Karina Halle

Take Hades & Persephone, transport them into twisted Nordic mythology, add in Beauty & the Beast and some Alice in Wonderland, and you get the high steam dark fantasy, River of Shadows.
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.

NOTE: River of Shadows is the first book of the Underworld Gods series and is not related to any other previous books. While it fits in the sub-genre "dark fantasy" it is NOT dark enough to be considered a "dark romance." That said, it does contain dub con, captive situations, graphic sex scenes, filthy language, and scary situations, so sensitive readers (especially those sensitive to dubious consent) please take heed of this warning. It also ends on a cliffhanger.

Underworld Gods: Book 1

River of Shadows

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

Is a very YA spicy dark romance. I thought the plot could have been extended out a bit, everything felt like it was happening one after the other / rushed. I like the overall idea of the story (hot god of death, world of the dead, magic, Finnish mythology) but I wish it hadnt felt quite as YA as it did. Overall was a good bubblegum book after finishing a long more complex read, but I likely wont be finishing the series.

Anna

Finnish version of hades and Persephone X Beauty and the Beast. Very booktok vibes, spicy too. I enjoyed the story despite it being my first book that I’ve read about Finnish mythology. 

Leah Diaz 

Samantha Waterson

Snooze-fest 

Well that was immensely disappointing. What the actual heck did I just read? Does anyone know, because I don’t. I was so bored during the whole thing. Genuinely counting down the pages until I could be done, never to look back.

mikee ♡

If you like Hades and Persephone and Beauty and the Beast retellings, you might like River of Shadows by Karina Halle's book too!

Honestly, I loved the aesthetic of this book. I did not expect the premise would be this riveting and enthralling. The rich and intricate world-building inspired by Finnish mythology is worth checking out for ㅡ it's really interesting. Also, the storyline does not seem far-fetched, they are easy to picture out or visualize.

I started this with fewer expectations for not to disappoint and spoil my thoughts about it, but indulging myself in the underworld the author created did not disappoint instead was captivating and unpredictable.

However, I just noticed that the only thing that seems off or the part I which I did not like was the ending. Although it did state that it will end with a cliffhanger, it just seems that it ended abruptly. Also, I need more Death's POV, I want to know his thoughts and everything I needed to know about his and Hanna's character development. Hopefully, I will get to have that on the sequel.

This got to be Karina Halle's best book yet! The tension and banters between the characters were great. Incredibly written and terrific world-building. This book deserves a spot on your TBR.

If you like Hades and Persephone and Beauty and the Beast retellings, you might like River of Shadows by Karina Halle's book too! 

Honestly, I loved the aesthetic of this book. I did not expect the premise would be this riveting and enthralling. The rich and intricate world-building inspired by Finnish mythology is worth checking out for ㅡ it's really interesting. Also, the storyline does not seem far-fetched, they are easy to picture out or visualize. 

I started this with fewer expectations for not to disappoint and spoil my thoughts about it, but indulging myself in the underworld the author created did not disappoint instead was captivating and unpredictable. 

However, I just noticed that the only thing that seems off or the part I which I did not like was the ending. Although it did state that it will end with a cliffhanger, it just seems that it ended abruptly. Also, I need more Death's POV, I want to know his thoughts and everything I needed to know about his and Hanna's character development. Hopefully, I will get to have that on the sequel. 

This got to be Karina Halle's best book yet! The tension and banters between the characters were great. Incredibly written and terrific world-building. This book deserves a spot on your TBR.

Sven Test

Dark, ethereal, atmospheric, and passionate, River of Shadows by Karina Halle gives a spin on Finnish mythology with some Hades & Persephone vibes along with Beauty & the Beast. Expect to be enchanted by this fantastical new world.

“You will call me Death, and I will call you mine.”
w o r l dKarina Halle took her family heritage from Finland and Finnish mythology to craft a dark and gruesome, yet ethereal and atmospheric fantasy. It’s a world where there are gods and goddesses, mermaids, swans, spirits, fairies, shamans, witches, unicorns, and more. This was a world that sucked me in as soon as I got to meet it; it left me breathless and enchanted.

c h a r a c t e r sThe intricacy in this new-to-me mythology was exquisite and eloquent. The characters introduced have so much personality and unique characteristics, it’s so easy to distinguish them and still remember them weeks later. The friendship between Loviatar (Death’s daughter), Bell (a Barbie-doll sized mermaid), and Hanna has to be one of my favorites. Despite Hanna and Loviatar getting off on the completely wrong foot, the two took a major liking to each other and friendship was quick to blossom between them. And I cannot forget one of my favorite characters, Savi, the skeleton unicorn! He’s one I NEED to have in my life!

r o m a n c e"It’s messy and it’s raw and there’s no part of me that he’s not consuming."
Death is a character that is intimidating; he’s the God of Death, after all. But I loved seeing the things that made him appear human, like his love for Ikea. A lot of the things he owns, even his French press, are from Ikea, which I found hilarious!

