What do you think?
Rate this book
Frostlines: A Journey Through Entangled Lives and Landscapes in a Warming Arctic
A Recommended Read from Yale Climate Connections
“[Frostlines weaves] together natural history, indigenous perspective, and environmental transformation in the Arctic. The book helps bring a human story to the science of climate change.”—Parade
A sweeping exploration of the Arctic—and how it’s being transformed by climate change—from National Geographic writer Neil Shea
As warming reshapes our planet, the Arctic—a region that once seemed unchangeable, beyond the reach of modern problems—is quickly coming undone. While the old cold world can still be glimpsed in the movements of caribou, the hidden lives of wolves, and the hunting skill of an Iñupiaq elder, look closer and you’ll find a new Arctic appearing in its place.
In Frostlines, Neil Shea blends natural history, anthropology, and travel writing to explore how the beauty, chaos, and power of change in the far north are reflected in the lives of people and animals. He sojourns with a wolf pack on Canada’s Ellesmere Island and travels with Indigenous hunters in Alaska, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories. He tracks dwindling caribou herds across the top of North America, searches for vanished Vikings in Greenland, and visits the front line of the new Cold War rising between Russia and Europe. What Shea finds is not one Arctic but many—all still linked by shattering cold, seasons of darkness, and a pure, inimitable light.
Written with masterful prose and a spark of adventure, Frostlines is an expansive yet intimate revelation of the Arctic during a time of transformation, and a journey along the threshold of a stunning and sometimes frightening world that’s emerging right before our eyes.
“[Frostlines weaves] together natural history, indigenous perspective, and environmental transformation in the Arctic. The book helps bring a human story to the science of climate change.”—Parade
A sweeping exploration of the Arctic—and how it’s being transformed by climate change—from National Geographic writer Neil Shea
As warming reshapes our planet, the Arctic—a region that once seemed unchangeable, beyond the reach of modern problems—is quickly coming undone. While the old cold world can still be glimpsed in the movements of caribou, the hidden lives of wolves, and the hunting skill of an Iñupiaq elder, look closer and you’ll find a new Arctic appearing in its place.
In Frostlines, Neil Shea blends natural history, anthropology, and travel writing to explore how the beauty, chaos, and power of change in the far north are reflected in the lives of people and animals. He sojourns with a wolf pack on Canada’s Ellesmere Island and travels with Indigenous hunters in Alaska, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories. He tracks dwindling caribou herds across the top of North America, searches for vanished Vikings in Greenland, and visits the front line of the new Cold War rising between Russia and Europe. What Shea finds is not one Arctic but many—all still linked by shattering cold, seasons of darkness, and a pure, inimitable light.
Written with masterful prose and a spark of adventure, Frostlines is an expansive yet intimate revelation of the Arctic during a time of transformation, and a journey along the threshold of a stunning and sometimes frightening world that’s emerging right before our eyes.
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 2, 2025
81 people are currently reading
4989 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
October 25, 2025
A National Geographic journalist provides us with a beautiful glimpse into one of the harshest landscapes on Earth - the Arctic Circle. Neil Shea begins looking for the effects of climate change on the people, animals and land but it evolves into a tender story of kindness, perseverance and hope from the people who live there and who depend on this fragile ecosystem. He goes into the history and culture through a wide sweep of the Arctic from Alaska to Finland. It is obvious that telling this story and his experiences meant alot to him. It is educational, entertaining and a call to action all at once and will appeal to nature lovers, people concerned with the effects of climate change and the history and anthropology of an area less explored. It might also serve as a travelogue for the hardy or for the armchair variety! My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
December 12, 2025
In this excellent, thoughtful, and thought-provoking book, Neil Shea takes readers on a journey across the Arctic to illuminate this cold environment, the animals and humans who call it home, and the landscape itself, now changing rapidly as our world gets warmer. He visits Canada, Alaska, Greenland, and Norway at the Russian border, spending time in the wild and learning from the people who live in these places. He reminds us that although we don't think much about this region of the earth, it has a big impact on those of us who live south of the Arctic Circle. He asks, "What can it mean for all of us, if the north ceases to be cold?" (p. 8)
For the people who live in these cold places, things are changing fast and they're adapting as best as they can. Having lived in Alaska for a decade, and having done some work with some Inupiaq people (although not in the same region he describes in the book), I was particularly interested in how things I observed 20 years before he was there had accelerated, both in terms of the environment and with interpersonal relations between Native people and the '-ologists,' who came from outside and objectified them, trying to grab all the knowledge and information they could to use for their own ends.
