River of Night: Urban Fantasy

Shadow Kingdom #1

by Naomi Kuttner

Ivan hopes he’s going crazy. Because the alternative is worse…

Ivan has just learned the his sleepy hometown is home to a Viking death cult, intent on raising a terrifying power. When he broke into their ceremony to rescue a friend, he became their prime target.

Now the cult leader is missing, presumed dead (but is he really?) ...and if the facts ever come to light, Ivan will be the number one suspect.

But that’s not his biggest problem…

Ivan’s started seeing things no one else can see. Mysterious shadow wolves…ancient death gods…a dark power gathering in the mountains.

Either Ivan’s going mad, or the Viking cult managed to stir up something powerful, and it’s coming for him.

One thing's for he’s in too deep to back out now.

Summer will be great…if Ivan can manage to survive it.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Magic, Action

ebook

Published November 29, 2022

About the author

Naomi Kuttner writes urban fantasy and cozy mysteries.

Living in New Zealand, Naomi spends her free time (ha!) raising her twin son and daughter, writing, taking the dog to the beach, and getting out on the water whenever possible.

Reviews

[Gill · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a depressing read. Not much "urban" about a story set in a small seaside town, and very little about it felt English in any way.

he author apparently lives in New Zealand; this does not surprise me. I have serious doubts the author has been to England, let alone done any serious research. Teenagers at the point of leaving school in this book drive big trucks, are able to hire cars, buy guns, knives and other weapons and have a favourite corner in a pub. None of the characters have the sort of names that are common in England; most seem to be Scandinavian (Henrik, Anders, Magnus) while the protagonist's surname is Luca. In high summer he is applying to universities and receiving rejections, while there is no mention of major exams just concluded.

Viking re-enactment is a core feature of the story, but even here the author reveals depths of ignorance. Small port towns did not have walls in the Viking period. But, then, neither would any English person refer to them as crossing the *ocean*. The setting is apparently on the East coast of England, yet there are forests and mountains next to the sea. Where? Norfolk?

The story is pedestrian and full of unforced flaws which may argue shoddy editing and proofreading; the characters are flat and wholly unconvincing, even if one overlooks the very poor research. At times one wonders whether the author has just mainlined too many US TV shows - how else account for references to "Animal Rescue" rather than the RSPCA, orange jumpsuits as prison garb, and a police force all of whom seem to have guns without anybody remarking on the fact.

Of course it's not always necessary to "write what you know", or how would we have fantasy fiction? However, making a little effort to research where you set the story shouldn't be an outrageous demand on a writer. Here, sadly, it appears to be just that.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story follows Ivan, delving into his character and internal thoughts. There is a lot of action and adventure for Ivan and his friend, Anders, as their attempts to survive the summer become more complicated than they should be. The pace varies as the narrative has twists and turns. An enjoyable read.


I received a free copy and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Thank you to Hidden Gems Books, StoryOrigin, and author.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I sought out Kuttner's back catalog after thoroughly enjoying The Retired Assassin's Guide to Country Gardening: A New Zealand Paranormal Cozy Mystery. This series is YA Urban Fantasy, not Cozy Mystery. This is also a favorite genre of mine, and one with far fewer rules. Of course this means there are fewer guardrails too, and this book struggled to struggles to get its characters off the ground in a believable fashion and stretches the bounds of suspension of disbelief in a few places. However, once it got going one did start to like the characters quite a bit - perhaps especially the Raven and the Wolf. I read it and its companions eagerly enough inside of about a week (fair disclosure: I had a miserable summer cold and had no ability to focus on anything more demanding than this genre!)

[E-K · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5-3 stars for me. I could detect the kernel of a good story early on and the magical rules were interesting and consistent - I love a good Nordic mythology link.

I found the first half in particular a bit uneven and some character introductions felt abrupt and inconsistent. The characters switched so rapidly from juvenile to mature to blasé to angst-ridden that it was disorientating - perhaps this was a deliberate decision to reflect a common teenage experience but it felt more like it was still in alpha stage and needed some more editing. Similarly, the locations were throughly described but felt a little off-kilter; like an American copy of a British TV show but in reverse. I wonder if the setting was initially somewhere else and the author was encouraged to move it? The Orkneys or Shetland Island could have fit better with the Viking theme.

