I really enjoyed this one, although I did keep picturing Tom Hiddleston's Loki. This is no fault of the author, who did a great job describing a blond, freckled, scarred Loki. Definitely recommended for fans of fantasy and Norse mythology. I did a lot of Googling while reading this, and am definitely more familiar now with some of less famous members of the pantheon. Thank you very much to Berkley Publishing Group/Ace and NetGalley for the ARC!

The Witch's Heart tells the story of Angrboda, briefly mentioned in the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda as the mother of three monsters. Gornichec fleshes her out further, choosing to conflate her with a number of Norse figures: Gullveig/Heiðr, a witch associated with the Æsir–Vanir War; the jotunn Hyndla from a story with Freyja; Hyrrokkin, a wolf-riding giantess at Baldr's funeral; and the giantess in the Ironwood who raised wolves ("the kinfolk of Fenrir").

That sounds like a lot happens in this book, and it does! The book covers a huge span of Angrboda's immortal life, right up until Ragnarok at the end. But while there's a lot of plot, Angrboda's character is remarkably static for most of the story. As Gullveig, she suffered unbelievable trauma. But once she's remade herself as Angrboda, she hides in a cave in the Ironwood, interacts with Loki and Skadi and Gerd, and bears her three children. (And that's the first half of the book!)

I wanted a little more nuance and agency from Gornichec's protagonist. Angrboda never questions the nature of her monstrous children--instead she loves them unconditionally. She puts up with far too much of Loki's crap. She finally reciprocates Skadi's feelings, but not until over three-quarters of the story has elapsed. I enjoyed my read, but Angrboda's passiveness became increasingly frustrating to me as a reader.

In Short: Did you like Circe by Madeline Miller? You'll probably like A Witch's Heart, and Gornichec has clearly done her research. I just wish that Angrboda had been a slightly more active protagonist.

Mother witch Angrboda finds herself at a crossroad when her family and friends cross fate in this adult fantasy novel.

The Witch’s Heart is a reimagining of a very obscure character within Norse mythology, Angrboda. It focuses on her romantic relationship with Loki and their three unusual children – the wolf Fenrir, the Midgard serpent Jörmungand, and the ruler of the dead Hel. The banter between her and Loki immediately captivates, and their tumultuous relationship entices readers along. Don’t be fooled – this is not a romance, it’s a survival story about one woman’s absolute determination to keep the ones she loves safe from a terrible prophecy. Lots of romantic elements and tone, but not an actual romance.

While I can appreciate all of the elements of the story, I found myself completely divorced from the emotions of it. I felt very similar in regards to Madeline Miller’s Circe – emotionally unaffected by the character’s arc and somewhat confused by the lore. Many readers loved Circe, and those readers will probably love this story too. I think it’s time for me to admit mythological retellings are not my thing.

tl;dr Others will most likely fall in love with this interesting reimagining of Norse lore, but it’s not for me.

The Witch's heart is a story that unfolds in the world of mythology. From gods such as Loki and Thor to the Nine Worlds and witchcraft, the elements of the story are familiar. Based on what I had heard about this book's release, I had high hopes to be more of a literary work, but unfortunately I found the story wanting. The structure of the story is confusing. I had a hard time relating to the Witch and her actions. I didn't see a character arch for any of the characters. I would give point to the author for creativity and an alive imagination. The story is unpredictable, the pattern unique, and for my personal taste, it was too far from the traditional story telling craft.

I’d like to thank Ace Books (Berkley) and Netgalley for so generously providing me an ARC of The Witch's Heart. All opinions are, of course, my own.

The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec was so incredibly good. I wouldn’t call it a retelling of Norse Mythology but rather a reimagining but in a more approachable, modern way.

Angrboda is a witch that has survived a burning by the Norse gods and has escaped to a remote forest. She’s successfully minding her own business until Loki finds her to return her heart to her. She and Loki soon fall in love and start a family.

I thoroughly enjoyed this portrayal of the Norse gods. Traditionally, Angrboda is known only as the mate of Loki and the mother of his three children. But, Gornichec gives her a voice following her on an epic and emotional journey from the start of her love affair all the way to Ragnarok.

I love how it combines all the amazing details we Norse mythology geeks know and new details.

I am the kind of person where, once I find something I really enjoy, I practically obsess over it. and i think my newest obsession is Norse mythology because, oh my gosh, this story is everything I never knew was missing from my life.

