Slightly rounded up because while it wasn't bad, I found some difficulty and issues through it.

The Finnish folklore was good and I don't know enough about it to know how accurate it was but it was enjoyable in the story. The problem I had was she mentioned the Sámi people (woohoo!) but it wasn't done in an especially impactful or complimentary way. So why do it?
There were a number of places where the dialogue was weird. Like "I want to make sure to mention this legend and folktale. I know, throw it in this conversation." So it was just...off. and some of the character relationships were weird in the end. Like Siiri spends a few weeks with this shaman character learning the magic and before he dies he's like "let me call you daughter just once." Totally not weird and a super organic thing to throw out there.

Half the plot is the Swedes are displacing the Finns and spreading Christianity, removing the old gods and religion. Actually a quarter of the plot is more accurate. This might grow more in the next book...I hope so at least otherwise I don't really get the point.
The rest is half Siiri trying to rescue Aina from the realm of death after she's taken and Aina in the realm of death trying not to die, break curses and not get murdered.

The 'sapphic' aspect is really just one character pining for the other and the other eventually being like 'She's my soul' but still kind of platonic. Like when people being would say "They're just good friends. And they share a bed to save space in the house."

*Edited to add* When I picked up North is the Night, there was an emphasis on the sapphic aspect that has since been removed. With this I have to echo what I believe many others are saying: If you go into this expecting a properly sapphic romance, you are going to be disappointed.
The publisher has since removed mention of this as a focal point on the blurb. With the published version differing from the ARC that I was sent, some of this may not necessarily track with the final, now available editions.

North is the Night sees Siiri battle witches and gods to save her Aina from the realm of death.

It was an unexpected gem from Emily Rath and a complete departure from the Pucking Around series. Steeped in folklore it sweeps you north across the Finnish landscape and down into Tuonela, the underworld. Its always interesting when an author tries a new direction and genre and she completely pulled it off. Whilst love is a core theme, the characters have distinct arcs and growth, in part as they spend so much of the novel separated by death. The world building quickly gets you up to speed with the mythology it's based in, whilst keeping one foot solidly in the land of the living.

I had a few technical glitches with the electronic version, hopefully it's just a me thing and won't be a wider problem, but it meant I have limited photos - I got a lot of error messages when I turned pages 😬

Thank you very much to @quercusbooks @arcadia_books @emilyrathauthor for the ARC and I look forward to the second in the series!

This was a great look into a Finnish inspired story. I enjoyed reading about the gods and shamans and the realm of the dead. There was an interesting dynamic between the two best friends and it was interesting to see from both of their points of view. I did find the pace quite slow at points and I didn't feel that heavily invested in the characters. There were definitely some tense parts and overall an enjoyable read.

i am a little disappointed by this book. for the most part i did enjoy it— the world building, the plot and even the characters— what disappointed me was the sapphic aspect. this book was marketed as a sapphic fantasy yet for 80% of the book we see the development of a heterosexual relationship. whilst there were indications of siiri’s feelings for aina during that 80%, the same couldn’t be said of aina (for siiri). once they finally reunited, their relationship felt incredibly rushed and lacked any sort of development. there was so much potential but honestly the romance side to it was disappointing.

once we got to siiri and aina reuniting, i thought perhaps the sapphic relationship is a slowburn ? (since this is a duet) but nope!

i love emily rath’s writing, as well as the premise of this book but the romance was a huge let down!

Thank you to Netgalley, Quercus Books, and Emily Rath for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Disclaimer: Hi all, I read this before I heard that the marketing team updated the way this book was being advertised, so I went in thinking this would be a sapphic book (and I was extremely disappointed as a result). Keeping this in mind, I've tried not to let my expectations colour this review too much, but figured I should disclose this to those of you who are reading my review, just in case my (valid) feelings still bleed through a little too strongly.

3.5 stars, rounded down.

Sometimes you read a book that hits a bullet point list of things you absolutely adore in a story, yet the story still doesn't quite hit right. Such is the case for my experience of North is the Night. A unique premise? Check. Women being powerful? Check. Interesting lore? Check. And yet, here I am, left feeling a little bit overwhelmed by what I read and underwhelmed by how I feel about it. My best guess here for why I'm left feeling so confused by this book is probably... the story just didn't grab me by the throat like I expected it to.

That being said, I still liked this book. A 3.5 star rating isn't a bad rating, especially not for an author who is switching to the fantasy genre for the first time as a known contemporary romance writer. In North is the Night, you can actually see this experience of contemporary romance tropes showing through, and it makes for a very strange mish-mash of genres. Maybe that's what threw me off. I'll have to think on it.

Anyway, it's a solid genre debut. I liked it. It's worth a read, especially if you want something different from the fae romantasy we keep being fed over and over. There's a lot to enjoy here, and I'll likely read book two.

Full of Finnish mythology, daring adventures, and Sapphic yearning this book was so good. I loved the characters, especially Siiri. Aina, I took longer to warm up to, but she really came into her own later in the book.

