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Svartåsen #2
In the Month of the Midnight Sun
'A gripping, beautifully written novel that I devoured in a day...as thrilling as it is fascinating' Hannah Kent, author of Burial RitesSweden 1856.Blackasen a distant place of rumour, superstition and now - murder.They say it was the Lapp who killed the three men. But something is not right.Ester knows it - but to help the settlers is to betray her people.Magnus feels it too. Sent by the Minister to survey the mountain, he cannot resist its mystery.And banished from the city by her father, travelling with her sister's husband, she is perhaps closest of them all to the wildness of the place.Three people, caught in the haunting light of the midnight sun.
368 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 2016
57 people are currently reading
1334 people want to read
About the author
Cecilia Ekbäck
5 books435 followersCecilia was born in the north of Sweden; her parents come from Lapland. During her teens, she worked as a journalist and after university specialised in marketing. Over twenty years her work took her to Russia, Germany, France, Portugal, the Middle East and the UK.
In 2010, she finished a Masters in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway. She now lives in Calgary with her husband and twin daughters, 'returning home' to the landscape and the characters of her childhood in her writing.
In 2010, she finished a Masters in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway. She now lives in Calgary with her husband and twin daughters, 'returning home' to the landscape and the characters of her childhood in her writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
September 22, 2020
Pues la verdad es que me ha gustado bastante. Es una especie de cuento largo, oscuro, tenebroso en algunos rincones; lleno de venganzas, miedos y ritos ancestrales, de creencias y laberintos de energía. Los personajes principales son únicos a su manera; su comportamiento, su manera de verse y relacionarse consigo mismo y con los demás...
May 14, 2017
Stockholm, 1856 and geologist Magnus Stille has been summoned by his father in law, the state minister for justice. He asks Magnus to travel to Blackåsen Mountain in order to carry out a mineralogical survey, but in actuality to investigate the murder of three settlers by a native Lapp. The Lapp was found sitting with the bodies of the priest, the constable and a visitor and the government needs to know if this is the start of a Lapp uprising or if the men were murdered for another reason. Along with these tasks, Magnus is asked to take his sister in law, 20 year old Lovisa with him. She is in such disgrace for an unnamed crime that her father has cut off all her hair.
This story takes place some 136 years after Wolf Winter, but the people and the setting feel familiar, although now we see them in summer in June, the month of the midnight sun, not in the depths of winter. Blackåsen still looms large and threatening over much the village, which is slowly dying and strangely has no children to continue on. The Lapps still migrate to their summer lands but have become Christian and no longer worship their old spirits. However, the spirits haven't left and still speak to them. The narrative is told from multiple points of that, that of Magnus, Lavisa, and Ester/Biiji, a Lapp woman who has stayed behind whether tribe went to their summer camp to mourn her husband, Nila, the outcast leader of their tribe.
Magnus gradually unravels the mystery surrounding the villagers and the Lapps with the help of Lovisa. Although not particularly likeable at the start of the book as a spoilt girl from a privileged background, Lovisa is open minded and accepted by all. Despite the constant summer light, the atmosphere is eerie and tense. There are many secrets going back many years, not least that being kept by the mountain, which Magnus will need to uncover before he can leave.
This story takes place some 136 years after Wolf Winter, but the people and the setting feel familiar, although now we see them in summer in June, the month of the midnight sun, not in the depths of winter. Blackåsen still looms large and threatening over much the village, which is slowly dying and strangely has no children to continue on. The Lapps still migrate to their summer lands but have become Christian and no longer worship their old spirits. However, the spirits haven't left and still speak to them. The narrative is told from multiple points of that, that of Magnus, Lavisa, and Ester/Biiji, a Lapp woman who has stayed behind whether tribe went to their summer camp to mourn her husband, Nila, the outcast leader of their tribe.
Magnus gradually unravels the mystery surrounding the villagers and the Lapps with the help of Lovisa. Although not particularly likeable at the start of the book as a spoilt girl from a privileged background, Lovisa is open minded and accepted by all. Despite the constant summer light, the atmosphere is eerie and tense. There are many secrets going back many years, not least that being kept by the mountain, which Magnus will need to uncover before he can leave.
August 17, 2017
3 ½ stars
Set 100 years after the events of Wolf Winter the story opens with the murder of 3 town settlers, the priest, the constable and one other person. The guilty party, a Lapp unfamiliar to the locals stays with the bodies for 3 days and no clear motive is established. This is a small isolated community and this event shakes up the living (and the dead).
Magnus, the adopted son of some or other important Minister, is tasked to travel to Blackasen to get to the bottom of these killings in an attempt to save a precarious mining deal.
His sister-in-law Lovisa, is forced to travel with him after she brings scandal to her house for the umpteenth time.
In Blackasen the local Lapp woman Bijja stays behind while her tribe moves on for summer migration. Her husband recently died and she has the strong urge to stay behind although she is not sure why.
All three main characters are put to the test, old secrets are exposed while new enemies are made.
I love this author’s writing, she creates such palpable atmosphere and vivid images. I must confess that this book felt a little slower than Wolf Winter and I didn’t feel as if I knew the characters as well as in the first book.
So, although Wolf Winter is still my favourite this one is still absolutely worth the read.
Set 100 years after the events of Wolf Winter the story opens with the murder of 3 town settlers, the priest, the constable and one other person. The guilty party, a Lapp unfamiliar to the locals stays with the bodies for 3 days and no clear motive is established. This is a small isolated community and this event shakes up the living (and the dead).
Magnus, the adopted son of some or other important Minister, is tasked to travel to Blackasen to get to the bottom of these killings in an attempt to save a precarious mining deal.
His sister-in-law Lovisa, is forced to travel with him after she brings scandal to her house for the umpteenth time.
In Blackasen the local Lapp woman Bijja stays behind while her tribe moves on for summer migration. Her husband recently died and she has the strong urge to stay behind although she is not sure why.
All three main characters are put to the test, old secrets are exposed while new enemies are made.
I love this author’s writing, she creates such palpable atmosphere and vivid images. I must confess that this book felt a little slower than Wolf Winter and I didn’t feel as if I knew the characters as well as in the first book.
So, although Wolf Winter is still my favourite this one is still absolutely worth the read.
October 23, 2020
Faithful to the pattern of Wolf Winter, the gripping first installment of the Svartåsen series, “In the Month of the Midnight Sun” is likewise brilliantly written; Cecilia Ekbäck proceeds to skillfully interlace elements of magical-realism with mystery and crime-solving, instating the narrative once again in the mystic mountain Blackåsen. She calls attention to the culture of the Laps once more, and now brings them forward including Biija, wife of the late chief of a tribe of Laps, to the main characters of her story.
Magnus, a mineralogist, is sent by his father-in-law to mountain Blackåsen to privily investigate the murder of three people by an elderly Lap, seemingly unable to have committed the homicides, under the pretext of mapping the ore deposits around the village he is directed to. He is forced to be accompanied by his wife’s younger sister, Lovisa, who’s troubling her family with her inappropriate behavior and, according to her ruthless father, needs to be taught a lesson by being deprived of everything she knows. Along with Biija, whose people are blamed and marginalized as a result of the crime, Magnus and Lovisa watch the story unfold through their distinct points of view: Biija, the eldest one, with her boundless love for nature and the fight between the Pagan ways and the Christian devouring her from within, Magnus, the middle-aged one, with the obscure past and the warmth of his peacefulness who only believes in what he sees, and Lovisa, who only recently reached adulthood, struggling to be free of her family’s grasp and expectations and coming of age desperate and dreamless.
Partly noir, part historical fiction and party magical-realism, “In the Month of the Midnight Sun” is dark, powerful, intense, atmospheric, fascinating and full of mystery. A compelling read, historically accurate and equally irresistible to Wolf Winter with its true, humane characters and its beautiful landscapes, it tells a story that remains unfaded in time and insists on coming back, leaving you lolloping helplessly along the foot of the mountain and its promising secrets.
