Ice Country: A SciFi Dystopian Thriller (The Country Saga Book 2)

---

This is the Law, and to question it is to be punished. The common good of the tribe supersedes any personal preferences the men or women may have for mates. As you can imagine, most of the girls are not thrilled with this arrangement. Sienna in particular hates this idea because she has fallen in love with her best friend Circ. But he cannot be "Called" to a mate until he is 18, and since they are both the same age, 15, she will be assigned to someone long before Circ is even available.

In addition, Sienna is having to deal with a father who has over time become increasingly abusive, a sister who has gone missing from the tribe and is believed kidnapped by the Wildes, a Called step-mother who hates her, and her own struggle with her extreme scrawniness. Then she accidentally uncovers some terrible secrets about the way her tribe is secretly being governed: And so she sets off on a journey.

See a Problem?

The author has created a believable, if highly dysfunctional, hierarchy here, and has peppered the narrative with great details. He's also manufactured some new ways of speaking, a detail that reminded me of the Uglies and Pretties series by Scott Westerfeld, which gives some color and vibrancy to the characters.

I greatly enjoyed her chats with Perry, the cactus, who functions as a sort of self-mockery agent. Some characters are flat but most of them are quite complex and well-written. The abusive father, for instance, was once a doting Dad, and Sienna remembers this about him. Some of the bad people do good things: I appreciate this in a writer. The best part of the book, for me, was the change in the main character: Sienna bravely puts herself in danger repeatedly in order to help people, even people she does not like, and yet thinks of herself as a useless runt, thanks to the abuse she has suffered all her life both from her tribe and her father.

When she removes herself bravely from that abuse and finds a new group to live with, a group that encourages and shows patience while also pushing her to be her best self, that self-image begins to change and she is finally able to recognize her strengths and accept herself for who she is. I cannot recommend this novel for anyone under high school age, thanks to some pretty heavy sexist and sexual themes, a near-rape scene on Sienna's "Call" night, some terrifying situations, and to repeated violence and death throughout the novel.

But it is a dystopia so it should not come as a surprise that people die. Just like in real life.

Editorial Reviews

I think this would be a really good novel for middle-teens say 15 and up to discuss freedom, security, sexism, institutionalized class systems, the good of the many versus the rights of the one, and sexual reproduction issues. I got this book on a great Kindle deal, and will probably go and read the sequels. I understand he has several, and most are well reviewed. So this was one of those books that kept me up past my bedtime last night. I needed to finish it! I am so happy to have found this little treasure.

Estes is a spell-binding storyteller. I was hooked within the first few pages. His country slang imbedded in my brain as I internalized his characters. My understanding is that while Country and Dwellers are separate, the final book The Earth Dwellers combines elements from both. As a reader, that means it is in your best interest to read both sagas in order to understand the final installment.

Estes has become one of my newest favorite authors to add to my list. I have already qued book 2 and am hungry for more. As a world builder, Estes creates a realistic and creative dystopian reality. A world where tribal and cities of glass clash. Family dynamics and politics threaten to unhinge everything perceived as stable. Estes has created a pro-feminine power struggle, in which women fight for their individual rights against the dominant and violent patriarchy of men.

However, that being said, this is a well balanced novel, while the female protagonist struggles for her individual rights, so do some of the men rise as champions of their female counterparts. If you like dystopian fiction, then I know you will love Estes and the world he has created.

Check out my other reviews at https: Fire Country is the story of a world in the desert where girls, at the age of 16, must sleep with a man chosen randomly for her, and make a baby. The leaders make them believe that if this was not done, then their population would suffer.

It follows a year-old girl named Siena, who's terrified of her role in this world. Her father happens to be the leader of their tribe, and still never shows her any mercy. One day a girl comes up to Siena and tells her it doesn't need to be like this. We also get cameos from some of our favorite characters in Fire Country--Siena, Circ, and Skye, along with a few others.

This is where the book just took off for me, and had me hooked with every word. I loved getting to see my favorite characters from Fire Country in the world of Ice Country. The relationships between this group of people gave us great moments of laughter, and really raised the stakes. And just like in Fire Country, I felt just about every range of emotion.

Like I said, there are lots of funny moments, and there are also some horrible heartbreaking ones. I was so sucked into the story that I really felt every single moment along with Dazz. Nothing was what I expected, and I really had no idea what was going to happen next. I loved all the twists, and how even though they seemed to come from nowhere, they made perfect sense looking back. I love how so much of the plot and characters of Fire Country are tied into this book. We also get a few sneak peeks of things to come in the third novel! In the end, the story ties up nicely, but there is still lots of things to come for the next installment!

