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The White North Has Thy Bones
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Expected 22 Oct 26London, 1860, and crowds flock to witness a hanging. The condemned man is one of the survivors of HMS Melpomene, an Arctic exploration ship whose bitter fate was to be gnawed by ice and swallowed by the depths, with just five men miraculously rescued to return to wonder and acclaim. And now, one of them has murdered his family, with no explanation except his cryptic last words from the gallows: An act done by me against my will is not my act.
Newspaperman Harry Lambert is fascinated by the case. His search for answers takes him to the door of Sidney Blakely: Melpomene carpenter's mate-turned-expedition-leader, and now celebrated Spiritualist medium - a power granted to him, he claims, by the thin veil of the Arctic itself.
But after attending one of Blakely's séances, Harry meets Lieutenant Taylor, who offers Harry his own version of the story of the doomed ship. Blakely tells of courage and conviction, human heroism triumphing against the merciless Arctic. But Taylor's tale whispers of unquiet ghosts, savage beasts, sedition, and strange meat. Harry must tread a dangerous path between them, where what is true and who can be trusted is as shifting and unstable as the ice itself.
Harry knows what Melpomene's crew left in the Arctic. But what did they bring back?
Newspaperman Harry Lambert is fascinated by the case. His search for answers takes him to the door of Sidney Blakely: Melpomene carpenter's mate-turned-expedition-leader, and now celebrated Spiritualist medium - a power granted to him, he claims, by the thin veil of the Arctic itself.
But after attending one of Blakely's séances, Harry meets Lieutenant Taylor, who offers Harry his own version of the story of the doomed ship. Blakely tells of courage and conviction, human heroism triumphing against the merciless Arctic. But Taylor's tale whispers of unquiet ghosts, savage beasts, sedition, and strange meat. Harry must tread a dangerous path between them, where what is true and who can be trusted is as shifting and unstable as the ice itself.
Harry knows what Melpomene's crew left in the Arctic. But what did they bring back?
Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 22, 2026
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March 9, 2026toxic arctic yaoi and cannibalism... sharpening my teeth as we speak because I am ready to bite right into this
Review of advance copy received from Author
The White North Has Thy Bones is a stunning debut full of twists and turns that will make you want to SCREAM at the author for doing this.
Listen, I have a personal beef to crush with Dorian for being such an amazing author and ruining any arctic books that come after this, because they’ll never measure up.
I read this book in one sitting, spamming Dorian with my comments along the way, with them laughing the whole time. Because you will not BELIEVE the things I missed. Nothing is as it seems in this book! It’s one that really rewards close reading and paying attention to the minute details to predict the culmination of all the little hints you’ve gotten.
Let’s get into the wider review!
_________________________
Plot:
The novel unfolds along two interwoven timelines: the doomed Arctic expedition of the HMS Melpomene, its crew on a mission to locate the wreckage of Sir John Franklin and his crew’s tragic demise on the way to the northwest passage, and its grim aftermath in London several years later. What begins as a familiar tale of imperial exploration fractures into something far more unsettling. The Arctic sections are harrowing in their physical realism—icebound ships, scurvy, starvation, and the slow erosion of order—while the London narrative becomes an investigation into truth, performance, and journalistic ethics.
We follow a journalist in London as he chases down the survivors of the Melpomene to create his own account of the disaster, and, hopefully, his fortune. Spurred on by the execution of a Melpomene survivor for the murder of his family, Harry is eager to capitalize on the opportunity to answer questions about what truly happened out there in the great white north. From there, the tale splits off into competing accounts of the “truth”, and Harry’s struggle to make sense of a story that feels so impossible.
But there’s something else Harry is searching for in the histories of those aboard the Melpomene… something he doesn’t care what he has to do to get.
_________________________
Characters:
Harry Lambert — this little bastard. I hate him, and also love him for being so awful. It’s almost charming. Harry is the main character and one of three POVs through which you get to experience the fallout of Melpomene’s journey to the arctic. Harry is, above everything else, a coward. This is his defining characteristic, and the one through which this novel’s social commentary truly shines. Harry exhibits a lot of what is wrong with bystanders in today’s society—he’s a character study in the debate on “true crime”, and the ethics of sensationalizing and dramatizing tragedy. His cowardice is instrumental in this endeavor. He would never get into the thick of it himself to satisfy his curiosity, but sees others as a theatre for his own benefit.
Oh, and he’s classist as all hell. Though in fairness, this is Victorian England. I think that comes with the territory.
