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Underworld Gods #3
City of Darkness
From the New York Times bestselling author of River of Shadows and A Ship of Bones and Teeth comes CITY OF DARKNESS the third book in the Underworld Gods series, a high heat dark fantasy adult romance series.
When mortal Hanna agreed to marry Tuoni, the God of Death, in exchange for her father's life, the last thing she expected was to fall for the morally grey anti-hero. But it's not only her heart that's in danger now. As she navigates her new role as the Goddess of Death in the spooky and macabre underworld of Tuonela, Hanna discovers that Death has many enemies in his kingdom, none more powerful than his half-demon ex-wife, Louhi. With an uprising of Old Gods at her fingertips, and skeleton armies ready to do her bidding, Hanna and Death must work together to make sure the underworld isn't lost forever, even if it means losing each other and all they hold dear.
When mortal Hanna agreed to marry Tuoni, the God of Death, in exchange for her father's life, the last thing she expected was to fall for the morally grey anti-hero. But it's not only her heart that's in danger now. As she navigates her new role as the Goddess of Death in the spooky and macabre underworld of Tuonela, Hanna discovers that Death has many enemies in his kingdom, none more powerful than his half-demon ex-wife, Louhi. With an uprising of Old Gods at her fingertips, and skeleton armies ready to do her bidding, Hanna and Death must work together to make sure the underworld isn't lost forever, even if it means losing each other and all they hold dear.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 23, 2023
832 people are currently reading
7843 people want to read
About the author
Karina Halle
122 books19.6k followersKarina Halle is a screenwriter, former music & travel journalist, and the New York Times bestselling author of Grave Matter, Blood Orange, & The Royals Next Door, as well as 80 other romances across all sub-genres, ranging from spicy rom coms to gothic horror and dark fantasy. Needless to say, whatever you're into, she's probably written an HEA for it.
When she's not traveling, she, her husband, and their pup Perry, split their time between a possibly haunted 120 year-old house in Victoria, BC, and their condo in Los Angeles.
When she's not traveling, she, her husband, and their pup Perry, split their time between a possibly haunted 120 year-old house in Victoria, BC, and their condo in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 301 reviews
March 14, 2024
3 Chewing Gum Stars⭐
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5
Please note, I cannot comment on aspects of this book without mentioning spoilers from River of Shadows and Queen of Crimson. If this bothers you...I would advise you to stop reading and go and enjoy those books first before continuing onward
I am a little two-minded about how to rate this book, but I honestly feel like I have more unanswered questions than what was answered. It didn't answer half the questions that were created due to the cliffhanger from book two and then compounded the confusion by adding a ton more plot holes and even more questions.
The one thing I loved about the book is how it almost gave a new era to the relationship between Hanna and Tuoni. It was almost like book 1, they found each other, book 2 is about how Hanna finds herself and then book 3 finally gives the couple a chance to grow together. It's normally said that your significant other brings about the best version of yourself, and this book played on that dynamic. We got to see the two do cutesy couple activities, regular everyday activities that you can often take for granted, but given they live in the Underworld wouldn't necessarily have the opportunity to do. I liked seeing how the two fell deeper and deeper in love. It was sweet.
This book introduces new POV's making a total of 4 (Hanna, Tuoni, Tuonen and Lovia). These additional POV's added quite a bit to the plot, which is the exact problem - THIS BOOK WAS SERIOUSLY LACKING IN PLOT. And most of the plot that does happen isn't a very new idea to the story and happens VERY QUICKLY in the start - also the majority happens in the small snippets of Lovia's and Tuonen's POV. I found myself begging to be back in their minds as that was the main story and wasn't just death trying to find a cup of coffee and not knowing what chewing gum is... I almost feel like if we didn't have their additional POV's added, we wouldn't have a story at all.
Another thing that confused me is the book feels like it just ends. There isn't a cliffhanger really - it just feels like the writing stops, or somehow three chapters got deleted when it was sent to the final edit and they just never made it into the book. Now I am not sure if this was meant to create more suspense and hype for the culmination of the story in book 4, but I didn't like it as I wanted more in the story and left me disappointed.
Overall this was a quick read but a little disappointing.
Trope Summary:
▶ Death Personification
▶ Grumpy X Sunshine
▶ Meddling Gods
▶ Hades X Persephone Vibes
Some of the questions I have after reading this:
↜⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒↝
River of Shadows - ★★★★☆ my review
Crown of Crimson - ★★★☆☆ my review
Thank you Karina Halle for my gifted ARC copy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5
Please note, I cannot comment on aspects of this book without mentioning spoilers from River of Shadows and Queen of Crimson. If this bothers you...I would advise you to stop reading and go and enjoy those books first before continuing onward
I am a little two-minded about how to rate this book, but I honestly feel like I have more unanswered questions than what was answered. It didn't answer half the questions that were created due to the cliffhanger from book two and then compounded the confusion by adding a ton more plot holes and even more questions.
The one thing I loved about the book is how it almost gave a new era to the relationship between Hanna and Tuoni. It was almost like book 1, they found each other, book 2 is about how Hanna finds herself and then book 3 finally gives the couple a chance to grow together. It's normally said that your significant other brings about the best version of yourself, and this book played on that dynamic. We got to see the two do cutesy couple activities, regular everyday activities that you can often take for granted, but given they live in the Underworld wouldn't necessarily have the opportunity to do. I liked seeing how the two fell deeper and deeper in love. It was sweet.
