I would like to thank the publisher for sending me the audiobook in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

What a way to end 2024. Finnish mythology? Death gods? Shamans? This legit had it all.

Siiri and Aina have been friends (and maybe a bit more) since forever. But when a death goddess comes and takes Aina away to Tuonela (the underworld), Siiri is determined to get her back. We follow both girls, going back and forth between their POVs -- Siiri and her dash to find the great shaman to help her bring Aina back, and Aina as she navigates the underworld and tries to stay alive despite the efforts of the Witch Queen. I loved both of them. Their characters felt very unique, and not once was I confused as to who was speaking.

The world building was wild. We are in Finland during the time where Christianity was taking over, trying to destroy pagan beliefs and shrines in order to convert people. Siiri does her best to keep the old faith alive for her village, but no one believes her when she claims one of the death goddesses has taken Aina, setting into motion her daring rescue. The pushback against Christianity is a theme that runs throughout the book, and will most definitely be a major theme in the sequel. But once we embrace the gods and magic, we are introduced to a world of gods and monsters, where magic reigns and the dead walk. It was beautiful and breathtaking, the writing itself lyrical.

I honestly could not put this book down. I was hooked from page one and got very, very angry once I got to the end and realized I would have to wait for the sequel to be released. Bonus: the audiobook was very well done, and I would definitely recommend it as they pronounce all of the Finnish words way better than I ever could. What a phenomenal book all around.

Thank you Netgallery and RBMedia for providing me this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

North is the Night is a folktale fantasy with romantic elements. I have read that some people are disappointed in this book due to incorrect marketing but I found that this book focuses heavily on the folklore fantasy elements and drives an incredible story.

Siiri and Aina are both going through their separate journeys throughout a majority of this book which kept the story very engaging as every chapter you would find the characters making their way through challenges and gaining knowledge to not only reach each other again but to also prepare for many threats that head into their village.

Though this is a duology I love that this story by itself feels complete. There is plenty of information to create intrigue into the second book but I am satisfied with how things are left in this book where I'm not itching to get an answer to one scene and instead looking forward to following the continuation of the whole story.

First, thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for allowing me to listen to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

As a lover of the "Jacksonville Rays" series by Emily Rath, I knew I had to read her debut Fantasy novel and it didn't disappoint, but it was a BIG change from her hockey romance writing! Some other reviews have stated this as well, but this is a fantasy book with a touch of romance. If you go in expecting "romantasy" you might be disappointed. As someone who doesn't know much about Finland or Finnish folklore I feel like I learned a lot of information over the course of this book. The lore and characters kept me intrigued up until the end. And as an audiobook, I thought both narrators did very well. Fantasy audiobooks are sometimes hard for me to stay engaged with but this one was very well done.

North is the Night follows two best friends, Aina and Siiri. When Aina gets taken to Tuonela (the land of the dead) Siiri vows to do everything she can to save her friend. I found the story very interesting and really liked the dual timeline of Siiri in Finland trying to figure out how to save Aina and Aina in Tuonela trying to figure out her own escape. Both women face their own challenges and obstacles along the way. I'm VERY interested to see where the second book of the duology leads.

Including a brief content warning for attempted assault, torture, death, blood & gore, and pregnancy.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for an advance copy of this audiobook!

I really enjoyed this book - it's so different from Rath's other works, which made me even more curious about it. (For the record, I love Rath's other writing a whole lot, so I was instantly pulled in because of that!)

Without revealing a lot, I really appreciated the development of both of the main characters.

I don't know a ton about Finnish folklore, but that wasn't an issue for getting into this book. Can't wait for the second book! Highly recommend.

<strong>Impressed </strong>

Wow !
This dark fantasy book was such a captivating read ! The plot had me by a chokehold the whole time . Every twist and turn had me holding my breath chapter to chapter. The last few chapters had me on the edge of my seat .

Low spice but wow was the plot worth it . I finished and immediately needed more . The next book can’t come fast enough!

The audiobook was so well done ! The female narrators brought this story to life, the way I felt every single emotion!

I only wish this was a graphic audio. My only suggestion.

