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nickjonesreadsbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, and Alcohol
archaicrobin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I honestly feel, this was a little too long but understand why it was and appreciate the historical accuracy. This is an excellent read for those looking for historical fiction but with a touch of horror and the supernatural.
A fictional twist on the arctic expedition of the Terror and Erebus!
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
coethedragon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
"But when I count the scars, there's a moment of truth, there wouldn't be [AMC's The Terror] if there hadn't been [The Terror by Dan Simmons]."
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide, Pregnancy, and War
gvild's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
msiebz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I understand it’s set in the Victorian era and there’s rampant racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. but this is like mark twain levels of racial expletives. Also you’re telling me that on these two ships stranded with hundreds of men, the author still manages to put in some very explicit straight sex scenes and not a single explicit gay sex scene. There are some gay moments but they’re are all implied and left to the imagination… and of course he made the main antagonist a gay person. It feels homophobic in a way that isn’t because of the Victorian setting but because the author is lazy and a coward.
I appreciate that the novel has more information about the characters’ backgrounds and motivations -as that’s usually the case with a novel vs a tv series- but I also appreciate the changes the showrunners made to make this story less… clunky? awkward? I don’t know. Some parts are enjoyable and some very much are not.
Graphic: Death, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Medical content, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
casparquarius's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
bookmunchr's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The writing is elegant and evocative, but somehow brutish and unflinching.
I felt completely immersed in the tortured minds of the crew. If it wasn't the beast on the ice, danger lurked in the land itself, in the Food, in the wind, in the fog, even in the breast of their fellow mates. Where one obstacle was overcome, another rose in it's place.
The pure unrelenting desolation feels like it will never end. Simmons had me feeling like I was a member of the crew, which is the highest compliment. But it is not easy to be a sailor aboard HMS Terror or Erebus.
I highly reccommend this book to horror lovers. Read at your own risk 😁
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
bugaboobear's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
And then chapter 62 happened and the author decided he was bored with that and changed the tone and subject entirely.
This was maybe a 4.5 star read for me up until then, but then the ending was largely out of the blue and unsatisfying in my opinion.
Also a few things to keep in mind:
1. There are practically no women in the story (for obvious reasons). The women who are in the story are pretty one dimensional.
2. There is a surprising amount of religious ideology (both Christian and Inuit). Also readings from the Bible.
3. There is a heavy amount of racism in the beginning and less as the book goes on. It is all era appropriate and makes sense for the characters but can be uncomfortable to read.
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
chungledown_bim's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Feel like the author did well to describe the racism, homophobia, classism, toxic masculinity, sexism, & general fuckery of the time without participating in it. Usually you'd see the descriptor 'historical' & assume this means whoever wrote it is excited to drop the N word. Not so much here but all these concepts are as present as the arctic cold.
...I say that but Silence does seem to
It's long, but I was engaged the entire time, despite this not at all being the sort of thing I'm into. I really enjoyed falling into a rabbit hole by searching up the Franklin expedition & Inuit mythology afterward.
The ending
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Misogyny, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism
anjalirenee's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation
Minor: Pedophilia and Pregnancy