I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I love Vikings and mythology, but in this instance it didn't really enjoy it. The story starts off fast-paced had be curious and full of questions. When Lena's sister Fressa dies, Lena does whatever she has to in order to bring her back. Fressa seemed like an interesting character, but there wasn't enough of her in the beginning to justify her being worth going so far for. Maybe if the story had some alternating flashbacks to flesh out how incredible Fressa was, and her relationship to Lena. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

On top of Fressa not really having any depth, the other characters were pretty lacking in development. I found myself not really attached to anyone. The world wasn't really fleshed out in a way that had me interested either.

Overall I was disappointed with this book.

This was a good read though not my favourite read, I did enjoy some parts of it and had a great time with the book.

I am obsessed with anything related to Norse mythology. This was a really solid book. Only issue I had was with the pacing, It was a bit slow but other than that it was a really enjoyable read

This is an amazing book that is filled with Norse Mythology. The story follows Lena who refuses to believe that her sister is dead and will stop at nothing until she knows exactly what happened to her. Even if that leads her to the goddess of death, Hela, and makes a deal in order to bring her back to life. This deal could shift the balance of life and death and bring about Ragnarök, the worlds destruction. Lena must decide how far she is willing to go for her sister. I cannot wait to read book two as see what happens next with Lena.

After reading the synopsis of this book I thought I would really enjoy it. While the premise is there I just wasn't enjoying the book as much as I had hoped.
I found myself really struggling to connect with the Lena and really began to dislike her. I felt like there wasn't enough descriptions about our main characters or even the village they lived in.
There was no development and I found myself skim reading to get through.
I ended up DNFing this book at 33%. It just wasn't for me which is sad because I really wanted to love this book and it was getting some good reviews.

I loved the mythology in this book! Unfortunately, I wasn't a huge fan of much else. I struggled with the pacing, as things would drag out in the description for several chapters and then it would switch to a hundred things happening very quickly within about 10 pages. This wasn't' for me but if you are a fan of Norse mythology you will be intrigued!

As someone that is very familiar with Norse mythology, this book was very enjoyable. I loved the focus on the sister relationship and the strong female characters represented throughout. The book took me on a wild ride as I tried to guess what would serve as the ultimate solution for Lena. The influence of the gods in their affairs seemed to fit with the existing mythology and I was not able to guess the conclusion until very close to the conclusion of the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys to read about strong female leads with a bit of Norse mythology thrown in.

Let me start off by saying that I really, really, really wanted to like this book. Although the beginning starts off a little slow, Elizabeth Tammi really draws you into this world and into the characters stories. We meet Lena, the Viking chief’s daughter and future leader, her younger sister Fressa, a skilled warrior, and Amal, Lena’s best friend and Fressa’s lover and future husband. Right away in the beginning Fressa is found dead and Lena is willing to do whatever it takes to bring her back. She makes a deal with Hela, the Norse goddess of death, and must do unspeakable things to save her sister from Valhalla.

I loved the use of Norse mythology in this book, with mentions of Hela, Loki, Odin and Valhalla. The premise to this was so well thought out and the bargain Lena makes with Hela is an interesting one, although somewhat vague. The storyline was a good idea, but I felt it fell so flat from expectations.

Let’s start with Lena and Fressa. We are supposed to believe that these two have such a strong bond that Lena is willing to kill to bring her sister back. However, in the beginning of the story their interactions don’t really show them being extremely close, and we are never given any back story or flashback as to what would make them so close, just that they are sisters so it’s expected.

Lena who is supposed to become the future Viking leader is all over the place. We are supposed to find her strong and courageous, but all I felt for her annoyance. She doesn’t act like a future ruler, I understand grief changes you, but at no point in this story even before Fressa dies did she Lena feel like a character who was supposedly so close to taking over.

Fressa who is the beloved sister and daughter seems like a whiny child who doesn’t ever get what she wants. I honestly could not figure out what was so great about her that Amal was so in love with her and Lena would do anything for her.

Amal was an okay character although extremely naive. At times he was a rock for Lena when she needed it most, and I did enjoy seeing him in more vulnerable ways as well, but most of the time he just seemed like an idiot who just followed and believed what he was told.

