Love this literary interpretation of lore…
A literary interpretation is a story that is based on an established mythology or oral tradition, includes many of the original characters and details, but creates a wonderfully rich saga by filling in the gaps or creating a fascinating backstory. The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec is a fabulous literary interpretation of Norse Mythology focusing on Angrboda, a Jotunn (giant) who was the mate of Loki (an infamous trickster and outsider among the gods), and the mother of Hel, Jormungand, and Fenrir. She is an obscure and relatively unknown character in both The Poetic and Prose Eddas (ancient Norse textbooks) but significant in her association to some of the most prominent figures instrumental in the Ragnarok, the end of the world battle resulting in the destruction of the gods.

Genevieve is one of my favorite types of authors, an in-depth researcher as well as a captivating story-teller. Her depth of knowledge of Norse mythology is impressive, I was compelled to investigate it myself and found her to stay true to both the personality and character of the Norse gods and the details of events that encompass the mythology. The interwoven story of Angrboda brings a unique and enthralling perspective to the fantastical tales of the gods.

The Witch’s Heart is a multi-layered story full of love, loss, betrayal, and determination. The fact that Angrboda is such an obscure figure in the ancient texts gives Genevieve the freedom to create a wonderfully rich and relatable character. Angrboda’s story is extremely compelling on its own merit, as she attempts to understand and survive after being burned and banished by the gods, and it entices you through page after page of beautifully written and executed narration. A tremendous story combined with seamless melding to these great Scandinavian tales makes The Witch’s Heart an extraordinarily stimulating and entertaining read you do not want to miss!

“I’ve seen how the end begins.” Her voice was a hoarse whisper as the words tumbled out. “I saw everything in the Nine Worlds. I saw the Aesir, the giants, and shades and dwarfs and men. I saw Yggdrasil, and the dragon who gnaws its root. I saw a wolf so big that his jaws could swallow armies whole, and a great serpent rearing out of the water, and I saw the sun and moon go dark as the wolves who chase them finally swallow their prey, and I saw a ship crewed by dead souls.”

The Witch’s Heart captivated me from the first page. THIS BOOK DESERVES ALL OF THE ACCOLADES. I love getting a deeper, more personal look at mythological beings. This book focuses on Angrboda, a Jötunn and lover to Loki. When it comes to her story, I’ve only heard scraps, even though she was known to mother the three most destructive beings in Norse Mythology. Genevieve Gornichec brings Angrboda to life and makes her a dimensional person, more than an infamous giantess, more than the bringer of grief. Through her eyes, we also get a look at Loki. I’ve always been fascinated by him, but many people don’t have the patience and tenderness towards him that Angrboda has. We see him through the eyes of a friend, of a lover. This book shines a light on both of them that is often left out of Norse mythology.

Through Angrboda, we get to see Loki’s mischief against the Gods play out. We see the tricks he plays and his reaction to the consequences. I’ve always enjoyed Loki and thought he deserved a bit more appreciation for being as quick thinking as he is, and Angrboda appreciates him as exactly as a wife might; exasperated and charmed, all at once. In turn, Loki appreciates Angrboda, in his own way. He sees her wisdom, her strength after being a shunned woman. Angrboda has an ability to adapt and I think it makes sense that she would be drawn to Loki, and him to her. Angrboda and Loki have both been punished for being far too clever, though Angrboda is punished for being reserved in that cleverness and Loki is punished for using it for mischief.

More than just the romance and crackling dynamic between Loki and Angrboda, this is a book about the strength of women. Angrboda is shunned from Asgard, her teachings are credited to others, she’s tortured… and still she rises. She makes a life for herself, she’s survived. She thrives, creating a bartering business for herself and a home. Gornichec paints Angrboda with masterful strokes, through her writing we see a woman who is bold, able to withstand fury of literal godlike proportions. Angrboda’s known for her iron demeanor, but our author slowly unravels a tenderness at her core. The Witch’s Heart embodies the essence of femininity; a woman’s ability to adapt to her surrounding, to be steely when faced with trials, and nurturing at other times. It’s a tale of motherhood, friendship, destruction, sacrifice, and rebirth.

“I loved you then. I love you now. I will love you until I die. And even after, whatever comes then, I will love you still, even though you’re a fool and you’ve used me the same way that Loki has used you. But I suppose that makes me a fool as well.”

