It is now several months since I first read this book and I have been going back to it from time to time since then. It’s about a 19th century Arctic expedition that descends into a nightmare. The leader of the expedition, John Franklin and 128 men are searching for the Northwest passage and never return.
Then four years later another expedition to find the men and the two ships is launched. This one is headed by RN naval Lieutenant Frederick Robinson and assistant surgeon Edward Adams. Both expeditions are backed by Britain and the Admiralty. The leaders of this latest expedition are said to be united in purpose but divided by ambition. Robinson is looking to ascend the Admiralty ranks,, while, Adam is looking for his boyhood hero.
They trekked through the barren land finding no hint that Franklin and his man had been there. Eventually, getting nowhere, Robinson splits up his men. He and Adams assisted by a strange, almost mentally impaired semen to do the heavy work and the rest of the crew returned to base and the comparative comfort of their ship.
What follows is a tale of hardship and hope. Teh well- written novel brings us close to the two men as they continue their journey. We live their struggles not only of the awful elements in the hostile environment, but also their struggle against each other as starvation,, loneliness and maddening isolation and perhaps a hint of madness. The Arctic prepares no one for surviving. New
The things they do just survive are vividly shown in this novel and if we are honest at the end, we would say “perhaps I would have done that to survive.”
I strongly recommend this Book. It’s based on a true story and the fact that it is comes out loud and clear in the reading of it.

DNF - I will admit that I probably should have left well enough alone & not requested access to this book. The premise does sound intriguing but, I had previously attempted to read "The Terror" by Dan Simmons & found many of the same issues with that book here. There is a readership for this story, as is evidenced by the fact that there is one for "The Terror" but, I am not part of it.

I have made no secret of the fact that I love reading about doomed Arctic (or Antarctic) explorations. Franklin, the Erebus, and the Terror is probably my favorite one to learn more about, so I was taken with the idea of a book about the crew who tried to find them. Despite trying more than once, I was unable to read this book. The writing was clunky and the format was even more heavy-handed. I really wanted to fill in the gaps of my knowledge of the rescue efforts but I quickly realized this was not the book to do that.

3.5 stars

In 1849, a ship of men head to the arctic to look for and rescue Captain Franklin and his crew mates from the Erebus and Terror. Royal Navy Lieutenant Frederick Robinson and Assistant Surgeon Edward Adams depart the ship to look for the men on foot. What happens next is a nightmare of starvation, cold and death.

I love reading about Arctic exploration & this fictionalized book had some good moments and stressful situations. Gory parts, too. It’s hard to make an endless cold trek interesting, so some parts were a little boring but overall I liked the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this book.

As a historical fiction/adventure fiction fan, this was right up my alley. It's not an easy or fast read, necessarily, but I think that actually reflects the tone of the book well. These men were stuck in a desolate, deathly, hard landscape and nothing happened quickly. I think Mills does a really good job with the development of the characters through the novel, especially with the way their thoughts about life and survival change as time moves on. So many times adventure stories are just action-packed and there's very little time for the characters to think about consequences in a real way -- here the slower development of the story allows for that well. Recommended.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this eCopy to review

Bitter Passage is a historical adventure. It follows the journey of Royal Navy Lieutenant Frederick Robinson and Assistant Surgeon Edward Adams as they embark on a mission to find the missing expedition of Sir John Franklin in the Arctic. Set in 1849, the story captures the harsh realities of the Arctic environment and the psychological toll it takes on the men.

Mills does an excellent job of painting a vivid picture of the time period and the brutal conditions that Robinson, Adams, and their team endure. The historical details are well-researched and add depth to the story. The characters are well-developed, with Robinson's ambition and Adams' hero-worship of Franklin providing interesting dynamics.

A good choice for fans of historical fiction and stories of perseverance and adventure

Solid 4 stars.
In 1845 two ships, Terror and Erebus, were sent on an expedition to find the Nort-West Passage. They were last seen in 1845 in Baffin Bay and then the ships along with the crew vanished. To this day we have no clue as to what happened.
In the book, the British Admiralty decides to send a ship on a rescue mission. The mission is to find out what happened and bring the survivors home. Why did nobody think that these men could get into trouble, too?
The author brilliantly describes the Arctic, its weather conditions, what it is like to be starving, and what it is like to be homesick. When a bunch of people must spend a long time in close proximity, surrounded by a harsh environment with nothing to eat, what happens? How a person in charge can keep the people in order? The author understands that well. He also describes the historical and social context with a great understanding of the past. I'm adding Mr. Collin Mills to my list of interesting authors.

I really like books about adventurous people doing incredible things and the blurb about this book drew me in. The fact that the author is a Brisbane boy also helped! I wanted to like it but wow, it was tough.

The story was grim and what made it harder going was the constant simile's, particularly the first two-thirds of the book. I didn't get very emotionally involved with the characters either, although I did feel sorry for them for different reasons. I can't even imagine the hardships that the early explorers went through and I take my hat off to them for doing the hard stuff like this.

