Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Dell Publishing (1980)
Description
The imperious Winter colonists have ruled the planet Tiamat for 150 years, deriving wealth from the slaughter of the sea mers. But soon the galactic stargate will close, isolating Tiamat, and the 150-year reign of the Summer primitives will begin. All is not lost if Arienrhod, the ageless, corrupt Snow Queen, can destroy destiny with an act of genocide. Arienrhod is not without competition as Moon, a young Summer-tribe sibyl, and the nemesis of the Snow Queen, battles to break a conspiracy that spans space.Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.
User reviews
LibraryThing member sturlington
Mild spoilers follow.
The Snow Queen is an epic story set on a distant planet, about the fall of one queen and the rise of another. The novel is based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson and tackles such weighty themes as immortality and the power of knowledge.
The strength of this novel
Tiamat’s culture and history are shaped by the oddities of its planetary and solar system orbits. Every 150 years, it moves closest to one of its suns, bringing a long summer to the planet. This signals a complete power shift, as the Summers move north from the equatorial regions and the Snow Queen abdicates to the Summer Queen. In fact, the Snow Queen and her consort are sacrificed to the sea in a paganistic ritual following a multi-day festival similar to Carnivale or Mardi Gras.
During the same period, the planet orbits close to and then away from a black hole that enables interstellar travel to other planets in an empire called the Hegemony. While Tiamat is close to the black hole, the Hegemony maintains a presence there, sharing technology with the ruling Winters. When the planet starts to orbit away, the Offworlders must leave, and they destroy all technology before they go to keep Tiamat from advancing too much without their influence and perhaps declaring independence. The Offworlders’ interest in Tiamat comes down to the planet’s one valuable asset: immortal sea creatures called Mers. The Mers’ blood, called the Water of Life, can be harvested to provide ever-lasting youth.
The Snow Queen takes place at the cusp of this great Change. The 150-year-old Snow Queen, Arienrhod, has been scheming to maintain her power after the Summers take over. Her plan involves cloning herself, producing her Summer twin, Moon. But even though the two look alike, they are diametric opposites in personality. Arienrhod is self-absorbed and power-hungry, emotionless in her extreme age, a manipulator of everyone she meets. Her young twin Moon is compassionate and empathetic, someone who inspires adulation and devotion in everyone she comes across.
Moon has become a sibyl, a prophetess who can answer any question. Through this power she taps into an ancient network of knowledge and discovers the true significance of the Mers and why they must be protected. This prompts her to compete for the mask of the Summer Queen and the power to, as she puts it, change the Change.
Moon and Arienrhod are both in love with Moon’s cousin, Sparks. His character is probably the novel’s biggest flaw, because it seems implausible that these two strong women would go to such lengths for him. Sparks is narcissistic, petulant and tends to make rash decisions or sulk when things don’t go his way. His character doesn’t improve or change much over the course of the story. He commits atrocious crimes, witnessed by Moon, who still wants to be with him even when much more attractive options are available to her.
This is a long novel that probably could have been a good deal shorter, but there is enough action and interesting dynamics to keep the reader involved. In fact, I would like to know more — about the ruling planet of Kharamough, for instance, and its rigid class structure, which we visit only briefly. Clearly, the novel is setting up for a sequel, since many conflicts are left open-ended and the resolution is not quite satisfying as a result.
The Snow Queen won the Hugo Award in 1981. The sequel, The Summer Queen, was published in 1991, and a third novel in the trilogy, Tangled Up in Blue was published in 2000. Vinge also published a novella, World’s End (1984), set in the same universe.
The Snow Queen is an epic story set on a distant planet, about the fall of one queen and the rise of another. The novel is based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson and tackles such weighty themes as immortality and the power of knowledge.