📖5/5
🎧5/5
🌶️.5

I did enjoy this story taking place in the early times of Finland complete with gods and goddesses fighting to survive as the Finnish people living there do the same. There is much danger, both from the wilds and priests from Sweden bringing word of the new god and making their case with violence against those still worshipping the old ways and gods. With a background like that, it really makes the story seem real. Focusing on Siiri and Aina, two young women with an unbreakable bond and who are willing to do anything to protect each other, I dived into it and really enjoyed both characters on their very different journeys (one to the North and the other dragged into Tuonela). Both are strong, but in different ways and with those strengths they find help in unexpected sources and also learn more about themselves. With Aina's compassion and willingness to bear burdens to save others (even scary death goddesses), and Siiri's determination to never give up and always find a way (even to learning how to separate her soul to travel to Tuonela), it is a good adventure for those two who are soul bound and only complete with each other.

As this is the first book in a duology, it does a good job in building up the world and getting it ready for what I am assuming is going to be a bang of a story in the second book. But this still was a fun book to listen to and I am looking forward to finding out the rest of the story!

The narrator did a great job in bringing the characters to life and it was easy to tell if it was Siiri or Aina's point of view.

For fans of romantasy and folklore, North is the Night follows two best friends Siiri and Aina as the fight to get back to one another after Aina is taken to Tuonela, the realm you go to when you die, by a death goddess. The incorporation of Finnish folklore was really well done and felt immersive. I especially loved the narration of all the Finnish names/locations. Both narrators did a great job at making the listener feel like they were in this folktale.

Outside of the immersive folklore, the novel suffered from pacing issues and forgettable characters. We defeat the villain introduced at the beginning about halfway through the novel then the listener is left wondering where the plot is going. There was also this push to have Siiri and Aina be romantically interested later in the novel where I truly thought they were blood relatives up till that point. On top of that, I really didn’t care for Siiri or Aina as the book progressed. They both did have some evolution as characters but I couldn’t find myself really rooting for either of them. The best character was Loviator, the goddess of illness, and she still lacked some depth.

As much as I loved the folklore and the setting, I don’t think I’ll be grabbing the sequel when it releases.

Thank you NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. This book was enjoyable. The world building, the folklore, the characters but I also felt like a lot was happening in this book and at times I was left confused or felt rushed through certain situations.

This was an outstanding read full of Finnish folklore and mythology woven together with phenomenal storytelling and world building. I was hooked from start to finish. The narrators presentation was incredible. I never would have been able to decipher proper pronunciation of the girls names let alone all of the gods and goddesses. I highly recommend for anyone who loves mythology and epic fantasy tales.

I really enjoyed this book, despite the mixed reviews. I was worried, not going to lie, but this was great! The narration was fantastic. I admit though, I did like Aina's narrator better. I would definitely recommend this audiobook though!

Narration: No issues, but I’m not a fan of single narrators for dual POV. Made it hard to realize when the chapters switched if I wasn’t paying close attention.

Story: Ehh 3.25 stars?? It feel very YA through most of it (some maybe due to the narrators voice). Without spoilers it felt like the main affections were one sided, then came out of nowhere at the end. Interesting Viking & pagan gods dive.

Thank you, Netgalley, for allowing me to listen to an ALC of this book!

Siiri and Aina are long-time friends, when suddenly Aina is taken by an evil goddess while they are in the forest. Neither of these young women are prepared to give up hope for the other and go on separate journeys to reunite. It is a hard fought process with many bumps, bruises, and broken bones.

This book had minimal sapphic qualities as the girls are separated (literally different worlds), and there are significant scenes with Aina and a male character.

I enjoyed the journey of Siiri and Aina, I thought it was a very unique plot. The beginning was great, and I felt like, towards the end, it became more difficult to follow of sorts? Also, it's maybe a me thing, but the two different narrators said names differently, so I super focused on that. 😅

I did like that romance wasn't the CORE of this book because the plot carried this book so well. If you're looking for a spicy book, this isn't it. If you're looking for a book with an interesting and unique plot, pick this up!

"North is the Night" is a historical romance/romantasy inspired by Finnish folklore and mythology. The story begins with two close friends, aware of the dangers lurking and young women going missing, who see a death god and one is taken. From there, the other ventures on a quest to find a long missing Shaman and the entrance to Tuonela to save her friend. Throughout the story, while Aina is in Tuonela she must come to terms with her captivity while forging friendships and devising an escape plan. Siiri, who has ventured north to find the Shaman and entrance, has had to battle would-be rapists, witches, and the elements to reach her goals.

