Tag: arctic

The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky

The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky

“You still have much to learn,” he agreed. “But you already carry a power in you that I can’t match.” pg 31, ebook

Omat is learning to become an angakkuq, a shaman for her tribe. This is a role that is traditionally filled by a male, so Omat considers herself a man for a long time.

“I drifted into dreams and visions for much of those three days, and soon I could not tell reality from imagination. Perhaps, I reasoned, in the end they are one and the same.” pg 70, ebook

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After repeated tragedies strike her tribe and Omat is captured by a vengeful hunter, her world changes. She goes on a quest to save her brother and best friend as well as herself.

This quest brings her into contact with gods and goddesses as well as the spirits of various arctic animals.

“Stories are ever changing, just like the gods. Assuming you understand either is a grave mistake.” pg 295, ebook

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I very much enjoyed this adventure tale. The main character, Omat, is quite complex in the way she communicates with others and grows throughout the story.

In the afterward, the author talks about the research into Inuit culture she completed to write this book and her work shows. I felt like Omat’s shamanistic journeys and methods could have actually happened the way she described- it’s that well written.

There is darkness in this story and I nearly stopped reading at first because I was afraid it was going to be too depressing. But I kept on and I’m so very glad I did.

“That which is dead can always come back. Men live in many worlds at once. So do gods.” pg 431, ebook

I enjoyed the fantasy elements of the gods and goddesses in this book. It reminded me of The Odyssey in some ways. The supernatural tries to control the world of humans and it results in a grand adventure.

Highly recommended for readers who like their historical fiction mixed with fantasy elements.

The Collector of Lost Things by Jeremy Page

The Collector of Lost Things by Jeremy Page

thecollectoroflostthingsWhen I picked up The Collector of Lost Things, I expected an adventure-filled historical fiction. The audiobook delivered a heavy-handed treatment of man vs. nature with some truly disturbing scenes of mass animal slaughter. Not for the faint of heart or stomach.

The story beyond these stomach churning scenes was nothing to write home about. I was very disappointed.

I found myself drawing parallels between The Collector of Lost Things and James Fenimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking Tales, particularly the book, The Pioneers.

In The Pioneers, Chapter 3 depicts settlers shooting a cloud of pigeons so vast that it nearly blocks out the sky. They fire repeatedly into the flock, killing far beyond what they’ll need or consume. The mindless slaughter is categorized as sport.

The hero of the story, Natty Bumppo, expresses disgust at the behavior. The reader understands the author’s point and the story moves on.

In this book, not only is there an homage to the pigeon scene, but the reader has to endure the repeated abuse of whales, walruses (walrii?), seals, and the possible extinction of an entire species of bird. I felt like the point wasn’t just driven home- it smashed me in the face.

My stomach was so turned by the slaughter that I couldn’t enjoy the book anymore. It was a shame because the prose used to describe the arctic scenery was some of the most expressive and beautiful that I have ever read. It puts you there, but then it drowns you in seas of blood.

If you enjoyed this book, you should read James Fenimore Cooper. The topic is the same, but the treatment in Cooper’s novels is far superior.

Thanks for reading!