I felt pretty wrung dry from all the emotion, and had to seek out a hug from my hubby!

Buy for others

Jan 20, Lola rated it really liked it Shelves: I got a copy for review in exchange for an honest review. This review is based on the beta-read version, so it is entirely possible that it is even better now. I hope to update my review when I have read the current version. The story starts off a bit slow, but end up being really amazing. Ice Country is written from a different pov than Fire Country and this is a bit confusing at the beginning. I really liked Siena as a cha I got a copy for review in exchange for an honest review.

The story start of a bit slow, but when the action finally starts it keeps on going. New mysteries, but also connections with the first book are made. There is lots of action in this book and after the first few chapters the pace really picked up. I really liked how this book connected with the first book, without being a direct continuation of it.

As the story progresses I did grew to like Dazz more and more. Also the other characters are really interesting and some really have distinct personalities. Because in this book we get to see the story from the pov of an Icer there is lots of extra world building. We learn much more about who the Icers are and how they live and how different it is from Fire country. I like getting to know more about this world, David Estes really knows how to construct awesome world and I am happy with every bit of world building we get.

The story starts off a bit slow, but quickly increases the pace. May 17, kynndra-jo rated it really liked it Shelves: Let me start off by saying that this book was great. Ice Country sounds like my kind of place Canada! The short tempered Icer who is our new MC. I liked the story but I didn't get the same emotional pull like I did with the four previou Let me start off by saying that this book was great.

I liked the story but I didn't get the same emotional pull like I did with the four previous books before this one. Perhaps it's because it was told by a strong willed guy who has to be brawny for his crumbling family but I just got this sense of almost agitation towards Dazz. I loved Dazz and Buff's relationship it reminded me a lot of Tristan and Roc but they were unique and different in their own way. It took me awhile to get into Dazz and Skye's relationship - I didn't like that it was almost instantaneous but by hell, Skye is a strong willed girl and if this guy makes her happy go for it!

Still, it didn't have the same feel as Siena and Circ or Tristan and Adele, but that's okay! It still became heartfelt in the end. You do not touch a hair on Dazz's little sisters head and get to walk away with it. Eventually the story leads up to the The Heaters and I really liked how the pieces came together. They learn to work together, fight together and protect each other. It was beautiful symmetry how the stories aligned in order to intersect one another. Whenever I pick up one of Estes books, it doesn't seem long before I'm on the last page, excited to read the next one.

Ice Country was no exception. It took me a little while to warm up to Dazz. At first I just thought he was a total waster but he turned out to be pretty cool. The people of Ice Country are much better off than the ones in Fire Country but I didn't feel the story really hit it's stride until the two met.

I loved all the interaction in the dungeon. I even think this could be read Whenever I pick up one of Estes books, it doesn't seem long before I'm on the last page, excited to read the next one. I even think this could be read as a standalone although I would recommend reading Fire Country to get all the background information.

Mar 18, Reymart Dinglasa rated it it was amazing Shelves: Mar 30, Marni rated it it was amazing. There are many authors out there, there are few authors who write one blockbuster and there are even fewer authors who just keep writing blockbuster after blockbuster.

Think about it, what authors have you read consistently because their books are just that good? The characters that David Estes has come up, the just right description in his story, action scenes that make you forget to breath as your flipping page after page totally intent in the story just makes me hungry for his next adventure. The story of Ice Country is full of characters and references from Fire Country. To get the complete understanding and impact of the intertwined story, you must read that first or you will not only be a bit confused, you will lose much of the meanings peppered throughout the book.

Ice Country introduces you to a society that corresponds time wise with Fire Country. You learn the Ice Country ways, their districts, habits, and hardships while going feet first into a story of loss, family, friendship, betrayal and love. Love…love of family, love of friends, love of life, love of the heart. You feel the characters coming off the page and working their magic as if they are right there before your eyes. Not only do you have a combination of Ice Country and Fire Country, but there are references to the Glassies and you are introduced to The Stormers. That part of the story is so well written that it amazes me that the author has not been snatched up by one of the big publishing houses.