Though I enjoy Loki as a god, he is lacking when it comes to nurturing Angrboda. He appreciates who she is, as I mentioned before, but he isn’t the best husband. The relationship between Boda and Skadi, a huntress, is much more worthy of admiration. These two women care for each other deeply and Skadi never backs down from telling her friend what she doesn’t want to hear, but needs to hear. Boda sees Loki with rose-colored glasses and Skadi sees him more evenly. The friendship and love between these two is a true heart warmer.

When it comes to motherhood, we see Angrboda take on a role that is much like a modern day stay-at-home mother or a single mom dealing with a barely-there dad. She deals with all the hard parts; bedtimes, education, getting her children to eat balanced meals. Loki sweeps in whenever he wants and piles his kids with sweets and loves and departs just as swiftly as he came in, leaving Boda to clean up the sticky fingers and be the strict parent in comparison.

Our author has a way of including different a multitude of Norse myths, sometimes in passing conversation and other times, with more focus on them. We hear so much about Loki’s antics and of course, about the prophecies pertaining to their children. There’s a healthy dose of humor mixed in, I was constantly laughing out loud or grinning while reading. There’s also an undercurrent of dread that we feel through Boda when it comes to her children’s fates. Every emotion was pulled from me and I found myself wanting books from each of our characters’ perspectives by the end of The Witch’s Heart. The heartache, the love, the fear, betrayal, and humor all came together to make a PERFECT novel. The resilience of one woman and the way she opens her heart to others again and again. Gods play their games but Boda stays steady and true to herself. I LOVE this book. This book starts steady and ends up racing at breakneck speed towards Ragnarok and the conclusion. I truly believe this will fall under my top five favorite books this year. The Witch’s Heart doesn’t simply retell the story of Angrboda, it IS the story that people will turn to for many years to come when referencing her. This is art, a true masterpiece in Norse Mythology.

The Witch’s Heart is out now. Thank you to Netgalley and Ace/Berkeley Publishing Group for the opportunity to review!

I didn't know what to think going into this book. I had heard about Angrboda only in that she was the wife of Loki's monstrous children and that was all I had ever known. Genevieve Gornichec took that little bit of information and breathed life into a myth creating a story easy to believe. Characters with so much heart and love and I could not get enough. I think the thing that I liked the most about it was that it wasn't just a love story. It was also a story about a woman living life her own way and doing whatever it took to protect her children. The only downside is that it does have a slow start, but if you can get through it, you wont regret it.

The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec takes in the world of Norse mythology. Angrboda's story starts where she is in the woods alone healing. Loki comes to bring her heart back. He succeeds and actually gives her three children for who her heart over flows for. From there her story continues which may lead to the end of the world and a lot of heartbreak.

So many feelings about this book. It was beautiful in many ways but also aggravating. It was a dive into mythology I really do not know. Gornichec delves into many lores, some I knew of and some I did not. This book is a slow burn. The first two-thirds was really a story of domesticity. I really questioned finishing this book. The last third is where all the action takes place. Part of the reason this book was hard was because there is so little action in the beginning and no chapters. That’s right this book was broken into parts and that’s it. It really drags it out.

I really struggled with characters in this book. Angrboda was not my favorite because she was a very passive character. She never really makes a decision and just kind seems to exist. This woman is supposed to be the most powerful withch, the mother of monsters and I felt like I could come in knocker her out. She is also not very likable, but I did feel for her especially in the end. Skadi was a fun character but I did not like how Gornichec seemed to use her as a tool to make this story LGBT friendly. Skadi liking women was not the issue, but the "relationship" between her and Angrboda was. It felt forced because Angrboda never showed any inclination to any woman much less her best friend.

I am giving this book 3.5 stars with a round up to 4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and Genevieve Gornichec for the ARC. This was an honest review.

Re-imaginings of classic tales are always difficult to pull off. The author has to balance infusing the story with familiar faces and plot points the reader expects while bringing something fresh to the story. This is even harder to do with stories that have been told and retold many times over. But The Witch’s Heart is the rare retelling that brings a new perspective to an old tale while creating its own world, centering a character in the narrative who, until now, has not had a voice at all.

By now, many are familiar with the story of Odin, Loki, and Thor, whether from the original Norse mythology or from the Marvel Cinematic Universe films based on the lore. But this novel chooses to focus on Angrboda, “mother of monsters,” who is a minor character at best in the original Norse myths. Angrboda is a witch killed three times by Odin and banished for refusing to show him the future he needs to know. Alone on the edge of the forest and missing her heart, Angrboda finds herself in the path of Loki as he returns the heart Odin stole. So begins a romance with cosmic consequences as Angrboda finds herself caught up in Loki’s orbit, bearing his three monstrous children and raising them largely alone (aside from huntress Skadi). She’s desperate to keep her family hidden from Odin, but as the story races closer and closer to the prophesied Ragnarok of legend, it becomes clear that stopping fate will come at a steep cost.

