Sean Beech The Ice Crown Trilogy by QA Nurse: Lords of the Moon Novel and The Silver Fox

The novels The Ice Crown, Lords of the Moon and The Silver Fox written by former QA Nurse Sean Beech part of the Lords of the Moon trilogy. Includes details of the army career of Sean Beech who wrote The Ice Crown whilst on operational duty in Iraq.


Sean Beech, author of The Ice Crown made QA history when he became the first former member of the QARANC to write a fantasy novel. Writing The Ice Crown helped take his mind off the frequent mortar attacks and bombings during his deployment in Iraq with the QAs. His first book, The Ice Crown, is part of a trilogy called The Lords of the Moon. It was published as a hardback on the 22 September 2008 by Melrose Books. Unusually for a first time publisher Sean Beech was signed to a three book deal.

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The Ice Crown was written in army notebooks during off duty periods in Iraq whilst deployed on Operation Telic 9 in 2006. Corporal Sean Beech worked in the OSB (Old State Building) Basra with the light infantry and then for 2 weeks on desert ops.

Cpl Beech had previously been deployed on Op Telic 6 and 7 in 2005 where he worked in the Shatt al la Arab Hotel Basra as a Nurse Practitioner. He made more unique QA history by becoming the first non commissioned officer to qualify as a Nurse Practitioner in January 2005.

Sean Beech started his military career in the Royal Engineers in 1986. He served until 1990 and rejoined the army in September 1997 to train as a nurse with the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps. He was awarded best recruit during his training at Lichfield and then attended the last training course with civilians at Portsmouth University where he qualified in February 2001.

His first posting as a staff nurse was to RN Haslar where he worked on E3, the orthopaedics ward. One month later Sean Beech completed his ALS (Advanced Life Support) course before deploying on Saif Sareeha II with RDG (Royal Dragoon Guards) in a 432 in the middle of the desert. Upon his return to Haslar Cpl Sean Beech was transferred to the Accident and Emergency department at the QA Hospital Portsmouth. He then studied for the A&E degree with added module to become a Nurse Practitioner in 2003 and qualified in 2005. Corporal Sean Beech left the army in November 2007 to concentrate on his writing career and to pursue a career as a teacher. Whilst he awaits his training he works as a nurse in the Accident and Emergency department at a hospital in Winchester, Hampshire.

Sean Beech is married with three children. He was born in Elgin, Scotland and educated at Kemnay Academy and brought up in Kintore, Aberdeen. He is now finishing work on his second novel.

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The Silver Fox

The Silver Fox is the second novel in The Ice Crown trilogy by ex QA and award nominated author Sean Beech. The Silver Fox was published on 30 August 2010. Sean Beech has once again donated 50% of his royalties to The National Literacy Trust. In addition Sean Beech has also promised that if The Silver Fox reaches the best sellers chart he will then donate 100% of his royalties to the same charity.

When readers left Morkin in the Lords of the Moon he had discovered that the Ice Crown had melted but its magical powers still existed. He was also warned that one of his companions will betray him. In The Silver Fox Morkin continues his quest to find it and in the best traditions of quests he is joined by two companions. But who will betray him? Will it be the mysterious hooded Shamar or the deceitful Royal Taxman Mr Grabbit who betray Morkin as they leave the safety of Luxor?

Morkin hopes that Zondra the Queen of the Snow Faerie can recreate the lost Ice Crown before the Wolves of Fennigan recover their ancient howl and deliver Morkin to Vangor.

Sean Beech also introduces new worlds and more characters. The action becomes more fast paced and he introduces more dialogue and humour to his narrative. For example a Lord finds a servant stealing ale from his Keep and promotes him to a Knight for his bravery! Other new characters include the Vangor Dark Knights, Chiants who are mysterious giants that can blend into their environment and the mythical Skulerings.

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Sean Beech's new publishers, Austin & Macauley Publishers Ltd, are running a competition for children to win one of ten signed copies of The Silver Fox. Entrants need to write a short story of 500 words by the 23 October 2010. More information can be found at the Austin & Macauley Publishers Ltd website www.austinmacauley.com

Sean Beech previously ran a competition after the publication of The Ice Crown: The Lords of the Moon. The winner of the contest in the Portsmouth Evening News created two new characters for The Silver Fox. These are Zondra the Queen of the Snow Faerie and her bodyguard Ice Berge.

Sean Beech will be signing copies of The Silver Fox at Waterstone's in Farnham, Hampshire on the 25 September 2010 at 11am.

During his time in Iraq as an Emergency Nurse Practitioner with an Infantry Company Cpl Beech observed that there was a falling in literacy amongst many of the youngsters today. He was pleased to see the army support and encourage soldiers with their continuing education which included tailored education packages and wanted to do something about this too and started to write a fantasy fiction novel to encourage soldier to read. He also hoped to become a Primary School Teacher to help encourage children to read.