Magnus, a mineralogist, is sent by his father-in-law to mountain Blackåsen to privily investigate the murder of three people by an elderly Lap, seemingly unable to have committed the homicides, under the pretext of mapping the ore deposits around the village he is directed to. He is forced to be accompanied by his wife’s younger sister, Lovisa, who’s troubling her family with her inappropriate behavior and, according to her ruthless father, needs to be taught a lesson by being deprived of everything she knows. Along with Biija, whose people are blamed and marginalized as a result of the crime, Magnus and Lovisa watch the story unfold through their distinct points of view: Biija, the eldest one, with her boundless love for nature and the fight between the Pagan ways and the Christian devouring her from within, Magnus, the middle-aged one, with the obscure past and the warmth of his peacefulness who only believes in what he sees, and Lovisa, who only recently reached adulthood, struggling to be free of her family’s grasp and expectations and coming of age desperate and dreamless.
Partly noir, part historical fiction and party magical-realism, “In the Month of the Midnight Sun” is dark, powerful, intense, atmospheric, fascinating and full of mystery. A compelling read, historically accurate and equally irresistible to Wolf Winter with its true, humane characters and its beautiful landscapes, it tells a story that remains unfaded in time and insists on coming back, leaving you lolloping helplessly along the foot of the mountain and its promising secrets.
August 29, 2018
I loved this author's previous book, Wolf Winter, so decided to give this one a try. Set a 100 years later, in 1856 it plays of in the same place, Blackasen Mountain in Lapland. Her descriptions of this bleak landscape is extremely well down, and she creates a sense of threat that run throughout the story.
Magnus has been send to Blackasen Mountain to investigate a murder by his father in law. He is also instructed to take his wayward sister in law, Lovisa, along with him. We soon realize that there is a secret history shared by the locals that played a big role in the killing of three men. They meet Ester, a woman from a nomadic group of Sami people, who has recently lost her husband.
Lovisa and Ester are both interesting characters, strong females with complex feelings. The author does a brilliant job with creating a sense of uneasiness, and of not knowing who to trust. If you enjoyed Burial Rites I think you should try her books.
Magnus has been send to Blackasen Mountain to investigate a murder by his father in law. He is also instructed to take his wayward sister in law, Lovisa, along with him. We soon realize that there is a secret history shared by the locals that played a big role in the killing of three men. They meet Ester, a woman from a nomadic group of Sami people, who has recently lost her husband.
Lovisa and Ester are both interesting characters, strong females with complex feelings. The author does a brilliant job with creating a sense of uneasiness, and of not knowing who to trust. If you enjoyed Burial Rites I think you should try her books.
August 26, 2017
Dual review with Swedish first and then English!
SWEDISH REVIEW
Midnattssolens timme innehåller alla de element som jag verkligen gillar i en bok. Jag är oerhört förtjust i att läsa historiska spänningsromaner och den samiska kulturen har i flera år fascinerat mig. Jag har inte läst Cecilia Ekbäcks tidigare roman I varjavinterns land, en den ligger högt på listan på böcker jag vill läsa.
Magnus Stille är svärson till justitieministern i Sverige. Magnus skickas upp till Svartåsen i Lappland för att kartlägga området. Men han är egentligen där för att undersöka omständigheterna till mordet på en tre män som brutalt mördades av en same. Med på resan är också Magnus svägerska Lovisa som har tvingats av sin far att resa med då hennes beteende inte passar in hur en kvinna ska bete sig på den tiden. I alla fall är det vad hennes far anser. Väl upp i Svartåsen så märker de att något inte står rätt till, det vilar ett mörker över det lilla samhället uppe i Svartåsen...
Jag fann boken oerhört fascinerande att läsa, förutom den spännande historien ger boken en insyn i svenskarnas behandling av samer, hur de skulle kristnas och hur marken togs ifrån de, Ekbäck berättat skickligt i denna bok hur samerna har behandlats. Hur de klassas som andra sortens människor, som om de pga av utseendet och sättet de lever på är dummare. Tyvärr det denna rasism inte något som har försvunnit i nutid. Boken är oerhört intressant och då jag älskar när berättelser har en övernaturlig udd så fann jag denna bok speciellt intressant då gränsen mellan verklighet och det övernaturliga mellan varven suddas ut.
I Midnsattsolens timme är en fantastisk bok, en av den bästa historiska spänningsromaner jag har läst. Förutom det mystiska fallet med de döda männen så tycker jag att Ekbäcks beskrivning av kvinnors liv på 1800-talet i Sverige är fascinerande att läsa om. Magnus svägerska Lovisa kan inte som sin mor och syster anpassa sig och för henne blir det då antingen klostret eller dårhuset, det är upp till Magnus vad hennes öde blir. För det är en mans värld de lever i...
Tack till Wahlströms och Widstrand förlag för recensionsexemplaret!
ENGLISH REVIEW
In the Month of the Midnight Sun contains all the elements that I really like in a book. I am extremely fond of reading historical suspense novels and Sami culture has for years fascinated me. I have not read Cecilia Ekbäcks earlier novel The Wolf Winter. However, it is high on the list of books I want to read.
Magnus Stille is son-in-law to the Minister of Justice in Sweden. Magnus is sent up to Svartåsen (The Black Ridge) in Lapland to survey the area. However, he is really there to investigate the circumstances of the murder of the three men who were brutally murdered by a Sami. On the trip is also Magnus sister-in-law Lovisa who have been forced by her father to travel with Magnus because her behavior does not fit how a woman should behave at the time. At least that's what her father thinks. When they arrive at Svartåsen do they notice that something is not right, there is a darkness over the small village that they are staying at in Svartåsen...
I found the book extremely fascinating to read, in addition to the compelling story does the book also give an insight into the Swedes' treatment of the Sami people, how they were christened and how the land was taken away from them. Ekbäck skillfully tells the reader in this book how the Sami have been treated. How they are classified as different kinds of race and that the appearance and the way they live are dumber. Unfortunately, this kind of racism is not unheard of today. The book is extremely interesting, and I love when stories have a supernatural vibe so I found this book especially interesting because the line between reality and the supernatural is often crossed.
In the Month of the Midnight Sun is an amazing book, one of the best historical suspense novels I have read. Besides the mysterious case of the dead men, do I think Ekbäcks description of women's lives in the 1800s in Sweden was fascinating to read about. Magnus sister-in-law Lovisa cannot like her mother and sister adapt to the life that is expected, and because of that will it either be the cloister or madhouse for her. It is up to Magnus what her fate will be. For it is a man's world they live in...
Thanks to Wahlströms och Widstrand förlag for the review copy!
SWEDISH REVIEW
Midnattssolens timme innehåller alla de element som jag verkligen gillar i en bok. Jag är oerhört förtjust i att läsa historiska spänningsromaner och den samiska kulturen har i flera år fascinerat mig. Jag har inte läst Cecilia Ekbäcks tidigare roman I varjavinterns land, en den ligger högt på listan på böcker jag vill läsa.
Magnus Stille är svärson till justitieministern i Sverige. Magnus skickas upp till Svartåsen i Lappland för att kartlägga området. Men han är egentligen där för att undersöka omständigheterna till mordet på en tre män som brutalt mördades av en same. Med på resan är också Magnus svägerska Lovisa som har tvingats av sin far att resa med då hennes beteende inte passar in hur en kvinna ska bete sig på den tiden. I alla fall är det vad hennes far anser. Väl upp i Svartåsen så märker de att något inte står rätt till, det vilar ett mörker över det lilla samhället uppe i Svartåsen...
Jag fann boken oerhört fascinerande att läsa, förutom den spännande historien ger boken en insyn i svenskarnas behandling av samer, hur de skulle kristnas och hur marken togs ifrån de, Ekbäck berättat skickligt i denna bok hur samerna har behandlats. Hur de klassas som andra sortens människor, som om de pga av utseendet och sättet de lever på är dummare. Tyvärr det denna rasism inte något som har försvunnit i nutid. Boken är oerhört intressant och då jag älskar när berättelser har en övernaturlig udd så fann jag denna bok speciellt intressant då gränsen mellan verklighet och det övernaturliga mellan varven suddas ut.
