This is a tough read and not good the faint hearted in it's grim depictions of medical malpractice and use of language to describe bodily functions! These awful practices were carried out at the time so there's much historical accuracy to the story, it's just best to be aware before you tackle this book! Overall it's a worthwhile read and enlightening but brace yourself...

This is not an easy or cozy read, but it is grimly compelling. Alex lives a dismal life - being exploited for a freak medical condition, making awful decisions, being woefully naive and trusting all the worst people. I found there is something almost Hardy-esque about the inevitability of Alex's fate, the inescapable consequences, the unavoidable outcomes, indeed, the unrelenting misery. He is a fascinating character, not particularly likable, but his plight does evoke sympathy. A powerful and thought-provoking story with an ending that perfectly fits what went before.

Not an easy or heartwarming read, a crude and well written book about surving and living in a world were only the fittest survive.
I liked the style of writing but it's a story that made me think.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The novel tells us a story of Alex young boy, and his adventures in the Great Lakes area of Canada in the days of the Hudson Bay Company, and fur trappers Alex is naive and take advantage of at all points in the story . I felt sorry for the narrator, but didn’t really warm to him throughout the novel
There were quite a lot of French words scattered throughout the novel which were not translated. I found this little bit irritating as my French was not up to translating them

It’s just as well you don’t have smell vision when you read a novel as there is an awful lot of that of talk about the smell of shit and piss!
There seems to be a lot of historical accuracy in this novel and since my knowledge was probably limited to Old cowboy films and possibly film the revenant I found that did learn a lot.and It was very interesting
The author has a clear writing style, and her descriptions, particularly of the place itself were very vivid.
This is a big thick book which took quite some commitment to read ,it
Ultimately, this wasn’t really a book for me however, I can see that it will find lots of people that will enjoy it very much as It is a well written well crafted novel .
I read the early copy of the novel on NetGalley UK. The book is published in the UK on the 4th of April 2024 by swift press general fiction adult
This review will appear on that Ali UK Goodreads Anne And, my book blog bionicsarahsbooks.wordpress.com after publication, it will also appear on , Amazon, UK

The Voyager by Paul Carlucci is set in the 1830s, following a motherless stockboy called Alex as he desperately waits for his father to return from France. Serge, a drunken fur trader promises him food and safety in return for his friendship, but an expedition into the forest quickly goes awry. Alex must learn to find his own way in a world where taking advantage of others becomes second nature, possibly at the cost of his own humanity. Set on the margins of British North America, Alex finds out that kindness can be a costly thing and the real wilderness of the world could be in the deceptive hearts of men.
With The Voyager being Carlucci’s debut novel, he manages to paint a vivid portrayal of the 1830s setting, allowing readers to feel as if they have stepped back in time to experience the harshness of what life might have been like in 1830s British North America. The attention to detail with the world is what sets Carlucci’s book apart from others in a similar genre, without shying away from the brutality of the world in the 1830s.
Describing the world of a book and the environment in which a character finds himself can make or break a book. Some authors depend on too much description, hindering the reader's imagination but Carlucci finds a way to perfectly balance his descriptions while avoiding the reader being too overwhelmed by this. Things such as the descriptions of physical wounds, the gritty realistic description of the world draw the reader into the world without explanation and allow the reader's emotions to be at the forefront as they read The Voyager.
As well as the vivid atmosphere that Carlucci creates, readers will enjoy accompanying Alex on his journey as he grapples with the moral dilemmas of the world while trying to navigate it. Alex is taken advantage of by various characters due to his innocence, but it is not in a way that will frustrate readers. Instead, Alex grows with the story and the environment, granting readers to relate to him during his difficulties. It would have been incredibly easy for Carlucci to make Alex’s innocence almost his naivety, but instead Alex is a character that learns from the world while learning his own limits to such a cruel environment.
The Voyager is an interesting debut novel and given how Carlucci can transport a reader with his descriptive prose will have them eagerly awaiting his next release. It’s a thought provoking novel with themes around deception and moral ambiguity told through a boy’s journey that is a clear recommendation for those who enjoy historical fiction.