The author describes his own growing awareness and enlightenment as he learns how Native people see the land and the animals. He describes the ways in which they see themselves as being in relationship with the animals and land--and relationship brings with it responsibility to behave in appropriate ways. For example, it's a common view among Inupiaq whale hunters, particularly elders, that the whales give themselves to the hunter to sustain the community. This requires the hunters to behave properly and share the meat appropriately. Animals are crucial because, on the most basic level, it's how people live. Given the isolation of these communities and the lack of options, hunting is essential.
This is an important book which describes moments of profound connection--something that we'd all do well to cultivate in our own lives, no matter where we live. Highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital review copy.
For the people who live in these cold places, things are changing fast and they're adapting as best as they can. Having lived in Alaska for a decade, and having done some work with some Inupiaq people (although not in the same region he describes in the book), I was particularly interested in how things I observed 20 years before he was there had accelerated, both in terms of the environment and with interpersonal relations between Native people and the '-ologists,' who came from outside and objectified them, trying to grab all the knowledge and information they could to use for their own ends.
The author describes his own growing awareness and enlightenment as he learns how Native people see the land and the animals. He describes the ways in which they see themselves as being in relationship with the animals and land--and relationship brings with it responsibility to behave in appropriate ways. For example, it's a common view among Inupiaq whale hunters, particularly elders, that the whales give themselves to the hunter to sustain the community. This requires the hunters to behave properly and share the meat appropriately. Animals are crucial because, on the most basic level, it's how people live. Given the isolation of these communities and the lack of options, hunting is essential.
This is an important book which describes moments of profound connection--something that we'd all do well to cultivate in our own lives, no matter where we live. Highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital review copy.
February 3, 2026
3.5 ⭐️ (rounded up) A travelogue set in the Arctic à la John McPhee in Coming Into The Country. I live in Alaska so it’s always fun to hear about and see the state and remote areas through others’ eyes. These kinds of books are too often done and mostly not done well. Reading about how others see local folks, particularly indigenous populations, as something to gawk at and write about is a hard line to draw. This book mostly does it ok and there is always something magic about the North.
December 16, 2025
Full disclosure: I’ve known and worked with Neil for years, including on stories for National Geographic that form the basis for parts of this book, so make of my opinion what you will. But I believe he’s produced a searingly beautiful portrait of the Arctic. Deftly weaving natural history, anthropology, and geopolitics, he helps us see with fresh eyes one of the planet’s most forbidding and misunderstood landscapes.
We camp with a pack of Arctic wolves, venture onto the uncertain ice with Indigenous hunters, sit on the hummocks of tundra grass to watch the migrating caribou, and travel right up to the front lines of a new, rapidly melting Cold War.
Neil doesn't just report on the Arctic—he transports us there with lyrical, urgent prose. He makes us feel the cold, witness the beauty, and understand the terrible speed at which this crucial place is transforming.
We camp with a pack of Arctic wolves, venture onto the uncertain ice with Indigenous hunters, sit on the hummocks of tundra grass to watch the migrating caribou, and travel right up to the front lines of a new, rapidly melting Cold War.
Neil doesn't just report on the Arctic—he transports us there with lyrical, urgent prose. He makes us feel the cold, witness the beauty, and understand the terrible speed at which this crucial place is transforming.
December 12, 2025
Thanks Ecco for the gifted ARC book.
There’s a false notion that some people hold of the Arctic being a frozen wasteland devoid of much (if any) life and therefore undeserving of concern. Shea shows just how vibrant and diverse the landscape is and the threats due to warming in Frostlines.
He travels with a wolf pack on Ellesmere Island, tracks caribou with Tlicho citizens on their ancestral lands, and explores the borderlands of Kirkenes, Norway. These are only a few of the areas Shea shares.
His writing is personal, inviting the reader into his experiences by keenly observing the world around him.
Through intimate portraits of peoples and animals, anthropology, and natural history, he educates on climate science and the fragility of ecosystems — systems that are transforming under increased pressures of warming temperatures. The need to protect the vast expanse of the Arctic is undeniable.
It felt especially poignant to read this book in autumn while the current administration actively stripped critical protections for millions of acres of public lands in the Western Arctic Reserve.
It’s clear that Shea feels deeply for what he writes about. This was an affecting read. Recommended for readers interested in the intersection of climate change and cultural shifts.
There’s a false notion that some people hold of the Arctic being a frozen wasteland devoid of much (if any) life and therefore undeserving of concern. Shea shows just how vibrant and diverse the landscape is and the threats due to warming in Frostlines.
He travels with a wolf pack on Ellesmere Island, tracks caribou with Tlicho citizens on their ancestral lands, and explores the borderlands of Kirkenes, Norway. These are only a few of the areas Shea shares.
