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Something deadly and mysterious stalks the members of an isolated polar expedition in this haunting and spellbinding historical horror novel, perfect for fans of Dan Simmons’ The Terror and Alma Katsu’s The Hunger.
I was excited to read All the White Spaces and was intrigued by the premise. Set in post WWI time, after losing both of his brothers to the war, Jonathan Morgan is trans and set to prove himself as a man and stows away on The Fortitude, a ship bound for an Antarctic expedition led by James Australis Randall. But the icy, cold conditions in the Weddell sea (and possibly something more eerie) force the crew to abandon ship and face the challenges of survival in the bleak, snowy landscape. Then things start to go horribly wrong. The Germans have mysteriously disappeared from the refuge camp, tensions are high and people are starting to mention ghosts.
While I was intrigued by the story, All the White Spaces took me a while to get into. Things happen slowly, and I didn’t feel that connected to the characters. About halfway through is when it picked up for me and I found myself drawn to finding out the direction of the story. Is the weather playing tricks on their minds, or is there something strange going on? Wilke’s descriptions of the landscapes and conditions are beautiful and vivid, and what kept me mesmerized. All the White Spaces is incredibly atmospheric, and I could almost see and feel the cold while I read this. This is a haunting and chilling novel (pun intended) that really shows how terrifying the elements can be.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: March 29, 2022
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