Inspired by the author's visit to the Titanic Museum in Belfast, A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice is the story of the rescue of 705 survivors from sinking of the Titanic, by the passenger steamship Carpathia, under Captain Arthur Rostron, in April 1912.

One of the Titanic survivors was Kate Connolly, a passenger in steerage class, on her way from Ireland to a new life in America. The author, Rebeccca Connolly, was attracted to Kate's life-story because of their same surnames, so uses Kate as one of the two narrators of this novel, in alternating chapters, the other being Capt Rostron.

It's a really gripping read, particularly when one considers that the sinking of the Titanic is so well known that one would consider it difficult for the author to inject any sense of jeopardy into the narrative - but she does ... the reader is willing the Carpathia to get to the Titanic before she sinks. Also, the rescue of the survivors occurs roughly halfway through the book, so the rest of the narrative could have been a bit of an anticlimax - but it isn't ... we the reader have time to learn more about the central characters, and the post-rescue story.

Captain Arthur Rostron is driven by duty and humanity to do his very best during this unimaginable maritime tragedy. He says, "We were prompted by our humanity. We risked our ship, our passengers and ourselves to save the lives of others ... We will know that we did everything we could to help and save as many as possible. The comfort such a thought will bring cannot compare with any of the fame and glory that the world might think to bestow on us. We have not done anything heroic. We have done only what was right."

It is thanks to this excellent novel that Arthur Rostron's story, and that of his crew, will deservedly become better known, so that "These memories will never be faint, and they will never be forgotten".

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book.

It was a brilliant night of stars and ice, it was a night of death.

Almost 110 years ago, a catastrophe occurred, the greatest unsinkable ship Titanic sank.
I enjoyed reading this book, especially the part of Captain Arthur Rostron's story, his actions to rescue passengers of Titanic, his work with the crew of Carpathia.
Another great thing of this book is the excerpts from the memories of passengers, giving between the chapters.
But Kate's story did not work for me, I couldn't say that I like that part. Many characters with the same names were not good for my understanding.
A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice would be attractive to read by people who love historical fiction and also who are fans of Titanic.
Thanks to Rebecca Connolly, Shadow Mountain and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

We have heard stories of the Titanic disaster many times. But this story tells of the honorable Captain, crew and passengers of the Carpathia. The insightful, composed and humble Captain Arthur Rostron, deserves praise for his stalwart command while under unthinkable circumstances. The story alternates between Captain Rostron on the Carpathia and Katie Connelly a survivor of the Titanic, although some of the story is fabricated, it is mixed with facts of the true events. The research and care the author put into the story is remarkable. The raw emotion, the compassion, the faith, are felt throughout the story. The events of that fateful night will never be forgotten, neither will the hero’s and angel’s that served with the almighty. May we all treat those around us each day with love, compassion and respect.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

We all know the what happened to the Titanic, but who knows the story of the ship that rescued the survivors.
A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice is the story of Captain Rostron and the crew of the Carpathia as well as Kate Connelly who was on the ill-fated ship.
Dual povs shed light on the harrowing journeys that they all went through.
This is a story that will stick with you. Days later and I am still thinking about Kate.
Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

A gripping story of the events surrounding the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912, but told from a perspective you may never have read before--that of the <i>Carpathia</i>, the ship that strained every limit to reach the sinking ship but simply could not make it in time. The <i>Carpathia</i> did, however, rescue all of the survivors in the lifeboats.
I had not been terribly interested in reading a Titanic book at this point in my life; after all, when one has read Walter Lord's 1955 novel, and seen the occasional movie or documentary, one's threshold for Titanic mania may seem to have been reached. It's an emotionally exhausting event to contemplate.
But this book, involving a much lesser known perspective, and following a Titanic survivor who has no lost loved ones to lament, struck a balance of being sobering but still bearable to read.

The characters in this novel are all based on their real-life counterparts. The characterizations aren't particularly memorable, but I can see how difficult it would be to make this story character-driven, when in reality it is 100% event-driven.

It held my interest the entire way through.

I was drawn in to the story of the Titanic on that fateful voyage from the very first page. I enjoyed having chapters from the alternating perspectives of a rescuer and a passenger in need of rescue. Rebecca Connolly made the events come alive in poigniant ways as people wrestled with a tragedy that had no good solutions for everyone.
The book was well researched, but I felt it was very well done as a story, not dry at all. I felt like I was there, struggling through the decisions and fear and heartbreaks with the characters.

