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A review by _onemorechapter_
The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? No
4.25
๐ป.๐พ: death, blood, violence, murder, attempted murder, abuse, pregnancy complications, death of a loved one, injury, grief
๐ญWitchical & Fantastical read
The Witch's Heart is a retelling of Norse mythology centered around the giantess witch Angrboda. I love the Norse myths and this book gives you a completely different side to the stories. Angrboda is not a character I knew much about beyond her being Loki's 'mate' and the mother of three 'monsters'. Gornichec's imagination humanizes and empowers this lesser-known character quite beautifully. Here, she has her own story. Isolated witch in a cave, friend and brave, fiercely protective mother. Powerful and emotive.
The witch Angrboda is known for seid, the power to divine the future. When Odin, the highest of the Norse gods, demands her power for himself, she refuses. He punishes her by burning her three times on the pyre, but she escapes, leaving her smoldering heart behind. When a man shows up in the remote forest she's hiding and offers her heart back, so starts the love story between Angrboda and Loki. A chance meeting with another giantess and a budding romance with everyone's favorite Norse misfit, Loki, sets Angrboda on a path of self-(re)discovery. Angrboda gives birth to three of their children(Hel, a small girl with dead legs, Fenrir, a wolf, and Jรถrmungand, a serpent), each one more unusual than the last, and raised in secret in the protected forest away from the prying eyes of Asgard. The witch of the woods cannot hold the gods at bay forever though, and when a betrayal severs the protection over the forest, her children are taken. To enact revenge upon the gods, Angrboda will need to reach deep into the expanse of her magic, becoming once again the very thing they feared enough to burn and set in motion a chain of events that will remake the world as they know it.
And that journey is not just an unravelling of Angrboda's past, but a moving tale of the complex relationships the reclusive protagonist forms with her lovers, friends, children, and even her enemies. This is the essence of the novel, and unlike so many stories (particularly fantasy and mythology-based stories), none of the supporting cast is one-note or even your classic good guy or bad guy. These characters, almost all deities of a sort, are among the most human characters I've ever experienced, none perhaps more so than Loki.
I have a personal fascination with Loki. He is one of the most prominent characters in the surviving Norse myths, but seems to defy most cultural norms of men during the Viking Age (he's genderfluid, is a mother as well as a father, rarely fights, etc.), yet is also Odin's blood brother, but also (perhaps unsurprisingly) was most definitely never worshipped or revered. Needless to say, he is a compelling godโand Gornichec not only captures the spirit of Loki but somehow manages to deepen his complexity. He manages to be funny, charming, childish and infuriating all in one. Loki is often thought of as a trickster or the god of mischief, and Gornichec does not shy away from this reputation. In one of my favorite explorations of the character, she never seems to provide an actual reason (at least initially) why he creates trouble, other than that he is bored. This does so much to convey what type of individual Loki is, and yet also tells us frustratingly little about any ulterior motives he may have, which makes him all the more fun to read about when he's on the page.
This story grabbed me from the very first page. It has everything you'd expect from a mythological retelling: love, intrigue, betrayal, loneliness, heartbreak, revenge, forgiveness, some mystery to go along with it and ultimately redemption. And since every part of this story was new to me, I was able to savor every single development and twist. I have to say that I did learn a lot about this character that was unfamiliar to me. I was constantly Googling Angrboda, who as a giantess witch, mated with Loki and produced three "monster" children. I also learned more about other Norse gods, goddesses and various supreme beings and their demise during Ragnarok which Angrboda prophesized.
There were certain moments when I felt that the pacing did drag, but that was just completely overshadowed upon reaching the last quarter of the book. The whole journey came full circle with epic battles, reconciliations, and development so heartbreaking it shattered my very soul.
The fully formed characters and their relationships very much contribute to this captivating reimagining. Angrboda, in particular, is a compelling female character, uncompromisingly strong in the face of adversity, but also tender and loving. Her complicated relationship with Loki and Skadi, as well as her children, and all the impossible decisions she has to make, are at the heart of this tale.
