The Weaver and the Witch Queen is just as beautifully written as Genevieve Gornichec’s previous work!

The book centres on three women, sisters Oddny and Signy and their best friend Gunnhild, who were separated as children during a raid on their village. As children the three had sworn a blood oath to always be together. Now Oddny and Gunnhild set out to find Signy and bring her back.

The book is a ✨chefs kiss✨ of beautifully written historical fiction. It is set in Norway during the 10th century, in the days of the Vikings, and you can definitely see the amount of work and research that went into this book. It’s so well written and fleshed out! The pace of the novel flowed so well and the writing style was easy to read but drew me right in!

There’s an overwhelming theme of the resilience of women and sisterhood in this book and it felt so empowering as I read. The bonds between these women shone through and the love they held for each other was so enjoyable to read. I especially liked the idea that, while they care deeply for each other and would do anything for them, the choices they made weren’t always the right one.

If you are looking for a beautiful book featuring themes of sisterhood (both blood related and not), historical romance and Vikings then I cannot recommend this book enough!

Thanks very much to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Weaver and the Witch Queen is a historical fantasy which revolves around the story of three young women, Gunnhild, Oddny and her sister, Signy, bound by Fate and fiercely loyal to one another. Gunnhild and Oddny must band together to try and save Signy when she is carried off by Viking raiders. Gunnhild and Oddny were very different in personality and I can’t really decide who I liked best. Gunnhild was selfish and headstrong, stubborn and determined to succeed, but an exciting character to follow. Oddny was kind-hearted and steadfast, dependable and braver than she ever imagined. They both surprised themselves with the strengths they discovered within themselves during the course of the story.

I really enjoyed the strong themes of feminism and female-focused issues in this novel, such as the lack of agency and any kind of rights for daughters in the society of the time: when making a good marriage was almost their only path to success. Rejecting this idea, Gunnhild chooses to run away from her cruel mother and train to become a seer (a witch), with great success once she is able to dispel her insecurities and believe in her strength and power. Gornichec even takes on menstrual health issues, and educates the reader on just how a Viking woman dealt with such issues.

The power of the sisterhood, of women helping women they have only just met, trying to rescue women in unfortunate circumstances and even, in the case of Oddny and Gunnhild, being willing to die for their female friends, is strongly visible through almost every interaction the main characters have with female servants, thralls, nobles and Gunnhild’s early encounters with Heid the seer. Just as in reality, there are also cruel, unsupportive women in this novel, including the mother of Gunnhild, rival witches and King Harald’s wife, who takes an immediate dislike to Gunnhild. There are plenty of men in this story, unsurprisingly, since the time period was very much a man’s world and the camaraderie and strong bonds between fellow members of a raiding party were clearly on display, but the emphasis of this book was on the women.

Three witches are threatening to stop Gunnhild from rescuing Signy and the identity of the third witch is something of a mystery. I found myself speculating as to who among Gunnhild’s wedding party it could be but the reveal was an enormous surprise!

The Weaver and the Witch Queen is filled with myth and magic and the depth of the author’s research and knowledge of the time period shows through quite clearly in the fascinating details displayed in every situation. I felt like I was being educated about the ways of the time without it ever getting tiresome, overdone, or distracting from the main thread of the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Norse fantasy, historical fiction, strong female characters or unbreakable bonds of friendship!