I'm kind of embarrassed to admit I have never thought about the ship or people who rescued the survivors of the Titanic. I really enjoyed that this book focused on that. Captain Rostron and his crew should be acknowledged as heros. Their work and care for the survivors is admirable. You hope the rest of us would have responded the same way, but you just never know. I enjoyed that we had the POV of the captain and a Titanic survivor. I felt like it gave a well rounded view for the story, seeing things from both sides. I'm now interested in learning more about these people and the events surrounding the Titanic.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley and this is my honest review.

#BookReview: A BRILLIANT NIGHT OF STARS AND ICE by Rebecca Connolly

“How could it be so clear and the stars so bright when they were fleeing for their lives?”

As this is my first book by the author, I didn’t expect much. I thought it’s another Titanic story. This historical fiction is so much more. It tries to keep the facts as true as possible but what I like about it is that it focused more on the efforts of RMS Carpathia in rescuing the survivors of the Titanic, on what it meant to the passengers as well as all the crew and captain.

This tale of the grandeur and then later on the sinking of the Titanic felt realistic. It was a horrific event and took the lives of many. The survivors were not only physically exhausted but also emotionally spent. Survivors' guilt was common. They saw things that would haunt them forever. Their faith kept them hopeful. They prayed a lot and helped each other while trying to stay alive in freezing temperatures.

The call of distress was responded right away by RMS Carpathia despite the risk of ice. Their determination was applaudable. I liked how the story captured the emotions of both survivors and rescuers. It wasn’t easy for all of them. There were so many quotable lines and events but one thing that stood out to me was the singing of Amazing Grace once all 705 survivors were on board. It was very emotional. Social class and religious differences didn’t matter at that time. Sadness and grief were there but the need to move forward was present as well.

I didn’t think I would love this book, but I did. I couldn't put it down. The flow of the story was good and based on specific dates. I did research as usual after reading this story. The story of the Titanic and the survivors are known today. But now, I know more about the people who braved the seas and uncertainties to help others. I appreciate the documented true accounts by survivors after every chapter. Such brave men and women. A story full of hope, faith and compassion. It was inspirational! I highly recommend it!


Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pub date: 05 Apr 2022

Thank you Shadow Mountain Publishing and netgalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Rating: 4.5/5⭐️
Pub day: 4-5-2022

This was intricate look at the days surrounding the sinking of the Titanic, told from the perspectives of a woman aboard the Titanic and the captain of the Carpathia, the ship that came to the rescue.

Wow, I literally couldn’t stop reading this until I was 70% in, and that was only because I had to sleep! I saw @books rave about this and requested it immediately. I’m so glad I did!

I know I’m not alone in being fascinated by the Titanic, but this was more exceptional than I expected because it showed multiple points of view as the events unfolded.

The characters in this novel are based on real people and follow as much of a real timeline as was possible. This is broken up into specific moments, making it fast paced and hard to put down. Thanks to the intricate details, I felt like I was truly in those moments experiencing the fear and trepidation of the people we were following.

Highly recommend for anyone wanting to know more about the Carpathia and the Titanic!

Thank you Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for this digital arc in exchange for an honest review!

A fictional sister tale to the Titanic, A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice is an intriguing story. I could picture the story's beginning as it started off very similarly to the Titanic - a journey of those privileged and less-so all aboard a ship headed for new beginnings. Well done.

Wow. I truly don’t even know where to begin with describing my feelings on this book.
I’m not sure what defines a good historical novel to you, but for me it is one that humanizes an event that I may have just known facts and figures about previously. The Titanic fascinated me as a young girl, I watched the movie (may have skipped a scene here or there) and I just remember being haunted by the event coming to life for me. This book has reawaken those same feelings and more for me. Rebecca Connolly has brought to life a harrowing event in history that has me aching for those who lived through it. I can’t even fathom the terror and the PTSD that these individuals had after their rescue, but I was able to reflect on it because Connolly brought up points that I never thought on previously.

When watching the titanic we see most of what led up to the sinking and a little after. A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice follows a couple girls that were in the third class of the titanic and also the captain of the Carpathia, the ship that answered the SOS cry for help. It tells the story of how the girls escaped, survived for hours on the lifeboat, and the time on the rescue ship. The captain’s story is nothing short of miraculous. He said it best, “I can conclude… that there was another hand at the helm than mine.” To think about how fast that ship went through the maze of icebergs, they risked their lives in the same area that the titanic went down. It’s absolutely amazing.

This book is beautiful and gut wrenching. It isn’t graphic, but I am going to say that tears welled in my eyes as I read certain parts.

