Subject: "The Anvil of Ice" by Michael Scott Rohan

From: [email-masked] (Wayne Throop)
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 04:46:46 GMT

The Anvil of Ice
		by Michael Scott Rohan

I've been reading quite a bit of fantasy lately, and had just been getting
numb with the same-ness of it all, when this book came along.  Mind you, the
book has many of the traditional features, with somewhat reworked dwarves,
elves, and a Great Enemy.  But the framework of the background lends the
story an interesting flavor.  At least, I found it so.

First of all, the story is set (roughly) in the time of the most recent ice
age.  The Great Enemy is the Ice, which is personified, and driven by malign
intent of some nasty entity or entities.

At first, from the cover blurb, I thought the book was going to go along the
lines of finding "scientific" or historical explanations for dwarves
(neanderthals), magecraft (advanced metalworking), monsters (the remnants of
the ice-age fauna), and explain away a raft of myths as being rooted in
these realities, and just exagerated for effect.  But that's not quite the
route taken.  The dwarves *are* apparently neanderthals, but they are
presented as a civilized, elder race.  Magecraft *is* advanced metalworking,
but it actually works (or worked) in the magical sense.  They *do* encounter
ice-age fauna, but they aren't then expanded to account for myths.  On the
other hand, recognizable fragments (in some cases, such as Raven (an Odin-
character), very recognizable and coherent "fragments") of later culture's
myths are presented.  But in any event, it is much richer and more
interesting than a trite explaining-away of old myths as simple
exaggeration.

The magical context is interesting all in itself, even ignoring the
relationship to myth and history embodied in it.  The "elder races" have
perfected smithcraft to very high levels, and some humans have also acheived
expertise.  Smithcraft in this sense is the ability to manufacture magical
artifacts of metal.  In addition to expertise in the physical aspect of
metalcraft, magical properties can be inserted in the work, and hence the
central conflict of the tale, as an apprentice magesmith first does, and
then attempts to undo, such a manufacture.  Here we see some of the details
of the manufacture of a cloak of invisibility, and a "mindsword".  Sort of
like peeking over the shoulder of Saberhagen's Vulcan as he forges the
Swords.

But magic occurs in other guises also.  First, the direct creation of
"spells", to manipulate weather for example, or to activate magical
artifacts.  And second, there are the Powers (essentially forces of nature
personified, though that's perhaps an oversimplification), which play the
roles of the Gods meddling in human affairs.

As mentioned, the most essentially malign Power is the Ice, which seeks to
destroy humanity out of a general hatred for life.  But there is also the
old forests personified, and the ocean.  And perhaps Raven(Odin) represents
luck or chance... or perhaps something more.

How the Powers are plotting among and against each other, and what other
plot elements will occur are only vaguely outlined in this, the first book
of a trilogy.  (The others will be _The_Forge_in_the_Forest_ and
_The_Hammer_of_the_Sun_, but I haven't seen them yet.)  All these factors
are left as loose ends from the perspective this book, wich details the
early years of Alv, who becomes an apprentice magesmith, and is thus drawn
into plots and plans which will have global consequences in future works.

Now as you can see, there isn't anything really original that I've detailed
above.  Even the appendix that lists in "modern" terms what's been going on
in the book (such as explaining which species of sequoia made up the
primeval forest which figures in the plot) aren't all *that* interesting in
themselves (other than to show that some thought has been put into it).  No,
the book held my interest not because of any particular element, but the
nice balanced interaction of the whole.

I'll be looking forward to the conclusion of the series.  (I suspect the
books may already be out...  I got this book in a somewhat aged condition.
Guess I'll have to keep my eyes out.) (I also suspect I'm missing many
"origins stories" of present-day myths, so if you read it, you might want to
keep an eye out for that factor also.)

%A   Michael Scott Rohan
%D   Feburary 1989
%G   ISBN 0-380-70547-8
%I   Avon
%P   354 pages
%S   The Winter of the World
%T   The Anvil of Ice
%V   Volume 1
--
Wayne Throop  ...!mcnc!dg-rtp!sheol!throopw