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The Tuonela Duet #1
North Is the Night
Two bold young women defy the gods and mortals, living and dead, in this darkly mythical, Finnish folklore-inspired fantasy duology for readers of T. Kingfisher's Nettle & Bone, Danielle L. Jensen, Thea Guanzon, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec.
In the Finnish wilderness, more than wolves roam the dark forests. For Siiri and Aina, summer’s fading light is a harbinger of unwelcome change. Land-hungry Swedes venture north, threatening the peace; a zealous Christian priest denounces the old ways; and young women have begun to disappear.
Siiri vows to protect Aina from danger. But even Siiri cannot stop a death goddess from dragging her friend to Tuonela, the mythical underworld. Determined to save Aina, Siiri braves a dangerous journey north to seek the greatest shaman of legend, the only person to venture to the realm of death and return alive.
In Tuonela, the cruel Witch Queen turns Aina’s every waking moment into a living nightmare. But armed with compassion and cleverness, Aina learns the truth of her capture: the king of the underworld himself has plans for her. To return home, Aina must bargain her heart—as Siiri plots a daring rescue of the woman she loves the most.
In Tuonela, the cruel Witch Queen turns Aina's every waking moment into a living nightmare. But armed with compassion and cleverness, Aina learns the truth of her the king of the underworld himself has plans for her. To return home, Aina must make a costly bargain—even as Siiri plots a daring rescue.
In this sweeping fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Katherine Arden, Naomi Novik, and H.M. Long, hope and love can conquer even death itself.
In the Finnish wilderness, more than wolves roam the dark forests. For Siiri and Aina, summer’s fading light is a harbinger of unwelcome change. Land-hungry Swedes venture north, threatening the peace; a zealous Christian priest denounces the old ways; and young women have begun to disappear.
Siiri vows to protect Aina from danger. But even Siiri cannot stop a death goddess from dragging her friend to Tuonela, the mythical underworld. Determined to save Aina, Siiri braves a dangerous journey north to seek the greatest shaman of legend, the only person to venture to the realm of death and return alive.
In Tuonela, the cruel Witch Queen turns Aina’s every waking moment into a living nightmare. But armed with compassion and cleverness, Aina learns the truth of her capture: the king of the underworld himself has plans for her. To return home, Aina must bargain her heart—as Siiri plots a daring rescue of the woman she loves the most.
In Tuonela, the cruel Witch Queen turns Aina's every waking moment into a living nightmare. But armed with compassion and cleverness, Aina learns the truth of her the king of the underworld himself has plans for her. To return home, Aina must make a costly bargain—even as Siiri plots a daring rescue.
In this sweeping fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Katherine Arden, Naomi Novik, and H.M. Long, hope and love can conquer even death itself.
18 pages, Audible Audio
First published December 17, 2024
1643 people are currently reading
67478 people want to read
About the author
Emily Rath
25 books10.9k followersEmily Rath is a USA Today and international bestselling author whose chart-topping, sex-positive, queer-inclusive fantasy and romance novels include the Second Sons Regency romances, the Tuonela Duet fantasy novels, and the ‘why choose’ Jacksonville Rays Hockey Romances. A former university professor, she holds PhDs in Political Science and Peace Studies. Emily lives with her husband, son, and cats in the Pacific Northwest. She can be found online at EmilyRathBooks.com, on Instagram @emilyrathauthor and on TikTok @emilyrathbooks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,281 reviews
November 21, 2024
Everything that made me interested in this book turned out to be a lie. It was not sapphic, nor was it feminist in any meaningful sense. Sure the girlies spouted tacky lines about girl power & doing things on their own, but every single key plot development required full reliance on a man. Aina’s power came from an arranged marriage with a male death god, which required kissing to seal the marriage & everything the death god said to sway her to his side felt horrid and manipulative. Siiri’s “girl power” came from murdering at least two men after they almost sexually assaulted her, allying with a bear shaman, and forcing the immortal male shaman to teach her everything he knew for her to save Aina.
Every single antagonist in this is a woman, and they’re not even interesting! Rather they are caricatures of evil. And where the first 10-15% of the book focused all its ire towards the Swedes and their oppressive Christianity on the Finns’ good pagan beliefs, are they the ultimate enemy what with all the effort put into constructing them as such? No! Instead the key enemies are the Sámi, indigenous people that have had their voices, histories, autonomies, lands, and cultures progressively erased by the Finns and Swedes. The abrupt anti-indigenous slant was genuinely horrid to read, with their antagonisms to the main characters poorly developed and cartoonish. It didn’t serve the plot at all — rather it further marginalized the Sámi, rendering them enemies to the “feminist” colonizers.
I wrote the above when I was about 60% through the book, and nothing in the remaining 40% made me change my mind. Stick to writing ur tiktok famous poly & kink-friendly hockey romances pls emily.
EDIT NOV. 2024: *YES* I am aware that this was marketed inaccurately by the agent/publisher. All marketing since has removed any mention of it being sapphic or feminist. That, however, doesn't detract from the core problems I had with the book. Emily's website still emphasizes the queer elements of this book - from FF coming before MF in the tags, to the tags including "so much sapphic longing". I would beg to differ, lol. One chaste kiss at the end, following a whole narrative arc about that arranged marriage and wretched dynamics between Tuoni/Aina - including a graphic description of pregnancy and childbirth (which is not addressed at all in content warnings btw) - does not sapphic make. It still remains absurd that all antagonists with any genuine plot relevance are women, and *especially* are women that have no connection to the laborious setup at the beginning where, as Emily describes in her tags, "Christians are the bad guys". Like good on her for mentioning "cultural genocide" in the content warnings, I guess? Even though the narrative makes clear that the cultural genocide deemed important is that of the Finnish pagan beliefs, rather than the cultural genocide experienced by the Sámi peoples for generations.
tl;dr Updates to the marketing aren't enough to resolve my *actual* criticisms with this novel, which most importantly relate to the depiction of the Sámi - where they're given air time only because they harbor the primary antagonist. And even if this book doesn't market itself as "feminist" anymore, that should *not* shield it from critique for its portrayal of sexist gender dynamics. kthxbai
Every single antagonist in this is a woman, and they’re not even interesting! Rather they are caricatures of evil. And where the first 10-15% of the book focused all its ire towards the Swedes and their oppressive Christianity on the Finns’ good pagan beliefs, are they the ultimate enemy what with all the effort put into constructing them as such? No! Instead the key enemies are the Sámi, indigenous people that have had their voices, histories, autonomies, lands, and cultures progressively erased by the Finns and Swedes. The abrupt anti-indigenous slant was genuinely horrid to read, with their antagonisms to the main characters poorly developed and cartoonish. It didn’t serve the plot at all — rather it further marginalized the Sámi, rendering them enemies to the “feminist” colonizers.
I wrote the above when I was about 60% through the book, and nothing in the remaining 40% made me change my mind. Stick to writing ur tiktok famous poly & kink-friendly hockey romances pls emily.
