I loved the friendship aspect to this book but am so curious where book 2 will go. For a series, it wrapped up nicely

This is a. classic case of when a writer goes off script. Emily Rath writes really fun hocky romances and her dip into romantasy did not land. This story had several issues. It felt like it couldnt decide what it wanted it to be and so it felt like it had everything but also nothing. It was very confusing as a reader and not enjoyable.

While the audiobook was exceptionally done, I unfortunately ended up DNFing at 57.5%. In this case, my reason for DNFing is personal and not reflective of the book itself. The atmosphere of the book was perfect for the winter season. That said, I felt the story needed to be tightened up a bit as it felt particularly slow-moving and I simply kept forgetting I was reading it. As a mood reader, I must recognize if the fault is of the book or of my moods. And in this case, it is my mood. This pacing and atmosphere will be enjoyed most by readers who enjoy wintery slow-moving atmospheric folklore settings.

I listened to this as an audio ARC provided by netgalley.

As a lover of mythology books I am slightly disappointed in this. I have read other Finnish mythology and found them and the characters much easier to follow. There was so much going on in this book and at times it also felt like nothing.

I enjoy Emily Rath's other books and think the writing style in this reflects the others but it lacks the spark of her romance novels.

This is by no means a bad book but for me it was average. It felt too long with a storyline that was all constantly jumping from one thing to the next. I didn't feel connected to the characters, just as you were getting to know one you were pulled to the other storyline and the illusion broken.

This book was just okay for me. First off, I listened to this book in audiobook and I thought both narrators were wonderful. I did love having both Siiri and Alina's journeys in this story. I absolutely loved the premise of the book. There was a lot going on. I thought the writing was top notch and there was lots of good conflict. For some reason, I really struggled through the middle to keep going. There were a lot of twists and turns. Maybe there was too much going on? I"m not sure. The book was really long and I had to fight to keep going to the end. I really struggled to care about these two characters. I"m hoping the next book will bring it all together. Huge thanks to RB Media and Netgalley for allowing me to listen and review this book. .

I absolutely adore Emily Rath’s hockey romances and I was beyond excited for her first fantasy book and North Is The Night is just amazing. Needless to say, this is a new favorite book and my first five-star-read of 2025.
 
North is the Night is the first book in the Tuonela and we follow Siiri and Aina. These two women are friends and grew up in the same Finnish village and their lives take a different turn when Aina disappears into the mythical underworld Tuonela. We then get to see their journey of finding each other again and these two are so strong and just stunning together and they’re some of my new favorite female characters.
 
I absolutely loved how Finnish mythology was interwoven beautifully into this story and the way Tuonela was shown was so cool. It was so dark and eerie, and I loved meeting all the gods and goddesses. Aina becomes so much stronger, and I loved seeing her relationship with the god of death Tuoni. And another person I loved was Loviatar.
 
Siiri goes a different way, and she encounters a bear and that leads to so much more. She gives everything to find Aina again and to protect her family and she is so fierce. Her development in this book was stunning as well and she learns the workings of a shaman and I adored Väinämöinen as well.
 
This book is such a powerful story and I loved following Siiri and Aina from the first to the last page. It’s action-packed, romantic, and simply marvelous. The romance is not the focus of this book and I liked that, and the characters were destined for something bigger and I’m already beyond excited how it continues in the next book. I listened to the audio which was fantastic and helped me perfectly with the names. Don’t be discouraged by that and the more you learn about Finnish mythology, the more you’ll love it.
 
Emily Rath has once again shown why she’s one of my favorite authors and I’m beyond obsessed with this book and more than highly recommend it. 5+ stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for this gifted audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

The plot line was split between two characters, Aina and Siiri. I found myself much more interested in Aina’s storyline and a little bored with Siiri’s. To the point that I wanted to DNF pretty much every time it was her POV. Aina saved the book for me.

The world building had good pacing, I didn’t feel like it was too complicated to follow, but it was complex enough to have me curious.

While keeping in mind that this book is Finnish folklore inspired and I do want to be respectful of that, the character names were a bit difficult to remember and there were a lot of them. I think a smaller cast list may have been easier to follow. Also, this could have strictly been an audiobook problem. It may be easier when read through text.

