Ever since I read Sky in the Deep, I’ve been drawn to stories written in the Viking era. This one I started off loving, but then by the halfway point my infatuation had decreased. I wanted to see more background information on Lena and Fressa. Instead, we are told that Lena loves her sister and will do anything for her. There isn’t any proof of this despite Lena repeating herself. Another issue contradicted Lena’s motives for her beloved sister. She claims she will do anything to bring her back to life and yet she takes weeks to follow through with Hela’s instructions. The twist was easy to predict and though there were some negatives attached to the story, I still enjoyed the read.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

Honestly, i found this book a bit boring. It was enough to keep reading but by the end it was less “enjoyment” and more “ ive come this far”. The only character i actually liked and felt any emotion for was Amal.

“There is a way back to the light…crawl to it if you have to.”

Notice: this book is expected to release December 3rd, 2019. I was contacted by Elizabeth Tammi to review the book and accepted an eARC through NetGalley. Thank you to both Ms. Tammi and NetGalley. This does not affect my opinions of the work.

LIKES:

I am very thrilled with the Nordic viking culture of this book. The setting is a small trading village of about 70 people in Scandinavia. Sustained only by its agriculture, it serves as a central port for maritime tradesman.

The culture of this book is done incredibly well. It goes to great lengths to describe the culture of chiefdom, village life and its societal roles, marital traditions, etc. If nothing else, I got a good sense of what it would be like to live in Lena’s village on a daily basis.

“Their village relied on the work of their blacksmiths and textile workers, yes, but above all, they were an agricultural settlement. It was the barley, wheat, and fish that sustained them.”

I also appreciated the prevalence of Norse mythology in this story. We are introduced to multiple gods and goddesses, and are told the legends of Ragnarök (world destruction) and Fimbulwinter (infinite winter). Throughout the story, Lena traverses two of the nine realms in Norse mythology, which is completely unheard of. The nine realms are connected by a tree known as Yggdrasil.

Finally, though I cannot say much about it because it is a spoiler, the ending of this book is fantastic. It left room for a smooth transition into a sequel if Tammi chooses to pursue one.

In all, I really enjoyed the exploration of Nordic culture and how everything was tied together in the end. After reading, I feel more learned in Nordic culture.

DISLIKES:

Unfortunately, my dissatisfactions with this book far outnumber my appreciations. My intention with the following critiques is to be constructive.

Firstly, The Weight of a Soul is told in third person point of view. While I have no problem with third person POV books, I do think that there is a heightened delicacy of execution needed to make them work. Sadly, third person did not benefit The Weight of a Soul at all. In fact, I believe that it largely took away from the emotional impact of the book. Here are two prime examples:

“Frustration simmered and she fought off angry tears.”

“When had this happened? Any of this? Had Lena been so focused on her sister that Nana had slipped so far without her noticing?”

Imagine the impact these lines would’ve had if told in first person perspective. Instead, the book uses third person perspective to tell instead of show.

Here are my reimagining of these lines in first person for clarity of my point:
[Lena] “I slammed my firsts on the table. Tears threatened to pour down my face, but I wouldn’t let them.”

[Lena] “When had this happened? Any of this? Had I been so focused on Fressa that Nana had slipped so far without me noticing?”

I am disappointed by this because it made much of the book feel unauthentic. I found it so difficult to understand and empathize with Lena’s determination to resurrect Fressa because I never felt her attachment to Fressa in the first place. Any emotional scenes felt so blah to me, and because of this, I never really connected to any of the characters.

The next thing I wanted to comment on is the fact that this book has a lot of loose ends and fails to mention important details until very late in the book.

For example, we don’t learn that Amal is 17 until 71% through the book. I couldn’t even tell you how old Lena and Fressa were supposed to be either, nor the age gap between them.

There are also multiple subplots that are introduced throughout the book, but are never followed up. For the sake of length, here is just one instance:

“They had said that Nana’s job was an important one. Lena thought ‘important’ meant something big and exciting, but now she wondered what else the title held.”

That sounds interesting, right? When I read this passage, I thought some kind of backstory about Nana would follow and help complicate her sweet old lady facade. Too bad there wasn’t one.

