This was a great story. That I found very interesting. It was wrote like a literary fiction story that was very unique. I really liked how the author wrote this book not using the trapper or hos sons name. I enjoyed reading this story and read it all in one day. It was a very different type of novel the atmosphere that the author created was brilliant. I rated this audiobook 3.5 stars. The audiobook was read by the author. I liked his voice and the speed that he read. I feel that others may find it a bit fast but perfect for me the only issue I had with the audiobook was the very long pauses before each new chapter hence why it wasn't a full 4 star rating. Story definitely is 4 stars. I definitely recommend reading this story as it really was very interesting and gripping and full of passion and emotion. It was definitely thrilling with unexpected twists. There was no many characters as the majority of the book is centered around the rather solitary life of the trapper and his son. It was very well wrote and flowed really well. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this fantastic author.

So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating such a wonderful and so very interesting story that was an amazing reading experience.

The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog today https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/immortal-north-by-tom-stewart-lucky-dollar-media-3-5-stars either under my name or ladyreading365

The Immortal North is going to be one of my top reads of 2022, I can already tell.

This book is written in such a poetic fashion, which normally takes me out of the story and is too jarring for me personally, but for some reason the way Tom Stewart writes just works so well. I'll also make a quite note on the audio experience as I listened to the audiobook. I've seen some reviews where the readers didn't enjoy the experience at all, but I found it absolutely wonderful. Hearing the author read his own poetic story really brought it home for me and I don't know if I would've had the same experience had I read the physical book instead.

The story is touching, horrifying, and beautiful all at once. I'm glad I went into it without knowing much more about the story so I'll make it brief and just say this book asks some questions and makes some points and I was more than teary eyed by the end. This is a five star read for me which is rare, so I'm very thankful to have stumbled upon it in the NetGalley catalog!

I'd recommend this for those who like unique writing styles, deep stories, and the great outdoors.

Unforgiving

After the death of his wife in a harsh and unforgiving environment a trapper tries to teach his son skills to survive. Hunting, fishing, surviving in the wilderness.

They encounter danger, and harsh climate in their quest for survival in a small mountain cabin in the wilds. They do well and the son is learning.

Then one day a tragic event changes the lives of everyone.

Read by the author in it's original form the book is interesting and suspenseful delving into the human heart for love , courage, resourcefulness, sadness, revenge and forgiveness.

I love that it is read by the author as it is read as it was written to be read. The story without the dramatization so often added. I enjoyed reading this book. It was happy and it was sad just a well written book about the wilderness and survival.

Thanks to Tom Stewart for writing a wonderful story, to Lucky Dollar Media for publishing it and to NetGalley for providing a copy for me to read and review.
Lucky Dollar Media 03-07-2022

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* not my cup of tea. it was good in a weird way but i found it hard to read.

I struggled with this, I think I would do better with a hard copy rather than the audiobook.
I stopped listening a few times as my mind had wondered, but felt I wanted to hear the rest .
Overall it was worth sticking with it

This one is complicated. The end result being, I would like to find a physical copy. The author narrates the book himself. Two places come to mind where he stops narrating and addresses those he knows are listening. He apologizes for his lack of skill performing. I was okay with him narrating until midway through the story, his voice is weakening, audibly, and he realizes it. He thanks the listeners for sticking with him.

As for the story, I was enjoying it. I felt Stewart as the narrator had a lot of energy. This coming of age, right of passage story choked me up. I particularly liked how Stewart wrote in a simple fashion the part where a father struggles with keeping his young son's respect while teaching him how to kill dinner. He answered a question I have wondered for years. I thought the entire scene was beautiful.

The story goes on with several teachings. Then sadly I lost my connection when the narration changed. At this point, I would like a physical copy to make notes. The E-book is not going to cut it. I have visions. I wish the author much success.

Thank you NetGalley and Lucky Dollar Media for accepting my request to read and review Immortal North.

Perhaps if I read a hard copy of this I would have liked it better, however, the narrator (self admittedly) was not very good. I understand as the author too he was passionate about his story however I just couldn't get into it on audio.

I was provided an audio version of this book. It was read by the author who freely admits that he is not a narrator and I appreciated his self deprecating heads up as well as a check in a couple of chapters in. However, it was the narration that finally made me quit this book after 4 or 5 hours of listening. I really enjoyed the story separate apart from the reader/author. I think this is probably a great literary story - at times I felt hints of Cormac McCarthy. It's just a shame that for whatever reason an experienced narrator was not hired. In a perfect world I will go back and read the book myself. I will not be providing my review beyond here in hopes that the narration is redone at a later date.

I don’t know if I would’ve enjoyed this book differently if I had read it versus listen to it on audiobook.
I usually love when authors read their own books, however Tom’s storytelling is probably better suited for the page than the recording. I know that The author is very transparent about this in the beginning and you do you see his narration of balls as the story goes on. But there was something about the audiobook feature that just didn’t connect me to any of the characters.

With that being said I also don’t know that this would be as good without the author having Read it.