EDIT NOV. 2024: *YES* I am aware that this was marketed inaccurately by the agent/publisher. All marketing since has removed any mention of it being sapphic or feminist. That, however, doesn't detract from the core problems I had with the book. Emily's website still emphasizes the queer elements of this book - from FF coming before MF in the tags, to the tags including "so much sapphic longing". I would beg to differ, lol. One chaste kiss at the end, following a whole narrative arc about that arranged marriage and wretched dynamics between Tuoni/Aina - including a graphic description of pregnancy and childbirth (which is not addressed at all in content warnings btw) - does not sapphic make. It still remains absurd that all antagonists with any genuine plot relevance are women, and *especially* are women that have no connection to the laborious setup at the beginning where, as Emily describes in her tags, "Christians are the bad guys". Like good on her for mentioning "cultural genocide" in the content warnings, I guess? Even though the narrative makes clear that the cultural genocide deemed important is that of the Finnish pagan beliefs, rather than the cultural genocide experienced by the Sámi peoples for generations.
tl;dr Updates to the marketing aren't enough to resolve my *actual* criticisms with this novel, which most importantly relate to the depiction of the Sámi - where they're given air time only because they harbor the primary antagonist. And even if this book doesn't market itself as "feminist" anymore, that should *not* shield it from critique for its portrayal of sexist gender dynamics. kthxbai
February 21, 2025
4⭐️
Going into this with lower expectations, this actually surprised me. Reading this, I truly was put through a wheel of emotions. I really wish we had book 2 cause I immediately want to jump into it, as I'm so attached to this universe. Don't mind me writing this with tears in my eyes. I had such a good time!
If you know me, then you'll know that anything folklore/mythology is probably going to be a hit for me. I have read reviews stating that this is not entirely accurate towards Finnish folklore. However, I am not rating the book on that, as I never do even with mythology. I think the folklore aspect was so beautiful and I had the time of my life following along with the Finnish folklore gods/goddesses. The world was stunning and this was just such an amazing journey that I had the pleasure of reading.
I don't think I have read a "fantasy" book with such an importance on love and friendship than I have this. Getting both POV's of Siiri and Aina and going along with them as they fight for each other and their love...it made me very emotional. This entire book, actually, had so many heartwarming themes. What these two women did for each other purely because of their love? Beautiful. What the side characters did for their family and those they wished to be kept safe? Beautiful. If you couldn't tell, the word that I would use to describe this book, the world, the characters, the plot, would be beautiful. There was love, grief, friendship, familial bonds; this was so complex, yet so easy to understand and enjoy.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised I enjoyed this as much as I did, given that this author has primarily write contemporary romance. I think that the way this ended set up such an interesting plot for book 2. You best believe that I am going to purchase it ASAP. This book had its slow points, but the messages throughout the book will stick with me for a long time. I'm so happy I decided to pick this up and I would encourage you as well. 💙
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I didn't realize this was the same author who wrote 'Pucking Around' so I'm a bit nervous to see how this goes 😅
Keeping an open mind tho! Maybe it'll surprise me 💙
Going into this with lower expectations, this actually surprised me. Reading this, I truly was put through a wheel of emotions. I really wish we had book 2 cause I immediately want to jump into it, as I'm so attached to this universe. Don't mind me writing this with tears in my eyes. I had such a good time!
If you know me, then you'll know that anything folklore/mythology is probably going to be a hit for me. I have read reviews stating that this is not entirely accurate towards Finnish folklore. However, I am not rating the book on that, as I never do even with mythology. I think the folklore aspect was so beautiful and I had the time of my life following along with the Finnish folklore gods/goddesses. The world was stunning and this was just such an amazing journey that I had the pleasure of reading.
I don't think I have read a "fantasy" book with such an importance on love and friendship than I have this. Getting both POV's of Siiri and Aina and going along with them as they fight for each other and their love...it made me very emotional. This entire book, actually, had so many heartwarming themes. What these two women did for each other purely because of their love? Beautiful. What the side characters did for their family and those they wished to be kept safe? Beautiful. If you couldn't tell, the word that I would use to describe this book, the world, the characters, the plot, would be beautiful. There was love, grief, friendship, familial bonds; this was so complex, yet so easy to understand and enjoy.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised I enjoyed this as much as I did, given that this author has primarily write contemporary romance. I think that the way this ended set up such an interesting plot for book 2. You best believe that I am going to purchase it ASAP. This book had its slow points, but the messages throughout the book will stick with me for a long time. I'm so happy I decided to pick this up and I would encourage you as well. 💙
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I didn't realize this was the same author who wrote 'Pucking Around' so I'm a bit nervous to see how this goes 😅
Keeping an open mind tho! Maybe it'll surprise me 💙
December 22, 2024
It's a dnf and a one star rating from me at around 10%. Maybe I'll finish it one day and write a more in-depth review for everything that was bad about it.
For some context, I'm a Finnish citizen and actually live in Finland, so I'm probably this book's worst enemy.
I'll get to that part in a bit though.
First of all, shame on you for painting the Sámi, the indigenous people of Finland as the bad guys. It's absolutely vile, disgusting and inexcusable .
Second of all, please stop with all the comments saying: "oh what a fun way to learn Finnish culture!"
You don't read fiction to learn about nonfiction.
Sure, it's a "fun" way for some, but don't let someone who writes fluffy hockey smut be the only way you learn about a whole country's culture.😩
Why I'm this book's enemy is simple, it's very difficult to get through because it's so lackluster in storytelling.
There's no descriptions of the characters, or the environment they're in.
Finland is breathtakingly beautiful in winter, yet there's not a single mention of auroras?
If you know Finnish history, the culture, or even the geography of the country, it won't be enjoyable for you.
I feel like this author bit off more than they could chew, and that if they just kept it as pagan vibes it would have done great. Including the Kalevala was obviously big of an ask to come from this author.
It really gave me "of course I did research for my book" when in reality it was <5 mins of reading Wikipedia.
Lastly, I'm not against adaptations or authors writing about Finnish folklore, I have enjoyed other versions of it. This one was just straight up offensive.😩
For some context, I'm a Finnish citizen and actually live in Finland, so I'm probably this book's worst enemy.
I'll get to that part in a bit though.
First of all, shame on you for painting the Sámi, the indigenous people of Finland as the bad guys. It's absolutely vile, disgusting and inexcusable .
Second of all, please stop with all the comments saying: "oh what a fun way to learn Finnish culture!"
You don't read fiction to learn about nonfiction.
Sure, it's a "fun" way for some, but don't let someone who writes fluffy hockey smut be the only way you learn about a whole country's culture.😩
Why I'm this book's enemy is simple, it's very difficult to get through because it's so lackluster in storytelling.
There's no descriptions of the characters, or the environment they're in.
Finland is breathtakingly beautiful in winter, yet there's not a single mention of auroras?
If you know Finnish history, the culture, or even the geography of the country, it won't be enjoyable for you.
I feel like this author bit off more than they could chew, and that if they just kept it as pagan vibes it would have done great. Including the Kalevala was obviously big of an ask to come from this author.
It really gave me "of course I did research for my book" when in reality it was <5 mins of reading Wikipedia.
Lastly, I'm not against adaptations or authors writing about Finnish folklore, I have enjoyed other versions of it. This one was just straight up offensive.😩
Read
January 11, 2025DNF - I loved the book in the beginning but then it went south for me. I hope others enjoy it.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
December 29, 2024
I have to say, I am glad that I got this as an arc so that I did not have to spend my own money on it. I didn’t realise this was written by the Emily Rath of ‘Pucking Around’ until it was too late, and realising it was written by a romance author did explain a fair few things.
We follow Siiri and Aina in two separate but linked stories based on Finnish folklore. An evil demon arrives to take Siiri to the land of the dead, but Aina ends up sacrificing herself instead to protect her best friend. Siiri immediately embarks on a quest to find the lost shaman, Väinämöinen, and convince him to help her travel to and from Tuonela herself and rescue Aina. Meanwhile, Aina finds herself the hostage of Tuonetar, forced to watch her newly found friends get tortured and killed by the evil Witch Queen and her cronies, while desperately trying to find a way to restore balance to Tuonela.
