The Terrors of Ice and Darkness

For me, this book is a lively substitute for reading the full journals of the two commanders of the 1872-74 Austro-Hungarian expedition. Liberally cited and carefully chosen, contextualized excerpts convey the full drama and horrors of the 1872 voyage. The three levels of narrative (the narrator/Mazzini researcher, Mazzini, and the 19th century explorers) are well blended and less troublesome than they may seem to follow. I was hoping to find more clues for the mysterious disappearance of Mazzini than I found. It seems quite odd that the novelist didn't simply have him jump ship at the northern extremity of the voyage rather than bring him back to Spitzbergen. All-in-all, though this is a gripping novel and brought home the incredible endurance and steel nerves required of such expeditions before the age of comfortable icebreaking expedition ships, helicopters and snow-skidded aircraft.

This is a very satisfying book... the author has interwoven the story of a 19th century arctic expedition with the modern-day mystery of a man obsessed with the "terrors of ice and darkness." The descriptions of the vast and desolate arctic landscapes are lyrical and moving; after an hour of reading, you may feel so pulled into this world of darkness and ice it is difficult to return ! A must read for any arctic history buff...

The Kirkus review does not do this book justice. It is quite good, especially for fans of historically accurate novels.