I loved the mood of the book. You could just feel the woods pressing in on Siiri as she searched for Väinämöinen. Although I enjoyed all of the book, I think that journey of Siiri’s was my favourite part.

Aina’s journey was even more dangerous than just being a girl on her own in the wilderness. She had more explicit dangers. I loved how she changed over the course of the novel. I also loved the raven that appears near the start of her time being captured. I enjoyed watching her befriend him and I felt it said a lot about her character.

I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book, but honestly it could have almost been stand alone for me.

Thank you Netgalley, Quercus Books | Arcadia and Emily Rath for the eArc of North is The night.

North of the Night is A fantasy folk lore tale and one that took me by surprise. We follow Aina and Siiri, almost inseparable friends despite their opposite personalities. But one is kidnapped by the goddess of Death and the other won't rest until she fins her soul mate.

I don't know much about Finnish Folklore but from this book has left me thirsty to find out more, I loved the polarising sides of the characters, mages, goddesses and the god of Death and many more.. The world building within both worlds, our earthly realm and the realm of underworld Tuonela captivated my imagination and was beautifully described. The pacing of the narrative itself starts off slow, building in the characters and world building then builds to a medium pace. It did take me a while to get into but once I was invested, I didn't want it to end.

I also listened to the audio version of this book in which Lucy Doig and Maryam Ali kept the characters both separate and the characters individuality. Both narrators were a pleasure to listen to.

4 stars

Unfortunately, this book ended up being a DNF (Did Not Finish) for me. The plot felt sluggish, and I struggled to connect with either of the main characters. The storytelling fell short of expectations, and many of the plot elements that intrigued me in the blurb were either underdeveloped or completely absent in the book. Overall, it was a disappointing read for me.

In the icy depths of the Finnish wilderness, besties Aina and Siiri are about to have their friendship seriously tested. Aina, the sweet and cautious one, gets snatched up by a death goddess and dragged into the mythical underworld Tuonela. Siiri, ever the fearless one, sets off on a wild journey to save her. She’s got to deal with trappers, wolves, and a snow witch, all while hunting down a legendary shaman, Vainamoinen, for help. Meanwhile, Aina’s stuck playing twisted games in the underworld, where she’s making unexpected allies and maybe even falling for the king of death. No biggie.

This book totally sucked me in with its fascinating and unique Finnish mythology. Aina’s storyline had me hooked; she’s not just some meek sidekick but a total badass in her own right. Siiri’s adventure added a nice layer, though her whole “I’m not like other girls” thing felt a bit overdone at times. And yeah, some of her scenes with Vainamoinen dragged a bit, but hey, I get it, they needed time to bond.

Verdict: Dark, magical, and seriously epic.

This was so entirely different from everything else I have read by Emily in the past, but I adored it just as much as I do her other books. Emily has created something truly magical with the first book in this duology, and I could not put it down, packed with action, magic, love and Finnish mythology this tale is perfect to get lost in. The story is complex and demands your attention in the best way, with intricacies throughout that weave together to form a tale of two best friends and their journey back to each other when the world around them tears them apart.

We begin this story with Siiri and Aina, complete opposites but best friends for most of their lives. The beginning of the book is very much an introduction to Finland in the era this book is set and the precarious nature that the Finnish culture finds itself in with other cultures and religions becoming more prevalent. Granted the start of the book felt like it has a slight lull, but reading on I understood how important this part of the book was in terms of setting up for later in the story. Having said this the action of the book amps up when Aina is taken by a death goddess to Tuonela, the mythical underworld. From this point on we follow Aina and Siiri independently, as Siiri fights to bring Aina home, and Aina fights to stay alive. Their stories are so very different and the back and forth between the two propels the story towards. As the story goes on, will Siiri be able to become everything she needs to be to bring Aina home, and will Aina be able to go in a cold, harsh and cruel world that is so very different from everything she knows.

Aina and Siiri are truly so very different that the contrast between them is refreshing, this is even more the case when the girls are separated and reside in two very different worlds. Their tales as so unique and steeped in the Finnish mythology and folklore that very much is the focal point of the story, making this story one that grips you, the desire to know what is going to happen to our characters next. Siiri is all fire, hot headed and not willing to back down from her beliefs or her love for Siiri. Her tale is very much one where she already knows who she is, but still has so much to learn and the characters she meets contribute to this. Aina I think has the biggest character arc, she begins off as a quiet and timid girl who wants a smile life. However, as the book goes on her circumstances shift so that she is forced to become someone stronger who is not afraid to take her power and I was rooting for her every step of the way. The other characters that Emily has created basked on the Finnish mythology contributes perfectly to the journey of our two main characters, there are secrets to be uncovered and motives that remain to be seen, and I can’t understate how wonderfully it all works together.

Emily uses the dual POV within this story to its maximum potential, this allows story to ebb and flow with the highs and lows of the moments that the characters experience. Like I mentioned the books starts of slow but the pace absolutely picks up and from there it does stope. I loved that there was a dip in the story halfway through (no spoilers), and this lead me into thinking the story was going one way only for it to go a complete other way and surprise me. The hades and Persephone vibes was one of the highlights of this book for me alongside the Finnish mythology which I found so enthralling.