The middle of the book seemed to drag on, and then the ending was extremely rushed. The fates of Lena and Fressa made the story feel incomplete and final at the same time. I loved the idea of “the weight of a soul” and was thoroughly disappointed in how it played out.

I was originally interested in this book because the cover is cute and the synopsis is very Norse-Myth heavy. If there’s one thing I love, it’s myths! The context of the story, is that our main character Lena is the eldest child of the village chief, and undertakes a quest when her little sister mysteriously dies. The quest being to bring back her sister’s soul back to Midgard (Earth). The quest itself had real potential, but I don't think the book fully blossomed.

For starters, I was kind of shocked by how dumb Lena was as a character. Is Norse myth not something she grew up with? Wouldn’t she know that her sister’s soul replacement needs to be similar in purity/skill/age/gender in order for this switch to go unnoticed? Lena struggles with finding a soul replacement candidate, when it was pretty obvious from page one what needed to be done. Even when it came to just daily life with scenes with her family and friends it felt like Lena was always 10 steps behind the reader, which shouldn’t be the case when the narrator is not omniscient. It was a genuinely bizarre experience.

That allllll being said, I’m genuinely intrigued by the ending. I think Tammi has set up book two to have a different POV which will most likely make the book more enjoyable, but I’m honestly not sure if I’ll get around to it.

I obtained an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Okay... so i couldn't finish this book. I stopped at 27% and really had no interest in going back to it. I love stories centralized around vikings and gods and goddesses. There are so few YA books out there so i thought i would give it a try. Here are somethings I had issues with:

1. I wasn't too keen on the writing style. A personal preference, i know. There were some parts I enjoyed and then the next paragraphs would fall flat and get into this weird rhythm that i just did not like at all.

2. Lena and Fressa's characters fell so flat for me. I had absolutely no connection with either of them. That's the most important thing to me while reading a book. You follow this character through their story and learn love and care for them. I. felt. nothing.

3. Now, the plot was actually decent, but i think that a lot was happening in the first few chapters and everything just started to feel rushed since there were not even 300 pages in the entire book.

I don't know if i will ever try reading it again. And i cannot rate this book anything at this point.

*I WAS PROVIDED AN e-ARC FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS BLOG TOUR. THIS DOESN'T AFFECT MY OPINION*

Wow.

I'm truly at a loss for words after finishing this book.

Seriously, if you're looking for a book with mythology, plot twists of the entire century, and fierce female characters, this is the book for you.

The Weight of a Soul began as a loving tale, and by loving, I mean it's got some serious family issues. (Haha, jokes on you; you really thought this would be an easy read?) We're thrust into the fray of the buildup to Fressa's death, giving us a rotten heartache that needs an immediate cure.

What we're given is a whole world full of indefinite imagery and intense excitement. We're immediately introduced to the 'one who heals must be the one that will kill' ideology, and I love the story it builds just from that part.

However, there was one thing that threw me off during this story. Throughout the chapters, there are many breaks (and by breaks, I mean time is passed). I felt that, in specific chapters, there were too many of these and we were getting cookie-cutter versions of what we could've gotten.

But other than that, I adored this book. I loved the character development—it was phenomenal and I cannot be told otherwise; and I loved the story and plotlines—again, fantastic, gimme more! For that, I rate this novel 4.5 stars. I haven't read Elizabeth's debut novel just yet, but after reading this one, it's sure to be put toward the top of my TBR.

Rating: 3.25 Stars

I really, really wanted to like this book more than I did. Typically, I love mythology and Vikings so when I heard that both were in this book, I was really excited. But for some reason I was a bit underwhelmed.

This story focuses on two sisters, Lena and Fressa, who are the daughters of their village’s chief who is constantly off raiding other villages. There is also Amal, who is Fressa’s future fiancé. The book picks up when the girl’s father returns home from another raid bearing strange gifts and some bad news for the girls. Shortly after his return home, Fressa is found dead with no marks or explanations as to how she died. Lena, overcome with grief, attempts to make a deal with Hela the goddess of death in exchange for her sister. She must find a soul that is of equal “weight” to her sister’s and deliver it to Hela.

