Atmospheric doesn't even begin to describe this superlatively unsettling novel; The Terror is a masterclass in Historical Fiction and Horror and a uniquely potent blend of both.

It seems cosmically unfair that the person who wrote Hyperion can ALSO pull off this stunning blend of historical fiction and horror, but he did. Simmons is just a damn good writer with a talent for immediately pulling you into a story and keeping you hooked through the entire, door-stopping, length of the book.

The Terror follows the doomed Franklin Expedition as it searches for the illusory Northwest Passage only to become frozen in the polar ice. As both ships, The Erebus and the Terror and their crews try to survive the elements, they begin to realize something out there on the ice is hunting them, picking them off one at a time.

As detailed and immersive as all good historical fiction should be, The Terror never feels burdened by the weight of its historical accuracy, it doesn’t plod along or drag down the narrative but enhances it. The characterization is solid and unique, making the rather large cast of characters differentiated enough for easy reading. The horror elements are creeping and insidious and occasionally violent and sudden, a truly enjoyable, shocking reading experience.