Siiri + Aina

-finnish fantasy
-friends to lovers
-marriage of convenience
-soulmates

i was SUPERRRR intrigued about this when emily started promoting it cause i just could not wait for her touch on sapphic fantasy...when it is COMPLETELYYYY different than all her other contemporary works...nor does it lead very sapphic-y for a long while! & i think if you go into it with those two things in mind, & you enjoy fantasy steeped deep in lore, you'll THOROUGHLY enjoy this!! i was still on the edge of my seat the entire time, & am now chomping at the bits for more of this story (no cliffhanger tho, rest assured) but i was just expecting something different than what we got, even tho the story told here was still an amazingly intriguing one!!

An excellent read that has me quite excited what the next steps foretell! The content is fairly brutal at points, but never felt overwhelmingly so.

It is an exciting story filled with mythology. The two main FMCs are strong-minded and fight to protect those around them. Sometimes, I felt lost, but I eventually figured out what was happening. I enjoyed learning about all the gods and mythological beings. Some of the battles the characters went through were tense and filled with excitement.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the advanced e-arc!!

So my feelings towards the book is very conflicted, on one hand the plot and the characters are rich and unique, the mythology is interesting, the two main characters have great character development, BUT this book is being marketed as a sapphic book, and it unfortunately barely even counts. The two characters spend literally 85% of the book apart, they literally didn’t see each other since chapter 1 and then reunite when there’s less than 90 pages of the book left. We are never shown the actual relationship between the characters, we’re told how close they are but we never actually see that. This could have maybe been solved with having at least a chapter or two at the beginning of the book showing their relationship as childhood friends growing up, which could have made Siiri’s devotion to getting Aina back more understandable, but the whole book, we’re just told that she loves her friend so much so she’ll do anything to get her back. I also don’t even want to touch on Aina’s relationship to Tuoni as it just annoyed me. I will say maybe I should have managed my expectations better because I primarily went into the book looking for a good plot with a good sapphic relationship, and unfortunately the relationship was basically nonexistent. Therefore, if you go into this book expecting a sweeping mythological story with beautiful storytelling and great character development, you’ll definitely get it, but a sapphic romance is not included.

The marketing team really missed the mark on this one. I love Emily Rath and I was VERY excited to give this a read, thinking it was a sapphic fantasy. I didn’t end up finishing it since the book did not meet my expectations. Yes, there are sapphic elements, but it’s NOT what it was marketed as.

Emily Rath writes amazing MM connections and relationships, and I’m hoping to see a real sapphic book from her in the future.

I love Emily Rath's books. As someone who reads mostly romance these days, an almost 600-page Fantasy book was a bit intimidating. Silly me. I should have had faith. Rath does a great job of holding our hand and walking us through the Finnish lore and gods. There is a list of the Gods and Goddess we met at the front of the book. I expected to need to rely on it. I did not reference it once, since Rath weaves her story clearly and incorporates nuggets of information that clarify powers and roles for the reader. This story was beautiful and engaging. Each part is better than the next. Rath hooks the reader, presents some twists and turns, and then wraps the book up with us wanting more. I stayed up late to finish this book, which is a rare occurrence. I cannot wait to read the next installment.

I finished this book yesterday and am still having trouble putting into words all my feelings about it. I LOVED it. The characters are phenomenal. The setting, mythology, and feel of the book are incomparable. The growth and development and sense of self that both main characters experience is beautiful to read. I loved the themes of fighting back against threats to your way of life and owning your power. This book moved me in ways I wasn’t expecting. I can’t wait for the second one and will be telling everyone I know to read North is the Night!

North is the Night by Emily Rath is a beautifully written action-packed adventure of two bonded soul sisters ripped apart from each other by the underworld. The characters, story, and plot is steeped deep in Finnish folklore and paganism, based on the National Kalevela itself. Let me tell you, Greek and Roman mythology are nothing compared to this book!

The story takes place during the Swedish invasion and Christian-led blood persecutions of the Finnish people (whom they called heathens) that believed in the old ways. The Christians gathered the men only and preached of the one true angry, vengeful god; scaring them into submission.

