Endurance, Book 1: The Frozen Keep saw Ernest Shackleton and his crew sailing to Antarctica. With book 2, The Beckoning Shore, it will take everything captain and crew possess just to make it home again.
Black Rose Writing and Terril Sullivan present the finale to this two-part adventure in the Heroic Age of Exploration of the early 1900s. When last we left our characters, young Jack Robinson was near stranded with the rest of Shackleton’s crew, and a damaged Endurance was trapped in the ice. Back home, Jack’s love Leah considers forever escaping the confines of her hostile hometown. And far across the sea, Jack’s brother Edward faces ghosts and death on European battlefields. While book 2 continues all of these storylines, the attention narrows in a bit more on Jack and the crew, faced with impossible odds as they abandon the wrecked Endurance and make their way toward home however than can.
Sullivan’s writing remains effectively consistent here, weaving in historical events and Shackleton’s journals with quick pacing and adventurous storytelling—all framed in characters rather than a simple recounting of the facts. Leah and Edward both have their time on the page amidst the violence of the whaling industry and the filthy trenches of the European front. But these stories are winding down, and even the specter of death is less present on the pages as both characters wonder whether they will see Jack or home again. Meanwhile, the majority of this volume focuses on the tumultuous journey by boat and foot across an icy and inhospitable land. In the midst of that survival, loyalties are tested and even Jack’s barely tolerated presence on the crew threatens to take things to the breaking point. Sullivan continues to deliver a healthy dose of character work in resolving the fears and tensions of the characters, but the driving force of the book is purely the fight for survival. From encounters with wildlife to the harsh reality of being underequipped at the end of the world, Sullivan works to bring this point in history to life for the reader.
The illustrations remain as engaging as in book 1—with a wide palate of colors and a level of realism that still makes plenty of room for the flourishes of the comic form. Sound effects and natural dangers are worked into the panels, moving from dim and uncertain nights to bright Antarctic escapes. It’s a straightforward visual style that carries the narrative forward across countries and an entire world’s worth of beauty and danger.
In concluding the Endurance series, my feeling on both books remains largely similar. Sullivan’s art and writing do not break new ground in artfulness or test the boundaries of what comics can achieve. They are functional, made with care, and work effectively together to tell a story of intimate humanity and grand adventure. There’s something to be enjoyed here for most readers teen-aged and above, but especially for any students learning about this period of exploration or simply intrigued by tales of real-life adventure. The content itself has some natural violence and danger as well as discussions of animal death, but what appears on the page is never overly detailed or lingered on. Complete in two volumes and readily accessible to a wide audience, this series would be a fine addition to library shelves anywhere there’s interest in historical adventure comics.
Endurance, Book 2: The Beckoning Shore   By Terrill Sullivan Black Rose Writing, 2024 ISBN: 9781685134419
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16)
The Heroic Age of Polar Exploration and the war that would change the world forever.
The first of two books in the Endurance saga from Terrill Sullivan and Black Rose Writing, The Frozen Keep establishes the lives of a core cast of characters spread between South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic, the battlefields of Europe in the opening months of World War II, and Ernest Shackleton’s treacherous Antarctic expedition aboard the Endurance, mounted under the shadow of war. The book’s opening paints a larger picture—of the violent whaling industry, of young people charting their futures through a world in turmoil, of the tension between warfare and exploration in these waning days of global discovery. At the heart of the story is Jack Robinson, newly a man and suddenly filling his brother’s shoes on Shackleton’s expedition while the older Robinson sets sail for European trenches. Back home, Leah Carlberg is horrified by what she has seen of the whaling industry but feels powerless to make a change or escape the rough island that has become her home. Intertwined with the other similar lives, The Frozen Keep chronicles the upheaval of the era and one ship’s determined push into the frozen landscape at the bottom of the world.
Sullivan’s writing follows closely alongside his chosen characters while incorporating larger facts and elements from Shackleton’s journals. This grounds the book in real history even as much of the story offers a more personal perspective rather than a global one. Though the book largely serves to set up the expedition—taking the characters to Antarctica but not much further—it is paced well and manages to blend historical facts and multiple storylines with balance and care. A good portion of the dialogue feels obvious and expository, and some of the characterization lacks the depth that might otherwise have been achieved, but the authorial narration running through the book maintains an engaging literary thread which moves the story forward. The sum of these parts succeeds in capturing a sweeping narrative across lives and continents.
Sullivan’s art is easy to engage with, showcasing a consistent style of heavy line art and straightforward coloring. This is interspersed with more stylized moments as well as touches of realism which do well to emphasize key aspects of the story, such as imposing landscapes and war-torn battlefields. It feels like an art style mainly designed to carry the reader through the story hand in hand with the writing. But Sullivan does not forget the value of comics as a medium to, at times, do what words cannot. One creative choice of note which elevates the tensions underlying the story is the inclusion of a grim reaper character who appears at moments to whisper dread into characters’ ears. At odds with the otherwise realistic story, this dramatic flourish nevertheless works well to personify the depths of danger and uncertainty nipping at these characters’ heels in a way that might otherwise have been missing from the pages.
Black Rose Writing categorizes The Frozen Keep as Young Adult and with the central coming of age themes stemming from Jack and Leah, there’s plenty here for teens of varying ages to engage with. There are semi-graphic depictions of whales being butchered, some language and violence, and scene of sexual harassment—but at no point do these cross over into markedly adult territory. Beyond the central character threads, Endurance is a compelling way to experience a moment of world history that many readers may not be familiar with. While it does have its rough edges, The Frozen Keep is a worthwhile historical fiction read for teens and adults alike, especially those who are interested in historical narratives that emphasize characters and storytelling over simple recounting of facts.
Endurance, book 1: The Frozen Keep By Terrill Sullivan Black Rose Writing, 2024 ISBN: 9781685133986
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16)
Endurance, Book 1: The Frozen Keep saw Ernest Shackleton and his crew sailing to Antarctica. With book 2, The Beckoning Shore, it will take everything captain and crew possess just to make it home again.
The Heroic Age of Polar Exploration and the war that would change the world forever.
