Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this book. I love Emily Rath's romance books and for some reason, I assumed this would be the same vibe but in a fantasy setting. It is definitely a lot more fantasy than romance, and I'm usually fine with that, but when I started reading it, I was just kind of in the mood for something super easy and cute, and this was a lot more in-depth than that. I just wasn't in the mood for it at the time and the pressure of "having to" read it has made me want to read it even less.

The premise seemed really interesting, the writing is great, and I think this will be an excellent book once I can get into it and the story gets going. So I'm putting this on pause for now and will come back to it another time :)

Unfortunately I was not able to finish reading this story. The plot was very interesting and the writing itself was engaging, I just could not wrap my head around the story at this time. I see so much potential in this story and I am hoping to read it again in the future with better luck.

North is the Night is such a beautiful tale, dropping you in a world of gorgeous Finnish mythology where you can feel the eerie atmosphere from the start. The snow-covered wilderness perfectly complements the dark, mysterious landscape. We meet Siiri and Aina, our dynamic BFF MCs, who are both vastly different yet they share an unbreakable bond that permeates the whole story.

I LOOOOVED the contrast between these two characters-they each carry a part of the landscapes harsh beauty. Siiri is fierce and headstrong and she charges headfirst into adventure with the relentless force of a blizzard. You learn she is a fighter early on, with a spirit that is as untamable as winter winds. Aina is her complete opposite, more like falling snow and the very embodiment of calm and serene, but also with a quiet strength that’s capable of withstanding the harshest storm.

When Siiri and Aina are forced to confront the painful realities of love and loss, the contrast between their characters becomes so much more apparent, and I was also struck by how they embraced elements of each other’s character in order to survive and forge their own fates. Siiri learns to pause, listen, and reflect, while Aina discovers her inner power, ready to face the battle head-on. Their growth ultimately reveals them as formidable forces—capable of reshaping both the realms of the living and the dead.

Let me just say, the character development in this story is INSANE. Each person’s motivations, their fears, and desires are slowly revealed to us each turn of the page. This means you really get to delve deep into their motivations and desires, learn and feel their past stories. They are also complex and change their minds often, as the situations develop. This made the story even more fascinating to me, I never knew what anyone was going to do or who would ultimately succeed.

The atmospheric, dark vibes of this story had me hooked from the start. From the mythology, to the intricate characters, to the shifting emotional landscapes, everything was absolute perfection. I’m super psyched for the next book to see where Siiri and Aina’s journey will take us.

Thank you to Hachette and the author for an eARC to read prior to release.

I enjoyed this way more than her romance novels, which is saying by something because I loved those! I like her writing style, and the way she paces her plots, and I like the characters. Sometimes you want to throttle them, but in an I love you but you’re frustrating me type of way

In the Finish wilderness of the past Siiri and her best friend Aina even so the young women couldn´t be more different. Aina is gentle, cautious and wondering who she will marry and Siiri on the other hand is headstrong, brave and is not thinking about to marry. They are used to the harsh nature of their town and that their believes into the old goods are question due to the harsh live and the dying. So priests try to change the believe into the one and only good which is clashing against their old way of live and their believes. Most think the goods are not exiting any longer.
All changes when one day a death goddess appears and Aina is kidnapped. Siiri is determined to save her friends and is risking all in search of the old shaman who shall help her to find a way to Tuonela, the world of the death.

What a story! I really did not expect such a great story.
I must confess I was not aware of Finish mythology hence all here was new to me. I really like the way the author is mixing mythology with a great fantasy story line. This is not a nice story. As this is Nordic mythology this is cruel, lots of fighting, killing, revenge and cruelty.
We have two story lines here. We read how Siiri is searching for the shaman and a way to get into Tuonela and to save Aina. On the other hand we read how it is to be in Tuonela and how Aina is fighting to survive there.
I really like how different Siiri and Aina are and that we ready both heir stories, how these young women change during the book, how they learn more about themselves, how they fight for the ones they love and for the greater good. They are willing to risk all. Both have difficult journeys and decision to make, different fights to survive.
Tuonela is greatly described and for me it was really a great story what goes on there. Not all is at it seems in the world of death and the fight for it. I really liked this idea!

So for me a really great combination of mythology and fantasy, great characters, strong storyline . For me a really great first book.