The strength of this novel
Show More
lies in its world building. The planet of Tiamat is a fully realized world, an ocean-covered planet orbiting twin suns. Two tribes live there: the sea-going, island-dwelling Summers, characterized by a fear of technology and a superstitious worship of their sea goddess, the Lady; and the Winters, who live in the Northern regions and the shell-shaped city of Carbuncle, embrace technology and freely trade with the Offworlders.Tiamat’s culture and history are shaped by the oddities of its planetary and solar system orbits. Every 150 years, it moves closest to one of its suns, bringing a long summer to the planet. This signals a complete power shift, as the Summers move north from the equatorial regions and the Snow Queen abdicates to the Summer Queen. In fact, the Snow Queen and her consort are sacrificed to the sea in a paganistic ritual following a multi-day festival similar to Carnivale or Mardi Gras.
During the same period, the planet orbits close to and then away from a black hole that enables interstellar travel to other planets in an empire called the Hegemony. While Tiamat is close to the black hole, the Hegemony maintains a presence there, sharing technology with the ruling Winters. When the planet starts to orbit away, the Offworlders must leave, and they destroy all technology before they go to keep Tiamat from advancing too much without their influence and perhaps declaring independence. The Offworlders’ interest in Tiamat comes down to the planet’s one valuable asset: immortal sea creatures called Mers. The Mers’ blood, called the Water of Life, can be harvested to provide ever-lasting youth.
The Snow Queen takes place at the cusp of this great Change. The 150-year-old Snow Queen, Arienrhod, has been scheming to maintain her power after the Summers take over. Her plan involves cloning herself, producing her Summer twin, Moon. But even though the two look alike, they are diametric opposites in personality. Arienrhod is self-absorbed and power-hungry, emotionless in her extreme age, a manipulator of everyone she meets. Her young twin Moon is compassionate and empathetic, someone who inspires adulation and devotion in everyone she comes across.
Moon has become a sibyl, a prophetess who can answer any question. Through this power she taps into an ancient network of knowledge and discovers the true significance of the Mers and why they must be protected. This prompts her to compete for the mask of the Summer Queen and the power to, as she puts it, change the Change.
Moon and Arienrhod are both in love with Moon’s cousin, Sparks. His character is probably the novel’s biggest flaw, because it seems implausible that these two strong women would go to such lengths for him. Sparks is narcissistic, petulant and tends to make rash decisions or sulk when things don’t go his way. His character doesn’t improve or change much over the course of the story. He commits atrocious crimes, witnessed by Moon, who still wants to be with him even when much more attractive options are available to her.
This is a long novel that probably could have been a good deal shorter, but there is enough action and interesting dynamics to keep the reader involved. In fact, I would like to know more — about the ruling planet of Kharamough, for instance, and its rigid class structure, which we visit only briefly. Clearly, the novel is setting up for a sequel, since many conflicts are left open-ended and the resolution is not quite satisfying as a result.
The Snow Queen won the Hugo Award in 1981. The sequel, The Summer Queen, was published in 1991, and a third novel in the trilogy, Tangled Up in Blue was published in 2000. Vinge also published a novella, World’s End (1984), set in the same universe.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Crowyhead
I've owned this book for a very long time, and actually started reading it twice, only to get distracted. This time I finished it, and I was not disappointed. It starts off kind of slow, but then Vinge gets all of her different plots going and the thing sort of gathers this incredible momentum.
The complexity of the plot and politics brings to mind _Dune_ by Frank Herbert, although in many ways I actually preferred _The Snow Queen_ over Dune. The whole novel is more women-centered, which is interesting and welcome, but what I really enjoyed was the strength of Vinge's characterization -- there are a LOT of secondary characters, and she manages to make every one of them interesting. Even when a character had a relatively small role in the plot, I was able to get a feel for their motivations and who they were as a person. I look forward to reading the sequels.
Show More
It's an SF novel about a world called Tiamat, which orbits two stars and a stable black hole. Due its idiosyncratic orbit, every 150 years Tiamat's atmosphere radically changes. During the cold years, the Winters rule, and during the warm, the Summers have control. The Winters are technologically minded, whereas the Summers consider technology to be heresy. So basically, every 150 years, the world devolves back to a sort of primitive state, and all offworld contact ceases. The Winter queen of Tiamat is hatching a plot to maintain power after the changeover, and it centers around a young Summer named Moon...The complexity of the plot and politics brings to mind _Dune_ by Frank Herbert, although in many ways I actually preferred _The Snow Queen_ over Dune. The whole novel is more women-centered, which is interesting and welcome, but what I really enjoyed was the strength of Vinge's characterization -- there are a LOT of secondary characters, and she manages to make every one of them interesting. Even when a character had a relatively small role in the plot, I was able to get a feel for their motivations and who they were as a person. I look forward to reading the sequels.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Shirezu
My thoughts on this book are quite tangled.