His writing is personal, inviting the reader into his experiences by keenly observing the world around him.
Through intimate portraits of peoples and animals, anthropology, and natural history, he educates on climate science and the fragility of ecosystems — systems that are transforming under increased pressures of warming temperatures. The need to protect the vast expanse of the Arctic is undeniable.
It felt especially poignant to read this book in autumn while the current administration actively stripped critical protections for millions of acres of public lands in the Western Arctic Reserve.
It’s clear that Shea feels deeply for what he writes about. This was an affecting read. Recommended for readers interested in the intersection of climate change and cultural shifts.
December 1, 2025
A journey through many countries in the Arctic Circle, where people share their lives with unfamiliar animals. Wolves, bears, caribou, and many others, which the author describes masterfully, without forgetting the history that has shaped that place up to that point. Very well written and definitely interesting.
Un viaggio tra tanti paesi del circolo polare artico le persone che lo condividono con animali particolarmente sconosciuti. Lupi, orsi, caribú e tanti altri, che l'autore descrive con maestria, senza dimenticare la storia che ha caratterizzato quel posto fino a quel momento. Molto ben scritto e decisamente interessante.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
Un viaggio tra tanti paesi del circolo polare artico le persone che lo condividono con animali particolarmente sconosciuti. Lupi, orsi, caribú e tanti altri, che l'autore descrive con maestria, senza dimenticare la storia che ha caratterizzato quel posto fino a quel momento. Molto ben scritto e decisamente interessante.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
November 23, 2025
Frostlines is a book about "the transforming arctic", as National Geographic writer Neil Shea travels across the accessible Arctic to explore how it is changing and how many of the indigenous people there react to this. From meeting people in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories to find out how their lives have changed, to watching wildlife like bears, wolves, and caribou, to learning what it is like at the point in Norway that touches Russia, there's a range of experiences that Shea documents, all with a focus on the Arctic as somewhere people and animals live, not just the barren wasteland many imagine. Not only that, but it is a place impacted by human decisions and climate and geopolitical changes.
I'm not entirely sure why I decided to read this book, as it isn't something I'd typically pick up, but I'm very glad that I did. I don't have any experience of the Arctic and I felt like I learnt a lot about the peoples and places documented in the book. In particular, the chapter about Greenland offered an interesting look at the people who have lived and arrived there, and what might be needed to survive somewhere properly. The chapters on the North American parts of the Arctic felt especially rich, with a lot of different people spoken to, particularly indigenous people, and Shea travelling with people there to see the landscapes and ways of life. In contrast, the later part of the book felt like it could only cover very specific elements of places and wasn't able to give as full a picture. Overall, the Arctic is vast and you can feel in the book like there could have been so much more said about.
I'm not entirely sure why I decided to read this book, as it isn't something I'd typically pick up, but I'm very glad that I did. I don't have any experience of the Arctic and I felt like I learnt a lot about the peoples and places documented in the book. In particular, the chapter about Greenland offered an interesting look at the people who have lived and arrived there, and what might be needed to survive somewhere properly. The chapters on the North American parts of the Arctic felt especially rich, with a lot of different people spoken to, particularly indigenous people, and Shea travelling with people there to see the landscapes and ways of life. In contrast, the later part of the book felt like it could only cover very specific elements of places and wasn't able to give as full a picture. Overall, the Arctic is vast and you can feel in the book like there could have been so much more said about.
December 7, 2025
“Frostlines” é um livro escrito no limite entre gelo e memória. Shea atravessa o Ártico – narvais que usam presas como dedos sensíveis, lobos que esqueceram de ter medo, caribus que carregam culturas inteiras – para revelar um mundo em transformação acelerada. Cada capítulo é uma cartografia ética: o sinaaq vibrando de vida sob o sol da meia-noite, os Tłı̨chǫ seguindo trilhas ancestrais enquanto a manada Bathurst desaparece, os Nunamiut ensinando que a caça é relação e renovação, os Inuit de Gjoa Haven vivendo entre gelo que some e histórias que se apagam, e até Kirkenes, onde fronteiras humanas persistem em violentar o que a natureza insiste em desfazer. Shea escreve com a precisão de um repórter e o cuidado de um poeta, mostrando que o Ártico não é uma abstração: é o aviso antecipado do planeta, o lugar onde o futuro já começou a ruir. Um livro deslumbrante e devastador, que transforma ciência e testemunho em literatura de mundo.
November 27, 2025
Blue lakes and rocky shores / Will we return once more?
