Reviews - River of Shadows

1.12k reviews for:

River of Shadows

Karina Halle

3.65 AVERAGE

morlas_books's review against another edition

4.0

Obwohl der Start super holprig war und die Geschichte super lange gebraucht hat habe ich mich am Ende in Death verliebt. Bin super gespannt wie es weiter geht. Karina Halle schreibt großartig ☺️

justpieisfine's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed this. It was a beauty and the beast retelling with gods.

Listened via Libby audiobook.

Stars: 4
POV:
HEA?: no
Cheating: no
Cliffhanger?: yes
Tropes: retelling, gods, beauty and the beast

saphsel's review against another edition

4.0

Loved to read about a different mythology. Also loved how their love slowly grew and curiuous to see what happens next.

lizkatiereads's review against another edition

5.0

✨ARC Review✨

“Like it or not, you’re mine,” he murmurs, his voice thick and husky and brimming of promise. “But if you choose to like it, you might even love it.”

River of Shadows is book one of the Underworld Gods series, and is an adult dark fantasy with some romance mixed in! It is based on Finnish mythology and the underworld of Tuonela (the land of the dead).
Hanna’s father dies and she makes the trek from warm LA to ice and snow in Finland for his funeral. Hanna is quickly teamed up with Rasmus (Hanna’s father’s apprentice) who claims her father is very much alive, and he needs her help to rescue him. They find themselves navigating the River of Shadows to eventually encounter the God of Death. Is sacrificing herself to Death enough of a bargain to bring her father back, even if it involves hidden costs?

Read If You Love:
-mythology
-retellings (namely Beauty & The Beast)
-shamans, magic, and spells
-mermaids, unicorns, and other grandiose creatures
-witches, demons, and other horrific worldly creatures
-adult fantasy heavy on world and character building; also romantasy and STEAM! “I gulp. Dear lord. Death is a dirty-talker.”

For all of you Romantasy lovers out there, I beg of you to read this! I didn’t think it was possible to lust so badly over a villain, that is until I met Death! Karina Halle is one of my favorite authors, and while I am typically immersed into her world of vampires, this is a whole new concept that I am deeply enamored with! The imagery in this book is stunning. Halle fluidly describes such gorgeous creatures but then can provide such grotesque descriptions of others. The pacing of the book is even, and gripping, keeping one enthralled throughout.

⚠️CW per author: dark fantasy adult romance that ends on a cliffhanger. Contains mature themes such as graphic sex, language, captive situations, violence, and dub con⚠️

lys_lynn's review against another edition

4.0

3.75 ⭐️

franny_mae's review against another edition

4.0

I loved the world building and Finnish mythology. I was not prepared for it to end, and especially not on a cliffhanger like that! This was an interesting read, can’t wait to read book 2.