The Wake by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir – Book Review
In The Wake, the gripping second novel in Yrsa Sigurðardóttir’s Black Ice series, five old university friends reunite on Iceland’s Westman Islands for a funeral — but a chilling note and a rising body count suggest their past is far from dead. With masterful twists, dual timelines, and a creeping sense of dread, Sigurðardóttir delivers…
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A Lethal Legacy by Guđrún Guđlaugsdóttir – Book Review
Ever wondered what secrets are hiding in a quiet Icelandic farmhouse? In Guđrún Guđlaugsdóttir’s A Lethal Legacy, journalist Alma Jónsdóttir dives into a family mystery after an elderly farmer’s death. Forget fast-paced action, this story is all about slow-burning drama, sibling rivalry, and secrets that refuse to stay buried.
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Snowblind/Fadeout by Ragnar Jónasson – Book Review
A decade ago, English readers got to read Snowblind, the first of Ragnar Jónasson’s six-book Dark Iceland series. Now finally we also get to read Fadeout, the prequel that started it all back in Iceland in 2009 with a tenth anniversary special edition of both Fadeout and Snowblind. What set Ari Thór Arason on his…
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Black As Death by Lilja Sigurđardóttir – Book Review
In Black As Death, the much-anticipated final instalment of Lilja Sigurđardóttir’s Áróra Investigates series, we finally get answers to the disappearance of Áróra’s sister. Sigurđardóttir though never takes the obvious route and this gripping tale takes a contemporary tale of financial crime and interweaves it with flashbacks that finally solve this five-book long mystery.
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The Darkness – TV Series Review
With a top director, well known cast and an international best seller as source material, the screen adaptation of Ragnar Jónasson’s The Darkness was always going to be highly anticipated. It’s a surprise, therefore, to find that the end result is something less than its constituent parts promise.
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Exploring Grief in Rúnar Rúnarsson’s When the Light Breaks
Icelandic filmmaker Rúnar Rúnarsson’s When the Light Breaks is a poignant meditation on grief, love and the quiet devastation of loss. Set against the backdrop of Iceland’s ethereal landscapes, the film follows Una (Elín Hall), a young art student grappling with the sudden death of her lover, Diddi (Baldur Einarsson). What unfolds is a deeply… Continue reading Exploring Grief in Rúnar Rúnarsson’s When the Light Breaks
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Behind the Scenes of The Damned with Thordur Palsson and Odessa Young
Thordur Palsson’s The Damned comes to UK Cinemas this week and Nordic Watchlist got the opportunity to speak to the Icelandic director, along with his star Australian actress Odessa Young. Nordic Watchlist: Thordur, Icelandic folklore plays a very significant role in The Damned. We are aware of all the stories of elves and the hidden… Continue reading Behind the Scenes of The Damned with Thordur Palsson and Odessa Young
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The Damned – Film Review
“There’s madness in its words; There’s sickness in its breath; Beware the Draugr, for its very touch is death.” So goes a snippet of a rhyme that one of the beleaguered townsfolk utters in his sleep during Thordur Palsson’s The Damned. It neatly sets the tone for this unsettling psychological folk horror set amongst the… Continue reading The Damned – Film Review
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Best Nordic Novels of 2024
While TV and film companies have been falling over themselves to snap up adaptation rights to Nordic novels in 2024, authors have continued to publish new works, be they additions to already popular long-running series or brand-new additions and voices to draw in readers. 2024 seems to have seen some key themes develop in the… Continue reading Best Nordic Novels of 2024
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Can’t Run, Can’t Hide by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
There is nothing to fear except fear itself – except for a family and their housekeeper in rural Iceland. In the middle of a harsh winter, the fear in their minds is nothing compared with the real horror that awaits them. Yrsa Sigurdardottir’s latest thriller, Can’t Run, Can’t Hide cements her reputation as Iceland’s most chilling… Continue reading Can’t Run, Can’t Hide by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
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When The Light Breaks – Review from London Film Festival
When The Light Breaks opens with a shot of student Una (Elín Hall) staring at a stunning sunset while stoned and sharing a romantic moment with her boyfriend Diddi (Baldur Einarsson), “I’m tired of this secrecy” she says. Diddi makes a promise as the pair walk home with the sun setting behind them over the… Continue reading When The Light Breaks – Review from London Film Festival
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Dark As Night by Lilja Sigurðardóttir – Book Review
There’s a sense of breathless energy from page one of Lilja Sigurðardóttir’s Dark As Night, the fourth (out of a planned five) Áróra investigation series, an energy that’s maintained right to the final page. Following on from Cold As Hell, Red As Blood and White As Snow (and it does pay to read these three predecessors in order before tackling Dark As Night as, in effect, this is one… Continue reading Dark As Night by Lilja Sigurðardóttir – Book Review
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Seven True Crime Documentaries to Watch on Viaplay
If you’re looking for a break from fictional detectives in hot pursuit of cold-blooded killers, you might want to check out some true crime instead. We’ve all been there, hitting “next episode” as fast as we can, convinced we have cracked the case on the third episode of a six-part series only for it to… Continue reading Seven True Crime Documentaries to Watch on Viaplay
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Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s Boys Who Hurt – Book Review
“Icelandic murders are sordid, amateurish affairs. Committed under the influence of alcohol or drugs or in domestic situations” says one of the detectives in Boys Who Hurt, but in Eva Björg Ægisdóttir latest instalment of the Forbidden Iceland series, murders are much more meticulously planned. In this, the fifth novel the murder of a man in a remote summerhouse sparks a journey that takes us back… Continue reading Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s Boys Who Hurt – Book Review
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The Day Iceland Stood Still – Film Review
Scandinavian countries are often held up as shining examples of truly egalitarian societies. They regularly top polls for happiness, gender equality, equal opportunities and salaries. But it wasn’t always the way for Iceland. In fact, it took until the mid-1970s for women to finally achieve equal footing in a society that was built on traditional… Continue reading The Day Iceland Stood Still – Film Review
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GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL: The Home Game
Alex from Nordic Watchlist spoke to Smari Gunn and Logi Sigursveinsson about their documentary film The Home Game which gets its UK premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival. It was the film’s poster that first caught my attention for The Home Game, an Icelandic ‘feel good’ documentary, noticing the artwork was similar to that of… Continue reading GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL: The Home Game
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Icelandic director Helena Stefansdottir discusses her new film Natatorium
Helena’s original idea for Natatorium started with a short film she had made about a pair of half siblings who had a form of a sexual relationship without crossing any lines. “Then I started to build a family around them – that’s how it started. I made it a short film because it’s very tragic… Continue reading Icelandic director Helena Stefansdottir discusses her new film Natatorium
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8 new Nordic novels to look out for in 2024
There’s often a lull in new book releases in the New Year after the frenetic round of releases to capture the Christmas sales, but 2024 has already seen announcements of several new books that look like being ‘must reads’ on any Nordic literature fans reading list, and all good choices for those looking to try… Continue reading 8 new Nordic novels to look out for in 2024
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NORDIC BOOK REVIEW: Dead Sweet – Katrín Júlíusdóttir
There is a fertile environment for writers in the Icelandic parliament. Dead Sweet, the debut novel by former Icelandic MP Katrín Júlíusdóttir, is getting an English translation. Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir co-authored Reykjavik, which reached the bestseller charts earlier this year. Ottar Karlsson, one of the most charismatic and prosperous businessmen and government officials in… Continue reading NORDIC BOOK REVIEW: Dead Sweet – Katrín Júlíusdóttir
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NORDIC BOOK REVIEW: Yrsa Sigurdardottir’s ‘The Prey’
The Icelandic terrain is harsh, especially in the dead of winter; the components working together to confuse the unwary traveller. The cold climate serves as the backdrop for Yrsa Sigurdardottir’s The Prey, while the terror and fear contained within the pages create enough chills on their own. Sigurdardottir’s fascinating story takes readers through what appear… Continue reading NORDIC BOOK REVIEW: Yrsa Sigurdardottir’s ‘The Prey’
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