The book though, it really wasn't great. I trudged my way through it and I read all of it, not because it was a great read but because I DID wanted to know what happened to the characters. The final third of the book was good though and for that reason, I give the book a 3. I am glad I read it but I was also happy to get to the end of it.

2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing.

I have always been fascinated by explorers and have had the pleasure to study them academically. The expedition of Sir John Franklin in 1845, to seek out the Northwest Passage in the Arctic has the extra mystery in that the two ships he took (HMS Terror and HMS Erebus) never returned and no messages from the crew ever arrived home. Four years after their disappearance, Franklin's wife and others organised many searches for the missing men, and this novel is a story about how such an event may have been.

The two main characters in this account are based on real people and they are very different. They often clash in their viewpoint, one admiring Franklin to hero status while the other aspires to professional recognition. They connect as they both want to find out what happened to the ships and crew. Their thoughts are shown in sharp contrast as the author jumps from one character to the next and fortunately there are only on a few characters in each scene. The crew members they refer to are names I recognise from historical accounts of the expedition, which makes the story have a genuine thread.

The first half of this book is very slow, with the men making their way through the challenges presented by the ice, descriptions of the landscape and their ailments as well as hunting the few animals that exist in this environment. After the the fifty per cent mark however, the story lifts through some discoveries and life and death situations. My reading patience pays off.

This is a well written if a tad tedious book at times, impeccably researched in historical information, although I'm not sure whether using the spelling 'Esquimaux' for the indigenous peoples makes it more authentic. A story about survival, guilt, loneliness and ambition, and how people can believe in a collective truth despite knowing otherwise.

Bitter Passage by Colin Mills was an incredible story.
And extremely hard one to put down.
The vividness and well written characters were amazingly described.

Wow! This started slow, which had me a little worried as I like my books at least medium-paced. But then it picked up and turned into a haunting story of survival. The prose is beautiful and truly evocative and creates an atmosphere anyone interested in discoveries, survival and exploring the wilderness will enjoy. It's definitely a character-driven story and their development as they are faced with extreme conditions is fascinating to follow. The fear of the unknown, the cold, the isolation, the harsh environment: all of this makes for an incredible psychological journey into the characters' heads. I can't say I really grew attached to them, which might be the one negative I have to point out, but I was fascinated by their stories and reactions nonetheless and my heart hurt for them quite a bit. It's not a happy read, it can't be with this subject, and I was glad to finish it; but the general sense of heaviness and tension was fitting to tell that story. It made for a really immersive experience. Now, I know nothing about the true story, so I can't speak on how accurate this book is, but it is certainly a very convincing read. I'll be curious to read more from this author!

WARNING: it's another unpopular opinion review!!

I love a good survival story, so it's easy to understand why I ended up adding Bitter Passage to my shelves. The cold and unforgiving Arctic setting sounded like the perfect backdrop for this story based on true events, and I've been looking forward to pick it up... Imagine my surprise when I ended up struggling immensely with this story instead. I really didn't want to add another DNF this close to the end of 2024, but I simply didn't see another way out. I'll try to explain below why I came to this decision quite early on.

I can't deny that the premise itself is fascinating and had a lot of potential. It's hard to judge if this potential is eventually met since I only read 10% of the story, but what I did read was simply so incredibly dull. Watching paint dry would be more interesting, and this is not an understatement. Nothing much happens at all beyond the overload of names mentioned and the characters walking and talking... Combine this with an extremely slow pace, and I found it impossible to find the motivation to keep reading. I actually tried reading this story multiple times over the last month, but I kept putting it down instead.

A lot of my aversion towards Bitter Passage had to do with Adams and his constant religious talk. I know this is a personal reaction, but religion in stories is one of my main pet peeves and I just couldn't move past this. Especially since he is one of the key characters in the plot... I've come to the conclusion that Bitter Passage most definitely isn't a right fit for me, and I couldn't bring myself to suffer through another 90% of the story. I've seen reviews mentioning that at least the first third is extremely slow and things get pretty graphic including mentions of cannibalism, so I might have just dodged a bullet here. Most people do seem to enjoy this story though, so definitely don't give up on my account if you think it's your cup of tea.

This is the second book I've read about the Franklin expedition. The Franklin expedition was a group of men lost in the arctic who were never found. This fictional tale tells the story of the men who tried to find him. They found way more and way less than they expected. The arctic is a dangerous place for a group of sailers and trackers.

I enjoyed this book. The pace really picked up halfway through. Don't give up before then!

Bitter Passage is a historical fiction inspired by the true events of a polar expedition set in the early/mid-1800s. The story centres on the journey of a sledge team of rescuers, spearheaded by Lieutenant Frederick Robinson, and his second in command, Assistant Surgeon Edward Adams.

The story begins with the splintering of Lieutenant Robinson’s team by his own command. A core group consisting of him, Adams, and a third (James Billings), venture forward in pursuit of the lost crew of Sir John Franklin’s expedition without the burden of extra men who could slow the process down.

I was drawn to this story primarily because it reminded me of survivalist stories like Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, and mysteries like The Dyatlov Pass Incident. I was completely unfamiliar with this genre of prose going in, but fancy myself the type to read anything and everything.

The prose of this book perfectly captured the gradual loss of one’s faculties and self control when pushed to the brink of both the earth, and even the most resilient person’s limits. I especially appreciated Mills’ personification of the elements as supernatural entities to reinforce the foreignness and ancient, bordering on primordial, existence of the arctic. It helped root the crew of three—even with the giant Billings—as mere specks in the unending swath.

Although a slow burner—as most character-driven narratives tend to be—there was no shortage of suspense and horror in this story. The constant tension between leader and second-in-command kept me engaged to the very end, and even had me a little teary-eyed at how and where our characters’ journeys end (both mentally and physically).

Bitter Passage was an excruciating toll on all its characters, and a titivating extrapolation of the true events it’s inspired by. I would highly recommend it to others, with a reminder of the follow triggers to watch out for: colonial racism (common of the time), ableism (also common of the time), and depictions of gore and violence.

Bitter Passage* is a breathtaking, heart-pounding journey into the icy wilderness of the 19th-century Arctic, and it’s the kind of book that doesn’t just stay with you—it haunts you. Right from the start, this debut novel grabs you with its tension, throwing you into the brutal landscape where survival is anything but certain.

Mills doesn’t just paint a picture of snow and ice; he digs deep into the psychological toll of being stranded in the most unforgiving place on Earth. You’ll feel the cold, the isolation, and the creeping dread as the characters battle both nature and their own minds. The writing is hauntingly beautiful, with a slow, deliberate pacing that builds tension in the most unexpected ways. The character development is a standout, and you’ll find yourself rooting for—and aching for—each of the men on this ill-fated expedition.

While the Kindle edition could’ve benefitted from some visual elements like maps or illustrations (just to help you get fully immersed), these small things don't take away from the power of the story. If you're into survival tales, historical fiction, or stories about human resilience, **Bitter Passage** is a must-read. Prepare to be captivated, moved, and maybe even chilled to the bone. This is one book that’s hard to put down—and even harder to forget. Highly recommend!

Based on true events, Bitter Passage tells the story of the ill-fated expedition to rescue British Royal Navy Hero John Franklin. He, his crew and ships Erebus and Terror disappeared in 1845 while searching Arctic territory for the Northwest Passage. Now on the HMS Enterprise, sent to rescue Franklin and his men, Lieutenant Frederick Robinson, Assistant Surgeon Edward Adams and seaman Jimmy Billings plan to walk, pulling a sledge, to find the missing ships. This doesn’t seem like a good idea and it was not. However, at the time “Empires are made through exploration now, not conquest.” Robinson and Adams form an uneasy friendship although their motives are quite different. Robinson desperately wants to please his harsh father and Adams is atoning for imagined sins. The harsh Arctic environment will reduce them both to men who care about nothing but their survival.

Bitter Passage is more harrowing because it is true. The loss of Franklin and his ships has become a maritime mystery. Although their adventure is fictionalized, Robinson and Adams were a real part of the expedition to find Franklin. The men experience hunger, snow blindness, madness, animal attacks, terror, loneliness and more, and the Arctic will win. This is historical fiction that is impossible to put down. Colin Mills’ evocative writing will put you on board wooden ships, make you question decisions made by the Navy, feel hunger, fright and more. Mills’ background is intriguing and Icant wait to read what he writes next. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Colin Mills for this ARC.

I admit to being a fan of books-both fiction and nonfiction- about polar exploration so I found myself pulling at memories and comparing it to other novels based on the Ross expedition. Mills has brought a fresh eye to the quest to find the missing men. This is very character driven but it's also atmospheric enough for fans of the genre (the smell of frostbitten feet!). You know going in, don't you, that not everyone will survive the ice but who, who will lose their life? Thanks to Netgalley for the ArC. Good storytelling makes it a good read.

A chilling historical mystery based on the true story of Captain Franklin's quest to find the Northwest Passage, the disappearance of he and his crew and the subsequent Royal Navy search over a period of years. The writing reflects the cold starkness of the landscape and the desperation of Lieutenant Robinson and surgeon Adams from HMS Investigator to find remnants of HMS Erebus. Well researched and heartbreaking.

Before I give you my review this book has alot of triggers. This is however a book about trying to survive the Arctic.

This book kind of reminded me of a book I read a long time ago called Lure of The Labrador Wild. This book also describes the expedition and the deteriorating relationships between the men. As the story progresses I actually felt like I was with these men enduring the harshness that is The Arctic. A very detailed story.

If you love explorations and reading about expeditions then you should experience this book.

Thank you publisher and netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and isn't influenced by anyone else

This book is beautiful and brutal. I had a great time pulling up Arctic maps to follow along with their journey. I’m definitely inspired to learn more about the Arctic expeditions.

The pacing was very slow, thought, and I almost DNF’d because of it: there was nothing but walking for the first half of the book. The ending as well isn’t rushed as much as it feels unresolved, which was extremely unsatisfying considering everything that happened on the journey.

Overall a really interesting subject matter and I learned a lot!

Thank you to NetGalley, Colin Mills, and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.