North Is the Night

When a death goddess drags Aina into the Finnish underworld, where good deaths are banished and cruelty reins, her best friend Siiri defies family, witches, shamans, and even the gods to bring her home. But Siiri will succeed only if she can admit how she truly feels about Aina. Meanwhile, Aina discovers that her only chance to survive is by outwitting a queen’s torturous games and freeing and marrying the underworld’s lost king. This lengthy audiobook takes listeners from harrowing to gruesome to steamy and back again as the characters navigate complicated relationships and try to release hope into the world again. Khaya Fraites voices heroic Siiri, who can best any man at anything yet must still contend with a patriarchy frightened of encroaching Christians. Fraites gives her fire and heart. Emily Lawrence makes Aina a perfect foil, as she’s kindness with a core of steel. Though their characters are separated for much of the novel, listeners will never doubt their devotion. Both narrators allow listeners to enjoy the melodies of the Finnish language.