Arctic Fire by Keira Andrews

Narrated by Joel Leslie

Keira Andrews’ Arctic Fire is a novella-length story (the audio clocks in at just under three hours) set in the Arctic Bay area of Nunavut (the northernmost territory of Canada). The author manages to pack in a surprising amount of character detail and a solid emotional punch for such a small page-count, and although the romance does happen quickly (over just a couple of days), it’s got the feel of a slow-burn. The descriptions of the desolate, starkly beautiful landscape and the intense cold are really evocative, making the setting stand out and almost feel like a character in itself.

Recently returned from Afghanistan, Captain Jack Turner is struggling to adjust to life stateside following the loss of someone close to him while on his last tour, as well as to deal with the burnout and nightmares that continue to haunt him after his experiences in the desert. His CO has noticed his general distraction and thinks it will be good for Jack to get back in the field, so he sends him on a five-day trip to the Arctic Tundra on a fact-finding mission relating to the Navy’s plans to establish a refuelling station around the now-abandoned former mining town of Nanisivik. Jack is not exactly thrilled at being sent to a small town in the back of beyond with nothing much to do, sub-zero temperatures… and no booze allowed. At least there’s no sand.

Sergeant Kin (Kinguyakkii) Carsen of the Arctic Bay Patrol is to be Jack’s guide while he’s there. Kin was born in Nunavut and returned there after college; he’s a school teacher in addition to his duties as a Ranger. He loves the land and the people and the culture, and doesn’t want to live anywhere else – even though the generally less tolerant attitudes that prevail there compared with those in the rest of Canada mean that he’s forced to keep his sexuality a secret.

Jack and Kin don’t get off to a great start. Jack makes no secret of the fact that he doesn’t really want to be there and that he feels his assignment is a complete waste of time. He’s tactless and comes off as arrogant and disdainful, yet it’s clear he doesn’t really want to be an arsehole – he’s just dealing with a lot and quickly realises he has to try to be less of a dick. Kin is proud of his heritage and his way of life, and doesn’t take kindly to people who look down on it simply because it’s different to theirs. He’s also suspicious of Jack’s reason for being there and concerned about the potential negative environmental effects of the proposed base.

Keira Andrews creates a wonderful sense of place in this story and I loved the insights into the everyday lives of the Inuit people – such as how they survive the extreme cold – and into Inuit culture and tradition. The two leads are reasonably well fleshed-out, enabling the listener to get a good sense of who they are as people, and their personal struggles – both have lost people close to them and are still struggling with grief and guilt – are articulated with a deft hand. I loved the way the setting has such an important role to play in the story; there’s a real sense that the quiet, austere beauty of the tundra helps to centre both men and leads to their slowly beginning to let down their barriers around each other. The romance moves fairly quickly, but there is strong chemistry and a sense of genuine attraction between Jack and Kin as they become ever more drawn to each other and discover that despite their differences, they have a lot in common. (Bonus points to the author for the Star Wars references!) And although they only spend a few days together, the intensity of the situations they find themselves in after a blizzard strands them in the middle of nowhere makes their fast connection fairly easy to buy into.

Also helping with that is the narration by Joel Leslie, who can always be relied upon to deliver a strong and engaged performance that highlights and enhances the emotional connection between the protagonists. His pacing is spot on, the secondary characters are expertly differentiated and the leads are strongly characterised; Mr. Leslie conveys their initial wariness and animosity really well, and gradually brings more warmth and humour to their interactions as they begin to become more comfortable with each other. Arctic Fire ends on a very strong HFN that looks positive for a future HEA, although I can’t deny there were a couple of questions I’d have liked to have answered, such as how Kin is going to deal with having a boyfriend when he’s not out, and how well Jack will adapt to an environment so different to anywhere else he’s ever lived. Even so, Arctic Fire has a lot going for it – a great setting, likeable characters and passionate sexytimes, all wrapped up in a fantastic performance by one of the best romance narrators around. It’s well worth a few hours of anyone’s time.

Caz