The Artic has long been romanticized as a land of unyielding frost, immutable, stolid, unchanging. While the spirit of the tundra can still be traced in the movements of the hardy animals and peoples who call it home, a new land - and the loss of the old one - can be glimpsed just under the surface. following the waning light of a westward sun, Neil Shea walks among wolf packs on Canada's Ellesmere island, follows the trail of Indigenous Netsilingmiut and Tlicho peoples of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, chases the shadows of elusive caribou across Alaska, and witnesses the potential devastation of oil and gas development in America's farthest flung wilds. In the European Artic, the retreating cold makes way for a Cold War between global powers over who controls the land and the riches beneath the ice melt.
The greatest revelation the frozen earth provides is that the Artic is not a monolith, but rather a rich diversity - out of one, many - bonded by shattering cold, seasons of darkness, and a pure, inimitable light. In the starkness of the midnight sun, the wind-swept atmosphere, and the frosted abyss of a land which ekes every drop of life it can out of its inhabitants, Neil Shea crafts an expansive, intimate tale of an Artic mid-transformation - a metamorphosis of a land both frightening and devastating emerging before our very eyes.
This was an incredibly poignant and heart-wrenching tale of a land many of us will never visit, but which hold such vital life and importance in our ever-warming world. I can tell Neil Shea has a deep-seated love for the Artic and can see the influence his time at National Geographic has had - this was beautifully written, engaging, and definitely tugged at that part of me which wants to throw everything to the wind and take off into the wild blue yonder. An observation and told in phases as he travels from east to west at the top of the world, each phase of the book offers a beautiful glimpse into all the Artic offers - its indifference, its wild abandon, its defiance, and ultimately its yielding resistance to a world that continues to move on without it.
Many who grew up in the 2000s I think more than most have an urgency and (hopefully) a desperation about climate change and the havoc it continues to leech into the land - while much of the world has moved on in the face of ever-present and more flagrant threats to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the slow death of a way of life in the face of a melting world should still remain at the forefront. More than offering a solution to a problem bigger than the sky, Shea's exploration and documentation of a lifestyle and ecosystem fading away invites readers to experience the world as it changes, and will hopefully reignite something wild, something stark, and something yearning in them as they stalk the tundra through all its phases in homage to a land out of time that's becoming something new.
The Artic has long been romanticized as a land of unyielding frost, immutable, stolid, unchanging. While the spirit of the tundra can still be traced in the movements of the hardy animals and peoples who call it home, a new land - and the loss of the old one - can be glimpsed just under the surface. following the waning light of a westward sun, Neil Shea walks among wolf packs on Canada's Ellesmere island, follows the trail of Indigenous Netsilingmiut and Tlicho peoples of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, chases the shadows of elusive caribou across Alaska, and witnesses the potential devastation of oil and gas development in America's farthest flung wilds. In the European Artic, the retreating cold makes way for a Cold War between global powers over who controls the land and the riches beneath the ice melt.
The greatest revelation the frozen earth provides is that the Artic is not a monolith, but rather a rich diversity - out of one, many - bonded by shattering cold, seasons of darkness, and a pure, inimitable light. In the starkness of the midnight sun, the wind-swept atmosphere, and the frosted abyss of a land which ekes every drop of life it can out of its inhabitants, Neil Shea crafts an expansive, intimate tale of an Artic mid-transformation - a metamorphosis of a land both frightening and devastating emerging before our very eyes.
This was an incredibly poignant and heart-wrenching tale of a land many of us will never visit, but which hold such vital life and importance in our ever-warming world. I can tell Neil Shea has a deep-seated love for the Artic and can see the influence his time at National Geographic has had - this was beautifully written, engaging, and definitely tugged at that part of me which wants to throw everything to the wind and take off into the wild blue yonder. An observation and told in phases as he travels from east to west at the top of the world, each phase of the book offers a beautiful glimpse into all the Artic offers - its indifference, its wild abandon, its defiance, and ultimately its yielding resistance to a world that continues to move on without it.
Many who grew up in the 2000s I think more than most have an urgency and (hopefully) a desperation about climate change and the havoc it continues to leech into the land - while much of the world has moved on in the face of ever-present and more flagrant threats to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the slow death of a way of life in the face of a melting world should still remain at the forefront. More than offering a solution to a problem bigger than the sky, Shea's exploration and documentation of a lifestyle and ecosystem fading away invites readers to experience the world as it changes, and will hopefully reignite something wild, something stark, and something yearning in them as they stalk the tundra through all its phases in homage to a land out of time that's becoming something new.
December 24, 2025
Full disclosure:
I got this ARC in a goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I came into the book a skeptic and left the same way. Which is OK. Shea says that he is not there to prove climate change and is assuming the book will mostly reach true believers. The book is narrative rather than pursusive.
The narative writing is beautiful. You can feel Shea's heart for the animals he describes and for the people who hunt and depend on them. You can also nearly see and feel the animals and people he describes.
