Thank you Netgalley, Quercus Books | Arcadia and Emily Rath for the eArc of North is The night.

North of the Night is A fantasy folk lore tale and one that took me by surprise. We follow Aina and Siiri, almost inseparable friends despite their opposite personalities. But one is kidnapped by the goddess of Death and the other won't rest until she fins her soul mate.

I don't know much about Finnish Folklore but from this book has left me thirsty to find out more, I loved the polarising sides of the characters, mages, goddesses and the god of Death and many more.. The world building within both worlds, our earthly realm and the realm of underworld Tuonela captivated my imagination and was beautifully described. The pacing of the narrative itself starts off slow, building in the characters and world building then builds to a medium pace. It did take me a while to get into but once I was invested, I didn't want it to end.

I also listened to the audio version of this book in which Lucy Doig and Maryam Ali kept the characters both separate and the characters individuality. Both narrators were a pleasure to listen to.

4 stars

rated 3.5
I'm glad I got the eALC of this because I wouldn't be able to pronounce any of the names or places. I enjoyed the beautiful story as a whole, but didn't really connect fully so I found myself zoning out at times.
Hoping to go to Finland in the next couple of years so here is hoping I can learn more about this folklore and other things in the country.

I liked the Finnish folklore and mythology of this book. There were a few twists that made the story sort of turn upside down. I did not like the way this book ended. I was about 60% of the way through with this book when I thought that it was over, then I realized I still had almost half the book to read. It just wasn’t what I was expecting to get out of it.

DNF @ 30%

Was marketed as a sapphic fantasy and is not sapphic at all. Too long to dedicate more time to something that is not what I wanted.

<spoiler> The fact that one of the FMCs ends up pregnant and they both end up with men? Absolutely not. </spoiler>

Thank you NetGalley and Recorded Books for an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited to read a book based in Finnish myth that I powered through this in hopes I would find something to latch onto, but by the end I was mostly just having a bad time. I understand that most people would have just DNF’d, however I can be rather bullheaded and in skimming reviews it seemed like maybe there would be some sapphic happenings. It doesn’t really matter what happens by the end because despite the story being driven, in part, by Siiri’s drive to bring Aina home, the romantic developments were so tepid I barely noticed them, and I suppose I should clarify I mean this for both romantic relationships—I could not bring myself to be interested in either the F/F relationship or the F/M relationship (which honestly I was rooting against, but YMMV because I don’t like shadow daddies and I don’t particularly enjoy the “Hades/Persephone vibes” anymore).

In reading the author’s tags/content warnings on her website, I do realize this book and I are diametrically opposed. I found the “Christians are the bad guys” bit to be clumsy and clichéd and I don’t think Rath is a skilled or nuanced enough writer to tackle colonization especially looking at how she handled writing the Sámi characters. I’m glad this wasn’t a romance-driven novel because the development is so shallow, but the overall plot feels bloated. This very easily could have been 200 or 300 pages shorter, and I think with tighter editing/writing it could have been good (you know, barring the exploration of some themes that I just don’t think she can write well).

I thought the narrators were good enough, though I cannot speak on the pronunciation of Finnish words. The audiobook definitely contributed to me being able to actually finish the book.

My goodness, this book swept me up. It is based on Finnish mythology, which is something I haven't read before! I love romantasy and the unique spin on this was very refreshing. This book is dual POV and I feel like that was done exceptionally well. We start following Siiri who has to travel to Tuonela (the Finnish mythological underworld) to rescue her friend Aina after she was kidnapped by a death goddess! Siiri has to travel to the far north seeking a Shaman who has traversed the underworld, while Aina is working to survive in Tuonela at the mercy of the witch queen and king of the underworld himself.

I believe this is Emily Rath's first venture into fantasy, and I really enjoyed it. The deep lore may be difficult or hard to follow for some but I've always loved low heavy books. I will be anxiously awaiting the sequel!

Audiobook review: North of the Night by Emily Rath - Narrated by Emily Lawrence and Khaya Fraites.

When I had the opportunity to dive into the world of North of the Night via audiobook, I started it immediately. And yes, it was one of those books that, once you start, you know there is no turning back until the last page—the vivid Nordic setting and the romance had me wholly invested.

Narration: The duo of narrators brought this book to life and let the reader join the journey in this world. Both voices brought life to the characters, and every moment felt authentic and personal. Both narrators delivered each character's emotional state throughout the story outstandingly.

Story highlights: Not only is Emily’s writing magical, but it is also on another level, in combination with the audiobook. The narration brings the Nordic wilderness out vividly from a world covered in snow and harsh winter, with tension elements, survival is the aim, and romance is unexpected, a combination that keeps the reader on edge in the best way. I also loved how the audiobook pacing let me savour the story. The balance between action moments and romance moments was perfect. The romance, not cliché!

I’m thankful for having the chance to read ‘North of the Night’ as an audiobook, as it kept me company throughout my day. I will miss all the characters. From me to you, the future reader, I would say if you love immersive, emotional, and beautifully written books, this one's for you! This book is a must-read or, in my case, a must-listen-to. Emily Rath’s writing, combined with the narration, has created an unforgettable experience. This book is one of the reasons I enjoy audiobooks, plus their accessibility and flexibility due to lack of time.