Sidney Blakely — charismatic, manipulative, shaped by a central theme of class resentment. As a lowly carpenter on the Melpomene before its demise, Sidney Blakely recalls with bitter frustration how the culture of the ship bent around the high points of the officers. Blakely is the novel’s main interrogation of class struggle. Though Harry offers a great counterpoint to Blakely’s experiences, this is where the theme is truly solidified, through Blakely’s memory of the expedition, and how the balance of power tilted as the circumstances grew dire. But something about Blakely’s recollection doesn’t entirely add up to Harry. He can spot Blakely’s manipulations and exaggerating miles away, and needs to get a perfect composite of all perspectives for his magnum opus piece. Which brings us to
Lieutenant Taylor — perhaps the most unsettling figure: vulnerable and magnetic, capable of tenderness and cruelty in equal measure. The novel’s treatment of mediumship through Taylor is especially effective, keeping the reader constantly uncertain whether what they are witnessing is fraud, delusion, or something genuinely supernatural. You’ll be switching back and forth between each of these perspectives time and time again until the narrative crystallizes towards the end. He’s the character who will make you question your own judgment, and then question the very act of questioning. He provides a differing interpretation of the events of the expedition from Blakely, painting the truth of the tragedy in a much more sinister light.
_________________________
Themes:
This book is a masterclass in unreliable narration and the ethics of storytelling. It’s about survival, yes, but also about the stories we tell to survive—and the ones we tell to justify what we’ve done. It’s about class, power, and the monstrous things people do when the world stops watching. The death of the Melpomene survivor, Harry’s insistence on digging into these peoples’ traumas, all of it paints a disturbing picture of those who might exploit crime and tragedy for profit, for social station. It asks the reader to think: is interpretation, recountal, an act of violence in and of itself, splitting open cauterized wounds to bleed out stories for bystanders again and again?
The White North Has Thy Bones is also a brutal, unflinching look at the cost of empire and the myth of heroic exploration. Bodies and souls are ground up endlessly in the machinery of ambition, and legacy is carved out from the bones of cruelty.
And yes, it’s also about cannibalism. Because SPOOOOOOKY!!
____________________
In short, I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s immersively written and at times darkly comedic, and truly rewards the attentive reader with a great bounty of payoff. It is a wild ride, and well worth it.
Thank you Dorian for letting me read way too early, and for tolerating my fangirling <3
This was a lovely experience, and an easy five ⭐️
Listen, I have a personal beef to crush with Dorian for being such an amazing author and ruining any arctic books that come after this, because they’ll never measure up.
I read this book in one sitting, spamming Dorian with my comments along the way, with them laughing the whole time. Because you will not BELIEVE the things I missed. Nothing is as it seems in this book! It’s one that really rewards close reading and paying attention to the minute details to predict the culmination of all the little hints you’ve gotten.
Let’s get into the wider review!
_________________________
Plot:
The novel unfolds along two interwoven timelines: the doomed Arctic expedition of the HMS Melpomene, its crew on a mission to locate the wreckage of Sir John Franklin and his crew’s tragic demise on the way to the northwest passage, and its grim aftermath in London several years later. What begins as a familiar tale of imperial exploration fractures into something far more unsettling. The Arctic sections are harrowing in their physical realism—icebound ships, scurvy, starvation, and the slow erosion of order—while the London narrative becomes an investigation into truth, performance, and journalistic ethics.
We follow a journalist in London as he chases down the survivors of the Melpomene to create his own account of the disaster, and, hopefully, his fortune. Spurred on by the execution of a Melpomene survivor for the murder of his family, Harry is eager to capitalize on the opportunity to answer questions about what truly happened out there in the great white north. From there, the tale splits off into competing accounts of the “truth”, and Harry’s struggle to make sense of a story that feels so impossible.
But there’s something else Harry is searching for in the histories of those aboard the Melpomene… something he doesn’t care what he has to do to get.
_________________________
Characters:
Harry Lambert — this little bastard. I hate him, and also love him for being so awful. It’s almost charming. Harry is the main character and one of three POVs through which you get to experience the fallout of Melpomene’s journey to the arctic. Harry is, above everything else, a coward. This is his defining characteristic, and the one through which this novel’s social commentary truly shines. Harry exhibits a lot of what is wrong with bystanders in today’s society—he’s a character study in the debate on “true crime”, and the ethics of sensationalizing and dramatizing tragedy. His cowardice is instrumental in this endeavor. He would never get into the thick of it himself to satisfy his curiosity, but sees others as a theatre for his own benefit.
Oh, and he’s classist as all hell. Though in fairness, this is Victorian England. I think that comes with the territory.
