Jan
Today I’m excited to share my review of ‘River of Shadows’ by Karina Halle. ‘River of Shadows’ is an adult dark fantasy romance based on Finnish mythology and the underworld of Tuonela.’River of Shadows’ is out NOW!
I received this book for free from Valentine PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
River of Shadows (Underworld Gods, #1) by Karina Halle Series: Underworld Gods #1
Published by Karina Halle
on January 27, 2022
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 354
Format: ARC
Source: Valentine PR
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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.
In these last few years I’ve read several books by Karina Halle, and loved them all. So when it got the opportunity to sign up for ‘River of Shadows’, I didn’t have to think about it and signed up as soon as possible. If you ask me, romance and fantasy are the perfect combination. So I started reading this book as soon as I was able too.
In ‘River of Shadows’ we meet Hanna. Hanna is on her way to her dads funeral in Finland. It has been years since Hanna last saw her father, and now it’s to late. She always thought she had more time with him, but now she is devastated to learn she will never see him again. When Hanna arrives in Finland, she soon learns her dad has kept a secret from her. A strange guy called Rasmus, tells her her dad isn’t dead, and she can save him. But soon she learns that saving her dad means she’ll need to travel to the underworld of Tuonela, a world she would never thought possible. And to make things even more disturbing, she meets Death. And Death has a plan for her.
Although horrified and disgusted with Death, Hanna also finds herself intrigued by him. Who is really behind that mask? Why does he seem interested with her? And soon Hanna finds herself, wanting his touch.. And wanting more.
From the moment I started reading ‘River of Shadows’ I was completely hooked to this story. Set in Finland and the otherworld, this world was different than anything I ever read before and I loved it. I loved reading this world Karina Halle created and above all I loved the main characters.
Hanna’s character was definitely a badass. Although I feel there is still a lot about her I don’t know, I loved how fiercely she loved her dad. And how she easily sacrificed everything to save him. She didn’t even understand or comprehend what she would have to do, but she did it anyway. Hanna was definitely a very brave person.
Death’s character is still very much a mystery. But I loved him. I just loved everything about him, and I loved the chemistry between him and Hanna. Their chemistry was definitely something you could feel through these pages. And I loved every moment between these two characters, and just couldn’t get enough.
‘River of Shadows’ ends in a cliffhanger, which almost killed me to be honest. I just really want to read the next book, and read how things will end up for Hanna and Death. And there are still so many mysterious creatures I want to learn more about.
‘River of Shadows’ was a very fun, romantic, mysterious, fantasy novel I’d really recommend if you’re an Paranormal romance lover. It just is such a great read.
Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Check out my previous review of a book by Karina Halle:
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Maureen is a mom, wife, nurse, and Ravenclaw living in the Netherlands. She spends her days juggling mom-life, reading, blogging, planning date nights with her husband and working as a nurse. Maureen also is a big Anglophile, loves cooking, Gilmore Girls, Bridgerton and Harry Potter.. Always! Facebook | Instagram
