Ice Apprentices

An epic and enthralling fantasy debut and the opening volume in a trilogy, which is set in a fascinating, ice-covered world, where Tundra survives as the last settlement. Oswin Fields is a ’stray’,  an outsider found on the ice and brought into Tundra, where he is adopted by Lullia,  who turns out to be a harsh and cold mother. Life is hard in the Produce Fields, and he doesn’t feel that it will ever change, so he is shocked when Lullia tells him that he has been selected to train as an ice apprentice. Being a stray, he never thought he would have the opportunity to join his beloved foster brother and only ally, Zylo, in Corridor, a special school where apprentices learn magic in order to help the settlement survive, but he is determined to do his best.  The magic system in Tundra is unique and exciting and Corridor presents Oswin with fascinating lessons such as Spellbookery, Scelving and Etymagery, but life is still tough. Strays are discriminated against and seen as scroungers, so making friends is a challenge. But he strikes up an unlikely alliance with fellow apprentice Ennastasia, who shares his feelings of being an outsider, for very different reasons. Together they set out to solve the mysteries behind not just dangerous accidents and the sudden appearance of horrific beasts, but also elements of his adopted family history, with the reader just as eager to know these things as he is. The sparky relationship which develops between the pair is funny, heartwarming and relatable. An important strength of this book is the fact that Oswin is just one of the LGBTQI+ characters, but that this is so deftly and naturally handled that it does not become an ‘issue,’ which is just how the very best representation should be. The fast-paced plot has plenty of unexpected twists and turns and moments of genuine peril to ratchet up the tension. Although there is a resolution, the epilogue’s incredible revelation will have readers desperate to find out more and to continue this spellbinding adventure.