I enjoyed almost everything about this book - I thought it was well-paced, the characters were cool, and I loved dipping my toe into Finnish folklore, which is a niche I know woefully little about. However, my one gripe is with this being marketed as a queer romantasy. As the first book in the series, I can see it going somewhere in that direction more thoroughly in the future, but between the main characters inner monologues having very few explicit sapphic sentiments and the only spicy scenes in the book being heterosexual, I felt underwhelmed in that regard. Slight spoiler, but there’s only one WLW kiss in this book, and while it’s implied that the two leads love each other deeply - to their very souls - I felt like this wasn’t what I was sold on.

✨ North Is the Night by Emily Rath ✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Step into the wild, mystical Finnish wilderness with North Is the Night, a captivating blend of adventure, mythology, and quiet romance. Emily Rath delivers a beautifully atmospheric story steeped in Finnish folklore that pulls you into the depths of Tuonela—the mythical underworld—and into the lives of two brave women fighting for survival and love.
The story centres on Siiri and Aina, whose lives are upended by external threats and supernatural forces. When Aina is taken to Tuonela by a death goddess, Siiri sets off on a daring quest, enlisting the help of a legendary shaman. Meanwhile, Aina’s struggle in the underworld grows more treacherous as she encounters its powerful and enigmatic king.

📝 What you’ll find:
• Finnish mythology and folklore 🪓
• Adventure and peril in the underworld 🌑
• A subtle sapphic romance 🌈
• Atmospheric, richly detailed world-building 🌲
• Themes of courage, love, and resilience

“We’re done waiting for the menfolk to hurry up and change things. If we want change, I think it must begin with us.”

The book shines in its immersive world-building and unique cultural inspiration. Rath’s prose paints vivid pictures of the Finnish wilderness and the eerie yet intriguing underworld. Siiri and Aina’s bond is the heart of the story, though some might find the romantic subplot quieter than expected.

📚 Perfect for fans of folklore-inspired fantasy, adventure, and stories of quiet strength.

Thank you first of all for allowing me to read this book by Emily Rath. I was highly anticipating this folklore-inspired fantasy set in Finland, as I have loved Emily's previous work. The story follows two characters, Siiri and Aina. Siiri embarks on a quest to rescue Aina from the land of the dead, Tuonela.

Despite the intriguing premise, the book lacks detailed descriptions of the setting and characters, leaving it hard to visualize the world. The dual perspectives were often indistinguishable, and i felt like the plot relied on repetitive cliffhangers that felt forced.

The relationship between Siiri and Aina is written ambiguously, seeming romantic yet denied by the narrative. As a reader I could see that there was a relationship between these two, they shared kisses and bed, but I felt disappointed since there was was always emphasis that they are 'just best friends', when clearly they are not.

Additionally, the portrayal of women and indigenous people as evil witches feels problematic and insensitive due to the history of when the Christian missionaries came over and were actively killing these indigenouswomen.

I did appreciate the glossary at the beginning that details all of the Finnish gods/goddesses and lore, but this slightly overwhelmed me at the same time.

Overall, whilst the book left me underwhelmed, there is still potential for a promising book 2.

Having not read Emily Rath’s wildly popular sports romances, I come to the author new.

Friends, Siiri and Aina are independently on quests to return to each other and their home community. Aina is stolen by a death goddess and whisked to the Underworld, Tuonela. Siiri, her best friend, sets out to find a shaman and a way into the Underworld to not only retrieve Aina, but return the old gods to the oppressed Finns. Each will make uncomfortable decisions and deals in their journey to be reunited.

The best friends offer a dichotomy - the kind and perceptive Aina is pushed to embrace the coarser edge often displayed by Siiri to make her way in the mind bending Underworld. While Siiri is reminded that harnessing her friends kindness can open dialogue to aid her in her quest above ground.

A extensive glossary of characters and intimidating pronunciation at the beginning of the book identifies it as Nordic in inspiration. This is a long book (somewhere near 600pages in hardcopy) where the deliberate and atmospheric pacing and Nordic language might flow better in audio.

I will begin that I enjoyed the writing style and the obivous research into language, mythology and immersive world building that has been done. I cannot comment on the accuracy of the reimagining of Nordic folklore but this feels like an “old” story being given new breath.

The story moved slowly for me. The two points of view felt quite disjointed with subtle action that wasn’t quite enough to make the story pop off the page. I felt the oppression of the indigenous peoples culture, pagan practices and social structure by the invasive Swedes and missionary-led spread of Christianity was a strong and well developed plotline.

