End of the Wild: Shipwrecked in the Pacific Northwest is an historical adventure novel written by Jason Taylor. Ian was stunned when he woke up to the sound of his boat breaking up and felt the icy sting of cold salt water rushing past him. His sailboat was a part of him; a wooden craft with a rich past that had come alive again under his care. The trip to Alaska was the culmination of all his work and dreams, and it had finally begun to feel like a reality. Amy had seemed experienced at sailing when she approached him and asked for a chance to crew with him, and her work as a helmsman had been beyond reproach. There should not have been a problem with his giving her the helm while he took a well-deserved nap, but somehow the boat had run aground. The two barely managed to get off the sinking vessel as the winds blew strong and waves crashed about them. Ian held tightly onto Amy as they clambered over the rocks and fought the tides to reach the shore. They were met by a pebbled shoreline where Ian recognized the remnants of a First Nations village site. He judged, based on their location before the crash, that they were on Hurst Island, a Provincial Park that would be deserted as it was off-season. Their first priority was to get out of the bitterly cold wind and somehow dry their clothing. Then they’d have to find a way to contact the outside world.

Jason Taylor’s historical adventure novel, End of the Wild: Shipwrecked in the Pacific Northwest, is a well-written and exciting tale that combines elements of First Nations mythology, history and time travel in a tale about shipwreck survivors whose experiences on Hurst Island are life-changing. I loved the Pacific Northwest location the author chose for this story and especially enjoyed watching as Ian and Amy interact with Richard, Tmustsa and Norm, the First Nations people who discover them on the island. Taylor deftly weaves past, present and future in this thought-provoking novel featuring authentic characters and incredible natural landscapes. End of the Wild: Shipwrecked in the Pacific Northwest is most highly recommended.

End of the Wild: Shipwrecked in the Pacific Northwest by Jason Taylor tells the story of a voyage of discovery. Ian recruits Amy to help him crew his sailing vessel to Alaska. On her first night watch, the boat capsizes in a fierce storm and she and Ian are washed ashore on remote Hurst Island off the coast of British Columbia. What should have been a safe haven turns out to be anything but, with mythical creatures, a strange fog, and an unseen force that threatens their very existence. They need to leave the island, but the more they try, the harder it becomes.

The author, Jason Taylor, clearly has a good nautical knowledge which comes through in his writing, and gives this rather unusual story a high degree of authenticity. Hurst Island is a place where reality meets myth and legend and, although a surprise at first, as the reader was expecting a straightforward sea adventure, the descriptions and characters give the strange, hostile environment credibility. A well written story in which the author weaves a tale of intrigue and mysticism whilst playing with the minds and sanity of the characters, yet still manages to instill a sense of purpose and a little drop of romance. The pace is consistent, if a tad sedate, but page-turning nonetheless, with a satisfying ending. Credit must be given to the beguiling book cover and to the book synopsis which is bound to draw in a browsing reader. The fact that Hurst Island actually exists and is not the product of the author’s imagination was a surprise, but a strangely satisfying one.