I Midnsattsolens timme är en fantastisk bok, en av den bästa historiska spänningsromaner jag har läst. Förutom det mystiska fallet med de döda männen så tycker jag att Ekbäcks beskrivning av kvinnors liv på 1800-talet i Sverige är fascinerande att läsa om. Magnus svägerska Lovisa kan inte som sin mor och syster anpassa sig och för henne blir det då antingen klostret eller dårhuset, det är upp till Magnus vad hennes öde blir. För det är en mans värld de lever i...
Tack till Wahlströms och Widstrand förlag för recensionsexemplaret!
ENGLISH REVIEW
In the Month of the Midnight Sun contains all the elements that I really like in a book. I am extremely fond of reading historical suspense novels and Sami culture has for years fascinated me. I have not read Cecilia Ekbäcks earlier novel The Wolf Winter. However, it is high on the list of books I want to read.
Magnus Stille is son-in-law to the Minister of Justice in Sweden. Magnus is sent up to Svartåsen (The Black Ridge) in Lapland to survey the area. However, he is really there to investigate the circumstances of the murder of the three men who were brutally murdered by a Sami. On the trip is also Magnus sister-in-law Lovisa who have been forced by her father to travel with Magnus because her behavior does not fit how a woman should behave at the time. At least that's what her father thinks. When they arrive at Svartåsen do they notice that something is not right, there is a darkness over the small village that they are staying at in Svartåsen...
I found the book extremely fascinating to read, in addition to the compelling story does the book also give an insight into the Swedes' treatment of the Sami people, how they were christened and how the land was taken away from them. Ekbäck skillfully tells the reader in this book how the Sami have been treated. How they are classified as different kinds of race and that the appearance and the way they live are dumber. Unfortunately, this kind of racism is not unheard of today. The book is extremely interesting, and I love when stories have a supernatural vibe so I found this book especially interesting because the line between reality and the supernatural is often crossed.
In the Month of the Midnight Sun is an amazing book, one of the best historical suspense novels I have read. Besides the mysterious case of the dead men, do I think Ekbäcks description of women's lives in the 1800s in Sweden was fascinating to read about. Magnus sister-in-law Lovisa cannot like her mother and sister adapt to the life that is expected, and because of that will it either be the cloister or madhouse for her. It is up to Magnus what her fate will be. For it is a man's world they live in...
Thanks to Wahlströms och Widstrand förlag for the review copy!
May 10, 2017
Un 3,5 en realidad. Su trama es dolorosamente lenta.
Mi opinión completa:
http://mislecturasderetos.blogspot.co...
Mi opinión completa:
http://mislecturasderetos.blogspot.co...
January 20, 2018
3.5Stars.
A slow moving mystery that is all about the place- the place being Lapland in Sweden, 1856.
A very atmospheric novel-we totally are surrounded by the landscape of the area, the people of the area and the mountain- Blackasen Mountain, a looming presence, which plays a key role in this novel.
The story is told from 3 POV's- Magnus, who has been sent there to investigate a triple murder; Lovisa, his sister in law, who has been banished by her father; Ester (also know as Biije). a Lapp Woman who was married to Nila, the tribe's spiritual advisor.
I loved how the author incorporated the myths and spiritual beliefs of the time. Of the characters, Lovisa was my favorite, a lost soul trying to find herself. The dynamics between the three was well developed.
The downside was that it seemed to progress too slowly. There was no urgency to the novel, till about the last quarter of the book.
Definitely a well written interesting book- learnt much of the time and place.
A slow moving mystery that is all about the place- the place being Lapland in Sweden, 1856.
A very atmospheric novel-we totally are surrounded by the landscape of the area, the people of the area and the mountain- Blackasen Mountain, a looming presence, which plays a key role in this novel.
The story is told from 3 POV's- Magnus, who has been sent there to investigate a triple murder; Lovisa, his sister in law, who has been banished by her father; Ester (also know as Biije). a Lapp Woman who was married to Nila, the tribe's spiritual advisor.
I loved how the author incorporated the myths and spiritual beliefs of the time. Of the characters, Lovisa was my favorite, a lost soul trying to find herself. The dynamics between the three was well developed.
The downside was that it seemed to progress too slowly. There was no urgency to the novel, till about the last quarter of the book.
Definitely a well written interesting book- learnt much of the time and place.
August 2, 2016
In the Month of the Midnight Sun is the second historical Nordic Noir thriller by Swedish author Cecilia Ekback. Her debut novel, Wolf Winter was one of my favourite reads of 2015, so when I had the opportunity to read her new release (set 150 years later in the same setting) I was very excited! She’s a brilliant writer and creates a character-driven and intricate plotted murder mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end.
It’s 1855 in the Swedish Lapland’s Mountains and three men have been massacred. An indigenous man is in custody but refuses to talk. The Minister of Justice in Stockholm sends his son-in law Magnus, a geologist along with his exiled daughter Lovisa (and Magnus’s sister in law) to investigate and check on the Mountain resources. Once again, the Mountain is the star of the novel, it takes on a character in itself and creates an eerie backdrop to the intrigue of the murder mystery. Unlike Wolf Winter, this book is set during summer; known as the month of the midnight sun and so the heat creates an atmosphere amongst the people where frustrations simmer just below the surface.
Magnus is an interesting character whose past begins to emerge as he finds himself feeling at home in the mountains, while Lovisa redefines her identity without the disapproving observations of her father. Their meeting with settler and older Lapp woman Ester, initially fraught with distrust draws them together to uncover the mystery of the murder and the horrific tragedies that have been buried in the Laplands.
I won’t go too much into the plot; it’s really one of those stories you just have to read and experience for yourself. And in many ways when describing the plot it doesn’t seem like much really happens, but Ekback manages to make a lot happen without having to say much. I like that she allows the reader to read between the lines and discover things rather than being spoon-fed the clues.
Fans of Burial Rites will enjoy this one. Another great thriller and this author is definitely one I will seek out again in the future.
It’s 1855 in the Swedish Lapland’s Mountains and three men have been massacred. An indigenous man is in custody but refuses to talk. The Minister of Justice in Stockholm sends his son-in law Magnus, a geologist along with his exiled daughter Lovisa (and Magnus’s sister in law) to investigate and check on the Mountain resources. Once again, the Mountain is the star of the novel, it takes on a character in itself and creates an eerie backdrop to the intrigue of the murder mystery. Unlike Wolf Winter, this book is set during summer; known as the month of the midnight sun and so the heat creates an atmosphere amongst the people where frustrations simmer just below the surface.
Magnus is an interesting character whose past begins to emerge as he finds himself feeling at home in the mountains, while Lovisa redefines her identity without the disapproving observations of her father. Their meeting with settler and older Lapp woman Ester, initially fraught with distrust draws them together to uncover the mystery of the murder and the horrific tragedies that have been buried in the Laplands.
I won’t go too much into the plot; it’s really one of those stories you just have to read and experience for yourself. And in many ways when describing the plot it doesn’t seem like much really happens, but Ekback manages to make a lot happen without having to say much. I like that she allows the reader to read between the lines and discover things rather than being spoon-fed the clues.
Fans of Burial Rites will enjoy this one. Another great thriller and this author is definitely one I will seek out again in the future.
February 13, 2017
I read the magnificent Wolf Winter and was excited to know there was a sequel, even if set a century later with different characters, but in the same place.
Both books stand on their own, so I definitely encourage you to read Wolf Winter.
The problem here is that there is no tension or stakes for the characters. There's no sense of urgency for anything.
It's a glaring contrast to Wolf Winter where there was that creep, cold and uncertain feeling around everything happening. The characters talked to each other, secondary characters had their own traits and problems. Each had their own mysteries, fears and problems to solve, not to mention the danger lurking around.
Now here there's nothing of the sort. I wonder if it's because of the choice of going multiple POVs in first person. I don't know if was the characters or the style that made everything sound so internal, distant and individualistic. They're left too much to their own devices and internal monologue.
Maybe if Magnus had his family with him (or if they were already settled in Blackasen) and Lovisa was around or sent there, things could've turned out to be different in that regard.