Sidney Blakely — charismatic, manipulative, shaped by a central theme of class resentment. As a lowly carpenter on the Melpomene before its demise, Sidney Blakely recalls with bitter frustration how the culture of the ship bent around the high points of the officers. Blakely is the novel’s main interrogation of class struggle. Though Harry offers a great counterpoint to Blakely’s experiences, this is where the theme is truly solidified, through Blakely’s memory of the expedition, and how the balance of power tilted as the circumstances grew dire. But something about Blakely’s recollection doesn’t entirely add up to Harry. He can spot Blakely’s manipulations and exaggerating miles away, and needs to get a perfect composite of all perspectives for his magnum opus piece. Which brings us to
Lieutenant Taylor — perhaps the most unsettling figure: vulnerable and magnetic, capable of tenderness and cruelty in equal measure. The novel’s treatment of mediumship through Taylor is especially effective, keeping the reader constantly uncertain whether what they are witnessing is fraud, delusion, or something genuinely supernatural. You’ll be switching back and forth between each of these perspectives time and time again until the narrative crystallizes towards the end. He’s the character who will make you question your own judgment, and then question the very act of questioning. He provides a differing interpretation of the events of the expedition from Blakely, painting the truth of the tragedy in a much more sinister light.
_________________________
Themes:
This book is a masterclass in unreliable narration and the ethics of storytelling. It’s about survival, yes, but also about the stories we tell to survive—and the ones we tell to justify what we’ve done. It’s about class, power, and the monstrous things people do when the world stops watching. The death of the Melpomene survivor, Harry’s insistence on digging into these peoples’ traumas, all of it paints a disturbing picture of those who might exploit crime and tragedy for profit, for social station. It asks the reader to think: is interpretation, recountal, an act of violence in and of itself, splitting open cauterized wounds to bleed out stories for bystanders again and again?
The White North Has Thy Bones is also a brutal, unflinching look at the cost of empire and the myth of heroic exploration. Bodies and souls are ground up endlessly in the machinery of ambition, and legacy is carved out from the bones of cruelty.
And yes, it’s also about cannibalism. Because SPOOOOOOKY!!
____________________
In short, I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s immersively written and at times darkly comedic, and truly rewards the attentive reader with a great bounty of payoff. It is a wild ride, and well worth it.
Thank you Dorian for letting me read way too early, and for tolerating my fangirling <3
This was a lovely experience, and an easy five ⭐️
Review of advance copy received from Author
An act done by me against my will is not my act.
My fellow horror fans - queer historical horror fans in particular - gather around! We’ve got a real treat waiting for us right here. I’ll be genuinely shocked if this book doesn’t end up among my top five reads of 2026 😳
And yet again, I can’t talk much about it because WOAH is everything a potential spoiler! This is a ride you want to take as blindly as possible, trust me.
(Now watch me proceed to talk about it lol)
The Melpomene tragedy began in 1852 when the ship embarked on the polar exploration of the Nunavut territory, in hopes of finding the lost Sir John Franklin expedition. Melpomene herself carried a crew of nearly fifty men. By the end, after a slew of events, only five survivors remained, rescued in 1854 and brought home to England.
Now, in 1860, a newsman Harry Lambert hungers for the real story of what happened to the men, after one of them was just hanged for a terrible crime. And where better to get the answers than Sidney Blakely, another survivor who now curiously holds seances, claiming he’s able to communicate with ghosts?
Harry Lambert wants nothing more than the truth he’s sure was hidden from the public.
He might just get exactly what he wished for.
What follows is a brutal tale of survival in ruthless conditions, ghosts and lost souls, and toxic codependence that will make your head spin and your heart pound. And let me tell you, this freaking book takes the concept of unreliable narrator to a new level!
The horror here lies mostly in the complete isolation of a lost ship trapped in the icy waters for months on end. Isolation not only from civilization, but warmth and light as well. Knowing the chances of survival are thinning with every creak of the ice hugging the ship. Watching the fellow crewmates either lose their minds one at a time, or accept there might just be something else prowling around, hungry yet unseen.
I have to say, I completely fell in love with this particular historical setting! Looking at Google maps, tracking their entire journey, scratched an itch I didn’t even know I had 👀
And I know some of you perked up like meerkats at the mention of “queer” but stand down for a bit - yes, it’s very queer. No, there isn’t romance. It’s tragic, shocking, devastating, utterly brilliant, but for the love of god don’t go in looking for a budding romantic relationship. You would end up either simply disappointed... or a bit traumatized.
Well, now I don’t know what to do with myself. I finished this book yesterday late at night, sacrificing sleep because there’s NO WAY I was gonna put it down for the last wild 20 percent, and I still feel shell-shocked and trapped inside the story.
I’m sat. Sat and ready for more by Dorian Ravenscroft, because they have my full trust with this masterpiece.
(To create an even more immersive reading experience - put on ”Trapped in Ice - Franklin’s Lost Expedition” ambiance on YT, the eerie music and creaking ship sounds are fabulous!)
BIG thank you to the lovely author for being so kind and sending me the e-arc! These are my honest thoughts (as always). The pub date of The White North Has Thy Bones is October 22, 2026.
My fellow horror fans - queer historical horror fans in particular - gather around! We’ve got a real treat waiting for us right here. I’ll be genuinely shocked if this book doesn’t end up among my top five reads of 2026 😳
And yet again, I can’t talk much about it because WOAH is everything a potential spoiler! This is a ride you want to take as blindly as possible, trust me.
