A little while ago, I wrote about the soundtrack I listened to while writing Icefall. I mentioned then that I would also like to talk about the images that I had in my mind when writing the book. If you haven’t read Icefall, you might want to stop here, because I think it’s important – and many readers prefer – to fill a book with their own mental imagery. But if you’ve read the book, and you want to see what I had in mind, read on. It might be interesting to see how our visions of the story compare.
Icefall takes place entirely within the confines of a small steading located in a remote fjord. As the book opens, Solveig stands at the edge of cliff looking down on the water.
But it is winter, so perhaps more like this:
Within the steading walls, the characters live in a traditional Scandinavian hall, which I always imagined to be a small, rustic outpost.
From the outside:
And from the inside:
The steading is situated between “towering mountains and a frozen sea.” In the book, I describe the mountains as being like a procession of marching trolls.
But what Solveig sees…
The hall is also surrounded by woods, dense and forbidding regardless of the season.
Above the hall looms the glacier.
While a runestone stands silently in the woods below.
And lastly, here is an image I only found recently. It didn’t inform the character of Solveig, but I love that it includes a raven.
16 responses to “Images of Icefall”
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I liked the Scandinavian Hall picture and the Procession of Trolls picture. I liked them because they seemed like they could be from another world which is my favorite type of writing and imagery. Can you also tell me where you took the pictures?
I found all the pictures online on the Wikimedia Commons. Lots of great stuff on there.
What a wonderful book really!
Thank you, whoever you are!
A big fan of this book, I read it in 2 days! I liked the picture of the inside of the Hall best. The first one was also amazing. It was the cover that drew me to the book!
Huge fan, excited to read Infinite Ring when I get a hold of it. 🙂
Where can i find online readable copies of this amazing book i lost my copy,what a shame.
I recently listened to an audio version of Icefall and fell in love with your character Solveig. Please tell me she will surface in another story. She was/is a wonderful character.
My name’s Ellie and I’m 13 years old. I absolutely LOVE Icefall!!! I’ve read it over and over again and I never get tired of it. It’s my absolute most favorite book ever!!!
I think it’s very well written. I thought the ending was happy yet still sad. Thank you very much Mr.Kirby!!! You’re a very good writer!!! 🙂 🙂
Thank you! Icefall was a special book to write.
My son is 11 but I still read to him every night. Icefall has been one of our favourites. We always finished each chapter wanting more but unwilling to hasten our steady journey towards the final page. Now that we’ve reached the end, we still want more. I’ve fallen in love with Hake (shhhh don’t tell my husband!) and my son and I both want to hear what comes next for all the characters. Will solveig and Raudi become more than friends? What of Hake? Per and Asa?
I hope you will revisit this wonderful world you have crafted and invited us all into.
This has been one of many pleasant unexpected surprises of parenting, being exposed to wonderful stories I might otherwise have never heard of.
As we looked online to see if you had written a follow up we were surprised to see one of our favourite books from last summer, clockwork three, was also written by you! We can’t wait to see what you do next!
What are some of the sources you used to help create the ancient Norse everyday life? Most of what I can find on the Vikings deals with voyages rather than life at home.
I loved the book!!
Mathew I’m son and I read Ice Fall and totally loved it !!!
Can’t help wishing you could make a sequel to it.
Wanted to see how the story would continue
Hake and Solveig especially wanted then to fall in love.
Thank you we look forward to reading some of your other books and longing for Ice Fall sequel:)
hi .i’m from iran .i love ice fall,and this picture.i wish you success.
I just finished Icefall and I absolutely loved it! I got so emotional during the book. I don’t even know what to say! I’m not English and I read a translated version of your book in 2 days. It was great!
Hello sir! I’m Avin from Tehran, Iran. I have to say that “Icefall” is one of my favorite books of all time. The first time I read it I was fourteen and now I just finished it for the second time; Now I’m eighteen. I’m so in love with everything in this book. I can’t talk about it throughout words…
Sincerely,
Avin
p.s: I read the ending chapters while listening to this: https://youtu.be/FTHuHP0wWNE