There are themes of culture destruction, societal roles and rules, but those were also in Wolf Winter, but with more stakes, tension and characterization for us to care about.
I very rarely DNF a book, but I just couldn't bring myself to proceed. I read half of it, then put it down. Returned a few days later, read 10% more and decided I couldn't do it anymore.
I think I gave it a really fair shot at 60%.
Both books stand on their own, so I definitely encourage you to read Wolf Winter.
The problem here is that there is no tension or stakes for the characters. There's no sense of urgency for anything.
It's a glaring contrast to Wolf Winter where there was that creep, cold and uncertain feeling around everything happening. The characters talked to each other, secondary characters had their own traits and problems. Each had their own mysteries, fears and problems to solve, not to mention the danger lurking around.
Now here there's nothing of the sort. I wonder if it's because of the choice of going multiple POVs in first person. I don't know if was the characters or the style that made everything sound so internal, distant and individualistic. They're left too much to their own devices and internal monologue.
Maybe if Magnus had his family with him (or if they were already settled in Blackasen) and Lovisa was around or sent there, things could've turned out to be different in that regard.
There are themes of culture destruction, societal roles and rules, but those were also in Wolf Winter, but with more stakes, tension and characterization for us to care about.
I very rarely DNF a book, but I just couldn't bring myself to proceed. I read half of it, then put it down. Returned a few days later, read 10% more and decided I couldn't do it anymore.
I think I gave it a really fair shot at 60%.
March 21, 2022
As good as the first one.
August 11, 2016
In the settlement on Blackåsen Mountain, one of the natives has slaughtered three of the settlers. The reason behind this act is unknown, and he hasn’t spoken since being found at the scene, neither protesting his innocence nor offering any explanation.
In Stockholm, the Minister asks his adopted son, Magnus, a geologist, to investigate the crime and to interview the perpetrator, as well as to survey Blackåsen Mountain, rich in iron deposits. As he leaves, he is given a third task – to take his sister-in-law and the Minister’s youngest daughter, Lovisa, with him on the journey north as punishment for an unspecified transgression. The two journey north, yet when they arrive, they find the settlers reluctant to talk, their behaviour strangely threatening.
Set in 1856, In the Month of the Midnight Sun is told from three alternating viewpoints: Magnus, Lovisa and Biija – one of the natives to the region, who has left her tribe and come to Blackåsen, their traditional winter camp, following the death of her husband. They form a somewhat unexpected alliance, as they seek to solve the mystery around the murders, whilst also mapping the iron rich mountain.
Of the three main characters in the novel, it is the two women, Lovisa and Biija that I liked the most. Magnus I found to be a little frustrating, and very much of his time, in that he seems to rather futilely hope that Lovisa will somehow miraculously start to behave as (society believes) a young woman should. He continuously underestimates her, even when she proves to be more observant of the village and its inhabitants than he is.
"you don’t respect women… You look down on us."
Lovisa isn’t immediately likeable, however, and is presented as a confused young woman, outcast by her father for an (initially) unnamed transgression. She comes across as both troubled and troublesome, and it’s apparent that she is perceived as being difficult by her family.
"I misbehave, face repercussions, but something or someone saves me, time after time."
Proud, privileged, attention seeking and something of a petty larcenist (despite her well to do background) she initially comes across as being quite unlikeable, yet Lovisa has her own strengths, and I found myself warming to her as the novel progressed. Under previously inexperienced hardships, her pride manifests itself as a determination to succeed, and I admired her perseverance.
Biija is quite different to Lovisa. Part of the Sami tribe, her nomadic nature means that she has little concern for material possessions. She is quiet and observant, and understands more of what is going on than Magnus and Lovisa. Through Biija, the reader is able to explore the theme of two separate cultures integrating, and the inevitable fallout this brings, as Christianity has little time for older, alternative belief systems. I loved her descriptive names for those around her, such as Bear (Magnus), which I found to be both humorous and accurate.
In the Month of the Midnight Sun is clearly well researched, yet Ecbäck doesn’t use this to overwhelm the reader with details. She has successfully struck the balance between using her knowledge to subtly enhance the story without resorting to information dumps. I loved her taut prose which successfully evokes the wilderness around Blackåsen Mountain. I loved the observation that man seeks to dominate nature, and the personification of nature as a person being mistreated:
"People are not supposed to look at mountains the way Bear does. He strips it, embarrasses it."
Whilst ostensibly about a murder mystery, In the Month of the Midnight Sun has much more going on, and is a complex novel that encompasses many themes. Somewhat reminiscent of Burial Rites, In the Month of the Midnight Sun is an involved and thought-provoking novel which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Review originally posted on:
https://josbookblog.co.uk/
In Stockholm, the Minister asks his adopted son, Magnus, a geologist, to investigate the crime and to interview the perpetrator, as well as to survey Blackåsen Mountain, rich in iron deposits. As he leaves, he is given a third task – to take his sister-in-law and the Minister’s youngest daughter, Lovisa, with him on the journey north as punishment for an unspecified transgression. The two journey north, yet when they arrive, they find the settlers reluctant to talk, their behaviour strangely threatening.
Set in 1856, In the Month of the Midnight Sun is told from three alternating viewpoints: Magnus, Lovisa and Biija – one of the natives to the region, who has left her tribe and come to Blackåsen, their traditional winter camp, following the death of her husband. They form a somewhat unexpected alliance, as they seek to solve the mystery around the murders, whilst also mapping the iron rich mountain.
Of the three main characters in the novel, it is the two women, Lovisa and Biija that I liked the most. Magnus I found to be a little frustrating, and very much of his time, in that he seems to rather futilely hope that Lovisa will somehow miraculously start to behave as (society believes) a young woman should. He continuously underestimates her, even when she proves to be more observant of the village and its inhabitants than he is.
"you don’t respect women… You look down on us."
Lovisa isn’t immediately likeable, however, and is presented as a confused young woman, outcast by her father for an (initially) unnamed transgression. She comes across as both troubled and troublesome, and it’s apparent that she is perceived as being difficult by her family.
"I misbehave, face repercussions, but something or someone saves me, time after time."
Proud, privileged, attention seeking and something of a petty larcenist (despite her well to do background) she initially comes across as being quite unlikeable, yet Lovisa has her own strengths, and I found myself warming to her as the novel progressed. Under previously inexperienced hardships, her pride manifests itself as a determination to succeed, and I admired her perseverance.
Biija is quite different to Lovisa. Part of the Sami tribe, her nomadic nature means that she has little concern for material possessions. She is quiet and observant, and understands more of what is going on than Magnus and Lovisa. Through Biija, the reader is able to explore the theme of two separate cultures integrating, and the inevitable fallout this brings, as Christianity has little time for older, alternative belief systems. I loved her descriptive names for those around her, such as Bear (Magnus), which I found to be both humorous and accurate.
In the Month of the Midnight Sun is clearly well researched, yet Ecbäck doesn’t use this to overwhelm the reader with details. She has successfully struck the balance between using her knowledge to subtly enhance the story without resorting to information dumps. I loved her taut prose which successfully evokes the wilderness around Blackåsen Mountain. I loved the observation that man seeks to dominate nature, and the personification of nature as a person being mistreated:
"People are not supposed to look at mountains the way Bear does. He strips it, embarrasses it."
Whilst ostensibly about a murder mystery, In the Month of the Midnight Sun has much more going on, and is a complex novel that encompasses many themes. Somewhat reminiscent of Burial Rites, In the Month of the Midnight Sun is an involved and thought-provoking novel which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Review originally posted on:
https://josbookblog.co.uk/
August 5, 2016
This is a fantastic book. I love the way Ekback weaves supernatural themes throughout her books. But she never allows her characters to use this to deny their own agency - the bad things that happen throughout the story are done by humans and not monsters, and they spring from very human foibles, not some otherworldly force.
In Wolf Winter, the winter season that the characters lived through was almost like a character in its own right, along with Blackasen. However I felt as if Blackasen took over sole carriage of this role, its presence as an entity in its own right throughout the story was palpable. It wasn't so much summer that played with the characters in the way the season did in Wolf Winter, but rather the light. In some ways it was like a luminating force revealing things to the characters. In other ways its glare made it difficult for the characters to see things that were right in front of them.
