A fascinating story with a lovely look at the gods that doesn't immediately make the mind wander off to comic books. I really enjoyed Loki. :) A good read!

This was a really fun read! A fun cast, a likable main character, action adventure- there wasn't a dull moment. The beginning was a bit confusing to read, it gives no run down on things and jumps straight into it, but after a while it was fine and it found it's flow.

Written by Kristin Jacques, this novel follows Ives, the Fate Cipher who, since she turned 18, has been avoiding her duties. Now she has to try and stop Ragnarok.

I really enjoyed this novel! Well written and fast paced, this story reminded me of the Dresden Files in its pacing and style. Which is to say very urban fantasy and very quick witted with a lot of mystery.

The other great thing that Jacques did with this novel is how she handled the myths. I adore what little we know of the Norse Gods, and I really like that she didn't go with the Marvel version but the traditional. We get to see Loki! (And I want to see him in future novels.) But, the Fate Cipher doesn't only work in one mythology, but in all of them. King Arthur mythology is mentioned right at the beginning of the book and is hinted that the next could deal with that.

This author has created an excellent book that can stand on its own, but is also a wonderful start to a (hopefully) wonderful series. Highly recommend to any fan of action, adventure, or urban fantasy.

I've been having trouble understanding some of the book, so it's been a slow read for me. I have been enjoying it, even if it's not exactly what I had been expecting.

Ragnarok Unwound by Kristin Jacques
Rating: 5

Main protagonist: Ikepela Ives A.k.a the Fate Cipher.
Mission (seems impossible but it’s not): stop Ragnarok unwound
Other characters: Jules (fae), Hildr (valkyrie), Hel (goddess of death) and the boys (considering the title is Ragnarok Unwound I’m not gonna spoil it for you if I say that Loki is one of them) but the others should be a surprise.

Fate Ciphers should be immortal but Ives is a mortal girl so she has to handle this mess with that disadvantage. She doesn’t want anything to do with this whole business but she doesn’t have a choice when Hildr finds her and asks her to stop Ragnarok. But since Ives is not a conventional Fate Cipher, her solutions aren’t either. But you have to love her because she is your ordinary girl who is willing to go through hell (literary) to save her friends from their fates. She goes through some serious changes in her character.

Hel is one hell of a goddess of death. She is everything I didn’t expect her to be: funny, witty, strong, loyal. Oh I adore her horse.

Loki...hmm...what should I say about him without spoilers...he is my favourite God ever. If he is in a book I read it. It’s a rule I don’t break.. Ever.

So all in all this is the best book I’ve read so far in 2019. Can’t wait for the sequel.

I received a copy of this book from Broad Universe and Kristin Jacques through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

3.5 ☆
ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for a review. All of my opinions are my own, and are in no way affected by the exchange.

This had a decent premise but ultimately I did not find it particularly engaging. I enjoyed the characters but it just felt like a bunch of other books I have read before. I had trouble getting into the book for the first 120ish pages which really left me Meh about the entire thing. I really enjoyed the melding of Hawaiian and Norse mythology however. I dont know much about Hawaiian culture and seeing some of its mythos portrayed was very interesting.

Firstly, a huge thank you to Netgalley, Kristin Jacques, and the publishers, Broad Universe, for an advance copy of Ragnarok Unwound.

Ragnarok Unwound is a compelling clash between mythology and urban fantasy.

Ikepela Ives, known simply as Ives, is drinking away her sorrows in a bar one evening when a Valkyrie straight out of legend approaches her and asks for her help in stopping Ragnarok - the twilight of the gods, the apocalypse, whatever you want to call it. As the Fate Cipher, a role passed down from her mother, Ives is the only one with the power to stop it, but it's a power she doesn't - and doesn't want to - understand.

Ragnarok Unwound is honestly just tremendous fun, from the characters, such as Jules, a brownie who is also Ives' best friend, to Hel, the Norse goddess of death who loves video games and was such a badass, to the mythology itself - it seems that in this world, all mythologies are real, though this novel focuses on Norse and Hawaiian mythology. I found that Jacques' version of Norse mythology, while simplified and updated, was actually more accurate than most (eg Marvel) and it was awesome to learn about Hawaiian mythology.