Interestingly, the antagonists are female. As unusual as this may be, this was not as impactful on our female cast rising up to defeat the foe. If this was a feminist commentary, it felt weak. Both Siiri and Aina seemed to rely on their male companions to find solutions rather than kicking arse on their own terms or with other Shield-maidens. Perhaps a missed opportunity?

I would like to thank the author, Emily Rath, Netgalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for the copy of the eARC to read and review ahead of publication.

3.5/5
I've enjoyed Finnish mythology stories so when I read North is the Night is inspired by this I was eager to read it. It was great to read about familiar Gods and Goddesses in Tuonela and how the battle for balance between life and death was being fought even within their own ranks. I enjoyed the underworld storylines, the magic and the villainous elements of even those who are on the "right" side. The parts of the soul that can be disconnected, as with the shaman, was interesting.

The relationship between Siiri and Aina was clearly supposed to be special, apparently the book was initially (and incorrectly?) marketed as sapphic, but I didn't get that vibe until the very end despite the repeated references, perhaps because they spend most of the book apart but I didn't feel a connection to them being together. I was honestly more invested in Aina and Tuoni as a couple, and his internal struggle to let her go.

I'll be interested to see where this goes in Book 2.

"North Is the Night" is a feminist fantasy adventure about the unbreakable bond of friendship and the power of love. When Aina is kidnapped by the death goddess Tuonetar and taken to the underworld Tuonela, her fearless best friend Siiri braves a dangerous journey to rescue her.
In Tuonela, Aina forms alliances and discovers that Tuoni, the god of death, is trapped under Tuonetar's spell. As Aina falls for Tuoni and offers herself as his bride to save him and the captives, Siiri races against time to save her. Blending dark myth, romance, and courage, the story explores sacrifice, survival, and the strength of friendship in the face of impossible odds.

I was so excited to pick up *North Is the Night*. The idea of a sapphic, feminist fantasy set against the backdrop of Finnish mythology sounded incredible—a blend of everything I love in a good book. But as I read, that initial excitement quickly gave way to disappointment. What I thought would be an empowering story about friendship and female strength turned out to be full of problematic choices, misleading themes, and missed opportunities.

Let’s talk about the “feminist” angle first. Sure, there were moments where the characters talked about independence and girl power, but the actual story didn’t reflect that at all. Every major event hinged on male characters. Take Aina, for example—her strength wasn’t her own. Instead, it came from marrying Tuoni, the male death god, in an arranged and manipulative relationship. Then there’s Siiri, whose so-called empowerment came from acts of violence and relying on male figures like an immortal shaman to help her save Aina. It’s hard to see this as feminist when the women couldn’t really stand on their own without the men in the story holding them up.

The sapphic romance was another big letdown. It was marketed as a central element, but it barely existed. Sure, there were some hints of affection and longing between Siiri and Aina, but those were completely overshadowed by Aina’s romantic relationship with Tuoni. That relationship, by the way, included graphic depictions of pregnancy and childbirth—things that weren’t even mentioned in the content warnings. For a book that was supposed to be sapphic, the romance between the women felt like an afterthought, which made the marketing around it feel misleading.

Then there was the portrayal of women in general. Nearly every antagonist was a woman, but instead of being layered or compelling, they were over-the-top caricatures of evil. It felt lazy and uninteresting, especially when paired with the book’s initial focus on Christianity’s oppression of Finnish pagan beliefs. That setup led me to think Christianity would be the main antagonist, but instead, the Sámi people—a marginalised indigenous group—were framed as the villains.

This portrayal of the Sámi people was honestly one of the most upsetting parts of the book. The Sámi have faced erasure, colonisation, and discrimination for generations, and their representation here as the primary antagonists felt incredibly distasteful. The story reduced them to one-dimensional enemies, perpetuating harmful stereotypes instead of treating their culture and history with the care and respect they deserve.

Even the Finnish mythology, which initially drew me to the book, felt poorly handled. I listened to the audiobook, and the mispronunciation of Finnish words—like “kantele”—was so bad that my Finnish partner couldn’t even recognise them. It was distracting and made it clear that the cultural elements weren’t given the attention they needed.

At the end of the day, *North Is the Night* felt like a big letdown. The initial promise of a sapphic, feminist fantasy rooted in mythology was misleading, and even when the marketing changed, the core issues with the story remained. Between outdated gender dynamics, harmful portrayals of marginalised groups, and shallow characters, what could have been a meaningful and unique story ended up feeling exploitative and disappointing.