Loki's banter with Angrboda, which is equal parts hilarious and exasperating are treat to read! Loki and Angrboda had a very untraditional relationship, and while Loki never gave her all she deserved, it was clear that he was really dependent on her and truly cared for her. It was a side of Loki, that is not usually shown in the original mythology. And the relationship he has with baby Hel is so adorable! The relationship between Skadi and Angrboda is definitely one built on trust and respect, which is the best kind there is.
There were also glimpses of a relationship between Angrboda's daughter Hel and the god Baldur, and I would have really liked to see this explored more - but I also think it would've added a lot extra to the novel! So I'd be interested in seeing a novel written that explores the relationship between Hel and Baldur, as Gornichec makes it a really fascinating one with a lot of potential (and feels like a reversed Hades and Persephone).
It was such a treasure to see how many other goddesses, like Skadi, Gerd and Freya, were given more attention as well. They had wills, desires and ambitions of their own. Too often we tend to think of Norse goddesses in terms of the men in their lives - here they are characters in their own right.
As much as this story had me enthralled, my interest increased once I realized this book is like a companion book to Neil Gaimanโs Norse Mythology. Not far into The Witchโs Heart did I recognize that parts of the myths were familiar to me. See I heard Gaiman narrate his (fabulous) book Norse Mythology, told from Lokiโs point of view. It was full of individual tales of the gods (most of them featuring the jokester, Loki). Listening to Angrbodaโs story was new to me. However, knowing Lokiโs point of view about the myths was like having another delicious layer added to Angrbodaโs experiences.
Overall, it is a book you wonโt easily forget. It was easy to get lost in this rich and magical world. No doubt itโs a must for fans of mythological fantasy and retellings, but I have a feeling it will also speak to anyone who enjoys multilayered and character-focused stories of family and friendships. Crafted with no small amount of dedication and skill. I'm so glad I took a chance on this book.
๐.๐ It was the first book by this author that I have read, and The Witchโs Heart dazzled me, I will be watching out for the authorโs future work with great interest.
๐ธ๐ด๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐: โญโญโญโญ.25
๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐: 4.05 (49787)
๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐: Norse Mythology, Historical fantasy, Romance novel, Magical Realism, and Supernatural fiction
๐ธ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐: Holy Moly Yes!
This is the perfect book to read when youโre looking for a little change of pace in your reading. A magical tale sprinkled with romance and adventure, filled with gods and monsters. I love this book and can't recommend it enough.
Anyone interested in fantasy, Norse mythology, witches and magic, romance, and strong female characters may find this is a book that lingers with them.
๐ธ ๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ธ๐๐๐๐๐:
โThere is a difference between understanding and forgiveness. Itโs possible to have one without the other.โ
โThe ending doesnโt matter. What matters is how we get there. To face whatโs ahead with as much dignity as we can muster and make the most of the time we have left.โ
โIt doesnโt really matter where we came from, does it? Weโre here now. Weโre ourselves. What more can we be?โ
โMy heart is so much more than it once was, even if it now beats outside my chest.โ
โGuilt is a heavy thing, Mother Witch, she said. It's best left behind if you want to move forward.โ
โLoki may have loved you if he could. But all he ever brought for you was pain. You know it. We both know it. I wished to be more for you, Angrbodr. So much more. I loved you then, I love you now. I will love you until I die. And even after. Whatever comes then, I will love you still. Even though you're a fool, and you've used me the same way Loki has used you. But I suppose that makes me a fool as well.โ
โI would have all of you,โ he said quietly, brushing her nose with his. โI would have everything.โ
โThat's because I love you, and you love me. And even as I speak these words now, they terrify me, but I know them to be true. More than anything else, I know this. And so do you.โ
โI promise. I just need you to be brave. Be brave and keep your chin up. So long as you do that, you'll always remember who you are. And so will everyone else."
Hel sniffled, " Who I am?"
