This was my "blind date with a book". The description was as follows:

- Left to die
- Mountaineering
- Winter horror
- Historical
- Chills

I have to say, this "summary" of sorts is rather apt. It's the personal recount of a fictional attempt of the summit of Kangchenjunga in 1935.

This book is incredible. The author has done her research, including doing the first part of the Cotterel expedition, which she would then write, herself. I have never had any interest in climbing or mountaineering, and yet I couldn't put this down.

Paver does a great job with the first-person narrator, which I often find dull. She manages to convey his emotions and his impressions of the relationships in their group very well. They change from day to day, as one would expect from a group of men that spend weeks in this barren but deadly place, enduring their environment together.

At no point was I bored. If you like horror and the feeling of fully fledged fear of what lays beyond the darkness of your window panes, this is the perfect book to read on a cold winter night.

If you are more like me, finish this on a warm spring morning to protect yourself from all-consuming terror.

To conclude, I was not disappointed. Would definitely ask for a second date.

(Also, the cover (of the edition that I have, although this one is good as well) is probably the prettiest I own. That's always a plus.)