The second half was engaging. By the end, I found I was fond of the characters and want to read the rest of the series to see what happens next.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this okay, though it was different than I expected from the blurb. I don’t know that the blurb was incorrect or even emphasized the wrong thing. I just pulled different bits out more strongly than others, I guess. I thought there would be more of a connection between Ivan and the raven and wolf and I thought Ivan would have a better understanding of whatever magic and magical world he found than he does, and I thought it would come together earlier than 50%-ish of the way through. I thought the Viking cosplay stuff was going to be a bigger part of the story throughout, and not just at the end. It was fine though. Aside from being different than expected, I did find myself getting confused about where it takes place. Clearly it’s supposed to be in England, but a lot of the time I felt like England didn’t totally make sense…something about it didn’t feel English? But instead more open, more brazen? I double checked to see if the author were American, actually, and found out she’s from New Zealand. Which explained the feel of the book being something other-than-English some of the time, even while there were words or phrases and on at least one occasion, a spelling I recognized as British, or at least Commonwealth. I read a review that really came down on this story for not being well researched and the reviewer seemed to be either English or believed they knew far more about the English than either the author or I. That review also claimed that this story got the Viking information wrong as well. I am not an expert on either subject, and absolutely wouldn’t know if the Viking information was correct or not. I’m inclined to side with the reviewer on the English stuff just based on the bits I do know. It didn’t keep me from enjoying the story, but it did keep me from trusting the details.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

River of Night is a YA urban fantasy with tons of action and loads of heart. There are Viking re-enactments, a scary cult, monsters that would make Lovecraft proud, and a group of characters that you will absolutely fall in love with. The main character, Ivan, is a graduating senior in high school with a secret...he's super into Vikings! The lore, the weapons, even cosplaying and doing re-enactments with fellow Viking aficionados. His best friend Anders (a sweetheart that you will adore) doesn't even know. But before Ivan gets to attend the long awaited Viking re-enactment weekend in his town, Anders calls him in a panic because his girlfriend (Amelie) has gone missing. Cue the creepy death cult in black robes. But these guys aren't cosplayers, they're for real!

Drama, action and insanity ensues and the trio is forced to deal with things that they didn't know exist. And Ivan all of a sudden is exhibiting powers he's never had before. He's also begun a familiar type relationship with a gorgeous (and very smart) raven. The trio is being hunted by the creepy, robed cult people and it's looking like their plans could wreak havoc on the world.

This book was exciting from start to finish, I felt deep connections to all of the main and secondary characters, and the main villain is absolutely terrifying. Plus, in addition to the raven, there is a sweet, protective, huge and beautiful black wolf working to help Ivan and his friends succeed in defeating the cult and whatever it is they are trying to bring over into our world. The battles are intense and the ending leaves you wanting more. Which is only ok because this is book one in a trilogy. Kuttner has done a phenomenal job in this book and I cannot wait for book two! Definitely recommend!

[Squibs · Rating 2 out of 5]

The River of Night by Naomi Kuttner

Third person, 18 year old male main character

I'm not quite sure who the audience is for this book, but it's not me, and the blurb is incredibly misleading. This is not the high stakes urban fantasy it implies, but more along the lines of cozy small town murder mystery with magic thrown in.

The formatting and writing style just didn't land. The dialogue is especially tough to follow because there are barely any speaking indicators, so half the time I had no idea who was saying what. Everything is broken up into super short, one to two sentence paragraphs, which made the whole thing feel really choppy and disconnected to read.

The storytelling leans very slice of life adjacent. There is a larger plot happening, but we spend most of the time following the characters through small moments, and it ends up feeling like nothing is really happening. This might be a weird comparison, but it gave me Outer Banks vibes, where we are mostly just hanging out while the characters talk about doing things before going off half cocked.

I also kept getting pulled out of the setting. It is supposed to be UK based, but there are a lot of inconsistencies that made it feel off. The names especially threw me. There is a mix of Scandinavian, Slavic, and Latin names that just did not feel cohesive for the region. I had to check where the author was from (not the UK) because it kept distracting me how wrong some descriptions felt.