After that ending I am so excited to see where Emily takes the second book in the duology and the other places that we will get to visit and explore. Thank you so much to publisher for sending me a copy to read and review.

This review is for North is the Night by Emily Rath which was today in the UK on the 9th January! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Arcadia for giving me an eArc copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I think I’ve read others by this author, but this is their debut fantasy novel so was excited to read it. However, it was mistakenly advertised as sapphic, when it’s really not.

It really just came down to me just not caring enough about the characters… the only relationships I actually cared about were the platonic ones like the one between Siiri and the shaman. Siiri and Aina just felt flat and underdeveloped, as well as Aina and Tuoni which just felt super rushed and instalovey.

The plot was interesting enough, and I loved the Finnish folklore and mythology, but it all just felt a bit too much, and didn’t fit together properly. This whole overarching ‘save the Finns’ didn’t fit with the rest of the story and kinda just felt like an add on to make a book 2.

Am I going to read book two when it comes out? Most likely not, as I really did just not get on with the story.
Would I recommend this? Possibly, to lovers of myths and folklore.

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This is my first time reading a book by Emily Rath but I doubt it will be last. As someone who loves folklore this was of instant interest to me and I have to say Rath weaves a beautiful tale that is deeply rooted in Finnish mythology. The characters a beautifully written and I adored the idea of a friendship that not even death, or a goddess of death can break. While the main element is fantasy there was also a touch of horror which I enjoyed.

The writing is beautiful and I adored seeing both girls adventures and what they face, allowing a sense of self-discovery but ultimately focusing on reuniting. For me this was a wonderful read that had a touch of everything I enjoy about fantasy. I have to say for me I haven’t read a novel that deals with the power of friendship in such a way that it never once felt cliched or cheesy, but rather powerful and beautiful. This is a must read for fans of folklore (particularly Finish) and fantasy.

As always thank you to Quercus Books for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.

I struggled with North is the Night, which was my first book by Emily Rath.

There were moments of interest and intrigue where I really was gripped, and it was fascinating to find out more about Finnish folklore,

However, there were enough moments that didn't work for me, and some left an unpleasant taste in my mouth, not least the vilifying of the indigenous Sámi. Even with the updated marketing this still seemed somewhat missold as a sapphic story, and I found the whole thing several hundred pages longer than it felt like it needed to be.

2.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

1.75 STARS

DNF at 20%. This ended up just not being something I was interested in reading.

I has requested this ARC under the guise that it was a sapphic romance but it turned out to be a marketing error but I hadn’t read the book yet and thought I would still give it a try and I was just not invested. The flow of the writing just fell a bit flat for me.

I feel like at this point Emily Rath is my safe space.

I know what I am getting when I go into a Rath book and this was no different. I loved it and will read her shopping list- if she makes it smutty!

So I’m going to keep this very brief and I am not sharing the review to Goodreads etc. but I just needed to explain where I’m at with this book at the moment.
The beginning is very slow paced. It has been making it very difficult to want to sit down and read it. Saying that, the premise is good and the info available is so promising. From what I can see from others reviews it’s had a mixed reception. I’ll definitely be trying to read it again because sometimes how I view a book is related to my mood. But I struggled with it on this occasion.

Thank you so much for allowing me to review this title.
I am a massive fan of Emily’s and I absolutely adored this book and cannot wait for the next one!
Thanks once again and I hope to work together again soon!

Gods, Goddesses, Witches, Sharmans what's not to love about this book. Found the use of the Finnish mythology very interesting. It never dulls as there is always something happening to keep you gripped. Can't wait for the next book.

Thank you Emily Rath, Quercus books and Netgalley for the ARC.

This book was a rollercoaster. The start was too slow, it took a while for me to get into it. I liked the focus on Finnish folklore, it was interesting to learn more about this topic, and this was probably the strongest element in the whole book.

The antagonists felt like caricatures and not fully-developed characters. In this novel, most female characters are described as evil, treacherous, and scary. Lumi is described as a wicked witch. Kalma and Tuonetar are monstruous. The same cannot be said about the descriptions of male characters. It feels weird to see Tuoni, the god of the underworld, be described as kind and warm, when all the female characters are given entirely different treatment. Aina's arc is quite underwhelming and the love story is not convincing at all. In addition, the sapphic element is marginal - I wish it was given more space to blossom.

Another thing I want to point out is the unfair treatment given to Sámi people. They came into the story as background characters who are ruled by Lumi, daughter of Ajatar, the goddess who haunts the woods. Sámi people are indigenous people who have suffered (and still suffer today) repression, marginalization, assimilation and dehumanization. In this book, similarly to real life, Sámi people are not given a real voice. Their only representation seems to be Lumi who is described as a "nasty forest witch": she is the evil antagonist the mcs have to defeat. This characterization is both simplistic and harmful.

In conclusion, some aspects of this book worked, others didn't. The pacing felt weird at times and I wish women and Sámi people's characterization was treated with more care.