I must preface my review with a crucial point, I am not a fan of poetry or written verse. I am a little slow in getting to the point in that format, and for someone who reads at the speed that I do, it is a bad combination. This review reflects that preference.
I have been reading books based in Svalbard a lot recently (three at last count, but it is a significant jump from none), and when I saw yet another book based in the area, I jumped at the chance without actually paying attention to the format of expression. On that note, I was glad it was an audio version because it did help me grasp some of the details better.
This is a short volume. It is the narration of a scientist and writer who is on a voyage to a harsh but beautiful land, one that has been studied only to some extent and has within it an inherent wildness that appeals to her. It comes through in the writing. If there was one thing I took away from listening was the vastness of the experience that the author felt.
There is no exact sequence of events, more of a stream of consciousness that tries to use mere words to talk of the place in which the author finds herself.
I think this will appeal quite strongly to people who like the style of narration. It was well constructed and delivered.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own listening experience.

This was a great story read. It's about the authors journey to the North Pole but it is delivered in a very unique way. It reads like a true life literary fiction type novella. It's very poetic like a prose. It was certainly very well wrote in a very beautiful way and was a very nice surprise. It was a joy to read it. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a wonderful job at bringing out the beauty of the words. I felt very relaxed listening to this book. I would of liked to learn more from it but I definitely appreciated its uniqueness. I was loving it that much that I just wished it was much longer. I recommend this book if you want to read or listen to a poetic journey to the North Pole. It's great for all especially those who love quick reads.

Many thanks to the author and publishers for creating such a unique and beautiful book/ audiobook.  
The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/magnetic-north-by-jenna-butler-university-of-alberta-press-4-stars either under my name or ladyreading365

Thanks to NetGalley and University of Alberta Press for the audiobook ARC.

Butler's writing is ethereal and flossy, and very eloquently describes the experience of her arctic voyage. The prose is moving, and her masterful citation of other prose and poetry helps to make this a moving work. Very nicely narrated as well.

Like other reviewers, I felt misled about this book/audiobook actually being a book of poetry, rather than poetic prose or even a verse travelogue. 'Magnetic North' is more disjointed than that.

There are themes, such as learning to live on a boat, and the place/non-place of women, and the beauty and wildlife of the north. But they are delivered in very short bites that never fully satisfy. I also struggled with the narrator - I don't know why the poet herself wasn't considered up to the task, but the voice of this narrator was so calm and toneless that I felt like I was listening to a tape on how to meditate, and I really struggled to keep paying attention. If you're going to listen to a poetry, SURELY it should be in the poet's voice?

(With thanks to University of Alberta Press and NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review)

This was stunning. Pristine, atmospheric, and full of unique, vivid details. I felt immersed in the journey and loved this collection. I would like to read the print version, as it read so seamlessly, I didn't know if we were in prose or poetry. (In a good way.) Recommended.

Magnetic North: Sea Voyage to Svalbard by Jenna Butler, narrated by Marysia Bucholc, takes readers (and listeners) along on a voyage from the endangered Canadian boreal forest to the environmentally threatened Svalbard archipelago off the coast of Norway. Jenna Butler takes us on a sea voyage that connects continents and traces the impacts of climate change on northern lands. With a conservationist, female gaze, she questions explorer narratives and the mythic draw of the polar North. As a woman who cannot have children, she writes out the internal friction of travelling in Svalbard during the fertile height of the Arctic summer. Blending travelogue and poetic meditation on place, Jenna Butler draws readers to the beauty and power of threatened landscapes, asking why some stories in recorded history are privileged while others speak only from beneath the surface.

Magnetic North: Sea Voyage to Svalbard was a bit of a mixed bag for me, but that is on me for not fully reading the description of the title before requesting it from Netgalley. On one hand I really appreciated getting an account of places and experiences that are well outside me reach. Getting a better understanding of just what it is like at the top of the world, the the lives that those in the region live. The informational, travel, and human experience aspects of the book were engaging and I feel enriched for having learned more. However, I am not typically one that goes in search of poetry, it is just not one of my preferred genres or mediums. I will say that I could appreciate the skill, meaning, and heart infused in the work, but I just did not enjoy it the way that readers that really appreciate the form would. It was still an interesting read, and I can see it being a hit with its target audience, that's just not me.

I listened to 30% of the book before deciding not to finish it. The words are badly strung together, and the writing is about absolutely nothing, other than perhaps self indulgence that is of zero interest to the reader. Total waste of time.

3.5: As others have said on here, this book is marketed as a science book. It is not. It is only very loosely related to science in that the author uses geological terminology often and at times lists some of the animals and plants she sees on her trip. It is kind of poetry, kind of a factual story about a short trip to Svalbard that she took, and kind of historical fiction.

Things I liked: at one point, the author poignantly pontificates “where were the women in all this? Perhaps it’s simpler to turn north when you are not the anchor, the mooring point.” I think that is such a poetic way of looking at our importance and at our exclusion. I liked the short references of island history, the quick bites of Russian and Norwegian language, the brief allusions to lives on other lands. I liked the way the author described her difficulty in returning home. Even when our journey is hard, it is sometimes hard to return home and reintegrate into the person we once were. The voice actor they chose for this reading was very good, I felt.

Things I didn’t like: I wish that the author would have talked more about Freyja. Where is she from originally, where does she go in winter, what does she do for a living? I’d also like to know more about the other womxn that work/live on the island. This is a very short writing. As a lover of all things Arctic, it would have been nice if this piece was longer. I also felt it didn’t really have a point, other than to describe a short trip she took on a boat to a cold place.

Did not understand this one a d why it was written i was expecting to enjoy and majorly fell flat for me

Although the promotional summary for this audiobook states: "Blending travelogue and poetic meditation", I was unprepared for, and not expecting, a book of poetry. I was expecting a book about a sea voyage to Svalbard.
As I listened to the audiobook, Iwas unsure if I was listening to a table of contents, an index, or something else. The various bits of text were numbered which was very distracting. Possibly, this work does not translate well to audio format.
The poetry seemed well-written and may be very enjoyable for readers who want a collection of short poems. Unfortunately, this book did not meet my expectations. I am rating it 2 stars based on unclear or misrepresentation the book's genre and the content being awkward to listen to.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review.

this is a collection of essays/poems rather than factual account of Svalbard. A very short book and may re listen to see what I missed. Explains the remoteness and rawness of living is such a place, maybe not living but existing. Yet if it is in your genes you feel the pull. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

I am so disappointed. Not with the book itself. I just expected something different when I picked the audio version of this book. For some very odd reasons, this book was labelled as "Science" and "Travel", so imagine my surprise when it turned out to be Poetry.

The narration by Marysia Bucholc is impeccable, and the writing is beautiful, even if too abstract to my taste. I was just so looking forward to reading about a sea voyage to the north, in the traditional sense - instead of an abstract sense.

Thank you NetGalley and University of Alberta Press for an Advance Review Copy of the audio book.