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emi_momo's review
adventurous
fast-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? It's complicated
4.25
elle4352's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Weaver and the Witch Queen is an adult, historical fiction novel about three young women who's lives have been intertwined since childhood in a plot of magic, set on the backdrop of Viking Norway
Things You'll Find:
*Witches and Weaving*
*Norse Names*
*Themes of found family and sisterhood*
I'm a bit unsure of how to describe this story without giving too much away, but overall I would say this is a plot-heavy story that's perfect for history buffs and legend lovers. This story is a reimagining of Gunnhild, Mother of Kings (who I think was a real person, but I'll be honest the internet is not super clear if she was real or if this is like a King Arthur situation where we think he's based off of someone that lived, but he and his legends are not actual accounts of history). Gornichec goes all in incorporating Norse names, places, words, and traditions to really submerge the audience in this world. It does take a minute to adjust, but by the middle of the story I thought the world was pretty airtight. There's a ton of characters in the story, but Gornichec does a great job giving almost all of them a distinct personality and voice, so I was able to differentiate them immediately and create a picture for myself of who they were. I loved the different perspectives of the story and the events that we get through switching between Gunnhild and Oddny. I felt like that balance between their personalities kept me from getting tired of one vs. the other. And I did really enjoy the plot; once I got into Part 2 I was really struggling to put it down. This book has a lot of elements in it including action, enemies to lovers romance, and slow burn romance.
It wasn't a full 5 star read for me because, ultimately, there's A LOT of fight scenes and violence in the book, and too much action does make it hard for me to form a image of what's happening so there were points in the story where I got bored and started skimming over a lot of action scenes. I'm also not a fan of enemies to lovers so the Gunnhild/Erick romance didn't do it for me and really I couldn't get that invested in Oddny's romance either. A few other tidbits that bothered me are spoilers so I'll blur them below, but overall this book is a still a really good read, totally recommend for fans of historical fictions and fans of "The Witch and the Tsar" because I felt the vibes for these stories were similar.
Spoilers:
-Gunnhild and Erick start as enemies and while I'm not an enemies to lovers girl, at first I thought this might be one of my exceptions because I was really feeling it. I liked the back and forth, I liked the animosity I felt like it was just right and made sense, and I saw where they could make a comeback and make things right too. BUT it seemed like Erick completely folded out of nowhere. One day, he's angry at Gunnhild for getting too drunk at the wedding and making him look weak. The next day, he's like "I just want to dote on you all the time but I couldn't because my daddy would think I'm being fake". What? You guys have been at each others throats this entire time, you did not want to dote on her, I don't believe you sir. Just because you didn't let her drown when she fell off a ship doesn't mean you love her, that's a HUGE leap
-I can't get behind Oddny and Halldor's romance. He helped kidnap your sister and sell her into slavery. He may not have followed all the way through, but he was in on it. No we're not lovers, we're not friends, we're not anything sir. I don't care how sorry you are, stay away from me before I stab you.
-I didn't get the emotional impact of the conflict in Act 3 between Gunnhild and Oddny that I think I was supposed to get. There is a battle to the death between Erick and Halldor, very commonplace in the culture according to the author. Both women knew that in order for someone to live, the other person has to die. So for Oddny to get SO upset with Gunnhild because she was trying to help her man win is kind of ridiculous. The story really tries to villify Gunnhild but I mean it seems to me like she just did what Oddny would have if she had thought of it first? You both love the men in this battle, of course you want the man you love to win so he doesn't die, I felt like it really wasn't as personal as the author tried to make it seem. I think I was supposed to feel for Oddny being "betrayed" but....I didn't. Y'all knew the terms and conditions.
-I wish we had done more with Signy. Maybe short chapters inbetween of her and her experiences being sold because by the time Signy is reintroduced into the story and made to be an important player, I didn't care about her as much as I think I should have because she's largely absent from the story.
-I wish we'd developed Erick a little more. The novel really makes a point about how much of a poodle he is for dad by killing his brothers at daddy's command and essentially always doing what he's told. But by the end of the novel, it seems like the leash has just been transferred from daddy to Gunnhild. He's still, mentally, a pushover.
Things You'll Find:
*Witches and Weaving*
*Norse Names*
*Themes of found family and sisterhood*
I'm a bit unsure of how to describe this story without giving too much away, but overall I would say this is a plot-heavy story that's perfect for history buffs and legend lovers. This story is a reimagining of Gunnhild, Mother of Kings (who I think was a real person, but I'll be honest the internet is not super clear if she was real or if this is like a King Arthur situation where we think he's based off of someone that lived, but he and his legends are not actual accounts of history). Gornichec goes all in incorporating Norse names, places, words, and traditions to really submerge the audience in this world. It does take a minute to adjust, but by the middle of the story I thought the world was pretty airtight. There's a ton of characters in the story, but Gornichec does a great job giving almost all of them a distinct personality and voice, so I was able to differentiate them immediately and create a picture for myself of who they were. I loved the different perspectives of the story and the events that we get through switching between Gunnhild and Oddny. I felt like that balance between their personalities kept me from getting tired of one vs. the other. And I did really enjoy the plot; once I got into Part 2 I was really struggling to put it down. This book has a lot of elements in it including action, enemies to lovers romance, and slow burn romance.
