"In the front row sit the survivors." This evocative first line sets the stage for a chilling tale, in more ways than one. In 1854, Virginia Reeve stands trial for the murder of the young, rich, and spoiled Caprice Collins, just one of the women who failed to return from their quest to discover the fate of Sir John Franklin and his lost ships. Frustrated by many unsuccessful previous searches by men, Lady Franklin makes a final attempt to discover what happened to her husband and his crews when they explored the Canadian Arctic in search of a Northwest Passage. A proven adventurer herself, she understands that women are far more capable than mid-19th century thinking assumes and anonymously funds a group of women in the hope they will succeed where men have failed. Lady Franklin appears to choose Virginia for her experience in leading wagon trains westward, though Virginia has her own reasons for wanting to leave that life behind.
Macallister keeps us on a tense edge in the courtroom and in the frigid North, alternating the story between the trial and the women's expedition. With an apparently incompetent defense attorney and inattentive judge, it is doubtful that the support of the survivors will be enough to counter Caprice's parents' moneyed influence. On the expedition, it becomes increasingly doubtful that all 13 women will survive as danger comes not only from the weather, but from crewmen who have little regard for women on their ship.
Yet each character has particular skills and abilities that keep us hopeful, many of whom were inspired by real woman of the time period. Masterful storytelling abounds as each woman has at least one chapter written from her point of view, where something is revealed that we wouldn't otherwise know. Their reasons for attempting the adventure are as varied as their places in society, yet they share the common thread of flouting those restrictive expectations. Intertwined in all of this is Virginia's self-imposed guilt at her failures as a leader and the specter of The Very Bad Thing which haunts her conscience.
Warm mulled wine or a cup of hot chocolate would be a satisfying accompaniment to a solitary read or a bookclub discussion of this fascinating exploration of these adventurous and complex women.
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Reviews with images
A Full-On Adventure Tale
In 1854 Virginia Reeve accepts the most daring undertaking she’s ever taken part in—a rescue or recovery expedition to The Arctic Circle. Hired by the eccentric Lady Jane Franklin, Reeve leads an all female crew of a baker’s dozen to try to find Franklin’s lost husband and his crew, a task teams of men couldn’t accomplish.A year later, tried for murder, Reeve holds out hope against a courtroom set against her. Even her own representative is not beyond suspicion of being influenced by her enemy.Just who is Reeve’s enemy, and which ladies will survive their harrowing endeavors are questions worth delving into. Find out in this spectacular story of bravery and determination.The Arctic Fury, a full on adventure tale, raw with emotion, will lead the reader to trek along side Reeve’s team, pulling for each woman’s success and survival with each turn of the page. Readers of women’s fiction, historical fiction, literary fiction, and adventure fiction won’t be willing to set this book aside until the very end.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2021
I have to say that I was torn about whether to give this 4 or 5 stars. The story is good and engaging, the characters were well developed, but there were several things that bothered me while reading. First, the perspectives shift and several times for only one chapter. I understand why it was done, but it felt like the story would’ve been more intimate and more impactful if the POV was Virginia’s all the way through. I was also thrown off by the awkward end tags. It was always “says [character]” or “said [character]”. I found it taking me out of the story. Finally, the habit of the author telling me that the character was thinking was tedious. It came to a point where I audibly groaned when I read “[character] thinks/thought” because it was clear in the passage that the thought was internal. We were in their POV for crying out loud.
That seems like a lot of gripes for a 5🌟 review. Still, the story was easy to read and enjoyable, and any book I finish this quickly earns its 5🌟 and my recommendation.
That seems like a lot of gripes for a 5🌟 review. Still, the story was easy to read and enjoyable, and any book I finish this quickly earns its 5🌟 and my recommendation.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2020
Top reviews from other countries
LInda M
I loved this book and could not put it down!
Reviewed in Canada on January 8, 2021