On one hand I loved the sci-fi elements of this book. A world which is periodically reduced to a "primitive" state, controlled by the Hegemony for the purpose of harvesting it's most precious resource.
On the other is the drama surrounding the Winter
Honestly I would have enjoyed the book with far less of the latter and more of the former. The dramatical parts of the book really dragged for me. The whole redemption of Sparks thing was a joke and the treatment of Jerusha was unnecessary. Moon really frustrated me at times.
I would have like a lot more on the sibyls, the mers and the Old Empire. I think the book could have benefited more from those subjects and if it dropped the incest off a bit. I found that to be quite odd and a little disturbing. I would have preferred Moon stay with BZ and Sparks to get the punishment he deserved.
Overall though it wasn't a bad book but I won't be reading any more of the series.
On one hand I loved the sci-fi elements of this book. A world which is periodically reduced to a "primitive" state, controlled by the Hegemony for the purpose of harvesting it's most precious resource.
On the other is the drama surrounding the Winter
Show More
Queen, her Summer clone and their joint love.Honestly I would have enjoyed the book with far less of the latter and more of the former. The dramatical parts of the book really dragged for me. The whole redemption of Sparks thing was a joke and the treatment of Jerusha was unnecessary. Moon really frustrated me at times.
I would have like a lot more on the sibyls, the mers and the Old Empire. I think the book could have benefited more from those subjects and if it dropped the incest off a bit. I found that to be quite odd and a little disturbing. I would have preferred Moon stay with BZ and Sparks to get the punishment he deserved.
Overall though it wasn't a bad book but I won't be reading any more of the series.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Phrim
In The Snow Queen, Joan Vinge presents a world in which everyone is plagued by a lack of knowledge about how the universe works. There are three social strata--the "Summers" who are technology-hating nature worshippers, the "Winters" who love technology but don't know and don't care how it works,
Show More
and the "Hegemony", who produces technology and uses it to its own political advantage. Yet even the Hegemony is just feeding off the scraps of a long-extinct Empire, who created the framework for all the important plot elements. The story arises when two Summer children begin cutting across the various social strata--the boy, Sparks, falls in with the Winters and the girl, Moon, with the Hegemony. While Sparks becomes jaded and cynical, Moon's devotion to Sparks and the experiences she had when her eyes were opened to the wider world makes her determined to enact political change for knowledge-spreading instead of bartering. Naturally, this doesn't sit well with the entrenched political situation (particularly the titular Snow Queen of the Winters--a master politician), forcing the protagonists to work through a number of sticky situations. It was an interesting read. Show Less
LibraryThing member worldsedge
WARNING: This review contains mild spoilers.
Overall an entertaining work, if a big overlong with tendencies to meander. Not too sure about the physics of this, but main premise of the story is a revolving black hole near a planet that can be used to maintain contact with six other planets, forming
Overall an entertaining work, if a big overlong with tendencies to meander. Not too sure about the physics of this, but main premise of the story is a revolving black hole near a planet that can be used to maintain contact with six other planets, forming
Show More
the "Hegemony." The backstory is a galaxy wide empire that collapsed, and they haven't been able to figure out FTL travel again, the Hegemony only has access to solar systems near enough to these revolving black holes. And the black hole is closing for a hundred or so years, during which time planet Tiamat will descend into barbarism. The "Snow Queen" will be put to death and a "Summer Queen" raised to power. The current Snow Queen [Arienrhod] clones herself [Moon Dawntreader Summer] who becomes a Sibyl, with all the knowledge of the old empire, but with only access to it in a garbled fashion. Quite a bit of filler, and the science fiction seems to incline more and more to fantasy, but ultimately good triumphs over evil, the black hole closes and we set the stage for a bunch of sequels. Show Less
LibraryThing member jshillingford
A sweeping planetary saga in the manner of Dune. Arienhrod has been Snow Queen for 150 years; she does not want to kill herself to make way for the Summer Queen. So, she plots a way to stay in power when the other-worlders go back through the wormhole. Fantastic!