To me, the unexplored subplots were missed opportunities to build very important characters and help readers understand the weight of Fressa’s absence. So much of my experience with this book was either me feeling confused or frustrated.

The last point of critique I want to note is how unrealistic Lena is as a main character. Her reactions are unbelievably dramatic, and again, I found it nearly impossible to understand her reasoning for her motives or feelings. Examples:

"Fear could be crushed and suppressed. Fear was nothing compared to the gaping hole in her heart; fear was a flea, and Fressa’s absence was a thousand knives impaling her at once.”

“She realized she was only staring at an iceberg’s tip—an inconceivable mass of solid ice plunged into the black depths below, and she saw none of it from where she stood. Her focus had to be honed on her sister—the iceberg’s visible point—or she would never succeed at her task.”

To some, these passages may read as lyrical metaphors to emphasize the sheer loss and hopelessness that Lena feels after her sister’s death. To me, they read as very dramatized attempts at painting the concept of grief. They also (again) are the epitome of how much this book tells rather than shows when it comes to main character emotions.

Again, thank you to Elizabeth Tammi and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of The Weight of a Soul. Though my experience with the book was not great, I as always still encourage others to give it a read and make their own opinions.

**Disclaimer: I was provided with a free e-ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

With this being my first ARC ever and the book’s description I was really hoping to enjoy it. However, the story didn’t resonate with me at all. It lacked the hmph that I needed and was very hard to get into and at times it was overly descriptive even on simple things such as the introduction of new characters which caused the story to drag. I felt as though some things were just better left unsaid especially when the facts given aren’t necessary to the plot or character development.

The main character Lena is supposed to be the successor to her father, the chief of their village, but she lacks in her physical abilities and makes up for it with social etiquette, as far as I could tell which are only displayed once and never really spoken of again. So, besides social etiquette, I couldn’t understand why she even qualified to be the successor other than her being the eldest daughter. I would’ve totally given that story to her younger sister Fressa who, unfortunately, mysteriously dies a couple of chapters in. Although I am not too fond of this novel, as it stands, I would still say that it has a lot of potential for growth. I will possibly try re-reading it later down the line and post another review.

Thanks again to the publisher of this novel and NetGalley.

I really wanted to love this book. It's like so many of the other Viking books that I love in YA, and knowing there was a lot of lore involved, I was hoping I would like it more, but the premise and the storylines just did not mash well, with me. The writing was somewhat poor, and there were a lot of errors even in this proof. It was just not a good read, sorry.

A somewhat slow-moving but engaging historical fantasy surrounding Norse mythology and the sisters we'll do anything to protect, Readers will enjoy Lena's complicated relationship with herself as she struggles to find her place in a world with her sister dead, but will wish for more showing than telling in such a vibrant world, Also appreciated is the historically-realistic diversity from that time period, as it is clear the author has done her research that Vikings traveled to many places, as their tribes are a reflection of such,

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review

The description of the novel enticed me to request an ARC.

Who doesn't want to read about a Viking clan, some super strong sisterly love, murder, and Norse mythology?

Unfortunately, though, this book fell short of what I was expecting.

I felt as though the novel did a lot of telling rather than showing. As soon as the story begins, Fressa dies and then not until the very end does anything truly happen.

The novel drags on and on, without making much use of dialogue. Everything relied on the narration to carry the story, which was dull.

I do not strongly care for a single character. None of them were written with much personality or uniqueness.

The BIGGEST thing that bugs me is that Lena is supposedly this strong chief's daughter who will someday lead the village, and where she lacks in physical skill, she makes up for in social etiquette (I think??), yet we NEVER see this other than ONE tiny little scene where she asks her family to take their fight inside.

The rest of the novel, Lena is presented as this weak little girl who looks at the floor in almost every scene. She is constantly unable to interpret the expressions on people's faces. She is consistently unable to read certain situations and questions things like, "Why does this interaction suddenly feel weird?" and "What was that facial expression I just saw on his/her face about?"

YOU SHOULD KNOW, LENA!

I think her "grief" is supposed to explain a lot of Lena's behavior, thinking, and irrational decision making, but it just doesn't work here.

We are supposed to feel maybe pity and sympathy for Lena, but I've got nothing. She just isn't sympathetic. We get basically two small chapters with Fressa before she dies, and we are supposed to care deeply about her for the rest of the novel because the main character does so much?

