Book Review: Beyond the Sea of Ice by William Sarabande

Beyond the Sea of Ice
-Author: William Sarabande
-Publishing Date: 1987
-Setting Genre: Ice Ace
-Narrative Genre: Survival, Travelogue, Disaster, Love Story
-Themes: Value of Human Life, Relationship Insecurities,

Subjective Length: 3-5 days

Overall 6/10. The narrative is strong, and the characters compelling; however, the need for heavy emphasis on worldbuilding, the necessarily primitive views on social issues, and the darkness and maturity of subject matter make this not a book for everybody. That said, the ice age is an underrepresented genre in fiction, and fans of that genre who can handle its "nasty, brutish, and short" depiction of human experience will have a winner in Sarabande's excellent work.

Controversial themes: 
Place of Women in Prehistoric Society: As you may assume, this work depicts the ice age as a pre-women's suffrage world. The gender roles are strongly enforced by the characters and are internalized without question even when the story is told from the perspective of female characters.
Sex, inlcuding Rape and Incest: This is where the story will likely prove too dark for many readers. Sex occurs frequently, though euphemistically. The larger issue is the frequent incidents of rape in the story. The first referenced is committed by a father against his daughter, and the tribe, regarding her as her father's property until marriage, regard this act as his right. There are threats meant to coerce sexual compliance, and three characters are captured with the intent of making them sex slaves. The most intense scene comes when a man is coerced against his will into having sex with a woman, and, in retaliation, strives to make the experience painful and unpleasant for her. This incident blurs the lines of who is the victim in the situation in a way that many readers may find disconcerting and deeply uncomfortable. The work also assumes a world in which physical sexual maturity is regarded as old enough to consent to sex.
Violence: The work includes threats of violence and graphic descriptions of violence. The most grisly is a description early in the book of a man being trampled by a mammoth. If you get that far without the violence being too much, you can probably handle everything in the book.
Spiritualism: This work leaves unclear whether spiritualism is merely a deeply held belief, or is the true force behind the world these characters inhabit. This may be off-putting to some readers.
Cannibalism: This work shows cannibalism, sometimes as a last resort of a harsh winter, and sometimes as an accepted way of life, depending on the group engaging in it.

**SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD**

Beyond the Sea of Ice opens on a hunting party, Torka, Nap, and Alinak. They are hungry and seeking food for their starving people. Back at camp, Torka's woman berates Torka's grandfather, Umak, into leaving the camp to die, as she thinks he is too old to continue to take from the dwindling food stores. He wanders out to die. Meanwhile, Torka and his band find a dead mammoth, and while harvesting the meat, are attacked by the dead mammoth's mate. Only Torka survives and he realizes that the mammoth, still enraged at man scent, is making for their camp. Umak, meanwhile, befriends a dog which he names Aar. They find Torka in the snow, and from his warning, discover the threat to the camp. 

The three return to camp too late, finding as the only survivor a girl named Lonit. They move away from the camp, seeking a place away from the scavengers that will come for the bodies of their tribesmen. They believe themselves to be the last people on earth. Torka mourns for his lost wife and child, and Lonit, always called an ugly girl, considers herself the last woman on earth, who must be with someone she idolizes as much as Torka to save the human race. She feels guilty over her gladness  in these circumstances. The group move into a cave shortly after Lonit reaches puberty. It is in this cave that Torka moves past his grief, and he and Lonit begin a sexual relationship. 

Later, in hunting for an unknown creature above their cliff, they discover a boy named Karana. Lonit is devastated to think that now Torka will know there are more people, and believes he will seek out someone better than her. The four humans and the dog Aar live together for a time, before the coming of Galeena's tribe. 

Galeena takes over the cave with shows of kindness and gratitude that fade as he and his people demonstrate that they have the strength to take what they want when they want it. The people are lazy and watseful, and Galeena is tyrannical. It is during this time that Torka, by his words and actions, proves to Lonit that he will not leave her for another, and that he has genuine commitment to her. Galeena and his band drive Aar away, and make life miserable in little steps for everyone who was in the cave before them. 

When one of Galeena's women, whom Lonit has befriended, is in long childbirth, Galeena becomes frustrated with the noise and moves to kill her. Lonit throws herself over her friend, and Torka and the birthing woman's mate rise to defend her. This brings to a head the conflict that has been simmering since Galeena's tribe came to the cave, and Torka, Umak, Karana, Lonit, a woman who loves Umak, and the young couple are banished. After their leaving, an avalanche buries the cave, and they take this as a sign from the wind spirits in the mountains. 

After their escape, Torka and his friend go out to hunt. Torka is separated, and is not at camp when the so-called "Ghost Band" attacks. Umak and his woman are killed, Torka's friend is killed; and Karana, Lonit, and Lonit's friend are taken back to be made sex slaves of the Ghost Band. 

Torka tracks them, and when enlisting the aid of another band, encounters the freshly escaped Karana, who leads them into the Ghost Band's hidden camp when the men are away. They enter and free the slaves before the main force of the Ghost Band returns. Then, Torka and the band he has found chase after the Ghost Band and kill them in the wilderness, to save more people from their aggression. 


-----
The only real critique I have of the story is that the Ghost Band section could easily have been as long as the Galeena's tribe section and stayed very interesting. As it is, it made for an action-packed final tenth or so of the story, and could have been half the story, in my opinion. That said, this is a highly entertaining book, and if the themes and setting appeal to you, give it a try. Happy reading, all.