(Now watch me proceed to talk about it lol)
The Melpomene tragedy began in 1852 when the ship embarked on the polar exploration of the Nunavut territory, in hopes of finding the lost Sir John Franklin expedition. Melpomene herself carried a crew of nearly fifty men. By the end, after a slew of events, only five survivors remained, rescued in 1854 and brought home to England.
Now, in 1860, a newsman Harry Lambert hungers for the real story of what happened to the men, after one of them was just hanged for a terrible crime. And where better to get the answers than Sidney Blakely, another survivor who now curiously holds seances, claiming he’s able to communicate with ghosts?
Harry Lambert wants nothing more than the truth he’s sure was hidden from the public.
He might just get exactly what he wished for.
What follows is a brutal tale of survival in ruthless conditions, ghosts and lost souls, and toxic codependence that will make your head spin and your heart pound. And let me tell you, this freaking book takes the concept of unreliable narrator to a new level!
The horror here lies mostly in the complete isolation of a lost ship trapped in the icy waters for months on end. Isolation not only from civilization, but warmth and light as well. Knowing the chances of survival are thinning with every creak of the ice hugging the ship. Watching the fellow crewmates either lose their minds one at a time, or accept there might just be something else prowling around, hungry yet unseen.
I have to say, I completely fell in love with this particular historical setting! Looking at Google maps, tracking their entire journey, scratched an itch I didn’t even know I had 👀
And I know some of you perked up like meerkats at the mention of “queer” but stand down for a bit - yes, it’s very queer. No, there isn’t romance. It’s tragic, shocking, devastating, utterly brilliant, but for the love of god don’t go in looking for a budding romantic relationship. You would end up either simply disappointed... or a bit traumatized.
Well, now I don’t know what to do with myself. I finished this book yesterday late at night, sacrificing sleep because there’s NO WAY I was gonna put it down for the last wild 20 percent, and I still feel shell-shocked and trapped inside the story.
I’m sat. Sat and ready for more by Dorian Ravenscroft, because they have my full trust with this masterpiece.
(To create an even more immersive reading experience - put on ”Trapped in Ice - Franklin’s Lost Expedition” ambiance on YT, the eerie music and creaking ship sounds are fabulous!)
BIG thank you to the lovely author for being so kind and sending me the e-arc! These are my honest thoughts (as always). The pub date of The White North Has Thy Bones is October 22, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
With thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing/Raven Books for the ARC in return for an honest review.
I am a huge fan of Dark Matter by Michelle Paver and I am obsessed with stories set in that ethereal part of the world – the Arctic. I knew this book would be right up my street as soon as I read the premise. This is a chilling (no pun intended) and masterfully constructed debut by Dorian Ravenscroft.
The novel begins in a grim, atmospheric 1860 London. A crowd has gathered to witness the hanging of one of the five survivors from the HMS Melpomene, an Arctic exploration ship which surrendered to the pack ice of the Arctic while searching for the lost Franklin expedition. We very quickly learn that this man has brutally murdered his family, claiming that the act was done against his will.
Enter Harry Lambert, a deeply sceptical journalist obsessed with the Melpomene disaster. Harry is determined to find out what truly happened in the frozen wastes at the end of the Earth, and what drove one of the men to brutally murder his family once he had returned to England. This leads him to discover Sidney Blakely, another survivor and self-made leader of the expedition who has reinvented himself as a psychic medium – powers he claims were granted to him by the thin veil of the Arctic. Beside him is Lieutenant Taylor, another of the survivors and a conduit for the spirits brought forth by Blakely. As Harry finds himself dragged further and further into the mystery it becomes unclear which story is the reality – is it the supernatural tale or is it the tale of human monstrosity? Blakely’s tale is the standard heroic navy men enduring in a desolate place doing what they need to do to survive whereas Taylor’s tale tells of the ghosts of sailors lost to the frost, unspoken horrors of their encounters with the ghosts, meat obtained from mystery sources and huge beasts stalking the men across the ice.
The book switches between the Gothic atmosphere of Victorian London and the frozen isolation of the Arctic. I found myself glued to every page, getting further and further drawn in to Blakely’s and Taylor’s vastly different accounts of what happened once the Melpomene was lost to the ice.
The author’s prose oozes atmospheric tension – I found myself second guessing right up until the closing chapters of the book.
The book also does not pack its punches when it comes to the damage caused to the survivors – the men are utterly broken by the horrors they had to go through to survive the journey to safety. The men are bonded in ways no one could understand – the queer undertone is a breathtakingly different take on the romance of gothic horrors. Don’t expect to be championing any budding romances though – the relationships seem as damaged by the Arctic as everything else has been.
Overall, it is a haunting, original ghost story about complicated men who are ruined by the ice and by each other. Quite possibly one of my favourite books of the year and I can’t wait to read more by this author.