Belief in the pagan gods and goddesses starts to disappear, along with crops and bounty. The villagers are subjected to cruel and painful suffering, wondering if their gods really are dead; as the Christians say.

The gods and shamans became angry and weak, until the epic journey of two fearless best friends Aina and Siiri begins.

Young Finnish girls start being tragically taken from their homes by Kalma, the horned Goddess of death and decay. Kalma delivers them to Tuonela, the wretched underworld tormented by the vile Witch Queen Tuonetar. She and her terrifying daughters brutally torture the mortal maidens until they die. In one scene they are tricked into hunting each other in a dark wood. In Tuonela, nothing is at it seems.

Aina and Siiri are bound at the soul, they are apart of each other. The love they share is unmatched. When Kalma comes to take Siiri, she fights her trying to save Aina, for she can’t live without her. Aina, the quiet one screams TAKE ME INSTEAD! And off she goes in a puff of black smoke that stinks of death and rotten flesh.

Siiri vows to save Aina, by finding The Great Magical Shaman, Väinämöinen, sneaking into the underworld, and bringing them both back where they belong - home.

The book is told in two POV’s one is Aina’s, the other is Siiri. It does get a bit confusing at times because they are both telling different stories, switching back and forth between chapters.
Aina is in the underworld with her Raven, desperately trying to survive, and Siiri is on a dangerous mission, as she travels north in the cold winter with her sacred bear, Kal, battling the elements, gods and goddess, Lumi and her pack of wolves, and hunters hungry for women. She becomes a fierce, skilled killer. Nothing will stop her from helping Aina escape the underworld - even when a God of the greatest power says no.

Siiri can be extremely annoying and persistent like a woodpecker, while Aina turns herself from a shy, scared maiden into a clever warrior, manipulating others if she has to. Both characters are well-written, they change and grow into stronger women. I do like Aina best; she’s developed more and I enjoyed her part of the story. My favorite character in the book is Jakko, the Raven.

The writing style is almost all dialogue between many characters, which gets very repetitive over many chapters. There is too much back and forth about the same exact thing. At times I wanted to shake the characters like “Get to the point!” and “We already know this part!” The book is very easy to read if you prefer dialogue weaved into descriptive writing.

There is a strong learning curve to be able to follow along with all the new characters, places, and things - unless you know your Finnish Folklore or have a basic understanding of Paganism. I often referred to the Finnish Folklore and Paganism guide in the beginning of the book when something new is introduced, like soul magic.

The world building already exists, you’re thrown into it. You learn about it alongside of Aina and Siiri through dialogue and storytelling. There is a lot to learn!

North is the Night is vastly different from Emily Rath’s usual romance books, like Pucking Away. For a first fantasy debut, it’s a great book. It’s twisty and turny, with a bit of brevity to level out the light and dark. Rath focuses on themes of hope. She put a lot of heart into this, and the book is dear to her. It’s not the kind of book that will drag you down into darkness. Instead this story fills you with hope and teaches you to never give up.

Is it outright in your face spicy Sapphic Romance? Not really, but I definitely felt the deepest love between Aina and Siiri. Now, let’s hope they are reunited. You’ll have to read to find out.

I highly recommend reading this book and forming your own opinions. I personally enjoyed North is the Night for exactly what it is.

Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Rath, and ErewhonBooks of Kensington Publishing for the eARC.

I only requested this because it was marketed as being a sapphic book, so I was very disappointed to be mislead and discover it is in fact, not queer. I'm sure this book will be loved by some, but it was not for me.

thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read an ARC of this book!

i went in super excited for a fantasy book based on finnish mythology/folklore and the mythology/folklore was exactly what i wanted it to be. unfortunately i just found it very hard to connect with the story and characters, so after a couple months of trying to push through the book i am finally DNF’ing at about 36% read. i think the very random attempted SA scene sealed the deal for me on this one

I DNF'd this at 23%. The characters felt like shallow charicatures rather than an in-depth person, and it made it hard to connect and want to keep going with the story.

