Book Review
May. 20th, 2024 08:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariThe Witch's Heart
by Genevieve Gornichec
This thoughtful novel is a retelling of Norse myth and legend from the perspective of the jotun witch Angrboda, wife of Loki and mother of Hel, Fenrir, and Jormungand. After surviving three attempts at burning by the gods, Angrboda retreats to the Iron Forest to heal and live quietly, hidden away from the gods' cruelty. Loki finds her there and they eventually fall in love, establish a somewhat unconventional relationship, and have three children. Angrboda also receives visits from Skadi, with whom she forms a close friendship. Angrboda thus settles into a peaceful and happy life. However, when her prophetic powers reawaken and show her the approach of Ragnarok, things start to fall apart. Her happy family life crumbles and she must decide what to do and what to save in the face of the apocalypse.
I enjoyed this novel and the way it looks at momentous and often epic events through the eyes of a secondary figure who is not trying to be a hero. Most of the big and familiar tales happen mostly in the background, told as news carried to Angrboda from afar. Angrboda is a very interesting and sympathetic character. I liked how she had an uneasy relationship with her magical powers yet a very easy one with her strange and magical children. The arc of her relationship with Loki was also satisfying if not necessarily always happy. Gornichec's writing is lovely; her style is a little on the spare side, which makes the imagery stand out more.
by Genevieve Gornichec
This thoughtful novel is a retelling of Norse myth and legend from the perspective of the jotun witch Angrboda, wife of Loki and mother of Hel, Fenrir, and Jormungand. After surviving three attempts at burning by the gods, Angrboda retreats to the Iron Forest to heal and live quietly, hidden away from the gods' cruelty. Loki finds her there and they eventually fall in love, establish a somewhat unconventional relationship, and have three children. Angrboda also receives visits from Skadi, with whom she forms a close friendship. Angrboda thus settles into a peaceful and happy life. However, when her prophetic powers reawaken and show her the approach of Ragnarok, things start to fall apart. Her happy family life crumbles and she must decide what to do and what to save in the face of the apocalypse.
I enjoyed this novel and the way it looks at momentous and often epic events through the eyes of a secondary figure who is not trying to be a hero. Most of the big and familiar tales happen mostly in the background, told as news carried to Angrboda from afar. Angrboda is a very interesting and sympathetic character. I liked how she had an uneasy relationship with her magical powers yet a very easy one with her strange and magical children. The arc of her relationship with Loki was also satisfying if not necessarily always happy. Gornichec's writing is lovely; her style is a little on the spare side, which makes the imagery stand out more.
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Date: 2024-05-21 07:16 pm (UTC)