My rating: not a brainer 5/5 – this book is not just to listen; it’s the experience! Highly recommended.

Full Goodreads review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7114420021

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an ALC for this book! All opinions are 100% my own

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️? Maybe a half

As a lover of Emily Rath’s other books, I was pumped for her fantasy debut. This one unfortunately, fell a touch short for me. The inspirations from mythology / Finnish folklore were definitely present, and it started quickly with some fast action which I loved, but I think the middle portions lacked some excitement. Throughout the book it was very clear that Siiri and Aina are very close friends who are very much dedicated to “saving” the other, so when all of sudden it goes from best friend / almost sister-like dedication to them fully in love in the romantic sense, it felt a little out of left field for me. I personally would have believed it more as two girls who definitely had not explored or seemed to have questioned their sexuality to have gone through some more… not struggle, but questioning maybe? I for SURE thought that Aina was going to embrace being Queen and lean into her love for Tuoni. I actually would have loved to see that and was curious how Siiri would work into that until it took a big turn. The plot twist with Siiri’s reunion with Aina felt unnatural and slightly forced so the story kind of started to lose me particularly at that point. I am curious to see where the story goes in book two and will likely read it to wrap up this story in my head!

3.5 ⭐

North is the Night was a good read, but I fear it may not have been for me. I really liked our characters, once the POV's split I did find myself favoring one story over the other so it was hard to stay engaged. It is pitched as a sapphic book but I just didn't find that in this book. I don't want to go into too much details since I would land in spoiler territory. I think there may have been too much happening for everything to really flow well together.

The writing is good and the idea was great I just wanted more.

3.25 stars

I have mixed feelings about North is the Night. Some parts were interesting but others were very underdeveloped and a bit of a mess. I thought it was a sapphic story but think the female relationship was too vague and steeped more in friendship to be considered sapphic. There was more romantic tension between the FMC and the male death god.

It was also a little long and drawn out, but the actual writing wasn't bad.

This was such a surprising novel to read by Emily Rath. This was the first novel I read by her. I listened to the arc audio of, North is The Night. Let me tell you, I Looved the two narrators in this book! 📕 They both were phenomenal in the way they brought out Aina and Siiri. The narrators brought two bold women in this raven allegorical novel. The book is full of Finnish-folklore inspired creativity. This book is a dual POV and they brought out the characters famously.
I went into this book, blank, and I absolutely thought that this book was amazing!🤩 I think it was her first fantasy book and if it is?? She did such a great job! It left me wanting to read more and I even bought the book after I listened to the book. I was so impressed with the story and how well rounded the whole story, characters and plot.
I am soo excited for book 2 of North is the Night! I look forward to see what happens next!

I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

I think this book will be enjoyed by people who enjoy Emily Rath's romance novels and are interested in her take on romantasy. But I think fantasy or more experience romatasy readers will be disappointed. Since this is based on Finnish mythology, I expected it to be fresh and unique. But unfortunately it falls flat. There is little to no world building. There is very little sense of setting. And I think it makes sense that the author mainly writes contemporary romance, where you don't need to build out a world from your readers' imaginations.

The story follows a young woman who travels North to try and save her best friend (who she is also in love with but does not seem to love her back). But we did not see enough of the relationship before they are separated to really care about the quest. I actually think this would have been better as the second book in a trilogy where in the first book the world and relationship could have been built out. We could have seen examples about how the world is falling apart to set the stakes for everything that happens in this book. But without that, this book feels rushed/ does not have the emotional depth to match the stakes.

I do not know much about Finnish culture or history. But other reviewers have flagged issues with the depiction of the Sámi (indigenous peoples in Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Russia). I've also heard from others that are more familiar with Finnish that the pronunciation of some of the Finnish words was incorrect, which is disappointing if true.

Editing to add that I don't understand why this is tagged/marketed as adult. It feels very YA in both the writing style and in the characters' maturity levels. The two main characters are young women going on the classic "coming of age" and "leaving home for the first time" adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for providing an eARC of this book.

North is the Night is the first in a new fantasy duology which follows Siiri and Aina as they navigate the underworld, Tuonela. Aina is taken to the underworld by a death godess, and Siiri is not willing to just let her go. What follows is the story of each woman trying to survive to see each other another day.

I was initially interested in this book because it was based on Finnish lore, which is not something I have come across before. My family is Icelandic so I am always looking out for Scandinavian-based books. If anyone else is looking for a different type of lore story, I would recommend this book! I think the author handles the topic well and I could tell the care and research that went into everything.

This is likely my fault as I have read other books from Rath and thought this one would be somewhat similar in terms of having a larger romance plot. I was a bit disappointed when there was hardly any on-page romance as Siiri and Aina were not together for most of the story. It also felt like the story was dragged for a while, and I feel as though I would not have been able to finish if this was not an audiobook. While I am glad I finished the book and will be reading the next one, I hope that the overall story picks up a bit more.

