This is a DNF for me for now at 52%. It's adult fantasy, inspired by Finnish folklore. However, the first person POV reads like YA for both Siiri and Aina's perspectives and it feels like a coming-of-age story rather than an adult fantasy epic. This isn't a bad thing, it just isn't the thing I'm interested in spending 18 hours listening to. If you like lucky girls against the patriarchy and taking on gods, this will really appeal to you. It might appeal to me again in the future, but for now feels too long and not what I need.

This was unlike the other Emily Rath I've read and i loved it in comparison. Very engaging magical story. Great narrators on the audiobook. Such vivid story telling and a great balance of action and drama with a sprinkle of romance. Thank you!

Aina and Siiri are two young women facing the norms of growing up and approaching adulthood. What life path will they take? Aina is ready to find a husband and to be a wife and mother, while Siiri wants to be a hunter. As the Swedes begin to invade Finland, these two women are forced to either submit to the new Christian faith that the Swedes bring or stay true to the gods of their people. While attempting to escape the Swedes, the girls are split up and thrust into the worlds of their gods, but vow to never stop trying to find and save the other.

I very much enjoyed what I am hoping are traditional folklore from Finland. The characters were interesting and their development was pretty well done. The story twisted and turned, and while it wove the bigger picture I was able to sit back and enjoy.

The two narrators did a great job and it was so helpful
To have two different voices to separate the two FMC’s stories. Their tone and pacing was spot on.

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for this ARC!

4.25/5

This book was a slow journey at times, but the ending was so good! I'm not sure where the sequel will take the story, things were wrapped well in this first installment. I was hesitant about this book, I was unfamiliar with the author and the book is quite long. In the first couple of parts, Siiri's point of view chapters had more action while Aina's was slower, I think it provided a good amount of balance, especially when it swapped and Aina's chapters got more interesting. It all culminated in the final part, which I found very strong.

Khaya Fraites and Emily Lawrence did a fantastic job narrating this book.

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the setting and the Finnish mythology. The pacing of the first half of the book was very slow. The second half definitely picked up more and was more entertaining. I also had a difficult time with the relationships. I was looking forward to a sapphic love story but it fell very flat in that department. The second book might explore that more but it really was not what I was hoping for.

I enjoyed the narration by Chaya Fraites and Emily Lawrence.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Rath weaves a magical tale with this one. The story kept me intrigued in a way that I just couldn't stop listening. Aina and Siiri are both strong female characters, and I love the dedication they have to one another. The dual narration was absolutely mandatory with this one as way to distinguish between the two POVs. The narrator's inflections for the different characters (especially the witches) helped me to better visualize which character was speaking. I gave the story 4-stars only because the last quarter of the book felt very redundant, and the characters got a little whiny for me. Overall though, amazing story and I'll definitely be buying the next installment

North is the Night

Loved the folklore inspiration and found myself pausing and reading some original Finnish stories for context. Siiri and Aina are friends who find themselves in a dangerous situation in the dark forest. Siiri can’t save her friend from the witch queen and Aina wakes up alone in a room in Tuonela, the underworld.

Siiri is looked at as she’s crazed for her story of events and finds herself needing to seek for answers on her own to save Aina and to do so, she must uncover secrets of the ancient Gods who many believe exist no more. Aina is trying to stay alive without selling her soul to the king of the underworld while Siiri tries to make her way to her.


The fantasy and world building here was fun for me. I enjoyed the religious component and the Christian invaders of their native religion and belief in Gods / Goddesses and getting to know more about Finnish mythology / folklore. Also loved the role animals played and their interactions with humans with the raven and the bear.

Also Hades / Persephone is my favorite “love” story and I felt a lot of connects there and to the Norse mythology with Loki. Overall, such a fun time for me !


Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the ALC in exchange for an honest review! Out 12/17!

This was an interesting book that drew me in right away. You follow two main female characters and a Finnish lore that involves a bear, evil witches, and ancient gods. It’s hard to explain the true plot, but there is lots of action.

I should not that there are triggers in here I wish were warned about. Please see below:

- physical Abuse from a parent
- Chapters 14 and 16- attempted r@pe
- Toxic religion
- Dark themes

All the traditional Finish names became confusing. While I listened to the audiobook so I knew what they sounded like, they all sounded the same and I found myself confusing the characters. I think having the actual book would be better. You may have to make up the pronunciation, but at least you can keep them straight.

