Talk:The Icemark Chronicles

"It appears to be based on a Medieval Roman Empire if it lasted to around the 13th to 14th centuries."

I don't like this sentence, since there was a Medieval Roman Empire that lasted until the 15th century. On the other hand, I don't want to edit it myself, since I haven't actually read the book, and can't say if they're at all comparable. 91.109.170.49 (talk) 16:43, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

References to the modern world
Moved to talk because it seems to be a section of trivia RJFJR (talk) 19:18, 6 December 2009 (UTC)

In the Icemark Chronicles (Particularly in Blade of Fire), the characters make many references to places in their world that can be related to our modern world. The trilogy takes place in a world so full of counterpart cultures that it may as well be a straight-out parallel world. A non-exhaustive list follows:

In Book 2, Blade of Fire: In Book 3, Last battle Of The Icemark:
 * During the siege of Frostmarris, Gen. Scipio Bellorum's sons refer to the tactics they're using as 'Lightning War', which suggests that they're using the Blitzkrieg form of fighting that Germany used during World War II.
 * In a few instances, characters (namely Charlemagne, Thirrin, and a few others) say how their dead loved ones are waiting for them in Valhalla, the hall of Odin; this statement(s) gives a reference to the Norsemen (also see Viking).
 * There is a reference to the Ottoman Empire region (namely the Middle East) in the form of the desert that Charlemagne travels in search of allies, and the Desert People he encounters (i.e. Crown Prince Mekhmet and his father the Sultan).
 * A reference to an area of Africa (Northern Africa or Central perhaps) is tied in in the form of the Lusu. Another reference that may solidify this is that after Charlemagne got the Lusu on his side, a statement was made that was something like "the brave warriors of Arifica", which is just Africa but a little mixed.
 * In many ways (such as in the names of the people), the Polypontian Empire is the equivalent to the Roman Empire, only with the use of some form of sail-powered airships (a ship-of-the-line galleon supported by helium balloons), muskets, cannons, and other pre-World War I weaponry.
 * The Hellenic (see Greeks) fleet uses a type of incendiary that "burns even on water", called Hellenic Fire; this could be none other than the famous (or infamous) Greek fire.
 * The city Venezzia, where Charlemagne landed after his sea voyage, is a city that floats on separate "islands" that you can get from one place to another by series of canals, not unlike Venice, Italy. Also, the name Venezzia just sounds a little more drawn out then Venice, but still sounds the same, indeed the Italian for Venice is Venezia, with a single z.
 * The Hypolitan appear to be based on the mythical Amazons featured in Greek legends. This is backed up by the fact that they appear to be named after the wife of King Theseus of Thebes, Hypolita alongside their Greek-sounding names e.g. Elemnestra.
 * The Icemark seems to be stuck in the Dark and Middle Ages, using longbows, trebuchets and ballistae. The Polypontians (based on the people who invented ballistae) are much more technologically advanced, using muskets, matchlock pistols, and cannons with wheels.
 * Scipio was a real-world Roman general famous for his victories against Carthage in the Second Punic War, which before him Rome had been losing; 'Bellorum' is Latin for 'of battles'.
 * Medea is influenced by the cunning sorceress from Greek Mythology
 * In Last Battle Of The Icemark the reference to the Polypontus building a wall around the Artemison territories because they couldn't fully control them is probably a parallel to when the Romans built Hadrian's Wall
 * Cronus is a parallel to Lucifer. There are many occasions when he is called the fallen immortal and at the beginning of the book he is banished from Heaven by the Goddess.
 * An Imperial fortified city with three sets of defensive walls knonw as Tri-polis is mentioned. This may refer to a parallel of the real-world city of Tripoli.
 * The road through Romula is called the Eppian way, and this might be a reference to the actually Appian way the Romans built.