Where the Dead Wait by Ally Wilkes was a very entertaining and enjoyable read.
Wilkes writing is descriptive and I was immersed in this story from beginning to end.
With a spine-tingling, atmospheric setting, a propulsive plot, and rich, soulful prose, this is a page turner you won't be able to look away from, no matter how badly you want to.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for this digital ARC of 'Where the Dead Wait' by Ally Wilkes.

In this novel, a 'failed' Arctic explorer is hauled out of disgrace more than a decade after the incidences that saw him ostracized and given the chance to redeem his reputation by leading an expedition to try to find an rescue a former shipmate and intimate friend who'd gone missing in a recent attempt to locate a mythic tropical ocean at the north pole.

I had not read Ally Wilkes' previous novel but had read and enjoyed Dan Simmons' 'The Terror' years ago and so was looking forward to revisiting that combination of the historical and supernatural.

Unfortunately, though, 'Where the Dead Wait' was a real struggle for me. Although all the right elements are there - good writing, evocative descriptions of place, well-established characters - the pacing was just glacial (no pun intended). Maybe it was an intentional effort to mire the reader in the interminable days and nights of polar exploration but for me, it was more a case of retreading the same ground over and over again as opposed to building tension towards a conclusion. And when the denouement happened, it was all over in a flash.

Disappointing. It's more of a 2.5 stars but am bumping to a 3.

Where the Dead Wait is described as a gothic polar story set in the 1800s. It follows a man with a bad reputation after an expedition gone wrong. He sets out to rescue his friend and restore his name.

This book was not for me unfortunately. I DNFed this one at 30%. I think the time period really discouraged me on this one. I was just so bored and not interested in the story. I think people who like historical thrillers/horror will like this one. It was just not for me at all.

I thought the premise was interesting and I like the cover. This book was not for me but I think others will enjoy it. Thanks so much to netgalley and Atria books for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a bit choppy for me, but I can see the intrigue. If you enjoy feeling a sense of dread while reading, definitely pick this one up.

This incredibly spooky horror story manages to recreate a scary Gothic atmosphere in an Arctic setting. William Day and a few of his men survived the most extreme circumstances by eating their dead. Thirteen years later, he returns to search for a colleague who may have gone insane, with echoes of Heart of Darkness. The novel is flawlessly written and full of vivid details that make readers feel like they’re there. You can almost feel the cold in your bones. Some parts are so scary that they gave me goosebumps. This is an excellent book that, unfortunately, I personally didn’t enjoy. I’m not a fan of historical fiction, so all the factual details that rounded out the setting only distracted me from the action. I wasn’t also too invested in the characters, since I didn’t connect with anyone. It could be that the situations are too extreme. So I’m not sure how many stars to rate this. Objectively, it’s an excellent book. Personally, I didn’t enjoy it at all: the rhythm was too slow and the animal cruelty didn’t help. So if you’re a reader of historical novels full of interesting characters, you will love it. If you, like me, are more interested in fast-paced action, this may not be the book for you.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Atria Books!

If you are in the mood for the overwhelming sense of dread, look no further! Described as a Polar Gothic set in the Victorian era, this book had me at 'hello!" This is a slow-paced eerie haunting novel that moves back and forth through time as we follow William Day, a disgraced Arctic explorer who is known not for his discoveries, but for having to survive off the flesh of the dead.

Day finds himself back in the Arctic searching for a lost comrade in hopes of redeeming himself, not necessarily in the eyes of the public, but for himself. Day is haunted wholly and completely by the events of his first expedition into the Arctic where he was forced to commit terrible acts in desperation to save himself and the rest of his crew. Egged on by the enigmatic, Jesse Stevens, Day must force himself to come to the realization that what he thought was the right thing, may not have been what was necessary. Haunted in the present, it's hard to distinguish what's real and what's all in Day's head as he confronts his past head on in the winter blasts of the Arctic.

There were many feelings present throughout this read... Disgust. Hunger. Fear. You will feel enclosed and all alone in the universe all at once with the descriptive prose that Wilkes provide of the open Arctic, there will be dread hanging over you and cold fingers lurking on the back of your neck as you progress further through the rescue mission.

Read carefully! You don't want to miss when you are in the present versus the past!

Running like a subtle thread throughout the novel is the compelling query: how do you exorcise a haunted house when that house is you?

"An eerie, atmospheric Polar Gothic following a Victorian explorer in search of his lost shipmate and his own redemption - from the author of the "vivid, immersive" (The Guardian) horror novel All the White Spaces.

William Day should be an acclaimed Arctic explorer. But after a failed expedition, in which his remaining men only survived by eating their dead comrades, he returned in disgrace.

Thirteen years later, his second-in-command, Jesse Stevens, has gone missing in the same frozen waters. Perhaps this is Day's chance to restore his tarnished reputation by bringing Stevens - the man who's haunted his whole life - back home. But when the rescue mission becomes an uncanny journey into his past, Day must face up to the things he's done.