The politics is much as I expected it to be. That is to say, ridiculous, and often inserted for no good reason. For example the last chapter of the book is largely about the invasion of Ukraine by Putin. There are the mandatory cheap shots at Donald Trump though not as many as I expected.
The enviromental pieces are tinged in hysteria, as is to be expected. "The Vikings tried to save themselves from climate change, but we aren't even really doing that."
Oddly, however, all of the issues he addresses (except Ukraine) there are several reasons he gives for the problems the species has other than climate change. For example, the caribo are decreasing. We are meant to see this as a sign that the world is burning itself up. However, he also says that the herds are hard to locate even in good years, that overhunting is an issue, that improper hunting by sportsmen is an issue (They shoot the first deer they see rather than letting them establish a scent trail others will follow so the herds by deviate from usual patterns), and that there are natural ebbs and flows of dear populations over time (in other words the deer may be underbreeding to correct for previous overbreeding).
The Natives are concerned about some of the issues, but, notably, none of them attribute it to climate change. A skeptical reader gets the impression that they are politely letting him ramble on because they like him, but they change the subject when he gets on his climate change hobby horse.
Overall this is a well written nature study. I would recommend borrowing it from the library.
I got this ARC in a goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I came into the book a skeptic and left the same way. Which is OK. Shea says that he is not there to prove climate change and is assuming the book will mostly reach true believers. The book is narrative rather than pursusive.
The narative writing is beautiful. You can feel Shea's heart for the animals he describes and for the people who hunt and depend on them. You can also nearly see and feel the animals and people he describes.
The politics is much as I expected it to be. That is to say, ridiculous, and often inserted for no good reason. For example the last chapter of the book is largely about the invasion of Ukraine by Putin. There are the mandatory cheap shots at Donald Trump though not as many as I expected.
The enviromental pieces are tinged in hysteria, as is to be expected. "The Vikings tried to save themselves from climate change, but we aren't even really doing that."
Oddly, however, all of the issues he addresses (except Ukraine) there are several reasons he gives for the problems the species has other than climate change. For example, the caribo are decreasing. We are meant to see this as a sign that the world is burning itself up. However, he also says that the herds are hard to locate even in good years, that overhunting is an issue, that improper hunting by sportsmen is an issue (They shoot the first deer they see rather than letting them establish a scent trail others will follow so the herds by deviate from usual patterns), and that there are natural ebbs and flows of dear populations over time (in other words the deer may be underbreeding to correct for previous overbreeding).
The Natives are concerned about some of the issues, but, notably, none of them attribute it to climate change. A skeptical reader gets the impression that they are politely letting him ramble on because they like him, but they change the subject when he gets on his climate change hobby horse.
Overall this is a well written nature study. I would recommend borrowing it from the library.
February 1, 2026
I’m not your typical NatGeo subscriber and the Arctic has never been on my travel wish list, but Frostlines definitely pulled me North. This book is drawn from seven long-form essays, and Shea highlights the overlaps of these stories to paint a larger picture of the region.
Shea’s writing is enjoyable because he doesn’t just observe from the sidelines in the manner of some detached journalists. He has an eye for detail and somehow makes you feel as if you’re dragging yourself through the snow right beside him. This book definitely has a way of transporting you and making you feel as if you’re experiencing it in real time, especially reading it during an icy NYC winter.
As someone who has only recently come to birding and that larger, experiential way of taking in the world, I found myself completely drawn into Shea’s encounters with Arctic wildlife. I never considered myself a “nature person,” however, there is something about seeing animals in their evolving habitats through his eyes that made me consider what I might have overlooked.
What I appreciated the most was how he balances his own perspective with the voices of the people who live in and love these frozen areas of the earth. He respects their stories and doesn’t try to speak for them, but he doesn’t disappear entirely, which is a delicate balance. I knew almost nothing about Arctic history, politics, or cultural nuances before picking this book up, but Shea explores these topics and allows you to follow along without simplifying it beyond recognition.
For me, Frostlines felt like a “gateway book” in the sense that it gave me just enough grounding to feel oriented while sparking a genuine interest in delving deeper into the Arctic and the people. And animals that call it home. Overall, it isn’t just about a place, it’s about what it means to pay attention. For a non-nature lover who is slowly becoming one, it’s a great read even - if you don’t have the Arctic on your 52 Places to Go (yet!)
Shea’s writing is enjoyable because he doesn’t just observe from the sidelines in the manner of some detached journalists. He has an eye for detail and somehow makes you feel as if you’re dragging yourself through the snow right beside him. This book definitely has a way of transporting you and making you feel as if you’re experiencing it in real time, especially reading it during an icy NYC winter.
