I have read many books about the Titanic but knew little about the Carpathia which quickly went to aid the Titanic to rescue surviving passengers. Loved reading from Carpathia perspective. Many details I had not known before. Great read!

This was one of those books that I plowed through in the course of a night when I really settled down to read it. Have read many Titanic accounts and but I have been waiting for a book like this from the perspective of the Carpathia, so I was very excited to spot this and it was truly what I have been waiting for.
Told through the eyes of Captain Rostron who navigated the RMS Carpathia on that fateful night the Titanic went down, the story is a mix of emotions, sadness and determination of a man who was powerless to help many more of the victims of Titanic as he risked the lives of his own crew and passengers to assist in the rescue. Also told is the story of Titanic passenger Catherine Connolly, a young woman who left Ireland to meet up with her sister in New York and start a new life. Kate tells the tale of befriending another group of young women on their way to start anew when tragedy strikes and their hopes and dreams quickly turn into terror and fighting to survive. Most of us know about Titanic's tragic end and of all the people who perished but this book had a depth of emotions that you can feel through the eyes of Captain Rostron and young Kate at least for me it did, I was totally immersed in the storyline that I had to finish it last night. This was totally awesome. Recommended!

Thanks so much to author Rebecca Connolly and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this fantastic book in exchange for my honest opinion.

"The whole thing was absolutely providential. I have no other explanation for it."

Based on the true story of the rescue of Titanic survivors by the Carpathia, this story moves between the viewpoint of Captain Arthur Rostron of the Carpathia and Kate Connolly, a third class passenger of the Titanic. The first half of the book is very fast paced leading up to the last days and hours of the disaster. It truly was miraculous the Carpathia received the telegram signal from Titanic and was able to reach them as quickly as it did.

The last quarter of the book moved much slower in response to the grief and shock experienced by the survivors aboard the Carpathia. The memorial service and then burial at sea of four who did not survive the rescue was very moving and reverent. I appreciated how the writer used both prayers actually shared during the event and hymns that were well-known at that time.

This was an absolute tragedy. The writer did not try to create a sensation novel, but was able to fill out real people in response to a real nightmare event where over 700 survived against the odds. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

“A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice” is an ingenious piece of historical fiction!

A Titanic passenger’s journey to survival and a captain’s expedition in answering the sinking ships distress call. While we know the history of Titanic sinking, what about the Carpathia’s voyage in responding to the “unsinkable ship” or a survivor’s passage out of the frozen abyss. .…. Highly recommend!

A sincere thank you to NetGalley, Shadow Mountain Publishing, and Shadow Mountain for providing me an advance copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read this story and leave my review voluntarily.

A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice by Rebecca Connolly is the story of the Titanic told from a different perspective than you normally hear. While some of the story is told from the perspective of a third class passenger on board the Titanic, most of the book takes place on board the Carpathia, the show that responds to the distress call from the Titanic and rescues her survivors.

I was a little hesitant to give this book a try because I am not usually a fan of historical novels. To my surprise I really enjoyed reading this book. I was captivated by the story from beginning to end. Connolly did a great job bringing the story to life and making you feel as if you were right there witnessing this tragedy. I highly recommend this book.

“We were not prompted by testing our mettle or our might, Dean. We were prompted by our humanity. We risked our ship, our passengers, and ourselves to save the lives of others.” [Captain Arthur Rostron]
A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice is an emotional depiction of the sinking of Titanic from the perspective of the Carpathia, the ship who came to her rescue. Rebecca Connolly does an exquisite job weaving stories of actual Titanic survivors and Carpathia crew members to illustrate a comprehensive picture of the tragic night.

I’ve always been fascinated by the story of the Titanic since I was little and really enjoyed getting this perspective from the Carpathia. I loved that Connolly’s characters are real passengers and crew members and the care she took in telling their stories. One of my favorite aspects of the book was the quotes from Captain Arthur Rostron, other crew members, and passengers at the beginning of each chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley, Shadow Mountain Publishing, and author Rebecca Connolly for the eARC!!

#abrilliantnightoficeandstars #netgalley
This was a wonderful historical fiction story. I loved how it brought out the emotions and reality that these passengers faced. What a beautiful story.

What a gripping, fascinating read! This brilliantly written story about the daring rescue after the sinking of the Titanic kept me riveted from beginning to end. This stirring story is told by Arthur Rostron, the Captain of the Carpathia, and Kate Connolly, a third class passenger of the Titanic. Vivid detailed descriptions transported me to the scene--on board the Titanic, in the frigid waters of the Atlantic, or on board the Carpathia. Through Ms. Connolly’s rich expressive prose, I could feel the intensity of the mission and the anguish of the Carpathia’s brave captain and crew as they speedily navigated through the icy, treacherous waters of the Atlantic toward the sinking Titanic. I could also feel the joy of the Titanic’s passengers as they embarked on their journey and then the fear and trauma of the survivors who were floating in the Atlantic’s dark, freezing waters. The story is fictional, but the characters and events are real and are beautifully portrayed showing evidence of the author’s extensive research. If you are looking for a well-written fictional story based on historical fact, you will want to try this one! This is the first book I have read by this author, and I will definitely be seeking out more of her works.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in e-book form from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! I love anything on the Titanic, but having it told from two different people, on two different ships, made you feel like you were watching it unfold. Also loved that it was based on true events. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down.