This book introduces new POV's making a total of 4 (Hanna, Tuoni, Tuonen and Lovia). These additional POV's added quite a bit to the plot, which is the exact problem - THIS BOOK WAS SERIOUSLY LACKING IN PLOT. And most of the plot that does happen isn't a very new idea to the story and happens VERY QUICKLY in the start - also the majority happens in the small snippets of Lovia's and Tuonen's POV. I found myself begging to be back in their minds as that was the main story and wasn't just death trying to find a cup of coffee and not knowing what chewing gum is... I almost feel like if we didn't have their additional POV's added, we wouldn't have a story at all.
Another thing that confused me is the book feels like it just ends. There isn't a cliffhanger really - it just feels like the writing stops, or somehow three chapters got deleted when it was sent to the final edit and they just never made it into the book. Now I am not sure if this was meant to create more suspense and hype for the culmination of the story in book 4, but I didn't like it as I wanted more in the story and left me disappointed.
Overall this was a quick read but a little disappointing.
Trope Summary:
▶ Death Personification
▶ Grumpy X Sunshine
▶ Meddling Gods
▶ Hades X Persephone Vibes
Some of the questions I have after reading this:
↜⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒↝
River of Shadows - ★★★★☆ my review
Crown of Crimson - ★★★☆☆ my review
Thank you Karina Halle for my gifted ARC copy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 1, 2024
My face after reading this installation:
Seriously though, maybe I should’ve done a re-read before picking this up, but I just don’t remember the first 2 books being this cheesy and superficial. Everything felt so shallow or unnecessary to the overall plot. Most of the book is spent with Tuoni and Hanna running around in the human world and banging it out everywhere; which don’t get me wrong, the smut is great and all, but so much of it felt like filler. Which is a huge bummer because I know this was a tough one for the author, and it’s not even the finale of the story. There were a lot of delays over the past nearly 2 years and I really feel for the author’s personal struggles…but I would have rather waited longer for a better story.
Seriously though, maybe I should’ve done a re-read before picking this up, but I just don’t remember the first 2 books being this cheesy and superficial. Everything felt so shallow or unnecessary to the overall plot. Most of the book is spent with Tuoni and Hanna running around in the human world and banging it out everywhere; which don’t get me wrong, the smut is great and all, but so much of it felt like filler. Which is a huge bummer because I know this was a tough one for the author, and it’s not even the finale of the story. There were a lot of delays over the past nearly 2 years and I really feel for the author’s personal struggles…but I would have rather waited longer for a better story.
February 27, 2024
hanna & tuoni are back!!!!
this one takes place immediately after the events of book 2 which I super appreciated (especially after that cliffhanger). I also loved that we got multiple povs and added in lovia and tuonen’s. which was necessary because of how hanna and tuoni escape.
for the sake of spoilers and not wanting to give too much away, I really enjoyed seeing hanna and tuoni experience new things. but the whole time I wanted to get back to lovia and tuonen because that’s where all the action was.
the ending is actually wild and I can’t wait until the next one!
thank you to the nerd fam and karina for an arc 🖤 it’s out now!
-actual rating 3.25-
this one takes place immediately after the events of book 2 which I super appreciated (especially after that cliffhanger). I also loved that we got multiple povs and added in lovia and tuonen’s. which was necessary because of how hanna and tuoni escape.
for the sake of spoilers and not wanting to give too much away, I really enjoyed seeing hanna and tuoni experience new things. but the whole time I wanted to get back to lovia and tuonen because that’s where all the action was.
the ending is actually wild and I can’t wait until the next one!
thank you to the nerd fam and karina for an arc 🖤 it’s out now!
-actual rating 3.25-
Want to read
November 19, 2022GIVE MEEEEE
November 24, 2023
**UPDATE!** 11/10/23- The date has been changed once again, BUT!!! With the change also comes some great news!! First, the date has been changed to 12/11/23! It would make an awesome early holiday gift! Second, Karina has added on a FOURTH book to the series! Scheduled to come out 2/8/24!! EXCITEMENT ALL AROUND!!!
Update 9/1/2023- The date has been moved to October! I am practically giddy with anticipation 😁
7/24/2023- Book three has been announced for SEPTEMBER!!! This is so super exciting, I am bursting at the seams! 😁😁
Update 9/1/2023- The date has been moved to October! I am practically giddy with anticipation 😁
7/24/2023- Book three has been announced for SEPTEMBER!!! This is so super exciting, I am bursting at the seams! 😁😁
March 24, 2024
This was really disappointing and lacking in substance. I enjoyed the first two books in this series, but this one was a big miss. There is no plot, no character growth, no world-building—just meaningless fluff and smut. It added nothing to the story but plot holes.
August 6, 2024
I am so damn sad I can't read the next book until November! 😭😭 add this series to your TBR!
March 4, 2024
Wow, it was so cool to be back with Death and Hannah. I don't blame the author for the delays, life happens, but I was worried if I would still follow everything. I didn't have a chance to reread. Luckily, Karina Halle provided a nice little, "Previously in.." section. It jogged my memory quite well.
First things first, what I liked:
I loved Hannah and Death being firmly on the same side. I remember being a bit frustrated with that before. Though I love an Enemies to Lovers, the situation they find themselves in here means they need to be totally in sync. Also, they can TOUCH now. Whoop whoop!