His relationship with Hanna is mostly physical throughout the novel. It isn’t until close to the end we see just a sliver of something more. The little bit of the sneak peak we got at the end on his POV has me so excited to read the prequel, The God of Death. I have a feeling we could get more insight into his motives.

“Anyone who harms you will be no more, that is my promise to you.”
✨ r e a d   i f   y o u   l i k e ✨– Hades & Persephone– Beauty and the Beast– Bossy and alpha God of Death that dirty-talks– Enemies-to-lovers– Forced marriage– Finnish mythology (macabre Nordic twist)– Zombie unicorn (He is my fave!)– Dark Fantasy– Mermaids– Murderous swans– Deadmaidens– Monsters and Goblins– Goddesses (Sea, Moon, Forest)– Spirits, Witches, Shamans
“This is what I’ve been missing. This is what I should have been seeing. This. You.”

Rachael Wiseman 

If you love mythology, sarcastic unicorns, mermaids, hot alpha gods, and lots of excitement this book is for you! I don't know much about Finnish mythology but now I kind of want to research and learn more. I am so happy this was worth all the hype IMO. Karina kept posting teasers and I was chomping at the bit to hurry up and read this book. I am happy to say this is the first book of 2022 that didn't disappoint. Plus she did an early release! Win-win!

This book starts with a bit of heaviness but it all ties into the storyline (and if you have been following Karina on IG you know she just recently lost her father. So I think she channeled all her emotions into the book). Action-packed from the start and I don't think it slowed down lol. This book is worth it and you need to get it immediately.

Plenty of spice and spicy banter. I think by about halfway there are some steamy scenes to be read. As a warning, this does end on quite the cliffhanger but we don't have to wait long for the next book!

Elizabeth Hagenlocher

Im waffling between a two and a three star rating, to be honest. 

River of Shadows promises to be a dark fantasy romance, and I feel like it struggles to be any of those three things in a compelling way. Like the elements are there, but the execution could be better. 

That being said, I enjoyed the general story. I thought the plot points were compelling, even when the writing could have been better executed. I liked Hanna, especially because she’s a tall, curvy badass who’s into martial arts and fashion. She also has a moment in the book where she essentially says, actually I AM like other girls, which I thought was refreshing. She’s a girl’s girl, and I’m here for it. 

The rest of the cast of characters were also generally fun. I really loved the other women in the story, and wish there had been even more of them, to be honest. Maybe in he next book. And Death, although he generally only had one personality trait, was pretty hot. So there’s that. 

The creatures, the travel through the land of the dead, and the Finnish mythology were very cool, and really made the story for me. 

Unfortunately, there were just too many things standing in the way of me loving this book. For starters, the book is written in first person present tense, which just usually isn’t for me. I think that while it worked narratively in some places, it just fell flat in others, and pulled me out of the story. 

There was also an overwhelming number of pop culture references that didn’t land for me. They were rampant in the first half of the book (it felt like every few pages), and then they just stopped halfway through. Innuendo got the same treatment, and while I love a good innuendo, the narrator often pointed out every single one just to make sure the reader got it. At one point, there’s even a fourth wall break of sorts, where Hanna addresses the reader directly about one, even though there’s no precedent for this. 

Lastly, there were SO MANY TYPOS. I usually forgive a book having one or two, because even the most professional team is still human. But the errors in this book were just disappointing. One or two sentences didn’t have final punctuation. A quotation mark randomly appeared in the middle of a sentence. Two words were used in the wrong order. An instance of double negatives occurred twice, which also makes me think it was a case of poor grammar/editing, rather than a typo. (Both sentences were essentially “no *blank*, no *blank*, nor no *blank*.” NOR and NO cancel each other out.)

I just wish there was a little more attention to detail. Especially since this is a special edition (and it’s NOT the first Bookish Box edition I’ve found egregious typos in). 

I really thought this story was interesting, and the series has promise. I just hope to see things tightened up as the story is told. I want more character development!!!

I read this in one sitting, I was so absorbed in this world. I had no prior knowledge of Finnish mythology, but I loved every second. I can’t wait to read the sequel.

Chloe Drewett

Maggie Hepditch

Vibes? Immaculate. Spice? Hot. Tbh most of the 4.5 stars is for vibes, this was getting so good and then it abruptly ended and now I need to wait for the sequel. But I am 100% reading the sequel!!!!

Rebecca

4.5 stars so I rounded up!🖤 The cliff hanger has me dead! I throughly enjoyed this book! The world and characters are quite unique and interesting. Th MC’s personality is quite relatable. At times I was thinking her reactions are exactly how I would react. And who could go wrong with some spice as well? 🔥🔥

Honestly, I loved the aesthetic of this book. I did not expect the premise would be this riveting and enthralling. The rich and intricate world-building inspired by Finnish mythology is worth checking out for ㅡ it's really interesting. Also, the storyline does not seem far-fetched, they are easy to picture out or visualize.