I did feel a little confused because I follow the author and I believe this was advertised as sapphic, but that really wasn’t an accurate representation.

Overall, reading this after her hockey romance is quite the mind trip. It feels like totally different authors! I’m really impressed with her fantasy world building.


Narration was really good! I enjoyed both narrators and felt they did a fantastic job.

Unfortunately I was a tad disappointed with this one, it was marketed to me as a sapphic book and that element felt like a throwaway after thought at the end of the book?

The Finnish folklore was interesting to me and I like what the author did with it.

I just feel a bit let down as it wasn’t the book it was marketed as…

**Thank you NetGalley for the ARC audiobook!**

I will say I went into this book completely blind as to what it was. I definitely judged the book by its cover and made the assumption it was a Christmas themed book just to be completely wrong. This book explores Finnish mythology and Christianity sprinkled with a bit of fantasy.

I believe the world building to get this message across was very well executed at the beginning but it got a little confusing throughout the rest of the book. There came a point where I didn’t understand if the conflict of the book was Christianity overtaking the Finnish community or actual symbols of Finnish mythology. I felt like the inclusion of Christianity could’ve gone without and would’ve made the book flow better. Unless it’s going to take a bigger part in book 2, I don’t think it was necessary.

This book also had LGBTQ themes and it was never really confirmed until 85% into the book. For majority of the book, I thought we were probably dealing with unreciprocated endearment from 2 very good friends and was a bit confused whether I was supposed to believe there was some romance between the two female leads.

Additionally, the heterosexual romance was very infuriating. Aina at first sounded like she was all for a marriage and relationship with her new husband just to backtrack immediately after speaking her vows. It was annoying to read through her hesitation when she literally decided to go along with the marriage and what it came with.

Regarding the actual audiobook, it was entertaining to have 2 different narrators for each female lead but the actual audio book needs some editing. There would be moments when the volume of the narrators voices would fade out as if they were walking away from their microphone.

North is the Night by Emily Rath ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Aina and Siiri are inseparable until Aina is ripped from Siiris arms by a death goddess to the underworld. Siiri will stop at nothing to get her friend back, even if it means turning her back on her village and defying all odds.

Okay I absolutely loved this (audio)book so much! Narrators Khaya Fraites, Emily Lawrence did the MCs so much justice! The character development was great and the writing phenomenal . I’m not familiar with Finnish folklore but this one painted a vivid picture. The MC were bad ass and I’m so eager to read the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

NORTH IS THE NIGHT (NITH) is part Snow Queen, part Hades & Persephone, but make it Finnish and with a sapphic bend. I am always nervous picking up a chonker of a book - they have to work that much harder and longer to maintain my attention - but I was never bored reading NITN. Well, maybe for a moment there right in the middle when things veered a little too far into the weird column, but generally this book kept surprising me. It doesn’t follow the expected three-act structure and boldly marches to the beat of its own drum. It ultimately felt like an extended folktale. If that’s what you’re expecting out of this book (and I was), then you won’t be disappointed. I’ll admit, there were sections that could have been pruned/trimmed a little here and there, but nothing egregious.

NITN deserves props for pulling off dual POVs that are equally intriguing and simultaneously so. The flow between Siiri’s story and Aina’s is seamless - the highs/lows and general tenor of their journeys complement each other nicely. The passing of the narrative back and forth has a lovely rhythm. When spending time with one woman, I never wished we could cut back to the other. This steady flow is assisted by the two talented narrators. Narrator Emily Lawrence’s Aina is elegant and musical. Initially, I worried I would perceive narrator Khaya Fraites’ performance as wooden by comparison, but I quickly grew to appreciate her grounded, more stoic take on Siiri. All business, this girl! Which served the character quite well.

While I did enjoy NITN, and I very much look forward to the second installment, there are a couple of small things I wish this book had done. 1) I wish there was a content warning about the threat of a dual rape in the first third of the book. Thankfully, they’re both thwarted, but I found it to be a rather unpleasant surprise. 2) I wish a coda had been provided for Siiri’s loyal reindeer companion, whom she had to abandon, but never attempted to rescue. I hope she receives justice in Book 2.