By focusing the story on Angrboda and not on the iconic character of Loki (or his brother Thor), Genevieve Gornichec flips the script we are familiar with. The story suddenly becomes about the quiet moments rather than the clashes between gods, focused on Angrboda and her journey through grief and love and back again. She’s a compelling protagonist, and it’s a testament to the writing that she comes alive even next to a character like Loki, who is known for pulling focus in stories in which he is a supporting character. While Loki’s appearances in the novel are dryly funny and will be satisfying for any Loki fans reading just for the Trickster, the most interesting and well developed character is Angrboda. The romance between the two is certainly a focus of the novel (and one of its strengths), but much more time and care is spent on Angrboda as she begins to realize the extent of her power and the fate she is destined for.


That destiny is the fixed point around which the story revolves, and anyone familiar with the original myth likely believes they know how this book ends. But part of the genius of The Witch’s Heart is how it remains faithful to the original Norse tales while delivering an entirely subversive take on the legend. This story is not always a happy one, and in fact at times is a difficult read, but the imagery and immersive writing will draw you in. The Witch’s Heart may be infused with mythology, but it reads like a dark fairytale. The gorgeous imagery alone makes this novel worth reading, but the way Gornichec writes is also compelling. It’s straightforward and almost modern while respecting the ancient-ness of the story. If you’re a fan of Circe or Song of Achilles, The Witch’s Heart is the devastating tale of a mother’s love and the gods’ wrath that will draw you in and never let you go.

The Witch’s Heart is available today, February 9, wherever books are sold.

I'm VERY clearly in the minority here and I wish that wasn't the case. From the moment I first heard of this book it was on my To Read list: a Norse mythology retelling featuring an exiled witch and Loki? UM YES PLEASE.

Unfortunately, I struggled to get into this one. One the one hand, the author did a phenomenal job at writing her tale to feel like a myth...however, it was because of that disjointed, show-y, barebones storytelling that made it difficult for me to become invested in the book. I constantly felt like I was held at an arm's length rather than sitting right there with Loki, with Angrboda.

I'm so sad The Witch's Heart didn't work for me, but it is guaranteed to find (and from the looks of early reviews, it already has) a home in the hearts of many readers.

The Witch’s Heart tells the story of Angrboda, a witch banished for refusing to reveal her prophetic visions to the Norse god Odin, who meets and falls in love with the trickster god Loki. Angrboda and Loki hide away their love, and their three unusual children, from the other gods until Angrboda begins to have visions of the end of the world and the role her children and husband play in the world’s demise.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Angrboda’s story. Many of the details were taken from Norse mythology (which I know close to nothing about other than, shamelessly, the Thor movies) and reads like a folktale/fairy tale so the story was quite fantastical and I never knew what was coming. The unfortunate part was I could not get Tom Hiddleston from my head whenever I read of Loki and he didn’t quite fit this character so those movies which, although I do love, did a disservice to my reading of the story. On the surface, this was a great conceptualization of Norse mythology but had an undercurrent message of the power of women, even when diminished by men, is a force to be reckoned with.

I recommend this to those who enjoy folklore and want more exposure to Norse mythology and readers who won’t be bothered by not having any chapters.

Thank you to Ace Books and Netgalley for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

The Witch’s Heart is a fantastic reimagining of Norse mythology!

This is the story of Angrboda, the mother of three of Loki’s unique children. She is a powerful witch who has suffered at the hands of the gods and flees to the forest to live out her life in peace. But she soon learns she may not be able to change the fate of the worlds despite all her efforts to keep her prophecies from coming true.

I absolutely loved this stunning debut novel. Gods, goddesses, giants, giantesses, wolves, snakes, and magic abound. The heroine, Angrboda, is strong and independent, but not without her faults and relatable range of emotions. She befriends Skadi, a loyal, resourceful, and protective huntress who cares deeply about those she loves. She is the kind of person you want by your side, and I adored the relationship between her and Angrboda. I also felt the same loathing as Skadi does for Loki, a shapeshifter and selfish, cunning trickster, but that is his true nature and the author portrayed him perfectly.

