumph of of a little spark who learns how to illuminate a world in which the light gets turned off. This book is recommended for anyone with an adventurous imagination.

5 out of 5 Stars

Contributed by C. Rowe

October 3rd 2013