I started this with fewer expectations for not to disappoint and spoil my thoughts about it, but indulging myself in the underworld the author created did not disappoint instead was captivating and unpredictable.

However, I just noticed that the only thing that seems off or the part I which I did not like was the ending. Although it did state that it will end with a cliffhanger, it just seems that it ended abruptly. Also, I need more Death's POV, I want to know his thoughts and everything I needed to know about his and Hanna's character development. Hopefully, I will get to have that on the sequel.

This got to be Karina Halle's best book yet! The tension and banters between the characters were great. Incredibly written and terrific world-building. This book deserves a spot on your TBR.

Aundreya Rich

"Fly away with me little bird," - "Fly away with me." 



That's right Karina... take all my money because you took everything else when you brought me the God of Death.

River of Shadows is a new twist on romantasy with a tale that feels a bit familiar, but a world that is sparkly new.

Hanna has lost her father and is back in Finland for his funeral only to find out he may still be alive and bartering with Death for more time on earth.

As secrets unravel, Hanna is willing to do anything to get her father back in the world of the living, even trade herself as payment.

What she didn't realize is Death is SOOOO much more than the stories.
 KH has dove into the adult fantasy world effortlessly and will have you begging for more.
You may even find yourself in the middle of the night search for death yourself. 

What I loved:
-the Finnish Mythology Inspo
-the Hades & Persephone vibe
-Death, his mask, his gloves and his darkness
-Hanna's ferocity and heroism
-the world! The Land of the dead is a blend of magical beauty with a hint of rot and decay. Mermaids, Reindeer/half skeletons, deadmaidens and more. The world building and story telling was INCREDIBLE
-HIGH fantasy (my fave)
-enemies to lovers/ forbidden romance
-a lot of grey characters... my favorite

I'm calling it now, this series will end as one of my all time favorites and one I will be pushing on everyone.
 
 "Oh, I am going to enjoy having you here, unfortunately, you probably won't feel the same."
"You don't know that."
"You're right, You might like it in the end. Oh, you'll fight me on everything, you'll hate me with all your fury. But you might love to hate me, and that will make all the difference." 



Rating:
story- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
characters-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
steam- "Okay she must be waiting for book 2 because... oh.....ooooooh there is is."

🎼- Middle of the Night by Elley Duhe

Dark, ethereal, atmospheric, and passionate, River of Shadows by Karina Halle gives a spin on Finnish mythology with some Hades & Persephone vibes along with Beauty & the Beast. Expect to be enchanted by this fantastical new world.

“You will call me Death, and I will call you mine.”

w o r l d
Karina Halle took her family heritage from Finland and Finnish mythology to craft a dark and gruesome, yet ethereal and atmospheric fantasy. It’s a world where there are gods and goddesses, mermaids, swans, spirits, fairies, shamans, witches, unicorns, and more. This was a world that sucked me in as soon as I got to meet it; it left me breathless and enchanted.

c h a r a c t e r s
The intricacy in this new-to-me mythology was exquisite and eloquent. The characters introduced have so much personality and unique characteristics, it’s so easy to distinguish them and still remember them weeks later. The friendship between Loviatar (Death’s daughter), Bell (a Barbie-doll sized mermaid), and Hanna has to be one of my favorites. Despite Hanna and Loviatar getting off on the completely wrong foot, the two took a major liking to each other and friendship was quick to blossom between them. And I cannot forget one of my favorite characters, Savi, the skeleton unicorn! He’s one I NEED to have in my life!

r o m a n c e
"It’s messy and it’s raw and there’s no part of me that he’s not consuming."

Death is a character that is intimidating; he’s the God of Death, after all. But I loved seeing the things that made him appear human, like his love for Ikea. A lot of the things he owns, even his French press, are from Ikea, which I found hilarious!

His relationship with Hanna is mostly physical throughout the novel. It isn’t until close to the end we see just a sliver of something more. The little bit of the sneak peak we got at the end on his POV has me so excited to read the prequel, The God of Death. I have a feeling we could get more insight into his motives.

“Anyone who harms you will be no more, that is my promise to you.”

✨ r e a d i f y o u l i k e ✨
– Hades & Persephone
– Beauty and the Beast
– Bossy and alpha God of Death that dirty-talks
– Enemies-to-lovers
– Forced marriage
– Finnish mythology (macabre Nordic twist)
– Zombie unicorn (He is my fave!)
– Dark Fantasy
– Mermaids
– Murderous swans
– Deadmaidens
– Monsters and Goblins
– Goddesses (Sea, Moon, Forest)
– Spirits, Witches, Shamans

“This is what I’ve been missing. This is what I should have been seeing. This. You.”

River of Shadows Underworld Gods: Book 1