The characters and their relationships with one another, as well as Ives' eventual acceptance of her powers, were strong points for me. We had strong female friendships aplenty, which is something I always like to see, and I loved how close Ives and her father were. The third-person POV dotted from character to character, but rather than being a hindrance or annoyance, it actually helped to see how Ragnarok was progressing (or otherwise!) from different perspectives.

I would definitely recommend Ragnarok Unwound to any fans of mythology and/or urban fantasy, as there is much to love in both genres.

In the end I gave Ragnarok Unwound 3.5 stars, because to me the pacing was a little off, but overall I really did enjoy it!

I'm not much into Norse mythology, so I didn't enjoy Ragnarok Unwound. I tried but the story didn't intrest me enough to keep reading. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I started reading the book but personally was not hooked into the plot. I did not finish reading the book itself. Thank you for providing the eArc copy!

Ragnarok Unwound (Ikepela Ives Book 1) Kindle Edition
by Kristin Jacques
I received a review copy from NetGalley and am choosing to leave a fair and honest review.

A book for fans of Neill Gaiman's American Gods and Norse Mythology, RU drags you into a sassy, funny world of Gods and Immortals.

Ives, as Ikepela Ives prefers to be called, has a secret fated role in the Ragnarok! It is a role passed down from her Goddess mother. Ives can stop the Norse version of the Apocalypse, Ragnarok, if only she can get control of her power before the world falls out.

With an amazingly well-researched book, Ms Jacques leads us into a world were Hel speaks like a Millennial and Loki gambles in Las Vegas. Her characters are both funny and compelling. The bad guy? Well, thank goodness for Wiki! I used it to guess the bad guy and why!

This book is filled with word-games. Tons of some of the best metaphors and similes I've ever encountered! Plus glorious lines like “Apparently, fae chicks dug scars” and chapter titles like “Lady Death is a Level-60 Mage.

It is nice to read Norse mythology after years of Celt-influenced stories... And the author reaches past the Marvel Cinematic Universe! Her use of real mythology reminds me of Amy Sumida's amazing Godhunter series (my own personal literary crack)!

All in all, a fun read, if you are a fan of Gaiman. Even Terry Pratchett fans might find something to love!

This looks like the birth of a fun series.

4 out of 5 stars

https://www.amazon.com/Ragnarok-Unwound-Ikepela-Ives-Book-ebook/dp/B07L525BWJ

This book starts with exactly the right balance between giving information and leaving you in the dark to guess what is happening. And when the information is given it is done in a really good way, no info dump, but just exactly the right amount of information to understand what is going on, but not enough to be able to guess what is going to happen.

After all the needed information was given it went a bit downward in my opinion.. There were a lot of characters introduced, of which many were not that important to the story.

Either the book should have longer, or things should have been left out. There was so much happening, all after each other, and sometimes even at the same time. This made the story really hard to read. I kept having to go back, because something happened that I missed.

I did really like the ending of this book, and I’m definitely interested in a sequel to see if the writing improves (not saying this one is bad!).

I loved the Norse mythology, I need more books with Norse mythology! I liked the main character, she was interesting and trying to figure out life.

Final judgement: This is an okay book, I think it could have been improved if the book would have been a bit longer so that all the action could have been explained better.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While I’m not well versed in Norse mythology, this story follows the journey of Ikepela Ives, who is mortal but possesses the supernatural ability of seeing and changing fates. She is approached by a Valkyrie in a bar who needs Ives’ powers in order to ward off Ragnarok, which is the Norse apocalypse.

Overall, the story was a good read. It was fun to watch Ives’ and the other characters go through this fantasy world of gods and goddesses from both Norse and Hawaiian mythology. I think this story is a fresh take on mythology.

My recommendation: 3.5/5 stars.