One night at a get together for a famous seer named Heed three young girls made their way to the front of the crowd to hear their prophecy as they stood in front of the old lady she abruptly stopped in her trance and told them the fates were intertwined in there were dark days ahead for all of them. One of them was Gunnhile she was the youngest daughter of the host oyster and his wife savvy who is very abusive to young Gunna The other two girls were sisters Sigmy and Oddnie, their mom was the local healer and their dad had been killed on the raid. That night young gunna asked Heed if she could teach her how to be a seer like she was and although the young girl thought the old lady ignored her the next day she asked oyster in Salvey if young Gunna could be her apprentice and her mother immediately said no but the old seer Took the young girl anyway. This is how Gunna learn to do magic prophecy and Shapeshifting and why she was there the day Vikings raided her to best friends Homestead killing everyone there except the two girls who they tried to kidnap but thanks to a small swallow who attacked Oddnie’s would be kidnapper and the beginning of their mysterious prophecy. There is so much more to this book and OMG what a great book this was! I thought this was just going to be straightforward historical fiction but OMG if they didn’t have Shapeshifting magic set an a great storyline I love a great book that has an authentic feel to it and The Weaver And The Witch Queen is absolutely one of those stories. They have one of the best love-hate eventual romances that I have read in a while and actually they kind of have two
And let me just say I absolutely loved the tension between Gunna and King Erick. They have some great multi layered characters in this book and even the enemies or more than just two dimensional something you rarely see in a book but that is obvious in this one. They have great strong female characters in this is a book you definitely want your daughters to read they do have some adult situations but they are just alluded to and not in detail what a great book I can’t stop gushing over how awesome and how much I loved the book! I want to thank Net Galley and Berkeley for my free art copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

This is not my typical genre but the best part of #bookstagram is when I get pushed out of my comfort zone. This is a story about magic, power, secrets and above all sisterhood. I’m glad I took this story on.
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Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Much like her previous work, Gornichec takes her time with The Weaver and the Witch Queen. Readers who dont minds a slower pace will be rewarded with complex characters and satisfying world-building that is completely mesmerizing.

Readers follow three women, with diverse backgrounds, bound together by magic and friendship.As they encounter their own trials and tribulations in life the three fight to forgive, understand, and uplift each other even in the hardest of times.

I found this a tale of fierce and flawed female friendship. One that most women will quickly feel akin too. The duel perspectives where all equally engaging and brilliantly intertwined. Reader looking for a thoughtful look at women's friendships and how they evolve will greatly enjoy this one.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early in exchange for an honest review.

The Weaver and the Witch Queen, by author Genevieve Gornichec, is the story of two women—one desperate to save her missing sister, the other a witch destined to become queen of Norway—intertwine in this spellbinding, powerful novel of Viking Age history and myth from the acclaimed author of The Witch’s Heart. The story itself begins in the year 900 CE Norway in the time of Vikings. The key characters are Gunnhild Ozurardottir and Oddny Ketitsdottir.

Gunnhild, Oddny, and her sister Signy were thicker than thieves in the night when the were around 12 years old. When a seerees named Heid arrives, Gunnhild is told she is not to participate by her own mother who seemingly hates her. But after a visiting wise woman makes an ominous prophecy that involves Oddny, her sister Signy, and Gunnhild, the three girls take a blood oath to help each other always. Gunnhild also makes a deal with Heid that she will be her apprentice and learn what it takes to be a powerful witch.

12 years later, Gunnhild is thought to be dead since nobody has heard from her in years. In reality, Gunnhild has been training with Heid to learn how to shapeshift while also watching over her friends Oddny (who has become a really good healer) and Signy who likes to have her own kind of fun. When raiders storm the sisters village, and Signy is taken, Gunnhild finds herself in a life and death battle with powerful witches and ends up losing the woman who was more of a mother to her than her real mother.

The era that this story takes place is deep in Viking, and Norse mythology with some worshiping Gods like Odin, and Freyja. It is a story of two remarkable women who must rise or fall with the tides as they must decide who they will become. Gunnhild will eventually make a deal with King Eirik and become Queen even though he hates witches as do most of his hoard. A Queen that will, according to history, be called the Mother of Kings. Oddny must walk her own path regardless of the oath she made with Signy and Gunnhild. The only thing that matters to her is getting her sister back and trusting the person that she ends up losing her heart to.

Thoughts: I have the authors previous story but have not yet gotten around to read it. After reading this book, I shall have to go back and dig it out of my pile of books to read. Also, the author does a really good job of letting the readers know that yes, she has done due diligence when it comes to researching the subject of Gunnhild, but history is not kind when it comes to powerful women. There are a lot of ups and downs in this book as each character must do what they need to do in order to find their own destiny while keeping a promise make 12 years ago. Both of the main characters have deep, meaningful romances but they are tested at every angle. This story is filled with magic, intrigue, romance, and not all the battles take place on the battlefield, but in hearts and minds, and words.

