I think it must be a rite of passage when an author decides to write a fantasy epic that it has to be of voluminous size. This is definitely the case with James Rollins, whose second book in his Moonfall series is nearly three times the length of one of his Sigma Force thrillers. I also believe that the fantasy genre allows for the artistic and creative freedom that is expected from it, containing ideas and unrestrained opportunity for expressive storytelling.

THE CRADLE OF ICE continues to follow a handful of characters in a world that could be ours, and this Urth is in big trouble. The axis of the planet has stopped spinning for reasons that the people on it can only speculate about. The result is that the Urth is no longer rotating around the sun, causing half of the planet to be buried in deep ice and eternal winter. However, this is a small problem compared to the rumor that a moonfall will occur soon, causing the Urth’s moon to come crashing into the planet and essentially destroy all life upon it.

"There is hand-drawn artwork at the beginning of each chapter that depicts a different creature, and it becomes a true menagerie of terror for readers that makes them anticipate what’s to come."

These are just a few of the suspenseful elements that Rollins has laid out for his characters to deal with. Now, throw in the possibility of a brutal war and a myriad of bizarre creatures all bent on destruction, and you have a story that will never cease to amaze and entertain readers. Our primary protagonist remains the female warrior Nyx, who opens the story aboard a ship heading towards the icy part of the planet. Her original fellowship from THE STARLESS CROWN has disbanded for the time being, and they’re on different journeys. The ultimate goal for Nyx is to find answers in the tundra and at least solve the Urth axis issue, which hopefully will avert the moonfall crisis.

Nyx shares this sequel with Prince Kanthe, and his narrative is more focused on the warring factions on the planet that he is trying to avoid. His getting mixed up with Aalia, a young princess from the opposition, does not make matters any easier. He is accompanied by a small band of colleagues, including his twin brother, all of whom are assisting with his mission.

The creatures are a dynamic force in this book, and they really show off Rollins’ love of fantasy. Nyx travels with her own dragon, Bashaliia, but it is taken from her at one point when a band of rabid, giant bats attack and fly off with it. Additional beastly abominations exist in the sea, air and land, keeping our heroes ever vigilant. There is hand-drawn artwork at the beginning of each chapter that depicts a different creature, and it becomes a true menagerie of terror for readers that makes them anticipate what’s to come.

In the opening portion of THE CRADLE OF ICE, Rollins treats us to various maps of the lands, affected and unaffected by the ice, as well as a picture of the planet with this quote: “When the world stopped turning, new lands were born.” That is enough right there to engage me, and I am confident that fans will digest this second entry in the series just as quickly and easily as the first one. This epic saga is far from over, and I trust that Rollins and his fertile imagination are already thinking up ideas for the next installment.