At the end of the day, I was bored. It was more than halfway through before anything interesting happened. I wasn't invested, the characters felt a bit flat, and I just don't mesh with Kuttner’s writing style or formatting choices. Definitely a pass for me.

[M.L. Dunker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fast read, "race along in one sitting" type of book. Ivan and Anders are two high school seniors passing their last summer together before going off to uni in the fall. Anders has a new girlfriend, Amelie, who Ivan may or may not be jealous of -- the relationship or Amelie, he's not sure. What he is sure of, is that he loves Viking lore, and history. He knows he would love Viking re-enactments if his Mum would ever let him go.

While his Mom and step-dad are off to Italy on a vacation, Anders girlfriend gets taken by some very dicey characters and Anders and Ivan set off to rescue her. A Viking re-enactment comes to town, and well, the adventures begin.

The banter between friends is fun, (Anders calls him "Mr. Magic Pants), there is the awkwardness of boy meets girl and doesn't have a clue what to say or do, and a lot of manifested wishful thinking.

The story started off a little slow. I couldn't decide whether this was a urban fantasy ala Kim Wilkins, "The Autumn Castle" or more of a Percy Jackson vibe. Finally, I just let the story roll along and enjoyed it for what it was. A fun light story.

[Old Time Tales · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like it.

I picked this up because I enjoy Naomi Kutter's writing. I've been following her Retired Assassin's series and think that it is great. It's why I am following her here on Good Reads.

So, I'm all caught up with the Retired Assassin and waiting for the next one to drop I decide to check out some of her other works. The Shadow Kingdom looked promising.

I've made it in 30% of the way and I'm going to have to give it up. I can tell she's going somewhere, but there are no characters in the book that I care about. Like I said, she is going somewhere, but I don't want to go there with Ivan and the others.

If I'm going to read a book, especially for escape, I want to care about SOMEONE in the story.

And honestly, something needs to happen. River of Night is SLOW. And like I said, I can tell that it's going somewhere, but honestly, I can get out and walk there faster.

So I'm giving up on it. I'm not giving up on Kuttner, but this one, it's just not my cup of tea.

[Jessica Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

"River of Night" is a story about Ivan, a fairly typical teenager who's just finished with high school and isn't sure what's coming next in his life. He's a bit of a nerd, or at least is thought of as one when it gets out that he's super into Viking re-enactments. What starts as a typical coming of age tale goes sideways when his friend, Anders, calls him and says that his girlfriend has been kidnapped by a local cult. Ivan and Anders pull off a daring rescue for her, although Ivan winds up with new abilities he's never had before, and now he's seeing a shadow wolf. Ivan's life is getting crazy, and he can't even figure out if he's going to be able to get into university! The book was highly entertaining, and Ivan was an enjoyable character to follow. The banter between him and Anders was funny, and I can't wait to read the next in the series!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[D. Starr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vikings, Magic, a Wolf, a Monster, and a Fledgling Wizard

4 stars (but dragon fantasy isn't one of my interests)
Not recommended for pre-teens

Overuse of F bombs
Proofreading by editors recommended
Violence
Plenty of suspense in just the right places
No sexual content described

Setting: Britain nowadays, small town on the coast
Characters: (most heading for college soon) - Ivan the main character, Anders & his girlfriend; and the main villain -Magnus.

Plot no spoilers:
Anders turns to Ivan to rescue his girlfriend from local cultists who have kidnapped her and taken her to their secret den.
The action and suspense continues throughout the book as they face unexpected occult powers.

Those who enjoy fantasy, the kind that mixes old legends and mythical creatures, will definitely like this book.

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a little to get into, but this was an enjoyable book. The book starts with our MC just finishing up school (what do they call the equivalent of high school in England?), but floundering a bit as he hasn't been accepted to any colleges yet (if this were in the US, I'd say he's SOL for the fall semester, but maybe college admissions work different in England?). MC is called on by his friend, that he's currently a bit on the outs with, to rescue friends GF. In the middle of their rescue operation, something happens, and it definitely changes the course of his summer, and maybe more. It's the first book in the series, so certainly can't end with happy ever after, but there is definitely a promise of things to come.