I am a huge fan of Dark Matter by Michelle Paver and I am obsessed with stories set in that ethereal part of the world – the Arctic. I knew this book would be right up my street as soon as I read the premise. This is a chilling (no pun intended) and masterfully constructed debut by Dorian Ravenscroft.
The novel begins in a grim, atmospheric 1860 London. A crowd has gathered to witness the hanging of one of the five survivors from the HMS Melpomene, an Arctic exploration ship which surrendered to the pack ice of the Arctic while searching for the lost Franklin expedition. We very quickly learn that this man has brutally murdered his family, claiming that the act was done against his will.
Enter Harry Lambert, a deeply sceptical journalist obsessed with the Melpomene disaster. Harry is determined to find out what truly happened in the frozen wastes at the end of the Earth, and what drove one of the men to brutally murder his family once he had returned to England. This leads him to discover Sidney Blakely, another survivor and self-made leader of the expedition who has reinvented himself as a psychic medium – powers he claims were granted to him by the thin veil of the Arctic. Beside him is Lieutenant Taylor, another of the survivors and a conduit for the spirits brought forth by Blakely. As Harry finds himself dragged further and further into the mystery it becomes unclear which story is the reality – is it the supernatural tale or is it the tale of human monstrosity? Blakely’s tale is the standard heroic navy men enduring in a desolate place doing what they need to do to survive whereas Taylor’s tale tells of the ghosts of sailors lost to the frost, unspoken horrors of their encounters with the ghosts, meat obtained from mystery sources and huge beasts stalking the men across the ice.
The book switches between the Gothic atmosphere of Victorian London and the frozen isolation of the Arctic. I found myself glued to every page, getting further and further drawn in to Blakely’s and Taylor’s vastly different accounts of what happened once the Melpomene was lost to the ice.
The author’s prose oozes atmospheric tension – I found myself second guessing right up until the closing chapters of the book.
The book also does not pack its punches when it comes to the damage caused to the survivors – the men are utterly broken by the horrors they had to go through to survive the journey to safety. The men are bonded in ways no one could understand – the queer undertone is a breathtakingly different take on the romance of gothic horrors. Don’t expect to be championing any budding romances though – the relationships seem as damaged by the Arctic as everything else has been.
Overall, it is a haunting, original ghost story about complicated men who are ruined by the ice and by each other. Quite possibly one of my favourite books of the year and I can’t wait to read more by this author.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC!
This is SUCH an astonishing debut novel from Dorian Ravenscroft. I was utterly hooked from start to finish. Set both amidst the Arctic and society London in the 19th century, it is chilling and atmospheric and so thrilling. We follow three parallel threads as Harry Lambert, a newspaper man, searches for what seems a grisly and compelling tale: murder, mutiny, potential cannibalism, and survival on a doomed expedition like Franklin's failed venture. Lieutenant Taylor and carpenter-turned-medium Blakely tell two stories that intersect and flow and make both the reader, and Harry, wonder what is true and what is not.
The historical detail was fabulous, both in London and on HMS Melpomene. The settings are used to their absolutely full potential and oh, my nerdy naval polar heart was so pleased by all the Arctic research. Told with such strong and intimate voices (I'm usually not a fan of first person but WOW! Fantastic narrative choice), you are really dragged on this complex and incredible journey of three very troubled and compelling men. I went back and forth and back and forth and back and forth with my feelings for these characters (in the best of ways). As much as Blakely and Taylor weave the tale, the reader is drawn along with it too. THE TWISTS. Oh man, I won't spoil anything but SO GOOD, especially the feverish last quarter or so.
I also loved the underlying themes of sensationalist narrative and class that threaded throughout the story. That is such an interesting way to approach a tale like this and one I haven't really seen explored before, so that was SO refreshing.
AND IT HAS QUEER REPRESENTATION. All of this AND there are multiple queer relationships? No notes, perfect.
Thank you again, Dorian. Even if I didn't know you, I would be lapping this up and loving it just as much! Can't wait to see this properly out in the world with its gorgeous cover and its gorgeous writing.
This is SUCH an astonishing debut novel from Dorian Ravenscroft. I was utterly hooked from start to finish. Set both amidst the Arctic and society London in the 19th century, it is chilling and atmospheric and so thrilling. We follow three parallel threads as Harry Lambert, a newspaper man, searches for what seems a grisly and compelling tale: murder, mutiny, potential cannibalism, and survival on a doomed expedition like Franklin's failed venture. Lieutenant Taylor and carpenter-turned-medium Blakely tell two stories that intersect and flow and make both the reader, and Harry, wonder what is true and what is not.
