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The Weaver and the Witch Queen
The lives of two women—one desperate only to save her missing sister, the other a witch destined to become queen of Norway—intertwine in this spellbinding, powerful novel of Viking Age history and myth from the acclaimed author of The Witch’s Heart.
Oddny and Gunnhild meet as children in tenth century Norway, and they could not be more different: Oddny hopes for a quiet life, while Gunnhild burns for power and longs to escape her cruel mother. But after a visiting wisewoman makes an ominous prophecy that involves Oddny, her sister Signy, and Gunnhild, the three girls take a blood oath to help one another always.
When Oddny’s farm is destroyed and Signy is kidnapped by Viking raiders, Oddny is set adrift from the life she imagined—but she's determined to save her sister no matter the cost, even as she finds herself irresistibly drawn to one of the raiders who participated in the attack. And in the far north, Gunnhild, who fled her home years ago to learn the ways of a witch, is surprised to find her destiny seems to be linked with that of the formidable King Eirik, heir apparent to the ruler of all Norway.
But the bonds—both enchanted and emotional—that hold the two women together are strong, and when they find their way back to each other, these bonds will be tested in ways they never could have foreseen in this deeply moving novel of magic, history, and sworn sisterhood.
Oddny and Gunnhild meet as children in tenth century Norway, and they could not be more different: Oddny hopes for a quiet life, while Gunnhild burns for power and longs to escape her cruel mother. But after a visiting wisewoman makes an ominous prophecy that involves Oddny, her sister Signy, and Gunnhild, the three girls take a blood oath to help one another always.
When Oddny’s farm is destroyed and Signy is kidnapped by Viking raiders, Oddny is set adrift from the life she imagined—but she's determined to save her sister no matter the cost, even as she finds herself irresistibly drawn to one of the raiders who participated in the attack. And in the far north, Gunnhild, who fled her home years ago to learn the ways of a witch, is surprised to find her destiny seems to be linked with that of the formidable King Eirik, heir apparent to the ruler of all Norway.
But the bonds—both enchanted and emotional—that hold the two women together are strong, and when they find their way back to each other, these bonds will be tested in ways they never could have foreseen in this deeply moving novel of magic, history, and sworn sisterhood.
424 pages, Hardcover
First published July 25, 2023
About the author
Genevieve Gornichec
8 books2,477 followersGenevieve Gornichec very occasionally logs on here to rate a book or two. She lives in northeast Ohio, where she has been known to haunt local coffee shops and also pretend to be a tenth-century Scandinavian weaver on the weekends.
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July 31, 2023Content warnings below!
7/23: Weaver is out in the world! I've been tagged in several social media posts saying this, so I just want to clarify: This is not a mythology retelling! It's a fantastical reimagining of a quasi-historical figure's origin story. The Norse gods are mentioned because the characters believe in them, but the book is not about them. And now I'm disappearing again - thank you so much and happy reading!
3/23: Content Warnings! Please be advised that The Weaver and the Witch Queen contains instances of:
- Death
- Violence
- Gore
- Sex
- Abuse by a parent
- Misogyny
- Self-mutilation
- Death of a parent and sibling
- Mention of child death (not depicted on screen)
- Mention of sexual assault (not depicted on screen)
- Excessive menstrual pain and blood
- Animal sacrifice (not super graphic)
- Animal death (also not graphic)
- Depiction of slavery in the Viking Age
Also, here is an expanded list of content warnings that also contains spoilers for the book.
If you have read Weaver and think that additional content warnings are required, or if the above link needs further details added, please DO NOT HESITATE to reach out to me using the contact form on my website or a DM on Instagram. This book deals with some heavy topics and I want everyone to be able to read safely.
Also, since acknowledgments didn't make it into the ARC copies, I want to give a shoutout and a huge thank-you to the sensitivity readers and the rest of the team at Salt & Sage Books for working with me on Weaver from the very first draft. I can't recommend their services highly enough. (And ofc, any mistakes are my own.)
And with that, I am disappearing from Goodreads! Happy reading, y'all.
11/22: Hi friends! This book is still in revisions right now, but before ARCs go out I'll be posting content warnings here as well as on my website, where I also plan to add a more detailed CW list that will contain spoilers. Thank you! <3
7/23: Weaver is out in the world! I've been tagged in several social media posts saying this, so I just want to clarify: This is not a mythology retelling! It's a fantastical reimagining of a quasi-historical figure's origin story. The Norse gods are mentioned because the characters believe in them, but the book is not about them. And now I'm disappearing again - thank you so much and happy reading!
3/23: Content Warnings! Please be advised that The Weaver and the Witch Queen contains instances of:
- Death
- Violence
- Gore
- Sex
- Abuse by a parent
- Misogyny
- Self-mutilation
- Death of a parent and sibling
- Mention of child death (not depicted on screen)
- Mention of sexual assault (not depicted on screen)
- Excessive menstrual pain and blood
- Animal sacrifice (not super graphic)
- Animal death (also not graphic)
- Depiction of slavery in the Viking Age
Also, here is an expanded list of content warnings that also contains spoilers for the book.
If you have read Weaver and think that additional content warnings are required, or if the above link needs further details added, please DO NOT HESITATE to reach out to me using the contact form on my website or a DM on Instagram. This book deals with some heavy topics and I want everyone to be able to read safely.
Also, since acknowledgments didn't make it into the ARC copies, I want to give a shoutout and a huge thank-you to the sensitivity readers and the rest of the team at Salt & Sage Books for working with me on Weaver from the very first draft. I can't recommend their services highly enough. (And ofc, any mistakes are my own.)
And with that, I am disappearing from Goodreads! Happy reading, y'all.
11/22: Hi friends! This book is still in revisions right now, but before ARCs go out I'll be posting content warnings here as well as on my website, where I also plan to add a more detailed CW list that will contain spoilers. Thank you! <3
May 6, 2023
I waivered on how I felt about this book, much like I did with her other book, The Witch's Heart. Gornichec's stories are intriguing and I appreciate that she writes flawed characters and complex relationships. Where she falls short, however, is in language and dialogue. For a story set in the Viking age her language feels modern and dialogue basic, bordering on elementary. I literally cringed when a Viking king retorted "takes one to know one." This middle school-ish I-know-you-are-but-what-am-I back and forth between historical characters distracted from an otherwise good story. The whole book is heavy on (bad) dialogue and lacking in complex world-building, which began to test my patience, and by the last quarter of the book I was simply skimming to see how it ended.
I think Gornichec will appeal to readers who are looking for a simple and easy read with a historical and mythical setting. However, after reading two of her books I would not recommend her to people who are well-versed in the historical or fantasy genres, as I think their bar for realistic language, world-building, and accurate contextual dialogue will be too high.
I think Gornichec will appeal to readers who are looking for a simple and easy read with a historical and mythical setting. However, after reading two of her books I would not recommend her to people who are well-versed in the historical or fantasy genres, as I think their bar for realistic language, world-building, and accurate contextual dialogue will be too high.
Want to read
December 14, 2022Please break me like The Witch’s Heart did 🙏
August 1, 2023
i will be seated
July 19, 2023
Quick Review:
Heck yeah. I flew through this glorious read (like a witchy swallow bird, tyvm😅). Gornichec is one of those authors that continues to surprise and delight me. I really enjoyed The Witches Heart (solid 4 star)- but this story really had it all for me. Complicated sibling love, romance, humor, tenderness, found family etc.-things I find deeply satisfying when they are done right. (And done right, they are!) Get this in your TBR, you’ll see what I mean.
Side note- My goodness, Arinbjorn is my favorite new character. I would read a whole book just from his POV.
Recommended…
- With your next (cold) barley salad or beef and turnip stew.
- For fans of Rebecca Ross, Shauna Lawless and Juliet Marillier
- When you need some witty banter that is laugh out loud.
- If you are looking for something book club worthy with your girlfriends.
4.5/5 Rounded up to let you know the hype is real.
Heck yeah. I flew through this glorious read (like a witchy swallow bird, tyvm😅). Gornichec is one of those authors that continues to surprise and delight me. I really enjoyed The Witches Heart (solid 4 star)- but this story really had it all for me. Complicated sibling love, romance, humor, tenderness, found family etc.-things I find deeply satisfying when they are done right. (And done right, they are!) Get this in your TBR, you’ll see what I mean.
Side note- My goodness, Arinbjorn is my favorite new character. I would read a whole book just from his POV.
Recommended…
- With your next (cold) barley salad or beef and turnip stew.
- For fans of Rebecca Ross, Shauna Lawless and Juliet Marillier
- When you need some witty banter that is laugh out loud.
- If you are looking for something book club worthy with your girlfriends.
4.5/5 Rounded up to let you know the hype is real.
August 2, 2023
The Witch's Heart has been my favorite book since it first came out, so I had such high hopes for this novel. Honestly, it feels like it was written by a completely different author.
The story is disjointed, hard to follow, and just meanders at a snail's pace. Modern language and phrases took me out of the setting. A dying woman saying, "I'm done for!" just came across as juvenile and and silly. The whole story of finding and rescuing a missing person just to casually bump into them a few pages later seemed like such a waste of time.
The author also seemed to desperately want to push an LGTBQA agenda by introducing a transgender character halfway through the novel, and proceed to go into detail about how his menstrual cycle synced with another woman's. Again, this took me completely out of the story. Did that have ANYTHING to do with the story? Did any of the characters' sexuality, periods, or anatomy have anything to do with moving the plot forward? It felt forced and completely irrelevant to the story. It came across at the author saying, "Look at me! I have an LGBTQA character!" She didn't develop the character's story, give any context, explain his life, etc. Just threw him in to check a box.