Not only did I love Emily Rath's hockey romance series, but I am so appreciative of how outspoken she has been about voting and what to anticipate due to the outcome of the election. This made me extra eager to read North is the Night!

North is the Night was a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ read for me. This story relies on Finnish culture and folklore stories in a time period where christians are coming to the region for the first time. Siiri and Aina are friends in a small village. Siiri is strong, talented, and opinionated, while Aina is sweeter and more polite. Amidst rumors of missing women, the two girls find themselves face to face with a mysterious being who takes one of them away.

North is the Night is a story of fierce friendships, women who would anything to protect one another, and the sacrifices women make to protect themselves and other from men. It was beautifully told, moving, and played in my mind like a movie.

Loved this book and the narrators. The story is sweeping and epic and felt like reading a fairy tale at times. I was so invested is seeing how this story ended and loved the two differen story lines. It felt like the perfect winter read.
I do think the marketing of this book didn't match well with what I read which may bother some but I try and go into books as blind as possible and wasn't bothered. Don't expect spicy saphic, don't expect heavy romance plot, don't expect heavy political/religious plot.

I received the arc from Netgally and this is my first book I read from this author. If you are a fan of witches and goblins, this book is for you.The character development was well done and I listened to the audio book and I liked the narrator. I am looking forward to part two.

I was so excited to get a new genre experience from Emily Rath and I also adore this cover! This was such a unique and different fantasy and I really enjoyed all the Finnish lore that I knew nothing about to begin with. It was dark and full of nonstop adventure. The narrators were fabulous and embodied each of their characters well. They also did a great job with the side characters and bringing them to life.

Emily Rath, what can you not do?! This fantasy was delivered on a silver platter and although it’s only the fourth book I’ve read this year, I’ve enjoyed it so much that’s it’s my favorite so far this year!

This is a story of true friendship and love. There’s so much heroic adventures that I was entertained throughout the whole book. So much reflection, and transformation of the characters. The whole story was complex and the world building was easily understood because I listened to the audiobook while following along with the copy I bought. Highly suggest doing that if you struggle with following along with world building!

It is a dual POV between Siiri and Aina was amazing. I found myself wishing I got more information and story from one character until I read the next chapter and then I wanted more from the other. Each of the girls were so interesting and I wanted more and more. THANK GOD SOUTH IS THE SEA is already planned on coming out! I can’t wait to get my hands on that when it’s released!

If you’re interested in mythology, Finnish religion, death gods, and shamans this book is for you! I didn’t know I’d like this book as much as I did! My first 5 star of the year!

2.25 Stars!

Nothing brings me more joy than listening to the audiobook of a book I’ve been eager to read.

What intrigued me the most about this story was its foundation in Finnish mythology. I don't think I’ve ever encountered a fantasy novel inspired by it before, and that made the book even more fascinating.

However, despite being categorized as a sapphic romance, the romantic aspect between the two female characters was quite underdeveloped. It was mentioned frequently, especially by one of the characters, but it's a pity that it was rarely in this story. It almost felt like North is the Night served more as a setup to prepare readers for the much-anticipated second book in the series.

Additionally, since I listened to the audiobook, I found it challenging to keep track of all the names, as many of them were unfamiliar and difficult to remember.

All in all, if you're already familiar with Emily Rath's books, you should definitely give this one a try. It’s a romantasy, which is quite different from her other works, most of which are new adult sports romances that many of us are probably already familiar with.

over all for her first fantasy book i think it was very good, its extremely descriptive and well written. i had seen emily’s video saying that book one is very world building and plot driven and that the romance is kind of a subplot and that it will ramp up in the following books but i guess i still expected a little more out of something that was marketed as sapphic?

it did get a little hard to follow and stay entertained at a certain point as this is a massive book with a lot of info you need to retain. i look forward to giving the next book and try to see if some of the issues i had with it correct themselves.

it wasnt a bad book but i wasnt in love.

I’m gonna be honest and say that this audiobook just didn’t do it for me. I was really excited for it, but it fell really flat to me and didn’t capture my attention

This was very different from the other books by Emily Rath that I have read. I really enjoyed it, and the story was interesting, though maybe a bit long.