What I enjoyed most about North is the Night was the author's clever use of the characters and stories from the Kalevala, which she wove into an intriguing new fantasy tale. Both the dual POV and the pacing worked well throughout and the story held my interest from start to finish. The antagonists felt a little caricature-like at times, but for the most part I was happy to believe in the stakes and get behind the two heroines. The sapphic elements to this tale are more low-key, so don't expect too much on the LGBT romance front. However, I enjoyed the interplay between the girls' relationship and that of the key male figures they encounter throughout the tale. Overall, it was an entertaining read and I would certainly be happy to read the next volume to see how the story concludes. I am giving it 4.5 stars.

(This review will go live on my blog and on Goodreads at the links below on 6 January 2025, as per your preference to hold reviews until closer to release date.)

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It centres on the separate journey's of Aina and Siiri when one of them is stolen away to the world of the dead, and the other travels to save her.

They are each others' priorities, and it was great to have a narrative where the women are the main focus. The men feel like extras, and frustrating one's at that.

This theme continues through the book. Women are friends, enemies, and a complex knot of both. While men feature, but don't dominate. Which was refreshing.

However, the rhythm of the plot seems to lose itself in the middle, and doesn't really recover. Aina never seemed sure how she felt. She seemed to be buffeted around in the plot, rather than taking control. And yet talked a lot about doing so.

I also began to feel like I was being told how people felt about each other. But the emotion didn't actually come through in the writing like it did in the first part.

I might be slightly biased due to my hatred of a certain trope. I tried to look past it, but the way the plot hinges on it means I just had to sit with the discomfort and slight rage it brings me.

The end rounds things off nicely, and sets up for the next book. Yet I found it all a little hollow.

Overall, I enjoyed the setting and the mythology. The first part of the book was great, and drew me in. The last part wasn't for me, partly because it hit on something I'm not a fan of, and partly because I wasn't as invested in those characters. However, it's still a good read and worth giving a go.

Such a fantastic story to read. Emily Rath is such a good author. Loved every single second of it and I recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good.

Thank you Netgallery for this ARC copy.

I have read all of Emily Raths's other books, this was completely different from all her previous work.

This Finnish Mythology-inspired fantasy story follows Siiri and Aina , two childhood best friends as they both embark on a journey.

Aina is stolen by a death witch Kalma and taken to the underworld Tuonela, which is being held captive by a cruel and wicked Death goddess.

Siiri embarks on her own quest to return Aina from Tuonela and travels north to find the lost Shaman and right what is going wrong in the land of the living.

I did struggle to get into the story but did find myself enjoying the new god and myths. I did go into this book thinking it would be a sapphic love story and didn't really get that. There was a MF love story and I found myself not sure who to root for. It was also very dark and had a lot of torture and cruelty, which is so different from Emily's previous work. This book is book 1 in a duology and there was a lot of world-building and backstory. I think Book 2 will have more action.

If you have read enjoy books such as Scarlett St Clairs A touch of Darkness series or Madeline Millers Circe I think you will enjoy this book.

The prose was well written but felt a little too middle-grade for me. I liked the story and the folklore but I think I was not the right audience for the book. It felt more targeted for young readers rather than adult. It was however a cute story overall. 3 stars.

North is the Night by E. Rath, published by Quercus Books, is the first book in the Tuonela Duet.
Telling the story of Siiri and Aina, best friends who're about to go on an epic adventure, including ancient gods, finnish folklore, the story of true friendship, amazing adventurw, suspense, unexpected twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat from start til the very last page.
The story starts out a bit slow, the intriduction to story and characters is in depth, a slow build up. Their story concludes in South is the Sea. I recommend the book, 5 stars.