Sarvi, they are always a gem. I may have teared up at a certain place involving them.
Reuniting with a certain character!! That was extra special. I look forward to how that progresses in book 4.
What I didn't like:
I know there is a reason some of the names are very similar but... I think that's one of the accurate things that was very confusing. It could totally just be me, I recognize that but there was too many "T" names. I'm calling it, haha!
I still don't think this needed to be 4 books...
So, overall, this was a win, and if you liked these books before, you can slide right back into them.
4 Stars
2.5 on the spice scale
First things first, what I liked:
I loved Hannah and Death being firmly on the same side. I remember being a bit frustrated with that before. Though I love an Enemies to Lovers, the situation they find themselves in here means they need to be totally in sync. Also, they can TOUCH now. Whoop whoop!
Sarvi, they are always a gem. I may have teared up at a certain place involving them.
Reuniting with a certain character!! That was extra special. I look forward to how that progresses in book 4.
What I didn't like:
I know there is a reason some of the names are very similar but... I think that's one of the accurate things that was very confusing. It could totally just be me, I recognize that but there was too many "T" names. I'm calling it, haha!
I still don't think this needed to be 4 books...
So, overall, this was a win, and if you liked these books before, you can slide right back into them.
4 Stars
2.5 on the spice scale
March 4, 2024
This was a long awaited release for me, but it was a bit disappointing tbh. 3-stars may be generous, but it was entertaining and relatively interesting. The story felt rushed and not a lot happened to the 2 main characters. The plot felt like it lost its way from the previous 2 books. There were also a few typos here and there. I was disappointed because the first 2 books in this series were 5-star reads for me and are my fav books by Karina Halle, but this felt a bit like a novella and fell a bit short after waiting ~2 years for this to be released. The romance isn't really interesting to me anymore, and that used to be the best part of this story imo. The smut was a bit repetitive (nothing wild like that threesome in book 2 lol). I also kind of forgot who some of the characters were. I appreciated the recap at the beginning A LOT (I love when authors do this), but I almost wish it was another page or two long because I was still missing a lot. I also forgot that Death's name, his son's name, and the name of the land are all extremely similar; I struggled to differentiate who/what we were talking about. This was particularly confusing because everyone seems to be related somehow. I was struggling to remember which character is Hanna's half sibling and which character is Lovia's half sibling (is it the same person?? 2 different people helping out Louhi? Is Hanna related to Death's children somehow? #confused).
Hanna was a bit annoying at times because she seems to think very highly of herself, which made me roll my eyes more often than not. I DID laugh a lot at Death in the modern world. His complete naivety and lack of understanding of modern terms was really funny. Death's POVs in the upper world were my favorite chapters. Looking forward to learning a bit more about Hanna's mother in particular! I hope these characters get the ending they deserve! The cliffhanger wasn't really interesting - seems a bit like a cop-out/easy solution but I'm curious to see how it goes. This series has an interesting world and I like the nordic elements. I hope Sarvi is OK too.
Hanna was a bit annoying at times because she seems to think very highly of herself, which made me roll my eyes more often than not. I DID laugh a lot at Death in the modern world. His complete naivety and lack of understanding of modern terms was really funny. Death's POVs in the upper world were my favorite chapters. Looking forward to learning a bit more about Hanna's mother in particular! I hope these characters get the ending they deserve! The cliffhanger wasn't really interesting - seems a bit like a cop-out/easy solution but I'm curious to see how it goes. This series has an interesting world and I like the nordic elements. I hope Sarvi is OK too.
November 27, 2025
I’m trying my best not to be dramatic, but at this point you’ve been leading me on for almost a year. I thought we were friends. Please. Take pity and give me.
February 29, 2024
''You think I'm crazy, don't you?''
''At the moment, yes. Luckily, we're a match made in Amaranthus.''
Thank you Karina Halle and RRS, for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.
Actual rating: 3.5
Friends, I have trouble rating this book. As much as I loved being back with Hanna, Daddy Death and the rest of the characters, at the end, City of Darkness felt semi-incomplete for me. Rushed maybe, and at times tad inane (even though I did laughed to several references/actions out loud, so go figure). Regarding humor, it reminded me of overall vibe shift from first Thor movies to Taika's Thor: Ragnarok. CoD felt different than book 1 and 2.
First of all, bless you Karina for much needed and actually funny 'PREVIOUSLY ON UNDERWORLD GODS' recap 👌We pick up right where we were left off in Crown of Crimson (review link). As the story is short, I will not spoil any details. I get why we see them *there* and why Death has those kind of reactions. I understand references and all of that, but I think the approach to this could have been bit different. Also, I'm still not getting the meaning behind moments, where Tuoni said ''You forgot, didn't you? About where we need to ....'' If you know, please explain lol. Ya girl is not smart I guess.
Overall, I devoured this book in few minutes (ok fine, max 2hrs), so that maybe shows you how starved I was for this duo. We got spice, we got action, we got vulnerable moments and povs from Tuonen and Lovi. And ohh, I very much enjoyed how vivid and macabre feels I got from the Gods!
I'm really excited to see how exactly the series will conclude, because even though we *know* we should get HEA, I'm expecting a bloody and epic battle of Gods.
Karina is still one of my fav authors and I will eventually read her backlog 😌
''At the moment, yes. Luckily, we're a match made in Amaranthus.''