I really enjoyed this book! I fell in love with Genevieve Gornichec’s writing when I read The Witch’s Heart last year. I couldn’t wait to dive into her sophomore novel. Once I started this book, I did not want to stop because I was fully invested in the fate of these 3 women. I found this to be a very entertaining novel set against a compelling Viking backdrop.

Gunnhild, Oddney, and Signy were fantastic characters. I could tell just how much they meant to each other as children. They haven’t seen each other for years but their paths cross just as Oddney and Signy’s farm is raided and Signy is taken away. They are both determined to do what it takes to get her back. This story was exciting and sometimes heartbreaking. There was just the right amount of magic and enough romance to keep things very interesting.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Nina Yndis did a remarkable job with the story. I believe that this is the first time that I have had the chance to listen to this narrator’s work and I must say that I was impressed. I thought that she did a great job of bringing this extensive cast of characters to life. I found her voice to be very pleasant and had no issues listening to this book for hours at a time. I am certain that her narration only added to my overall enjoyment of the story.

I would recommend this book to others. I was drawn into this entertaining and often exciting novel featuring characters that I found easy to like. I cannot wait to read more of this talented author’s work.

I received a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group and Penguin Random House Audio.

Sisters Signy and Oddny are best friends with Gunnhild as children in Norway. When an old  seeress named Heid comes to visit the girls are told that their fates are intertwined. Knowing that Gunnhild’s mother is furious with her–she had been told she could not see the seerer–Gunnhild escapes with Heid to the forest where she learns all she can from the old woman, but she never forgets about her two friends that she left behind. While checking up on them she is witness to a Viking raid that ends with Signy being kidnapped and Oddny finding herself alone, determined to rescue her sister. As Heid predicted, the girls’ fates become intertwined in ways they never could have imagined.

I kind of went back and forth in my opinion while reading The Weaver and the Witch Queen. There is a lot of action within the pages and Gornichec wrote these sections so well, but then there were large chunks of the story that seemed to drag and were hard to get through at times. The characters are wonderfully written; it was easy to understand the relationship the girls had as children and what it became as they got older and as they faced their intertwined fates. The myth and magic pulled me in and the characters and action made me stay.

The Weaver and the Witch Queen is an epic novel that delves into the realms of magic, sisterhood, and the intricate bonds that have the power to both unite and fracture us. This captivating tale lingered in my thoughts long after I turned the final page.

Gunnhild, Oddny, and Signy are the best of friends and sworn sisters- from a young age they know their destinies are tied together. When their farm is burned and Signy taken captive, Oddny goes to Gunnhild's family for help. Gunnhild, who ran away as a young woman to learn magic, returns to help find Signy with King Eirik and his band of raiders as uneasy allies. The connections between Gunnhild, Oddny, and Signy must last through both the mundane and the magical worlds as they fight politics as well as other witches in the battle to reunite.

This is a historical fantasy, so magic is as normal as any other job here, and Gornichec treats it that way. We learn the rules with Gunnhild but never get overwhelmed by anything, And Gornichec voices one of the rules that I've always noticed but no one ever mentions when it comes to prophecies: when you try to avoid them, that's when everything comes true! In an interesting twist that I rather liked, we don't know what the prophecy is, but when Signy and Oddny's farm is attacked we learn that the real attack is meant to be on Gunnhild. Since no one can find her, this is supposed to draw her out. Not for something she's done but for something she might do against a trio of witches she's never met. Clearly not a great plan since what happens? Gunnhild and Oddny join forces to track down Signy, discover their enemies, and defeat them- thus fulfilling the prophecy the other witches wanted to avoid in the first place.

All three women have the same dream: not to follow the traditional path of a woman of their time. Signy puts it best though, what can you do if you don't want to follow that path? What else is there? This book is, for better and for worse, about answering those questions. In some ways that's the interesting theme of the book: does a person have control over their own fate? Can they choose their own path or do they have to follow the traditional one set out for them by society? What happens if you're different? Many of the characters are, in one way or another, struggling with these questions, even before we realize it. I will probably end up going back and rereading the book with these struggles in mind the second time around to see what I think of them in that light. I think it will be very interesting.