While the book does have an ending that resolves Aina and Siiri's separation, it does not give us a definitive ending to the overarching themes of Christian colonization from the Swedes of the Finns.

I enjoyed the overarching storyline, the sapphic love interests, and Siiri's journey, along with the Shaman. However, this book is described as dark and there wasn't anything dark about it (aside from people that see Finnish mythos as dark in general). It was very contemporary and more a historical romance/romantasy than dark. Aina had to be the most obnoxious FMC I have read in a while though, and I am pretty sure I got whiplash from her back-and-forth attitudes/thoughts/inner monologue. Tuoni was more of an insta-love interest and that was 'meh' for me as well. I did enjoy the characters of the daughters/Goddesses of death.

The narrators did a great job as Aina and Siiri. I think the audio could have been improved with a male narrator performing the bits of Tuoni, as his dialogue wasn't convincing, but that could be the writing and not the narration. I also understand why a male narrator wasn't used as the perspectives of the book are from both women, Aina and Siiri.

I'd recommend this for fans of New Adult romance, and those interested in Finnish mythology without much background knowledge on the subject. Those familiar with Finnish mythology may not find it as dark as they anticipate/want, though.

I absolutely love Emily Rath and her writing it is always pure perfection. At first I was like how is this a sapphic book but once I got to the end I can see how in the second book it will definitely be more sapphic. I think that the two story timelines were very interesting and every chapter had me on the edge of my seat. I am looking forward to the second book in this duology.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for granting me an audio arc of this one.


Firstly i want to say that Emily Raths JacksonVill Ray's series is an all time favourite so I was really excited for this.

However it just didn't hit they way I expected it to.

It's described as sapphic but honestly I didn't get those vibes. It gave more rode or die besties than soul mates. They had little to zero romantic chemistry between them. For all of the 5 pages they had together.

But overall the story was good. Plot flowed well and characters were well developed
The narrators did a fantastic job at setting the scene and portraying the characters well.

Net galley provided me with a audiobook version of this to review for my opinion. And it was soooo good. I love a great audiobook and this story is fantastic. I was so curious because I've read her hockey series, but this was great!

I truly wanted to love this book as I love Emily Rath but unfortunately it did not grab my attention. I read up to 35% and gave up for now. I think this book just wasn't the right one for me at this moment. I will give it another try at another time.

North is the Night is a fantasy that had an excellent premise but unfortunately fell flat. This is Emily Rath's first fantasy book and it was a decent first try. You can tell Rath put a lot care into the Finnish Folklore, and did a really good job of creating this wintery cold atmosphere.

Where this story falls flat is for a few reasons. The first being that this book is too long and really dragged until about the 70% mark, the story really could have used some tightening. Second, I needed more from the Sapphic love story and I would hope this gets explored in the book, but we really don't get to see that come to fruition until the very end of the book and even then it feels one sided on Siiri's part.

I will be picking up the sequel to see if any of this gets addressed and overall this was fine. A good attempt at fantasy from an author who writes why choose hockey romance.

As for the Audiobook I thought it was fine, I am glad with got a different narrator for Aina and Siiri, it also made learning how to pronounce all the Finnish names so much easier. But I found when the book lost momentum, so did the audiobook so I did switch to the Ebook for the last 30% of the book. So I don't think it was a fault of the audiobook specifically but because the story it self could have been 100 Pages shorter.

I think North is the Night is a refreshing and unique idea that fell short on execution.

I tend to be a reader that prefers an evocative and well delivered atmosphere. For a book that is set in a cold and brutal environment, I just didn't feel it. The prose, while pretty, felt lackluster and mundane for me. The Plot and Characters were a step above the atmospheric elements but sadly they only felt mildly engaging.

I do also think, that for my audio book tastes, this one fell short. I felt the narration to be over acted and it pulled me out of the story again and again.

I think North is the Night could work for someone just dipping their toes into the fantasy/folklore genre. For readers who have been immersed in these worlds more widely, this one might feel a bit rudimentary and mismarketed.

Honestly, North is the Night isn't the worst book I've listened to this year, but it's definitely up there. I loved being introduced to folklore and mythology I don't know much about, but overall was just disappointed. Also, this was marketed as being sapphic and that's not correct (and also disappointing lol)