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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
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
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
When a book generates as much buzz as this one did, it's hard not to get swept up in the excitement. The synopsis promised a sprawling, Norse-inspired fantasy—a premise I adore—and I went in with high hopes for epic world-building and a compelling romance. Unfortunately, what I found was a story that felt like a shadow of its own potential, earning a 2 star rating from me.
My primary struggle was with the main female character. We are repeatedly told she is kind, compassionate, and fiercely loyal to her family, but these traits are rarely shown through her actions. Her defining characteristic is complaining that no one tells her anything, yet she consistently fails to listen or piece together the obvious clues laid right before her. This created a frustrating loop where her ignorance felt more like a plot device than a genuine character trait. This lack of depth extends to her family; her cruel mother appears late in the story, acting as a convenient obstacle without any meaningful backstory to explain their fractured relationship.
The romance, unfortunately, did little to salvage the experience. The love interest fits a familiar mold: the tall, tattooed, broody man who is only soft for our heroine. His "mysterious" and "reserved" nature felt less like an intentional character choice and more like a lack of characterization. Their connection is almost entirely physical from the start. While initial attraction is fine, the narrative rushes them into declaring their profound love for one another less than halfway through the book, without any of the foundational conversations or moments of genuine emotional intimacy to make it believable. Their "epic love" felt unearned and hollow.
Beyond the characters, the plot plods along at a glacial pace. The antagonist's goals are clear from the outset and remain static, removing any sense of evolving stakes or tension. Similarly, the villainous queen is cruel for the sake of being cruel, which makes her subjects' supposed love for her feel baffling and illogical. The story features several "twists," but two of the three were so heavily foreshadowed that their eventual reveal felt more like an inevitability than a shock.
Most critically, the "Norse-inspired" label feels like a marketing tactic. Aside from a few fleeting mentions of gods, the rich, vibrant mythology promised in the synopsis is almost entirely absent.
Who is this book for? If you are looking for a straightforward, trope-heavy romance where the fantasy elements serve merely as a backdrop, this might be a quick and easy read for you. However, if you, like me, were drawn in by the promise of an epic fantasy with deep lore, complex characters, and a world steeped in Norse mythology, you will likely be left feeling underwhelmed and disappointed.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Classic porny romantasy nonsense and I eat it up every single time 💅
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
A stronger fantasy plot line than any other romantasy I’ve read, which I appreciated. In general, it was weaker than what I’d normally look for in a classic fantasy and I saw some of the twists coming. The spicy scenes were also okay, sometimes using phrases I found odd but mostly fine. The main gripe is they kept being horny during dire situations!!
Ugh, this book was so bad, that I swear it has been responsible for my reading slump since April this year. The problem is that it kept masquerading like a book with a plot and characters that might have the potential for a minimal amount of complexity, but my bad, it was just a bad exercise in edging. Our main girl Freya, come ON, get it together, so deeply obsessed with the idea of keeping her family ‘protected’ for most of the book that she signs up for this servitude? She volunteered for that stupid oath??? Where is the plotting, the scheming, the figuring out a damn plan to get out of this? Like I get it, she is young and making young decisions, but it pissed me off. It felt like nothing happened in this book, the pacing is so slow, and it pretends that things are moving on because oh they’re doing this thing, now that thing, now here’s a thing, oh we’re conflicting, now we’re lusting after Bjorn who is CLEARLY up to some shit. So glad it’s over, now I’m freed, I guess I pulled a Freya with this book and suffered through when I could have ended it early.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
