jenjones83 's review for:

The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 Stars)

The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec is a beautifully written, emotionally layered reimagining of Norse mythology that completely swept me away. This isn’t your typical mythological retelling—it’s tender, intimate, and full of heartache and strength.

The story follows Angrboda, a witch punished by the gods and left for dead, who carves out a quiet, hidden life in the woods—until Loki shows up and turns her world upside down. Their love story is complicated, full of charm and pain, and watching it unfold felt both magical and inevitable. Gornichec does a fantastic job of humanizing these larger-than-life figures, especially giving Angrboda a rich inner world and a fierce sense of motherhood that grounds the fantastical elements of the story.

What I especially loved was how the book explored the quiet power of a woman choosing to survive, to love, and to protect what matters most—even when fate is not on her side. The pacing is slower at times, but that worked for me—it gave space for the characters to breathe, grow, and for the reader to sit with the emotional weight of it all.

This is a powerful blend of myth, love, and fate, with writing that feels both poetic and grounded. If you enjoyed Circe or mythological stories with strong character development, this one is well worth your time.