This fantasy fiction novel was soon published as The Ice Crown. He generously donated 50% of profits from the sale of his first novel to the National Literacy Trust. Read more about this charity at www.literacytrust.org.uk who helps provide support to help people to change their lives through literacy. In addition Sean Beech auctioned one of six special author's copies first edition books that he signed. These were at the auction site ebay with proceeds being donated to the National Literacy Trust.

Review of The Ice Crown to follow.


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My PTSD assistance dog, Lynne, and I have written a book about how she helps me with my military Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, and depression. I talk about my time in the QAs and the coping strategies I now use to be in my best health.

Along the way, I have had help from various military charities, such as Help for Heroes and The Not Forgotten Association and royalties from this book will go to them and other charities like Bravehound, who paired me with my four-legged best friend.

I talk openly about the death of my son by suicide and the help I got from psychotherapy and counselling and grief charities like The Compassionate Friends.

The author, Damien Lewis, said of Lynne:

"A powerful account of what one dog means to one man on his road to recovery. Both heart-warming and life-affirming. Bravo Chris and Lynne. Bravo Bravehound."

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This beautiful QARANC Poppy Pin Badge is available from the Royal British Legion Poppy Shop.




For those searching military records, for information on a former nurse of the QAIMNS, QARANC, Royal Red Cross, VAD and other nursing organisations or other military Corps and Regiments, please try Genes Reunited where you can search for ancestors from military records, census, birth, marriages and death certificates as well as over 673 million family trees. At GenesReunited it is free to build your family tree online and is one of the quickest and easiest ways to discover your family history and accessing army service records.

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Review of The Ice Crown

Sean Beech has crafted a fantasy world that takes the reader on a journey with Morkin, the only surviving successor to the Throne of the Lands of the Moon, as he tries to reclaim the Ice Crown which was stolen by the Order of the Dark Knights. He is guided by Lord Luxor his mentor and guardian who was sworn to protect Morkin by the King of the Moon on his deathbed, and the twelve Lords of the Moon. In this fantasy land Sean Beech brings alive the characters and settings with his easy to read narrative style that helps the reader imagine this world of the Fey, the Wolves of Fennigan, Ice Dragons and Dragon Queen.

Though early days in the literary career of Sean Beech such is the power of his writing that it is easy to see him go on to publish more books and perhaps secure TV or film deals. It would be easy to make comparisons with the fantasy worlds and writings of leading authors such as Tolkien, Pratchet and Rowling but just like readers grew up with the adolescence Harry Potter or awaiting the next release of the Lord of the Rings movie so modern day children may well grow up with Morkin as he goes through puberty and manhood with each subsequent book in this trilogy.

As with all great quests it is not about the final destination but about the journey and Morkin takes us upon a remarkable and entertaining journey with some unique characters and settings upon the way.

Children will love to hate villains during this journey such as Sir Grabbit the tax collector who eats horses and Mr Such the lawyer who takes advantage of the inexperience of 12 year old Morkin.

The Ice Crown sealed a three book deal for Sean Beech and it is evident to see why upon reading this first book in the trilogy. The reader quickly comes to learn about Morkin and care about his journey and well being with an urge to learn more about his fate. His world is one in which the reader can escape too and get caught up in his adventures. Though aimed at teenagers this middle aged reader soon got hooked on the novel during the review of the Ice Crown. It is fun, humorous, dark and at times passes on serious messages to its readers. Above all it is a wonderfully enchanting read.






Former Royal Air Force Regiment Gunner Jason Harper witnesses a foreign jet fly over his Aberdeenshire home. It is spilling a strange yellow smoke. Minutes later, his wife, Pippa, telephones him, shouting that she needs him. They then get cut off. He sets straight out, unprepared for the nightmare that unfolds during his journey. Everyone seems to want to kill him.

Along the way, he pairs up with fellow survivor Imogen. But she enjoys killing the living dead far too much. Will she kill Jason in her blood thirst? Or will she hinder his journey through this zombie filled dystopian landscape to find his pregnant wife?

The Fence is the first in this series of post-apocalyptic military survival thrillers from the torturous mind of former British army nurse, now horror and science fiction novel writer, C.G. Buswell.

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The cover artwork of The ice Crown was by Kenneth McLeod.




The Ice Crown was longlisted for The August Derleth Fantasy Award in April 2009 under the Best Novel section. Other nominees includes Stephen King, Terry Brooks and Terry Pratchett.








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The death of the Brotherhood will be avenged.
RAF gunner Jason Harper and a team of Special Air Service operators are enraged after the death of their brothers by a terrorist drone strike. They fly into south-eastern Yemen on a Black-op mission to gather intelligence and avenge the death of their comrades.
Can they infiltrate the Al-Queda insurgents' camp, stay undetected, and call down their own drone missile strike and get home safely?
Will they all survive to fight another day?
Operation Wrath is a free, fast-paced adventure prequel to the non-stop action The Fence series by military veteran author C.G. Buswell.
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