There is much more I want to say about this book, but the limits on captions is my enemy. This book is for anyone who enjoys a gripping tale, who is looking for a book they can’t put down, or for those who want to connect with history.

If there is one historical novel that you choose to read this year, I believe this should be at the top of your list. Prepare to do your own research on the side, not because it’s needed, but because you’ll be wanting more.

We’re all at least somewhat familiar with the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, but do you know anything about the people who came to the rescue of the survivors? Well, have I got a book for you.

Oh how I LOVE when fiction teaches me about forgotten bits of history! This book is written from the POV of Arthur Rostron, captain of the ship Carpathia, the only ship that answered Titanic’s distress call and the only one that pulled her surviving passengers from the icy waters that night. The other POV is that of Kate Connolly, a young Irish woman traveling onboard the Titanic.

“The vessel was somehow still majestic despite her descent, the scattered lifeboats, and the cries and screams of the passengers all around her. Somehow still a wonder. Somehow still marvelous. But not, as it happened, unsinkable.”

I really loved this story, and I finished it in two sittings on the same day — it hooked me pretty quickly and I felt compelled to continue reading. It is as emotional as you’d expect during the disaster scenes; I teared up more than once! The imagery of the iceberg-filled sea is a beautiful contrast to its demonstrated deadliness and the prose flows well for me. The author doesn’t spend terribly long detailing the specifics of the ship sinking, which I like — she sticks strictly to the details that her character would know or witness. There’s also a photo of Captain Rostron, which I love seeing included in historical novels!

What I didn’t love as much was the amount of text dedicated to the religious service. We see several prayers typed word-for-word, as well as the entirety of the sermons given by both preachers. I skimmed these. I understand the relevance of the moment, but I didn’t need to read the entire blessing/service. The “action” in this book is definitely front-heavy, but I liked the ending as well.

This tale takes place in two settings during the same time period. The first story is of a young woman that is traveling onboard the world's best ship to America. The second shows you a Captain that is made aware of a distress call, a call he can't answer immediately but tries every way he can to get it answered.

I very much enjoyed this book. I found it a different departure than other Titanic books in that the book alters from the events as they were unfolding on board the Titanic (where I found a timeline error--the error does nothing detrimental to the story, a Titanic nerd is who would notice it) to the Carpathia and how the events unfolded there. This is the first book I have read that gives Captain Rostron a voice. I found that to be my favorite part of the book. His actions and voice are exactly how I would expect him to be portrayed. As far as the Titanic story goes, I like that the author took a character name (a common Irish name) and gave it to two characters. I loved what the author did with the character's storyline too.

I think this book gives the reader a sense of the urgency in both storylines and will make the reader go through a few emotions.

This is a book that will stick with you for such a long time. It is a novel, but based on real people. The author did a phenomenal job of making these people come alive and to showcase events that happened that fateful night. We all know the disaster of Titanic. And I knew that they were saved by one ship. But had no idea what that entailed. Captain Rostron is the hero we all need. He wanted none of the fame. His only worry was the people and their safety. He was the bright shining moment in the dark days of the sinking of the ship. Despite all of the devastation these people experienced, their resilience and strength was inspirational. If I could give it more stars I would. I will be thinking about this book for weeks and months to come!

Wow! A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice was... Brilliant! I was captivated and didn't want to stop reading. I loved hearing the lesser known story about the rescue of the Titanic survivors. There wasn't a lot of detail about the Titanic as the story followed a group of third class passengers and the ship was sunk half way through the book. The writing and description of the event was beautiful and haunting. I could really feel the emotions of every character both survivor and rescuer. I am so glad that this story and perspective of this true event in history was shared!
I was able to read an advanced copy through Netgalley. All thoughts are my own and I highly recommend this book!

Almost 110 years ago, Titanic, the ship that “couldn’t sink” hit an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic. Only one ship in the area answered its distress calls, and that was the Carpathia. This novel, which fictionalizes what happened with the Carpathia and those from the Titanic that survived, looks at the story a bit differently than other novels (and (bad) films) about this horrible event. Here we see it through the eyes of a steerage passenger from the Titanic, and the captain of the Carpathia. Because of this, as much as I thought I knew about this tragedy, I was also surprised to find out new things, and see it through a new perspective.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read this book. I mean, I often get offers to read novels, and even where the subject matter sounds interesting (as this one did), I always worry that an offered book from an unknown author won’t measure up to those I actively look for to read, or from authors with whom I’m already familiar. Plus, I found out that Connolly’s usual genre is romance, and my regular readers know that I generally avoid those books. However, I shouldn’t have worried because, well… simply said, this novel far exceeded my expectations, and any of the tiny niggles I may have had dissolved into being totally insignificant by the time I’d finished reading. I should also mention that Connolly really gets the ball rolling very early on in this book, by leaving the background stories of both main characters to a bare minimum, before getting to the accident itself.