There’s an underlying message or tone in the story. There’s a loneliness in the author’s voice as he’s trying to draw you in, at the same time it’s almost as he is dedicating the entire narration to someone. So I’m conflicted in my review over this book. I did enjoy it, I had a long drive ahead of me and was able to listen to it almost in one sitting. It just left me kind of in a gray area. This is one of those ones I think I just need to take a couple days to step away and unpack it and then come back to it.

Such an emotional and atmospheric novel! Very descriptive writing, the nature and relationships between father and son, between people and nature. I did not like the scenes where there were killings of the animals, but it’s my personal feelings. As I listened to the audio book, I agreed with other comments for the audio, so no point to repeat them here. I enjoyed the author’s voice and fullness of emotions in it. I really liked the book cover, and stared at it multiple times, it felt like you’re falling into the white emptiness of the north. From one side it looks like there is no plot at the beginning of the book, but I appreciate the good settings and suitable atmosphere that the author put us into. Overall the experience was very interesting to me which I appreciated.

Thanks NetGalley and the author for providing me with the audio book.

'Immortal North' is a raw, beautiful, and devastating introspection on hard topics like love, loss, identity, and living with the consequences of your actions— both intentional and not.

The author and narrator claims an "imperfect" reading but I can honestly say that the deeply personal nature of this story was only enhanced by Stewart's emotionally invested narration. His natural and untrained voice provides an extremely human element to an extremely human story, perfectly accentuating the tone of every chapter.

It also immediately took a special place in my heart as a Canadian with a complicated love for my homeland.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Tom Stewart, and Lucky Dollar Media for a chance to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The Trapper lives on his family’s land in the isolated northern woods. His wife died, leaving him and his son behind in the harsh wilderness that they call home. He’s satisfied overall, enjoying teaching his son the ways of the land that he learned from his father and his father before him. But eventually, the modern world begins to encroach on their life. During one fateful afternoon, their lives are changed forever, and the peace of the woods is shattered.

The author did a good job with setting descriptions and creating a suitable atmosphere for this work. It was easy to picture the desolate forest and rivers, the lonely cabin, and feel the isolation of the characters. However, the author overutilized flowery and grandiose language, which detracted from many of the moments that should have been emotionally intense. Sometimes simplicity is better in these cases, but the whole work felt like wading through a swamp of similes and metaphors.

There was also almost no plot in the first 60% of the book. The work was largely flashbacks, remembrances, or detailed, flowery descriptions of the setting. Similarly, despite how much we’re in the Trapper’s thoughts, it was difficult to find him a relatable character and I lacked any sort of connection to him. There was no character growth or development, he just existed.

I listened to the audiobook version of this work, which is the majority of the reason for my lower rating. The author interrupted the narrative after the second chapter and again in the middle of the book to apologize for his narration, which completely broke the immersion of the work. And unfortunately, the narration itself was not good. I didn’t mind the author’s voice, and actually felt that it was well suited for the work. But the number of sniffs and gasping breaths that were left in the audio was awful. There were also many instances of the narrator stumbling on words or restarting sentences. Twice, the narrator restarted sentences during what was a highly emotional part, completely breaking my immersion in the story and replacing my feeling of sadness with one of annoyance. These things should have been edited out.

I think this work would have been more powerful and I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it rather than listen to the audio version of it. I don’t recommend the audiobook, but the physical book is probably worth a read.

I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Lucky Dollar Media for allowing me early access to the audio book version of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

It took me a little while to warm up to the narration (currently narrated by the author), and I nearly threw in the towel within the first few minutes. I'm glad I stuck with it though. This book has the potential to be a solid five star book, but I don't think it's quite ready yet... It could benefit from some editing first.

This author is obviously very talented, lyrical, and introspective. He is a truly master of language, but the símiles, analogies, metaphors, etc are excessive and overdone. You know what they say about "too much of a good thing." I found it all so distracting, and may have even rolled my eyes a few times thinking "here he goes again." It's just too much and causes his writing to verge on poeticism.

Some parts, however, verge on perfection. Chapter 9, in its entirety, is one example. It is so moving and raw, and just beautifully written. I listened to it over and over again, simply to enjoy its purity. With the right editor (and narrator), this book will be brilliant.

Wow. So as this audiobook started I wasn’t sure what to think of it but I decided to stick it out. I am so happy that I did. While the story itself is a bit slow moving due to a lot of background information, that I formation is useful in the long run.
The author uses amazing descriptions of the surroundings and of the differences in the cultures.
The author didn’t do too bad of a job narrating his own book either.
I would recommend this to others as an audiobook or the written book. Very detailed and descriptive. And it leads up to a twist that you do and don’t see coming. You think it might happen but are praying that it would not.
Author is knowledgeable in hunting and trapping and the book is well researched.
Something I would like to see added would be to title the chapters with the trapper as “The trapper” or the ones with David and Jacob as “ David and Jacob” to make it slightly clearer.
Solid 4 stars from me though.

Tom Stewart’s Immortal North is a book with an old soul. If it did not mention satellite phones in it, you might think it was written in the same era as Jack London or Ernest Hemingway. In some ways that works for the book. In other ways, it distracts.