As someone who has only recently come to birding and that larger, experiential way of taking in the world, I found myself completely drawn into Shea’s encounters with Arctic wildlife. I never considered myself a “nature person,” however, there is something about seeing animals in their evolving habitats through his eyes that made me consider what I might have overlooked.
What I appreciated the most was how he balances his own perspective with the voices of the people who live in and love these frozen areas of the earth. He respects their stories and doesn’t try to speak for them, but he doesn’t disappear entirely, which is a delicate balance. I knew almost nothing about Arctic history, politics, or cultural nuances before picking this book up, but Shea explores these topics and allows you to follow along without simplifying it beyond recognition.
For me, Frostlines felt like a “gateway book” in the sense that it gave me just enough grounding to feel oriented while sparking a genuine interest in delving deeper into the Arctic and the people. And animals that call it home. Overall, it isn’t just about a place, it’s about what it means to pay attention. For a non-nature lover who is slowly becoming one, it’s a great read even - if you don’t have the Arctic on your 52 Places to Go (yet!)
February 1, 2026
I've been reading a lot about the Arctic lately in preparation for a trip to Churchill, Manitoba, in a few weeks. Frostlines: A Journey Through Entangled Lives and Landscapes in a Warming Arctic by Neil Shea is reminiscent of Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez and The Last Imaginary Place: A Human History of the Arctic World by Robert McGhee, but several decades newer. (Arctic Dreams, which won the National Book Award, was published in 1986, while Last Imaginary Place was published in 2004.) All three books are collections of stories and experiences gained from traveling around the Arctic, spending time with Indigenous folks, scientists, miners, and soldiers, learning about the ways of life of humans, whales, caribou, wolves, and other species. Frostlines, published in 2025, looks at the way the Arctic is changing rapidly, affected by climate change much more severely than the rest of globe; as well as feeling impacts from Covid-19 and the Ukrainian war and the lingering harms of colonialism. Frostlines has a more sensitive, nuanced approach to Indigenous communities, which are facing twin threats from loss of knowledge as older generations pass and loss of the caribou herds on which they depend.
November 25, 2025
Every so often you come across a book that you know is going to stay with you forever. Frostlines is one of those books. It's one of the most compelling, beautiful, and heartbreaking things I've read in years. The author is a writer for National Geographic and first visited the Arctic 20 years ago, when climate change was already evident but hadn't really started to bite. This book is a series of snapshots from a recent trip that includes Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Norway (the Russian Arctic is off limits these days, as is eloquently described in the final chapter). He describes, from his own experience and that of native dwellers, how different things have become in the years since he last visited, how animal and plant lives are under increasing stress, how that affects the people who depend on them, and how all of life is trying to adapt and survive, some species more successfully than others.
This book isn't an attempt to get people to believe in the reality of climate change, it's a description, in the form of a travelogue, of what climate change is doing to the part of the world that's changing faster than anywhere else. Neil Shea is a brilliant writer and conjures up wonderful mental pictures of the environment and people he's describing. The published version (I'm reviewing an unillustrated pre-publication e-book) will also have several photos of these incredible places and their plant, animal, and human life. This book is an absolute treasure.
This book isn't an attempt to get people to believe in the reality of climate change, it's a description, in the form of a travelogue, of what climate change is doing to the part of the world that's changing faster than anywhere else. Neil Shea is a brilliant writer and conjures up wonderful mental pictures of the environment and people he's describing. The published version (I'm reviewing an unillustrated pre-publication e-book) will also have several photos of these incredible places and their plant, animal, and human life. This book is an absolute treasure.
December 28, 2025
I love the way the author shared his thoughts and experiences as he traveled across the “many Arctics.” For each part of the Arctic is unique in its own right – whether in Norway, Greenland, Russia, Canada, or the United States – with its people, culture, animals, landscape. From whales and wolves to caribou and bears, the coverage of the lives of indigenous people of the many Arctics, and his deep appreciation and respect for the landscape and nature, the author did a tremendous job in bringing to the reader the beauty and the realities of life in the far north. I enjoyed most the parts about his time with the wolves and caribou, his time with the locals in the areas he traveled to experiencing firsthand the lives they live, and the excavations in Greenland. The book had a lot of “heart” with the author’s sense of connection and passion for and love of the land at the forefront. There is almost a sense of mysticism and undefinable tie to nature threaded throughout the book and the writing style more than did justice to the wonder of the “many Arctics” covered here. I definitely recommend the book – it was a lovely 4.5 star read rounded up to 5. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
December 9, 2025
A beautifully written book that expounds upon the author’s connections with the land and people of the Arctic. Neil Shea never loses sight of the past, the present, the indigenous groups, economics, and the environment. His journeys take the reader from the North America continent to Greenland and then the Old World. He and those he befriends realize the impacts caused by climate, shifting populations and industrial endeavors, but even to mention those factors in conversation seem to manifest the dangers to the culture by bringing them closer. The old ways gave and still give meaning, and they are constantly threatened by what is occurring. He brings some truthful “magic” to their memories and way of life in his descriptions of people, the land, the light, and wildlife. This book will stay with me for quite a while. Highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title.