Now I know that having alternating points of view can sometimes feel like an overused mechanic, but I would assure potential readers of this novel that it worked perfectly here, and Connolly chose her characters well. The captain of the Carpathian was the obvious choice for that side of the story, and then taking the name of a real passenger who had the same surname as her own for the other character, was stroke of genius. These two voices combined to give a much more rounded picture of what really happened with both the rescuers and the survivors, than I’d ever known or even thought possible. Furthermore, Connolly paints them with such admiration and affection that it is hard to believe that these people died decades before she was born. More importantly, Connolly makes us feel deeply for them.

So, what does that mean? Well, with the pacing Connolly used at the start of the book, I swear my heart was racing while reading both the parts about Titanic’s disaster, and the parts of Carpathia’s rescue. Then Connolly calms things down with her narrative, but in such a way as to allow us to begin to grasp exactly how much this disaster affected everyone involved. To be totally honest, as it sunk in (no pun intended), I became increasingly emotional, and you know what that means? Of course, you do – she made me cry; not once, not twice, but at least half a dozen times. Need I say more? No, I need not; I therefore recommend this novel wholeheartedly, and can give it no less than a full five out of five stars. Thank you Rebecca Connolly for bringing us an amazing story of heroism, humanity, and selflessness at a time when we need to be reminded that these things can and do still exist in our world today.

This book was really fascinating. It's a telling of the Carpathia's role in rescuing the survivors of the Titanic. The characters are all real people, the story as accurate as Rebecca's research could make it but it read like a fictional novel. And I loved it. I thought about it constantly while I was on vacation and even though I was exhausted, each night, I read at least a page every night because I just wanted to learn more.
You read this book and you mourn with Kate and Arthur. You feel the stress and anxiety and pressure the Carpathia crew felt. You feel the numbness, the confusion and the fear that the survivors of the Titanic felt.
It was beautifully written and in my layman's opinion, did great justice to Captain Rostron, the Carpathia and the rest of the crew, as well as the many victims of the tragic sinking of the Titanic.

Oh my heart!

This beautifully written novel was so hard for me to put down. I love the dual perspective and was so enthralled with Captain Arthur Rostron's story. There may have been some tears shed.

This was an easy 5 star book that I will be adding to my shelves when it is released.

A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice had all the making of being a stand out historical fiction read. It has a tragic event which we all find fascinating, impeccable research from the author, and an unsung hero, but still for me it fell a bit flat.

The novel is wrote in alternating viewpoints, Captain Arthur Rostron of the Carpathia and third class girls from Ireland aboard the Titanic. The viewpoint with Captain Rostron is interesting because we all know the story of the Titanic, but we don’t know the intricacies of the boat that saved 705 passengers from the Titanic. We get to hear the distress call, their call to action (which is super impressive and nothing short of a miracle), their finding of the lifeboats, and delivering those passengers to safety. While this perspective was new info for me and I liked the learning that came from it, it was slow and sometimes hard to get into.

The other perspective is told from the third class passenger Kate and a couple of her Irish friends. In this timeline the striking of the iceberg happens quite quickly, so by the time they are all fighting for their lives you barely know the characters and you are not emotionally invested in what is going to happen to them. Had I known more about them and their relationships, I would have cared about their journey so much more. It’s why when you watch the Titanic movie and Jack goes under, you are emotionally distraught because you are invested in his and Kate’s life and story.

So while this wasn’t 100 percent for me and my character loving ways, this will be for many, many people. I did enjoy the new information I learned about the rescue from the Carpathia, but needed more from the Titanic timeline. Overall, if you are a Titanic aficionado you might just love this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my thoughts.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have always been interested in learning about the tragedy of the Titanic, yet I have not read as much about the Carpathia and it’s crew. This historical fiction novel tells the true story of Arthur Rostron, the Carpathia captain, and the lengths he and his crew went through that faithful night to rescue more than 700 people.
I flew through this novel in a less than a day. I enjoyed the alternating chapters told in the perspectives of Captain Rostron and Kate Connolly, a third class passenger and survivor from the Titanic. The author drew attention to how class and/or religion ceased to matter in the days following the tragedy as all were treated with care and compassion. Releases April 5, 2022. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for a digital early copy of this amazing book.