Thank you Karina Halle and RRS, for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.
Actual rating: 3.5
Friends, I have trouble rating this book. As much as I loved being back with Hanna, Daddy Death and the rest of the characters, at the end, City of Darkness felt semi-incomplete for me. Rushed maybe, and at times tad inane (even though I did laughed to several references/actions out loud, so go figure). Regarding humor, it reminded me of overall vibe shift from first Thor movies to Taika's Thor: Ragnarok. CoD felt different than book 1 and 2.
First of all, bless you Karina for much needed and actually funny 'PREVIOUSLY ON UNDERWORLD GODS' recap 👌We pick up right where we were left off in Crown of Crimson (review link). As the story is short, I will not spoil any details. I get why we see them *there* and why Death has those kind of reactions. I understand references and all of that, but I think the approach to this could have been bit different. Also, I'm still not getting the meaning behind moments, where Tuoni said ''You forgot, didn't you? About where we need to ....'' If you know, please explain lol. Ya girl is not smart I guess.
Overall, I devoured this book in few minutes (ok fine, max 2hrs), so that maybe shows you how starved I was for this duo. We got spice, we got action, we got vulnerable moments and povs from Tuonen and Lovi. And ohh, I very much enjoyed how vivid and macabre feels I got from the Gods!
I'm really excited to see how exactly the series will conclude, because even though we *know* we should get HEA, I'm expecting a bloody and epic battle of Gods.
Karina is still one of my fav authors and I will eventually read her backlog 😌
March 8, 2024
The long anticipated wait it over! This book was quite a bit different than book one, and two. We spend a lot of time in the human realm.
Death finally realizes what it feels like to be an outsider.
Book one and two were easily five stars for me.
I did feel like this book lacked the magic that the first two books had. I struggled to keep up with the excitement of reading this one. It’s a bit of a filler book but It did pick up pace towards the last half where we finally see movement in the plot with good guy versus bad guy.
I am definitely still interested to figure out how they are going to take back the underworld.
There are certain characters whose lives are hanging on by a thread and so we definitely have a bit of a cliffhanger because of that.
Overall, it was entertaining enough I just wasn’t my favorite book of the series.
3.5⭐️
Death finally realizes what it feels like to be an outsider.
Book one and two were easily five stars for me.
I did feel like this book lacked the magic that the first two books had. I struggled to keep up with the excitement of reading this one. It’s a bit of a filler book but It did pick up pace towards the last half where we finally see movement in the plot with good guy versus bad guy.
I am definitely still interested to figure out how they are going to take back the underworld.
There are certain characters whose lives are hanging on by a thread and so we definitely have a bit of a cliffhanger because of that.
Overall, it was entertaining enough I just wasn’t my favorite book of the series.
3.5⭐️
March 31, 2024
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
City of Darkness, the third installment in the Underworld Gods series, is a thrilling ride from start to finish. Karina's writing style remains as captivating as ever, effortlessly blending easy reading with gripping storytelling. The inclusion of a recap at the beginning of the book was a thoughtful touch, providing a helpful refresher for forgetful readers like myself.
Despite my usual reservations about multiple points of view, I found myself pleasantly surprised by how well it worked in this book. The different perspectives added depth to the story without overwhelming, allowing for a more immersive reading experience. And let's talk about the perfect balance of humor, romance, and action—Karina nails it, with witty banter between characters like Tuoni and Hanna adding levity to tense moments, while also delivering some steamy scenes that keep the pages turning.
One of the highlights for me was witnessing Tuoni navigate the human world alongside Hanna, leading to some truly amusing interactions. As the story raced towards its conclusion, I couldn't help but feel torn—I wanted to know what happened next, yet I didn't want the adventure to end. While City of Darkness provided some answers, it also left enough mystery to keep me eagerly anticipating the next installment in the Underworld Gods series. I can't wait to dive back into the world of Tuoni and Hanna and see where their journey takes them next!
City of Darkness, the third installment in the Underworld Gods series, is a thrilling ride from start to finish. Karina's writing style remains as captivating as ever, effortlessly blending easy reading with gripping storytelling. The inclusion of a recap at the beginning of the book was a thoughtful touch, providing a helpful refresher for forgetful readers like myself.
Despite my usual reservations about multiple points of view, I found myself pleasantly surprised by how well it worked in this book. The different perspectives added depth to the story without overwhelming, allowing for a more immersive reading experience. And let's talk about the perfect balance of humor, romance, and action—Karina nails it, with witty banter between characters like Tuoni and Hanna adding levity to tense moments, while also delivering some steamy scenes that keep the pages turning.
One of the highlights for me was witnessing Tuoni navigate the human world alongside Hanna, leading to some truly amusing interactions. As the story raced towards its conclusion, I couldn't help but feel torn—I wanted to know what happened next, yet I didn't want the adventure to end. While City of Darkness provided some answers, it also left enough mystery to keep me eagerly anticipating the next installment in the Underworld Gods series. I can't wait to dive back into the world of Tuoni and Hanna and see where their journey takes them next!
March 2, 2024
I cant believe i waited all thai time for this....
I have so much to say about this!
First, Karina Halle had such a hard time releasing this book. Constantly having different excuses: her computer died, her hard drive burnt-out, she was having a bad day, etc.etc.etc. it got to the point where i was like, listen, take the time you need, as long as you bring us something good...
