The Anvil of Ice

A wonderful story. Michael Scott Rohan has conceived an interesting and original fantasy concept. It is sure to gather a strong following.

Rohan creates a haunting sense of mythology rather than fantasy. This remarkable novel reveals a gifted writer of stories, and pages turn as if by magic.

A skilfully told tale, blending myth and prehistory into a carefully wrought world where the conflict of Ice Age forces is focussed in the person of an enigmatic smith. It begins a trilogy which will be worth following.

I consider The Anvil of Ice to be an outstanding piece of fantasy fiction, leaving one eager to welcome the second book in the series.

Scott Rohan has an extraordinary gift for making every scene come to life with vivid reality

A very good and a very powerful writer … The concept of the Ice itself as the ultimate enemy is a remarkable feat … strong and intricate characterizations … compelling reading.

A good read … Much fascinating research is evident here … a grittily solid background of impending Ice Age. The characters are nicely done, and the final confrontation between Elof and the representative of the Ice powers has a nifty magical twist … Rohan clears the major hurdle of a trilogy opening; he actually makes me want to read book two! Stay tuned. - White Dwarf

Rohan has picked up where Tolkien left off and then some. He has a sure touch with the mythology of Northern Europe, handles the high style beautifully, and in the smithcraft of his protagonist finds a fresh metaphor for magic. - The New York Review of Science Fiction

Michael Scott Rohan (1951 - 2018)

Michael Scott Rohan was born in Edinburgh in 1951, to a French father and a Scottish mother. He was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and St. Edmund Hall, Oxford. He authored twelve fantasy and science-fiction novels, including the award-winning Winter of the World trilogy, and co-authored two more. He also wrote short stories and several non-fiction books, which have been published throughout Europe, the USA, and worldwide, and have been reissued as eBooks.

In addition to his novels, Rohan was a Times columnist, edited reference books, and reviewed and wrote about classical music for major British music magazines, including BBC Music Magazine and Opera. His interests included singing, arguing, beer, Oriental food, travelling, longbows, computers, archaeology, and palaeontology.

After being diagnosed with an incurable illness in 2000, he ceased writing fiction. Despite this, he continued to travel extensively throughout Scandinavia, North and South America, Antarctica, and the Arctic, and was completing another fantasy novel. He passed away in 2018.