You go from reading a really good story to feeling like you are right there in the middle of the hellish battle. Do I recommend this story? I recommend this to everyone. This is a story that anyone could get caught up into and with nobody finishing unsatisfied. Nov 12, Ashley rated it it was amazing. Ice Country is the second novel in the Country Saga. This story follows Dazz, an icer with anger issues. After a bar fight, he becomes banned from his favorite bar unless he pays it back. Instead of looking for a job, he decides to go gamble with his best friend. He ends up losing all his money, plus some, and has to work for the king.

He feels he hit the jackpot, until he realizes the type of person the king is and his sister goes missing. He becomes determined to find her and runs into Siena, Ice Country is the second novel in the Country Saga. I really enjoyed this story! I thought it was really well-written and David knows how to make us sympathize with the characters.

Dazz may have been stupid in the beginning, but money can make anyone stupid. I loved following him and seeing how determined he was to help his family. The banter and the relationship between Dazz and Buff was so fun. They were close and made me long for a friendship like theirs. If one is in trouble, then they both are. They've got each others backs. It seems like most of the leaders in David's books are power-crazy maniacs. This story is no exception. King Goff is insane and was incredibly selfish. He only looked out for himself, nobody else.

Personally, I think Dazz and Skye are perfect for each other. They both are kind of angry people, but not so much when they're together. They've got a lot in common and seem to be really compatible. I also loved Buff and Wilde together. It was so much fun seeing two couples from two different worlds get together. It also shows some of Siena and Circ's relationship. Normally, I really dislike the changing of main characters in a series, but it worked in this. It showed how different worlds were living, and seeing two worlds colliding.

We couldn't have gotten the same experience if it would've continued to be from Siena's POV, instead of Dazz's. Nov 20, Jessie rated it it was amazing Shelves: Dazz and his buddy, Buff, enjoy causing bar fights. It's one of the things they're well known for, and Dazz is even proud of it. Fighting is so engrained into Dazz that it's one of his first responses in a stressful situation.

But he finds himself having to retrain this response when his sister is kidnapped and he has to find out who it was. Meanwhile, he's investigating the reason some brown-skinned folks from Fire Country are prowling around on the mountain. Little does he know, they're missin Dazz and his buddy, Buff, enjoy causing bar fights.

Little does he know, they're missing a little sister also. Although we follow Dazz in this second novel, Siena, Circ, Skye, Wilde, and Feve still take a prominent role in the story. As I was reading, I thought I'd be disappointed I wouldn't get to read about them anymore, but I was happy to find new friends in Dazz and Buff, and their friends: Abe, Hightower, and others.

Get A Copy

The story itself wasn't as engrossing as the first novel in that we didn't get to dive into the culture of the people the way we did with the Heaters, but we got to learn a lot about Dazz and his family and friends quite a bit. I found I would've liked to know more about the culture of the people and the background of the royal family. This doesn't detract from the story at all and is more of a personal preference for me. I liked hearing about how they travel using sled dogs, similar to how the Inuit people in Alaska did. I thought that was a nice touch.

I also liked hearing about the sliders they use on their feet to get around quickly and easily. I imagined these to be devices kind of like skates, but are shaped like sleds instead. I still can't figure out how they maneuvered uphill, so I just put a sprinkle of magic into it. Or maybe just leg power. Apr 04, Mia rated it really liked it. I did like this book but I thought that Fire Country was way better. Dazz as a character was hard for me to read.

I didn't like him. I thought he was lazy, rash, and his decision making skills were horrible. I felt bad for Buff most of the time cause he always got caught up in Dazz's mess. Maybe I'm just bias because most of the books I read have female leads I did appreciate the plot development. The story did start our very slow and I was trying to figure where the author was going. But once I did like this book but I thought that Fire Country was way better.

I was very happy that my fire country peeps made a cameo. But it wasn't enough! I also learned more about the different countries being portrayed but the picture is still not clear. The lands seem so close to have such different weather patterns. Maybe the next installment will give more insight. I'm not sure if the cliffhanger was strong enough to get me to read the next book.

Especially since it will be about yet another character. I don't like that The little brown skinned children part hit a nerve for me too. Very uncomfortable for me to read that since the very real history of that happening to my ancestors. I'm going to give this book 3. Lost points on my personal dislike of the main character.

I hope there will be another Sierra-centered novel in the future. I missed being in her head! May 27, Amanda rated it really liked it Shelves: I had some trouble getting into this at the beginning, in part because I was a little sad that the characters from Fire Country weren't back to star here, but once I sat down and accepted that there was probably a good reason that they weren't there, I really enjoyed Ice Country , though not quite as much as I'd hoped.

