BOOKWORM REVIEW: River of Shadows by Karina Halle

January 30, 2022

BOOKWORM REVIEW: River of Shadows by Karina Halle

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

STEAM: 🔥🔥🔥

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

There is something about a lonely but powerful man who builds a wall around his heart and soul that makes us want a happy ending for him.

In this modern take of the Finnish Hades and Persephone, Hanna is lured to her father's home with news of his death. But things aren't what they seem. She eventually discovers that there is more to her dad and the people around him and that he is stuck in the Underworld as Death's prisoner.

She ends up traveling with her father's apprentice to rescue him and ends up in Death's grasp. She bargains with Death, trading herself for her father's freedom, and Death agrees to the bargain to keep her in the Land of the Dead.

This book was riveting. There were so many twists and turns as we navigate the Samp and the Underworld with Hanna. I love meeting the different Gods and creatures of the Finnish Underworld, and I most definitely love how Karina Halle has created these ethereal creatures to be more relatable and -- dare I say -- more human.

Hanna and Tuoni have chemistry for days, even from the get-go. This is a slow burn, but when we reach that point, it was almost like WE were set on fire.

This is part of a series, so this book ends on a banger of a cliffhanger. One that has us itching for Book Two to come right now.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Karina Halle and Valentine PR for providing an ARC. **

ABOUT THE BOOK

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 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.

Get Your Copy (Free with Kindle Unlimited)

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3rX99wj
Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/RiverOfShadows

Add to Goodreads → https://bit.ly/3EasO0D

MEET KARINA HALLE

Karina Halle is a former travel writer, music journalist & screenwriter, and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling author of over 55 bestselling novels, ranging from horror and suspense to contemporary romance. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband, and her adopted pitbull Bruce, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.

Halle is represented by the Root Literary Agency and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster, Hachette & Montlake. Her work has been translated and published in 20 languages.

Hit her up on Instagram at @authorHalle, on Twitter at @MetalBlonde and on Facebook. You can also visit www.authorkarinahalle.com and sign up for the newsletter for news, excerpts, previews, private book signing sales and more.