I thought that the premise of this story was unique, but I just wasn’t in love with the execution itself.

Lena was really the only character that was fully developed. Fressa was killed off pretty early and you don’t get to know much about her. Amal was… a bit boring. He was in the whole story but aside from him being Nana’s adopted son and loving Fressa we never learn much about him. We also don’t learn much about the village or it’s dynamics/traditions in-depth. Honestly, if it didn’t say that it was a Viking village in the synopsis then I would not have put together that it was a Viking village.

The Norse mythology was present in this book but played a relatively minor role. I’m not overly familiar with Norse Mythology so maybe some of the plot points just went over my head there but I just felt like things were glossed over and there’s not much discussion about it. Luckily, I do know a little about Loki and Hela because those were the two key players as far as the mythology goes in this book.

Overall, it’s a short and fast-paced novel that was lacking a little substance. Lena was an interesting character and her love for her sister went a long way for driving the novel. But she can’t hold up the entire story… I think if your new to Norse mythology you may want to brush up on Loki, Hela and Ragnarok prior to reading this one or there is going to be a lot of unfamiliar names, places and events.

The Weight of a Soul centers around Lena, daughter of the village chieftain and devoted older sister to Fressa. Shortly after Fressa announces her intended engagement to Amal, a lovely bro from the village, the real diabolic intentions are revealed: Amal's mother and Fressa and Lena's parents have always known that Amal and Lena would be the ones to get married. After all, Lena is the older sister and it simply wouldn't do to have Fressa married off first. Shortly after the news breaks, Fressa is found dead in the forest. Lena will stop at nothing, even cohosting with the gods, to bring Fressa back and made her family whole again.

The Weight of a Soul, with its Scandanavian inspired village and familiar Norse gods, should be a hit with the present Viking fantasy trend. However, I found that I was definitely not rooting for Lena, especially when we see just how far she's willing to go in order to have Fressa returned from the otherworld. Amal was, okay, but overall the romance aspects of this book are pretty slim. Some of the twists toward the very end are interesting, and I think set up a sequel pretty well. Will I be picking up book two in this series? Possibly not. There are definitely other Viking fantasies that I'd be eager to read first. Overall, not badly plotted and I did enjoy the Norse-inspired elements. I will be recommending this book to a young adult reader looking for an enjoyable, if a little bland, Viking fantasy read.

Didn’t get very far in this one before deciding to not finish it. Lena, the main character was kinda annoying and I just couldn’t connect with her.

I received this book from net galley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I absolutely LOVE books about mythology and adore books based around Vikings even more.

So huge points for the plot, I couldn't be happier! I liked the main characters on their own however their relationship is what really invested me in them. There is something about sisterly bonds that gets me (maybe having 2 sisters of my own). I loved immersing myself in their story and their connection as well as their mythology and stories that shaped their lives.

The 1st part if this book was non stop action. I loved how quick things happened and couldn't read quick enough. As the book went on though that action fell off. At first I thought okay sweet, cliffhanger ending and sequel I can't wait. Then came the disappointment everything very abruptly and quickly got wrapped up and the book was over. I wish the pace would have been a little more consistent and the ending not feel so rushed.

Overall I still really enjoyed this book and would reco9it to those who liked warrior in the wild, and the girl the sea gave back.

2 STARS

CW: loss of a loved one, violence

Last year, Outrun the Wind ended up in my list of ARCs, and I loved it. It was a retelling of the Atalanta myth, but f/f, and the queer classics major in me craved every word of it. On the heels of that, I figured that it was worth requesting an ARC of Elizabeth Tammi's latest novel, which moves away from Greece and dives instead into the realms of Norse mythology.

I'm sad to say I found myself sorely disappointed.

At its core, The Weight of a Soul is supposed to be a story about the bond between sisters and the lengths they would go for one another. Layer some encounters with the gods in there, and an arranged marriage, and you would think things would start to get complicated.

Instead, I spent 300-odd pages watching Lena commit atrocity after atrocity in Fressa's name, only to get an anti-climatic conclusion and an epilogue that hints that all of Lena's efforts were ultimately for nothing, that she played right into the gods' hands and paid dearly for her fleeting victory. It left me feeling cheated, and that's never a good feeling as a reader, not ever. 