LibraryThing member aarondesk
the ewoks meet Gone with the Wind meet Dune
The book has some cool ideas, but unfortunately too much of the book gets in the way of developing these cool ideas. The characters tend to be rather one-dimensional, while the plot just seems to drag on way too long.
The book has some cool ideas, but unfortunately too much of the book gets in the way of developing these cool ideas. The characters tend to be rather one-dimensional, while the plot just seems to drag on way too long.
LibraryThing member berbels
I read this as a teen and didn't get it. When I was in my 20's I read it again and loved it. The contamination issues, the culture clash, all resonated more strongly when I was exposed to them in my own life.
LibraryThing member serpentkills
This book deals with a lot of real world issues from sexism to human rights to animal rights and that’s one of the things I really liked about it. The things that were happening were understandable because they happen in the real world. It’s interesting to see these issues out of real world
Things I liked about this book - the characters, the villainess in particular, were wonderful to read. Each character felt real to me, as though I actually knew these people, and that’s something I really love in a book.
Things I did not like - Sparks. I do not like Sparks as a (fictional) person. As a character, he’s well-written, he makes sense, he’s realistic. I just don’t like him. I can’t elaborate much more than that without giving too much away so I’ll leave it there.
If the cover blurb sounds interesting to you, I definitely say you should read this book. It’s an amazing read.
Show More
context and in a sci-fi book. They give it weight.Things I liked about this book - the characters, the villainess in particular, were wonderful to read. Each character felt real to me, as though I actually knew these people, and that’s something I really love in a book.
Things I did not like - Sparks. I do not like Sparks as a (fictional) person. As a character, he’s well-written, he makes sense, he’s realistic. I just don’t like him. I can’t elaborate much more than that without giving too much away so I’ll leave it there.
If the cover blurb sounds interesting to you, I definitely say you should read this book. It’s an amazing read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member kraaivrouw
This one won the Hugo Award in 1981 & with good reason. Someone in another review I read said that this book was what Dune would be if it had been written by a female anthropologist.
I read this when it first came out - loved the doomed love story at its core with its echoes of the Hans Christian
It's good to read science fiction with strong female characters of all kinds & with interesting stories and connections. This works.
I read this when it first came out - loved the doomed love story at its core with its echoes of the Hans Christian
Show More
Anderson story. Reading it now I'm more drawn to the politics and culture of the world & to the notion of the sibyl mind - a huge networked database containing all of the knowledge of the Old Empire that is accessed by those who are infected with a virus, the network is watched over by mer. The whole back-and-forth of "Input" & "Transfer ended" sounds in my head like an old school modem connecting to the Internet. Love broadband, but sometimes I miss that noise.It's good to read science fiction with strong female characters of all kinds & with interesting stories and connections. This works.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Karlstar
This is simply an outstanding story. It has all the familiar themes of science fiction, with spaceships and technology and clones, intertwined with the fate of a small number of poeple, and a very special world. The story and the people are complex and interesting and compelling, and it is very
Show More
well written. Show Less
LibraryThing member silentq
Wow, I bought this book in 2002 (it still had the price tag on it from the Glasgow book shop where I found it). Almost done with my to-read shelf. :)
This novel is set on a planet that has a sharp division between the primitive Summers and the high tech Winters. The Winter Queen is nearing the end
There's a lot of political machination going on, as well as emotional upheaval, and I found the world fascinating. My only quibble is that the queen, despite all her plottings, didn't really feel like she truly threaten any of the main characters, just manipulate them. But that manipulation ruined lives emotionally, physically, mentally, morally etc. A female police officer has a secondary story, complete with struggles in a male dominated society, and despite empathising with her, it felt tacked on and that she was only there to be useful to the main characters (I think the butt on the cover is supposed to belong to her, it was part of the image I felt I had to obscure when I was reading it in public). The core ideas were interesting, but a few tweaks would have made it even better.
