Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 125422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 627(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 627(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
When Hanna Heikkinen sacrificed herself to the God of Death to save her father, she never imagined she’d fall in love with the grumpy god—or thrive as Queen of Tuonela. Nor did she expect to uncover the truth of her divine lineage, a secret tied to powers far beyond her understanding.
But when the Old Gods rise and Louhi’s dark forces plunge the Land of the Dead into Kaaos, threatening to destroy the balance of life and death, Hanna must fight for more than just her realm. With Tuonela unraveling and the souls of the dead at risk of eternal Oblivion, Hanna and Tuoni face impossible odds as love and duty collide.
Can Hanna save Tuonela before it’s lost to the void, or will her greatest sacrifice come at the cost of the one she loves most?
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
GLOSSARY & PRONOUNCIATION
Tuonela (too-oh-nella)
Realm or Land of the Dead. It is a large island that floats between worlds, with varied geography and terrain. The recently deceased travel via the River of Shadows to the City of Death, where they are divided into factions (Amaranthus, the Golden Mean, and Inmost) and admitted into the afterlife. Outside the City of Death, Gods, Goddesses, spirits, shamans, and the dead who have escaped the city can be found.
Tuoni (too-oh-nee)
The God of Death, otherwise called Death, and King of Tuonela, who rules over the realm from his castle at Shadow’s End.
Louhi (low-hee)
Ex-wife of Death, former Goddess, half-demon daughter of Rangaista.
Loviatar (low-vee-ah-tar)
The Lesser Goddess of Death and Death’s daughter. Her job is to ferry the dead down the River of Shadows to the City of Death, a role she shares with her brother Tuonen.
Tuonen (too-oh-nen)
The Lesser God of Death and Death’s Son. He shares ferrying duties with his sister, Loviatar. Tuonen is also a lord in the City of Death and helps oversee things in the afterlife.
Sarvi (sar-vih)
Short for Yksisarvinen, Sarvi is a relic from the times of the Old Gods and originally from another world. Sarvi is a unicorn with bat-like wings who died a long time ago and is composed of skin and bone. Sentient, Sarvi is able to communicate telepathically. While he is a loyal and refined servant to Death, he is also vicious, violent, and bloodthirsty by nature, as all unicorns are.
Ilmarinen (ill-mar-ee-nen)
Louhi’s consort, the demigod shaman she left Death for. He lives with Louhi in their castle by the Star Swamps.
Eero (ay-ro)
A powerful shaman from Northern Finland.
Väinämöinen (vah-ee-nah-moy-nen)
Death’s past adversary and legendary shaman, who became a Finnish folk-hero.
Ukko (oo-koh)
A supreme God and the father of Tuoni, Ahto, and Ilmatar. Husband to Akka.
Akka (ah-ka)
A supreme Goddess, wife to Ukko, and the mother of Tuoni, Ahto, and Ilmatar.
Ilmatar (ill-mah-tar)
Goddess of the Air, sister to Tuoni and Ahto.
Vellamo (vell-ah-mo)
Goddess of the Deep, wife of Ahto. Protector of mermaids. Vellamo can be found in the Great Inland Sea.
Ahto (ah-to)
God of the Oceans and Seas, husband of Vellamo, brother of Tuoni and Ilmatar.
Kuutar (koo-tar)
Goddess of the Moon, Mother of Stars, protector of sea creatures.
Päivätär (pah-ee-vah-tar)
Goddess of the Sun, protector of birds.
Kalma (kahl-ma)
God of Graves and Tuoni’s right-hand man and advisor.
Surma (soor-mah)
A relic from the days of the Old Gods and the personification of killing.
Raila (ray-lah)
Hanna’s personal Deadmaiden.
Pyry (pee-ree)
Deadmaiden. Head cook and gardener of Shadow’s End.
Harma (har-mah)
Deadmaiden. Head of the Shadow’s End servants.
Tapio (tah-pee-oh)
God of the Forest.
Tellervo (tell-air-voh)
Lesser Goddess of the Forest and daughter of Tapio.
Mielikki (Mi-eh-li-kee)
Goddess of the Forest, Tapio’s wife
Nyyrikki (Nye-rick-ee)
Lesser God of the Forest, brother to Tellervo
Hiisi (hee-si)
Demons and goblins of Tuonela, spawns of Rangaista.
Rangaista (ran-gais-tah)
A powerful demon and Old God, father of Louhi.
Liekkiö (lehk-kio)
The spirits of murdered children who haunt the Leikkio Plains. They are made of bones and burn eternally.
Vipunen (vee-pooh-nen)
An unseen giant who lives in the Caves of Vipunen near Shadow’s End. The most ancient and wise being in Tuonela from before the time of the Old Gods.
Keskelli (Kes-Kell-ee)
Friendly trolls that live in the Frozen Void
PLAYLIST
“The Prophecy” – Taylor Swift
“I am not a woman, I’m a god” – Halsey
“Don’t Say You Love Me” – Depeche Mode
“And Nothing is Forever” – The Cure
“The Night Does Not Belong to God” – Sleep Token
“Help Me I Am in Hell” – NIN
“Dark Signs” – Sleep Token
“Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” – Taylor Swift
“Into the Void” – NIN
“God Games” – The Kills
“Combat” – Deftones
“The Great Destroyer” – NIN (Modwheelmod version)
“God Given” – NIN (Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert version)
“Risk” – Deftones
“Gods” – Sleep Token
“March of the Pigs” – NIN
“Kingdome Come” – The Kills
“Always You” – Depeche Mode
“Going to Heaven” – The Kills
“Warsong” – The Cure
“I Let Love In” – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
“Hole in the Earth” – Deftones
“Last Rites” – +++ (Crosses)
“Castle” – Halsey
“Everything in its Right Place” – Radiohead
“The Epilogue” – +++ (Crosses)
“Endsong” – The Cure
CHAPTER ONE
HANNA
When I was young, maybe eight years old, I visited my father in Finland during the height of summer. I remember the days were long and warm, and the woods held so much life, every day was an adventure to me. My father was happy to let me play by myself or with the kids who lived on the other side of the lake but, sometimes, he would take me on nature walks for hours at a time.
One day, the two of us had walked deep into the woods behind our house, where the pines grew so tall, they blocked out the sky. It was dark, strangely so, like I was seeing everything through a black veil. I remember being a little afraid, but my father held my hand and told me the woods were always looking out for me.
Eventually, he led me to a small clearing with a ring of moss-covered stones in the middle. There was a quiet stillness that suddenly fell around us, something so deep, it felt as if even the wind dared not enter the circle.