In terms of the audiobook quality, I enjoyed it overall. However, there were a few times when the audio had strangely long pauses, specifically in the beginning. The narrators themselves did a good job and I would definitely listen to them again!

north is the night is the first book in a fantasy duology inspired by finnish folklore. throughout the book we follow Siiri and Aina, who are best friends.
Siiri has always protected Aina from danger but one evening, the death goddess drags Aina to Tuonela, the underworld. Siiri decides to go after Aina to free her, but in order to find her way to Tuonela, she first has to find the greatest shaman of legend, the only person who has ever entered the underworld and came back alive. thus, we follow Siiri as she ventures north to find this shaman who she hopes will help find her way back to her best friend Aina.
whereas Aina is stuck in the underworld and the Witch Queen decides to make her life a living hell and she is desperate to find a way out. she soon learns that the king of the underworld has plans for her and in order for her to return home, she must bargain her heart.

i loved the dual pov as we got to see Siiri's journey to find a way to free her best friend, whilst we saw what was actually going on with Aina as she tries to find a way to free herself. this also allowed us to get world building in both realms, as well as getting more in depth finnish folklore, which i found so interesting as i don't really have much knowledge around it. i loved the fantasy aspect and the magical animals that were introduced so much.
also, my favourite thing was the strong bond between Siiri and Aina,

i think my only problem with it was that it was too long and sometimes it felt like it dragged on to get to the point, but other than that, i had a great time with it!

thank you so much RBmedia and netgalley for the audiobook! i think the narrators did a stunning job and it was so easy to follow and get immersed into the story!

Thank you RBDigital for the free audiobook.

4.5 stars. I loved North is the Night by Emily Rath. Drenched in Finnish folklore, this dark fantasy is textured and atmospheric and utterly enchanting. Best friends Sirii and Aina live in a small Finnish village, but they are rudely separated when a death goddess steals Aina away to Tuonela, the mythical underworld. Sirii sets out northward to find a legendary shaman—hoping with his help and the help of the old gods she can bring Aina, the other half of her heart, back to the land of the living.

The folklore elements were so interesting, and I was fascinated by the interplay between the old Finnish gods and the introduction of Christianity by the Swedes. Rath created a rich world, full of complex characters, and the two narrators—Khaya Fraites and Emily Lawrence—did a wonderful job bringing these different characters to life.

I was expecting a romantasy, given the romances Rath usually writes, but this was much more a
standard fantasy story, with romantic elements, but very little “steam.” Regardless, I loved it. The plot twists kept me guessing, and the ending was satisfying.

*3 stars*

This book fell flat for me. It was far too long for how one dimensional the characters felt and how bland the world building was. I feel like the book could have achieved the same end in half the length. By the time I was halfway through the book I was ready for it to be over. I think the premise was really interesting and could have been amazing. This was apparently miss-marketed as queer and that was also confusing because it is? I don’t think I’ll be picking up the sequel.

The narration of the audiobook however, was good. Friates and Lawrence did a great job. They fit the narrative well and were distinguishable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ALC of this work. All opinions in this review are my own.

I loved the idea of this story- I am a fan of the Viking age and found the concept to be interesting. It just didn’t hold my interest for long and I ultimately didn’t finish listening to this story. It may have been better for me to physically read while listening.

Thank you so much to RB Books for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Overall I enjoyed the audio. There were some parts where the audio got very quiet for no reason. Both voice actors did an amazing job portraying their characters and having the story come to life.

I was a little daunted by this book. Between the size and the new to me Finnish lore. This did not come across to me as a sapphic story. Only one character seemed to be “in love” where the other just loved. There were a lot of complicated parts, people, and storylines to keep track of and I really liked learning more about Finnish lore.

I love Emily’s hockey romances but this just fell flat for me. It also was not what was marketed and I couldn’t let that go throughout the story. Overall I think it’s well written but I wouldn’t reach for it again.

I really loved listening to this book! It was full of adventure and the Finnish mythology completely captivated me!

When best friends Siiri and Aina are together, Aina is kidnapped and taken to Tuonela, the Finnish Underworld. Now, it is up to Siiri to seek the help of a shaman so she can go to Tuonela and save Aina. The story is told in dual POV and brings readers along on Siiri’s epic journey and Aina’s experiences as a human among witches, gods, and creatures in the Underworld.

The book was narrated by Khaya Fraites and Emily Lawrence. I thought both of them did an incredible job portraying these bold women. I especially felt their longing for each other and I loved how AIne’s voice changed as she evolved throughout the story. Both of these characters went through incredible transformations. The only thing that never wavered was their love for each other.

I really loved Aina’s character development. Her rise to power was inspiring in the wake of everything she had to overcome. I loved learning about all who dwell in the Underworld and their relationships to each other. So much happens in this book and the story was very fast paced. I enjoyed it so much!

North Is the Night is the first book in the The Tuonela Duet. The story was absolutely epic, and I can’t wait to see what happens to Siiri and Aina in the next book!
4.5/5 stars