I think the idea and the plot is a good one however I truly think that maybe the characters and world building needs a bit of work, The pacing of the story off in parts.

Thank you for an opportunity to review this ARC NetGalley.

First off, I love books based on mythology so this was right up my alley. North Is the Night is such a beautifully crafted story. What I loved was the depth of the world building - it’s immersive without feeling overwhelming. This story follows Siiri and Aina, as they grapple with love, loss and the pursuit of redemption. Great book!

Ilmari's back tattoo come to life in this book on Nordic/Finnish fokelore.

I wanted to read this as I have read everything Emily has ever read and loved it. Going in a new this would be different, I know nothing about Nordic/ Finnish Fokelore, and whilst this isn't my typical romance read I did enjoy it. The book centers around two Female MC's and like everything Emily does is incredibly well written and researched.
For a book so outside my comfort zone it was a really enjoyable read.

ARC REVIEW - No Spoilers!

North is the Night is an enchanting tale inspired by Finnish folklore. When Aina is taken to Tuonela, the underworld, her friend Siiri sets out on a dangerous journey to save her. It’s a story of bravery, transformation, and the strength of their bond.

Rath’s world-building is detailed, bringing Finnish mythology to life in a way that feels fresh and engaging! The connection between Siiri and Aina is quietly powerful, with hints of a deeper relationship that promise more in the sequel.

With its mix of myth, adventure, and heartfelt character moments, North is the Night is a gripping read that leaves you eager for more.

I highly recommend!

Thank you netgalley for the ARC x

This was a great fantasy (with romance subplot) - I loved learning more about Finnish mythology as it built the fabric of the fantasy world. Aina and Siiri - the best of friends - both go on independent journeys to find each other when old gods kidnap Aina to the underworld. Each journey was unique and really built up the characters to show their strengths (and areas for growth), and introduced side characters that really helped to flesh out the world. I especially loved the actual Bear vs Man in the woods scene. So good! And, while the main romance for the series is sapphic, there is an MF/marriage of convenience in this book, as well as a surprise pregnancy. Can't wait for book 2!

I saw this book and had to have it, Emily Rath is a fantastic author.
This was easy to read, and to be honest I only kept with it because of the folklore and Emily's writing style.
I wasnt a fan of our female protagonist, at all. I found her incredibly self centred and naive.

It was nice to dip a toe into a different genre for Emily Rath, but this one was just another read for me.

North is the Night is a fantasy novel centered on two young women torn apart by a malevolent death goddess. I was captivated by the initial part of the book, where the protagonists struggle to survive and find their way back to each other. However, as the story reached nearly 60 chapters and 600 pages, my interest started to wane around the midway point, and I found myself wishing for the two storylines to converge more quickly. There are numerous gods and goddesses to keep track of, and the intricate politics of the underworld, along with constant double-crosses and hidden motives, became overwhelming and less engaging. The romantic plot, with its unexpected twists, also didn’t quite hit the mark for me. While I admire the author’s bold narrative choices, I didn’t find the romance particularly gripping or emotionally impactful. Overall, the book began with great promise, and I appreciated learning about Finland’s struggle to preserve its culture and traditions amid the Swedish invasion and the rise of Christianity. However, the pacing felt uneven, and the complex underworld politics seemed to drag on, making the story feel longer than it needed to be.

Do you remember our Nordic god of hockey, Ilmari?(AKA, my book husband)

Well, there is no hockey, but we dive into Finnish mythology and Emily shows us she has so much more writing bandwidth than just our fave hockey poly crews!

I dived into this fantasy with no preconceived expectations, and really enjoyed it. There are character arcs worth following, world building with intricate webs being woven - lots of threads I expect to come together in the next book - some underlying romantic frustrations, the underworld, a quest, shaman - its got a bit of everything. I did read its saphhic - and I'm no expert, but would have expected more of that content to be able to be labelled as such.

Overall its a great foray into fantasy, and am looking forward to the next installment to see whats next!

Read this if you loved watching Vikings but wanted more Agatha and Hilda vibes!

This was a very well written story - and I love that it was influenced by and featured a lot of Finnish folklore (I very much wanted to live there at one point haha). For me personally, that personal cultural/folklore interest was the main thing that kept me reading. While it was definitely enjoyable overall, my interest did wane around the 65% mark and the main relationships felt underdeveloped.
This book did wrap up nicely though, with setup for the sequel.