"Yes. Who you are. Sometimes it's all you have, so you should never let anyone make you feel ashamed of it.โ
๐ญWitchical & Fantastical read
The Witch's Heart is a retelling of Norse mythology centered around the giantess witch Angrboda. I love the Norse myths and this book gives you a completely different side to the stories. Angrboda is not a character I knew much about beyond her being Loki's 'mate' and the mother of three 'monsters'. Gornichec's imagination humanizes and empowers this lesser-known character quite beautifully. Here, she has her own story. Isolated witch in a cave, friend and brave, fiercely protective mother. Powerful and emotive.
The witch Angrboda is known for seid, the power to divine the future. When Odin, the highest of the Norse gods, demands her power for himself, she refuses. He punishes her by burning her three times on the pyre, but she escapes, leaving her smoldering heart behind. When a man shows up in the remote forest she's hiding and offers her heart back, so starts the love story between Angrboda and Loki. A chance meeting with another giantess and a budding romance with everyone's favorite Norse misfit, Loki, sets Angrboda on a path of self-(re)discovery. Angrboda gives birth to three of their children(Hel, a small girl with dead legs, Fenrir, a wolf, and Jรถrmungand, a serpent), each one more unusual than the last, and raised in secret in the protected forest away from the prying eyes of Asgard. The witch of the woods cannot hold the gods at bay forever though, and when a betrayal severs the protection over the forest, her children are taken. To enact revenge upon the gods, Angrboda will need to reach deep into the expanse of her magic, becoming once again the very thing they feared enough to burn and set in motion a chain of events that will remake the world as they know it.
And that journey is not just an unravelling of Angrboda's past, but a moving tale of the complex relationships the reclusive protagonist forms with her lovers, friends, children, and even her enemies. This is the essence of the novel, and unlike so many stories (particularly fantasy and mythology-based stories), none of the supporting cast is one-note or even your classic good guy or bad guy. These characters, almost all deities of a sort, are among the most human characters I've ever experienced, none perhaps more so than Loki.
I have a personal fascination with Loki. He is one of the most prominent characters in the surviving Norse myths, but seems to defy most cultural norms of men during the Viking Age (he's genderfluid, is a mother as well as a father, rarely fights, etc.), yet is also Odin's blood brother, but also (perhaps unsurprisingly) was most definitely never worshipped or revered. Needless to say, he is a compelling godโand Gornichec not only captures the spirit of Loki but somehow manages to deepen his complexity. He manages to be funny, charming, childish and infuriating all in one. Loki is often thought of as a trickster or the god of mischief, and Gornichec does not shy away from this reputation. In one of my favorite explorations of the character, she never seems to provide an actual reason (at least initially) why he creates trouble, other than that he is bored. This does so much to convey what type of individual Loki is, and yet also tells us frustratingly little about any ulterior motives he may have, which makes him all the more fun to read about when he's on the page.
This story grabbed me from the very first page. It has everything you'd expect from a mythological retelling: love, intrigue, betrayal, loneliness, heartbreak, revenge, forgiveness, some mystery to go along with it and ultimately redemption. And since every part of this story was new to me, I was able to savor every single development and twist. I have to say that I did learn a lot about this character that was unfamiliar to me. I was constantly Googling Angrboda, who as a giantess witch, mated with Loki and produced three "monster" children. I also learned more about other Norse gods, goddesses and various supreme beings and their demise during Ragnarok which Angrboda prophesized.
There were certain moments when I felt that the pacing did drag, but that was just completely overshadowed upon reaching the last quarter of the book. The whole journey came full circle with epic battles, reconciliations, and development so heartbreaking it shattered my very soul.
The fully formed characters and their relationships very much contribute to this captivating reimagining. Angrboda, in particular, is a compelling female character, uncompromisingly strong in the face of adversity, but also tender and loving. Her complicated relationship with Loki and Skadi, as well as her children, and all the impossible decisions she has to make, are at the heart of this tale.
Loki's banter with Angrboda, which is equal parts hilarious and exasperating are treat to read! Loki and Angrboda had a very untraditional relationship, and while Loki never gave her all she deserved, it was clear that he was really dependent on her and truly cared for her. It was a side of Loki, that is not usually shown in the original mythology. And the relationship he has with baby Hel is so adorable! The relationship between Skadi and Angrboda is definitely one built on trust and respect, which is the best kind there is.
There were also glimpses of a relationship between Angrboda's daughter Hel and the god Baldur, and I would have really liked to see this explored more - but I also think it would've added a lot extra to the novel! So I'd be interested in seeing a novel written that explores the relationship between Hel and Baldur, as Gornichec makes it a really fascinating one with a lot of potential (and feels like a reversed Hades and Persephone).
It was such a treasure to see how many other goddesses, like Skadi, Gerd and Freya, were given more attention as well. They had wills, desires and ambitions of their own. Too often we tend to think of Norse goddesses in terms of the men in their lives - here they are characters in their own right.
As much as this story had me enthralled, my interest increased once I realized this book is like a companion book to Neil Gaimanโs Norse Mythology. Not far into The Witchโs Heart did I recognize that parts of the myths were familiar to me. See I heard Gaiman narrate his (fabulous) book Norse Mythology, told from Lokiโs point of view. It was full of individual tales of the gods (most of them featuring the jokester, Loki). Listening to Angrbodaโs story was new to me. However, knowing Lokiโs point of view about the myths was like having another delicious layer added to Angrbodaโs experiences.
Overall, it is a book you wonโt easily forget. It was easy to get lost in this rich and magical world. No doubt itโs a must for fans of mythological fantasy and retellings, but I have a feeling it will also speak to anyone who enjoys multilayered and character-focused stories of family and friendships. Crafted with no small amount of dedication and skill. I'm so glad I took a chance on this book.
๐.๐ It was the first book by this author that I have read, and The Witchโs Heart dazzled me, I will be watching out for the authorโs future work with great interest.
๐ธ๐ด๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐: โญโญโญโญ.25
๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐: 4.05 (49787)
๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐: Norse Mythology, Historical fantasy, Romance novel, Magical Realism, and Supernatural fiction
๐ธ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐: Holy Moly Yes!
This is the perfect book to read when youโre looking for a little change of pace in your reading. A magical tale sprinkled with romance and adventure, filled with gods and monsters. I love this book and can't recommend it enough.
Anyone interested in fantasy, Norse mythology, witches and magic, romance, and strong female characters may find this is a book that lingers with them.
๐ธ ๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ธ๐๐๐๐๐:
โThere is a difference between understanding and forgiveness. Itโs possible to have one without the other.โ
โThe ending doesnโt matter. What matters is how we get there. To face whatโs ahead with as much dignity as we can muster and make the most of the time we have left.โ
โIt doesnโt really matter where we came from, does it? Weโre here now. Weโre ourselves. What more can we be?โ
โMy heart is so much more than it once was, even if it now beats outside my chest.โ
โGuilt is a heavy thing, Mother Witch, she said. It's best left behind if you want to move forward.โ
โLoki may have loved you if he could. But all he ever brought for you was pain. You know it. We both know it. I wished to be more for you, Angrbodr. So much more. I loved you then, I love you now. I will love you until I die. And even after. Whatever comes then, I will love you still. Even though you're a fool, and you've used me the same way Loki has used you. But I suppose that makes me a fool as well.โ
โI would have all of you,โ he said quietly, brushing her nose with his. โI would have everything.โ
โThat's because I love you, and you love me. And even as I speak these words now, they terrify me, but I know them to be true. More than anything else, I know this. And so do you.โ
โI promise. I just need you to be brave. Be brave and keep your chin up. So long as you do that, you'll always remember who you are. And so will everyone else."
Hel sniffled, " Who I am?"
"Yes. Who you are. Sometimes it's all you have, so you should never let anyone make you feel ashamed of it.โ