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A review by perusing_pages
River of Shadows by Karina Halle
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Hanna is travelling to Finland to attend her fathers funeral. But once there she discovers not everything is as it seems, that her father’s body is missing and his apprentice Rasmus tells her he is still alive but trapped in Tuonela the realm of the dead by Tuoni the God of Death himself so they set out to save him. In order to free her father, Hanna has to cross the River of Shadows to reach Tuonela. Once there they are stalked by dangerous creatures, monsters, and the living dead, until they finally come to a haunted kingdom ruled by Death and his family where Hanna must strike a bargain with Tuoni to set her father free.
This is book 1 in the Underworld Gods series and is a fast-paced combination of fantasy, Finnish mythology, beauty and the beast retelling, mystery, and romance. The world building is done so well, it is descriptive without being too dense or info dumpy as you are discovering this new world alongside Hanna and her running inner monologue of WTF makes it feel all the more believable. The overall plot was solid and moved forward at good pace, the characters and world were intriguing, layered and multifaceted and the tension between Tuoni & Hanna delicious, it does take a while for them to be on page together but I didn't mind that at all. The spice when it happens is good, I lobe a dirty talking MMC, and Tuoni ticked that box.
This was my first ever read by Karina Halle, and I had a really great time with it, Jo Raylans narration was great, and she does a wonderful job with differentiating the characters. FYI this book does end on a cliffhanger but I'm genuinely looking forward to seeing where this story goes because as it stands I'm left not know what to think or who to trust and I LOVE it when a book does that. 🌶🌶🌶
"Let's just pretend for a second that everything you said made perfect sense, and that you didn't just talk about something tantamount to Frodo strolling into Mordor." "Tolkein was very inspired by Finnish folklore," he points out."
"I have three sayings in life," Death says, ticking them off his fingers, their intricate metal coverings glinting orange in the desert light. "Never trust the living. Never trust a God. And never trust a redhead." He glances at me. "I'm afraid you've already done all three."
This is book 1 in the Underworld Gods series and is a fast-paced combination of fantasy, Finnish mythology, beauty and the beast retelling, mystery, and romance. The world building is done so well, it is descriptive without being too dense or info dumpy as you are discovering this new world alongside Hanna and her running inner monologue of WTF makes it feel all the more believable. The overall plot was solid and moved forward at good pace, the characters and world were intriguing, layered and multifaceted and the tension between Tuoni & Hanna delicious, it does take a while for them to be on page together but I didn't mind that at all. The spice when it happens is good, I lobe a dirty talking MMC, and Tuoni ticked that box.
This was my first ever read by Karina Halle, and I had a really great time with it, Jo Raylans narration was great, and she does a wonderful job with differentiating the characters. FYI this book does end on a cliffhanger but I'm genuinely looking forward to seeing where this story goes because as it stands I'm left not know what to think or who to trust and I LOVE it when a book does that. 🌶🌶🌶
"Let's just pretend for a second that everything you said made perfect sense, and that you didn't just talk about something tantamount to Frodo strolling into Mordor." "Tolkein was very inspired by Finnish folklore," he points out."
"I have three sayings in life," Death says, ticking them off his fingers, their intricate metal coverings glinting orange in the desert light. "Never trust the living. Never trust a God. And never trust a redhead." He glances at me. "I'm afraid you've already done all three."