This novel is set on a planet that has a sharp division between the primitive Summers and the high tech Winters. The Winter Queen is nearing the end
Show More
of her reign and she's plotting to extend it after the Change comes by making a clone of herself and having the girl raised as a Summer. But Moon becomes a sybil, and the cousin she loves does not, and this event launches them on widely disparate tragectories. Moon ends up learning what the domineering Hegemony doesn't want the people of their planet to know and fights to be reunited with Sparks. He, meanwhile has gone to the capital city and fell in among the Winters, becomes jaded and hard especially after he's faced with the uncanny resemblance of the queen to his lost love. There's a lot of political machination going on, as well as emotional upheaval, and I found the world fascinating. My only quibble is that the queen, despite all her plottings, didn't really feel like she truly threaten any of the main characters, just manipulate them. But that manipulation ruined lives emotionally, physically, mentally, morally etc. A female police officer has a secondary story, complete with struggles in a male dominated society, and despite empathising with her, it felt tacked on and that she was only there to be useful to the main characters (I think the butt on the cover is supposed to belong to her, it was part of the image I felt I had to obscure when I was reading it in public). The core ideas were interesting, but a few tweaks would have made it even better.
Show Less
LibraryThing member suzemo
I don't know why I got away from this book like I did. It shouldn't take that long to read, and it's very, very good.
I love that the main characters in the book are strong women. I love that the world building is fully fleshed out. I love that it's a coming-of-age story that's not weak. I just
The story takes place on Tiamat (also, yeah, loving Vinge's use of names), which is a planet in the "Hegemony", that due to an astronomical fluke is "available" to the Hegemony for 150 of every 300 years.
When the Hegemony has access to Tiamat, the techno-forward, environment destorying "Winters" rule the planet (complete with it's Winter Queen) and during the inaccessible time, the primitive nature worshiping "Summers" rule.
This story takes place at the time of transition. The Winter Queen will do whatever it takes to keep her power, the Hegemony will do what it needs to to make sure that the transition happens (for reasons that are revealed, brilliantly, in the book). Arienrhod is the titular Snow Queen, a hard and scheming woman, who is not one dimension (for a refreshing change). Moon, the second of three main characters, is a product of Arienrhod's scheming, she is a Summer, who has the calling to become a sibyl. Thanks to her calling, she must end her relationship with her cousin, and their estrangement begins her journey that takes her off-world and then to the heart of the Hegemonic city. Jerusha PalaThion is a female "blue", basically the Hegemonic law enforcement. She struggles, dealing with the discrimination dealt to her from the men of her department, as she tries to unravel whatever it is that Arienrhod is up to (and she's pretty sure she's up to something). She's probably my favorite character in the book (right after Arienrhod).
I've seen numerous comparisons to other big works of sci-fi (most notably Dune, and to be honest, I think there is some truth to some of the comparisons). And while this does use some major themes/trops, it's also refreshing with it's strong female component.
Vinge's prose is also fantastic, and her world building is absolutely complete. The scraps of science and the reasoning behind motives is interesting and fascinating. Is it the most original thing ever? Probably not, but it's easily one of the best books I've ever read. As soon as it's available on kindle, I'll own it.
I love that the main characters in the book are strong women. I love that the world building is fully fleshed out. I love that it's a coming-of-age story that's not weak. I just
Show More
kinda loved it all.The story takes place on Tiamat (also, yeah, loving Vinge's use of names), which is a planet in the "Hegemony", that due to an astronomical fluke is "available" to the Hegemony for 150 of every 300 years.
When the Hegemony has access to Tiamat, the techno-forward, environment destorying "Winters" rule the planet (complete with it's Winter Queen) and during the inaccessible time, the primitive nature worshiping "Summers" rule.