A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice. The story of the ship and her crew that came to the rescue of the Titanic--the ship that was unsinkable.

There are some books you read that are a 5-star book. And then there are FIVE STAR BOOKS with a little extra. Those are the books that have written a whole new page in the book of your soul and you are forever a little better for it.
A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice by Rebecca Connolly is a story that touched my heart and left a life-changing imprint.

We all know the event of the Titanic. We know it was a tragedy for the ages. Most of us have seen at least enough of the iconic movie to know the main points to the story. But what most people don't know is the story of Carpathia, the only ship to answer the Titanic's distress call.

When I saw that this book was going to be released this year, I knew it was one I wanted to read. I'm always game for a good historical fiction story, and this one seemed like it was going to be a GOOD historical fiction novel. It's pretty early on in the year, folks, but I'm going to venture to say that this is going to be one of my highlighted reads when 2022 reaches an end.

I was interested to see how heavy this read was going to be, discussing such a heavy topic as this story was. Rebecca Connolly did a fantastic job at keeping the story rolling. She built that connection to the characters and the story without destroying your soul in the plot. She keeps it serious and humbling while also being uplifting and "warm".
Never once did I find myself tired of reading this book.
It was full of many rich, historical details and kept well in line with fact.

Some people have noted that there is one chapter in particular in the book that is full of much prayer and hymn singing, and less dialogue. That is a true point, but it didn't deter the story for me. I feel like this was more an immersive story than not, and this chapter in particular focused more on "walking in the shoes" of those on board the ship after the rescue than it did on being a third-person bystander.
I could see how this could be a drab chapter to get through for some, but I didn't mind it. It didn't last long, and helped me really connect with how the people on board must have been feeling after such a large ordeal. It showed how thoughtful and caring the Captain was to even think of such details as different religions among all the larger pressing details he was worrying about.

As a whole, this story was truly incredible. An amazing read I will be reading again and thinking on often.

Seeing the miracles unfold in this story left me in awe. I cried. (I knew I probably would-- it's the Titanic, for gosh sakes...) But not just sad tears. There were such beautiful "highs" to match the lows. If you want a reminder that there are miracles all around, even in the hardest of times, OPEN THIS BOOK and look for them. They will pour out of the pages. I'm so glad I was able to learn the story about the Carpathia and her crew. What an INCREDIBLE story.

Wow! Rebecca Connolly took me on an emotional journey with this book. I have only ever seen movies about the Titanic. One I liked (The Unsinkable Molly Brown) the other I didn't like at all (The Titanic). This book was so well researched and written that I felt like I was on each ship with the people, the Titanic and the Carpathia. I was heartbroken with the horrors that happened. I was deeply moved by the heroic efforts of people from both ships. I was inspired by the captain and crew of the Carpathia. This book is amazing. It captured the tragedy and the beauty of that night perfectly. I would highly recommend this book to those that have any interest in history or the events of that night.

I loved this one . I felt as though on boat that night . I loved the characters and the evocative sense of place and time. It was masterful in its crafting. Excellent piece of historical fiction!

Brilliantly done! I could feel everything as if I was right there. This was such a heart wrenching time in history and Rebecca Connolly nailed it!

I read A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice in one sitting because I was so compelled by the story and the characters.

As most of us, I knew the basics of the story of the Titanic, I’d seen the movie and various documentaries about it. I really enjoyed reading about a familiar story from the perspective of the Carpathia, the eventual rescue ship. Throughout the book the chapters change perspective from a third class passenger, Kate, on the Titanic to the captain of the Carpathia, Arthur. The decisions Captain Arthur made that night saved the lives of hundreds and his thought process was fascinating to read about.

I really loved that while this is historical fiction, it wasn’t based around a war. It was a nice change of pace.

Ever since I was 14 years old I've been hooked on Titanic and her passengers for years. I love anything new and I was happy to grab this one.
I liked this book because it was fast paced.
In my opinion the author has done a wonderful job in her research for this book and she's done a remarkable job in bringing the passengers to life once more and I really like the Carpathia and her captain's side of the story
I've always wondered what Carpathia's passengers thought of this dreadful situation.
In this well written story we get to find out.
I was lost in the book and didn't want to come back to the present.
Titanic is a very hard and emotional story that I feel like we have learned many important things from her.
Maritime laws have changed for the better along with other things too.

Synopsis: This novel covers the story of the Titanic interchangeably through the point of view of a passenger and the captain of the Carpathia, Arthur Rostron.