The build up to the finale was great. I loved Louise as a character but I came to feel a real sense of compassion for Magnus. Their growing mutual understanding of the other was beautiful to read.
Ekback's introduction of the fourth voice to the story on page 101 was so simple and yet it really packed a punch, just those three words, "There you are."
In some ways it is a much more subtle story than Wolf Winter, but it had no less of an impact. I can't wait to see what else Ekback has in store for Blackasen and its inhabitants.
In Wolf Winter, the winter season that the characters lived through was almost like a character in its own right, along with Blackasen. However I felt as if Blackasen took over sole carriage of this role, its presence as an entity in its own right throughout the story was palpable. It wasn't so much summer that played with the characters in the way the season did in Wolf Winter, but rather the light. In some ways it was like a luminating force revealing things to the characters. In other ways its glare made it difficult for the characters to see things that were right in front of them.
The build up to the finale was great. I loved Louise as a character but I came to feel a real sense of compassion for Magnus. Their growing mutual understanding of the other was beautiful to read.
Ekback's introduction of the fourth voice to the story on page 101 was so simple and yet it really packed a punch, just those three words, "There you are."
In some ways it is a much more subtle story than Wolf Winter, but it had no less of an impact. I can't wait to see what else Ekback has in store for Blackasen and its inhabitants.
November 14, 2019
“In the underworld, the dead live lives matching ours. If you walk barefoot, you can sometimes feel the soles of their feet against yours.”
In The Month Of The Midnight Sun by Cecilia Ekbäck is based on Blackåsen Mountain. This is a place of superstition and now murder. The deaths are blamed on the Lapp, Ester believes it, Magnus a minister is sent to survey mountain and Lovisa who is banished from the city by her father is closest to the wilderness of the place. Three people are caught amongst the haunting of the midnight sun.
I read the first book by this author called Wolf Winter, that was an intense noir story which I really enjoyed. I went into this one blind and was not disappointed.
The mystery of the deaths involves three people and it’s written in the voice of the three mentioned characters. Theres constant back and forth between timelines of when the murders occurred and to when they are being investigated. The story is told with an uneasy sense of foreboding dread. There is a strange claustrophobic atmosphere due to its’s setting.
I love a book with a map and this is included at the beginning of the book along with a character list to follow.
This was definitely an unsettling story set in the land of the midnight sun, the conclusion did not come without several surprises. A must read for fans of nordic noir.
In The Month Of The Midnight Sun by Cecilia Ekbäck is based on Blackåsen Mountain. This is a place of superstition and now murder. The deaths are blamed on the Lapp, Ester believes it, Magnus a minister is sent to survey mountain and Lovisa who is banished from the city by her father is closest to the wilderness of the place. Three people are caught amongst the haunting of the midnight sun.
I read the first book by this author called Wolf Winter, that was an intense noir story which I really enjoyed. I went into this one blind and was not disappointed.
The mystery of the deaths involves three people and it’s written in the voice of the three mentioned characters. Theres constant back and forth between timelines of when the murders occurred and to when they are being investigated. The story is told with an uneasy sense of foreboding dread. There is a strange claustrophobic atmosphere due to its’s setting.
I love a book with a map and this is included at the beginning of the book along with a character list to follow.
This was definitely an unsettling story set in the land of the midnight sun, the conclusion did not come without several surprises. A must read for fans of nordic noir.
January 28, 2022
3.5
Una historia, que a pesar de sus defectos, me deja con ganas de volverlo a leer inmediatamente ahora que sé todo lo que pasó.
Una historia, que a pesar de sus defectos, me deja con ganas de volverlo a leer inmediatamente ahora que sé todo lo que pasó.
July 11, 2016
A beautifully written, complex tapestry of lives following a series of murders in Blackåsen, Swedish Lapland in 1856. Eckbäck makes Blackåsen a character in its own right. A brooding, tense and meticulously researched novel, this is historical fiction (meets crime) at its best.
December 23, 2018
I first learned of In The Month of the Midnight Sun by Cecilia Ekbäck when it was nominated as a Book of the Month on a Goodreads group. When I looked at the summary, I discovered that this historical murder mystery contained Sami characters. I leaped at the opportunity to read more in English about Sami characters. In The Month of the Midnight Sun isn't available from U.S. sources. So I purchased it from Book Depository, and this is my honest review.
This is the second novel by Ekbäck. The first, Wolf Winter, takes place in Lapland a century earlier. So In the Month of the Midnight Sun can be read as a standalone. I haven't read Wolf Winter and based on my experience of Ekbäck's second book, I'm not certain that I ever will.
Ekbäck's style is very literary. She states in a Q & A appended after the text that all three narrators are deliberately portrayed as unreliable. This is appropriate in a noir novel, but I am not all that fond of noir. We do find out whodunit and there is a form of justice, but there was also terrible injustice. I found the book rather dark and tragic which isn't my preference.
I learned quite a bit about the Sami in the 19th century, and 19th century Sweden in general from this book, but I finished it feeling depressed. I would only recommend it to people who enjoy rather literary Scandinavian noir.
For my complete review see https://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/2...
This is the second novel by Ekbäck. The first, Wolf Winter, takes place in Lapland a century earlier. So In the Month of the Midnight Sun can be read as a standalone. I haven't read Wolf Winter and based on my experience of Ekbäck's second book, I'm not certain that I ever will.
Ekbäck's style is very literary. She states in a Q & A appended after the text that all three narrators are deliberately portrayed as unreliable. This is appropriate in a noir novel, but I am not all that fond of noir. We do find out whodunit and there is a form of justice, but there was also terrible injustice. I found the book rather dark and tragic which isn't my preference.
I learned quite a bit about the Sami in the 19th century, and 19th century Sweden in general from this book, but I finished it feeling depressed. I would only recommend it to people who enjoy rather literary Scandinavian noir.
For my complete review see https://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/2...
June 23, 2021
This one was a bit different for me - I generally don't read historical fiction, but I wanted to read it as the plot sounded so intriguing and also I wanted to join in on the Nordic Noir readalong that was happening over on IG :)
So three people are murdered, and Magnus the geologist has to find out if it is the beginning of some sort of uprising by the Lapps or if there is another reason these three people had to die. Set against the backdrop of Lapland and the Blackasen mountain, this story unfolds slowly and beautifully. The words flow into one another as though they are fluid, and this really helped me enjoy the book.
The downer for me, was what I had feared when I began - it was just a bit too tame and slow for me. Don't get me wrong, plenty happens, but it happens slowly and it just didn't work for me completely.
The characters were well fleshed out, and I enjoyed reading from the three perspectives - not only were they three very different people, they were from completely different cultures and ways of life, so we had that angle to explore from too.
Overall, a good read, and I'm glad I read it. I won't read it again, but I would recommend it to fans of Nordic Noir, historical fiction and slow burning thrillers.
www.thebeautifulbookbreak.com
So three people are murdered, and Magnus the geologist has to find out if it is the beginning of some sort of uprising by the Lapps or if there is another reason these three people had to die. Set against the backdrop of Lapland and the Blackasen mountain, this story unfolds slowly and beautifully. The words flow into one another as though they are fluid, and this really helped me enjoy the book.
The downer for me, was what I had feared when I began - it was just a bit too tame and slow for me. Don't get me wrong, plenty happens, but it happens slowly and it just didn't work for me completely.
The characters were well fleshed out, and I enjoyed reading from the three perspectives - not only were they three very different people, they were from completely different cultures and ways of life, so we had that angle to explore from too.
Overall, a good read, and I'm glad I read it. I won't read it again, but I would recommend it to fans of Nordic Noir, historical fiction and slow burning thrillers.
www.thebeautifulbookbreak.com
August 26, 2017
I enjoyed the characters and the atmosphere and the ending was well done.