I think for me the slang was a lot less believable than in Fire Country , but I was still interested in the characters and their progression. I did wish that somewhere in this book I I had some trouble getting into this at the beginning, in part because I was a little sad that the characters from Fire Country weren't back to star here, but once I sat down and accepted that there was probably a good reason that they weren't there, I really enjoyed Ice Country , though not quite as much as I'd hoped.

I did wish that somewhere in this book I would have been able to figure out the connection to the Dwellers books, but that was saved for later on.

It was worth the wait, but I was very curious during this book. I liked the idea that such different realms could coexist nearly side-by-side. Having a hot desert next to such an icy place is unique, and it reminds me a little of Nevada -- super hot at ground level, but if you go up one of the nearby mountains, there's snow. Definitely worth giving this one a try, but make sure you've read Fire Country first, or a lot of things will end up being confusing and less meaningful.

Aug 13, Jenny rated it it was amazing Shelves: Once again, can't say enough about the wonderful writing of David Estes! I loved the 2nd book in "The Country Saga" as much as I did the first. You meet Dazz a rough and tumble kind of guy who likes to fight. Along with his best friend Buff, they fight their way against unbeatable odds to free his sister. Estes writes characters that you can easily fall into. Even when you think the plot should be getting stagnant, he uses character building to help keep the excitement going. F Once again, can't say enough about the wonderful writing of David Estes!

Forgiving the fact that Ice and Fire Countries are right next to each other that it just doesn't seem possible. Estes creates a world that is very believable. How people live and travel in Ice Country is just like you would expect. I personally have never lived in a place with a lot of now, it is hard for me to imagine this, but through his amazing description I can see how it all would work.

My standard response here. Read David Estes's write-up on this book.

He gives you the information that he wants you to know so that no spoilers are given by me. Can't wait to see how it all will end! Mar 09, Kerri rated it really liked it. Apr 04, Amanda mandy rated it really liked it Shelves: Once again David Estes has leveled me to a blubbering mess. I love, love, love this world. After a bar fight leaves him and his best friend Buff with a large debt to pay, they head to the Red District to gamble a little money at cards in the hopes of winning big. Unfortunately for them they lose it all and wind up with an even bigger debt and a new jobs for the King.

Determined, Dazz begins searching for her and in the process uncovers a large plot and meets some new friends in the form of Fire Country natives. The lingo and cultural differences that Estes incorporates into the overall arc of the series is amazing! I mean he has created his own version of the future with unique cultures, dialects, and problems to overcome. D Dazz is a really hard character to not love. When we first meet him, he is immature, hot-headed, and has no direction in his life. As the book progresses, Dazz grows up, largely due to losing his sister when she is kidnapped.

It puts his priorities into perspective. I just loved it! Their relationship is sweet and they fit together perfectly in my own opinion. Not only does he get himself into trouble by fighting with Dazz, he also gets himself thrown in jail to help save Jolie. Basically he would follow Dazz anywhere. They are closer than brothers and it shows throughout the whole book. As I mentioned earlier this story overlaps with book one of the series.

The plot of the story centers around finding Jolie, but it ties nicely into book one and the scandal surrounding the Cure. If you enjoy young adult, dystopian, science-fiction than I highly recommend you check out the series. Fire Country was the first, which I previously reviewed and loved. I had hoped I would love the world of ice just as much. He was truly a loyal character, which balanced his flaws of being an impetuous, hot-tempered youth.

Estes brought old characters back too. Characters, I was not ready to say good-bye to in Fire Country. While they were not the main characters in this book, they played solid supporting roles and we were able to view their personal stories progress a little more, which was a treat. I was not sure what to expect, and was surprised a bit though I know not why that it is becoming clear all the books are linked and eventually will result in finding out the truth behind The Cure.

The Cure is a mysterious medicine that heals those afflicted with the widespread epidemic that threatens the lives of all the stories players. I cannot really pin-point what was different. I think overall, I just liked her character better.

• PRAYING IN THE SPIRITS OF JUST MEN: The spirits of the righteous praying man: A novel insight
• Classical and Generalized Models of Elastic Rods (Modern Mechanics and Mathematics)
• Plastics Fabrication and Recycling (Plastics Engineering)
• T.A.G. - The Assassination Game - Bill (Book 1 of 6)
• The Other Victim
• Reynard the Fox (Reynard Cycle Book 1)