When i first received the book I KNEW i was going to be disappointed when i saw is was only 200 pages..she made use wait all this time for 200 pages.????? #EyeRoll
And then the story itself is just plain boring. Just hated trhe whole thing. Almost DNF'd it, but really just wanted to finish it. It was WACK yall. Giving it 2⭐️ is being generous.
I am officially hoping off Karina'a bandwagon.
I have so much to say about this!
First, Karina Halle had such a hard time releasing this book. Constantly having different excuses: her computer died, her hard drive burnt-out, she was having a bad day, etc.etc.etc. it got to the point where i was like, listen, take the time you need, as long as you bring us something good...
When i first received the book I KNEW i was going to be disappointed when i saw is was only 200 pages..she made use wait all this time for 200 pages.????? #EyeRoll
And then the story itself is just plain boring. Just hated trhe whole thing. Almost DNF'd it, but really just wanted to finish it. It was WACK yall. Giving it 2⭐️ is being generous.
I am officially hoping off Karina'a bandwagon.
March 8, 2024
City of Darkness by Karina Halle is the third book in her entertaining and original Underworld Gods series: an adult romantasy series that is based on the Finnish folklore of Tuonela and inspired by Beauty of the Beast and Labyrinth.
Like so many, I've been waiting for this book with bated breath after Crown of Crimson's savage cliffhanger. This series is such a comfort read for me and I was missing Hanna and Death so much.. I was worried for their safety and so curious as to how they would get out of their predicament. Turns out, one predicament turns into another!
Tuoni in the Upper World — completely clueless about the way things are yet so fascinated — had me cracking up! I love Karina's humour and this was every bit as entertaining as I hoped it would be.
I love how much Tuoni and Hanna's relationship has grown through everything they've been through. I soaked up every sweet and sexy moment with these two!
City of Darkness is definitely shorter than the previous two books with not much plot-affecting action until last 30% ... however, it brings together some key players and fills in some of the gaps to give readers an idea of where everything is headed in the final book.
I am so excited for the Goddess of Light.. I feel like it's going to be an epic conclusion!
Like so many, I've been waiting for this book with bated breath after Crown of Crimson's savage cliffhanger. This series is such a comfort read for me and I was missing Hanna and Death so much.. I was worried for their safety and so curious as to how they would get out of their predicament. Turns out, one predicament turns into another!
Tuoni in the Upper World — completely clueless about the way things are yet so fascinated — had me cracking up! I love Karina's humour and this was every bit as entertaining as I hoped it would be.
"Man, you’re lucky I’m here. You wouldn’t last a day before you end up in federal prison."
"Is that a special prison?"
I love how much Tuoni and Hanna's relationship has grown through everything they've been through. I soaked up every sweet and sexy moment with these two!
"Don’t stop looking at me.. Don’t stop looking at your king. Don’t fucking forget who rules you in this world and the next.”
City of Darkness is definitely shorter than the previous two books with not much plot-affecting action until last 30% ... however, it brings together some key players and fills in some of the gaps to give readers an idea of where everything is headed in the final book.
I am so excited for the Goddess of Light.. I feel like it's going to be an epic conclusion!
July 6, 2024
2.5 stars, maybe.
Where is the plot? And why is there a next book? I feel like everything could have been wrapped up in this one and it would have been a trilogy and done.
We now get 4 POVs with Lovia and Tuonen. Their sole purpose is telling us what is happening in the underworld while Hanna and Death stumble around in our world and Death makes people magically do whatever he wants, they stay in a hotel, pawn swords for money and have sex while trying to figure out how to get back to the Underworld. And Death is woefully lacking in knowledge. He is MILLENIA old, how come he has NEVER been to the Upperworld personally? That just makes no sense to me. He has watched movies, surely he knows what a key looks like and that an elevator is not the hotelroom?
Downstairs Lovia and Tuonen have to deal with the fact that their mother manages to wake up the Old Gods.
Everything resolves magically (sometimes literally), important stuff isn’t explained and I feel like i totally wasted my time with this and i HATE that i have to read another book.
I feel confident in saying that everything will work out, only the bad guys will die and Death will take on his ex with a human army and win together with Hanna who will very likely suddenly have full control over powers she didn’t know she had.
Where is the plot? And why is there a next book? I feel like everything could have been wrapped up in this one and it would have been a trilogy and done.
We now get 4 POVs with Lovia and Tuonen. Their sole purpose is telling us what is happening in the underworld while Hanna and Death stumble around in our world and Death makes people magically do whatever he wants, they stay in a hotel, pawn swords for money and have sex while trying to figure out how to get back to the Underworld. And Death is woefully lacking in knowledge. He is MILLENIA old, how come he has NEVER been to the Upperworld personally? That just makes no sense to me. He has watched movies, surely he knows what a key looks like and that an elevator is not the hotelroom?
Downstairs Lovia and Tuonen have to deal with the fact that their mother manages to wake up the Old Gods.
Everything resolves magically (sometimes literally), important stuff isn’t explained and I feel like i totally wasted my time with this and i HATE that i have to read another book.
I feel confident in saying that everything will work out, only the bad guys will die and Death will take on his ex with a human army and win together with Hanna who will very likely suddenly have full control over powers she didn’t know she had.
February 29, 2024
First of all I want to say a big thank you to Karina for the ARC of this book.
