Road of Bones by Christopher Golden

One-sentence summary:
A documentary producer hoping to finally make a hit show after a series of flops takes a small crew to the Siberian tundra, known as the coldest place on earth, to drive across a dangerous highway called the Road of Bones, but when they encounter other-worldly beasts, all he can hope for is to make it out alive.

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This book is incredibly atmospheric, intense and - at times - very gory. It’s heavier on the supernatural and horror than I was expecting, so I wouldn’t say this is exactly in my typical wheelhouse. But due to strong writing and some solid characterizations, I found myself engrossed. 

The personalities of Teig (the producer) and Prentiss (his cameraman) were specific and believable, as was their relationship. The setting is stark, and the descriptions of the coldest place on earth are so well done that I could almost feel myself inside this desolate, snow-covered nightmare. 

The action was written very well, and the choices the author made were incredibly bold. Do not go into this expecting a slow burn. This is a book that is gutsy, filled with pulse-pounding action and shock and awe moments that only intensify as the story progresses. I did find myself wanting more of an explanation for all of the supernatural things that were happening, but that’s a common complaint I have with the horror genre – and often not too big of a concern of many horror and supernatural fans.

Anyway, the big takeaway here is that this book is lighter on background and subtlety and heavier on shock, awe and action. If that’s your thing, you will LOVE this.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!