North Is The Night The Bear and the Nightingale meets Spinning Silver in this epic Finnish fantasy

In the Finish wilderness of the past Siiri and her best friend Aina even so the young women couldn´t be more different. Aina is gentle, cautious and wondering who she will marry and Siiri on the other hand is headstrong, brave and is not thinking about to marry. They are used to the harsh nature of their town and that their believes into the old goods are question due to the harsh live and the dying. So priests try to change the believe into the one and only good which is clashing against their old way of live and their believes. Most think the goods are not exiting any longer. All changes when one day a death goddess appears and Aina is kidnapped. Siiri is determined to save her friends and is risking all in search of the old shaman who shall help her to find a way to Tuonela, the world of the death. What a story! I really did not expect such a great story. I must confess I was not aware of Finish mythology hence all here was new to me. I really like the way the author is mixing mythology with a great fantasy story line. This is not a nice story. As this is Nordic mythology this is cruel, lots of fighting, killing, revenge and cruelty. We have two story lines here. We read how Siiri is searching for the shaman and a way to get into Tuonela and to save Aina. On the other hand we read how it is to be in Tuonela and how Aina is fighting to survive there. I really like how different Siiri and Aina are and that we ready both heir stories, how these young women change during the book, how they learn more about themselves, how they fight for the ones they love and for the greater good. They are willing to risk all. Both have difficult journeys and decision to make, different fights to survive. Tuonela is greatly described and for me it was really a great story what goes on there. Not all is at it seems in the world of death and the fight for it. I really liked this idea! So for me a really great combination of mythology and fantasy, great characters, strong storyline . For me a really great first book.