Maybe if we'd spent more time with the side characters, maybe if Lena valued her own existence and relationships with other characters beyond her sister, it would have been more interested. Characters like Bejla could have played a larger role in Lena's life, could have turned this into something other than a tale of pure tragedy and futility. And yet it seemed like Lena was never going to be a full character in her own right. Despite being dead, Fressa was more the main character than Lena was, and it grated.

Worse still, I found the plot to be underwhelming. It's suggested that Fressa's death happened with a reason, and that the gods are hard at work bringing their whims about in the world, and we never see any of that play out. It's a game of cat and mouse with Lena running herself ragged at the center, and it brought me little joy to see her making such terrible choices, only to be rewarded with such meager payoffs.

Really, the only thing I did like about The Weight of a Soul was its atmosphere, which carried a heavy chill to it, one that seems fitting of traversing between the world of the living and the world of the dead, of speaking to gods, of mourning lost loved ones. That much did save this from being a 1-1.5 star read.

Overall, though, I can't give The Weight of a Soul my recommendation. If you want to give it a try nonetheless, it releases on December 3rd this year, but I make no promises about how enjoyable you'll find it. May your experience be better than mine, and the finished copy less frustrating than the ARC, but this not a book I'll be purchasing for myself.

[This review will go live on The Words Gremlin at approximately 10 AM EST on 11/8/19.]

It's been a long while since I've read a Norse mythology inspired fantasy book. I believe there used to be a mini trend with them a long while back. So I find it a bit refreshing compared to the recent YA fantasies that have sounded very similar to each other.

So you can bet that those facets were the parts of the books I enjoyed the most. The scenes with the gods were the ones that stood out the most with crisp writing and vivid descriptions. I also liked how the main character, Lena, took the gumption to actually get down and dirty her hands to accomplish the requirements of her quest. **spoiler** Murdering people. **end spoiler**

However, I'm not so sure it was clearly painted in the novel as to why she's the more favored sister to be the ruler of the village. Fressa, her sister, seems to have all of the qualities you'd want being fierce, gifted in physical skills, and more outgoing of the two. Lena pales in comparison having maybe only... practical skills to her name but even then that is not really remarked upon either. I can understand why many of the other reviewers called the story boring as outside of the lore elements, nothing much happened.

The story is very short, though, so it's pretty easy to whip through this. The writing is snappy and easy to read (the author does overuse the phrase "heaved a sigh" and its variants a bit too many times. I counted at least five or six), so you aren't going to have to slog through thick sections of filler and expositions.

A good read to spend a lazy day.

Hmm this is a hard book to review because I just didn’t connect with the characters. I did like that the author chose to give us Vikings because Norse mythology is not used often enough in books in my opinion . The overall plot of the story sees Lena desperate to release her younger sister from Valhalla but you just know that Odin would need a price to be paid so she instead seeks help from Hela the daughter of Loki. The price is a soul that’s equivalent to that of her sister Fressa which obviously is not something anyone would happily give because yep death is the only way ! Then the author adds in even more desperate times because Lena is expected to marry the man who loves Fressa !
This was a quick read and it was terribly obvious what would happen at the end but boy the author did lead Lena on a dark path. I thought the way it ended was a surprise in someways though because someone came into the story which meant there was a truly ingenious twist but sadly that all seemed very rushed. I couldn’t sympathise with Lena and that obviously colours my opinion so I rate this a three because I wish there had been more about the person who was revealed at the end.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately, it was kind of boring.

I didn't really feel a connection to any of the characters. I wasn't able to care about Fressa's death the way I was supposed to because she dies so early on in the book that I didn't really have much time to connect with the character for her death to matter to me as a reader, and with the book told in third person all the emotion behind the loss was a little disconnected for me.

I really loved the setting and I love Norse mythology, there seriously needs to be more of it in books. However, that's where the things I enjoyed ended.

The characters all felt flat, which lead to me feeling even less interested in what was going on. There was a lack of urgency for me.

Everything from about this book was just okay for me.

I really liked the book and I can't wait for the book release. I would like to thank the publisher for giving me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.