I could not put this down! It was pouring rain for days where I live which normally would make me sad but reading this made it truly GLORIOUS. Here's me with bundles of blankets, heaps of steaming mugs of lemon tea and me in my bed with The Witch's Heart for an entire day and despite being so gloom, I was in heaven with this book! Even though I don't know much about the mythology this story is based on, I can tell that Gornichec truly made this story her own. these characters and their personalities feel original to her/this story and I could really empathize with them and their development throughout.

I am high-key going to run out or click my way to procuring my very own copy because I want to personally support Kiersten White by doing so. I think that says a lot.

(2.5 stars, rounded up)

Angrboda is a jötunn (AKA giant or frost giant in some tales) witch and escapes her third burning. She flees in her weakened state to a forest where she encounters Loki. They strike up a friendship and Loki frequently visits Angrboda in her cave in Jotunheim.

Skadi happens upon Angrboda and is impressed with her potion-making. Angrboda is able to live comfortably in her cave with Skadi bringing the goods she earns trading Angrboda's potions.

After marrying Loki, Angrboda bears him three children -- Hel, whose legs are white or dead skin, the wolf Fenrir, and snake Iormungand. Loki is forced to marry another in Asgard, and when his wife finds out about the witch and her "monster children" the gods of Asgard react.

The novel is slow to start as it's mostly Angrboda in her cave with infrequent visitation from Loki or Skadi. The pace picks up once her children are born, but it's still a plot-light novel. I expected a novel about the gods of Asgard to have more action!

Jayne Entwistle's voice is deep and wizened, making the narration sound like a village elder telling a story around a campfire.

Recommended for fans of Norse mythology or Viking tales.

This is a must read for fans of Madeline Miller's Circe. It's a beautiful retelling of Angrboda's story and a bit of a background to Ragnarok. I enjoyed watching her foray into motherhood, and the struggles of having a trickster husband who is perhaps not as present as one would like.

This wants to be Madeline Miller for norse mythology, but it's just... not as good. I was super excited for the queer aspect of the story, and that wasn't as central as I wanted it to be. I think my expectations were too high. It's fine; I just didn't love it.

The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec fiercely retells Norse mythology and gives life to a woman left in the footnotes of the Poetic Edda: Angrboda. She was known as Loki’s consort, the bringer of grief, and the mother of monsters.

However, this book introduces a rarely told perspective. It paints a sympathetic portrait of the giants and explores the love of a mother and her grief as well. It tells the story of how Loki and Angrboda grew to love each other as well as how they how they raised their children, sheltered away at the corner of the world. Over the course of the novel, I felt myself becoming attached to this odd little family, which only made the ending hurt all the more.

All in all, The Witch’s Heart is a heartfelt and at times humorous read that humanizes gods, giants, and monsters alike--making for one beautifully compelling and tragic story.

Received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"The Witch's Heart" follows a witch who lives in the woods after being rescued by Loki, the god of mischief. This follows her heart-wrenching journey which is entwined with Norse Mythology.

Oh, man, I really loved this book. If you liked "Circe" as much as I did it's pretty much the same concept. Using a character largely ignored in mythology and amplifying their impact on the stories makes it SO dang entertaining. This isn't really all about Loki or anything, though he's awesome in this, it's more about Angrboda. She goes through a LOT of stuff thanks to the dang Norse Gods (Odin, Thor, etc) but it's really about her preserving despite hardships.

Her children with Loki are really entertaining yet heartbreaking at the same time. I won't say more, though it's pretty much already spoiled if you know your Norse Mythology. I think despite my fractured understanding of the stories, it was still easy to follow. There's a guide in the back of the book to help anyhow.

Great story!

A decent retelling of Norse mythology focusing on Angreboda and her relationship with Loki. Done reasonably well, although it dragged in places.

4.5⭐
Wow. What a beautifully and flawlessly crafted story. Genevieve Gronichec pulled me into this lush Norse myth world and held me captive there from start to finish.

I will start this off by saying I knew literally nothing about Norse mythology going into (beyond what's in the movie Thor 😅). And it didn't hinder my enjoyment in <i>any</i> way. Gornichec makes this world so accessible and immersive and I never felt like I was lacking any knowledge of the world.

And it also meant that everything that happened was a shock! Since I didn't know any of the lore, I didn't see any of the actions coming. This very closely follows the actual myths of Loki, so if you're familiar with those, this may not be quite as shocking to you as it was to me.

Loki was everything I wanted and so much more. I could read about his crazy antics forever. The romance was between him and Angrboda was great. I loved their banter and wit. Their love was far (far) from perfect but it was just so wonderful to follow. And the relationship with Skadi was even more amazing.

