The Ice Lands

Description

The Ice Lands by Steinar Bragi is set against Iceland's volcanic hinterlands, where four thirty-somethings from Reykjavik - the reckless hedonist Egill; the recovering alcoholic Hrafin; and their partners Anna, a tenacious journalist and Vigdis, a psychiatrist facing her own inner demons - embark on an ambitious camping trip, their jeep packed with supplies. Victims of the financial crisis, the purpose of the trip is to heal both professional and personal wounds, but the desolate landscape forces the group to reflect on the shattered lives they've left behind in the city. As their jeep hurtles through the barren land, an impenetrable fog descends, causing them to suddenly crash into a rural farmhouse. Seeking refuge from the storm, the group discover that the isolated dwelling is inhabited by a mysterious elderly couple who inexplicably barricade themselves inside every night. As past tensions within the group rise to the surface, the merciless weather blocks every attempt at escape, forcing them to ask difficult questions: who has been butchering animals near the house? What happened to the abandoned village nearby where bones lie strewn across the ground? And most importantly, will they ever return home?

Steinar Bragi (b. 1975), of Reykjavik, Iceland, is a critically acclaimed poet and author. The Ice Lands is Bragi's second novel. His first novel, the deeply unsettling and wickedly entertaining Women, was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize.

On one level, this is a psychological thriller...but at the same time it is classic horror mixing Stephen King's supernatural phenomena with Michael Hanekes ancient fires in Time of the Wolf * Dagens Nyheter (Sweden) * This is Iceland's Twin Peaks/.../ A thriller and a relationship drama so skillfully told that it is difficult to put the book down * Corren (Sweden) *