Verglas: a supernatural adventure in the mountains

by Mark Jenkins

In 1969, geology student René Thompson yearns to climb the world’s highest peaks. Having lost his father to the war in Vietnam, and estranged from his religious mother, René borrows the money needed to join a British expedition to summit Mount McKinley in Alaska (North America’s highest peak).
Before his journey, his grandfather gives him an heirloom that has been in the family for generations: an amulet that provides glimpses of future events from the bearer’s perspective. René uses its prescience to avoid several otherwise fatal mishaps, but the disturbing visions of the upcoming climb on Mount McKinley (Denali) are too fuzzy to reconcile.
At the start of the multi-week expedition, René meets Rhiannon Bannerman — a devout Catholic, skilled climber and ICU nurse — and their relationship challenges his assumptions of fate, faith, and free will.
The higher the climbers ascend, the greater the threats from crevasses, storms, avalanches, and team conflict. If René is to survive, he must make sense of the amulet’s visions — as well as look within — because what he discovers on the mountain is beyond anything he ever imagined.

Genres: Fiction

321 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 23, 2023

About the author

Mark Jenkins is a British-American author of speculative fiction. He is an outdoor enthusiast, swimmer, bass player, and philomath. His love of nature and adventure is woven into his sci-fi and fantasy tales.
He and his wife chase their dreams together in the Pacific Northwest.

Reviews

[Susan Eicher · Rating 5 out of 5]

verglas

Mark Jenkins truly has bloomed as an author. Fantastic book! I read it in one sitting and stayed up all night.

[Lindsey Loraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the mountaineering and spiritual aspects of this book (even if I was having to look up quite a few words I had never heard lol). What got it a 3 star rating was the forced love story. I felt no chemistry between Rene and Rhi. I didn’t think it needed to be there. The ending was nice but again didn’t need to be there. I didn’t believe in their relationship so I wasn’t invested in their future together.

Loved the survival of the horrific storm. Loved the story of the twins. I even teared up when I read the phone call with his mom.

Overall an enjoyable book!

[Lee Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the spirit connections and the main characters. The mountain-climbing part was a little too much for me. It was definitely suspenseful.

[Hailey Schabo · Rating 3 out of 5]

verglas

It was slow to progress. There were good and interesting parts of the book but could be hard to follow.