This book was very engaging at points and hard for me to follow at others. It was easier for me to follow the modern timeline voyage and understand that, than the Franklin chapters. The bouncing between years and viewpoints was a little confusing for me. Trying to picture the locations and keep track of where things were located without a map was essentially impossible for me, so maps might be a helpful addition for this book.

I enjoyed learning about the Artic and the native people survival skills and how the European expeditions didn't learn that as much as they maybe ought to. Additionally, the facts of climate change and the impact that has on livelihoods of people still living in remote places was disheartening but interesting.

Would recommend this book if you already have an interest in the Artic, otherwise might be good to start with something else.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

A real page turner. I love reading about extreme adventures in cold regions, and Mark Synnott is a great storyteller. He skillfully combines the narrative of an attempt to sail the Northwest Passage in his own boat with a lot of historical background - not only stories about the lost expedition of Sir John Franklin, but also about the indigenous inhabitants of the Arctic.

My main objections are actually raised by the author himself. At one point he begins to question his motives: “This voyage was a dream come true for me, but it was also expensive, had no intrinsic purpose, and certainly wasn’t serving the locals in any way”. And a little earlier he admits:

“I’d come to realize that there was something alien about moving through these waters aboard a modern sailing yacht with a fixed timetable, requisite fuel stops, and a need to always keep pushing as fast and hard as possible. Ensconced within Polar Sun’s canvas enclosure or in my bunk deep inside the ship, I often felt removed from the landscapes, the wildlife, and the people who lived in the communities through which we passed. It was obvious that the best way to travel through this realm was by foot and paddle, as Inuit have for millennia with their dog sleds and kayaks, traveling nimbly from one community and hunting ground to the next. And it saddened me that I might be missing the essence of the place that I so badly wanted to experience.”

While I don't want to undermine what the author and his crew did, the reader's thrill is a bit diminished by the knowledge that they could abort their voyage and evacuate at any time. I have to admit that I prefer to read about more daring adventures, like Adam Shoalts' explorations of the Canadian Arctic - yes, by foot and paddle, alone and self-sufficient for weeks at a time.

Still, Synnot's voyage "makes a hell of a story," to quote the author, so if you like that kind of armchair travel, you should definitely read this book.

Thanks to the publisher, PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.