I really enjoyed the concept of this book but it just never connected with me.
I found the dual timelines constantly switching to be quite frustrating, and for a book about the arctic I felt there should have been much more time spent in that setting then there was.
The characters also felt very flat and I couldn't connect with any of them.

I really liked this book. Although the story was not based on a true journey, it's believable that there were strong women who could have. I liked how the reader leans more about each women as the tale progresses and even into the trial sequences. I couldn't put it down.

The cover!! The subject!! The story!!! Greer takes a woman in her stories and gives them a voice that is strong, consistent and clear. Loved this story.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review:
This book was so poignant and thoroughly enthralling. I could not set this book down. I was so shocked to discover that Victoria was a survivor of the Donner Party. It did tie up certain things though that were missing at the beginning and started to make more sense as the book moved on. I would definitely own this book and recommend it to anyone who wants a good read.

Virginia Reeve is a take-no-prisoners adventurer and trail guide in 19th century America when she's asked by a mysterious benefactor to lead a group of 12 unknown women to find the lost captain of the shipwrecked vessel "The Franklin". Virginia is a heroine to cheer for, and her heart of steel leading women into the Arctic almost required me to suspend my disbelief that a woman could have gotten away with such brave acts and almost unendurable difficulties in that era. This is not a book for the squeamish or easily offended; I'd recommend it for those who enjoy adventure novels like "Into the Wild" or "In the Kingdom of Ice" before I'd recommend it to readers of Marie Benedict's more sanitized historical fiction. It was a thrilling read.

One of the things I liked the best was that despite most of the book relying on flashbacks and time-hop chapters, was that Greer clearly marked where and when you were. I never felt lost. 3.5 rounded up. I devoured this book. One of the things I liked the best was that despite most of the book relying on flashbacks and time-hop chapters, was that Greer clearly marked where and when you were. I never felt lost.
As I read, I wanted to know the amazing women the story was based on... Unfortunately, there aren't any... I had hoped this was historical fiction based on some glimmer of fact. There are so many amazing things women have accomplished, and this was not one of them as the entire story is in Greer's imagination. Oh, how I hoped there really had been a Virginia and an expedition...
Of particular annoyance to me was the use of a cross-dressing female whose excuse was she wanted to go to Medical School... Too bad women like Elizabeth Blackwell, a real-life female doctor, were ignored. Granted, Harvard didn't accept women in 1853, but still, I would have liked to see the accomplishments of actual women celebrated.
While the book was well written and the characters flowed nicely, my disappointment in having to create imaginary women accomplish fake things overshadowed my enjoyment.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

A very well written book that makes you feel the cold and desperation that all these women faced.
The alternating chapters sometimes for me made it hard to follow. I still enjoyed the story and definitely recommend.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

This is a very high four! The ending to this blew my mind and I loved all the feminism throughout the story. I really love historical fictions with really strong, smart women.

3.5* stars

I was first attracted to this book due to the very captivating cover! When I read the synopsis, I was even more intrigued! Most of my historical fiction is around the WWI/II era in Europe, so I'm a little burned out on it. This book has such a unique concept, at least to me! I really enjoyed this one. The main character, Virginia Reeve, was a nice character to experience the story through. I really enjoyed reading about the group dynamics of the women in the expedition. The opening chapters were also very interesting, I liked going back and forth from present day to when her journey started.

As the book went on, I found myself a little bored at a few of the present-day scenes, particularly the ones where she was just in the jail cell. Those chapters were often quite short anyways and sometimes didn't seem to add much or felt repetitive. There were also a few points in the middle where it felt a little slow. Overall, I thought it was a satisfying conclusion, tying up loose ends.

Interesting characters and story for historical fiction lovers. A good title to recommend for those looking for strong women and adventure!

I've been a fan of Greer's work ever since GIRL IN DISGUISE, her novel about real-life lady badass Kate Warne. So when I saw she'd written a book about an all-female expedition to the icy north, I thought "hell yeah" and put in my request.

And if you like Greer's past work, this absolutely holds up. She has a way of drawing the reader into history without being overly complex or pretentious, which I appreciate. And I love knowing I have a go-to author I can trust to constantly put out women-centered historical fiction with an adventurous bent.

The story is exactly what you'd expect from the back cover blurb: an eccentric adventurous lady whose husband sailed north and never came back commissions a secret expedition of women to find him. When everything that could go wrong does, the main character (Virginia) ends up on trial for murder. What really happened in the frozen northern reaches? Why are half the women missing? What ulterior motives and secrets are the women hiding?

Those questions will keep you turning the pages.

In this novel, told through a courtroom drama and flashbacks, a young woman is in trial for the death of one of her companions in a catastrophically bad expedition to the Arctic. Virginia Reeves is hired by a wealthy woman whose husband and his crew have disappeared in the Arctic. Reeves's background is as a guide for colonists in the American West, which does not make her the right person to lead this expedition, as the novel shows: she's not a good leader or planner in almost every situation the author throws at her. Ultimately, members of the expedition die, Reeves is charged, and as her trial takes place, various secrets come to light. For a book about the Arctic, there's remarkably little about the expedition's time there; and there's nothing that gives us any indication of why Reeves gets her nickname of "The Arctic Fury." There's even less about most of the other expedition members, and not nearly enough about their relationships to get any real sense of how they all operated together, or why these relationships cause such hand-wringing in Reeves's mind. In short, this is a novel trying, perhaps, to be a bit gothic, but which just left me wondering why all of the characters were so incompetent and why I should care about any of them.