"Ragnarok Unwound" gets my rare five star review. Kristin Jacques has places to go, things to do, and more books to write!!! In "Ragnarok Unwound" Jacques creates a well written, exciting, involving story of gods, and humans, and monsters, and families, and friends and enemies (or are they?). Characters that I have seen many (all too often) times depicted in comics, movies, and other fiction, at last jump off the page as fully fledged, flawed, frustrated, and funny characters. The central character and reluctant hero Ives has her work cut out for her as she trains on the job, to corral the aforementioned gods, monsters, and parents and save the world.

Ragnarok Unwound was a fun read. I loved the way Kristin Jacques built up the characters and I especially love the way she captured the life of a stray dog. The concept was quite novel to me and as an animal lover endearing! There are a few typos in the book but as it is a netgalley copy, I assume that they will be ironed out by the time it hits the presses! Definitely something that I would recommend to others!

What an extremely fun find this was!! I love Norse mythology; it's dramatically underutilized (although improving) and the gods and godlings offer such great opportunities and storylines... This was a very original presentation of that pantheon and its affiliated tales, and the blend with Hawaiian island mythology was a cool touch that brought an unexpected depth to the story. My one complaint: this book could use a pretty thorough editing. I realize I had a review copy but there were a LOT of typos and wrong word choices and they were sometimes distracting. Still, the fact that I loved the underlying story and characterization so much is a testament to Jacques' writing, despite the editorial issue. There were a lot of hints about future storylines at the end and I'm vastly excited to see more - from this world AND this writer.

This book is a nice casual read with a quirky take on Viking mythology. The light hearted comedic aspect that weaves through the book really helps to break up the darkness in the book, and kept a smile on my face while reading. I love the relationship between Jules and the main character, and I absolutely love the growth of the main character. 5/5 definitely recommend!

I received this eARC from publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I had no idea what this book was going to be about, but it sure did not disappoint. Ragnarok Unwound is an urban fantasy set in a modern-day setting. It follows Ikepela Ives, a mortal girl with god-like superpowers, as she tries to save the world from Ragnarok, the apocalypse in Norse mythology. The story is fast-paced, enjoyable, and filled with adventures. However, one drawback is that while the reading was lighthearted, the colloquialism used for character dialogue felt unnatural and forced. Despite this, I am excited for the next installment of the series and would recommend this book to any middle or high school student.

Unraveling fate might sound like a good job, but Ikepela Ives has been ignoring her own fate since her absentee mother dropped that surprise on her three years ago. Until now Ives' closest contact to the supernatural has been her best friend, the brownie Jules. Now an insistent Valkyrie is claiming Ives needs to use her abilities as the Fate Cipher to help stop the Norse apocalypse, Ragnarok. Seeing outside the box and possessing high-level snark may be two of Ives' biggest talents, but will they be enough to help her survive her first day on a new job?

I went into Ragnarok Unwound not entirely sure what I was getting into, or if it was a good idea. One chapter in and I knew this book was going to be a winner! Ives (don't call her Ikepela!) is a heroine full of snark, courage, and a fantastic ability to roll with weirdness. Completely unprepared for her job and in total denial of her heritage, Ragnarok forces Ives to confront her destiny. Like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, Ives has no clue what she's doing, but before long is fully committed to doing it anyway and trusting that luck and fast-talking will help her stall until she's figured it out. And it works. She's completely believable, and absolutely who you'd want at your side for an impending apocalypse.

Ives comes at Ragnarok thinking that it doesn't make a lot of sense and that Loki and his children got a pretty lousy deal through it all. What if they aren't the monsters the legends have turned them into? On meeting Hel, goddess of death, Ives knows there is far more to the story than what's on the surface. She becomes determined to figure out her abilities, to save Hel's family and to stop Ragnarok. Things are complicated since Hel's brothers are a giant wolf and the World Serpent; they've lost Hel's father; there are frost and fire giants destroying Las Vegas and Hawaii; the Hound of Asgard protecting Ives' father is completely incompetent; and it turns out that using her Fate Cipher abilities too many times will kill the mortal Ives.