Initially, I was hoping that a folklore-inspired story set in Finland in winter would have some gorgeous prose. Who doesn’t like reading about a snowy forest and the aurora borealis and the old gods? Wrong. From page 1 this was not going to happen. Despite reading the entire book I don’t have a concrete idea of what a single character looks like, nor Finland itself, nor Tuonela. Any mention of any physical descriptors is fleeting and I don’t even get a sense of it being cold - which is insane given it is set in Finnish winter. Tuonela is supposed to have no light so I am left wondering how on earth anyone is supposed to be able to see. Is everyone squiting all the time? Is there some low level glow emanating from the air itself that allows everyone to see? There are 2 thrones - what do they look like? I know we have gold and silver but I need more. Tall? Cushions? What are the arms like? Are they together on a dais? Give me MORE.
Rath also falls victim to the trap of taking a dual POV story and feeling the need to end every single chapter on a cliffhanger. Every semi-important or revealing conversation is interrupted and the air of forced mystery very quickly makes for a dull read. The two voices of Siiri and Aina are also very much the same and so it did always take a second to realise it’d switched despite them being in wildly different places.
The characters also have an odd propensity to speak to animals and truly believe that these animals can understand and communicate back. This may be some Finnish reverence for bears or mythological animals that I don’t understand and hasn’t been communicated well but it just feels a little odd to watch happen time and time again.
Siiri and Aina also seem to fall victim to the gal-palification that plagues many sapphic relationships, but more overt. The way these two women talk about each other, and the things that they are prepared to do for each other and the way other people view them as a pair (a love interest becomes extremely jealous of their attachment to each other as if there is a romantic aspect), screams gay. Yet the narrative seems to shy away from admitting that. They /literally/ went to hell and back for each other. They both admit their souls are tied together, they agree to be joint mothers to this child. Hell they even kiss, and share a bed every night, but no no no they’re just besties. They just love each other platonically bro. I am all for female friendship and I will scream from the rooftops that love does not have to be romantic, but this is written like a sapphic relationship that some christian priest went through and edited to be straight - even throw in a husband and hetero sex scene to be sure - without realising which parts of it were actually the moments of these girls truly loving each other.
And, finally, saving the biggest complaint for last - Rath’s treatment of indigenous people and women. These are two incredibly marginalised groups that at the time when Christian missionaries were coming to Scandinavia were routinely killed.
This is set around the time when Christian missionaries were coming to Scandinavia to preach, and if we have learned nothing from the witch trials of the 1600s, women and indigenous people were not treated kindly by these people. They were denounced as witches and then tortured and killed in their hundreds. And yet, Rath has, for some unknown reason, chosen to take this time period, and make every adult woman that we meet evil, make the single member of the Sámi present, coincidentally a woman, also evil, and every god that we really meet is a goddess (bar one), and is also, you guessed it, evil. The evil women are not just your regular antagonists, they are caricatures of villains. The way they speak and the way they taunt is giving a poorly written disney villain written by a man who’s wife has just left him for being an overgrown child, who keeps saying ‘the divorce came out of nowhere!!’. Every woman we meet is evil, and every woman we meet is a witch to the point that evil and witch and woman become all but synonymous, which feels like a poor-taste choice to make, especially for such a time period.
I was toying with giving it 3 stars, as 2 felt rather mean for someone’s first foray into fantasy, but I could not find a good thing to say about the book itself. I like the idea. That is where my compliments start and end.
We follow Siiri and Aina in two separate but linked stories based on Finnish folklore. An evil demon arrives to take Siiri to the land of the dead, but Aina ends up sacrificing herself instead to protect her best friend. Siiri immediately embarks on a quest to find the lost shaman, Väinämöinen, and convince him to help her travel to and from Tuonela herself and rescue Aina. Meanwhile, Aina finds herself the hostage of Tuonetar, forced to watch her newly found friends get tortured and killed by the evil Witch Queen and her cronies, while desperately trying to find a way to restore balance to Tuonela.
Initially, I was hoping that a folklore-inspired story set in Finland in winter would have some gorgeous prose. Who doesn’t like reading about a snowy forest and the aurora borealis and the old gods? Wrong. From page 1 this was not going to happen. Despite reading the entire book I don’t have a concrete idea of what a single character looks like, nor Finland itself, nor Tuonela. Any mention of any physical descriptors is fleeting and I don’t even get a sense of it being cold - which is insane given it is set in Finnish winter. Tuonela is supposed to have no light so I am left wondering how on earth anyone is supposed to be able to see. Is everyone squiting all the time? Is there some low level glow emanating from the air itself that allows everyone to see? There are 2 thrones - what do they look like? I know we have gold and silver but I need more. Tall? Cushions? What are the arms like? Are they together on a dais? Give me MORE.
Rath also falls victim to the trap of taking a dual POV story and feeling the need to end every single chapter on a cliffhanger. Every semi-important or revealing conversation is interrupted and the air of forced mystery very quickly makes for a dull read. The two voices of Siiri and Aina are also very much the same and so it did always take a second to realise it’d switched despite them being in wildly different places.
The characters also have an odd propensity to speak to animals and truly believe that these animals can understand and communicate back. This may be some Finnish reverence for bears or mythological animals that I don’t understand and hasn’t been communicated well but it just feels a little odd to watch happen time and time again.
Siiri and Aina also seem to fall victim to the gal-palification that plagues many sapphic relationships, but more overt. The way these two women talk about each other, and the things that they are prepared to do for each other and the way other people view them as a pair (a love interest becomes extremely jealous of their attachment to each other as if there is a romantic aspect), screams gay. Yet the narrative seems to shy away from admitting that. They /literally/ went to hell and back for each other. They both admit their souls are tied together, they agree to be joint mothers to this child. Hell they even kiss, and share a bed every night, but no no no they’re just besties. They just love each other platonically bro. I am all for female friendship and I will scream from the rooftops that love does not have to be romantic, but this is written like a sapphic relationship that some christian priest went through and edited to be straight - even throw in a husband and hetero sex scene to be sure - without realising which parts of it were actually the moments of these girls truly loving each other.
And, finally, saving the biggest complaint for last - Rath’s treatment of indigenous people and women. These are two incredibly marginalised groups that at the time when Christian missionaries were coming to Scandinavia were routinely killed.
This is set around the time when Christian missionaries were coming to Scandinavia to preach, and if we have learned nothing from the witch trials of the 1600s, women and indigenous people were not treated kindly by these people. They were denounced as witches and then tortured and killed in their hundreds. And yet, Rath has, for some unknown reason, chosen to take this time period, and make every adult woman that we meet evil, make the single member of the Sámi present, coincidentally a woman, also evil, and every god that we really meet is a goddess (bar one), and is also, you guessed it, evil. The evil women are not just your regular antagonists, they are caricatures of villains. The way they speak and the way they taunt is giving a poorly written disney villain written by a man who’s wife has just left him for being an overgrown child, who keeps saying ‘the divorce came out of nowhere!!’. Every woman we meet is evil, and every woman we meet is a witch to the point that evil and witch and woman become all but synonymous, which feels like a poor-taste choice to make, especially for such a time period.
I was toying with giving it 3 stars, as 2 felt rather mean for someone’s first foray into fantasy, but I could not find a good thing to say about the book itself. I like the idea. That is where my compliments start and end.