January 20, 2026
🐻❄️A quick non-fiction read (with a map at the beginning).
🐻❄️Many of the chapters started off as pieces for National Geographic, and the strongest chapters reflect that collision of place, people, and wildlife.
🐻❄️My favorite quotation from the book was from a very unexpectedly sad chapter about excavating a Norse graveyard: “And a parent's mind is never a rational place. It's a labyrinth of what-ifs and could'ves and nightmares that will probably not come true but that still enjoy a visit, asking for a little of your attention, inviting you to imagine the worst.”
🤔Sometimes I felt a little confused about where exactly he was and I had trouble keeping some of the different areas straight in my mind. I found myself looking things up on Google maps a lot.
🐻❄️Many of the chapters started off as pieces for National Geographic, and the strongest chapters reflect that collision of place, people, and wildlife.
🐻❄️My favorite quotation from the book was from a very unexpectedly sad chapter about excavating a Norse graveyard: “And a parent's mind is never a rational place. It's a labyrinth of what-ifs and could'ves and nightmares that will probably not come true but that still enjoy a visit, asking for a little of your attention, inviting you to imagine the worst.”
🤔Sometimes I felt a little confused about where exactly he was and I had trouble keeping some of the different areas straight in my mind. I found myself looking things up on Google maps a lot.
December 17, 2025
Absolutely loved this book -- these fascinating and beautifully-told stories are packed with wisdom.
Profound and moving. In prose that shines with insight and astute observation, the intersecting stories of people, animals, and the land come to vivid life in these pages. Shea's brilliant writing also offers clear-eyed and respectful meditations on the meanings of community and belonging in times of upheaval, in past, present, and future. In these stories, we see the life of the Arctic not only as central to the environment and geopolitics but, most importantly, for what it means to be human in living relationship to the more-than-human world.
Profound and moving. In prose that shines with insight and astute observation, the intersecting stories of people, animals, and the land come to vivid life in these pages. Shea's brilliant writing also offers clear-eyed and respectful meditations on the meanings of community and belonging in times of upheaval, in past, present, and future. In these stories, we see the life of the Arctic not only as central to the environment and geopolitics but, most importantly, for what it means to be human in living relationship to the more-than-human world.
January 1, 2026
Some things I learned from Shea's stories of his travels around the Arctic:
The Inuit peoples survived in and now populate Greenland whereas the Vikings (Norse) who lived there simultaneously from about 1000-1450 AD died out, forgotten by the rest of Europe, until a 1700s missionary ship showed up and couldn't find any Norsemen.
The white wolves of the Arctic are rather friendly or at least indifferent to humans.
Alaska should be called The First Frontier not The Last Frontier. it was here that humans, following the caribou, crossed over into North America. Caribou populations are currently in trouble.
The Inuit peoples survived in and now populate Greenland whereas the Vikings (Norse) who lived there simultaneously from about 1000-1450 AD died out, forgotten by the rest of Europe, until a 1700s missionary ship showed up and couldn't find any Norsemen.
The white wolves of the Arctic are rather friendly or at least indifferent to humans.
Alaska should be called The First Frontier not The Last Frontier. it was here that humans, following the caribou, crossed over into North America. Caribou populations are currently in trouble.
January 14, 2026
American Neil Shea, co-creator of the podcast Unfinished, writer, journalist for National Geographic has written a revealing, alluring portrait of the Arctic in Frostlines: A Journey Through Entangled Lies and Landscapes in a Warming Arctic. Anyone who has connections to the outstanding NG has my attention immediately. In an era where climate change is steadily destroying so much of the earth it is refreshing to read Shea's observations as he sojourns with wolves, whales, hunters, caribou and others. He reveals there is light, hope in darkness. My favorite was his encounters with the Fosheim white wolf; intelligent, staking their claim in their world and simply unforgettable.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I've had a fascination with the arctic and colder climates for a long time, so I jumped to read Frostlines by Neil Shea, and it didn't disappoint.
This breathtaking exploration of the Arctic swept me away to Iceland, Greenland, and even The North Pole and I'm in awe of how Neil gives not just knowledge about wildlife but the land itself and the indigenous people who live there.