December 12, 2021
Solo leí las primeras cien páginas o poco más (una tercera parte del libro) me aburrió así que adiós
July 22, 2022
The Midnight Sun is a follow-up novel to Cecilia Ekback's debut, Wolf Winter. Both are set in a mountainous area of Lapland with the time period in this book approximately 150 years later than Wolf Winter. The landscape is forbidding even in the summer and the almost 24 hours of sunlight make rest difficult for the visitors. Magnus has been sent to Blackasen at the request of his father-in-law. There has been a murder which may be an early indication of an uprising by the indigenous Sami people. Magnus is accompanied by his young and troubled sister-in-law, Lovisa, who has been banished by her father.
I came into The Midnight Sun with very high expectations because I loved the atmospheric Wolf Winter. The pacing feels slower in The Midnight Sun and lacks the edge of my seat tension that I was anticipating. This is still a fine novel with an unusual setting. I especially enjoyed the perspective of Biija (Ester), an elder in the Sami tribe. Recommended for readers who enjoy multiple perspective, slower paced historical fiction.
I came into The Midnight Sun with very high expectations because I loved the atmospheric Wolf Winter. The pacing feels slower in The Midnight Sun and lacks the edge of my seat tension that I was anticipating. This is still a fine novel with an unusual setting. I especially enjoyed the perspective of Biija (Ester), an elder in the Sami tribe. Recommended for readers who enjoy multiple perspective, slower paced historical fiction.
January 30, 2023
Interesante trama y con una muy buena descripción, de los lugares donde se desarrolla la historia.
La narración a 3 voces te hace mantenerte atento en todo momento.
Es lo primero que leo de esta autora y me ha gustado.
La narración a 3 voces te hace mantenerte atento en todo momento.
Es lo primero que leo de esta autora y me ha gustado.
May 13, 2016
The inevitability of tragedy
It is 1855 and in Lapland in the far north of Sweden three men lie dead killed, it seems, by an unknown Lapp. Fearing that this is a manifestation of Lapp unrest, the minister of Justice sends his son-in-law Magnus to close down the problem. Magnus is a scarred orphan of unknown origin, raised by the minister to a life of service to the state. At the last moment he sends Lovisa, his own errant daughter too, a young woman who fails to meet her father’s expectations of behaviour. What happens to her in the far north is of no concern to him.
This is a beautifully told tale, set in the forested wilderness of Lapland among a sparse and shrinking population in the disorientating month of the midnight sun. Magnus cannot sleep in the near constant daylight; he is in turn exhilarated and sickened by his surroundings, but, like Oedipus, is driven to investigate more than is ultimately healthy for him. Lovisa, whose conflicted personality manifests in mild kleptomania, begins to live in a new freedom for the first time.
The story is told from three (or four) vantage points: the loyal but curious Magnus, the volatile, sensitive Lovisa and the elderly Lapp woman, Ester, who is mourning the recent death of her husband. The subtle portrayal of character is one of the highlights of the novel, as well as the vulnerability of humanity evident in their thoughts, emotions and reactions.
Of course, there are dark secrets both in the settler community and the Lapp tribal group, as well as in the background of Magnus himself and these lead to a bloody denouement. There is a mystical, even magical, element to the plot also, not discordant with the mysterious setting, but perhaps a bit much at times for the rationalism of this reader. Nevertheless, this is an excellent novel, and a real pleasure to read.
It is 1855 and in Lapland in the far north of Sweden three men lie dead killed, it seems, by an unknown Lapp. Fearing that this is a manifestation of Lapp unrest, the minister of Justice sends his son-in-law Magnus to close down the problem. Magnus is a scarred orphan of unknown origin, raised by the minister to a life of service to the state. At the last moment he sends Lovisa, his own errant daughter too, a young woman who fails to meet her father’s expectations of behaviour. What happens to her in the far north is of no concern to him.
This is a beautifully told tale, set in the forested wilderness of Lapland among a sparse and shrinking population in the disorientating month of the midnight sun. Magnus cannot sleep in the near constant daylight; he is in turn exhilarated and sickened by his surroundings, but, like Oedipus, is driven to investigate more than is ultimately healthy for him. Lovisa, whose conflicted personality manifests in mild kleptomania, begins to live in a new freedom for the first time.
The story is told from three (or four) vantage points: the loyal but curious Magnus, the volatile, sensitive Lovisa and the elderly Lapp woman, Ester, who is mourning the recent death of her husband. The subtle portrayal of character is one of the highlights of the novel, as well as the vulnerability of humanity evident in their thoughts, emotions and reactions.
Of course, there are dark secrets both in the settler community and the Lapp tribal group, as well as in the background of Magnus himself and these lead to a bloody denouement. There is a mystical, even magical, element to the plot also, not discordant with the mysterious setting, but perhaps a bit much at times for the rationalism of this reader. Nevertheless, this is an excellent novel, and a real pleasure to read.
August 15, 2017
Ekback knows how to put a story together. Religion in 19th Century Sweden, subjugation of Lapps, Lapps' beliefs, treatment of women, greed, rape and murder are all wrapped into this story. Narrated by Magnus a geologist, Lovisa his sister-in-law, Esther a Lapp and the spirit of Nila, Esther's dead husband. All of the narrators are, in their own way, lost.
They are in the remote area of Blacksen Mountain where there had been a savage murder, the town has no children and there is simmering tensions between the inhabitants.
With plenty of twists and turns, Lovisa revealing herself to be a complex intelligent character and with the backdrop of the mysterious mountain this is another tick to Ekback's writing.
They are in the remote area of Blacksen Mountain where there had been a savage murder, the town has no children and there is simmering tensions between the inhabitants.
With plenty of twists and turns, Lovisa revealing herself to be a complex intelligent character and with the backdrop of the mysterious mountain this is another tick to Ekback's writing.
January 9, 2020
Para mí, esta novela es un 2'5. La trama, en general, me ha gustado y tiene varios puntos que me han llamado bastante la atención. Sin embargo, el ritmo extremadamente lento (sobre todo en la primera mitad) ha hecho que por momentos me resultase una novela aburrida. También me ha faltado tensión.
Los personajes no me han entusiasmado, aunque Lovisa me ha parecido interesante. Aun así, su evolución se me ha quedado corta en cuanto a desarrollo narrativo, ya que la he visto un poco brusca en algunos aspectos.
En general, es una novela con una trama entretenida y bastante curiosa, pero que me habría gustado muchísimo más si la autora me hubiese enganchado y hubiese conseguido mantenerme expectante hasta el final.
Los personajes no me han entusiasmado, aunque Lovisa me ha parecido interesante. Aun así, su evolución se me ha quedado corta en cuanto a desarrollo narrativo, ya que la he visto un poco brusca en algunos aspectos.
En general, es una novela con una trama entretenida y bastante curiosa, pero que me habría gustado muchísimo más si la autora me hubiese enganchado y hubiese conseguido mantenerme expectante hasta el final.
October 13, 2016
Review originally posted at Dual Reads
Copy received from publisher for an honest review
Last year Wolf Winter was a book I hardly knew how to categorise. It wasn't a book I necessarily enjoyed but it stayed with me long after I was finished reading. So when I saw In the Month of the Midnight Sun I knew I had to read it.
In many ways this is the one I prefer of the two. In the Month of the Midnight Sun keeps the overawing presence of the mountain but moves the timeline forwards around 130 years. So we have the same setting but all new characters and all new societal rules. Before reading Wolf Winter and In the Month of the Midnight Sun I knew next to nothing about the history of the Lapps or Sweden and so both books proved educational for me. However there is no info-dumping and I felt absorbed into the world very easily.
The writing of In the Month of the Midnight Sun was easy to read and I read it much faster than I had anticipated. The book is divided into three sections and each section had its own distinct feeling. The first section felt more historical in nature whereas from the second section onwards there was a mystical element that, surprisingly, worked really well into the plot. The final section was, perhaps, the most tense. After the big reveal at the end of the second part I wasn't sure where the book could possibly go. What could be more horrifying than that? But there was a tension to the ending of the book that kept ramping up right to the kind-of-cliff-hanger of the last page. I am not usually a fan of cliff-hangers but here it definitely worked and I know I will be thinking about that ending for a long time.