January 31, 2025
arc provided in exchange for an honest review.
don't ever compare this to "the bear and the nightingale" ever again.
this book wasn't really my cup of tea. let's start off with the good!! the characters were alright - i did like our two female protagonists most of the time, i thought they were interesting and both were incredibly persistent and never gave up, which is always admirable. plus they were extremely dedicated to each other, but i'll get more into that later...
"come kings and queens, shamans and gods, witches and wolves, siiri and aina will always find their way back to each other."
the world building was nice. the finnish mythology was intriguing and atmospheric, and i liked the majority of the magic and the snowy, dark, winter vibes.
plus i did really like the platonic father-daughter bond, i love grumpy-old-man-and-young-annoying-girl dynamic - i will always eat it up, be it "the last of us", "the witcher", anything. those two were cutie patooties, and i kinda wish the book had centered around them!
"he sighs, shoulders sagging in defeat. "to know you is to love you, siiri jarintyttar."
i smile. "i love you, too, old man."
now we have the not so good. the "romance". *cue the eye twitching*
i didn't know all that much going in - i requested this book from netgalley months ago and then preceded to ignore it for another 4 months after i received a copy. but my god, no one has ever been more confused than me trying to work out whether these girls were in love or just really good friends. and you'd think that's easy to divine - but no. one sec they were sisters, the next they were in love, the next one of them was in love with some other guy - i truly truly could not keep up. and i wasn't really feeling it, to be so honest. i feel either the author should've gone hard with the sapphic vibe and i would've eaten it up, or should've just taken it out, because it felt a bit like a little extra something thrown in at the end, instead of woven into the story.
and i'm not sure it can be called romance - but i wasn't loving whatever was happening between aina and the king of the underworld. it felt very manipulative, very power-imbalance type of relationship. they did not seem healthy, or make much sense at all. i wasn't a fan.
also the plotline. please choose a plot and stick to it - i could not keep up with everything going on, and i fear this book mostly felt like a prequel for book 2, because there were 7 different storylines beginning. there were the evil christians (honestly an interesting plot point for sure - but naturally the least developed), aina being dragged to the underworld, siiri going on a little march north and befriending this old shaman, then a bunch more spoilery plot points but damn... i kinda couldn't keep up. that could be because of my skimming though - so take this criticism with a grain of salt.
"because our lives are measured by the risks we take to help those in need when their need is greatest."
overall, this one was a bit disappointing. thank you nonetheless to the author, publisher and netgalley for the arc copy provided!
don't ever compare this to "the bear and the nightingale" ever again.
this book wasn't really my cup of tea. let's start off with the good!! the characters were alright - i did like our two female protagonists most of the time, i thought they were interesting and both were incredibly persistent and never gave up, which is always admirable. plus they were extremely dedicated to each other, but i'll get more into that later...
"come kings and queens, shamans and gods, witches and wolves, siiri and aina will always find their way back to each other."
the world building was nice. the finnish mythology was intriguing and atmospheric, and i liked the majority of the magic and the snowy, dark, winter vibes.
plus i did really like the platonic father-daughter bond, i love grumpy-old-man-and-young-annoying-girl dynamic - i will always eat it up, be it "the last of us", "the witcher", anything. those two were cutie patooties, and i kinda wish the book had centered around them!
"he sighs, shoulders sagging in defeat. "to know you is to love you, siiri jarintyttar."
i smile. "i love you, too, old man."
now we have the not so good. the "romance". *cue the eye twitching*
i didn't know all that much going in - i requested this book from netgalley months ago and then preceded to ignore it for another 4 months after i received a copy. but my god, no one has ever been more confused than me trying to work out whether these girls were in love or just really good friends. and you'd think that's easy to divine - but no. one sec they were sisters, the next they were in love, the next one of them was in love with some other guy - i truly truly could not keep up. and i wasn't really feeling it, to be so honest. i feel either the author should've gone hard with the sapphic vibe and i would've eaten it up, or should've just taken it out, because it felt a bit like a little extra something thrown in at the end, instead of woven into the story.
and i'm not sure it can be called romance - but i wasn't loving whatever was happening between aina and the king of the underworld. it felt very manipulative, very power-imbalance type of relationship. they did not seem healthy, or make much sense at all. i wasn't a fan.
also the plotline. please choose a plot and stick to it - i could not keep up with everything going on, and i fear this book mostly felt like a prequel for book 2, because there were 7 different storylines beginning. there were the evil christians (honestly an interesting plot point for sure - but naturally the least developed), aina being dragged to the underworld, siiri going on a little march north and befriending this old shaman, then a bunch more spoilery plot points but damn... i kinda couldn't keep up. that could be because of my skimming though - so take this criticism with a grain of salt.
"because our lives are measured by the risks we take to help those in need when their need is greatest."
overall, this one was a bit disappointing. thank you nonetheless to the author, publisher and netgalley for the arc copy provided!
January 3, 2025
*Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audiobook in exchange for an honest review!*
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.
——————————
Two bold young women defy the gods and mortals, living and dead, in this darkly mythical, Finnish folklore-inspired fantasy duology for readers of T. Kingfisher's Nettle & Bone, Danielle L. Jensen, Thea Guanzon, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec.
I'm so curious about thisbook audiobook!
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.
——————————
Two bold young women defy the gods and mortals, living and dead, in this darkly mythical, Finnish folklore-inspired fantasy duology for readers of T. Kingfisher's Nettle & Bone, Danielle L. Jensen, Thea Guanzon, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec.
I'm so curious about this
January 26, 2025
I was very interested to see this book based on Finnish mythology which isn’t something I have seen a lot of. It took me a while to really get into this book but once I did it was quite gripping and I devoured the rest of it in one sitting. This book is about two friends but there is even more than that between them. Girls have been disappearing without a trace. When a monster, who turns out to be goddess, comes for Siiri and Aina they try to run, but in an effort to save her friend Aina takes the goddess’s hand and goes with her to Tuonela. Both young women are in for the adventure of a lifetime as they grow and come into their full power. I really enjoyed this book a lot and can’t wait for the sequel. The characters were so well written and compelling, I need to know what happens to them next.
December 23, 2024
firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and alc — i will share a note that the formatting of the arc was not great and took away from my reading experience.
this was not the best but also not the worst book i’ve read in 2024. i did read that it was mistakenly marketed as sapphic when it truly was not, and that did disappoint me as reading siiri’s pov you can tell that aina is more than a friend to her.
i did enjoy the different insight to finnish folklore and mythology, and the dual narration, though!
this was not the best but also not the worst book i’ve read in 2024. i did read that it was mistakenly marketed as sapphic when it truly was not, and that did disappoint me as reading siiri’s pov you can tell that aina is more than a friend to her.
i did enjoy the different insight to finnish folklore and mythology, and the dual narration, though!
February 9, 2025
4.25⭐️North Is The Night was whimsical and enchanting, the setting of a winter forest and the dark underworld was perfect!
Both main characters Aina and Siiri had distinctive personalities and journeys, neither storyline was slow or boring, the both had my interest and every time I had to put the book down I couldn’t wait to get back to it.
The story was perfectly paced and engaging and I am so excited for book 2, the only reason it didn’t get a full 5⭐️ from me was because the sapphic romance didn’t feel believable, it might have been their conversation about getting married one day but I truly thought it was sisterly love, I’m pretty sure one calls the other “like a sister” at some point.