At the heart of this story is a mother’s fierce and intense love for her children. Labeled as monsters by the gods, Angrboda and Loki’s children are raised deep in the forest and hidden from those who might bring them harm. When Angrboda’s visions start coming true, she will stop at absolutely nothing to try to protect her children from their fates. This enchanting story not only showcased strong women but also beautifully portrayed the truest expression of a mother’s love.

I highly recommend this book even if you are not familiar with Norse mythology! I had very little knowledge and felt confused at first, but the author includes an outstanding appendix to educate readers about the characters and their backgrounds!

*Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with this ARC*

This was the retelling I didn’t know I needed from Norse’s mythology. As I told you before, I am a big fan of mythology, very kind. I’m more familiar with Greek and Norse but I’m always happy to learn about other myths. However, I havent read many Norse’s myths retelling. I was so happy to get this book and had a chance to read more about Angrboda.

Everyone knows Loki, the trickster god. You might also know about his daughter, Hel, ruling the world of the dead. You might also have heard about his sons, Fenrir, the wolf who swallowed the moon and the sun and Jormungand, the snake who circled the world. However, we’ve always have known little about his wife and mother of his children, Angrboda.

The author shows us how Angrboda lived her life, in the Ironwood, how she encountered Loki and how the gods deceived her again and again. I thought it would have been more focused on her relationship with Loki but I was wrong. We see here a strong, powerful and independant woman. The author shows us Angrboda relationship with her children and how she would do anything for them. It is really more on a mother’s love than her love for Loki. She felt so realistic to me.

This book was so emotional, I didn’t think I would be so invested. It is slow paced but you are still rapidly taken in and you can deeply feel for the characters. The ending totally broke my heart and I cried which basically never happened. I just loved this so much.

However, if you are not familiar with Norse’s mythology, I would sincerely advise you to get the basics of it. If not, you might not get all the references and might be lost sometimes to who the characters are. What I love of this, is how she integrated the various elements of the mythology into her story and crafted them with skills into a beautifully written book.

My heart is full. This is now one of my favorite retelling.

A clever and engaging reimagining of Norse mythology. Angrboda is a witch with the gift of seeing the future, a gift much desired by Oden. When Angrboda refuses to share the secrets of her gift with Oden he burns her not once, not twice, but three times. When he still fails he steals her heart and banishes her to the Ironwoods. It is in the Ironwoods where Angraboda crosses paths with Loki with who she forges a relationship. Loki pops in and out of her life and ultimately fathers her three children. What ensues is a powerful and epic tale of a mothers love and A woman’s resilience.

I was so completely captivated by this story. Full disclosure this is not the type of book I would normally pick up. I had no previous knowledge of Norse mythology I haven’t even watch the Marvel movies. Admittedly I was a little overwhelmed at first with all the characters and stories, but thanks to google and my buddy reading pals I quickly got up-to-date. What really resonated with me about the story was the overarching theme of a mothers love. Angrboda’s strength was admirable and her love was palpable. Another character who really stood out to me was Skadi she was such a wonderful and supportive friend to Angrboda. We all need a friend like Skadi. Loki, sometimes I liked him, sometimes I hated him, he really kept everyone on their toes. This is the perfect book to read when you’re looking for a little change of pace in your reading. A magical tale sprinkled with romance and adventure, filled with gods and monsters.

This book in emojis 🐎 🐍 🪨 🫀 ⚔️

*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

"...in the end, I realized that we're all victims of fate."

The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec is based on the Norse gods, but focuses on Angrboda, a witch who falls in love with Loki. I'm not too familiar with norse mythology so I really enjoyed this book, and it's ties to the old Poetic Edda. It was an interesting perspective to live through the eyes of a woman instead of how most other retellings focus on the well-known Odin and Thor. Gornichec truly captures the heart and soul of Angrboda so the reader feels her happiness as well as her despair. While Loki and his mischief are prevalent throughout the story, their children play a large part in the culmination you know is coming, if you have prior knowledge of Norse mythology. Well written and engaging, I highly recommend this book.

Disclaimer: The quoted text is from an advanced reader copy I received from Berkley Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec is a captivating paranormal fantasy full of mystery and intrigue that is sure to take your breath away. A story that pulls you in and holds your attention in this mythological world. The author writes of a reimagined world with vivid characterization set in a modern, smart dialogue.  The Witch's Heart is a captivating story that is sure to stay with you long after reading.