This is a novel written in two voices and Siri and our shaman were my favourite pair. This part was interesting and funny.
Aina's part was lacking in depth and I wasn't convinced with the characters.
I enjoyed all the mythical explanations, I loved getting to know all the gods and goddesses. But I think the novel could have been shorter.
I would give the second part a chance.

Full review closer to publication date!

I'd like to thank the publisher, Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is quite a bit different from Emily Rath’s other books, but also very good. She always does a great job building a relationship between characters and this was helpful as I learned about the Finnish goddesses and gods and other myths and folklore as the story progressed.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to read North Is the Night. I’ve been following Emily Rath since her self-publishing days, so when I saw she was diving into a fantasy book, I knew I had to see her talent shine in a whole new genre.

This story of Siiri and Aina pulled me right into the Finnish wilderness, where shadows seem to hide real threats, and danger feels close with every step. I loved how the myth and folklore ran through the story, from the tensions with the Swedes to the priest challenging the old ways. Siiri and Aina’s loyalty to each other brought it all together, even as they’re forced toward separate, dangerous paths.

Siiri’s determination to defy death itself for Aina kept me hooked, and her journey into Tuonela to confront the Witch Queen had me on edge. Emily captures Aina’s fear and strength in the underworld so well, I felt like I was right there with her, holding my breath at every twist the king of the underworld threw her way. This book is dark and intense but also full of heart, with compassion and love woven into all the danger and tough choices.

Emily Rath has created a really powerful story here. If you’re in the mood for a book that’s full of folklore, brave characters, and an unforgettable friendship, North Is the Night is definitely worth the read.

My score is probably closer to 3.5 or 3.75, but rounding up.

'North is the Night' caught my eye because I was curious to dive into a fantasy based on Finnish folklore, of which I'm not particularly well-versed in. Emily Rath interweaves her explanations for the mythology and world deftly, and at no point did I feel that I was reading a wall of exposition. I also enjoyed the way the story included elements of history with Sweden, although I wish this could have been explored further (as a second book is in the works, I imagine this is where their involvement will be more central).

Siiri and Aina are two friends with a deep bond who would do anything for each other, a bond which is tested when Aina is taken to the underworld and Siiri vows to rescue her. While I found their friendship believable, the romance aspect was slightly less convincing to me. This may, in part, be a problem of Rath being a little too successful with building up another love interest (or at least giving that character a lot of page time, relative to the main two). Regardless, I still found their respective journeys enjoyable to read and was thrilled to read something with Finnish mythology.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing | Erewhon Books for an advanced copy.

I have never read a book by Emily Rath before, but the cover and title of this book really caught my attention. I don't read much fantasy, but I was interested in a story that incorporates Finnish folklore and mythology, something I knew very little about before I picked this up. The writer does a really good job of setting the stage for readers and introducing them to the characters and the world without a lot of world building, which is usually where most fantasy books loose me. Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series. I think many other readers who don't tend to read fantasy might also be able to really enjoy this one, and I look forward to telling customers about it!

This book was absolutely phenomenal. It might just be the best book I've read this year. Packed with adventure, strong female characters, and complex relationships all wrapped up in Finnish folklore. I will grab the second one the minute I'm able.

I tried so hard to get into this book. It was just a big miss for me. I spent the last month trying to read it every night but only made it to about 30%. I found myself dreading to pick it up. I wasn’t engaged with any of the characters and while I do like folklore it felt more like a history lesson. Each night and page felt like character overload where I was meeting a new god/goddess. I didn’t understand Aina’s journey to Tuonela to rescue her friend. There didn’t seem to be a lot of buildup on the friendship to warrant a literal trip to the underworld. The weird assault scene with Siiri felt like the last straw for me. At times, the description of the settings felt like I was reading a world from Pan’s labyrinth but that still wasn’t enough to keep me curious enough to continue reading. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to attempt to read this arc.

I really enjoyed this Sapphic romantasy based on Finnish folklore. It was a perfect winter read and I can't wait to get my hands on what is sure to be a GORGEOUS limited hardcover edition!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy by a new to me author in exchange for my honest review! This is perfect for fans of authors like Genevieve Gornichon.