As well as three sections there are also three different narrators. They all have very distinct voices and of the three I would say Magnus was my favourite. He comes across as the most rigidly factual and the most sensible and so there is a reassurance to his voice in amidst all the tension and drama happening around him. He strikes me as definitely the sort of person you want with you in a crisis. Lovisa, meanwhile, took a while to grow on me. At the beginning she can be very selfish and wilful and I definitely agreed with many of the things Magnus said to her. But as a character she also had the most growth as the book progressed and is the character I would most like to see more of. Finally we have Biija, an elderly Lapp woman who has secrets of her own that unravel as the book progresses. She, like Magnus, had a fairly comforting voice but, due to her secrets, her chapters also contained a lot of menace.
The plot was excellent, it starts with a dramatic event - the murder of three men by a Lapp and then the remainder of the book is Magnus, with the help of Lovisa and Biija, attempting to unravel why this happened. It isn't just a detective novel however. With the natural menacing presence of the mountain and the secretive nature of the inhabitants there is a definite thriller aspect to the novel that I really enjoyed. I was along for the ride and almost every reveal took me by surprise. I was kept guessing right up to the last page, and even beyond, and now I am desperate for more.
Overall I think this book shows amazing growth in Cecilia Ekback's writing and I am very excited to see what she writes next. The characters, setting and plot all combined to produce a book I won't be able to forget and an ending I will be thinking about for a while.
Copy received from publisher for an honest review
Last year Wolf Winter was a book I hardly knew how to categorise. It wasn't a book I necessarily enjoyed but it stayed with me long after I was finished reading. So when I saw In the Month of the Midnight Sun I knew I had to read it.
In many ways this is the one I prefer of the two. In the Month of the Midnight Sun keeps the overawing presence of the mountain but moves the timeline forwards around 130 years. So we have the same setting but all new characters and all new societal rules. Before reading Wolf Winter and In the Month of the Midnight Sun I knew next to nothing about the history of the Lapps or Sweden and so both books proved educational for me. However there is no info-dumping and I felt absorbed into the world very easily.
The writing of In the Month of the Midnight Sun was easy to read and I read it much faster than I had anticipated. The book is divided into three sections and each section had its own distinct feeling. The first section felt more historical in nature whereas from the second section onwards there was a mystical element that, surprisingly, worked really well into the plot. The final section was, perhaps, the most tense. After the big reveal at the end of the second part I wasn't sure where the book could possibly go. What could be more horrifying than that? But there was a tension to the ending of the book that kept ramping up right to the kind-of-cliff-hanger of the last page. I am not usually a fan of cliff-hangers but here it definitely worked and I know I will be thinking about that ending for a long time.
As well as three sections there are also three different narrators. They all have very distinct voices and of the three I would say Magnus was my favourite. He comes across as the most rigidly factual and the most sensible and so there is a reassurance to his voice in amidst all the tension and drama happening around him. He strikes me as definitely the sort of person you want with you in a crisis. Lovisa, meanwhile, took a while to grow on me. At the beginning she can be very selfish and wilful and I definitely agreed with many of the things Magnus said to her. But as a character she also had the most growth as the book progressed and is the character I would most like to see more of. Finally we have Biija, an elderly Lapp woman who has secrets of her own that unravel as the book progresses. She, like Magnus, had a fairly comforting voice but, due to her secrets, her chapters also contained a lot of menace.
The plot was excellent, it starts with a dramatic event - the murder of three men by a Lapp and then the remainder of the book is Magnus, with the help of Lovisa and Biija, attempting to unravel why this happened. It isn't just a detective novel however. With the natural menacing presence of the mountain and the secretive nature of the inhabitants there is a definite thriller aspect to the novel that I really enjoyed. I was along for the ride and almost every reveal took me by surprise. I was kept guessing right up to the last page, and even beyond, and now I am desperate for more.
Overall I think this book shows amazing growth in Cecilia Ekback's writing and I am very excited to see what she writes next. The characters, setting and plot all combined to produce a book I won't be able to forget and an ending I will be thinking about for a while.
May 30, 2017
Durante toda la novela sentimos el halo misterioso del lugar, la luz de medianoche que no se apaga más que una hora al día, y el cansancio y la violencia reinan. Pero no todo seguirá igual con el paso de las páginas, mientras que al principio nos encontramos con más información acerca de la cultura o de la geografía del lugar haciendo del libro algo más histórico, hacia la mitad de la novela notamos la esencia fantástica que se convierte en las últimas páginas en un thriller muy rápido. Los capítulos están contados en primera persona intercalando los tres protagonistas: Magnus, Lovisa y Biija.
"Siento una gran presión en el pecho. Él es un hombre, y puede elegir qué hacer, cuándo, y con quién, sin tener que padecer de animadversión y las mezquindades de los demás. Yo no."
Aunque sé que más de una persona el personaje de Lovisa le causa repulsión, a mí me ha cautivado por completo. Es un personaje que evoluciona mucho durante la novela, que reflexiona sobre su vida e intenta ir buscando una dirección. Lovisa es una niña rica que no se siente cómoda en la sociedad que vive, que no ha sentido cariño ni comprensión y que lo demuestra en forma de odio y cleptomanía. Me ha parecido un personaje muy realista con el que he conectado muy fácilmente.
"No, siempre estaré sola, y lo sé. Aun así, en todo atisbo de conexión, no importa lo tenue o débil que sea, mi alma achacosa se llena de esperanza: de que quizá algún día haya alguien o algo a lo que llamar "mío". Penoso"
Biija también me ha gustado mucho, me ha encantado como a través de ella conocemos la cultura sami, y lo que sufrieron a lo largo de la colonización. Me resulta encantadora. Con Magnus en cambio, no he conseguido conectar del todo hasta el final de la historia, es un personaje que también cambia bastante y con el que también conocemos la visión de un hombre de su época. Los tres protagonistas son de alguna manera personas perdidas.
"Mi padre me enseñó que todo está conectado: humanos, animales y naturaleza; los vivos y los muertos. En el inframundo los muertos viven vidas que se corresponden con las nuestras. A veces, si caminas descalzo, puedes sentir las palmas de sus pies contra las tuyas."
El ritmo de la novela es bastante lento, pero también bastante fluido. He escuchado críticas por la lentitud, pero en mi caso lo veo como algo necesario para la historia que se quiere contar. Además, el ritmo se va acelerando, creando tensión y miedo, y en las últimas páginas todo pasa muy rápido, sorprendiendo al lector con cada descubrimiento. Me encantan todas las cosas que he aprendido sobre la cultura sami, y teniendo en cuenta que los tres géneros que combina son algunos de mis favoritos, la he disfrutado mucho. Pero Lovisa es lo que más me ha gustado de la novela, pocos personajes me han causado la sensación de estar escuchando a una amiga hablarte de sus sentimientos.
Si te gustan este tipo de novelas, una thriller fresco diferente, algo nuevo con el que además aprendas, sin duda disfrutarás de la prosa de Eckack. Por último quiero dar las gracias a la editorial Roca por el envío del ejemplar.
Reseña completa en: https://atravesdunlibro.blogspot.com....
"Siento una gran presión en el pecho. Él es un hombre, y puede elegir qué hacer, cuándo, y con quién, sin tener que padecer de animadversión y las mezquindades de los demás. Yo no."
Aunque sé que más de una persona el personaje de Lovisa le causa repulsión, a mí me ha cautivado por completo. Es un personaje que evoluciona mucho durante la novela, que reflexiona sobre su vida e intenta ir buscando una dirección. Lovisa es una niña rica que no se siente cómoda en la sociedad que vive, que no ha sentido cariño ni comprensión y que lo demuestra en forma de odio y cleptomanía. Me ha parecido un personaje muy realista con el que he conectado muy fácilmente.
"No, siempre estaré sola, y lo sé. Aun así, en todo atisbo de conexión, no importa lo tenue o débil que sea, mi alma achacosa se llena de esperanza: de que quizá algún día haya alguien o algo a lo que llamar "mío". Penoso"
Biija también me ha gustado mucho, me ha encantado como a través de ella conocemos la cultura sami, y lo que sufrieron a lo largo de la colonización. Me resulta encantadora. Con Magnus en cambio, no he conseguido conectar del todo hasta el final de la historia, es un personaje que también cambia bastante y con el que también conocemos la visión de un hombre de su época. Los tres protagonistas son de alguna manera personas perdidas.