Sometimes it works that way if the main character is fleshed out enough, but they are all very one-dimensional.

Amal and Fressa's love was nothing special. Kind of boring. Definitely just didn't get enough history or backstory. We got the basics, but it just doesn't feel like enough to make me care.

There was far too much focus and repeating of Lena's strictly platonic feelings for Amal. We get it! She doesn't love the guy! Why is this mentioned SO MANY times?

I think that this story would have been better if the characters had been more fleshed out OR if this first novel was just cut in half and combined with whatever the sequel is because there will clearly be another novel.

The twists, for me, were definitely predictable. When the author gives you so much of the novel to think because they're being so redundant, the reader has time to figure it all out on their own. Even though I knew it was coming, I still kind of enjoyed it. It was definitely this story's saving grace.

With all this being said, I would still like to see where the second one goes and would happily continue reading the series. I think there is a lot of potential here, this first novel just did some poorly executed ground work that I hope is improved upon in the next installment.

My biggest concern right now is giving all the characters a unique voice so that they don't all blend together in my head. I need them brought to life, and I believe Elizabeth Tammi has the ability to do just that.

<b>I LOVED THE NORDIC MYTHOLOGY BUT DIDN'T REALLY ENJOY MUCH ELSE</b>

I love everything that has a whiff of anything mythological, so this book should have been right up my alley. Sadly, there wasn't much else besides the mythology that got my motor running, so to speak. Still, I fairly entertained but not ecstatic.

<b>THE THINGS I LIKED</b>

<u>Mythology</u>: Like I said, throw a little mythology into the mix and I am sure to pick up your book. Nordic mythology is, for obvious reasons (I am a Dane), a personal favourite of mine.

<b>THE THINGS I DISLIKED</b>

<u>Pace</u>: The first half of the book was packed with so many things that it felt choppy and confusing. The second half almost put me to sleep.

<u>Lena</u>: The main character Lena was a thoroughly unlikable character. She was moody, depressing and really not all that bright or clever even though she was described as smart. It sure didn't show in her actions...

<u>Beginning</u>: I like a good <i>in media res</i> - emphasis on <u>good</u>! This one was not good. Some major things happened way too soon before I could connect with the characters or the story. Because of that the entire book felt sort of disconnected for me.

This book was heavily based on Norse mythology, which was the reason I picked it in the first place. That side of the story was well written and interesting, unfortunately other aspects of the book fell short for me.
For starters, I didn’t like any of the characters. I loved Lena’s love for Fressa and how strong that bond was shown to be, and there were times when I really liked her personality. For me, there weren’t enough redeeming moments for her, and I just couldn’t root for her. In regard to the other characters, there was no-one else I really connected with at all.
The plot was interesting enough. Both the beginning and end were fast paced and unpredictable, though the middle section seemed to drag on. It took me a while to read this book because I just wasn’t drawn into the story.
There’s still potential for this as a series, given the way it ended. However, I wouldn’t be inclined to pick up a sequel.
The book was well written, and I really did love the Norse side of it. It just wasn’t for me.
I received this as an ARC on Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own personal thoughts and are in no way a reflection on the book or the author.

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-ARC of the below book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Title The Weight of the Soul

Author Elizabeth Tammi

Release Date December 3, 2019

Description from Amazon

When Lena’s younger sister Fressa is found dead, their whole Viking clan mourns—but it is Lena alone who never recovers. Fressa is the sister that should’ve lived, and Lena cannot rest until she knows exactly what killed Fressa and why—and how to bring her back. She strikes a dark deal with Hela, the Norse goddess of death, and begins a new double life to save her sister.

But as Lena gets closer to bringing Fressa back, she dredges up dangerous discoveries about her own family and finds herself in the middle of a devastating plan to spur Ragnarök –a deadly chain of events leading to total world destruction.

Still, with her sister’s life in the balance, Lena is willing to risk it all. She’s even willing to kill. How far will she go before the darkness consumes her?

Initial Thoughts

I love mythology and Viking culture so this book totally caught my eye. I was also intrigued by the fact that Elizabeth Tammi is a young author. I think it’s so cool that she hasn’t even graduated college and she already has two published works! You go Elizabeth Tammi!

