River of Shadows (Underworld Gods, #1) by Karina Halle Pages: 354
Published by Karina Halle on January 27, 2022
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.
River of Shadows is the first book in the adult dark fantasy romance Underworld Gods series by author Karina Halle. The Underworld Gods series is based on Finnish mythology and the underworld of Tuonela. I am a sucker for anything enemies to lovers and anything mythology based, and this book checks off all my boxes. I loved the story of Hanna and the God of Death (so called daddy death!) This book was spicy and completely addictive.
When Hanna goes to the underworld to try and save her father, she is introduced to so many new things. She had no idea her father was a powerful shaman nor that the underworld with gods even existed. When she bargains with the God of the underworld to trade herself for her father, he agrees to her plan maybe a tad too quickly. You just know something else is up with him. But I was so excited to find out alongside of Hanna. I loved the underworld of Tuonela that Karina Halle paints, especially the castle! The fact that the weather of the underworld is tied to death’s mood was a fun touch, and I can’t wait to see more of that in the next book. Overall, this was a really fun read, and I a, dying for the next installment because the ending of this book killed me! (alongside death!) Fans of mytholgy, forced marriage and enemies to lovers tropes who enjoy a spicy fantasy romance will not want to miss River of Shadows! I loved this book!
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