I initially didn't have great hopes for this book because of some lukewarm reviews I read but it more than exceeded my expectations. I was pulled into a world full of snow and darkness with menacing creatures looming at every turn and I found myself walking with the characters as they explored never before seen land. I loved that there was no great enemy to battle to save the world, but the only goal was to climb an impossible mountain - it made me think of early explorers climbing the Himalayas without knowing what they would find. The world building is wonderful and the descriptions of the mountains so evocative that I could close my eyes and be there myself. The story is not exactly fast paced but because it is a physical journey it pulls you along into it so you don't want to stop listening.

The main characters are nicely developed and I could understand and follow their motives, although some of the side characters are lacklustre and there are several vague references to groups of people and creatures that I wish were explored more deeply. Hopefully these will be developed more in the next book.

The narrator is okay - I found her slightly irritating initially but this was forgotton quickly. The narration is in the style of a book being read, rather than a story being told, in that the characters are not given very different voices. I think this is done because the book is told in first person from one character's viewpoint so it works well enough, although I usually prefer a more story telling style of narration.

Overall a great listen which left me on tenterhooks and relieved that the next instalment is already available! There are as I many questions raised in this book that I can't wait to find answers to.