Book Review-The Terror by Dan Simmons

The Terror was absolutely amazing. I saw it at Chapters (my favourite hang-out) and I have to admit, I was a bit worried. I don’t really enjoy books that take place on ships. I find the ship-jargon confusing, and there’s really only so much that can go on in a ship. However, this book really delivered. It was exciting, and it blended fact with fiction in a mesmerizing blend that was beautiful to read.

I read half the book, and was bragging about it to my Dad, who then informed me that the book is based on real history. I was flabbergasted, but he was right. The book is about the doomed Franklin expedition of the 1840’s. Franklin was looking for the North-west passage, when his ship, and that of the Terror, become stranded in the ice.
From there, both crews face starvation, dwindling coal supplies and the elements, with no hope on the horizon. Scurvy begins eating away at the crews, and then Dan Simmon’s adds in a horror element. Not only do the crews of the Terror and Erebus have to contend with deprivation and freezing temperatures, but they also have to face a monster that seems content to pick away at their numbers.

I love being surprised by a book. Nothing is better than having low expectations, and being surprised by an author’s mastery. Dan Simmons weaves flawless story-telling, with fiction and history to produce a book that pulled me in and wouldn’t let go. I learned about history, was entertained and had the chance to live through the horrors and hardships that beset both the Terror and the Erebus during that fateful expedition in the 1840’s.

If you enjoy historical fiction—in fact, even if you don’t, but just like a good yarn, I recommend The Terror with flying colors.

Overall Rating: 5/5