This book was a struggle for me, as I'd assumed from the copy that it was going to be something that it very much wasn't. I was expecting a gritty wilderness adventure in the vein of Lauren Groff's The Vaster Wilds, or perhaps a quirky, darkly comic history like A.K. Blakemore's The Glutton, but instead after a few chapters of that it transforms into a portrait of medical malpractice and a difficult surrogate father-son relationship as the main character Alex develops a fistula and is taken in and studied by Doctor Beaumont. I wouldn't have requested it if I'd realised this! I'm sure it will have its audience, but I'm not it, and I'd encourage the publisher to make sure the book's plot is more clearly messaged as otherwise I anticipate other people will end up picking it up and feeling disappointed.

A fascinating historical fiction novel that uses the real lives of Alexis St-Martin and William Beaumont to give the life of the fictional Alex some bones.

Alex begins the story as a voyageur along with his friend and lover, Serge. Their plan was to trade with the native Indians and make a life for themselves away from the constraining life of the city. However Serge contracts tuberculosis and dies leaving the weak and weak-willed Alex in a precarious position.

The story that follows mixes fact - Alex being shot and used for experiments on his digestive system by Beaumont - along with fiction as he navigates his way to freedom via gambling and exhibiting his extraordinary physique.

I have to say it is quite hard to like Alex who is an opportunist, not averse to using anyone around him. Although in the harsh times and climate it was clearly a dog eat dog world.

Paul Carlucci gives us a clear look at the lives of these hardened men and women at the turn of eighteenth century Canada. Life was hard, often violent and usually short. Despite being a user himself Alex sees nothing wrong in using others and one wonders how near the truth this assessment is of the real Alex. It must have certainly taken strength of character to survive what he did.

Not an easy read but very well worth it.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Swift Press for the advance review copy.

I love a good historical fiction, and this book certainly delivers! It's set in 1830 USA and the descriptions in this book really capture the vibe of that era. This book was very interesting and seemed to be historically correct. I didn't really care much for Alex though, as he comes across as very naive. I had expected more smarts and wits from a boy living like that in that era. It irritated me that the French words wore not translated. My tip for this is to just put the English in brackets behind it (rather than as a footnote because that takes away from the flow of reading). The book has a lot of pages, but that didn't bother me. I like books with come world-building and character development. This books definitely delivers on the world-building part with all of its vivid descriptions! Will definately recommend this to my historical fiction friends.

Vivid and immersive depiction of how tough life in colonial North America. was in the early nineteenth century. I found this aspect fascinating and it seemed well researched and accurate - great sense of time and place.

The depiction of the main character/his character arc was problematic for me. I wanted to empathize with him but whilst I felt enormous sympathy for the situations he found himself in I found it hard to get a firm fix on his character.

Overall an interesting, almost picaresque type novel.

Its images/episodes/characters will stay in my mind but I really wanted a better ending for Alex after all he’d been through.

The Voyageur is set around the Great Lakes of North America in the 1830s when much of the land was relative wilderness between pockets of towns. These were often unsettled times with political power fights over land.

Young Alex is motherless, left to work in a small shop as a stock boy while his father returns to France in pursuit of his fortune. Innocent and alone, Alex is befriended by a fur trapper, but after an unfortunate incident at the shop the pair set off in search of a new life. However, Alex soon finds that the wilderness and the men who survive in it are all very dangerous.

This was an interesting period of history which I knew little about; it gave me a good account of the era and the mix of peoples who lived around the lakes. The story is primarily a coming of age tale, but it’s quite dark, so wouldn’t suit young readers. I also wouldn’t suggest it for anyone who feels a bit squeamish about medical experiments. In other areas, although I was quite invested in the tale, I found the ending rather rushed and it left me a little disappointed. I continued to read the notes at the back of the book, where I learnt that the story is loosely based around two real people; this helped to put it all into a better perspective.