Genevieve Gornichec (The Witch's Heart) returns with another vivid and enchanting book. You can tell Gornichec has done some research on what life might have been like in this time and place- the homes, the food, the clothes, all come across as very real. Whether entering one of the living halls or walking down the street in Birka, you get the feeling you are walking with the characters. And I'm a bit of a history nerd, so I admit there were times when I was reading this and going "wait, this reminds me of something I read in The Real Valkyrie or Children of Oak and Ash", but I promise you don't actually need to know anything about the true history of the time period to enjoy the book.


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

Perfect for fan of Vikings, especially if the women’s stories are your favorite part of the show. The Weaver and the Witch Queen was an entertaining read told from the perspective of two of three women who are bound to each other by an oath they made as kids.

I enjoyed both Gunna and Oddny’s sides of the story, they’re both sympathetic characters in different ways and even through their struggles and some poor decisions, I was rooting for them through the whole book. I enjoyed the setting and world building, the writing style was a little rough and some modern language choices mixed in with more period ones threw me off occasionally but it wasn’t super distracting. I especially enjoyed the magic system, which was really unique, and how the different aspects of it worked.

The ending felt like a solid conclusion but also somewhat open ended, leaving room for a possible continuation…which I hope happens, I would definitely want to read it! Especially if I it also gives flashbacks of Signy’s story which we don’t really know much about - a second book from Signy and Runfrid’s perspectives would be awesome. I’m also extra motivated to finally read The Witch’s Heart now, which has been sitting on my bookshelf waiting for me for too long!

In The Weaver and the Witch Queen, Genevieve Gornichec has achieved stunning and enthralling results, much like her previous novel, The Witch’s Heart. She has the ability to create spellbinding historical fantasy that feels authentic and is deeply moving. In this book, told in the voices of both Oddny and Gunnhild, the reader is swept up into the lives of the two women as their bonds are tested. Much like in real life, women have through the ages created sisterhoods between themselves but those bonds are worn thin when women choose different paths or different partners in life. This novel does a fantastic job of portraying sisterhood in a realistic way while stunning and enthralling with the magic and history of the time period.

I love how fierce Gunnhild is but I also love Oddny’s quiet strength and determination to find her sister. Both women are empathetic and engaging. The characters are complex and compelling, especially the men in the novel, Eirik and Halldor. Neither is quite what they appear and that adds to the intrigue and stunning nature of the novel. The pacing is absolutely brilliant and keeps you absorbed in the tale. The details of the historical time period also make the story enchanting. 

If you like authentic fantasy that delves into history and mythology, that is powerful and emotional, this is the novel for you. The magic is compelling and enchanting with characters that are complex and emotional. The story is stunning and enthralling. If you like novels about magic, this is definitely one to read.

The Weaver and the Witch Queen is a semi-Viking tale about three girls both bound together and torn apart by a prophecy. The three have their fates are intertwined when a wisewoman gives a reading at a village celebration. One girl leaves in an attempt to avoid the choices made for her by an abusive parent, the other two grow up together with a shadow cast over their futures. A decade after the foretelling they will be reunited, Gunnhild and Oddney will have to work together to save Signy the sister taken by raiders.

I enjoyed a lot of portions of this book. Three women tied together by magic with the determination to make the sacrifices needed to save their blood oath sister. Gunnhild, will make a bargain to ensure the help of the future king in order to say her friend from childhood. All three women are strong in different ways. Oddney has a tender soul and spirit but a fierce determination. She didn’t know how strong she really was until she needed to save the sister stolen by raiders. Signy captured will eventually have to find a way to deal with the trauma she survived and all three women will have to find ways to live their own lives, but also find a way to save and forgive each other.

The magic in The Weaver and the Witch was one of my favorite parts as it wasn’t overdone and seemed like it fit into the time. I also enjoyed the eventual love story between Gunnhild and the future king Eirik. A few of the side characters stole some of the best scenes and really were almost more interesting than the main characters. Arinbjorn was one those characters, half brother of the future king he is given the free reign to add a little levity to the very serious Eirik. I do have one small issue with the book. There is a character that ended up being trans. It seemed very far fetched in a Viking tale and that character ended up as one of the romantic interests. I just had a hard time buying into so many people in a Norse tale being so accepting of this situation.