This story takes place at the time of transition. The Winter Queen will do whatever it takes to keep her power, the Hegemony will do what it needs to to make sure that the transition happens (for reasons that are revealed, brilliantly, in the book). Arienrhod is the titular Snow Queen, a hard and scheming woman, who is not one dimension (for a refreshing change). Moon, the second of three main characters, is a product of Arienrhod's scheming, she is a Summer, who has the calling to become a sibyl. Thanks to her calling, she must end her relationship with her cousin, and their estrangement begins her journey that takes her off-world and then to the heart of the Hegemonic city. Jerusha PalaThion is a female "blue", basically the Hegemonic law enforcement. She struggles, dealing with the discrimination dealt to her from the men of her department, as she tries to unravel whatever it is that Arienrhod is up to (and she's pretty sure she's up to something). She's probably my favorite character in the book (right after Arienrhod).
I've seen numerous comparisons to other big works of sci-fi (most notably Dune, and to be honest, I think there is some truth to some of the comparisons). And while this does use some major themes/trops, it's also refreshing with it's strong female component.
Vinge's prose is also fantastic, and her world building is absolutely complete. The scraps of science and the reasoning behind motives is interesting and fascinating. Is it the most original thing ever? Probably not, but it's easily one of the best books I've ever read. As soon as it's available on kindle, I'll own it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Ananda
This book was a delicious surprise! A friend recommended it long ago, so my husband bought our first copy used at the Book Nook in Atlanta. I finally read it, and what a treat. It really is Andersen's fairy tale, too -- in that there are two cousins who love ech oher, and one gets "bewitched" by
Here, Winter people equal technology and progress; Summer people equal faith, tradition and living off the land. Offworlders hold the progress the Winters desire, but they keep the planet Tiamat in the dark so they can exploit it. Sparks (our Kay) is half off worlder/half Summer, but tempted by the Snow Queen and his love for Winter's technology (Andersen's demon mirror speck?). Moon (our Gerda) is Summer, but also related to the Snow Queen in a mysterious way. She holds a totally different sort of power -- love. Combine that with the population of "mers" who hold the promise of immortality, and the promise of Summer power -- and an interesting & provocative tale is told.
(read and reviewed in 1999)
Show More
the Snow Queen Arienrhod. That's simplifying the plot a bit, though.Here, Winter people equal technology and progress; Summer people equal faith, tradition and living off the land. Offworlders hold the progress the Winters desire, but they keep the planet Tiamat in the dark so they can exploit it. Sparks (our Kay) is half off worlder/half Summer, but tempted by the Snow Queen and his love for Winter's technology (Andersen's demon mirror speck?). Moon (our Gerda) is Summer, but also related to the Snow Queen in a mysterious way. She holds a totally different sort of power -- love. Combine that with the population of "mers" who hold the promise of immortality, and the promise of Summer power -- and an interesting & provocative tale is told.
(read and reviewed in 1999)
Show Less
LibraryThing member dbsovereign
An especially poignant coming of age novel, this book is a unstinting foray into "talent" and what it can entail - both the resolve and responsibility.
LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
This is good book. Not great, but good. I like the premise, I liked the world, but the characters were a bit cold. They were interesting, but I really couldn't get into them. No connection. It also feels dated... It's not the technology, or the world, but the writing style screams old.
As such, I
As such, I
Show More
probably won't recommend this to friends, unless they are specifically looking for something like this. Show Less
LibraryThing member ScoLgo
An epic story composed of various themes. The main characters were a bit dim at times but the world-building is first-rate. Despite a slow pace the story remained intriguing enough to keep me reading. The showdown between Arienrhod and Moon seemed anti-climactic and the lengthy denouement lowered
Show More
my rating a bit. Still, this is quite a good book that contains some very cool concepts. I'm glad I have the next two books in the series waiting on my shelf. Show Less
LibraryThing member greeniezona
It really irritates me that I can't remember why I sought out this book. I have made a concerted effort recently to find SF written by women, but still, some one or some article must have recommended this book in particular, and I don't remember what that was. It was a like a mosquito buzzing
But onto the book itself! Like Dune, the planet of our particular interest (in this case, Tiamat), is the only source of an amazing substance with powerful effects. Like in Dune, the rules of the known universe conspire to keep this planet subjugated in order to enjoy continued supply of said substance. And like in Dune, there is one character who seems uniquely predestined to rule this planet and lead it out of its subjugation. (Also, like in Dune, this doesn't really rely on exploiting the substance, but rather halting its production altogether.)
