Imaginative and eerie. Heartfelt and harrowing. Magical and lush. Funny and heartbreaking. River of Spirits is a lot of things, but most importantly, it’s the first book in The Underwild, a new fantasy series by Shana Targosz.
All Senka wants is to become a Ferryer, someone whose job is to ferry recently departed souls down the river to the afterlife like her mentor and guardian, Charon. There are eleven strict rules that Charon has taught her, like never forming bonds with the souls they ferry and never following the river to its end. While she questions the importance of the rules, she always follows them because she’s determined to prove herself as a worthy Ferryer. But when Senka meets Poppy, a girl from the realm of the Living who’s made her way to the Underworld in search of her brother’s ghost, she’s torn, because assisting Poppy means breaking quite a few of the rules.
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When Poppy ends up in danger, Senka jumps to save her, and both girls are swept away by the river’s current to the Underwild. Avoiding angry demigods and hungry wraiths and other looming dangers isn’t the only problem, though. Since Poppy is alive, she can’t stay in the realm of the Dead for long, or she risks being lost to the Underworld forever. But as the girls get deeper into the mysterious Underwild and their friendship blossoms, surprising secrets are revealed, including truths about Senka’s past that Charon has intentionally kept from her.
A “dazzling debut” (Booklist, starred review) middle grade fantasy about a girl caught between the realms of the living and the dead who gets lost in the Underworld—perfect for fans of Greenwild and Rick Riordan.
Senka lives between the realm of the Living and the realm of the Dead. As ward to Charon, the Ferryer of the Underworld, Senka assists in ferrying recently departed souls across the river and into their afterlife. Although Charon has taught her many Rules about life in the Underworld, there is much he avoids telling her. Though she doesn’t understand why the Rules are so important, she listens—she must heed them in order to become an official Ferryer, just like Charon.
Then a Living girl, Poppy, enters the Underworld to plead for help in finding the ghost of her brother. Poppy’s grief tugs at Senka’s heart—but helping Poppy goes against the very Rules Senka is so desperate to follow. When Poppy is yanked away by the river’s current, Senka leaps to save her, and she and Poppy are swept downriver, far from everything Senka has ever known.
Lost in the Underwild, Senka and Poppy encounter malevolent spirits of lore and eccentric ghosts—and not all are willing to let souls slip through their grasp. Senka knows the Living can’t stay in the realm of the Dead for long, and if Poppy isn’t returned home soon, she will risk becoming lost to the Underworld forever. But as Senka travels deeper into the Underwild, she discovers there are secrets her guardian has kept from her, including the mystery surrounding her own existence. As Poppy and Senka dodge angry demigods, hungry wraiths, and terrifying dragon chimera, Senka gets closer to learning the truth of her own past. Soon, Senka won’t just need to save Poppy’s life—she’ll also need to save her own.
The Underwild: River of Secrets
AUTHOR: Shana Targosz
PUBLISHER: Aladdin
DATE: March 25, 2025
This story shines from the very first page, pulling you in like the current of the Acheron and keeping hold of your attention. (Though we suggest stocking up on tissues, you’re going to need them!) The underworld can be dark and scary at times, and the feelings are big and messy and beautiful, but being inside Senka’s mind is such a lovely place to be, and the writing is just so good.
We’re excited to share that author Shana Targosz is taking you deeper into this mysterious and mythical world and sharing some of the inspirations and lesser-known facts about River of Spirits.
Author Shana Targosz Shares 5 Fun Facts About The Underwild: River of Spirits:
INSPIRED BY GREEK MYTHOLOGY:
The Underwild: River of Spirits draws heavily from Greek Mythology, and many of the mythological characters and creatures are actual figures who appear in ancient myths. Some are not as famous as the big twelve (as the main character, Senka, would call the twelve major deities who dwell on Mount Olympus).
Instead, the story features lesser-known immortals who don’t often appear as main characters, such as Charon, the Ferryer of the Underworld; Hecate, the goddess of the moon, crossroads, magic, and ghosts; Empusa, the shape-shifer who is often associated with Hecate; and the mormolukeion, terrible beings who, in ancient times, were often featured in stories to frighten children. I thought it was time to give these fantastic mythological figures the spotlight.
GRUMPY FERRYER:
The story takes place in the Underworld, where ghosts and monsters roam. One of the major characters in the book is Charon, the Ferryer of the Underworld. In myths, Charon is a solitary figure often described as an older, bearded man who can be quite cranky—especially if a newly arrived soul forgets to bring payment for their crossing.
In River of Spirits, Charon is presented in a different way. For one, he is no longer solitary, as he has taken on an apprentice by the name of Senka. He still has a beard and can get cranky (especially if he hasn’t had his coffee yet), but in this story, we see him during his off-duty hours and learn that he is really a big nerd who loves playing board games with two others who mean the most to him—Senka, his ward, and Mortimer, a giant messenger-raven who is Senka’s tutor. Oh, and we learn that Charon loves to read books, too!
MYTHICAL RIVERS:
In Greek Mythology, there are five rivers which run through the Underworld: the Acheron (river of sorrow), the Phlegtheon (river of fire), the Kokytos (river of woe), the Styx (river of pain), and the Lethe (river of regrets). All five of these rivers make appearances in the book, and some have secrets hidden in their depths. In the beginning, we learn that Senka’s entire existence has been tied to the Acheron river, where Charon ferries souls, and where Senka receives her ferryer training. The Acheron is also where Senka lives, on an island smack between the realm of the Living and the realm of the Dead.
One of these rivers is an actual river in Greece! The Acheron is not only a mythical waterway believed to form the boundary between the realm of the Living and the realm of the Dead, it is a 32-mile river in Epirus that has held its name since ancient times.
ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE:
Poppy, the Living girl, comes from our realm, the realm of the Living. Many of the places in her hometown that she describes to Senka are real places found in my own city, Portland, Oregon. One of the major landmarks she describes is a giant mural painted on the side of a building. In a pivotal scene, Poppy tells Senka how she and her family watched the artist paint the mural as the sun set over the city. The mural depicts a woman in a multi-patterned dress, and her hair is made from real plants. This is a real-life mural titled Attitude of Gratitude by London-based muralist Fin DAC. The mural is five stories tall and her hair is made of over a thousand living plants!
The story Poppy tells is based on one of my own experiences. My family and I would watch from across the street as the artist painted the sixty foot mural on the side of the building. And just like Poppy describes, when the sun set in the evenings, industrial lights would illuminate the building so the artist could continue his work. If you ever visit Portland, the Attitude of Gratitude mural is worth a visit.
GHOSTLY LOCATIONS:
Another major Portland landmark that makes an appearance in the story is a spectral location, meaning it only appears in a ghostly form. This location is described as a giant bookstore that takes up an entire city block. Those familiar with Portland will recognize this bookstore as none other than Powell’s City of Books. This famous bookstore takes up a full city block in downtown Portland and has five floors packed with books. It is one of my favorite places in the city, and I’m so glad I got to add it as a ghostly location in this story!
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