A solid 4 stars! Here is my chaotic review because my ADHD cold medicine brain is mushy right now.
This book has been LONG awaited. I read Crown of Crimson the week it released and since then I have been desperate for the next book in this series. And it was well worth the wait!
This book was fast paced and so much fun to read. I loved all the pop culture references and it was great seeing Death having to act like a mortal in the upper world. I also LOVED reading Lovia and Tuonen's POV's. I do wish the book would have been longer and a little bit more in depth, but I think it is a great set up for book 4. And that ending (ohhhhh snap) We all need book 4 right now.
I just absolutely love Hannah and Death. I love how much their relationship has grown and how the interact with eachother in this book. And as usual, the spice is spicing. (Not me still thinking about that shadow daddy scene from book 2 IYKYK)
I'm really excited about this ending and to see where book 4 is going to take us.
I also want to say, to all the people who lost their mind about this book being pushed back, MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS. KH has been very open about her struggles and that is something we should all admire and appreciate about her. Prioritizing one's mental health should always be a priority. Ya'll need to do better.
CANT WAIT FOR BOOK 4
A solid 4 stars! Here is my chaotic review because my ADHD cold medicine brain is mushy right now.
This book has been LONG awaited. I read Crown of Crimson the week it released and since then I have been desperate for the next book in this series. And it was well worth the wait!
This book was fast paced and so much fun to read. I loved all the pop culture references and it was great seeing Death having to act like a mortal in the upper world. I also LOVED reading Lovia and Tuonen's POV's. I do wish the book would have been longer and a little bit more in depth, but I think it is a great set up for book 4. And that ending (ohhhhh snap) We all need book 4 right now.
I just absolutely love Hannah and Death. I love how much their relationship has grown and how the interact with eachother in this book. And as usual, the spice is spicing. (Not me still thinking about that shadow daddy scene from book 2 IYKYK)
I'm really excited about this ending and to see where book 4 is going to take us.
I also want to say, to all the people who lost their mind about this book being pushed back, MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS. KH has been very open about her struggles and that is something we should all admire and appreciate about her. Prioritizing one's mental health should always be a priority. Ya'll need to do better.
CANT WAIT FOR BOOK 4
February 25, 2024
✨ARC Review✨
I was so happy when I saw this book dropping on my kindle because I have been itching to get the next instalment of Hannah and Tuoni’s story, and let me tell you it did not disappoint.
City of Darkness picks right back up where Crown of Crimson ends, with Louhi trying to raise the old gods..
If I could explain this book in a few words is a rollercoaster with plenty of heat😮💨. I love that we get to see Hannah and Tuoni’s relationship develop and form even further throughout this book🥺.
A minor spoiler but the MC’s do end up back in the real world and I honestly found it quite entertaining how Hannah had to help Tuoni adjust to the human customs😂.
If you are already unaware this is not the last book in the series, so I does end with a cliffhanger. All I can say is I am desperate to know how this series ends😩
Tropes:
- Fantasy Romance
- Enemies to Lovers
- Forced Marriage
- Beauty & the Beast vibes
I look forward to reading the final chapter of Hannah and Tuoni’s story! Thank you so much to the author for providing this e-arc for my honest thoughts 💭
I was so happy when I saw this book dropping on my kindle because I have been itching to get the next instalment of Hannah and Tuoni’s story, and let me tell you it did not disappoint.
City of Darkness picks right back up where Crown of Crimson ends, with Louhi trying to raise the old gods..
If I could explain this book in a few words is a rollercoaster with plenty of heat😮💨. I love that we get to see Hannah and Tuoni’s relationship develop and form even further throughout this book🥺.
A minor spoiler but the MC’s do end up back in the real world and I honestly found it quite entertaining how Hannah had to help Tuoni adjust to the human customs😂.
If you are already unaware this is not the last book in the series, so I does end with a cliffhanger. All I can say is I am desperate to know how this series ends😩
Tropes:
- Fantasy Romance
- Enemies to Lovers
- Forced Marriage
- Beauty & the Beast vibes
I look forward to reading the final chapter of Hannah and Tuoni’s story! Thank you so much to the author for providing this e-arc for my honest thoughts 💭
February 29, 2024
The third installment of ᴜɴᴅᴇʀᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ɢᴏᴅs is finally here! And I was beyond excited after that cliffy at the end of Crown of Crimson. 🫠
𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 picks up right where we left off and we’re thrown back into the binge-worthy chaos!
This entire series has everything you could ask for!
We have an epic world-bending romance (of course), all the steam you could ask for, crazy adventures in a wonderfully written dark atmosphere, unique mythology, and laugh-out-loud banter.
I am completely and utterly obsessed with the Finnish mythology used in this series. If you know me- you know I went on a complete binge of every Finnish mythology book I could find in 2022 after I finished River of Shadows.
𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 was the perfect set-up for the next book in the ᴜɴᴅᴇʀᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ɢᴏᴅs series, that I have absolutely ZERO doubt will have me crying-screaming-throwing up when it gets here.
*Huge shoutout and THANK YOU to Karina Halle and The Nerd Fam for an ARC copy of 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀!*
𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 picks up right where we left off and we’re thrown back into the binge-worthy chaos!
This entire series has everything you could ask for!
We have an epic world-bending romance (of course), all the steam you could ask for, crazy adventures in a wonderfully written dark atmosphere, unique mythology, and laugh-out-loud banter.