The Snow Queen is a highly ambitious book. Unfortunately, I didn't find Moon nearly as relatable as Paul. (Paul? Relatable? It seems strange to say such a thing, even in comparison.) Moon is foreign from top to bottom -- starting out as a Lady-worshiping, cousin-loving island girl, transformed into a sibyl for the Lady herself, then as she discovers what a sibyl truly is and finally learns that she is a clone of the Snow Queen, ruler of Tiamat, created in an attempt to retain power past the Change...
It was the minor characters and the fate of the planet itself that finally drew me in, until I was reading voraciously, turning each page with both increasing hunger and certainty that the ultimate fate I yearned to learn wouldn't be revealed until a later book. (Indeed! There are at least three more books in the series.) I fell in love with the mers, with Fate, with PalaThion, Miroe, BZ, Tor and her faithful Pollux. Some readers criticized that Snow Queen was too long, and maybe during the long, slow buildup I would have agreed. But by the end I wanted more, more more. Chapters, entire books devoted to these fascinating support characters! And more about Moon's plotting for Summer! I guess this all means I'm on the hook for at least the next book in the series...
Show More
around my head the entire time I read this book.But onto the book itself! Like Dune, the planet of our particular interest (in this case, Tiamat), is the only source of an amazing substance with powerful effects. Like in Dune, the rules of the known universe conspire to keep this planet subjugated in order to enjoy continued supply of said substance. And like in Dune, there is one character who seems uniquely predestined to rule this planet and lead it out of its subjugation. (Also, like in Dune, this doesn't really rely on exploiting the substance, but rather halting its production altogether.)
The Snow Queen is a highly ambitious book. Unfortunately, I didn't find Moon nearly as relatable as Paul. (Paul? Relatable? It seems strange to say such a thing, even in comparison.) Moon is foreign from top to bottom -- starting out as a Lady-worshiping, cousin-loving island girl, transformed into a sibyl for the Lady herself, then as she discovers what a sibyl truly is and finally learns that she is a clone of the Snow Queen, ruler of Tiamat, created in an attempt to retain power past the Change...
It was the minor characters and the fate of the planet itself that finally drew me in, until I was reading voraciously, turning each page with both increasing hunger and certainty that the ultimate fate I yearned to learn wouldn't be revealed until a later book. (Indeed! There are at least three more books in the series.) I fell in love with the mers, with Fate, with PalaThion, Miroe, BZ, Tor and her faithful Pollux. Some readers criticized that Snow Queen was too long, and maybe during the long, slow buildup I would have agreed. But by the end I wanted more, more more. Chapters, entire books devoted to these fascinating support characters! And more about Moon's plotting for Summer! I guess this all means I'm on the hook for at least the next book in the series...
Show Less
LibraryThing member electrascaife
Tiamat is a planet inhabited by two (nearly literally) polar opposite peoples - the Summers and the Winters. They trade rule back and forth in 150-year jaunts. The story takes place during a Winter reign, and Arienrhod is the Snow Queen ruling over the entire world and who (by nefarious means, of
Slow in places, but the story is a good one overall. Interesting premise, cool world building and solid characters.
Show More
course) has kept herself alive and young for all of her 150-year time as ruler. There is a police force, though, representing The Hegemony, a multi-world governing body, which holds power over Tiamat and holds their culture and society back for their own reasons. Moon and Sparks are a part of this world: Summers, cousins and lovers, who find themselves torn apart on many levels, fighting to find each other again, and playing more important roles in the turn of events than they would ever have dreamed.Slow in places, but the story is a good one overall. Interesting premise, cool world building and solid characters.
Show Less
LibraryThing member vladmihaisima
Combining old fairy tale and far future, post space exploration setting to obtain a positive and nice story. The combination is very well made, relying on some people taking technology as cvasi-magical and the struggles of humanity to rise again from the ashes of a fallen empire. Characters are a The male characters (Sparks) seems a bit teenagaer-ish from start to finish, and he is redeemed although he does nothing. Most characters are painted in a rather positive light, with their motive explained and not being really evil (even the snow queen . Overall an enjoyable lecture with some twists but an expected ending.