I always love historical fiction about the Titanic or other grand ships in the early 1900s. This novel covered a new point of view of the story from the crew of the Carpathia which was refreshing given the many nonfictional and fictional narratives of the passengers of Titanic. I liked learning about Rostron through a fictional based first person narrative and I am eager to learn more about him. His character development was strong and I’m so glad his story is being told. As to the characters on the Titanic, I felt like there were almost too many players to keep up with. The main character Kate Connolly is only lightly expanded upon and she has so many peers in the novel (with the same name as well) that it was hard to keep track and connect with them all. Also there is a chapter (#20) that is based on prayer for all the passengers alive and lost. While this is beautiful to read about and I understand the need to cover both religious values, there were too many quoted prayers/songs and less narrative that I ended up skimming the chapter entirely. Criticisms aside, I enjoyed reading this story and I appreciated the authors attention to detail and research on the seafaring side of the story. I recommend this to readers that love history and immersing themselves in well known stories. I also appreciate delving into a lesser known version of the Titanic tragedy. Overall 3.5 stars rounded up for support!

Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain publishing for a eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 5
Pace: 4
Plot development: 4
Characters: 3
Enjoyability: 4
Ease of Reading: 4

Overall rating: 4 out of 5

Wow! I am amazed by this book. I kind of have been putting off reading it, but it was just stunning. A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice is a historical fiction based on the Carpathia and her crew that rescued 705 passengers from the sinking of the Titanic.
I really enjoyed this book, it was fascinating to learn more about the rescue of the passengers through this book. I really admire Captain Arthur Rostron, he was a real man and he truly did save many lives. It was interesting to read about what Connoley chose to write of. This was a great book especially considering that it is based on a real life event. I love the way that Connorly wove this story together, it changed between the Captain of the Carpathia and a female third-class passenger on the Titanic, Kate Connolly.
I was able to connect to these characters, these people through the book and understand how they were feeling. It was such a powerful and devastating book to read because I knew that there were many who could not be saved. Although I knew the outcome of the Titanic, I was still on the edge of my seat as the Carpathia raced to the Titanic and as Kate waited on a lifeboat for help to come.
A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice is definitely a book to read if you enjoy historical fiction.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

I thought the Author had done well on her research before writing this book. When I first started reading, I didn't realize it was alternating chapters, between the Titanic ship and the Carpathia ship, so I was a little confused, but by the end of the 2nd chapter I was hooked, the story follows along the Sinking of the Titanic, Kate Connolly is on her way to America to join her sister, she is in a room with a few other women, all very different personality's, just trying to have a good trip, and then she feels something happen, no more sound of the engine, but no one will let them up past the 3rd deck where they staying. Then the story about the ship that is headed 4 hours away, to try and rescue the passengers that are on a sinking ship, the Carpathia, and the Captain Rostron, who Is horrified when he receives the news, he knows they are hours away, they wont stand a chance at reaching them unless they push never before speed, but can the ship handle that, or does he risk more danger.
I loved reading this book, I couldn't hardly put it down once I got going on it,

3.75 stars on storygraph
4.0 stars on goodreads

Since I was a little girl, I have always been morbidly obsessed with the sinking of the Titanic since the glorious Kate Winslet and Leonardo Di Caprio graced our screens. I probably have watched it, 60 or so times and in 2012 I dragged my future husband to see it in 3D on big screen (which I never got to see in 1997 as I was 5 years old). In 2020, my dream overseas trip commencing at the Belfast museum got cancelled (no surprises there), it was an extremely disappointing time for me. I had been dreaming of this trip and wanted to see the "other side of the Titanic" as I have become worried about the romanticisation of the Titanic through Cameron's portrayal . The Titanic's sinking was a tragedy and one of nightmares. Due to this, I have been dying to read more historical fiction related to the Titanic, which did not have a romantic focus.

As I was scrolling through Netgalley.com, the gorgeous cover including the overarching, grim, iceberg, immediately got my attention. One of my favourite book covers so far for 2022. I cannot wait to add a copy to my shelf. Author Rebecca Connolly kindly included a character map included the characters which was particularly helpful as there is a complex range of characters that you will meet during this novel. It can be particularly confusing as there are multiple characters with the same first name.

Even though, the tragic sinking happens relatively early on in the novel, the heart wrenching moments are when fellow passengers are entering the safety of the Carpathia, captained by Rostron. This answers the questions, why couldn't other ships like Carpathia get to the Titanic to rescue the poor passengers.

This book did take me some time to read, only because of the time in my life (moving house and leaving jobs) however it is a fairly quick read. It does take a while to get through the early portions of Rostron's perspective. Each chapter is divided by a vignette from a real-life Titanic passenger or staff member from the Carpathia.

I would recommend for the 110th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, for you to read this book before watching the film.

Thank you Shadow Mountain and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ebook to read in exchange of my honest review.