"Mi padre me enseñó que todo está conectado: humanos, animales y naturaleza; los vivos y los muertos. En el inframundo los muertos viven vidas que se corresponden con las nuestras. A veces, si caminas descalzo, puedes sentir las palmas de sus pies contra las tuyas."
El ritmo de la novela es bastante lento, pero también bastante fluido. He escuchado críticas por la lentitud, pero en mi caso lo veo como algo necesario para la historia que se quiere contar. Además, el ritmo se va acelerando, creando tensión y miedo, y en las últimas páginas todo pasa muy rápido, sorprendiendo al lector con cada descubrimiento. Me encantan todas las cosas que he aprendido sobre la cultura sami, y teniendo en cuenta que los tres géneros que combina son algunos de mis favoritos, la he disfrutado mucho. Pero Lovisa es lo que más me ha gustado de la novela, pocos personajes me han causado la sensación de estar escuchando a una amiga hablarte de sus sentimientos.
Si te gustan este tipo de novelas, una thriller fresco diferente, algo nuevo con el que además aprendas, sin duda disfrutarás de la prosa de Eckack. Por último quiero dar las gracias a la editorial Roca por el envío del ejemplar.
Reseña completa en: https://atravesdunlibro.blogspot.com....
December 17, 2017
In the Month of the Midnight Sun is a historical crime novel set in a fictional Swedish village in 1856. Three men are found slaughtered, their murderer - a Lapp, one of the nomadic Sami people - sitting quietly with them. He does not speak to explain, nor does he resist when he arrested and imprisoned. Magnus Stille is sent with his wayward sister-in-law, Lovisa, to investigate under the guise of mapping the mountain, Blackåsen, the village lies in the shadow. Biija, a Lapp who has left her tribe after the death of her husband, stays close to the village and watches. Blackåsen itself may have a role to play in the mysteries and horrors that beset this small town.
I found Cecilia Ekbäck’s In the Month of the Midnight Sun to be quite an comfortable read. The prose is easy to digest, the characters are interesting and the mystery is intriguing. However, as I read I also found clear faults with the novel.
The writing, for me, never quite hit the spot. Written in first-person, present tense, and narrated by Magnus, Lovisa and Biija, the voices all sounded a bit too similar. It was only that each chapter was marked by the initial of the narrating character and the actual content of the chapter that told me who was narrating. I also would have restructured the first section of the novel. As it is, the story is in alternating sections – Biija then Magnus then Lovisa then back to Biija and so on. But as the first section has Biija’s chapters taking place in the spring before Magnus and Lovisa’s, I would have grouped together and placed them first and then introduced Magnus and Lovisa.
Ekbäck has created some fascinating characters, but I didn’t feel there was enough of them on the page to really get a good idea of them. There’s a lot of things that interest me about Biija, Magnus and Lovisa, but they’re sort of referenced and then left unexplored and undeveloped.
The central mystery is intriguing – did the Lapp really kill those three men, why did they die, what secrets lie in the mountain - but I didn’t feel like these mysteries were solved. Where we began to see the solution unfolding, I was on the edge of my seat for the reveal and then just left cold and a little confused by the follow up.
There are a lot of interesting things to find In the Month of the Midnight Sun, but overall I was left nonplussed by it.
I found Cecilia Ekbäck’s In the Month of the Midnight Sun to be quite an comfortable read. The prose is easy to digest, the characters are interesting and the mystery is intriguing. However, as I read I also found clear faults with the novel.
The writing, for me, never quite hit the spot. Written in first-person, present tense, and narrated by Magnus, Lovisa and Biija, the voices all sounded a bit too similar. It was only that each chapter was marked by the initial of the narrating character and the actual content of the chapter that told me who was narrating. I also would have restructured the first section of the novel. As it is, the story is in alternating sections – Biija then Magnus then Lovisa then back to Biija and so on. But as the first section has Biija’s chapters taking place in the spring before Magnus and Lovisa’s, I would have grouped together and placed them first and then introduced Magnus and Lovisa.
Ekbäck has created some fascinating characters, but I didn’t feel there was enough of them on the page to really get a good idea of them. There’s a lot of things that interest me about Biija, Magnus and Lovisa, but they’re sort of referenced and then left unexplored and undeveloped.
The central mystery is intriguing – did the Lapp really kill those three men, why did they die, what secrets lie in the mountain - but I didn’t feel like these mysteries were solved. Where we began to see the solution unfolding, I was on the edge of my seat for the reveal and then just left cold and a little confused by the follow up.
There are a lot of interesting things to find In the Month of the Midnight Sun, but overall I was left nonplussed by it.
Read
May 22, 2016The year is 1856. Magnus Stille is the adopted son and son in law of Karl Rosenblad, Chief Minister of Justice in Stockholm. Magnus is a geologist at a time when there are tensions between Swedes migrating north into Lappland and the indigenous Lapps. Far to the north of Stockholm in the tiny village of Blackasen three men lie dead, killed by an elderly Lapp who will not speak and tell what happened. Karl sends Magnus north on the pretext of mapping the mountain above Blackasen. Officially he is there to investigate the possibility of mining iron ore from the mountain. Unofficially he is there to find out what happened in the village and whether it is the beginning of a Lapp uprising. Karl also sends with Magnus Karl's unruly grown up daughter Louvisa who has done something unnamed, something so terrible her father will not have her under his roof any more.
Magnus and Louvisa travel north by steamer, cart and finally a 2 hour exhausting walk and come upon a village in which there are clearly secrets but it is not clear who is hiding what.
Magnus and Louvisa are two of our narrators, their chapters headed with a capital letter M or L to indicate who is speaking. The third named narrator is Biija named Ester by the Swedes. She has just lost her husband Nila and has travelled back to her tribe's wintering camp above Blackasen village. There is a fourth unnamed narrator, more ephemeral but ultimately identifiable.
An interesting byzantine story where landscape and narrative, past and present are in dialogue with each other. The different narratives give us different perspectives. To Magnus the mountain is a resource. To Biija it is a living often dangerous presence. The summer white nights keep Magnus awake and affect his mood, Louvisa sleeps.
However, I found it a little hard going and difficult to maintain my interest
Magnus and Louvisa travel north by steamer, cart and finally a 2 hour exhausting walk and come upon a village in which there are clearly secrets but it is not clear who is hiding what.
Magnus and Louvisa are two of our narrators, their chapters headed with a capital letter M or L to indicate who is speaking. The third named narrator is Biija named Ester by the Swedes. She has just lost her husband Nila and has travelled back to her tribe's wintering camp above Blackasen village. There is a fourth unnamed narrator, more ephemeral but ultimately identifiable.
An interesting byzantine story where landscape and narrative, past and present are in dialogue with each other. The different narratives give us different perspectives. To Magnus the mountain is a resource. To Biija it is a living often dangerous presence. The summer white nights keep Magnus awake and affect his mood, Louvisa sleeps.
However, I found it a little hard going and difficult to maintain my interest
August 31, 2016
Ekback writes beautifully, this is similar to Wolf Winter in that it is set in the same area - Blackasen Mountain, and follows a similar storyline - people are mysteriously murdered in the surrounding area. Ekback is fantastic at building up intricate and complex human relationships, conveying how the characters are affected by the landscape and near constant light. The effect that this has on personal relationships - being secluded in small incestuous local communities, and the resulting tensions that arise between closely knit yet wary nomadic Lapps and the more recent settlers.
The prose is fluid, evocative and stark - at times poetic and has a vivid poignancy that runs throughout. I got hooked towards the ending as the secrets unravel and we discover the identity and hidden past of several characters. Ekback says she is going to write a third novel set in the same area, and I would certainly read this too, although I think the next one would need to differ quite drastically from the storyline of the first two, to avoid getting too repetitive. Recommended.
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