I was picking up on Siiri’s feelings but I didn’t get that vibe from Aina so I was truly shocked when it went that way.
I might be biased because I was rooting for the love sick God of death ha!
Both main characters Aina and Siiri had distinctive personalities and journeys, neither storyline was slow or boring, the both had my interest and every time I had to put the book down I couldn’t wait to get back to it.
The story was perfectly paced and engaging and I am so excited for book 2, the only reason it didn’t get a full 5⭐️ from me was because the sapphic romance didn’t feel believable, it might have been their conversation about getting married one day but I truly thought it was sisterly love, I’m pretty sure one calls the other “like a sister” at some point.
I was picking up on Siiri’s feelings but I didn’t get that vibe from Aina so I was truly shocked when it went that way.
I might be biased because I was rooting for the love sick God of death ha!
December 19, 2024
Who the fuck is rating this book five stars, I don't trust their judgement. I have to admit, I’m relieved this was free on KU; I wouldn’t want to part with my hard-earned money for this. I had medium hopes it wouldn't be terrible because it was marketed as folklore-inspired fantasy with romance and sapphic subplots, story set in Finland, which like, when ever do we see stuff set in Finland?
We are dropped into the middle of a conversation between Siiri and Ainaa and by the end of chapter two, these are very short chapters, btw, Ainaa has been kidnapped. It quickly became apparent how little world-building there was. I couldn't conjure a single image of what Finland in winter or Tuonela, or even what Siiri or Ainaa for that matter—looked like. I expected vibrant landscapes and snowy magical realms, but got vague descriptions left me wondering how tf this was marketed as a fantasy. How is it possible to set a story in a wintersape and never even mention snow once? Also in land of the dead and I don't even know what that means because the descriptions lacked so much. The dual POV is also a misfire, every chapter ending on a cliffhanger to get the reader to keep turning pages is in fact, NOT how to be a good writer, I should be turning pages because I'm so engaged, I was actually turning pages to end the torture.
Also what the fuck was with all the talking to themselves and to creatures in the forest, people CAN in fact have internal monologues, but it felt like Rath didn't know how to write a personality so she had to make the FMCs talk to things to get the reader to understand, again this comes back to Rath telling us rather than showing us through the story development and writing.
Now, let’s discuss the treatment of women and indigenous people. The narrative took a turn for the worse by reducing every adult woman to a villainous stereotype. Is it too much to ask for complexity? This book seems to think so. The Sámi representation was not only poor, but it also leaned into damaging tropes that further marginalized an already oppressed group.
Speaking of not being able to show us, the prose was dry and uninspired. I wanted to feel for Siiri and Aina’s relationship, I wanted to feel their relationship, but instead, I was told they loved each other without any emotional investment. It’s hard to recognize feminist undertones when the females are caricatures of evil and the only way to gain power seems to hinge on their relationships with men.
Honestly, between the transphobia and the misogyny that was enough to DNF this but I have to be real, for an author who has made millions profiting off the fetishization of MM sex in her previous romances, a lived identity she DOES not have, I was expecting there to be more sapphic romance and spice. Just another problematic book with harmful representation in Raths backlist.
We are dropped into the middle of a conversation between Siiri and Ainaa and by the end of chapter two, these are very short chapters, btw, Ainaa has been kidnapped. It quickly became apparent how little world-building there was. I couldn't conjure a single image of what Finland in winter or Tuonela, or even what Siiri or Ainaa for that matter—looked like. I expected vibrant landscapes and snowy magical realms, but got vague descriptions left me wondering how tf this was marketed as a fantasy. How is it possible to set a story in a wintersape and never even mention snow once? Also in land of the dead and I don't even know what that means because the descriptions lacked so much. The dual POV is also a misfire, every chapter ending on a cliffhanger to get the reader to keep turning pages is in fact, NOT how to be a good writer, I should be turning pages because I'm so engaged, I was actually turning pages to end the torture.
Also what the fuck was with all the talking to themselves and to creatures in the forest, people CAN in fact have internal monologues, but it felt like Rath didn't know how to write a personality so she had to make the FMCs talk to things to get the reader to understand, again this comes back to Rath telling us rather than showing us through the story development and writing.
Now, let’s discuss the treatment of women and indigenous people. The narrative took a turn for the worse by reducing every adult woman to a villainous stereotype. Is it too much to ask for complexity? This book seems to think so. The Sámi representation was not only poor, but it also leaned into damaging tropes that further marginalized an already oppressed group.
Speaking of not being able to show us, the prose was dry and uninspired. I wanted to feel for Siiri and Aina’s relationship, I wanted to feel their relationship, but instead, I was told they loved each other without any emotional investment. It’s hard to recognize feminist undertones when the females are caricatures of evil and the only way to gain power seems to hinge on their relationships with men.
Honestly, between the transphobia and the misogyny that was enough to DNF this but I have to be real, for an author who has made millions profiting off the fetishization of MM sex in her previous romances, a lived identity she DOES not have, I was expecting there to be more sapphic romance and spice. Just another problematic book with harmful representation in Raths backlist.
March 24, 2025
This was just bad. An average fantasy story with some elements of the Finnish mythology and vocabulary slapped on top of it. Finnish names and words were used in a clumsy, inconsistent way that makes me wonder whether this was approved by anyone who speaks the language fluently. I'm not an expert on the mythology or Kalevala but I didn't appreciate how those elements and characters were used. For example, Väinämöinen is portrayed as this perfect hero and an innocent victim, since cruel Aino refused to marry him?? Absolutely not.
The plot is predictable and the writing is incredibly frustrating — it's all telling, not showing. There's so much dialogue, the characters say everything aloud — what they're feeling, thinking, doing — leaving no room for the reader to interpret things. And for a story set in fantasy version of Finland, you'd think there'd at least be some beautifully written descriptions of wintry forests, the darkness, and the northern lights? Wrong. I feel like nothing was really described, which made it really hard to picture some of the locations, such as Tuonela. The book was written in two POVs, changing pretty much every chapter. I usually like this choice, but since the chapters were quite short and almost always ended on a cliffhanger of sorts, my reading experience was quite tiring. That just seems like a desperate effort to keep the reader hooked, whereas a skillful writer would use such literary devices more sparingly.
Off to the thing that bothered me the most: the antagonists. In the beginning it's Swedes and Christianity, but pretty soon they're basically forgotten and for the majority of the story the villains are Tuonetar, witches, and Sámi. What an incredibly wild and harmful choice to portray the indigenous people as enemies. I truly cannot fathom what the author was thinking, or how this got through editing. And it doesn't even serve a purpose in the story, since Sámi pretty much appear in one scene and don't have a role to play for the rest of the book.
I was really bothered by the portrayal of Tuonetar and the other witches/goddesses as well. First of all, why are all the antagonists women? They're not even believable characters, but rather exaggerated, one dimensional villains who are evil just for the sake of being evil. There's no depth, they're not interesting. It's so unfair, especially since male characters, Väinämöinen and Tuoni, are (mostly) portrayed as the good guys with depth and multidimensionality.
And finally, why the hell was this marketed as a sapphic romance? According to the author's website, there's "so much sapphic yearning". Nope. There's one kiss. The (possibly romantic) relationship between the main girls is left undeveloped while the main focus is on a F/M arranged marriage with a questionable power dynamic. Such as weird choice to hint at a sapphic romance, and lean towards it in marketing but then not fully commit to it. As far as I understand the author is well known for writing M/M romances, so why not finally do a justice to a F/F one?