A thoroughly enjoyable adventure set in the 1830s, on the border of British and French Canada. We follow Alex, a young boy on his own who is both taken under the wing of and abused by an older fur trader and “voyageur.” After an injury, Alex winds up a bit of a medical marvel, again taken advantage of by an ambitious doctor who has helped him to survive against all odds. I really enjoyed seeing Alex come into his own, as he encounters characters of various stripes all of him want to take advantage of his innocence in one way or another - and to see him triumph at the end. I loved the historical context of this novel as well, as it’s a setting I haven’t read much about before and the setting and time were really well done. Overall a great read.

Well this genre of book is not my normal reading preference, but all I can say is "loved it"

The story of Alex and his fight for survival in a harsh brutal time in the undiscovered Americas really gave you a sense of everyone's fight for survival. Medically the story traced the first attempt of a stoma operation but without the bag.

I really wanted to mother Alex in places as he is dealt blow after blow in more ways than one.

New author for me, but already looking forward to the next book.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book.

A historical novel set in 1830s North America, following a young man as he attempts to survive the wilderness and the men who traverse the brutal landscape. Partially based on the true story of Alexis St Martin, Carlucci has paid meticulous attention to detail and created a novel that is immersive and atmospheric. A very interesting story - unfortunately Alex is a sometimes sympathetic but mostly unlikeable main character with little agency who drags the plot along with his exploits.

"The Voyageur" is a captivating historical novel that immerses readers in the harsh realities of 1830s North America, where survival often hinges on one's ability to navigate a world filled with deception and uncertainty. Author Paul Carlucci, skilfully crafts a gripping narrative that explores themes of resilience, human nature, and the fine line between survival and losing one's humanity.

The story revolves around Alex, a motherless boy anxiously awaiting the return of his father from France. His world takes an unexpected turn when he crosses paths with Serge, a troubled fur trader who offers him the promise of food and safety in exchange for friendship, and so the reader is thrust into a suspenseful tale of survival and moral complexity.

One of the strengths of "The Voyageur" lies in its vivid portrayal of the 1830s setting. The author's meticulous attention to historical detail allows readers to step back in time and experience the harshness of life on the margins of British North America. From the atmospheric descriptions of the wilderness to the intricacies of the fur trade, society and medicine, the book transports readers to a bygone era.

The characters in the novel are well-drawn and multi-dimensional. Alex, in particular, undergoes a compelling transformation as he grapples with the challenges and moral dilemmas that confront him. As he learns to navigate a world where trust is a rare commodity, readers are drawn into his journey of self-discovery, making it easy at first, to empathize with his plight.

The central theme of deception and the blurred lines between survival and moral compromise are explored with depth and nuance throughout the book. As the characters are pushed to their limits, readers are left questioning the true nature of humanity. This thought-provoking aspect of the novel adds layers of complexity to the storyline.

Another remarkable aspect of the author's style in "The Voyageur" is the vividness with which physical wounds and their consequences are described. The gritty, realistic portrayal of injuries and their impact on the characters adds a visceral dimension to the narrative, making it all the more immersive and intense. This attention to detail allows readers to truly feel the physical and emotional toll that the characters endure.

However, it's worth noting that one potential drawback of "The Voyageur" is the liberal use of French language and specific terms without translations or explanations. While this linguistic authenticity contributes to the novel's immersive historical atmosphere, it may pose a challenge for readers who are not familiar with French or the fur trade jargon of the time. Some may find themselves struggling to fully grasp certain dialogues and references.

In conclusion, "The Voyageur" is a meticulously researched and thought-provoking historical novel that transports readers to a harsh and unforgiving world where survival requires navigating a treacherous path of deception and moral ambiguity. Paul Carlucci has crafted a compelling tale of one boy's journey to find his way in a world where trust is scarce, and the wilderness is not just in the landscape but within the hearts of men. This novel is recommended for those who enjoy immersive historical fiction and introspective explorations of human nature.