That was a well written, well paced read. I felt it had enough elements to make it a fantasy novel, yet I also felt I learned some history and geography along the way. 
 You can read much better reviews on what the story is about on Goodreads, so I will stick to what I liked about it. 
 Story: 
 Solid storyline, sailing through the antarctic region searching for the NorthWest passage in wood ships in the 1800's. Stuck in ice for a couple of years etc etc Where this book deviates from telling the original story is that it adds a 'monster' to the mix. This monster becomes the terror that stalks the Terror (the name of on of the ships). THe story is about two ship crews trying to survive ice locked in a inhospitable area and subsequent treks across the ice to find salvation. 
 What Simmons does well is develop the feeling of the story, at no point do you forget how freakin cold it is, ever. Some may complain that he over does this, but you know, I really feel it added to the story, it is more than just cold, its part of life for these guys. Cold and wet for 2 years! 
 Characters: 
 I have a love hate relationship with Simmons, I loved Hyperion and I disliked Olympus and hated Carrion comfort. But I really thought that Simmons created well thought out believable characters. Crozier the Irish captain was brilliantly written, you certainly got inside that mans head. Hickey (the bad guy) was nasty enough to hate, but cunning and a survivor type that you know will hang around the story because he is so resourceful and clever at manipulating the crew. Irvine (Irving?) typical upper class english naval officer, very likeable and traditional. Some great characters, this was a big surprise for me, and to be honest, what has made this a four star, the well thought out character traits. 
 Overall: 
 There wasn't much not to enjoy, I think in the first 5 chapters I thought I was not going to be able to enjoy it much, the chapters based back in England, giving the pre-sailing history, was boring, I understand why it was needed, but it was dull compared to life on the Ice, maybe that is why you start the book on the ice to hook you in. But apart from that, it was well paced and kept me interested in what was going to happen next. There are a couple of wtf moments, especially withe the monster, but they do get explained later in the book. 
 It is a long book, but I am used to reading long books, so that didn't put me off, but I think if you buy this for your kindle you'll be surprised how long the story is. 
 In summing up, I am impressed at Simmons writing in this tale, well executed and I enjoyed it. After reading this, I would likely say that I like Simmons generally, but havent enjoyed a couple of his books, rather than "i have a love hate relationship".