The plot is predictable and the writing is incredibly frustrating — it's all telling, not showing. There's so much dialogue, the characters say everything aloud — what they're feeling, thinking, doing — leaving no room for the reader to interpret things. And for a story set in fantasy version of Finland, you'd think there'd at least be some beautifully written descriptions of wintry forests, the darkness, and the northern lights? Wrong. I feel like nothing was really described, which made it really hard to picture some of the locations, such as Tuonela. The book was written in two POVs, changing pretty much every chapter. I usually like this choice, but since the chapters were quite short and almost always ended on a cliffhanger of sorts, my reading experience was quite tiring. That just seems like a desperate effort to keep the reader hooked, whereas a skillful writer would use such literary devices more sparingly.
Off to the thing that bothered me the most: the antagonists. In the beginning it's Swedes and Christianity, but pretty soon they're basically forgotten and for the majority of the story the villains are Tuonetar, witches, and Sámi. What an incredibly wild and harmful choice to portray the indigenous people as enemies. I truly cannot fathom what the author was thinking, or how this got through editing. And it doesn't even serve a purpose in the story, since Sámi pretty much appear in one scene and don't have a role to play for the rest of the book.
I was really bothered by the portrayal of Tuonetar and the other witches/goddesses as well. First of all, why are all the antagonists women? They're not even believable characters, but rather exaggerated, one dimensional villains who are evil just for the sake of being evil. There's no depth, they're not interesting. It's so unfair, especially since male characters, Väinämöinen and Tuoni, are (mostly) portrayed as the good guys with depth and multidimensionality.
And finally, why the hell was this marketed as a sapphic romance? According to the author's website, there's "so much sapphic yearning". Nope. There's one kiss. The (possibly romantic) relationship between the main girls is left undeveloped while the main focus is on a F/M arranged marriage with a questionable power dynamic. Such as weird choice to hint at a sapphic romance, and lean towards it in marketing but then not fully commit to it. As far as I understand the author is well known for writing M/M romances, so why not finally do a justice to a F/F one?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2024
Two friends go on epic adventures after one is snatched by the gods to Tuonela, the Finnish underworld.
This book feels like it starts quickly, but the exposition takes you to the halfway point before things get interesting. This whole book ends up feeling like a prelude to book 2. There’s a lot of world-building here. In fact, I’m hoping that the meat and potatoes story of this duology is in South is the Sea.
I don’t know that I would classify this as “sapphic romantasy.” I would say this is a fantasy with sapphic content. But you should be warned that there is MF content in these pages. In fact, I think that should be a trigger warning for all the sapphic women for whom a man in the mix is a dealbreaker.
In fact, I’m hoping we get a lot more (about 100x more) sapphic content in South is the Sea. My hopes and dreams are pretty much pinned on this story going the way Emily’s set me up to ask her for. Be prepared for the scarcest love crumbles between our characters in the meantime.
For me, the reason I loved this story was the fantasy element. Emily treated us to a rich portrayal of Finnish paganism and it was a beautiful journey. I especially loved the storyline with the Christian invaders trying to wrest the Finns away from their native religion.
I also loved our ladies, but I must confess I loved Siiri more than Aina. Siiri gives big masc top vibes, and her protective instincts drive this book. I can’t decide if I want to be her or be with her. The sapphic woman’s big question in her daily life, I suppose.
Also, we are treated to evidence of the bear vs man debate. Siiri meets a bear and a man in the woods. Guess which one is the threat?
Anyway, I tore through this book and you will too. Read it when it comes out and then we can both wait eagerly for the shenanigans to continue in South is the Sea.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
POV: Dual 1st Present
This book feels like it starts quickly, but the exposition takes you to the halfway point before things get interesting. This whole book ends up feeling like a prelude to book 2. There’s a lot of world-building here. In fact, I’m hoping that the meat and potatoes story of this duology is in South is the Sea.
I don’t know that I would classify this as “sapphic romantasy.” I would say this is a fantasy with sapphic content. But you should be warned that there is MF content in these pages. In fact, I think that should be a trigger warning for all the sapphic women for whom a man in the mix is a dealbreaker.
In fact, I’m hoping we get a lot more (about 100x more) sapphic content in South is the Sea. My hopes and dreams are pretty much pinned on this story going the way Emily’s set me up to ask her for. Be prepared for the scarcest love crumbles between our characters in the meantime.
For me, the reason I loved this story was the fantasy element. Emily treated us to a rich portrayal of Finnish paganism and it was a beautiful journey. I especially loved the storyline with the Christian invaders trying to wrest the Finns away from their native religion.
I also loved our ladies, but I must confess I loved Siiri more than Aina. Siiri gives big masc top vibes, and her protective instincts drive this book. I can’t decide if I want to be her or be with her. The sapphic woman’s big question in her daily life, I suppose.
Also, we are treated to evidence of the bear vs man debate. Siiri meets a bear and a man in the woods. Guess which one is the threat?
Anyway, I tore through this book and you will too. Read it when it comes out and then we can both wait eagerly for the shenanigans to continue in South is the Sea.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
POV: Dual 1st Present
December 26, 2024
All of the problems would be solved if this book was a “why choose”
December 5, 2024
3.25 or 3.5 stars?
There are a lot of things going on in this book, and unfortunately the combination ended up not working for me. I think if it had stuck to 1 or 2 it could have been great. I'm going to be a little vague at the beginning of my review, and then get into spoilers after adding a break because I don't think I can fully explain my issues without spoilers.
So, all the things going on:
-A storyline where one girl (Siiri) tries to save another (Aina) who was stolen by a death goddess and must travel to the Finnish version of the Underworld (Tuonela)
-An overarching threat to Finns in general from encroaching Swedes and their new Christian god
-A whole story in the Underworld about why it's crumbling into chaos and affecting the world above and how that needs to be solved/saved
-The quest involving gods and shamans and training
-AND if you're picking this up because someone told you it was sapphic....you may be disappointed.
Ok adding breaks here for spoilery discussion....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
So, one, this is barely sapphic. Siiri loves Aina, but Aina loves Siiri much more platonically (we get a little more at the end, but I'm still not convinced Aina loves Siiri in that way. )
I was initially very engaged with Siiri's quest as she traveled north to save Aina. The bear and the shaman storyline was very interesting. However, the chapters alternate between Aina and Siiri the whole time. So we know what's going on with Aina at the same time. And come to find out, Aina can basically save herself. When it got to that point in her storyline, I became MUCH less interested in Siiri's and honestly kind of wanted Siiri to give up or fail because I was not at all sold on them.
Aina is helped to save herself and the god of death (Tuoni) by freeing him and marrying him. And I was rooting her on! She finds confidence and strength and power and learns to wield it. She becomes freaking Queen of Tuonela! And I LIKED her relationship with Tuoni. I feel so bad for him when Siiri finally comes and they leave together.
I know the end is supposed to feel triumphant and girl power and sapphic, but damn I did not care anymore by the time we got there. And I'm not invested enough to continue to see Siiri and Aina lead some resurgence of the Finns to defeat the Swedes. And again, I was so much more convinced of Tuoni and Aina's relationship than anything about Siiri and Aina.
END SPOILERS
Anyway, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.
There are a lot of things going on in this book, and unfortunately the combination ended up not working for me. I think if it had stuck to 1 or 2 it could have been great. I'm going to be a little vague at the beginning of my review, and then get into spoilers after adding a break because I don't think I can fully explain my issues without spoilers.