I honestly really enjoyed the story. I was pulled in and wanted to know more. Just be prepared for many characters and two different main plots. Still, this was all so different than anything I’ve read, I loved it.

I can’t wait to see what happens next. I need the next novel now.

*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

Ooops she did it again. As if the Pucking series wasn't enough. Emily Rath ventured out into the world of fantasy. And as usual she does not disappoint. This page turner encompassed true friendship, forbidden love and of course magic

What an epic! Finnish lore meets Greco-Roman myth when Siiri embarks on an adventure to save her true love Aina. The narration was captivating, even when the plot dragged (and there were a few too many moments where the story plods along ... a stronger editorial hand would've been ideal throughout). Each character goes on her own unique journey towards being reunited. The stakes are raised when Aina finds herself bonded to the purveyor of her circumstances. Meanwhile, Aina has greater agency, becoming a warrior of note and more besides.

I was a bit puzzled going into this one, expecting much more focus on the sapphic love story. The only hot, lustful, sexy scenes were heterosexual in nature and totally ick because of the Stockholm syndrome going on. No, I wasn't convinced that there was or could be real love there. At the same time, we had very little to go on linking Aina and Siiri. We're told a lot. They have feelings-thoughts. But what we're shown is the building "romance" between evil guy and Siiri. I just can't understand why the author went that route.

This relates to another issue I had was with Siiri's journey. Why does every feminine protagonist have to encounter sexual violence on their bildungsroman?

These complaints aside, this is still an enjoyable fantasy, especially the novel elements from the Finnish legends. The narration is superb and that alone makes it worth the listen.

Siiri longs for a simple life alongside her best friend, Aina. This plan is blown to pieces once Aina is taken by a death goddess to Tuonela, the land of the dead. Siiri will stop at nothing to save Aina from a terrible fate while Aina has her own schemes. Will they be able to find each other again?

This book features intriguing Finnish folklore and an arduous journey. I enjoyed the customs depicted and the many gods and goddesses mentioned. The journey Siiri went on was unreal with its perils. There were so many challenges that I was on the edge of my seat, wondering how she could possibly make it.

I found that Siiri was a likable character. I admired her strength and courage in making the journey to Aina. I felt her love for Aina in the single-minded focus she had in her pursuit. I liked Aina less. It was hard to feel her love for Siiri when there were so many other things going on in Tuonela at the same time. There was not as much time spent dwelling on Siiri, not even in her thoughts. This led to their reunion feeling sudden to me. I didn’t feel much chemistry.

It felt like there were a bunch of storylines happening at once. They didn’t quite connect to each other like I hoped they would. I thought the religious colonialism would play a bigger role in the upheaval happening in the realm of the gods, but they didn’t connect.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The audiobook was a pleasant listening experience. The narrator was clear and helped the story come to life. I would recommend listening to the audio for anyone interested in this book.

𐙚 Angst-Filled
𐙚 Slow-Burn Fantasy
𐙚 Mythology-Folklore

North is the Night is a blend of folklore, mythology, and fantasy romance that weaves a story of gods, mortals, and the underworld. The story follows Siiri, a determined young woman who embarks on a perilous journey to rescue her best friend Aina, who has been taken to Tuonela, the Finnish underworld, by a death goddess. Meanwhile, Aina discovers her own strength in a realm filled with danger and intrigue. For me, Rath’s writing was beautiful. The story weaved together tropes like enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and the redemption arc, which were executed with depth. The pacing and complexity of the underworld politics seemed to slow the story. This would be a good read for fans of heavy fantasy, angst-filled, character-driven romances with a touch of suspense.

Rating: ✰✰✰ /5

Thank you for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. ・❥・

A mixed bag for me here, I really was drawn in my the folklore and the initial feminist energy, but it didn’t take long to lose the feminist story and the folklore took a backseat.

This is a book that will be loved by the light fantasy readers and probably loathed by the high fae and such.

Good but not great.

This was an interesting story. We follow two main characters and the majority of the book they are in different parts of the world but it was interesting to see both sides of the overall plot happening. I would absolutely consider continuing if there is more in this world.