This book is extremely character driven but the characters are so fantastically created and complex. Everyone is flawed and layered and feel like real people (or creatures). I was so in love with each of their stories.

This just had everything I was looking for - romance, grey morality, Loki shenanigans, political maneuvering, magical creatures, and big battle conclusion. If you like mythology, definitely move this to the top of your TBR!

Review is live on Goodreads and will be posted my blog on 2/17/21

I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by it’s cover, but it was worth it this time! Mythological stories are usually fun!

The Witch’s Heart follows Angrboda, a witch able to see the future, who was punished by Odin for not divulging her secrets to her power. Burned and heart-less, she hides away from everyone. That is until one day, Loki (I will forever think Tom Hiddleston!) finds her and they eventually fall in love and have children. She wants a safe life for her family, as distant from Odin as possible. However, prophetic power isn’t without its flaws and Angrboda is stuck making difficult decisions to protect those she holds dearest.

Overall, I give this 4 stars out of 5. I haven’t read much on Norse mythology and I won’t argue the Marvel movies particularly count, but this was so insightful. I loved Angrboda as the strong, brave mother. The world and character development was great and the pace kept the story exciting.

Thank you to @berkleypub for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an absolutely riveting retelling of Norse mythology! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of reading this book. I would recommend this to any library or book club as a must buy, must read.

If you loved Circe, Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology, or Song of Achilles, look no further for you next favorite read. The Witch’s Heart tells the tale of Angrboda, also known as “mother of monsters.” She is known as the witch killed three times by Odin and the mother of Loki’s three children. It’s fascinating to read from the little-seen Angrboda’s perspective. She was always a minor character, but here she is shown as strong and maternal. The writing is beautiful and addictive. It’s a near-impossible book to put down once you start reading. If you enjoy mythological retellings, do not hesitate to check out The Witch’s Heart today!

What a great way to start my reading year! The Witch's Heart was an absolute powerhouse of a book, retelling the story of Angrboda, an often forgotten figure from Norse mythology. This was such a wonderful exploration of her character and of Norse mythology in general. So many famous figures of myth come into contact with Angrboda, which makes it an excellent place to begin your journey with Norse myth, if you've never gotten into it before.

I think Genevieve Gornichec has done for Angrboda what Madeline Miller did for Circe. This is a well-written character study that shines a light on such an interesting figure of mythology. Absolutely fantastic and I hope this is an indication that more Norse myth retellings are coming our way.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this early review copy!

The Witch’s Heart is a retelling of Norse mythology. Angrboda is a witch that is able to see the future and is punished for not providing what she can see to the god, Odin. Angrboda hides in a forest on the edge of the world, but happens to meet and fall in love with the notorious trickster, Loki. They have three children and Angrboda will do whatever it takes to protect them, even if the future is uncertain.

It is so hard to review this book. I went into it knowing absolutely nothing about Norse mythology. This made it difficult for me to get into the book because so much of it seemed so weird to me, but once I became acquainted with the world-building and the characters, I was so intrigued! I loved Angrboda’s character and really connected with her as a mother, but there were also times when I was so infuriated by her relationship with Loki. There were many parts that felt slow to me and then other parts where I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Overall, I did enjoy this story even though it was so far out of my comfort zone.

If this sounds intriguing to you, I do recommend you try it, especially if you are a fan of Norse mythology (or mythology in general) and the Marvel movies, Thor and Thor: Ragnarok.

3/5 stars!

I don't have the words to express how much I adored this book. I was laughing, I was crying, I was raging right alongside Angrboda. This is an epic reimagining of Norse mythology told from a new and unique POV. Angrboda is known as the mate of Loki and Mother of Monsters but is only mentioned a handful of times in Norse literature. Gornichec took what little information there was and crafted an incredible tale about her life, from her budding romance with Loki all the way to Ragnorak. I was hooked right from the beginning and could not put it down. So far this is my favorite book of the year!

Wow! I absolutely loved this debut novel. I was completely immersed in the world created by the author Genevieve Gornichec. Her writing is full of vivid imagery and tumultuous emotions. I felt everything that the protagonist, Angrboda, experienced.

The character Angrboda is briefly mentioned in Poetic Edda, a collection of old Norse poems. She is staked by Odin and comes back to life each time she is burned. Also, she is the mother of three children (who will play a pivotal role) with Loki. Gornichec expanded on this character and gave us a different perspective on mythology normally dominated by its male characters. The common knowledge and stories we know about Norse mythology are seamlessly interwoven into the background of this story.