While this isn't my favorite fantasy of the year, I thought the writing was excellent and I loved the folklore incorporated throughout. I thought the pacing was lagging a bit and my attention did start to wane towards the end of the book, but it's gorgeous and wintery and will be a hit at Christmas.

Thank you @kensingtonbooks @netgalley for the e-ARC!

This was my first time reading Emily Rath. I know a few people who love her Jacksonville Rays series, and I was intrigued when I came across a fantasy novel by her.

BOOK REVIEW
North Is The Night by Emily Rath
Publication Date: December 17, 2024

North Is The Night is the first book in a duet. This fantasy adventure follows two young women — Siiri and Aina. I have a gut feeling that in order to fully appreciate this saga-like tale, I will need to read book two. With that said, this was an ok read for me. There were some shining moments and elements that I really enjoyed. Yet, it left me feeling a little hollow.

I loved the Finnish mythology and setting. The world-building is rich and immersive. I’m a novice, but the mythology seemed well-researched and was a focal point of the book.

The writing is strong with dialogue woven into more descriptive writing.

After a strong start, my interest waned in the latter half of the book. I think I mostly struggled with the structure. I felt disconnected to the characters as my focus was frequently shifted between what almost felt like two separate major plot lines. Perhaps, I would have enjoyed this more with one POV up until Siiri and Aina are reunited. This would have provided an opportunity to grow more connected with the plight of the characters.

I did enjoy parts of the characters’ journeys and internal growth, which I think I’ll grow to appreciate more in book two.

My rating: 3.75⭐️

I wasn't sure what t expect going in: having known the author for her spicy hockey romances, this was a bit of a departure, and I was curious! And it didn't disappoint. I loved the nods to Finnish mythology, which shares some similarities with the more familiar Greco-Roman stuff but is also wonderfully distinct. Rath never fails to draw me in with her character-based storytelling, and I was 100% rooting for Siiri and Aina. The world-building was also great, although there is a LOT going on (between the pagan/Christian and Finnish/Swede conflicts and everything Tuonela-based) which meant it was hard to focus on any of those things. That said, I found it a fun and compelling read, and will definitely check out the continuation of the story.

3.5 stars rounded up!

North is the Night is a fantasy novel about two young women separated by an evil death goddess.

Sirri and Aina are simple Finnish girls from a small village when they are attacked by the goddess of death, and Aina is dragged to the underworld. Despondent without her best friend and with no one believing what happened to her—since Finland has begun turning away from the old gods and toward Christianity, the new religion brought by Swedish invaders—Sirri becomes convinced she can save Aina. Determined, she heads north to seek the help of the long-missing shaman Väinämöinen, hoping he can teach her how to cross into Tuonela, the land of the dead. Meanwhile, Aina must fight to save herself and the other mortal girls who have been kidnapped and forced to live in the underworld, as Sirri learns how to cross the veil between life and death.

I enjoyed the first part of this book, where the two women fight to stay alive and find their way back to each other. However, at almost 60 chapters and 600 pages, I found myself losing interest somewhere around the halfway point and hoping the two storylines would wrap up. There are too many gods and goddesses to keep track of, the politics of the underworld is complicated, and there are a lot of double-crosses and hidden agendas to follow, which I didn’t find very intriguing. The romantic storyline also takes some twists and turns. While I appreciate the author making unexpected choices, I didn’t find any of the romance swoony or compelling to read.

Overall, this one started strong, and I enjoyed learning about Finland and its struggle to preserve its culture and religion during a time of invasion by Sweden and the rise of Christianity. However, the pacing felt off for me, and the underworld politics dragged the plot out much longer than necessary.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing | Erewhon Books for this ARC Copy!

I did not know what to expect from this book and I went in completely bling with only the cover to go off of and I am so glad that I did. It was such an immersive dive into the worlds of the living and the dead that constantly left me wanting to read more. I look forward to the next book in the series and to see where things go. The mythology was all new to me so it was fun to learn about all the different gods and traditions as well as see the effects that Christianity had on the people as it was introduced to them. Each of the FMCs showed an immense amount of growth and I really enjoyed following along with their journey.

*spoiler free review*

4⭐️

Ive been an Emily Rath fan since the Jacksonville Ray’s series first came out, so I was extremely intrigued when she announced she would be writing a fantasy duo.

North Is The Night was a fun and exciting dive into Finnish folklore which I wasn’t familiar with at all going into the story. She set up everything very strategically and was able to explain the lore without distracting from the actual plot. I quickly felt like I knew the characters , and also could have a stronger grasp on their backgrounds.

The story felt epic, spanning two worlds and two plots that were separate yet together. Siiri and Aina were so tied to each other that they needed that time apart to discover their own paths.

