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netanya_shira's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Death, Blood, Sexual assault, Slavery, Animal death, Rape, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Violence, Grief, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexual content, and War
reka111's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
One of you clouds the futures of the others. For better or worse, your fates are intertwined
Genevieve did it again, she enchanted me. I liked this book as much as The Witch's Heart, but it didn't have such a strong effect on me. Honestly, I've been waiting for decades to read it, and now I regret waiting so long because I liked it immensely.
Gunnhild was probably my favourite, not only because she was so strong and cunning, but also because she had a bit of Angrboda in her—at least in my opinion, anyway, I really liked her. Signy and Oddny (whose names I read through half the book as Odin and Sigyn) have been through so much, especially the former, but I believe their wounds will heal, and their broken parts will heal again because they deserve it, more than anything. Although the former was not in the book, I was terribly hurt by her absence, I was excited about her along with Oddny and Gunnhild, I really was. Of the other characters, Erik may stand out, and for good reason; A king cannot be overlooked. He was a terribly difficult and complicated character, maybe he could have done better, but eventually he shows that he is capable of compassion and forgiveness, he was not a monster, but he was not an angel.
The plot was easy to follow, and I really liked that this time we were transported back to the Scandinavian 10th century (the Norwegian one). So much, so much I needed a historical fantasy for my soul, oh my goodness! Although there are scattered foreign words in the text, they do not make reading difficult at all. The phrasing was beautiful — as always. The only problem I had was the pace, which was too fast for me and there were plenty of time jumps, but apart from that, it was perfectly fine.
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent
Moderate: Trafficking, Kidnapping, Transphobia, and Sexual content
Minor: Rape and Slavery
brookesinfinitebooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Slavery and Trafficking
Minor: Child abuse
tamara_joy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Transphobia, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Trafficking, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Classism, Gore, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Murder, Outing, Slavery, and Deportation
tashtasher's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Gore, Trafficking, Death of parent, Violence, Blood, Grief, Kidnapping, War, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Death, Murder, and Slavery
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Transphobia, Alcohol, and Chronic illness
bree_of_the_woods's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Violence and Animal death
Moderate: War
Minor: Slavery and Sexual assault
curiosityp's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This novel is gripping, fascinating, adventurous, and humorous. At one point, the action was so well described that I could see this being adapted for the screen.
I loved the characters, especially the inclusion of a trans character. I enjoyed how strong and independent the women were. I loved the snarky retorts and relationship between Gunnhild and Eirik. I loved the mythology and the historical setting. I enjoyed the ending's conclusion yet openness for more.
Although I haven't read or watched any Game of Thrones, I would still recommend this to anyone who likes the series and/or the Viking era.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the ARC!
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, and Animal death
Moderate: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and War
Minor: Slavery