This enchanting historical fantasy tells the story of Angrboda, an ancient witch who is both valuable to and reviled by the gods in Asgard. A minor figure in Norse mythology, little is known about Angroboda beyond being the trickster god Loki’s wife and the mother to their three children.
Gornichec fills in Angrobodas story with empathy and vibrancy, weaving an exceptional story of love, betrayal, fate, and resilience against the backdrop of epic Norse legends. Encompassing vast swaths of time, and stretching through multiple worlds, this absorbing and heartfelt novel is a must-read for fans of retellings of classic myths and legends, especially feminist reinterpretations of those texts.
Readers who enjoyed Madeline Miller’s Circe, Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology and Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale, will adore this book.

Angrboda is a powerful witch and after being murdered 3 times by fire by the Gods, goes into hiding living in a cave. Escaping Odin and his need to see into the future using her powers since she is the strongest and can go farther than the other witches.
The last time she put herself back together she was missing her heart and Loki found it and returned it to her. He was enamored with her and after an interesting shape shifting debacle together one winter they were closer than ever and decided to marry. Ok if Loki really was Tom Hiddleston than maybe I would forgive him leaving for months and "having" to get married to some other woman in Asgaard. Lol maybe he did but I am sure he didn't put up a fight. Putting up a fight would have revealed that he was hiding another wife and a witch that his blood brother was searching for and presumed dead.
These two could not seem to stop having children and all had different gestation periods since they all seemed to be different species. This may be because Loki is a shapeshifter and they were more comfortable in those forms. Seriously google Angrboda and her and her children come up, it's fascinating and terrifying.
I love all kinds of mythology and am not as familiar with the Norse mythology so these familial, domestic sides of these enigmatic dynamic terrifying characters made them more human even though they essentially were not.
Angrboda started having visions of her 3 children as well as Loki's other children with his other wife and she did not want that prophecy to happen but despite her best intentions the more she tried to stop them the more fate pushed them along.
But in the end there was a sweet romance that she didn't even see coming inside the prophecy but made her able to make the decision she had to. Actually now that I re read this there were two that she didn't see coming 😉
I always wonder where these stories originate- did some woman in the woods have a very large serpent, wolf as a pet and a daughter with leprosy and everyone just went wild with a story or was this all true? I like to think they were true but why don't these kinds of things happen anymore?

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

Thank you @berkelypublishing and @netgalley for the electronic copy for my honest and voluntary review.

Recent interest in telling the classic myths from the women's point of view and telling the stories of little know Greek women, like Madeline Miller has done in Circe, now enters the world of Norse myths with Genevieve Gornichec's excellent The Witch's Heart.

We all know Loki and his children Hel, the ruler of the Norse underworld, and Fenrir, the wolf. We all know Norse Mythology included a snake who circled the world, though we sometimes forget his name is Jormungand and he is also one of the children Loki had with his giantess wife. But the myths only mention the name of Loki's giantess wife and the mother of his children once. Genevieve Gornichec imagines what life was like for Angrboda, the Ironwood Witch: wife of Loki, mother of Hel, Fenrir, and Jormungard, and otherwise unremembered in the stories.

Gornichec imagines Angrboda as a woman trying to rebuild a life that has been taken from her over and over by the gods. She may be a powerful witch, but she isn't a warrior and isn't looking for glory or fame- just peace. When she meets Loki she is drawn back into the world of Asgard and the gods, if only on the edge. She hears tales from Loki and her friend Skadi that anyone reading Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology, or any other version of the tales, would be familiar with. Tales of Thor and Odin, Baldur and Freyja, but from a different point of view- the giant's view. The view of the 'monster'. It's a fascinating tale with the twist that perhaps it isn't the events themselves that matter, but why they happen. Anyone vaguely familiar with the stories knows what will happen to Loki and his sons. But why? Angrboda herself has visions about the what, but not the why. Her questions become what can be prevented and what can be changed. What does eternity mean and who are gods who aren't remembered? Are we our actions, or the hidden reasons behind them? These are questions all the main characters struggle with, with varying degrees of success in answering them.

The Witch's Heart is a beautiful story of deep love and sacrifice and (like the myths themselves) pain and joy. Gornichec's debut novel is a complex, emotional masterpiece that will have you reading it again and again to discover new nuances every time.

An excellent story for those interested in twists on well known myths and seeing new women's voices soaring.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

A very spare storytelling style. (a good thing!)
I don't know much about Norse mythology, so the novel has inspired me to look up more. Sometimes, though, I wish the author would show action instead of having characters remember or report things that happened offscreen, so to speak.

(Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!)

Angrboda is living at the edge of the Iron Wood after fleeing Asgard and Odin's attempts to force her to use her magic for him by burning her at the stake (three times!) It turns out she left her heart smoldering in the last pyre, and Loki shows up to return it (or maybe eat it, he's not too sure at first). Angrboda is wary of him at first, (he is the blood-brother of the man who just set her on fire multiple times, after all), but she soon comes to trust him and then fall in love with him. They end up having three children, whom she tries to raise in obscurity and safety at the edge of her forest, but it seems Fate has other plans. Angrboda must decide if she'll give in to destiny and the gods, or if she'll try to forge her own path.

I have to say, I've been sitting with the book for several days, and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it. I almost didn't finish it, as the beginning is an incredibly slow burn, and the initial dialog felt really stilted. Comprised of just three parts, Part I takes up just over half of the book. Parts II and III just about ripped my heart out and stomped on it. I went through at least a half box of tissues reading the last third of this novel. Angrboda is first and foremost a mother, and this book hit me right in the feels and just left me feeling completely wrung out by the last page.

I don't think the general plot points of this book will surprise anyone who knows Norse Mythology. Although if you're not familiar with the Eddas and you're enamored of the MCU/Tom Hiddleston version of Loki, you're probably not going to love this version, as his personality falls much closer to the original source material. Also, don't go into this book thinking it's a Romance. It is not. It's a Fantasy novel with romantic elements.

Overall, I'm not sorry I read this, but I don't think it's one that I'll be rereading, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what Gornichec comes up with in the future.

This is a great book to recommend to readers who loved Neil Gaiman's "Norse Mythology" or Madeline Miller's "Circe".

This was everything and more than I wanted from a book I wanted about Norse mythology. It was reminiscent of Circe by Madeline Miller, but I liked this so much more. Going into this, I knew nothing about Norse mythology, but now I'm ready to go and binge every book there is on the subject. This was that good.

The characters made this book so much fun. Angrboda's dry sense of humor combined so well with Loki's personality, and their interactions will have me laughing months from now. As soon as he was introduced, I was hooked. I loved how he was a flawed character. He wasn't likeable, he wasn't good. This was so much fun!! Despite his flaws, I loved him. I'd have no complaints if Gornichec wrote an entire book about him, I loved him that much.

I also really loved Angrboda. Her bond with her children was written perfectly, and I could feel her pain when they were separated from her. She was yet another flawed character, but one I loved all the same. She was vengeful, protective, and fiercely loyal. These characteristics were let out in the best and worst ways, she felt so realistic.

I will freely admit that the ending of this had me bawling. It was bittersweet, and the type of ending I love. It was foreshadowed so well throughout the story, and I couldn't stop reading. I almost wish this had been even longer, I wasn't ready to give up this world and its characters.

I'd definitely recommend this to people who loved Circe, and even those who hated it. (like I did) At heart, this was a tale of a woman finding her happiness. I know I'll reread this countless times, and fall further in love every single time. This was an amazing book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Genevieve Gornichec for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 rounded up to 4

Angrboda is skilled at Seid, which allows her to travel out of her body and divine the future. Odin offered to teach Boda Rune magic in exchange for her knowledge of Seid. Unfortunately for her, she agrees, the cost of which is horrific. When she finally refuses him, Odin takes revenge in a nasty way. She survives, and hides in the forest of Ironwood.

It’s in Ironwood where she falls in love with the God, Loki, the handsome trickster with a flair for the foolish. The heart of the story is really Loki, despite other relationships--if you are a fan of Loki, regard this novel as Loki fan service.

It's interesting to see what is done with Norse mythology, though phew, like that mythology, this story is not for the faint-hearted.

I’m a sucker for mythology retellings. There’s something powerful about creationist stories surviving after the rise and fall of numerous empires. There’s something about the universality and the human condition surviving centuries through the oral and written tradition, and eventually being incorporated into twenty-first-century mediums.

All I needed to know what that this is a story about a witch falling in love with the trickster god Loki.

This novel explores love, parenthood, power, acceptance, fate, coping with trauma, and handing the world to the next generation. Even though this book explores gods, goddesses, giants, and witches, these grandiose figures are complex, nuanced characters who yearn for simple intimacies like everyone else. This immersive, scenic novel is the perfect escapist read that explores the painful transitions.

Also, this is gayer than I was expecting.