Mystery out in Arctic
Who are the lucky? ...ones who came back or ones who didn't

Kept me reading as story deepened and suspense built as the surprises kept me in twists

This is history happening right before your eyes.

Great book. I had never read much about the Arctic explorations until this, now I feel as though there is a whole topic for me to explore. The author did a superb job with the back and forth storyline, I never once felt confused throughout.
Will definitely recommend to my friends!

Sometimes one of my favorite parts of reading historical fiction is the Author's Note at the tail end. And one of the reasons I enjoy reading my friend Greer Macallister's books is because she always puts such care into the construction of her novels. THE ARCTIC FURY is no exception -- and I enjoyed seeing how she pulled together real-life influences along with imagined people, places, and things to create a story of a woman (Virginia) who is on trial after leading an all-women expedition into the Arctic for a seemingly impossible survival mission. The storyline -- packed with many twists and turns -- jumps between Virginia's trial and the experiences of each women, Greer giving each character at least one timely chapter to propel the story along. The result was an addicting novel that kept me up long into the night

I was so drawn in by the gorgeous cover and the fascinating premise. Much to my delight, THE ARCTIC FURY did not disappoint! Macallister does a fantastic job of combining riveting historical fiction with what is essentially a crime thriller. I really enjoyed the dual timeline approach, which toggles between the expedition and the trial. The characters are well-drawn and themes of classism, sexism, and racism are handled expertly. This is a real page turner and I couldn't wait to see how it would end. Fans of literary thrillers and historical fiction will adore this novel.

Captain Sir John Franklin was a British Royal Navy officer and explorer of the Arctic. His last expedition known as Franklin’s lost expedition (1845-1846) was followed by many searches. One of them (fictional) gives ground for this story.

Boston, 1854. Virginia Reeve is accused of “one count of kidnapping and one count of murder” of Caprice Collins, fellow explorer.

A year and a half earlier, Virginia arrives at Tremond House in Boston where she meets with Lady Jane Franklin. Lady Jane wants her missing husband back and she is forming an expedition composed of women only. Why? “Women can do far more than the narrow lens of society deems fitting.” Lady Jane believes that Virginia, once a guide in California, has the skill and strength for this kind of expedition and to be its leader of twelve women.

The proceedings at the court are intertwined with the process of choosing the women for the expedition and what value they bring, and how the expedition progresses.

The characters are interestingly developed, revealing their thoughts and feelings in alternating voices. Among them, an observant illustrator, who hopes to be the first one to record the flora of the Arctic. In whatever form it exists since she was never asked to join an expedition to an exotic place with lush vegetation.

Once the women disembark the ship and start trekking on land, then there is some sense of place and cold. But I wished for much more of that. The hardship of the Arctic expedition and its fury comes towards the end. And that’s what I was looking forward to experience in this story. I wished it was a bit more of that and started earlier.

Nevertheless, the story is masterfully woven with court proceedings and arctic expedition involving engrossing characters. You want to know what happens next. Who will be revealed next taking part in the expedition or who will be called next as a witness in the courtroom.

The skillful writing is reflected in the whole story and it also comes through with especially one character, which is not so likeable at the beginning. But once she shows her strength in hard conditions and caring side and defends her situation, then she becomes very likeable. Also, I usually do not like to read about court proceedings, but again the skill with which it is presented makes it very absorbing.

Incredibly crafted story of inspiring characters, we deeply care for, bringing one of a kind adventure.

P.S. Kudos to cover designer(s) for beautiful cover.

Amazing novel by Macallister. From the beginning, the suspense was strong and tight. The third-person present tense was weird but served its purpose well to differentiate from the past and the present without shifting to first person.

I have to say that I really liked the perspective switches to other characters in the novel. I found that it added another layer to the expedition and each character was so fleshed out, I could feel their personality through the page. The suspense of being in a court and not knowing what happened on the expedition was very well-done and even when we did find out what happened, I wasn't even relieved but mostly grieved for what tragedies came around.

The writing was well-done throughout, the dialogue was strong, and the pacing and plot development was extremely well-rounded and carried tension all the way to the very last page. There were, however, a couple of characters and situations that could be uncomfortable for some, such as trans and gay individuals, and a couple of curses.



Otherwise, great novel. 4.5/5. Thanks to Netgalley for providing the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The power of strong women and the brutality of early exploration to the Arctic is the premise of this book. This book makes reference to Franklin expeditions and other explorers in their quest to be the first to make it to the Arctic and return. This book also depicts male dominance at this time in history in regards to shipping, the law and exploration. Arctic Fury shows how women value each other’s worth and friendship especially in harsh and unfair situations.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 4
Pace: 3
Plot development: 4
Characters: 4
Enjoyability: 4
Ease of Reading: 4

Overall rating: 4 out of 5