I enjoyed the resolution to the story even though parts of it were a bit sloggy. I would have liked an epilogue showing Gunnhild and Eirik later in life together since it was eluded that she would become a very bloodthirsty Queen, much worse and Eirik. It would have been fun to have that confirmed or dispelled to bring the story to a full conclusion. But other than those few minor issues this is a great follow-up to Genevieve Gornichec’s first book The Witch’s Heart.

“Your enemies are my enemies.” At once he recognized his own words from the day they’d bound themselves with blood nearly a moon ago, and a ghost of a grim, determined smile played at his lips. This wedding was for his family, the people, the gods. But these words were a reminder of the oath they’d already taken, a reminder for just the two of them. “And your fate is my fate,” he said.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
The Weaver and The Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec is a historical fantasy story about Norway's Queen Gunnhild, a mythic and legendary figure in Norway's Viking Age.

My Reading Experience:
I found myself instantly immersed in The Weaver and the Witch Queen. Gunnhild's story took me away to a time long ago, touched my heart, and fascinated me. I didn't just want to know what happens to Gunnhild, Signe, and Oddney; I had to know and couldn't put the book down until the story played out to its conclusion.

I loved the witch magic. It was slightly different than any other magic I've read about but still in keeping with the area and the period. I found the spirit animals particularly intriguing. They never call them spirit animals, but that is what they are considering in how they come about and what happens if severed from the physical body of the witch. It reminded me of the witches in The Golden Compass series by Phillip Pullman.

I also loved the found family themes in the story. They are moving and delve into the depths of these women leading the story. The juxtaposition of the families featured in the story, of which there are three, is very interesting and illuminates the importance of family love, whether biological or found.

The romances, which are not the story's primary focus but still significant, are both enemies to lovers, which is always my favorite. I loved the wit, snarky dialogue, and the personal growth each character had to go through to make that leap from considering each other enemies to realizing they were feeling love.

Characters:
Gunnhild is my favorite kind of character - a modern woman in historical times who is rebellious, determined, and infuriating to most around her. She is unwilling to accept the status quo, instead opting to make her path and determine her future.

Oddny is more accepting of tradition than her sister Signe and Gunnhilde. Still, she has parents who don't seek to find her a husband, instead letting her figure out her future for herself, especially after a prophecy that made Oddney and Signe undesirable to most potential husbands. Signe, Oddney, and Gunnhilde, at age 12, solidified their sistership bond by cutting their palms and sealing the relationship in blood.

All the characters are developed so well that they jump off the page and still live rent-free in my heart and mind. There are so many layers made from heartache and personal challenges. The depth of each character is as much as any person you meet in your lifetime. In particular, Gunnhild is brought to life more than she ever has been in literature.

Narration & Pacing:
The narration is in the third person but primarily focuses on Gunnhild and her bonded sister, Oddny. They aren't blood sisters but found family as Gunnhild considers Oddney's mother, Ysera, more of a mother figure to her than her biological mother. Since the story focuses on women's empowerment, these are the perfect characters to focus on as their struggle exemplifies empowerment.

Setting:
The story is set in Norway in the 900s, considered the Viking Age - a dark time of raids and conquests that was truly a period of survival of the fittest. Women were nothing more than property and were often part of the spoils raided by Vikings.

Read if you're in the mood for:
An adventurous, emotional, and dark historical fantasy
Found family themes and enemies to lovers romances
A strong female main character

The Weaver and the Witch Queen
by Genevieve Gornichec
Pub Date: 25 Jul 2023

Oddny and Gunnhild meet as children in tenth century Norway, and they could not be more different: Oddny hopes for a quiet life, while Gunnhild burns for power and longs to escape her cruel mother. But after a visiting wisewoman makes an ominous prophecy that involves Oddny, her sister Signy, and Gunnhild, the three girls take a blood oath to help one another always.

When Oddny’s farm is destroyed and Signy is kidnapped by Viking raiders, Oddny is set adrift from the life she imagined—but she's determined to save her sister no matter the cost, even as she finds herself irresistibly drawn to one of the raiders who participated in the attack. And in the far north, Gunnhild, who fled her home years ago to learn the ways of a witch, is surprised to find her destiny seems to be linked with that of the formidable King Eirik, heir apparent to the ruler of all Norway.