So, all the things going on:
-A storyline where one girl (Siiri) tries to save another (Aina) who was stolen by a death goddess and must travel to the Finnish version of the Underworld (Tuonela)
-An overarching threat to Finns in general from encroaching Swedes and their new Christian god
-A whole story in the Underworld about why it's crumbling into chaos and affecting the world above and how that needs to be solved/saved
-The quest involving gods and shamans and training
-AND if you're picking this up because someone told you it was sapphic....you may be disappointed.
Ok adding breaks here for spoilery discussion....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
So, one, this is barely sapphic. Siiri loves Aina, but Aina loves Siiri much more platonically (we get a little more at the end, but I'm still not convinced Aina loves Siiri in that way. )
I was initially very engaged with Siiri's quest as she traveled north to save Aina. The bear and the shaman storyline was very interesting. However, the chapters alternate between Aina and Siiri the whole time. So we know what's going on with Aina at the same time. And come to find out, Aina can basically save herself. When it got to that point in her storyline, I became MUCH less interested in Siiri's and honestly kind of wanted Siiri to give up or fail because I was not at all sold on them.
Aina is helped to save herself and the god of death (Tuoni) by freeing him and marrying him. And I was rooting her on! She finds confidence and strength and power and learns to wield it. She becomes freaking Queen of Tuonela! And I LIKED her relationship with Tuoni. I feel so bad for him when Siiri finally comes and they leave together.
I know the end is supposed to feel triumphant and girl power and sapphic, but damn I did not care anymore by the time we got there. And I'm not invested enough to continue to see Siiri and Aina lead some resurgence of the Finns to defeat the Swedes. And again, I was so much more convinced of Tuoni and Aina's relationship than anything about Siiri and Aina.
END SPOILERS
Anyway, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.
February 9, 2025
Picking up North is the Night, it was my first time reading a book by Emily Rath, and while at first I was a little wary, as I had seem some negative reviews and know the author normally writes contemporaries, I was absolutely blown away at how well written this fantasy story is. From the first chapter, I found myself immersed in the setting and story, in thanks to the writing style. I truly am so impressed that this is the author's first time writing fantasy. North is the Night reads as a beautiful, folklore infused epic. It reminded me of many Greek myths, such as that of Orpheus and Eurydice, as well as Hades and Persephone. It also had similarities to other old tales, such as East of the Sun and West of the Moon. It even reminded me of some modern books, such as the Bear and the Nightingale. Overall, I was completely blown away by the fantasy storyline of this book. I can't wait to see where it goes in book two. I'm also inspired to read Kalevala, the poem this book is based on.
All of that being said, this book does have one glaring issue, and that is the romance. The romance of this book is very muddy and confusing. North is the Night was marketed as sapphic, but reviewers immediately started saying that it wasn't and this book is a problematic heterosexual romance. What's weird is that both parties are kind of right. To end the confusion, let me say that this book is sapphic. At first it's a little unclear, as it is a friends-to-lovers storyline that could be read as platonic, but it does build up to a romantic relationship. And even in its platonic stages, Aina and Siiri's devotion to one another is beautiful. That being said, there is also a M/F romance in this book involving one of the women from the F/F relationship, and I don't think I'll know how to feel about this inclusion until this series concludes. While there is nothing wrong with polyamorous relationships, I'm not sure if that is what this is. I cannot tell if the M/F romance is supposed to be a poly-inclusion to the existing F/F romance, or if it is supposed to be a hurdle for the F/F relationship to overcome. And that is because the man in the M/F relationship is written with some problematic tendencies. Aina repeatedly has to convince this man to allow her free will and talk him down from "taking what he wants". So while I have nothing wrong with a poly love story, and believe it still deserves to be labelled as queer, I do have issues with the power imbalance between the M/F relationship presented in this story. I'm interested to see where these relationships go, and I believe how they resolve with help me determine if I have an issue with the romance in this story or not.
Also, side comment, while I have absolutely no issue with this book being marketed as sapphic, as it is, it was also marketed as "Sansa/Arya but sapphic," which I think truly is weird, as those women are siblings.
But for now, while I found the M/F romantic plot to drag in the middle of this book, I otherwise really enjoyed it. The fantasy story itself is absolutely beautiful, and I'm quite curious to see how all these relationships develop and what the author says about love and power in the next novel.
Thank you to RB Media for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!
All of that being said, this book does have one glaring issue, and that is the romance. The romance of this book is very muddy and confusing. North is the Night was marketed as sapphic, but reviewers immediately started saying that it wasn't and this book is a problematic heterosexual romance. What's weird is that both parties are kind of right. To end the confusion, let me say that this book is sapphic. At first it's a little unclear, as it is a friends-to-lovers storyline that could be read as platonic, but it does build up to a romantic relationship. And even in its platonic stages, Aina and Siiri's devotion to one another is beautiful. That being said, there is also a M/F romance in this book involving one of the women from the F/F relationship, and I don't think I'll know how to feel about this inclusion until this series concludes. While there is nothing wrong with polyamorous relationships, I'm not sure if that is what this is. I cannot tell if the M/F romance is supposed to be a poly-inclusion to the existing F/F romance, or if it is supposed to be a hurdle for the F/F relationship to overcome. And that is because the man in the M/F relationship is written with some problematic tendencies. Aina repeatedly has to convince this man to allow her free will and talk him down from "taking what he wants". So while I have nothing wrong with a poly love story, and believe it still deserves to be labelled as queer, I do have issues with the power imbalance between the M/F relationship presented in this story. I'm interested to see where these relationships go, and I believe how they resolve with help me determine if I have an issue with the romance in this story or not.
Also, side comment, while I have absolutely no issue with this book being marketed as sapphic, as it is, it was also marketed as "Sansa/Arya but sapphic," which I think truly is weird, as those women are siblings.
But for now, while I found the M/F romantic plot to drag in the middle of this book, I otherwise really enjoyed it. The fantasy story itself is absolutely beautiful, and I'm quite curious to see how all these relationships develop and what the author says about love and power in the next novel.
Thank you to RB Media for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!
December 16, 2024
authors if you’re going to post art of girls kissing to promote a book i then need the book to actually be queer as in women wanting each other the same way they want the cis men they fuck in the same book not this #softgirllove bffs who kiss gently one time bullshit. I WANT SCISSORING! PASSION! A REAL F/F/M LOVE TRIANGLE! GET QUEER!!!! GET GAY!!!!! GET FREAKY!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2024
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.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2025
It’s strange to me that I got 520 pages into a book that has been marketed as a sapphic romance and the “sapphic couple” had been separated since page 20, one of them spent the entire book married to a man, with multiple straight sex scenes, and finally when they are reunited they share a kiss and a “life together” but the presumably lesbian character has to stand by and watch as the bisexual character confesses her true love and affection for her husband. but it’s okay because she followed it up with “but I also love her🥺”
look, I just think if you’re going to label something as sapphic romance then give me an actual sapphic romance. don’t give me two women who refer to each other as best friends the entire book whilst one of them spends the entirety of the book in love with a man whilst her lesbian lover sacrifices her life together save her for essentially nothing in return. this felt very much like “I’ll label it as sapphic to draw in queer readers but make it so straight that I don’t isolate all of my other readers.” there is a way you can write bisexual characters without falling into harmful stereotypes of: cheating, stringing along lesbian characters, falling back on the reliance of comfort within straightness. this book was painful to read as a lesbian and truly I wouldn’t even consider this to be sapphic because the way it was written was so poor and harmful.
look, I just think if you’re going to label something as sapphic romance then give me an actual sapphic romance. don’t give me two women who refer to each other as best friends the entire book whilst one of them spends the entirety of the book in love with a man whilst her lesbian lover sacrifices her life together save her for essentially nothing in return. this felt very much like “I’ll label it as sapphic to draw in queer readers but make it so straight that I don’t isolate all of my other readers.” there is a way you can write bisexual characters without falling into harmful stereotypes of: cheating, stringing along lesbian characters, falling back on the reliance of comfort within straightness. this book was painful to read as a lesbian and truly I wouldn’t even consider this to be sapphic because the way it was written was so poor and harmful.
