"Sleep tight, be kind and do no wrong, lest mermaids wound you with their song, prayers and penance do not postpone, lest they trap you by their stone."
A Haunting in the Arctic by C J Cooke is a fantastically spooky story! It was the strength of the story that kept me reading and turning the pages, though it can be a tough one to get through at times. It's very dark and certainly not a cosy read, but it is gripping. It draws on old mariner folklore and tales of mermaids, sirens and selkies, so it has an ethereal tone that pulls you in. At times this novel reads like a fantasy and it does have some fantastical elements to it, but it isn't the high fantasy one usually associates with mermaid tales. The sea-maid in this book isn't a whimsical member of the Fey, but a dangerous creature gathering souls in her quest for revenge.
Beginning in Dundee and then moving to the snowy coastal regions of Iceland, the novel follows a whaling ship and her crew. There are scenes of animal slaughter, so if you love whales, seals and so on, you might need to skip this book as it is quite upsetting to read about such beautiful creatures being hunted and brutally killed.
The novel has three different timelines of 1901, 1973 and 2023, with the narrative moving seamlessly between them. This is so skilfully done that it isn't jarring, as multiple timelines sometimes are. If anything, the time breaks give the reader a welcome reprieve from the trauma of the main protagonist, Nicky, a women who finds herself in a situation that is entirely beyond her control and who suffers the consequences accordingly.
It's difficult to review this book without giving away spoilers. I will say that the twist at the end took me completely by surprise and I wasn't expecting the story to unfold in that way. It's always nice when a book surprises you. This one gathers pace as it goes along, with the final third of the book ramping up the creepiness and the plot reveals.
Its a very atmospheric, chilling novel and not just because it is set in Iceland! It has ghosts and snow and ice-stunts, alongside wild sea-storms and the harsh life of the 19th century mariners who made a living hunting whales on the high seas. The trauma is a constant backdrop to the rest of the book and the next attack is never far away, maybe a chapter or two, so bear that in mind if you decide to pick up this novel as it can be quite a harrowing read. However, it has a moral centre which revolves around the premise that revenge only hurts the vengeful and this is played out very spookily indeed!
All I can say is, A Haunting in the Arctic will haunt me for a long time to come, because the story is truly memorable!
Blessed Be
Marie x
AD: This book is published by Harper Collins and is available now in all formats.
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