📕 Title: River of Spirits
✏️ Author: Shana Targosz
📖 Genre: MG Fantasy
⭐ Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
📝 The Underwild #1

Senka is the young assistant to Charon, the ferryman of the underworld who guides souls into the afterlife. When a living girl enters the underworld to search for her recently departed little brother, Senka is swept up into a search that takes her into the Underwild, home to dangerous creatures and demigods, and beyond. As the two girls fight to return home, Senka begins to uncover secrets about her own past.

REVIEW

This story draws on classic Greek mythology while introducing some modern twists, reminiscent of the Percy Jackson novels, and focuses on themes of loss and grief. The adventure and magic balance out the more melancholy moments, and the story is well paced, engaging, and imbued with hope.

Senka is a fantastic protagonist, a creative and determined girl with a kind heart. Her journey is one of self discovery and her choices really drive this story. I absolutely loved her relationship with Charon, who acts as a father figure, and their home and life felt surprisingly cozy. I also liked Senka’s friendship with Poppy.

Though this seems to be the beginning of a series, the story wraps up satisfactorily by the end of the book and works well as a standalone novel. However, I really enjoyed this book and would happily read more in the series!