I do think at times this book seemed to linger and I felt like it dragged the plot out. Things could have happened… faster? I also think there was miscommunication in how the publisher marketed this story. It definitely didn’t feel very sapphic forward as it was made out to be, but as it is a duology I also feel like it’s too soon to speak on this. My other comment is that I wish we could have spent longer moments with each character. Instead of constantly switching back and forth, I think we could have used a few chapters for each before seeing what was happening in the parallel plot line. Not necessarily a turn off for the story, but being able to take a breath with each woman would make the story feel more grounded.

All in all a great foray into fantasy! It definitely peaked my interest in seeing more from Emily in this genre and I’m for sure going to read the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for a review.

WOW! The author had an amazing ability to tell a story that completely captivated me. I love reading books by authors who can weave a tale full of incredible details that truly engage my imagination.

The characterization was excellent. The emotions each one felt came pouring through the pages in a way that made me feel them! Astonishing!

I'd love for Kennsington to mail me a copy of this book. I want to see what the deluxe edition looks like!

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....
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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.

Siiri + Aina

-finnish fantasy
-friends to lovers
-marriage of convenience
-soulmates

i was SUPERRRR intrigued about this when emily started promoting it cause i just could not wait for her touch on sapphic fantasy...when it is COMPLETELYYYY different than all her other contemporary works...nor does it lead very sapphic-y for a long while! & i think if you go into it with those two things in mind, & you enjoy fantasy steeped deep in lore, you'll THOROUGHLY enjoy this!! i was still on the edge of my seat the entire time, & am now chomping at the bits for more of this story (no cliffhanger tho, rest assured) but i was just expecting something different than what we got, even tho the story told here was still an amazingly intriguing one!!

An excellent read that has me quite excited what the next steps foretell! The content is fairly brutal at points, but never felt overwhelmingly so.

It is an exciting story filled with mythology. The two main FMCs are strong-minded and fight to protect those around them. Sometimes, I felt lost, but I eventually figured out what was happening. I enjoyed learning about all the gods and mythological beings. Some of the battles the characters went through were tense and filled with excitement.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the advanced e-arc!!

So my feelings towards the book is very conflicted, on one hand the plot and the characters are rich and unique, the mythology is interesting, the two main characters have great character development, BUT this book is being marketed as a sapphic book, and it unfortunately barely even counts. The two characters spend literally 85% of the book apart, they literally didn’t see each other since chapter 1 and then reunite when there’s less than 90 pages of the book left. We are never shown the actual relationship between the characters, we’re told how close they are but we never actually see that. This could have maybe been solved with having at least a chapter or two at the beginning of the book showing their relationship as childhood friends growing up, which could have made Siiri’s devotion to getting Aina back more understandable, but the whole book, we’re just told that she loves her friend so much so she’ll do anything to get her back. I also don’t even want to touch on Aina’s relationship to Tuoni as it just annoyed me. I will say maybe I should have managed my expectations better because I primarily went into the book looking for a good plot with a good sapphic relationship, and unfortunately the relationship was basically nonexistent. Therefore, if you go into this book expecting a sweeping mythological story with beautiful storytelling and great character development, you’ll definitely get it, but a sapphic romance is not included.

The marketing team really missed the mark on this one. I love Emily Rath and I was VERY excited to give this a read, thinking it was a sapphic fantasy. I didn’t end up finishing it since the book did not meet my expectations. Yes, there are sapphic elements, but it’s NOT what it was marketed as.

Emily Rath writes amazing MM connections and relationships, and I’m hoping to see a real sapphic book from her in the future.

I love Emily Rath's books. As someone who reads mostly romance these days, an almost 600-page Fantasy book was a bit intimidating. Silly me. I should have had faith. Rath does a great job of holding our hand and walking us through the Finnish lore and gods. There is a list of the Gods and Goddess we met at the front of the book. I expected to need to rely on it. I did not reference it once, since Rath weaves her story clearly and incorporates nuggets of information that clarify powers and roles for the reader. This story was beautiful and engaging. Each part is better than the next. Rath hooks the reader, presents some twists and turns, and then wraps the book up with us wanting more. I stayed up late to finish this book, which is a rare occurrence. I cannot wait to read the next installment.

I finished this book yesterday and am still having trouble putting into words all my feelings about it. I LOVED it. The characters are phenomenal. The setting, mythology, and feel of the book are incomparable. The growth and development and sense of self that both main characters experience is beautiful to read. I loved the themes of fighting back against threats to your way of life and owning your power. This book moved me in ways I wasn’t expecting. I can’t wait for the second one and will be telling everyone I know to read North is the Night!

