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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
In a book reminiscent of Circe or Ariadne, Gornichec tells the tale of Angrboda, the mythical giantess and wife of Loki. For those who love the, now many, female-centered retellings of Greek myths, The Witch’s Heart will not disappoint. In a beautiful and intense form writing, this Norse myth comes to life in a wonderful story rarely known or often told.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Witch’s Heart reimagines Norse mythology through Angrboda’s eyes, bringing fresh emotional depth to a world of gods, fate, and survival. While I appreciated how Genevieve Gornichec kept Loki true to his mischievous, morally grey nature, I didn’t personally warm to him — but I also respect that he wasn’t made to be likable. The story picks up after a slower first part while establishing all the main characters, and I loved how Gornichec weaves different myths together. Despite not being well versed with Norse mythology it was done in a way that was easy to grasp.
However, some aspects didn’t quite work for me. The dialogue sometimes felt flat and modern, the banter between Angrboda and Loki were at times too childish and not with much chemistry, and the characters often seemed too youthful for their immense power and sometimes expected gravitas. the mood at times pivots so sharply from loving to bitter and angry and then back to loving without any resolution of the issues raised between Angrboda and Loki, it felt a bit incomplete. The plot also built up toward Odin as a major threat and as a ruthless character, only to shift towards fate being the real antagonist that no one can fight against. Not a bad concept but once again it was so sudden. The rushed romance between Hel and Baldur felt forced, too. While there were clues to this from their first meeting, I felt Held character remained super childish, and Baldur highly idolised. No explanation as to why he abandoned his wife. And again, the banter between the 2 didn't feel like it had chemistry. I did enjoy the portion about the heart though, a nice callback to the start.
Overall, The Witch’s Heart is a quieter, introspective take on Norse myth, with emotional depth but some missed opportunities for greater tension and needed a bit more refinement in character development.
dark
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
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I loved this book ... this witch. We should all have the love and devotion of a great mother witch.
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Although I enjoyed a large part of this book, I could not look past how uncharismatic Loki was.
As the god of mischief, trickery, and deception, one should think that he possessed even an ounce of charm, sadly he did not.
He was the definition of a manchild, thus I did not find the romance between Angrboba and Loki to be believable, at all.
Despite this, I enjoyed reading Angrboba's story alongside those of her children
As the god of mischief, trickery, and deception, one should think that he possessed even an ounce of charm, sadly he did not.
He was the definition of a manchild, thus I did not find the romance between Angrboba and Loki to be believable, at all.
Despite this, I enjoyed reading Angrboba's story alongside those of her children
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
This was a slow read that felt absolutely magical.
It was fascinating to see Ragnarok unfold from the perspective of one of Loki's wives, the witch Angrboda, who isn't one of the well known gods or giants in the thick of the final battle; but a force who plays a more impactful role than anyone realizes.
I love Norse mythology and folklore, and obsessively devour anything I can get my hands on to learn more about it; so this reimagining was so much fun for me to read.
That being said, if I did not already know many of these characters and their stories, I am not sure I would have enjoyed it as much as I did.
I do wish that some elements of the story would have been reimagined with a little bit more of a modern twist
Overall, it is a beautifully written, fresh perspective of Ragnarok and Norse Mythology that was fascinating to read.
Also, the audiobook narrator added SO much magic✨ to this story that this is one of the few books I will recommend to listen to the audiobook first.
It was fascinating to see Ragnarok unfold from the perspective of one of Loki's wives, the witch Angrboda, who isn't one of the well known gods or giants in the thick of the final battle; but a force who plays a more impactful role than anyone realizes.
I love Norse mythology and folklore, and obsessively devour anything I can get my hands on to learn more about it; so this reimagining was so much fun for me to read.
That being said, if I did not already know many of these characters and their stories, I am not sure I would have enjoyed it as much as I did.
I do wish that some elements of the story would have been reimagined with a little bit more of a modern twist
Overall, it is a beautifully written, fresh perspective of Ragnarok and Norse Mythology that was fascinating to read.
Also, the audiobook narrator added SO much magic✨ to this story that this is one of the few books I will recommend to listen to the audiobook first.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated