Where to begin speaking about this amazing book? Like his earlier novel, The Terror, (similar in feel but unconnected to this) this Dan Simmons masterpiece is so much more than an historical thriller. The period and technical detail, especially about climbing equipment and technique, is astounding. Presented as a journal by one member of a secret mission to climb Everest in 1925, it really draws you into the period and the conditions of one of the world’s most hostile environments. There are political ramblings, the hint of a love story, a lot of superstition and a mysterious enemy, all surrounded by the tension and constant fear of life in a frozen, almost air-less landscape. The atmosphere and situations bleed off the page into the back of your mind and longer, long after the reading is done.
Simmons is one of the most protean of writers, equally excelling in science fiction, fantasy, horror and crime. This time around, his doorstopper of a book further challenges expectations and proves a gripping historical thriller, set on the brutal North East Ridge of Mount Everest. It's 1924 and two famous adventurers have vanished into the snow-whipped night. A valiant explorer embarks in their footsteps and the expedition sets out for the heart of darkness. Atmospheric, scary, evocative and unputdownable, this is storytelling at his best, and will bring the cold into your living room to unsettling effect. Not to be read at night, either
| Primary Genre | Historical Fiction |
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