Some Things I Liked

Vikings and Norse Mythology. I loved the cultural references and the attention to detail that this book uses. My knowledge of Norse mythology mostly comes from watching Vikings on the History Channel and the Thor movie series (can you blame me? I mean have you seen Chris Hemsworth?) But, despite my somewhat limited knowledge, I recognized so many names and loved the fact that this book made me want to research new terms that I wasn’t familiar with.
Morally grey main character. Lena was so devoted to saving her sister, Fressa, but she had moments where she was blinded by this devotion and she did things that she probably wouldn’t have without the pressure of her deal with Hela. I really enjoyed the fact that Lena wasn’t all good.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

Romance. I totally missed the romance factor in this book. Amal loved Fressa, but we really didn’t get to see that. Where was Lena’s person?? She did everything by herself and I found that somewhat disappointing.

Series Value

This HAS to be a series. Lena deserved so much better. This book ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger and I would be VERY interested in reading another installment.

Final Thoughts

This was a slow read for me. It wasn’t a terribly long book but it did take me a while to read it. I think I wanted to see more characters but, this story is mainly about Lena and Lena’s actions. I hope to see this turn into a series because this is a world I would like to learn more about. Overall, I liked it a lot, but I think it came up just short of a 5 star review for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young – if you liked the Viking vibes and the idea of a sister who would do anything to protect a sibling, definitely check this book out. Also, check out The Girl the Sea Gave Back which is a sequel to Sky in the Deep.
Beasts of the Frozen Sun by Jill Criswell – again, if you like Vikings and the warrior culture mentioned in The Weight of a Soul, definitely check this new release out.
Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford – if you liked the bond between sisters that drove this story, check out Crown of Coral and Pearl.

I was given a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review will go live on Goodreads on September 6th, 2019.

I'm still shook from the ending, it all happened so suddenly I don't think I have recovered yet.

Our MC, Lena, is one of the better MCs I've read. However there is a time or two where it feels like she jumps to a conclusion or decides to do something with almost no thought or reason to it. I think a portion of this is validated by the way the book is written and it makes sense when you look at it as a cohesive whole.

It felt hard to miss Fressa, when we barely saw her and didn't get a lot of flashbacks to see why her and Lena would be so close. I liked how basically all of the other characters were developed besides Fressa, but she is only really present for such a small portion so it isn't a big deal.

The plot does hit a bit of a slog in the 30% to 50% range, it just feels like nothing is happening and we're just waiting. Before and after that point, it reads great. I loved the way the last 50% percent of the book was written and I basically binged it in one sitting.

The twists were perfect, and I had to keep guessing where the plot was going. When it was moving, which again is one of my issues and why this isn't 5 stars. The twists and pushes are great, but it still hits a really slow slog for a time and I think that might be a deterrent for some.

I read Elizabeth Tammi’s Outrun The Wind last year and absolutely devoured it. When I heard that she was coming out with a second book, I was beyond excited.
Lena and Freda are sisters who are extremely close. When Fressa is suddenly killed, Lena stops at nothing to get her back. As someone with sisters, I related to this feeling a lot, as I would do anything for my sisters. I loved the relationship that the sisters had with one another and felt that it was very well-written and realistic.
I do feel like the twist at the end was slightly predictable but, it fit well with the overall tone of the story. I also wish that Lena had been a little more developed but, I still really liked her character and the strength she possessed. I only wish she had been fleshed out a bit more.
The ending also left off with enough openness for a potential sequel and I’m very intrigued to see what Tammi comes up with next. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from Elizabeth in the future.

The Weight of a Soul follows Lena, the eldest daughter of the Chief, whose younger sister's death sends her on a magical journey to bargain with the gods and bring the one she loves back to life. I really enjoyed the mythological components of the novel, as well as the focus on sibling/familial relationships vs. romantic attachments as is prevalent in this genre. However, I wish that we would've spent more time with the sister relationship and/or had flashbacks to times in their lives so as to better be invested in our mc on her quest. Overall, a satisfying story and one I quite enjoyed!


A special thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Weight of a Soul, wraps you in a mythical intrigue holding you in a whimsical dream-like state, and it throws you in and out of a web of emotional chaos.

