Week 2 Review: North is the Night

From Goodreads:

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.

My Review:
Wow, this was such an incredible read! I did mainly listen to the audiobook, but I had purchased a copy of the hardcover just before I started reading it, so when I had an hour left, on a Friday afternoon when I don't typically pick up audiobooks, I tandem read physically while I had the audiobook playing, which was a great experience, since I didn't really know the spelling of all these characters names and places. Still don't, really, but I have a better understanding.



Honestly, if this series results in a threesome, or Aina going back and forth between Siiri and Tuoni. Like she said, he has her heart, but Sirri has her soul. If she isn't made to choose, that would probably be happiest for all involved once they settled into such a relaitonship with one another! I mean, why not, once the threat is passed, once Kal is old enough that she wouldn't be what they threaten him with to make him comply?

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait for the sequel! 

Author: Emily Rath
Series: The Tuonela Duet #1
Read: January 10th, 2025
Source: Bought/NetGalley 
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a 2025 Retelling Reading Challenge Book and a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2025 Book!
Publisher: Erewhon Books/Recorded Books
Published: December 17th 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars