audjfield13's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.75
richardpierce's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Interesting but not flawless. The telling of the story from the perspective of different people is all very well, but their voices are so similar on the page it can take a page or so to find out who is talking - my personal view is that this makes the novel's rhythm faltering and fragmented rather than as gripping as it could be. Having said all that - definitely worth a read.
rosekelly96's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
readingwiththechoob's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, what a novel!!! Highly HIGHLY recommend it!! Ekbäck cleverly weaves us into the characters’ minds as we uncover several truths about the Lapps and Blackåsen. Brilliant work! I don’t want to say more for fear of ruining such a great storyline. Must read!!!
daisymae's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
myweereads's review against another edition
4.0
“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.
aliilman's review against another edition
4.0
The prose is wonderful, and reading in first-person narrative was a breath of fresh air. I would have enjoyed this already enjoyable novel even more if I had read the first volume.
lanko's review against another edition
1.0
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%.
taniabotes's review against another edition
3.0
I loved this author's previous book, [b: Wolf Winter|21413846|Wolf Winter|Cecilia Ekbäck|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1419320744s/21413846.jpg|40714611], 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.
roxyc's review against another edition
3.0
Nordic Noir meets historical mystery. Atmospheric with plenty of intriguing elements that keep you guessing. Very visual and littered with complex characters. It is told from multiple points of view and I must admit I don’t usually enjoy that setup, but Cecilia makes it work seamlessly. It did take a while to get going and grab my interest but once it did it did not disappoint. I like that each character has their own perspective and feelings on what the mysterious mountain means to them. I have not read anything from this author before but I will certainly be on the lookout for more of her works.