First of all, I did not expect this book to be so funny. I will never get the image of a British naval officer bemusedly asking why a young woman called him a 'DILF' on his morning walk out of my mind, it nearly brought me to tears. Right beside that humor, often braided into the very same sentences are incredibly serious topics: climate change, imperialism, "the greater good", the model minority mindset, discussions of displacement and refugees and war. In the Author's Note, Bradley says she originally wrote this for a few friends to read, driven by a shared fascination with the Franklin Expedition, and I think that shows in the best way. While this book does have some of the beats you might find in a spy thriller, it is at its heart a character study. A book to sink into and really let the POV sweep you away into examining the main characters and their thoughts and actions. I found it charming, funny, thoughtful, and just a damn good read.