J.V. Jones Author Logo

A Cavern of Black Ice Cover Art Cavern Logo

In the frozen North, where breath freezes in the air and clans survive in vast and impenetrable roundhouses, Raif Sevrance of Clan Blackhail discovers his ability to heart-kill men. The young bowman becomes an outcast after he witnesses a brutal massacre by his clan. Meanwhile, in a far-off city to the south, Ash March, a foundling raised as a king’s daughter, discovers a dangerous power building inside her that she must release—or it will consume her. Hunted across a barren wasteland, Raif and Ash are drawn together toward an ancient evil waiting in a cavern of black ice.

The Sword of Shadows Series Begins

Ash under attack

Every single character in A Cavern of Black Ice is capable of both good and bad actions. Villains, heroes, sorcerers, ten-year-old girls: you do what you have to survive. The thrilling thing for me as a writer is showing those moments when a basically good human being has to make a choice to keep herself or himself alive. Goodness goes out the window and the question becomes: will a lie, a manipulation, a tactical submission, an escape, or violence get me through to the other side? You have five seconds. Make your choice.

Ash March

Connections

The Book Of Words and Sword of Shadows series are connected by a slim thread. Sword of Shadows is very much a big, brutal, massively-scaled epic. The Book Of Words is its fun younger cousin. A couple of characters are shared between the series, but you don’t have to know anything about BOW to read and understand SOS. Both series stand alone.

Raif draws an arrow

Anatomy Of A Heart Kill

The arrow was nocked and primed in less than an instant. Raif held it fast against the plate as he drew the bow. The dark rider grew large in his sights. The space between them contracted, and then suddenly there was no space at all. Raif smelled sweat and the secret scent of blood and waste that lay trapped beneath the skin. Then nothing mattered but the heart.

Shoot The Horse From Under Her

Early Targete Sketch

All thoughts were expelled from Ash's mind at the sound of Marafice Eye's voice. She felt as if she had been punched in the gut. Her childhood terror of him bubbled up from the past. Clutching at the reins, she kicked the stallion hard—harder than she knew she should. She had to get away.