North is the Night by Emily Rath is a keeper, a book that can be read and listened to over and over. So much so, that not only have I listened to it, and read the eBook, but I will be buying the hardcover to keep and read over and over. A modern classic and that is for sure

Inspired by Finnish folklore, Siiri and Aina live with thier family in the desolate frozen wilderness, surrounded by the dangers of the wilds, the witches, the underworld and Swedes, the Swedes probably being the lesser threat, but I digress. When Aina is torn away and into the underworld, Siiri is left behind, to try and explain what has happened to the shocked and bewildered community

The fire in Aina's soul does not allow her to simply succomb to her fate of a torturous existence at the hands of the evil queen of the underworld, and as she plots her escape, the brave hearted Siiri is planning to rescue her friend and bring her back home

This book is simply incredible and the audiobook is chef's kiss. Read with authenticity and dynamic nuances by the brilliant pairing of Khaya Fraites and Emily Lawrence. Absolutely perfection

Thank you to NetGalley, RBmedia | Recorded Books, the author Emily Rath and the narrators for this stunning ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

so objectively this book is well written but for emily rath’s first fantasy novel i was hoping it would
pop off a lot more. it struggled to hold my attention and it didn’t feel authentic.

This sounded like everything I like. I'm always excited to read books with folklore from countries that aren't Greece. I was enjoying that element of the story. I liked the characters and the Pagan elements were fascinating but even the characters couldn't help me finish this book. I got 35% in and decided to dnf it. I felt like I had been listening to the story for ages with little progression of what felt like two very different stories. I found myself zoning out more than paying attention. This story just dragged on longer than I liked. I feel like if it had been shorter I would have found more enjoyment in it.

The concept of this book was so good and it just went downhill from there.

This book is based on Finnish folklore, something I had no idea existed. I was THRILLED! Early on you have a list of Finnish gods and goddesses, something that got me so excited to learn more about this world of folklore that was completely new to me. It... is not necessary. The few goddesses we meet (because it's almost exclusively goddesses) are always referenced by whatever they're the goddess of, because why would the readers be able to learn about the characters in a book? I still have little to no understanding of any aspect of Finnish folklore, which was pretty disappointing.

Apparently this book was initially marketed as sapphic. I learned this when I was halfway through the book and I was... confused. One of the two main characters is very clearly romantically in love with the other, but it is not reciprocated. While I understand that one woman's relationship with a man doesn't mean she can't also have feelings for another woman, this was pretty clearly not the case. If I had come into this book looking for sapphic romance, I would have been more than disappointed, I would have been angry.

This book is about 300 pages longer than necessary, and I don't even know where it got the extra 300 pages. The writing is not descriptive or flowery, but just very little happens. I was initially really invested, but once I hit 20% I just kept slowly, SLOWLY chugging along waiting for something to happen. About 50% in I thought it should be wrapping up and was confused about what else there was to even do in this story.

I was really disappointed in this book, and I don't really see this book being *for* anyone else. The author is a well known romance author, and I think she should probably stick to that genre or take more time in honing the craft of fantasy writing before her next fantasy novel.

The audio of this book was the better version of the two. I honestly don't think I would have finished without it. The dual narrators are good, with different enough voices to differentiate the characters. They did well with what they were given.

Thank you to Netgalley and RB media for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

North Is the Night is inspired by Finnish folklore. It is told in dual POV, two best friends that become separated. Their homeland is being threatened by Christians that want them to forget about their traditions. Siiri has always been Aina's protector, but even she cannot protect her from being taken just like so many other girls in their village. Aina is stuck in Tuonela under the watch of the Witch Queen. The only way for her to save her those she loves is to marry the death god. Siiri unsure of what happened to Aina, chooses to escape her father to venture North in hope of finding answers and a way to save Aina.

Critiques:
-Siiri and Aina's characters could have been developed in the beginning. The book starts off so quickly it is hard to understand them and why it is so important to save the other.
-The world building is lacking. It was hard to vision the scenes and the characters throughout the book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free audio arc of this book.

I enjoyed the story as it kept me engaged and left me wanting to know more with each turn of the page. You don't hear a lot of Finnish lore in fantasy, and I was absolutely intrigued by the different gods and the underworld portion of the book. The main female characters Aina and Siiri are both characters who care deeply for each other and you can see the growth in them throughout their separate "adventures" especially Siiri in her search to bring Aina back and Aina taking on responsibilities she never expected, some good and some...questionable.

The one major thing that took the book off from being a 5 star for me was the world building. The author really did not portray an cold, snowy Finnish terrain throughout the story and Tuonela (the Finnish underworld) could have been described in more detail to pull me into the scene. Tuoni and Aina's relationship also just wasn't that interesting to me, but it did help in the development to what was hinted at earlier in the story.

This book was a great time and I will definitely pick up the second in the series!