Show More
bit linear/driven only by strong forces beyond their will (one of the more interesting character is the women police commander that struggles for meaning and recognition and her captain). Show Less
LibraryThing member quondame
A science fiction almost retelling of the Hans Christian Anderson story, except that the young woman who goes to rescue her friend from the Snow Queen, is a power in herself. And almost completely without demonstrated personality, as dull as many male SF protagonists who may say they love, or
Show More
require, but whose feelings aren't sharable. It is Sparks weakness that are more real and the conflicts of the Blues that give the rather fractured story telling it's emotional load. And of course there is the stunning creation of Tiamat. Show Less
LibraryThing member pyanfarrrr
I had heard great things about The Snow Queen, but the reality was disappointing.
The setting is interesting. Unfortunately, the narration didn't convey any emotional weight to me. Moon trying to reunite with Sparks seems like it's supposed to be the emotional core of the story, but we don't get any
The frequent time skips omitted a lot of scenes that might have made me more invested in the characters. I felt like the story kept jumping from one static situation to another: a few months pass and now character X feels *this* way. Some more time passes and now she is good friends with character Y but that relationship happened entirely offscreen.
The setting is interesting. Unfortunately, the narration didn't convey any emotional weight to me. Moon trying to reunite with Sparks seems like it's supposed to be the emotional core of the story, but we don't get any
Show More
information about their relationship other than being told over and over that they're in love.The frequent time skips omitted a lot of scenes that might have made me more invested in the characters. I felt like the story kept jumping from one static situation to another: a few months pass and now character X feels *this* way. Some more time passes and now she is good friends with character Y but that relationship happened entirely offscreen.
Show Less
LibraryThing member elenaj
The science fictional subject matter, tone, characterization, and prose are quite contemporary, despite this book being over 35 years old. It's no wonder it won a Hugo - it must have been remarkably ahead of its time.
LibraryThing member wishanem
A Sci-Fi story broadly inspired by, but not really similar to, the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same name. There are also elements of the Snow White story integrated in there, and plenty of original material to pad it all out.
The premise and world of this story is really great. A
Some of the supporting characters are really great, particularly a couple of duty-focused police officers and a thuggish laborer, but the central characters are unfortunately generic. There are also a couple of overwrought love triangles that I never really felt invested in.
The premise and world of this story is really great. A
Show More
planet is ruled by a monarch who provides a rare natural resource that extends human lives indefinitely to offworlders in exchange for technology for hundreds of years until cyclical extreme climate change occurs, then the offworlders can't visit and power is handed over to luddites for a few centuries until the climate switches back. But the current monarch isn't about to give up easily and has developed some schemes to stay in power.Some of the supporting characters are really great, particularly a couple of duty-focused police officers and a thuggish laborer, but the central characters are unfortunately generic. There are also a couple of overwrought love triangles that I never really felt invested in.
Show Less
LibraryThing member TobinElliott
When I read this novel the first time, 39 years ago (!) when it was first published, I remember believing it was likely the best novel I'd ever read. In fact, I was somewhat haunted by it. I simply loved everything about it. The characters, the plot, the ideas, the intrigue.
Of course, that made me
Yes, it took a bit to get going, but once it did, I simply fell in love with this novel all over again.
I can't say it's the best novel I've ever read anymore, but forty years on, it definitely holds up. Hopefully the rest in this series are as good.
Of course, that made me
Show More
worry that, re-entering this world four decades on would prove disappointing. I shouldn't have worried. Yes, it took a bit to get going, but once it did, I simply fell in love with this novel all over again.
I can't say it's the best novel I've ever read anymore, but forty years on, it definitely holds up. Hopefully the rest in this series are as good.
Show Less
Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Novel — 1981)
Nebula Award (Nominee — Novel — 1980)
Locus Award (Finalist — Science Fiction Novel — 1981)
Ditmar Award (Shortlist — 1981)
Original publication date
1980
Physical description
6.76 inches
ISBN
0445205296 / 9780445205291