It wasn't a full 5 star read for me because, ultimately, there's A LOT of fight scenes and violence in the book, and too much action does make it hard for me to form a image of what's happening so there were points in the story where I got bored and started skimming over a lot of action scenes. I'm also not a fan of enemies to lovers so the Gunnhild/Erick romance didn't do it for me and really I couldn't get that invested in Oddny's romance either. A few other tidbits that bothered me are spoilers so I'll blur them below, but overall this book is a still a really good read, totally recommend for fans of historical fictions and fans of "The Witch and the Tsar" because I felt the vibes for these stories were similar.
Spoilers:
-Gunnhild and Erick start as enemies and while I'm not an enemies to lovers girl, at first I thought this might be one of my exceptions because I was really feeling it. I liked the back and forth, I liked the animosity I felt like it was just right and made sense, and I saw where they could make a comeback and make things right too. BUT it seemed like Erick completely folded out of nowhere. One day, he's angry at Gunnhild for getting too drunk at the wedding and making him look weak. The next day, he's like "I just want to dote on you all the time but I couldn't because my daddy would think I'm being fake". What? You guys have been at each others throats this entire time, you did not want to dote on her, I don't believe you sir. Just because you didn't let her drown when she fell off a ship doesn't mean you love her, that's a HUGE leap
-I can't get behind Oddny and Halldor's romance. He helped kidnap your sister and sell her into slavery. He may not have followed all the way through, but he was in on it. No we're not lovers, we're not friends, we're not anything sir. I don't care how sorry you are, stay away from me before I stab you.
-I didn't get the emotional impact of the conflict in Act 3 between Gunnhild and Oddny that I think I was supposed to get. There is a battle to the death between Erick and Halldor, very commonplace in the culture according to the author. Both women knew that in order for someone to live, the other person has to die. So for Oddny to get SO upset with Gunnhild because she was trying to help her man win is kind of ridiculous. The story really tries to villify Gunnhild but I mean it seems to me like she just did what Oddny would have if she had thought of it first? You both love the men in this battle, of course you want the man you love to win so he doesn't die, I felt like it really wasn't as personal as the author tried to make it seem. I think I was supposed to feel for Oddny being "betrayed" but....I didn't. Y'all knew the terms and conditions.
-I wish we had done more with Signy. Maybe short chapters inbetween of her and her experiences being sold because by the time Signy is reintroduced into the story and made to be an important player, I didn't care about her as much as I think I should have because she's largely absent from the story.
-I wish we'd developed Erick a little more. The novel really makes a point about how much of a poodle he is for dad by killing his brothers at daddy's command and essentially always doing what he's told. But by the end of the novel, it seems like the leash has just been transferred from daddy to Gunnhild. He's still, mentally, a pushover.
koz108's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
rcd229's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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
4.0
livfrew2's review
Did not like the writing style. No complexity to anything. This happened, then this happened, then this happened.
hkrobock's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
annevere01's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kkuffel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
embreads98's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
“A woman need not be defined by her men. She can stand by herself, and make her own way.”
I LOVED THIS BOOK!! Not often do books make me cry, but this one did with its beautiful portrayal of the fierce, complex, unbreakable love that exists within sisterhood, be it by blood or by choice.
Beyond that, there are so many other things to love about this book.
First, menstruation is reference repeatedly throughout. I realized I’ve read so many historical fantasies with female leads and yet none of them have talked about the practical aspects of having a period. One of the female leads of this novel regularly has debilitating cramps and she talks about brewing a tea for them. ALSO she describes the type of undergarment she uses to catch her blood!!
Second, the fight scenes are super engaging. Usually I find myself checking out during battle scenes but the way this author writes them is so descriptive that I can actually see it playing out and it’s riveting.
Third, the romance is a main plot line but at no point do the women sacrifice their personhood or goals for the men they fall for. One of the women is demisexual and she talks about wanting to take things slow and her partner being super respectful and constantly checking in for consent.
Fourth, trans character!!! I can’t say more without spoilers but god we love a queer reveal
My only gripe was with the pacing, the middle does drag on for a bit, but it sets up so much for the last section of the book, when things really pick up and get sooo juicy!!
This book is everything historical fiction should be. I’m obsessed and can’t wait to read everything Genevieve Gornichec ever writes.
I LOVED THIS BOOK!! Not often do books make me cry, but this one did with its beautiful portrayal of the fierce, complex, unbreakable love that exists within sisterhood, be it by blood or by choice.
Beyond that, there are so many other things to love about this book.
First, menstruation is reference repeatedly throughout. I realized I’ve read so many historical fantasies with female leads and yet none of them have talked about the practical aspects of having a period. One of the female leads of this novel regularly has debilitating cramps and she talks about brewing a tea for them. ALSO she describes the type of undergarment she uses to catch her blood!!
Second, the fight scenes are super engaging. Usually I find myself checking out during battle scenes but the way this author writes them is so descriptive that I can actually see it playing out and it’s riveting.
Third, the romance is a main plot line but at no point do the women sacrifice their personhood or goals for the men they fall for. One of the women is demisexual and she talks about wanting to take things slow and her partner being super respectful and constantly checking in for consent.
Fourth, trans character!!! I can’t say more without spoilers but god we love a queer reveal
My only gripe was with the pacing, the middle does drag on for a bit, but it sets up so much for the last section of the book, when things really pick up and get sooo juicy!!
This book is everything historical fiction should be. I’m obsessed and can’t wait to read everything Genevieve Gornichec ever writes.