The historical detail was fabulous, both in London and on HMS Melpomene. The settings are used to their absolutely full potential and oh, my nerdy naval polar heart was so pleased by all the Arctic research. Told with such strong and intimate voices (I'm usually not a fan of first person but WOW! Fantastic narrative choice), you are really dragged on this complex and incredible journey of three very troubled and compelling men. I went back and forth and back and forth and back and forth with my feelings for these characters (in the best of ways). As much as Blakely and Taylor weave the tale, the reader is drawn along with it too. THE TWISTS. Oh man, I won't spoil anything but SO GOOD, especially the feverish last quarter or so.
I also loved the underlying themes of sensationalist narrative and class that threaded throughout the story. That is such an interesting way to approach a tale like this and one I haven't really seen explored before, so that was SO refreshing.
AND IT HAS QUEER REPRESENTATION. All of this AND there are multiple queer relationships? No notes, perfect.
Thank you again, Dorian. Even if I didn't know you, I would be lapping this up and loving it just as much! Can't wait to see this properly out in the world with its gorgeous cover and its gorgeous writing.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was INCREDIBLE. The doomed gay polar expedition novel you didn't know was missing from your life. Full of haunting descriptions, unreliable narrators, horrible characters, and meat. Incredible. 10/10. New favourite. I need to go back and reread it. Immediately pre-ordered a copy. Might go and buy some pear drops, too.
The plot itself is gripping and tense in a way that made it impossible to put the book down. I could imagine the scenes so vividly. But what elevates it is the characters. Characters you love to hate, balanced with characters you are rooting for. Characters who are the worst but feel so, so, so human (but, like, are really the worst). Characters you are hoping will persevere even when you know their fates from the beginning of the novel.
The story is told through Harry Lambert, a newsman who is obsessed with the doomed Arctic voyage of the Melpomene. Harry has a Richard Papen quality to him, that gives the novel almost a Secret History-esque feel (...if The Secret History took place in 1850s/1860s London and involved survivors of an Arctic expedition instead of a Classical society at a New England arts university). Harry's desperation to insert himself in the narrative felt organic and compelling in its own right. And Harry's interviews with multiple surviving members of the expedition comprise the bulk of the story. It's in those accounts that we follow the two other POVs as the true events of the Melpomene disaster unfolds.
Oh and it's super gay. Capital 'Q' Queer. Messy gays. It's toxic yaoi at its finest. The 'oh-wow-I-hope-this-type-of-love-never-finds-me' kinda dynamics. Beautiful. Flawless. I ate it up.
I do not want to say anything that gives this story away, but if it wasn't obvious: 5 stars, thank you SO much to NetGalley and Raven Books for the ARC! I cannot wait to see what else Ravenscroft writes.
The plot itself is gripping and tense in a way that made it impossible to put the book down. I could imagine the scenes so vividly. But what elevates it is the characters. Characters you love to hate, balanced with characters you are rooting for. Characters who are the worst but feel so, so, so human (but, like, are really the worst). Characters you are hoping will persevere even when you know their fates from the beginning of the novel.
The story is told through Harry Lambert, a newsman who is obsessed with the doomed Arctic voyage of the Melpomene. Harry has a Richard Papen quality to him, that gives the novel almost a Secret History-esque feel (...if The Secret History took place in 1850s/1860s London and involved survivors of an Arctic expedition instead of a Classical society at a New England arts university). Harry's desperation to insert himself in the narrative felt organic and compelling in its own right. And Harry's interviews with multiple surviving members of the expedition comprise the bulk of the story. It's in those accounts that we follow the two other POVs as the true events of the Melpomene disaster unfolds.
Oh and it's super gay. Capital 'Q' Queer. Messy gays. It's toxic yaoi at its finest. The 'oh-wow-I-hope-this-type-of-love-never-finds-me' kinda dynamics. Beautiful. Flawless. I ate it up.
I do not want to say anything that gives this story away, but if it wasn't obvious: 5 stars, thank you SO much to NetGalley and Raven Books for the ARC! I cannot wait to see what else Ravenscroft writes.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I am sitting here, a shattered and empty shell at the end of this wild, incredible and gory journey and find that I am at a bit of a loss what to do with myself.
It is 1860, and Harry Lambert, a reporter for the Chelsea Herald, is assigned to cover the execution of William Moore; a man who murdered his wife and brother in a crime as sudden as it was sensational. Adding to the sensation is the fact that Moore was also one of the few survivors of the Melpomene, an ill-fated Arctic expedition.
As Lambert digs deeper in his efforts to understand Moore’s motivations, his investigation leads him to Sidney Blakely, a former crew member of the Melpomene who has since reinvented himself as a spiritualist. Blakely agrees to tell his story for the first time, but, as with all things, his truth comes at a cost.
I have mentioned this before but stories featuring complete and inescapable isolation crawl under my skin in a way that nothing else can manage to do. However this book took that to the next level and had me feeling like I was holding my breath for hours. I think I could feel my pulse in my neck for most of the final 20% of this story as it came to such a dramatic conclusion.
