Memories of Ice

“The darker the night, the brighter the stars.”

This Dostoevsky quote captures what makes Memories of Ice so captivating. In this terrible, brutal world, the few acts of compassion are all the more touching.

It is in contrasts like these that Erikson shines.

On that note, one of his greatest strengths is his ability to subvert expectations. At every junction in the story, Erikson took the path I did not expect him to. In fact, he created paths that I had not even seen. For instance, Erikson delves into all the armies that would surely inevitably clash. Only, in the final battle, not all of the armies are there, and the present ones do not do what you'd expect. This is a brilliant display of Erikson's skill: he shows the reader, “I know how you expect the story to play out, but I'm not taking that path. Instead, check this out.” And he delivers, time and time again.