Featuring Vikings, and Norse Gods, the novel tells the story of the heirs of Clan Freding. Starting with an emphasis on the familial, and characteristic relations between the characters, the novel immediately gets to work setting a scene, and weaving its web. Carefully traipsing the line of reality, and mythology, we experience a death, a pledge, murder, heart break, feelings of betrayal, understanding, and the reuniting of lovers.

Above all other things, this novel is brilliant. It’s linguistic magic runs parallel to a wonderfully constructed plot-line, likeable characters, and an easy read.

**Disclaimer: I was given an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

I am so surprised this book is averaging 3 stars out of 5 as it's better than some eARCs I've recently read.

PROS:
+ Norse mythology (with recognizable Gods/Goddesses in popular media)
+ Twists (some cheap, but expected)
+ Moral ambiguity (Just HOW FAR would you go to save the person you love, whether it be a lover or family?)


CONS:
- I couldn't wrap my head around why everyone disliked or treated Lena so poorly compared to her sister Fressa?? There should be more detail about that or better characterization of her mother/father to explain.
- Lena's choices appear extreme as we are not given a long introduction to Fressa to care about her that much.

Overall, I thought "The Weight of a Soul" was an easy and quick read. Tammi's writing kept me engaged and turning the pages to find out what happened next. However, more and better characterization is needed in order to empathize with the supporting characters.

3.5-4 out of 5 stars

This book had an interesting story to tell, with many worlds and gods. Unfortunately, the story fell flat for me. It took to long to get get where it was going.

Give me everything Norse mythology! I loved how Elizabeth tied in the god and goddesses of Scandanavia into this story that's rich with family and tradition. I loved the bond Elizabeth created between Fressa and Lena and all the emotions that come with being so close to someone you love.

This book was such a rollercoaster that was filled with incredible descriptions that allowed you to feel everything that the characters experience. From the grief and despair of the loss of Fressa, to the desolation the tribe feels at their possible impending doom and the determination of Lena to right how Fressa was wronged.

It was incredibly emotional from start to finish and be prepared with tissues!

Reading this book was like being caught inside a devastating, wistful, beautiful dream. I could feel it all so vividly: Lena's raw grief and despair, the bone-chilling coldness of her world, and the gathering darkness heralding the approaching doom. Offering a fascinating new take on Norse mythology, The Weight of a Soul is about what happens when gods meddle in mortals affairs and how sisterly love and devotion can challenge the will of the cruel gods and resist fate. Amazing and thought-provoking!

Ultimately I felt like this book just wasn't really for me. It likely has its audience, but I had trouble getting into it. I think my biggest issue was the characters. I didn't really feel anything for Lena most of the time. She didn't come alive much as a character for me and when she made some very drastic decisions, they often felt unjustified. I also felt like the plot meandered too much in the middle then just kind of ended within a few chapters. Further, the crux of the novel, Lena's attachment to her sister, is only really displayed for a chapter or two on-screen and even there, most of the focus is on Fressa and her significant other, Amal. This made it hard to really appreciate the plot itself, even had I been more invested in Lena as a character in her own right.

Pros:
-Focuses more on sibling relationships than the usual romance arcs common in this genre
-Features a Viking society and doesn't shy from incorporating fantastical elements from Norse mythology into its setting and plot

Cons:
-Characters aren't very vibrant or particularly interesting or likeable.
-Plot is pretty slow-moving

The book has plenty of other positive reviews and I enjoyed the author's other book, Outrun the Wind. So while I don't think I'd be especially inclined to recommend this book, I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who would like it. This might just be more of a taste thing.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own.

This was a beautiful story with a beautifully tragic ending. This book tells the story of Lena, who loses her sister in an untimely death. Lena would do anything to get her sister back, even make a deal with the gods. Lena doesn't really know what shes getting into or what she'll have to do to get her sister back and not every story has to have a happy ending.

This book is well written with great pacing. I read it all in one sitting with no real interest in putting it down. I highly recommend it for anyone that likes the cruel sort of fairy tales or Norse mythology. This would also be a good transition book for anyone who is a fan of Marvel's Thor who wants to read historically based mythos of some of those characters.