As a reader, I had a challenging time deciphering exactly what the plot would be from the blurb, but I took a chance. In the story, “the trapper” and “the boy” live on a small plot of land somewhere in the north. His wife, the boy’s mother, has died several years previously. The boy does not go to school in the traditional sense, though they go into town every year to get his homeschool supplies from the teacher. Together, they hunt and homestead. More land used to belong to the trapper, but it was lost in a card game and the lodge has since changed hands several times. New owners arriving at the lodge is the catalyst for the action of the story, though we do not get to the incident that triggers the conflict until quite late in the book. A great deal of the lead-up is spent hunting described in minute detail, reminiscing about the lost wife and what life is like in the wilderness, and talk between the two new owners.

Where the old soul serves this book is in its lyricism and depth of exploration of what it means to be human. That style of prose felt like a throwback, and I was reminded of a lot of canon literature I had to read while working on my bachelor’s and MFA. The author clearly drew from early twentieth-century male writers in this work. He read much; he thought a lot. This analysis of ideas is explored in the narration and outright in dialogue, and the reader is unable to ignore the themes the author has decided are important.

Where that sentiment does not work is, well, this book in no way passes the Bechdel test. Women are mentioned in memory and flashback, but there are no women in the present of the story. An understanding schoolteacher is given part of a scene in flashback. The wife of one character is mentioned only in that he wears a wedding band. The wife, mother, and grandmother of the trapper are all dead, though he reveres them. The dead wife has a few lines in flashback and dream, but that is the extent of women in the story. Another feature that sometimes distracts from the narrative flow is the in-depth detail of how hunting works, particularly the drawing of a compound bow. The author clearly has plenty of experience in this area, but does it need to be on the page for the average reader?

I consumed this as an audiobook, and the author delivered his own narration. This clearly had its strengths and weaknesses. The author interrupts twice in the narration to apologize for his tone and mispronunciations and to thank the reader for sticking it out with him. There are a few times he trips over words or repeats phrases. On occasion, he begins to cry (in no way contrived) and catches himself. The narration gave heart to the story. I could feel the author’s love for his own work and how emotionally attached he was to it, and in return I felt empathy for him. But a less invested, professional narrator may have been able to give more gravitas and variety to the scenes. For instance, when the two lodge owners, Dave and Jacob, are in dialogue, there is little variation, and it is hard to tell one from the other.

Overall, Immortal North by Tom Stewart is an important book to read. As an example of craft, it has something to teach writers. There is also some inspiration there, some call to the wild that will attract readers. I received it from NetGalley to review.

Tom Stewart brings us a book full of raw emotions. You can really feel the thoughts and emotions that he poured into these pages. I felt like this books was specifically written for a Son, but that ending got me.

The writing style was beautiful and descriptive. Although this is a really good book I did not necessarily relate to any of the characters. The narration was a whole new level of challenge for me. Narrated by Tom himself it took me a bit to really get into it. He does warn us in the author's note and again half way and apologizes, but I think that's what makes it so special. Even though the voice comes across a bit flat it has very raw emotion when needed. Overall a very special story that will make you think of deeper things.

Thank you Netgalley and Lucky Dollar Media for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

My persistence certainly paid off. This is a truly rewarding and brilliantly developed story with its intense, heart wrenching depth of insight into the pains of loss, joy, love and life.

At first, I felt I’d hit a hell hole with this story and my lack of interest in the topic … plus … the narrator’s voice was so monotonous! However, after his first touching interjection with an apology for his reading style, it eased my jittery feet and it was hard not to warm to him … just a little. About a third of the way in … BAM! the story took a breathtaking twist and I was IN! …. The twists kept coming!

So glad I didn’t give up. I would have missed out on something very special.

Wow!
5⭐️
This book was deep. Deep with emotions, deep with questions and deep with meaning and pain. Written very well. I hope this book reaches many readers. Part of this ripped my heart out and part of it held my close.
Being a parent is a hard thing. A beautiful thing, but a hard thing. And I thought the author did a great job with that. The novel was atmospheric and stunning in its descriptions. I felt that the author drove the plot with nature and the human condition. This novel is painful and suspenseful. Near the end I could stop. I had to finish it.
I highly recommend this powerfully move story. It’s something you don’t want to miss.
Did this author do a good job narrating this? *Smile* I thought so and I loved his noted comment after chapter 2. You were great!
Thanks Lucky Dollar Media via NetGalley.

Gripping. One of my favorite parts of this book was how descriptive the author was. He made it so easy to be right there in the scene with the characters and feel everything they were feeling. To some, the trapper’s life seems unimaginable but to me it was very relatable. The book was much more tragic than I anticipated but, ultimately, the tragedies made the book.

“The dead lie perfectly still and they’re so easy to love.”

Immortal north by Tom Stewart it was a surprising character driven a novel full of brilliant imagery. Stuart gives readers exactly one chapter to settle in before throwing them into nonstop action packed story of survival, perseverance, and what is truly at the heart of it all. Readers Mayfield bog down at times by the excessive details are however the gripping tail is shared have them pressing on.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars for a gripping and occasionally long-winded survival story.