#BookReview: Wild Horizon by Robert Appleton @bookroar_tweets

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#BookReview: Wild Horizon by Robert Appleton @bookroar_tweets

Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for a book by an author new to me, Robert Appleton >>>

About the Book:

When a series of late-winter storms hits the annual Iditarod sled dog race in Alaska, bush pilot Ben Helm gambles on a break in the weather to fly two dropped dogs and two race personnel to the checkpoint at Unalakleet. But the conditions worsen, and a catastrophic mid-flight accident forces Ben to ditch on the landfast ice somewhere in the Bering Sea.

Stranded, with no communications and only limited supplies, the three survivors, with their two canine companions, must try to ride out the storms and stay alive long enough for a rescue party to find them. Katja, a young, sick trainee vet from Norway, and Obie, an optimistic race judge, come to rely on Ben’s survival grit and knowhow. Despite a personal childhood tragedy, he’s never forgotten the vital lessons his mother taught him.

But the frozen wild is an unforgiving place. A series of fateful events, encounters and opportunities forces the survivors to repeatedly take all-or-nothing risks to reach civilization. A lost musher and her team provide much-needed dog power, but no bearings. Meanwhile, a lone hunter who comes to their aid might not be who he says he is. And with seemingly no end to the tundra, the wild horizon dares man and dog alike to dig deep in order to survive the trek of their lives.

My Review:

An entertaining read.

I haven’t read this author before, and I’m glad I gave this book a chance. It feels true to life and well researched, and I would say the writer knows his stuff. The story starts with bush pilot, Ben Helm, as he struggles to land in inclement weather. The Iditarod sledding race sets a great backdrop and parallel narrative to the adventures that unfold.

“An old Cessna 180 Skywagon tottered into its descent toward Takotna’s frozen landing strip.” … from this opening line, the reader is taken on a few wild rides throughout the Alaskan landscape and the brutalities that both nature and man can throw at you.

Apart from numerous typos that detract from the read somewhat, I enjoyed this book a lot. I bonded with the characters and the world building and even fell in love with the dogs. Some areas could do with a stripping down of too much information, such as “He took a swig of his 7UP then fired up his refitted six-cylinder 230 hp, Continental 0-470 engine.” … This level of detail takes away the otherwise well-drawn tension.

Some wonderful humour threads throughout the tension and suspense and adds greatly to the rapport between the characters. I’ll definitely be checking out other novellas by this writer, and Wild Horizon gets a solid 3.5 stars from me, rounded up to four for rating purposes. If you enjoy action/adventure, then you want to take a look at Robert Appleton books.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.

4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.

3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.

2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.

1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

I’d love to hear what you think of this review. Thanks for stopping by