I loved learning more about The Inuit people, past explorers and the culture that the Inuits are keeping alive.
Shea has had experience of how climate change is affecting these places and actually is a call to action if nothing else.
I must admit I didn't really give much thought to Caribou before reading this book, but I will definitely be researching them more. It's such a brilliant book and so informative so I'd definitely recommend Frostlines
This breathtaking exploration of the Arctic swept me away to Iceland, Greenland, and even The North Pole and I'm in awe of how Neil gives not just knowledge about wildlife but the land itself and the indigenous people who live there.
I loved learning more about The Inuit people, past explorers and the culture that the Inuits are keeping alive.
Shea has had experience of how climate change is affecting these places and actually is a call to action if nothing else.
I must admit I didn't really give much thought to Caribou before reading this book, but I will definitely be researching them more. It's such a brilliant book and so informative so I'd definitely recommend Frostlines
January 21, 2026
Humbling and compelling, though the narrative feels disjointed at parts - but perhaps that’s the point? The scattered stories of all these lives and all these places still somehow connected. Whether it’s the wolves or the Norwegian border… it’s all still the Arctic, a concept I admittedly don’t often think about.
I find the section about Greenland especially poignant right now with Trump’s renewed attention in annexing the island… I appreciate the breadth of context it gives me in my otherwise narrow understanding of the place.
Overall, a good read! Makes you think.
I find the section about Greenland especially poignant right now with Trump’s renewed attention in annexing the island… I appreciate the breadth of context it gives me in my otherwise narrow understanding of the place.
Overall, a good read! Makes you think.
January 28, 2026
Beautifully written and photographed. Thanks for the map! I was enthralled by these stories from across the Arctic including several parts of Canada, Alaska in the US, Greenland, and Norway. And the stories tell us about different animals within the region ranging from narwhals, wolves, caribou, and people of different times. To have that experience with a pod of narwhal is just enchanting! Although I am more drawn to the adventures with animals, it was quite interesting to read about the examples of humans through time, in particular the archaelogical experience in Greenland.
December 15, 2025
I loved this book. I read an early copy this summer and provided a quote for the back cover: "Lush and heartbreaking, Frostlines lays the Arctic bare to reveal a place of life, beauty, and ancient interdependencies. Neil Shea is both a careful observer and a gifted writer, weaving a narrative steeped in loss, wonder, and warning." Shea is also a talented photographer and the color insert offers magazine-quality images from his forays into the Arctic.
December 17, 2025
I've long admired Neil Shea's writing and journalism and was thrilled to read an advance copy of Frostlines. Here's what I had to say for the back cover:
"From wolves and whales to weaponized borders, Neil Shea cinches a singular storyline across the Arctic cap of our rapidly changing planet, bearing witness to loss and conflict while holding tight to wonder and awe."
Read and share this important book!
"From wolves and whales to weaponized borders, Neil Shea cinches a singular storyline across the Arctic cap of our rapidly changing planet, bearing witness to loss and conflict while holding tight to wonder and awe."
Read and share this important book!
December 25, 2025
The author isn’t from the North, but he made many trips there to get a better understanding of what life (human, and animal) is like there. Wolves on Ellesmere Island, caribou roaming across great expanses, narwhal in the ocean. Archeologists hoping to learn more about Norse settlements in Greenland. Inuit coping with changes in their environment and their culture. Tensions along the border between Norway and Russia. All very interesting and well written.
December 28, 2025
A collection of stories, written like separate magazine pieces, from different parts of the Arctic, by a National Geographic staff-writer. As I read a lot about this region, a lot of things mentioned here were rather familiar to me, but I guess someone who doesn’t a lot of previous knowledge on this topic will find this book interesting.
Thanks to the publisher, Ecco, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Thanks to the publisher, Ecco, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
January 28, 2026
I gleaned a few insights and appreciated the different perspective on the way life is affected by global warming in the artic. That being said, I can't say I was riveted or looked forward to jumping back into it. This book felt a little like required reading, but more like something I pushed myself to keep reading to gain a new understanding. Can't say I loved it but I learned some new information so I can't complain too much.
November 2, 2025
A well written and thoughtful journey through the present Arctic. As Shea beautifully puts it, “ the Arctic earth held the entangled past so lightly and almost within reach”, and he gives us an excavation of this past that illuminates and honors the present. The places and people from his journey across the Arctic leap from the page. This book will be staying on my shelves.
November 23, 2025
I am so glad I received an arc of this book, it was amazing. I thank the author for such a great meaningful story. This book is a must read, while reading it I caught myself telling others the stories and situations the author talks about to not only my family but my coworkers. I recommend reading this book as soon as you can.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews