 The main character is typically a woman, often somehow connected to Finland or Finnish history, although in the novel "Vaskilintu" ("The Brass Bird") the other main character is a man, Eirik Väkevä.The setting is usually medieval Finland or its neighbouring countries, but faraway places like Constantinople and Calabria also feature.The characters in Utrio's books are mostly fictional, but she also uses real historical figures as background characters.