December 30, 2024
4.5 stars! I loved this book and the audio was really well done. This is a Finnish folklore inspired fantasy and I really loved it.
I was pulled in by the characters and plot and just along for the ride with them. We get death gods, tricks, animal characters along the journey, and searching for a friend. I was highly invested! A little on the long side towards the end but then it picked back up and wrapped it up so well.
I received an audio ALC, all thoughts in this review are my own.
I was pulled in by the characters and plot and just along for the ride with them. We get death gods, tricks, animal characters along the journey, and searching for a friend. I was highly invested! A little on the long side towards the end but then it picked back up and wrapped it up so well.
I received an audio ALC, all thoughts in this review are my own.
March 8, 2024
ARC granted to me by Edelweiss! 3.5 stars, rounded up!
An intricate, vivid, exciting dive into the world of Finnish mythology! Between “folklore” and “sapphic romantasy” (something the genre is sorely lacking), I knew “North is the Night” would captivate me… and captivate it did! I devoured this book!
However, it is definitely not a romantic fantasy… at least, not between Aina and Siiri. Aina’s romance and marriage to Tuoni, god of death, was complex and compelling and sexy, classic romantasy. Siiri’s love and devotion to Aina was beautiful and heart-wrenching and tragic. The way Aina treated Siiri, however, hurt my heart. Utterly lukewarm. My poor, badass lesbian shaman deserved so much better!
I found Aina very fickle in general, and wouldn’t have made it through the book after the marriage except for Siiri’s chapters. If a book is billed as a sapphic romantasy, I want to read sapphic romance. I still liked the book, however I was frustrated by the lack of wlw outside of Siiri’s seemingly-unrequited pining, one unconvincing kiss (after many spicy kisses between Aina and Tuoni), and some platitudes.
There is also a surprise pregnancy 75% of the way through the book (or surprise to the reader at least?) It’s probably right out of folklore, so I won’t take a point away, but I hated it with every fiber of my being :)
An intricate, vivid, exciting dive into the world of Finnish mythology! Between “folklore” and “sapphic romantasy” (something the genre is sorely lacking), I knew “North is the Night” would captivate me… and captivate it did! I devoured this book!
However, it is definitely not a romantic fantasy… at least, not between Aina and Siiri. Aina’s romance and marriage to Tuoni, god of death, was complex and compelling and sexy, classic romantasy. Siiri’s love and devotion to Aina was beautiful and heart-wrenching and tragic. The way Aina treated Siiri, however, hurt my heart. Utterly lukewarm. My poor, badass lesbian shaman deserved so much better!
I found Aina very fickle in general, and wouldn’t have made it through the book after the marriage except for Siiri’s chapters. If a book is billed as a sapphic romantasy, I want to read sapphic romance. I still liked the book, however I was frustrated by the lack of wlw outside of Siiri’s seemingly-unrequited pining, one unconvincing kiss (after many spicy kisses between Aina and Tuoni), and some platitudes.
There is also a surprise pregnancy 75% of the way through the book (or surprise to the reader at least?) It’s probably right out of folklore, so I won’t take a point away, but I hated it with every fiber of my being :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2025
She had a strong start but sadly lost momentum as we went. RIP.
I liked the Finnish folklore weaved in throughout the story and the two POV storylines across the mortal realm/Tuonela. Unfortunately what fell flat for me were the character relationships and chemistry. I didn't believe any romance storyline which just took me out of the book.
I'm intrigued enough by where it ends off to read book 2, but not rushing for it by any means.
I liked the Finnish folklore weaved in throughout the story and the two POV storylines across the mortal realm/Tuonela. Unfortunately what fell flat for me were the character relationships and chemistry. I didn't believe any romance storyline which just took me out of the book.
I'm intrigued enough by where it ends off to read book 2, but not rushing for it by any means.
December 16, 2025
3.5
What a silly goofy holly jolly time.
What a silly goofy holly jolly time.
January 8, 2025
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.
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dnf
June 5, 2025DNF at 5%
I don't know what I'm in the mood for, but it's not for this.
I don't know what I'm in the mood for, but it's not for this.
July 9, 2025
Apparently, my rating is in the minority since so many others gave it poor ones. I almost didn't listen to this book due to the other reviews. I'm glad I did anyway, though, because I had so much fun with this story! I loved the contrast between the worlds, the characters, and good vs. evil, and living vs. dead vs. immortal!! It was all very fascinating to me! And of course, I just adored the crap outta Siiri and Aina!! Their bond was fierce in the best of ways and just so beautiful! Hopefully, there will be more to come.
February 18, 2025
I went in to the story with high hopes, but to be honest, it was a chore to finish it. It took me several months. There were many things that simply just didn't work for me, but the most annoying one was jumping from one POV to the other one, when the story finally got a tiny bit interesting. Way to smother any enjoyment. And I don't know, what happened, but I just couldn't vibe with author's writing style, though I liked her previous books very much. The story is advertised as a sapphic ride in the Finnish underworld, but the relationship between the MCs felt underdeveloped, more friendly than anything else, especially since they were separated for most of the story. And I felt more feelings between, ok, that would be a spoiler, so I'm just going to shut up and leave it at that. 2.5/5
January 8, 2025
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.
Thank you Netgalley as well as RBmedia for the audio-arc! **all opinions are my own**
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.
Thank you Netgalley as well as RBmedia for the audio-arc! **all opinions are my own**
March 26, 2025
If the audiobook for this hasn't been read with the worst rallienglanti accent you've ever heard I'm gonna riot.
There's a lot to critique here, but I can't be bothered to write it all out. So I'm just going to give a few pointers:
- Siiri: "I'm an independent woman who needs no man. I'm gonna go find a man to help me save the world."
- That man is Väinämöinen. A known feminist. (I am being sarcastic.)
- Maybe don't put the Sámi people into your book just to depict them as villainous
- If you decide to use Finnish words in your book the least you could do is check the spelling and grammar
- None of the relationships had any spark in them, the plot was all over the place and the problem was always how one character didn't want to answer another character's questions!!
There's a lot to critique here, but I can't be bothered to write it all out. So I'm just going to give a few pointers:
- Siiri: "I'm an independent woman who needs no man. I'm gonna go find a man to help me save the world."
- That man is Väinämöinen. A known feminist. (I am being sarcastic.)
- Maybe don't put the Sámi people into your book just to depict them as villainous
- If you decide to use Finnish words in your book the least you could do is check the spelling and grammar
- None of the relationships had any spark in them, the plot was all over the place and the problem was always how one character didn't want to answer another character's questions!!
March 1, 2025
No f**king way did a book labelled as “sapphic” have me rooting for a cis couple for a while. This book was such a letdown. Emily Rath’s 2025 resolution should be to speak to actual lesbians. What in the Mormon queer baiting was this dumpster fire?
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