Abandonment. Betrayal. Cannibalism.

Aboard ship, Day must also contend with unwanted passengers: a reporter obsessively digging up the truth about the first expedition, as well as Stevens's wife, a spirit-medium whose séances both fascinate and frighten. Following a trail of cryptic messages, gaunt bodies, and old bones, their search becomes more and more unnerving, as it becomes clear that the restless dead are never far behind. Something is coming through."

I mean, this book had me at Polar Gothic and then it threw in a spirit-medium like a cherry on top of the cake!

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Atria/Emily Bestler Books for an advanced copy of this novel about the draw that the ice has on people, and even when one has escaped, there is always something, maybe even someone, that calls one back even to their doom.

The frozen wastes of both Poles have drawn many to the frozen wastes. Some wish to make their fame and fortune. Some come for knowledge and exploration, and hopes that fame and fortune again will follow. A few names have become famous. Many more have died, boats crushed by ice, marooned on ice that floats or breaks up at nature's whims. Food reduced to poorly packed pemmican, with whatever animals that could be hunted, though that hunted food could kill also. Sled dogs were next to be eaten. After that, well survival was survival, and taboos were for civilization. And yet people still traveled north or south, willing to take chances to find passages, poles, glory and maybe redemption. Where the Dead Wait is a novel of the north, by Ally Wilkes, about an expedition gone wrong, the sprits that haunt one man, and a chance to redeem himself by returning to the North that once broke him.

William Day was the leader of an expedition to Arctic that has become infamous for the events that might have taken place. A ship crushed by ice, the execution of crewmen, abandonment of command, and possible much worse. Day spends his life in a home in London, thinking of everything that has gone wrong, and staying away from public and the accusations that surround him. Thirteen years later Day's second in command Jesse Stevens has returned to the north, and has been lost in the same area as Day. Day has complicated feelings for Stevens, made even more complicated by a deal Day receives from the Admiralty. Travel north, find Stevens and return home. Accompanying Day is Stevens' wife, a noted Spiritualist who is sure that Stevens is alive, and feels she is communicating with the spirit of a man who died under Day's command. One that follows him around constantly for what Day did. Also along for the rescue is a reporter eager to get to the bottom of Day's time on the ice, and an experienced whaler crew, considered unlucky by fellow whalers. And so Day sets North, following a trail of gaunt bodies, lost souls, and finding things that should not be on the ice. Or on Earth.

A slow-burning story that really is very atmospheric, and considering the barren landscape claustrophobic. Even with nothing around, but cold, the feeling that something is around the characters in the book is quite apparent, and makes for a very spooky story. The characters are interesting. Day has a lot of levels, and while a few things about Day are pretty obvious early, there is still a lot that surprises. Wilkes has done a fine job in researching the time, and the ice, and uses this to really shape the story and give a sense of place. Black whaleing captains, a look at the culture of the indigenous people. Even the nautical terms really make the story. A story that surprised me quite a bit, all in good spooky ways, and one that I really enjoyed.

A great book to read on a snowy night, or on a beach while others are enjoying snowy nights. I can see this becoming a miniseries on a streaming service. There is quite a lot going on, and has a lot of interesting twists, and ideas, along with compelling characters. This is the first that I have read by Ally Wilkes, it will not be the last.

All the White Spaces was one of my favorite books of 2022. I was incredibly excited for Where the Dead Wait, even knowing it would be similar in many ways to the author's first book. Unfortunately this one didn't deliver for me. The writing felt confusing, choppy, and unpolished. I was definitely intrigued by the premise but the plot was incredibly slow without an adequate ramping up of tension to keep me interested. I found the internal monologue of our main character to be quite repetitive and not particularly engaging. I'll be keeping on eye out for Wilkes's next book, but this one wasn't for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

William Day was a captain of an expedition to the Arctic that horribly wrong. The men who survived this expedition only did so by eating their fellow crew mates. He followed everything his comrade, Jesse Stevens said in order to survive, even if it went against his virtues.

Skip forward to the future, Day is sent on a rescue mission to save his old comrade, Jesse Stevens who went missing in the Arctic. He must bring Stevens' wife who is a seance and seems to bring evil onto the ship. Following a series of hauntings, the search for Jesse Stevens becomes ever so unnerving.

I really liked this book. I loved the horror part of it which was the perfect level of haunting, but not the keep you up at night sort. I also loved how the backstory behind Day was slowly revealed throughout the book using the flashbacks. You get to see more and more of Day and what happened in the past expedition along with what he was thinking as the book progresses.

One thing I wasn't the biggest fan of was the chapter layout. I'm not sure whether this was only because it was an ARC, but the book only had five chapters and the chapters would change tense (past to present) multiple times per chapter. Although it was stated at the beginning of the section (in the chapter), I struggled to differentiate the past and present. It might just be since Day was thinking about the past a lot in the present though.

