This is the most shocking, challenging, highly disruptive, but also perfectly written novel that haunted my soul as the selkie wife’s traumatic story imprinted in my heart to stay there forever! I cannot express how my emotions are scattered around everywhere and how I felt so shaken to the core after reading this complex, well-polished, detailedly executed and crafted novel. The dark, spooky atmosphere of the Icelandic town is portrayed so realistically that you feel the cold hitting your face, shivering to the very fiber of your being as the little hairs on your body all stand up. The eerie, whooshing sounds coming from outside make you tremble with their animosity. You are forced to face your fear of claustrophobia, being trapped in a mental and physical cage, and you test your abilities to survive.

The picturesque descriptions of the High Arctic, the fictional historical tales blended with folklore, and the urban Nordish tales are perfectly interwoven. Three timelines created around the haunting shipwreck and the curse of the ghost, a mythical creature lurking in the area to hunt its prey, keep you on your toes. The big mystery that intersects these three different timelines to unveil the jaw-dropping conclusion is also well established and will make you scream in amazement.

I haven’t been so moved by a book in a long time. Even though this is an amazing, eye-popping, earth-shattering, heart-throbbing mystery, it's also a thought-provoking psychological thriller that questions the mental cages humans create and lock themselves inside to reminisce about the past traumas they've faced. This makes it even more heartbreaking and deeply penetrating; it's one of the saddest stories you may ever read. Some parts of the selkie wife’s story will make you gasp, hardly able to breathe as your tears keep washing your cheeks like a torrent.

The main story opens in 1973 in Ormen: a ghost ship that was once a whaling ship from the 1800s, where researcher Dr. Diego Almeyda's remains are finally found, including his shattered feet, as the other occupants of the ship are still vanished into thin air.

Then we move back and forth between two timelines, 1901 and the present, introducing us to Nicky: the daughter of George Abney, the owner of the Ormen whaling ship. Nicky is captured by very dangerous people, kidnapped, and thrown aboard the ship to become a selkie wife to serve the crew's special desires. Nicky has already gone through a lot, having lost her daughter and sent her husband to war. She must find a way to escape from this worst kind of hell.

In the present time, Dominique, an urban explorer, is filming her adventure in Skumaskot, where she's headed to explore the remains of Ormen to share with her social media followers. However, her solo trip takes an unexpected turn when she meets three other explorers who seem to be working on a secret agenda.

Overall, this is not an easy read for everyone! It's a harsh, dark, brutal experience that you need to toughen up to digest some chapters without becoming too frustrated. However, the plot idea, execution, depictions, and the wrapping up of the shocking mystery are incredible and make the book unique and unputdownable.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this fascinating book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.