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r_a_bell's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Somewhat slow, and there are man at moments where I found the main characters to be absolutely infuriating. However, the storyline was compelling and I still wasn’t able to put it down. There is a sapphic storyline, but it isn’t even really acknowledge until the book was almost over, though I was relieved that it was actually addressed in a satisfying way instead of just being dangled in front of us the whole time. Definitely feel like some of the characters didn’t get as much time in the storyline as I felt they deserved. There should also be some trigger warnings as I found a lot of the material to be sensitive, but it’s hard to put into words why, exactly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Abandonment, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Gaslighting, Animal death, Blood, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and War
toriwatson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity
Minor: Miscarriage
leahrosiee's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, War, Pregnancy, Murder, Violence, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Grief, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Chronic illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, and Terminal illness
innastholiel's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Stalking, War, Death, Animal death, and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual content, Alcohol, and Grief
ekmoore11's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, Medical trauma, Torture, War, Grief, Blood, Body horror, and Child death
Moderate: Abandonment, Confinement, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcohol
hannalizzy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I love mythology retellings, and this one definitely stands on its own among them. My first brush with Norse Mythology rather than Greek, and I’m really pleased with how it went because it came from such a unique perspective. Angrboda was easy to love, and such a fierce and protective mother. Loki was easy to hate, but he somehow manages to escape slightly likeable. I was constantly surprised at how the book progressed, and the ending broke my heart. If you loved Circe (like I did) then you’d love this one just as much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Grief, Abandonment, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, War, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Violence
vitacat11's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Pregnancy, and War
Moderate: Miscarriage and Sexual content
karbour99's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
Minor: Miscarriage
anxiousnachos's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I love a good mythology retelling. And I'm a real sucker for the "from a female/feminist perspective" retelling trend that has recently hit the book world. I just loved Miller's Circe when I read it a few years ago (yea, I'm a reading cliche right there). And more recently I also really enjoyed Barker's The Silence of the Girls. So needless to say, I was psyched to see this new one. Plus, I do love Norse mythology and prior to now, many of these retellings have been Greek focused. So, with my copy of Gaiman's Norse Mythology on hand for reference, I got ready to dive into this tale of Loki's wife, Angrboda, "in her own words!"
After a series of run-ins with the gods (more specifically, after having been severely punished by Odin for not providing him with a vision of the future), Angrboda flees to the forests of Jotunheim to hide in peace. While there, she is found by a mysterious, mischievous man who turns out to be Loki, the trickster god, and the two fall for each other. Years later, their complicated, up-and-down relationship ends abruptly when Loki betrays her, and their three unusual children, at the behest of Odin. In the years following, with the help of her friend Skadi (a strong and intense huntress) who, from their first meeting in the woods, through the raising of her unique children, and supporting her during Loki's absences, has never left her side, Angrboda fights for the future of her children (always in her heart, despite being far from her side). Because in the end, Ragnarok is coming, and it’ll take all her powers to try and get them through it.
Yup. This was freaking great. Not quite up to Circe, but probably my new second favorite mythology retelling. The first thing that indicated how much I’d like it was the writing. The oral story-telling, folk/fairy tale vibe style of the writing is damn perfect. It creates the exact right ambiance for the novel and even as it takes a turn for the more “normal” narrative as the plot progresses, it holds on just enough to keep the feeling without overdoing it for the full length. I also loved all the references to Loki’s many, and well-known, misadventures (many of which I know as well as I do from Norse Mythology in the first place, so it was great to have it on hand to refer back to in order to flesh out the minimal details Loki gives Angrboda, to explain his absences, when he visits her). Also, many of the tidbits about Skadi, Angrboda’s children and travels, the other Aesir and Vanir (gods), and more that included details from other parts of the Prose Edda. I have not fully read it, but there was something about the way that Gornichec writes certain sections that prompted me to Google for more info. I loved those hints and the prompt to be able to read/learn more as I went. It was all such a well interwoven representation of Norse stories and writings, into a perspective that was not given the chance to be so represented in the original.
Topically, as with many of these “recasting tales of famous male figures from the female eye,” this was not an easy read as far as what Angrboda deals with. She faces blow after blow against her person, her feelings, her family, her autonomy, her life. And yet, the fight to survive and carve her own space and fight for what matters to her, through whatever route(s) available to her, is a drive strong enough to keep her moving forwards. Of note, here, there was a lovely sapphic respite for her towards the end and while it was bittersweet – as was basically every other part of Angrboda’s life – it was a balm in the midst of everything else. In what probably comes as no surprise given the themes, there is some really wonderful heart symbolism in this novel, both real and metaphorical in juxtaposition, throughout. It could have been overdone easily, but was used sparingly and nicely placed, in my opinion. Related, there is a comforting, in the sense that it would have pleases Angrboda to know it, ending. The reader is left with a strong message about the sacrifices of the heart for the betterment of one’s children and the future they’ll live. There’s also a wonderfully strong message about how, when those on opposite sides of a conflict come together, even against the face of what seems like an inevitable end, there is so much hope for a better tomorrow in that as well.
This was just a gorgeous and deeply enjoyable retelling to read. If you love strong women, those who fight with whatever little they are given (like, if you loved Langoureth in The Lost Queen and The Forgotten Kingdom), with a sprinkle of the magical/supernatural conveyed in language that takes it in stride as the norm, you will love this story too. And as with all folk/fairy tales, the reminder of the power of story-telling its role in memory/memorializing, is strong and leaves the perfect taste in your mouth, as a reader, as you turn the final pages.
“It doesn’t really matter where we came from, does it? We’re here now. We’re ourselves. What more can we be?”
“And I will burn not for the god’s will, but for my own.”
“If hope is for fools, then so be it.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy and Grief
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Infidelity, Kidnapping, and Violence