By Their Cold Fingers

This book is truly a hidden gem. It surprised me with how well-written and how captivating the story is. The story is set in Greenland in 1408. We are introduced to the main characters Kristian and his father, Erik, fishing in a river near their settlement. While having a hearty man-to-man conversation about Kristian's broken heart, they discover a mutilated body of a priest tangled up in their fishing net. Who could've committed such a horrendous crime?

In the following chapters, the rest of the important characters are introduced, who we will be following till the end. Sigri, Kristian's love interest, crushed under societal pressures, has to marry an Icelandic merchant, Thorstein, and bring prosperity into their settlement. The winters are getting harsher, and the supplies are harder to get. It is only natural that a woman must sacrifice true love to be able to satisfy her father's wants and spark hope in her people's hearts. Thorstein is a cunning, greedy businessman desperately looking to escape with his wife from the place which is no longer getting him any money. Furthermore, Thorstein notices Kristian's longing glances and tight-lipped pining over Sigri. Sigri's father, Rand, and Erik are worried about the potential culmination of those unfortunate circumstances.

Beyond the day-to-day drama of the Eastern settlement's villagers looms something dangerous. In the darkness of a mountain cave resides a creature familiar only to the Inuit people - the Keelut. His presence is always followed by an ominous thick white fog and brings terror and death. The villagers are forced to put aside their petty worries and face the mysterious killer slowly claiming their neighbors' lives. Do the villagers have what it takes to fight off the unavoidable threat of the mythical creature, or will they have to run for their lives?

This is a great piece of medieval historical horror fiction. I went into this book knowing almost nothing about the plot, with no expectations, so I was shocked to discover how good it is. The writing style is beautiful. Every chapter begins with carefully crafted, crystal-clear images of the snowy mountains, desolate regions, villagers' farms, and the roads winding through the forest. The descriptions of snowy nights and windy days instilled a feeling of piercing cold in me. I spent the whole day reading this book and couldn't warm up for the life of me. Now that is masterful writing.

The story is well-paced and cleverly executed. While the main characters' lives unfold, the story's tension rises because we get parallel intermezzos of the Keelut's hunt for other villagers. The inevitable encounter of the Keelut and our main characters is getting closer with every page. That was my favorite part. From the beginning, I was so invested in the story that every threat to one of the characters had me squealing in suspense. Without spoiling anything, that last chapter is a banger.