This is an exceptional effort for a debut, I am kind of blown away if I am being honest. The tension is masterfully ratcheted up as the reader learns of the increasingly horrific tale of the Melpomene. The amount of knowledge and research that Ravenscroft has clearly put into the little details of this story is shockingly impressive.
If you are someone without much in the way of triggers or need for content warnings I would encourage you to go in to this as blind as possible for maximum impact.
I am so serious when I tell you that you need to understand that this is a historical horror that happens to have queer characters in it. It is NOT a traditional romance… If you are looking for something that is romance forward I would suggest this may not be the right book for that mood.
If there is any higher word of praise to give, please know I will 1000% be getting my grubby little hands on a physical copy as soon as humanly possible to display it like a little trophy of madness on my bookcase. This book was gory, bleak and tension filled and will easily land in my top reads of the year. This book has instantly made Ravenscroft an autobuy author for me, I am so excited to see what else they are capable of producing.
If you are after a tense historical horror told cinematically through dual time lines and unreliable narrators, this could be a big win!
I was generously provided an ARC of this book by the author and these are my honest thoughts ❤️
Planned release 22nd October
For a second I contemplate if I really want this. Revealing the truth about Melpomene–whatever that truth may be–will upset many in good society, those in the Admiralty most of all. But surely, for the good of the Empire, the rot must be cut out? The removal of a decayed tooth is never a pleasant experience; it is a mess of blood and pain, yet no sane man would welcome a mouthful of rotten teeth over a few moments of discomfort. I’ve read that a bad tooth can even poison the blood and kill. That’s what Blakely is, with his lies about William Moore and his sham seances. England will simply have to wince and clench its fists as I uproot him for its benefit. That it will benefit me too is merely a welcome accident.
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It is 1860, and Harry Lambert, a reporter for the Chelsea Herald, is assigned to cover the execution of William Moore; a man who murdered his wife and brother in a crime as sudden as it was sensational. Adding to the sensation is the fact that Moore was also one of the few survivors of the Melpomene, an ill-fated Arctic expedition.
As Lambert digs deeper in his efforts to understand Moore’s motivations, his investigation leads him to Sidney Blakely, a former crew member of the Melpomene who has since reinvented himself as a spiritualist. Blakely agrees to tell his story for the first time, but, as with all things, his truth comes at a cost.
I have mentioned this before but stories featuring complete and inescapable isolation crawl under my skin in a way that nothing else can manage to do. However this book took that to the next level and had me feeling like I was holding my breath for hours. I think I could feel my pulse in my neck for most of the final 20% of this story as it came to such a dramatic conclusion.
This is an exceptional effort for a debut, I am kind of blown away if I am being honest. The tension is masterfully ratcheted up as the reader learns of the increasingly horrific tale of the Melpomene. The amount of knowledge and research that Ravenscroft has clearly put into the little details of this story is shockingly impressive.
If you are someone without much in the way of triggers or need for content warnings I would encourage you to go in to this as blind as possible for maximum impact.
I am so serious when I tell you that you need to understand that this is a historical horror that happens to have queer characters in it. It is NOT a traditional romance… If you are looking for something that is romance forward I would suggest this may not be the right book for that mood.
If there is any higher word of praise to give, please know I will 1000% be getting my grubby little hands on a physical copy as soon as humanly possible to display it like a little trophy of madness on my bookcase. This book was gory, bleak and tension filled and will easily land in my top reads of the year. This book has instantly made Ravenscroft an autobuy author for me, I am so excited to see what else they are capable of producing.
If you are after a tense historical horror told cinematically through dual time lines and unreliable narrators, this could be a big win!
I was generously provided an ARC of this book by the author and these are my honest thoughts ❤️
Planned release 22nd October
For a second I contemplate if I really want this. Revealing the truth about Melpomene–whatever that truth may be–will upset many in good society, those in the Admiralty most of all. But surely, for the good of the Empire, the rot must be cut out? The removal of a decayed tooth is never a pleasant experience; it is a mess of blood and pain, yet no sane man would welcome a mouthful of rotten teeth over a few moments of discomfort. I’ve read that a bad tooth can even poison the blood and kill. That’s what Blakely is, with his lies about William Moore and his sham seances. England will simply have to wince and clench its fists as I uproot him for its benefit. That it will benefit me too is merely a welcome accident.
Consider following my instagram
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this arc.
“Actus me invito factus non est meus actus”
An incredibly stunning debut that transports you to the Arctic, The White North Has Thy Bones is an exquisitely written queer historical horror that you will devour! So much love and care has gone into the crafting of this story to fully immerse the reader in the isolation, the chill, the survival and the horror of a polar expedition in 1852.
London 1860, with a fascination with the survivors and the disaster of the HMS Melpomene - newspaper reporter Harry Lambert sets out to interview the remaining living crew of Melpomene after one of the few survivors is hanged for a horrendous crime.