I can only hope we get more of Ragnarok's cast of secondary characters in future books. Hel and Loki in particular are wonderfully entertaining and scene-stealing. There were enough touching moments to see that Jacques has talent for emotional depth as well as humor and is good at doling those moments out just when they are needed. Unexpected twists and turns, surprise allies and enemies, characterize a book full of non-stop action that you won't be able to put down once you've started!

Full knowledge of the mythology isn't needed to enjoy Ragnarok Unwound, but is always a good excuse to re-read Neil Gaiman's magical Norse Mythology.

Norse and Hawaiian legends meet in a way that Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Xena & Hercules/Marvel fans will love in this first book of a new and delightful series!

Don't you hate when you just want to get a bit boozed, trying to enjoy a nice night after bumping with your ex-boyfriend, and someone - A Valkyrie of all things - shows up to tell that you have to help her to save the world from Ragnarok?
Yeah- our heroine Ikepela Ives, the Fate Cipher - really hates that.

All she wanted after bumping into ex-bf was to enjoy some drinks while going through Tinder, but our favorite Valkyrie Hildr comes to ask for her help. Asks for her to fulfill her job as Fate Cipher and find our favorite god so the Ragnarok doesn't help (Guess who's the favorite god? You all know and love him!)

With a fast paced and fun writting, Kristin Jacques created a really nice world of fantasy! I loved reading, loved the characters, their diversity, and their chemistry!

Ragnarok Unwound is a fun romp of a story that blends Norse mythology into an urban fantasy setting. It follows Ikepela Ives, a human girl with the superhuman ability to see and change fates. One day, she is confronted by a Valkyrie, who needs Ives for the one thing she has been trying to avoid: her powers. But Ives quickly realizes she can’t avoid this situation, for something terrible has been set into motion - Ragnarok, the Norse apocalypse. Only Ives has the power to keep the world from ending.

This was a fast-paced, lighthearted, and fun read. Ives’s mission is to stop the apocalypse, yet this was not a serious or heavy story. After Ives meets the Valkyrie - Hildr - she finds out she must locate the god Loki and his children Hel, Fenrir, and Jormungand because they are directly tied to the success of the apocalypse. In her quest, she finds that there is more to this Ragnarok story than meets the eye.

This is very much an urban fantasy - there are gods, goddesses, and other fantastical beings - but most of the action plays out in recognizable places. From Hawaii to Las Vegas and New York. One complaint I had was that it wasn’t immediately clear what the setting was in the beginning - it took me almost half the novel to realize that Ives was from Hawaii.

Despite these qualms, the locations were lush and beautifully described - I could feel myself in these places. I especially loved the descriptions of Vegas, which I thought perfectly captured the place:

“... Vegas was the city where the party never stopped. The air was constantly aglow from the flashing lights of the casinos, beckoning the tourists with the scent of stale smoke, sweet perfumed sweat, and the lulling laughter of women with lipstick-stained teeth.”

Writing is definitely not one of the flaws of this book, in fact I was continually impressed by it.

I thought the use of Norse mythology was unique and entertaining - I liked that the author used some of the lesser-known Norse gods. There is also the inclusion of Hawaiian mythology, which made for an interesting mix. I did wonder why exactly Norse and Hawaiian gods were chosen, of all combinations? Do the other pantheons exist in this world?

The characters were equally as fun as the story. I enjoyed the majority, but there are also a lot of characters - some we get to know better than others. Ives, Jules, and Hel are the most well-developed, and we get to know their motivations the best. But I really loved the characters - even the ones that weren't as developed as others. I hope that if there are sequels, some of these characters are explored more. 

Overall though, I thought this book was a delightful surprise! It wasn’t perfect, but I had a lot of fun reading it. I was excited following Ives’s story, and all that she discovers about herself and her powers along the way. The story is set up for a sequel, and honestly I am excited for that possibility. There is so much that I still want to explore in this world. I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you’re looking for a lighthearted, well-written fantasy read.