North is the Night by Emily Rath is a beautifully written action-packed adventure of two bonded soul sisters ripped apart from each other by the underworld. The characters, story, and plot is steeped deep in Finnish folklore and paganism, based on the National Kalevela itself. Let me tell you, Greek and Roman mythology are nothing compared to this book!

The story takes place during the Swedish invasion and Christian-led blood persecutions of the Finnish people (whom they called heathens) that believed in the old ways. The Christians gathered the men only and preached of the one true angry, vengeful god; scaring them into submission.

Belief in the pagan gods and goddesses starts to disappear, along with crops and bounty. The villagers are subjected to cruel and painful suffering, wondering if their gods really are dead; as the Christians say.

The gods and shamans became angry and weak, until the epic journey of two fearless best friends Aina and Siiri begins.

Young Finnish girls start being tragically taken from their homes by Kalma, the horned Goddess of death and decay. Kalma delivers them to Tuonela, the wretched underworld tormented by the vile Witch Queen Tuonetar. She and her terrifying daughters brutally torture the mortal maidens until they die. In one scene they are tricked into hunting each other in a dark wood. In Tuonela, nothing is at it seems.

Aina and Siiri are bound at the soul, they are apart of each other. The love they share is unmatched. When Kalma comes to take Siiri, she fights her trying to save Aina, for she can’t live without her. Aina, the quiet one screams TAKE ME INSTEAD! And off she goes in a puff of black smoke that stinks of death and rotten flesh.

Siiri vows to save Aina, by finding The Great Magical Shaman, Väinämöinen, sneaking into the underworld, and bringing them both back where they belong - home.

The book is told in two POV’s one is Aina’s, the other is Siiri. It does get a bit confusing at times because they are both telling different stories, switching back and forth between chapters.
Aina is in the underworld with her Raven, desperately trying to survive, and Siiri is on a dangerous mission, as she travels north in the cold winter with her sacred bear, Kal, battling the elements, gods and goddess, Lumi and her pack of wolves, and hunters hungry for women. She becomes a fierce, skilled killer. Nothing will stop her from helping Aina escape the underworld - even when a God of the greatest power says no.

Siiri can be extremely annoying and persistent like a woodpecker, while Aina turns herself from a shy, scared maiden into a clever warrior, manipulating others if she has to. Both characters are well-written, they change and grow into stronger women. I do like Aina best; she’s developed more and I enjoyed her part of the story. My favorite character in the book is Jakko, the Raven.

The writing style is almost all dialogue between many characters, which gets very repetitive over many chapters. There is too much back and forth about the same exact thing. At times I wanted to shake the characters like “Get to the point!” and “We already know this part!” The book is very easy to read if you prefer dialogue weaved into descriptive writing.

There is a strong learning curve to be able to follow along with all the new characters, places, and things - unless you know your Finnish Folklore or have a basic understanding of Paganism. I often referred to the Finnish Folklore and Paganism guide in the beginning of the book when something new is introduced, like soul magic.

The world building already exists, you’re thrown into it. You learn about it alongside of Aina and Siiri through dialogue and storytelling. There is a lot to learn!

North is the Night is vastly different from Emily Rath’s usual romance books, like Pucking Away. For a first fantasy debut, it’s a great book. It’s twisty and turny, with a bit of brevity to level out the light and dark. Rath focuses on themes of hope. She put a lot of heart into this, and the book is dear to her. It’s not the kind of book that will drag you down into darkness. Instead this story fills you with hope and teaches you to never give up.

Is it outright in your face spicy Sapphic Romance? Not really, but I definitely felt the deepest love between Aina and Siiri. Now, let’s hope they are reunited. You’ll have to read to find out.

I highly recommend reading this book and forming your own opinions. I personally enjoyed North is the Night for exactly what it is.

Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Rath, and ErewhonBooks of Kensington Publishing for the eARC.

I only requested this because it was marketed as being a sapphic book, so I was very disappointed to be mislead and discover it is in fact, not queer. I'm sure this book will be loved by some, but it was not for me.

thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read an ARC of this book!

i went in super excited for a fantasy book based on finnish mythology/folklore and the mythology/folklore was exactly what i wanted it to be. unfortunately i just found it very hard to connect with the story and characters, so after a couple months of trying to push through the book i am finally DNF’ing at about 36% read. i think the very random attempted SA scene sealed the deal for me on this one

I DNF'd this at 23%. The characters felt like shallow charicatures rather than an in-depth person, and it made it hard to connect and want to keep going with the story.

This is a novel written in two voices and Siri and our shaman were my favourite pair. This part was interesting and funny.
Aina's part was lacking in depth and I wasn't convinced with the characters.
I enjoyed all the mythical explanations, I loved getting to know all the gods and goddesses. But I think the novel could have been shorter.
I would give the second part a chance.