But the bonds—both enchanted and emotional—that hold the two women together are strong, and when they find their way back to each other, these bonds will be tested in ways they never could have foreseen in this deeply moving novel of magic, history, and sworn sisterhood.

#TheWeaverandtheWitchQueen #NetGalley

A fantastic mythology and historical telling! I’ve been reading a lot of these lately, and this hit the spot so well. I really enjoyed it and I Will absolutely recommend it to those looking for these awesome magical and mythical reads!

I was so excited to get this one, but honestly it just wasn’t really my cup of tea. It was just a bit underwhelming to me.

Thank you the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review,

This author's previous novel, The Witch's Heart, has been sitting in my physical TBR pile for ages because the plot sounded amazing, and the only reason I haven't gotten to it yet is because I keep getting distracted by new NetGalley ARCs. However, I'm going to try to make a point to remedy that injustice now, as I did dearly love the writing style in this book, and all the characters in it. I did have some issues, of course: some of the bigger twists were easy to see coming, the pacing was a bit slow in the middle, but overall, it was a pleasant reading experience. I genuinely love books that make me pull up Wikipedia to get a deeper understanding of the historical and cultural references, and this was definitely one of those. And the inclusion of a trans character made my heart so happy, as did the author's note, where she stated, "We'll never know how many people we'd recognize today as LGBTQIA+ have been omitted from history, but we have always been here, and we always will be." Well said!

A very interesting historical fantasy based on a real life figure of Norse history. Not a lot of history is told through the eyes of women and the author uses this novel to show what life may have been like for at least some women of this time. Throw in some magical realism and you have a riveting tale.

Content warning: death, blood, gore, menstruation, gaslighting by a parent, child abuse, parental abuse, misogyny, self-mutilation in magical rituals, death of a parent, depiction and discussion of slavery in the Viking age, mention of child death, mention of sexual assault

Another Viking age fantasy from The Witcher’s Heart author, Genevieve Gornichec. This work of historical fantasy told in dual POV is about Gunnhild and Oddny, two women who swore a blood oath as children to always be together now have to fight magical forces, northern European political forces, and the literal seasons to get Oddny’s sister, Signy, back after a raid. It’s a tale of femininity, of friendship, and the things people will do to protect those they care most about.

A book that loves its women as much as it loves depicting Vikings as the job it was, Gunnhild and Oddny’s trials in trying to get Signy back captured my entire heart.

Going into this book, I expected a well-researched, immersive, and grounded Viking experience, and it did not disappoint on that aspect. Though this is a work of fantasy and there is magic connected to Nordic folklore, so much of the dialogue and action happen around the rituals of every day life. And since this is a book about women, there is a lot that went into the depiction of menstrual care and contraception, and showing the camaraderie and solidarity.

Throughout the narrative, this work posits the idea that the only wrong form of femininity is the one you didn’t choose. This is expressed especially in Gunnhild’s perspective, as a lesser daughter who chose her own path, and is also reflected in Oddny. While the book is sex positive, Oddny expressing demisexuality through waiting to sleep with someone until she gets to know them properly. While there is sexual content, it’s not explicit, but these characters do pursue their sexual interests freely. There’s no right way to be a woman or pursue sexual gratification, and this narrative loves all them all.

Of course, a book discussing femininity chosen and imposed would be missing an opportunity if it didn’t include a transgender character, and Gornichec sticks the landing here. Halldor was already my favorite due to the thorniness of his introduction as a Viking raider, and he just gets better and better as the book goes on. For queer readers who are worried, he does make it to the end. I will avoid saying more due to spoilers.

The aspect of this book that moved me most is the way this theme of femininity manifested in the relationship between Gunnhild and her mother, Solveig. The type of emotional abuse and gaslighting hit close for me. It’s difficult to read, and especially in the context of Gunnhild trying to make something for herself in spite of her mother. Sometimes closure comes in the form of getting the last word in. It’s heart-wrenching and painful in a true way.

This book has so much going for it: immersive, in love with women and femininity, and steeped in magic and folklore.