Warning: There is a lot of cannibalism in this book

This was both everything I thought that it'd be and a surprise. It walks the line between personal trauma and real haunting so well, and has a unique spin on what constitutes a haunting (there was one quote towards the end addressing this directly that was so simple, yet so striking that I had to stop for a moment and have one of those "ah, yes, this is Horror. this is Literature" moments). I was effective in what it aimed to do, truly making the reader feel that slow, almost feverish, intense passage of time and the blending of the past into the present, but I don't think that necessarily made for a "fun" reading experience.
The queer element was also a pleasant surprise. On a less serious note, this book is a life lesson for gays and gals that no man is handsome or interesting enough for you to look away from the possibility of him being a very enthusiastic cannibal. He's just some guy, hit him with your boat!!
Overall not quite a page-turner, but a good eerie read to go back to on cold, dark winter nights.

Cannibalism. Betrayal. Spirit-medium wife.
This was a very interesting read. I think the author is pretty talented but the scenery and the story just did not pull me in as I expected it to. I guess I just went in with different expectations. I think others may enjoy it, though, especially for spooky season. I hope the author decides to write something different because this is way too similar to her last book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Find me on Instagram! @ coffeebreakwithrachel

2.5/5.0

Hmmm well. This is embarrassing. Did anyone tell the publisher that Ally Wilkes had written more or less the same book twice in a row, but not quite as good the second time around?

Look, I'm a gal that loves arctic horror. I love survival horror. I love historical fiction, and I love Sad Men Committing Sad Cannibalism. Wilkes's first book supplied that in spades, and while it wasn't love at first bite, it was "hey, yeah, if you like "The Terror" but want something that isn't written by a white male who watches too much Fox News, can I recommend...?", which is always a solid bracket to be in.

But this one...! Literally more of the same. And Wilkes is a good enough writer, and clearly did the research required, but I didn't think I could take one more angst-ridden, bleak description of the uncaring arctic sunlight. The creeping dread became monotonous. It wasn't scary. It was slow. And yes, I had read this before.

I look forward to Wilkes writing about a tropical expedition going horrifically wrong. May I recommend the ill-fated Captain Cook?

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

2.5 stars

This book is a lot and it's whatever the opposite of Southern Gothic is, considering the climate.

It's an intense story that you really really need to pay attention to; no word is wasted or description just a throw away line. It feels like everything has weight and more meaning. It took me a long time to get through (subject matter and density).

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc!

I enjoy Wilkes writing and thought she excelled at creating atmosphere and with Day's inner turmoil.

In this book, Day is not only dealing with his current circumstances but also his past. He is plagued by his failed voyage, his sexuality, and the ghosts that haunt him. The séances on board paired with conditions both onboard and off, create an eerie and tense vibe.

It ran a bit slow at times, and felt longer than it was. But overall, a solid 3.5

3.5**
I think this is a pretty solid mystery. There were some things I saw coming and some I didn't see coming, so that's always a plus. My one complaint is it felt a little too drawn out, and this is coming from someone who loves slow burn mysteries. 50ish pages less would've been golden, but would definitely recommend this to people who want a good slow burn mystery with excellent atmosphere.

William Day is a survivor of a failed Arctic expedition in the late 1860s. His reputation is marred as he and the other men survived through cannibalism, including his mate Jesse Stevens. A decade later, he’s asked to lead another Arctic expedition in order into rescue Stevens, who’s presumed lost.

This brief plot synopsis really doesn’t do Where The Dead Wait justice. It’s a really slow burn of a book, taking its time building the story, the characters and the absolute sense of dread that accompanies the frozen wastes of the Arctic. There is horror, both supernatural and man made, along with the horrors endured by a man seeking redemption. Parts of the narrative can be quite gruesome, so this book may not be quite right for a squeamish reader.

On the minus side, there were times when I was confused by what was going on plot wise. I’m not sure if this was intentional, creating a sense of unreality, or if it was just the author’s fault. However, this was a minor distraction.

My thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of the book.

When being asked to go on another expedition to search for missing Stevens, Captain Day and his ghost ship take sail….
Is his ship really haunted ? Is he seeing apparitions?or is captain “Eat-Em-Fresh Day” being haunted for his past actions on his first expedition with his second-in-command Stevens? How faithful are his new men?

This was solid 3 stars for me. Captain Day an his obsession with Steven’s, it was hard to distinguish who was the real monster, the back and forth with the past and present made the reading a bit confusing as well. I did like the epilogue. If you can stomach cannibalism, give this one a try!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ERAC in exchange for my honest review.

I just reviewed Where the Dead Wait by Ally Wilkes. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL] This was a hard read for me. There are a lot of descriptions of things that I can't stomach. It took me a while to get through this book. If you aren't bothered by very detailed descriptions then you should be fine. If you are, I would probably skip this one.