A Reader's Guide to Books and Reviews

River of Shadows by Karina Halle

Series:
Underworld Gods #1

Genre:
Mythology, Hades and Persephone, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Retellings, Adult, New Adult, Dark, Urban Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers, Book Series, Spicy Romance, High Fantasy, Supernatural, Finnish Mythology, Cliffhanger, Mermaids, Steamy Romance, Beauty and the Beast, Dual Points of View

Publication Date:
January 30, 2022

Pages Numbers:
354

Read Date:
July 14th, 2023

Date Finished:
July 15th, 2023

Rating:
4.5/5

Blurb:

River of Shadows is an adult dark fantasy romance based on Finnish mythology and the underworld of Tuonela.

When 24-year old Hanna Heikkinen's estranged father dies, she reluctantly makes the trip to Northern Finland for his funeral. Being in the enchanting land of ice and snow feels miles away from Hanna's busy life back in Los Angeles, especially under the complicated circumstances.

But when Hanna discovers that her father's body is missing, that's when things really get weird. A mysterious man, Rasmus, tells Hanna the truth: her father was a powerful shaman who went into Tuonela, the Realm of the Dead, in order to barter for more life, and has been held captive by Tuoni, the God of Death. The only way her father can be freed is if she travels with Rasmus into the mythical underworld to rescue him.

Willing to do anything to have a second-chance with her father, Hanna accompanies Rasmus into the dark and bloody realm, traveling via the River of Shadows, stalked by dangerous creatures, monsters, and the living dead, until they finally come into the haunted kingdom ruled by Death and his family.

Only for her to be captured and held prisoner by the God of Death himself.

Turns out Death is intrigued by Hanna's beauty and fierceness and makes a bargain with her. If she marries him, and spends an eternity in the Realm of the Dead as his wife, he'll set her father free.

But even the most noble sacrifices come with hidden costs, and Hanna's might involve the most unexpected of all things: her heart.

Review:

River of Shadow is a Finnish mythology with touches of Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone woven into the tapestry of world-building and storytelling.

Twenty-four-year-old Hannah has learned that her father has passed away. Wrecked with grief and guilt for not staying in touch with her beloved father, Hannah heads to Northern Finland to attend her father's funeral, but the moment she arrives, things are not what they seem. Her father's coffin is empty and the two people who welcomed her to her father's lodge seem to be out for her.

When Rasmus tells her that her father is still alive and down in the Underworld, Hannah sets off to find him and bring him back, but Death is not going to simply hand over her father without a price and Hannah finds herself willing to take her father's place instead as so long as Death allows him to live his life.

There is a prophecy in the Underworld and Death believes it has something to do with Hannah but Hannah has no desire to stay. She wants to return to the World Above and forget everything she has been through here, but Death is not about to let her go so easily.

This is the FIRST book that I have seen that goes outside of the Greek and Roman mythology that seems to be saturating the fantasy romance genre and though this makes me happy, it also seems to bury a lot of other mythology that needs to be told - Egyptian, Norse, Finnish, and everything else in between. In this world, Death is a far different character from his Greek and Roman counterpart. The world-building of this new Underworld is different, fresh, and quite interesting if you were to lay it against the Greek and Roman version. I loved his world. I loved that the Dead had the ability to redeem themselves from their past and were given jobs within Death's household and in other places.

As for Hannah, I did not like her nor could I stand her. Her character lacked growth throughout this book. And though I get her reasonings for heading into the Underworld, she seemed to lack the where-to-do to understand that unless Death allows it, you are stuck in his world. So, instead of taking Bell's advice, she does the complete opposite. She gave me a huge headache.

The plot wrapped around the Finnish mythology was the chef's kiss.

Final Thought:

I did not that Death is the book boyfriend I needed.

Similar Books:

What Lies Beyond the Veil by Harper L. Woods
The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent