NetGalley ARC given in exchange for honest review!

Historical books aren’t really the most interesting to me; however, this book wasn’t what I thought it would be! I throughly enjoyed the storyline of Sir John and his me. How he got to the artic; how trying to locate him and his men led to some contradictions. Quick read and definitely something different from my normal books!

I want to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for forwarding to me a copy of this wonderful book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

5 stars

This book introduces the reader to Lieutenant Frederick Robinson and Assistant Surgeon Edward Adams as the main protagonists in his story. Based on actual historical events, Colin Mills takes literary license to create a wonderful description of the true hardships of Arctic exploration.

Sir John Franklin, leader of the Franklin Expedition of 1845, has not returned from his mission to find the Northwest Passage in the Arctic. There was much concern at home in Britain. In 1849, an expedition was put together to go to the Arctic to locate Sir John and his men.

Arriving at an Arctic shore, the two ships’ men split into three search parties. Lieutenant Robinson and Dr. Adams and a few other men set out on their journey across the ice. Their sojourn is filled with hardship, desolation, depression and, oddly enough, hope. Dr. Adams is devoutly religious. He arranges prayer meetings with the men. This irritates Robinson, who is a stark realist. Adams was raised on stories of Franklins’ travels and heroism. He dreams of finding him; of meeting him, of speaking to him. Robinson, on the other hand, dreams only of the fame and honor he would attain if he found Franklin. He feels he has been a Lieutenant far too long. He wants a Captaincy.

These contradictory goals cause tension between the men. As their conditions grow more harsh, the tension increases. Their adventurous search grows more dangerous. Robinson grows short-tempered and tragedy occurs. A wall forms between Robinson and Adams.

Mr. Mills draws a stark picture of the harshness, starvation, scurvy, and the deteriorating relationships between the men. He outlines the violence that exists when men become disillusioned and starved. He details the mens’ run-ins with various wildlife in the Arctic. I am fascinated by polar explorations. I have read many, many books about the men who went on the expeditions. This is a very good novel, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys the subject.

I want to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for forwarding to me a copy of this wonderful book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

I described this book to my friend as "major Captain Robert Walton from Frankensteincore", which honestly is the most accurate description of this book I can give. Bitter Passage is reminiscent of the bleak, nihilistic tones of Frankenstein, and an excellent read for anyone interested in moral degradation of humans.

While I found the first ~30% of this book rather slow with indistinct characterisation, it grew on me the further Mills explored spiralling humanity and the futility of it all. This isn't a book I think I would usually read, but it was striking and contemplative, and something I would definitely recommend to any lover of the classics. 4/5 stars.

I DO like a story set in the olden days (pretechnology) in the Arctic.
A place that is bleak and beautiful.
This one captures it all, the wild location, the hopelessness, the reliant on others, whilst at times being every man for himself.
The insane wildlife.
A great read.