Name: erin s's review of All the White Spaces by Ally Wilkes
Item: All the White Spaces
Rating: 4
Author: erin s

Ally Wilkes

Something deadly and mysterious stalks the members of an isolated polar expedition in this haunting and spellbinding historical horror novel, perfect for fans of Dan Simmons’ The Terror and Alma Katsu’s The Hunger. In the wake of the First World War, Jonathan Morgan stows away on an Antarctic expedition, determined to find his rightful place in the world of men. Aboard the expeditionary ship of his hero, the world-famous explorer James “Australis” Randall, Jonathan may live as his true self—and true gender—and have the adventures he has always been denied. But not all is smooth sailing: the war casts its long shadow over them all, and grief, guilt, and mistrust skulk among the explorers. When disaster strikes in Antarctica’s frozen Weddell Sea, the men must take to the land and overwinter somewhere which immediately seems both eerie and wrong; a place not marked on any of their part-drawn maps of the vast white continent. Now completely isolated, Randall’s expedition has no ability to contact the outside world. And no one is coming to rescue them. In the freezing darkness of the Polar night, where the aurora creeps across the sky, something terrible has been waiting to lure them out into its deadly landscape… As the harsh Antarctic winter descends, this supernatural force will prey on their deepest desires and deepest fears to pick them off one by one. It is up to Jonathan to overcome his own ghosts before he and the expedition are utterly destroyed.

A Novel

All the White Spaces

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

erin s

Ally Wilkes has created a great new polar horror novel! All the White Spaces chronicles the fictional Antarctic expedition of the Fortitude, led by the famous polar explorer James "Australis" Randall (a sort-of Shackleton stand-in). Reeling from the loss of both his older brothers in WWI, our main character Jonathan Morgan stows away in the ship's belly, eager to visit the continent that his brothers once dreamed of exploring. As the Fortitude plunges deeper south, the crew begins to unravel. Plagued by trauma, tragedy, and suspicion, the expedition finds itself crumbling under the stress of the desolate Antarctic landscape and the malevolent presence of an untold horror. 

All the White Spaces is more than a novel of the Antarctic - it is a meditation on the profound individual and collective loss felt in the wake of the Great War. The barren ice-covered terrain reflects the anxiety and isolation of the shell-shocked veterans and the loved ones left behind in the aftermath of massive warfare. As Jonathan struggles to resist the call of the ominous presence he senses under the frenetic pulsing of the aurora australis, he also attempts to assert his identity among an expedition of more experienced men. 

4/5: Anyone who (like me) loves polar exploration in both history and fiction should definitely check this one out. The added layers of identity and personal loss supplement this mysterious, chilly story of Antarctic revenge. I found certain passages more compelling than others; maybe the pacing didn't fully click with me. However, I really enjoyed this and can see fans of Michelle Paver's Dark Matter, Dan Simmons' The Terror, and anything about Shackleton finding this novel a worthwhile read. 

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
All the White Spaces by Ally Wilkes

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Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &All the White Spaces by Ally Wilkes

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Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
All the White Spaces by Ally Wilkes