[The Man from DelMonte · Rating 3 out of 5]

We’re thrust straight into evildoing, small villages, and teens with powers. It’s a bit Buffy crossed with Whicker Man but there's not enough history, it needs some flashbacks, some world building.
I think it might have benefited from being written in the first person.
The author knows their boats and their re-enactment but not their Britain. For one thing, we don't drink soda in this country. It also describes itself as an urban fantasy-which it isn’t. Rivers of London or the Severed Streets are urban fantasy.
However, things improve. By the time we get to p145 (42%) the author has properly hit her stride. The encounter between Benioff and Ivan in the library is tense and surreal at the same time.
Decent enough to make me search out the next installment.

[William Peckham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolute and total nonsense of the best kind

In parts this was kind of a depressing and difficult read. Not because of editing errors, The editing was good and the writing well done. Most importantly no real cliffhanger. I deduct 4 stars for cliffhangers. And they call this urban fantasy, it is pure fantasy with little or no connection to reality. Even the connection to mythology is tenuous. It is a fun read and that is the point. If that's what you're looking for I recommend it.

[Abi Taberer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good, just not really my thing

I read this in a couple of days, yes it was a good story and It kept me intrigued. A very different kind of magic system which is what kept me reading. I did love that Ivans hobby was all vikings and viking weekend battles, nice change from the usual training and gym etc.
4 stars because it simply wasn't my kind of story.

[Tina Simmons · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @50%. This sounds like something right up my alley. Unfortunately, it was rubbish. Teenage boys saving a girl from some weird cult. That was pretty much the only action. Bunches of weird stuff - not explained or examined, just there. I didn’t care what happened to any of them at 50%, so I moved on.

[Tanya Crompton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Away on holiday and was an enjoyable read. I read some of the reviews who felt needed more research. I didn’t need that, I needed a novel with a bit of drama, escapism and thought. Ms Kuttner achieved this and I was very happy to read and get ready for the next in the series as well as the other books she has written. Proud to support a Waiuku author

[Marla · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd just finished The Retired Assassin's Guide to Country Gardening (which I loved), so I decided to read more of this author's books. Sadly, this book felt as if a completely different person had written it. I forced myself to read it until the end, which I slightly regret, as there are other books waiting for me. I have no interest in reading more in this series.

[Christi Stringer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the author does better at writing for adults (I LOVED Retired Assassin's Guide) but this one was a bit of a miss for me. It seemed to lean more into Middle Grade while the sequel is more Young Adult. The story and the premise were wonderful and imaginative but it could really do with some editing. 

[Simon Phillips · Rating 2 out of 5]

Formulaic

This read as if generated by an SO generated offering. It is described as an English urban fantasy, yet Americanism abound, the characters named seem to be straight from the Icelandic\Viking sagas (I'm English and I've never met any Englishman named Anders in my life).

[Debra Stansbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very engaging. It leaves a few questions unanswered, but it is the first book in a series, so that isn't unexpected - it is a tease so you will read the next and the next, LOL

The main character has some good growth, and I definitely want to hear more of his story.

[Andrew Rubins · Rating 5 out of 5]

a cracking read!

It started a bit slowly but then, bit by bit, pulled me in. After a while I couldn’t put it down and eventually read it into the wee hours until I reached the end. Now looking forward to starting book 2.

[Patricia Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monsters!!!

Fast, fun, entertaining! Vikings, ravens, swords….a longboat!?! A mystery with the occult thrown in. A giant maybe octopus? A hero and a band of friends take on missing persons, caves, and a lot more. Great story!

[All_Together_Booky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book because it sounded so good. Unfortunately it just didn’t quite live up to my expectations. It wasn’t bad it just wasn’t what i was hoping it would be. I dont think i liked it enough to read the next one.

[Cheryl Glans · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable and entertaining read. Likeable characters. Thrilling conspiracy. Looking forward to reading book number 2.

[Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

AI covers.

[Heather Lloyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

potential

Has potential. Dialogue is stilted. Reminds me of the writing one sees in college. Still a lot of telling instead of showing.

[Kathi Chase · Rating 4 out of 5]

See last in series

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read on a wim and was pleasantly surprised. As a teen angst story it wasn't as lightweight as I expected, hence the 5 star review.

[Fiona Broadley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very slow start, but got better.
Find it difficult that a story set in UK is peppered with Americanisms.