Harry desires to know the full story, whatever that might take. Even toying with the idea that perhaps more came back from the arctic than just the surviving crew.
I fully encourage you to chuck on some ambience and immerse yourself in the beautifully crafted story that will chill you in more ways than one.
Absolutely blown away and prepare to never hear me shut up about this one! I will be recommending this to ANYONE and EVERYONE who will listen!
“Actus me invito factus non est meus actus”
An incredibly stunning debut that transports you to the Arctic, The White North Has Thy Bones is an exquisitely written queer historical horror that you will devour! So much love and care has gone into the crafting of this story to fully immerse the reader in the isolation, the chill, the survival and the horror of a polar expedition in 1852.
London 1860, with a fascination with the survivors and the disaster of the HMS Melpomene - newspaper reporter Harry Lambert sets out to interview the remaining living crew of Melpomene after one of the few survivors is hanged for a horrendous crime.
Harry desires to know the full story, whatever that might take. Even toying with the idea that perhaps more came back from the arctic than just the surviving crew.
I fully encourage you to chuck on some ambience and immerse yourself in the beautifully crafted story that will chill you in more ways than one.
Absolutely blown away and prepare to never hear me shut up about this one! I will be recommending this to ANYONE and EVERYONE who will listen!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book is genuinely one of the best books I’ve ever read in my life, like, if I could give it 10 stars, I would. It’s on the same level for me as The Dragon Republic or Crooked Kingdom. The sheer scale and genius of Dorian’s mind is unfathomable. Like, I genuinely don’t understand how a plot this complex, twisty, brilliant, and engaging can just come out of someone’s mind, especially someone I know so well and whom I have endless respect for. 2 years later, and TWNHTB still haunts me. A masterpiece of an Arctic historical horror. Absolutely blood-curdling and bone-chilling. It will never leave your mind. It hasn’t left mine.
Read 5/11/24: I might've just finished reading one of the best books ever in my entire life and I mean it historical fiction is my new favourite genre. Dorian Ravenscroft, your book has turned my brain into mashed potatoes.
Read 5/11/24: I might've just finished reading one of the best books ever in my entire life and I mean it historical fiction is my new favourite genre. Dorian Ravenscroft, your book has turned my brain into mashed potatoes.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Absolutely INCREDIBLE book! I absolutely tore through it in a matter of days, and would have gone faster, if I hadn't gotten spooked at one point and closed it for the night (I was camping in the Wyoming winter at the time, and after dark the arctic horror started feeling a little too close to home!). This is a book that gets its teeth into you and drags you through the whole story, leaving you thinking about it for a long time after. I can't wait for it to come out so I can recommend it to everyone I know!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I had the honor of reading an early draft of this book and it is a STUNNING debut! Filled to the brim with bloody and toxic yaoi, polar explorations, Spiritualism, smart commentary on class and morality and survival in the Victorian Era, and survival horror, I cannot recommend this book enough - and I cannot wait to get my greedy little hands on this!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Wow. Just wow. I had to just sit and let this book absorb after finishing it. The story (stories) is (are) absolutely gripping. As soon as you think you have a handle on what is happening, there is a switchback that erases all of that! This book was an intense and chilling ride that will leaving you thinking.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
So this was a re-read for me, and somehow The White North Has Thy Bones hit even harder the second time around. I was lucky enough to read it early, but revisiting it reminded me just how special it is. I genuinely didn’t think I could love this novel more than I already did.
On re-read, I became even more obsessed with Harry as a character, particularly his deeply questionable moral compass and the way the novel refuses to make him easy to forgive or fully understand. The Arctic setting is also rendered so vividly that the cold feels alive on the page: isolating, haunting, and almost seductive in its brutality. This is exactly why queer polar horror has become one of my favourite niche genres. There’s something about men trapped together in impossible frozen landscapes that completely fascinates me.
The atmosphere here is immaculate: claustrophobic, eerie, and quietly devastating in all the best ways. It’s the perfect book for a dark, rainy day when you want to disappear into snow, ice, obsession, and dread.
Overall, I adored this re-read and honestly loved the novel even more the second time around. I can’t wait to see what Dorian Ravenscroft writes next.
On re-read, I became even more obsessed with Harry as a character, particularly his deeply questionable moral compass and the way the novel refuses to make him easy to forgive or fully understand. The Arctic setting is also rendered so vividly that the cold feels alive on the page: isolating, haunting, and almost seductive in its brutality. This is exactly why queer polar horror has become one of my favourite niche genres. There’s something about men trapped together in impossible frozen landscapes that completely fascinates me.
The atmosphere here is immaculate: claustrophobic, eerie, and quietly devastating in all the best ways. It’s the perfect book for a dark, rainy day when you want to disappear into snow, ice, obsession, and dread.
Overall, I adored this re-read and honestly loved the novel even more the second time around. I can’t wait to see what Dorian Ravenscroft writes next.
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