Girl of Darkness by Kristina Dowling

19-year-old Eira Martell is determined to leave her past behind. There’s only one person who understands her: her grandmother. But her grandmother has been missing since Eira was ten, when she suddenly vanished right in front of Eira’s eyes at a pagan stone circle. But strange things are happening again. Someone posts Eira her grandmother’s necklace anonymously, a handsome scarred stranger is following her and the shadow world she has tried so hard to leave behind is stirring once again. Eira is thrown into a treacherous world of ancient magic, grimoires and secret societies.

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Insta flick!

PRE-READING

A snowy Swedish setting, ancient magic, secret societies and a missing grandmother? Girl of Darkness sounds like exactly the sort of book to curl up with when the weather outside is doing its best impression of a Nordic thriller.

Originally written in Swedish and translated into English by the author herself, this is the first book in a planned trilogy. The characters are around twenty, placing it at the upper end of YA, although I can also see it appealing to adult fantasy readers.

POST-READING

First, I want to talk about the translation. Sometimes translated books can feel a little clunky in places, but I genuinely wouldn't have guessed that Girl of Darkness was translated if I hadn't known beforehand. Whatever the reason, the English reads beautifully.

The setting is another highlight. There's a wonderful icy, mysterious atmosphere throughout, with snowy Sweden providing the perfect backdrop for ancient magic, grimoires and secret societies. The sense that something strange is stirring beneath the ordinary world works particularly well here. You can practically feel the cold creeping in around the edges of the story.

My one reservation is really about the shape of the book. As the opening instalment of a trilogy, Girl of Darkness spends much of its time establishing the wider story and introducing several different threads. These are only beginning to come together by the cliffhanger ending, so this is very much a case of laying the groundwork for what's to come.

Readers who enjoy slowly unravelling a mystery alongside several characters may find that particularly satisfying. If you prefer each instalment to have a more self-contained arc, with plenty of developments along the way, you may find this one a little slower going. I would have liked a little more to happen in this first volume, but I'm still interested in seeing where the story goes.

And that is the important thing: despite my reservations, I genuinely hope the remaining books are translated into English. There is enough here to make me curious about what happens next, and I would like to see how these different threads develop once the groundwork is in place.

Also, the physical book has lovely sprayed edges. Sometimes a book deserves a little appreciation for looking pretty on the shelf, too!

RECOMMENDATIONS

For readers who enjoy atmospheric fantasy, ancient mysteries and stories that take their time building a larger mythology, Girl of Darkness may be just the beginning of a very appealing reading journey.

For another wintry fantasy with a mysterious atmosphere, try The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden.

TV pairing: Dark — for a chilly, mysterious atmosphere and the feeling that there are much bigger forces at work beneath the surface.

MUSIC PAIRING

“Winter” — Vivaldi. Beautiful, cold and full of the sense that something is waiting just out of sight.

VIBE CHECK

• Colour palette: Frosted silver, midnight blue, snow white and the deep black of a winter forest.

• Soundtrack: Wind through bare branches, footsteps crunching on snow and the unsettling silence of a place that should feel familiar.

• Season: Deep winter, when darkness arrives early and the world feels full of secrets.

• Mood: Mysterious, watchful and quietly magical.

• Scent: Cold air, old books and woodsmoke.

• Texture: Crisp snow, rough stone and the smooth, cool surface of an old pendant.

TAROT CARD PULLED — THE HIGH PRIESTESS

Secrets, hidden knowledge and the feeling that there's a great deal happening beneath the surface. The High Priestess is a perfect fit for a story of ancient magic, mysterious disappearances and secret societies, where we're only beginning to understand what's really going on.

The Moon shows us what we can't see; the High Priestess reminds us that some things simply haven't been revealed yet. And with several story threads only beginning to come together at the end of this first instalment, there's clearly plenty more to uncover.

Girl of Darkness by Kristina Dowling is available now. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.