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A review by dinipandareads
Children by Bjørn Larssen
4.0
I read this book as part of The Storytellers on Tour blog tour. Special thanks to the author for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review! 4 stars
Check out my full review on my blog!
I have to admit that I’m not overly familiar with Norse mythology. I know the “basics” about the gods but I don’t really know their stories. I’ve been meaning to read more about them though, so when this book came up I jumped at the chance to read it. Let me tell you right now: this ended up being much more outside of my comfort zone than I initially expected! I love fantasy but admittedly don’t read much on the darker side of the genre and I would say this falls solidly in that category. Larssen does not shy away from the raw brutality of the nine worlds and I can’t stress that enough.
Some CW/TW (all or most off-page; some mentioned in detail but most not): dubious consent (possibly from a minor although age not 100% clear to me), rape, sexual and mental abuse, incest, addiction, substance abuse, toxic relationships, blood and gore.
TL;DR: An intensely dark story about the Norse gods from the perspective of two “minor” but important characters that shed light on the raw brutality of the human world and the gods they worship. Larssen’s writing is infused with a relieving humour that balanced the story’s darker elements. The world-building and characterisation were exceptionally done and you will come to deeply care for both protagonists. This definitely won’t be for everyone but if you have a strong stomach for dark fantasy and you’re interested in Norse mythology and experiencing a different perspective of the gods, you should definitely give this a try!
Check out my full review on my blog!
I have to admit that I’m not overly familiar with Norse mythology. I know the “basics” about the gods but I don’t really know their stories. I’ve been meaning to read more about them though, so when this book came up I jumped at the chance to read it. Let me tell you right now: this ended up being much more outside of my comfort zone than I initially expected! I love fantasy but admittedly don’t read much on the darker side of the genre and I would say this falls solidly in that category. Larssen does not shy away from the raw brutality of the nine worlds and I can’t stress that enough.
Some CW/TW (all or most off-page; some mentioned in detail but most not): dubious consent (possibly from a minor although age not 100% clear to me), rape, sexual and mental abuse, incest, addiction, substance abuse, toxic relationships, blood and gore.
TL;DR: An intensely dark story about the Norse gods from the perspective of two “minor” but important characters that shed light on the raw brutality of the human world and the gods they worship. Larssen’s writing is infused with a relieving humour that balanced the story’s darker elements. The world-building and characterisation were exceptionally done and you will come to deeply care for both protagonists. This definitely won’t be for everyone but if you have a strong stomach for dark fantasy and you’re interested in Norse mythology and experiencing a different perspective of the gods, you should definitely give this a try!