I am completely and utterly obsessed with the Finnish mythology used in this series. If you know me- you know I went on a complete binge of every Finnish mythology book I could find in 2022 after I finished River of Shadows.
𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 was the perfect set-up for the next book in the ᴜɴᴅᴇʀᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ɢᴏᴅs series, that I have absolutely ZERO doubt will have me crying-screaming-throwing up when it gets here.
*Huge shoutout and THANK YOU to Karina Halle and The Nerd Fam for an ARC copy of 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀!*
February 28, 2024
I enjoyed this continuation of Hanna & Death’s story! At the beginning you will find a recap our Lady Karina hooked us up with, so if you haven’t had a chance to reread (if you’re into that) no worries, all the core information is there! Now for the story itself.. It begins right where it left off, and I was happy for that since Crown of Crimson was such a cliffhanger ending. Don’t get your hopes up, this one ends with another, though in my opinion not quite as bleak! There���s hope yet for our favorite folks of the Underworld. This book has several steamy moments 🔥 and you really get to watch their relationship bloom into an actual marriage. We get to see them both question themselves and their marriage, acknowledge insecurities, and ultimately grow together. This was very much a third book leading up to the ultimate ending. At the end you’ll find a bonus story! I was very pleased to find that waiting for me at the end. I can’t wait to read Death’s novella later this year, it will be a great way to hold us over until we end this journey! 😭
Thank you for the opportunity to have an ARC - it was such an honor and as it was my first time, I can’t thank you enough for making it beautiful and memorable. 😉🔥
Thank you for the opportunity to have an ARC - it was such an honor and as it was my first time, I can’t thank you enough for making it beautiful and memorable. 😉🔥
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November 16, 2024Loved this tbh
February 28, 2024
3.5 stars. This was a little hard to rate because I loved being back in this world with these characters. I loved getting Lovia and Tuonen’s POVs. The plot is interesting and I like where the story is going but at 260 pages (on kindle) the book felt very incomplete. I was left wanting more from book 3. I still highly recommend the series and am looking forward to the conclusion.
March 8, 2024
A great adventure of Tuoni and Hanna! I enjoyed the dynamics of this book and the additional POVs played out. Overall, this was a fun installment and Karina is surely building up to a great finale.
The banter between Tuoni and Hanna is always heartwarming and comical. These two will never not make me laugh.
I enjoyed the horror elements woven into this, but for fear of spoiling I cannot say too much.
Either way, this was a lovely installment and I am so looking forward to the finale!
The banter between Tuoni and Hanna is always heartwarming and comical. These two will never not make me laugh.
I enjoyed the horror elements woven into this, but for fear of spoiling I cannot say too much.
Either way, this was a lovely installment and I am so looking forward to the finale!
March 8, 2024
City of Darkness is the third book in the Underworld Gods series. It's a fantasy dark romance book about a mortal girl, Hanna, and the God of Death, Tuoni. I won't say anything about the plot, because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn’t read the previous books, but I'll just say this; Please, read these books! They are amazing! 🥰
The plot is very good. There is a lot of action in this book. We learn sooo many things about Hanna and her father. We get to see more of Lovia and Tuonen, Death's kids. The sex scenes are very good, as always. I loved the POVs of Lovia and Tuonen, and I really can't wait for the next book and learn more things about them! Tuoni is soooo funny in this book and I loved him even more. He really made me laugh and I had a great time reading about him and his questions. Hanna was more powerful in this book, and I loved her! Their love story was great, and I just can’t wait for the next book now! ❤️
Totally recommend it! Read it ASAP! 🥰
Thank you, Karina, for the ARC! Totally appreciate it! ❤️
The plot is very good. There is a lot of action in this book. We learn sooo many things about Hanna and her father. We get to see more of Lovia and Tuonen, Death's kids. The sex scenes are very good, as always. I loved the POVs of Lovia and Tuonen, and I really can't wait for the next book and learn more things about them! Tuoni is soooo funny in this book and I loved him even more. He really made me laugh and I had a great time reading about him and his questions. Hanna was more powerful in this book, and I loved her! Their love story was great, and I just can’t wait for the next book now! ❤️
Totally recommend it! Read it ASAP! 🥰
Thank you, Karina, for the ARC! Totally appreciate it! ❤️
March 11, 2024
so grateful for the arc of this one!
this third instalment of the underworld gods series is the continuation of the story of hanna and tuoni, based on the finnish mythology of the god of death and the underworld.
the cliffhanger of book 2 had me chewing at the GATES for this third one, and being back with hanna, tuoni, lovia, & tuonen felt like coming home.
the banter, adventure & spice was exactly what i love about karina’s books!
because of the change of scenery in this one, i feel like it gave tuoni so much more personality and it had me giggling at so many points while he tried to adjust to a more mortal existence for the time being 🤭
this one was SPICY. they were getting down and dirty anywhere and everywhere and it was 🥵
this wasn’t my fav read, but i am excited to see what the final book has in store 🖤
this third instalment of the underworld gods series is the continuation of the story of hanna and tuoni, based on the finnish mythology of the god of death and the underworld.
the cliffhanger of book 2 had me chewing at the GATES for this third one, and being back with hanna, tuoni, lovia, & tuonen felt like coming home.
the banter, adventure & spice was exactly what i love about karina’s books!
because of the change of scenery in this one, i feel like it gave tuoni so much more personality and it had me giggling at so many points while he tried to adjust to a more mortal existence for the time being 🤭
this one was SPICY. they were getting down and dirty anywhere and everywhere and it was 🥵
this wasn’t my fav read, but i am excited to see what the final book has in store 🖤
April 21, 2024
Release dates got pushed back and pushed back and after ALL THAT WAITING.... this bullshit is what we get? Really? This book is ENTIRELY unnecessary. It's a tie-over that did not at all need to exist. It's just Death and Hanna gallivanting around in the Upper World instead of dealing with the shit going on in hell.
Fuck off.
I was going to go into a long rant about this book. But I'm just over this entire series. This book pissed me off.
TL;DR - Why the fuck was this book written?
It's only like 250 pages long.
Has zero substance.
Nothing new is added to the plot line.
The characters still suck.
I give all the way up.
Leaving my chapter notes below if anybody needs more clarification about how idiotic and unnecessary this book is.
Fuck off.
I was going to go into a long rant about this book. But I'm just over this entire series. This book pissed me off.
TL;DR - Why the fuck was this book written?
It's only like 250 pages long.
Has zero substance.
Nothing new is added to the plot line.
The characters still suck.
I give all the way up.
Leaving my chapter notes below if anybody needs more clarification about how idiotic and unnecessary this book is.
February 27, 2024
It’s been a long time between books, but the wait is finally over. After the shocking cliffhanger ending of Crown of Crimson, City of Darkness picks up the story with the God of Death and his Queen aka Tuoni and Hanni, up against it as the evil machinations of his ex look like coming to fruition and bringing a new age to Tuonela, the Realm of the Dead.
This was a difficult review to write without giving away any spoilers, but this book is told from multiple points of view including Tuoni’s children, Lovia and Tuonen, which is necessary for the path the plot takes – you’ll get what I mean when you read it! As I’ve come to expect from this dark and atmospheric series, the overall story is fast paced and the writing vivid and descriptive making it easy to visualise certain scenes playing out in my head as I read. There is a thread of humour as Tuoni undergoes new experiences and his reactions to them but at the same time he shows a hint of vulnerability for the first time as he begins to realise just what Hanni has given up to be with him. While Hanni’s character continues to grow and showing a new strength as she comes into her own proving that she’s a more than fitting Queen for him? All this before ending on another cliff hanger making it look like the final book is shaping up for an epic battle between the old Gods and supremacy of the underworld.
If you love fantasy romance, darkly atmospheric settings, a story loosely based on Finnish mythology that is full of twists and turns, the ultimate anti-hero in Death and his queen with a chemistry that burns hotter than the fires of hell then I can’t recommend the Underworld Gods series strongly enough.
This was a difficult review to write without giving away any spoilers, but this book is told from multiple points of view including Tuoni’s children, Lovia and Tuonen, which is necessary for the path the plot takes – you’ll get what I mean when you read it! As I’ve come to expect from this dark and atmospheric series, the overall story is fast paced and the writing vivid and descriptive making it easy to visualise certain scenes playing out in my head as I read. There is a thread of humour as Tuoni undergoes new experiences and his reactions to them but at the same time he shows a hint of vulnerability for the first time as he begins to realise just what Hanni has given up to be with him. While Hanni’s character continues to grow and showing a new strength as she comes into her own proving that she’s a more than fitting Queen for him? All this before ending on another cliff hanger making it look like the final book is shaping up for an epic battle between the old Gods and supremacy of the underworld.
If you love fantasy romance, darkly atmospheric settings, a story loosely based on Finnish mythology that is full of twists and turns, the ultimate anti-hero in Death and his queen with a chemistry that burns hotter than the fires of hell then I can’t recommend the Underworld Gods series strongly enough.
February 26, 2024
City of Darkness by Karina Halle ☆☆☆☆
'𝑻𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒏'𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏.'
Okay, I gotta start this review off by praising the hell out of Karina for that hilarious recap of book 1&2. It was SO needed since I started this series back in 2022.
City of Darkness was so action packed, it moved fast and I never felt lost. Considering I hadn't read the series in 2 years, it was so easy to pick back up. I loved watching Hanna and Tuoni experience new things and the humour was great.
I also loved Tuonen and Loviatars POV chapters. I'm really excited to see this series conclude in what is going to be an epic battle of gods.
'𝑻𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒏'𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏.'
Okay, I gotta start this review off by praising the hell out of Karina for that hilarious recap of book 1&2. It was SO needed since I started this series back in 2022.
City of Darkness was so action packed, it moved fast and I never felt lost. Considering I hadn't read the series in 2 years, it was so easy to pick back up. I loved watching Hanna and Tuoni experience new things and the humour was great.
I also loved Tuonen and Loviatars POV chapters. I'm really excited to see this series conclude in what is going to be an epic battle of gods.
December 27, 2024
This was not quite as good as the first two books in the Underworld God's series, but I was glad it finally came out after two years of waiting. The last book in the series is already out, so I am glad I don't have to wait. I liked the recap at the beginning of the book to help refresh our minds on where the 2nd book left off. This one felt rushed, and there were plot holes, which I am hoping the last book will fill. There are four POV'S that alternate between chapters. I felt more into the chapters with Tuonen and Lovia as they kept me more in the story of what was happening in the underworld.
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