This definitely read like a YA historical romance and is radically different than that Witch's Heart. Very glad I got this from the library and didn't spend actual money on it. Two stars only because the first chapter seemed like a true historical fiction and was entertaining.
The story is disjointed, hard to follow, and just meanders at a snail's pace. Modern language and phrases took me out of the setting. A dying woman saying, "I'm done for!" just came across as juvenile and and silly. The whole story of finding and rescuing a missing person just to casually bump into them a few pages later seemed like such a waste of time.
The author also seemed to desperately want to push an LGTBQA agenda by introducing a transgender character halfway through the novel, and proceed to go into detail about how his menstrual cycle synced with another woman's. Again, this took me completely out of the story. Did that have ANYTHING to do with the story? Did any of the characters' sexuality, periods, or anatomy have anything to do with moving the plot forward? It felt forced and completely irrelevant to the story. It came across at the author saying, "Look at me! I have an LGBTQA character!" She didn't develop the character's story, give any context, explain his life, etc. Just threw him in to check a box.
This definitely read like a YA historical romance and is radically different than that Witch's Heart. Very glad I got this from the library and didn't spend actual money on it. Two stars only because the first chapter seemed like a true historical fiction and was entertaining.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2023
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 hearts
The Weaver and the Witch Queen is a semi-Viking tale about three girls both bound together and torn apart by a prophecy. The three have their fates are intertwined when a wisewoman gives a reading at a village celebration. One girl leaves in an attempt to avoid the choices made for her by an abusive parent, the other two grow up together with a shadow cast over their futures. A decade after the foretelling they will be reunited, Gunnhild and Oddney will have to work together to save Signy the sister taken by raiders.
I enjoyed a lot of portions of this book. Three women tied together by magic with the determination to make the sacrifices needed to save their blood oath sister. Gunnhild, will make a bargain to ensure the help of the future king in order to say her friend from childhood. All three women are strong in different ways. Oddney has a tender soul and spirit but a fierce determination. She didn't know how strong she really was until she needed to save the sister stolen by raiders. Signy captured will eventually have to find a way to deal with the trauma she survived and all three women will have to find ways to live their own lives, but also find a way to save and forgive each other.
The magic in The Weaver and the Witch was one of my favorite parts as it wasn't overdone and seemed like it fit into the time. I also enjoyed the eventual love story between Gunnhild and the future king Eirik. A few of the side characters stole some of the best scenes and really were almost more interesting than the main characters. Arinbjorn was one those characters, half brother of the future king he is given the free reign to add a little levity to the very serious Eirik. I do have one small issue with the book. There is a character that ended up . It seemed very far fetched in a Viking tale and that character ended up as one of the romantic interests. I just had a hard time buying into so many people in a Norse tale being so accepting of this situation.
I enjoyed the resolution to the story even though parts of it were a bit sloggy. I would have liked an epilogue showing Gunnhild and Eirik later in life together since it was eluded that she would become a very bloodthirsty Queen, much worse and Eirik. It would have been fun to have that confirmed or dispelled to bring the story to a full conclusion. But other than those few minor issues this is a great follow-up to Genevieve Gornichec's first book The Witch's Heart.
Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 hearts
The Weaver and the Witch Queen is a semi-Viking tale about three girls both bound together and torn apart by a prophecy. The three have their fates are intertwined when a wisewoman gives a reading at a village celebration. One girl leaves in an attempt to avoid the choices made for her by an abusive parent, the other two grow up together with a shadow cast over their futures. A decade after the foretelling they will be reunited, Gunnhild and Oddney will have to work together to save Signy the sister taken by raiders.
I enjoyed a lot of portions of this book. Three women tied together by magic with the determination to make the sacrifices needed to save their blood oath sister. Gunnhild, will make a bargain to ensure the help of the future king in order to say her friend from childhood. All three women are strong in different ways. Oddney has a tender soul and spirit but a fierce determination. She didn't know how strong she really was until she needed to save the sister stolen by raiders. Signy captured will eventually have to find a way to deal with the trauma she survived and all three women will have to find ways to live their own lives, but also find a way to save and forgive each other.
The magic in The Weaver and the Witch was one of my favorite parts as it wasn't overdone and seemed like it fit into the time. I also enjoyed the eventual love story between Gunnhild and the future king Eirik. A few of the side characters stole some of the best scenes and really were almost more interesting than the main characters. Arinbjorn was one those characters, half brother of the future king he is given the free reign to add a little levity to the very serious Eirik. I do have one small issue with the book. There is a character that ended up . It seemed very far fetched in a Viking tale and that character ended up as one of the romantic interests. I just had a hard time buying into so many people in a Norse tale being so accepting of this situation.
I enjoyed the resolution to the story even though parts of it were a bit sloggy. I would have liked an epilogue showing Gunnhild and Eirik later in life together since it was eluded that she would become a very bloodthirsty Queen, much worse and Eirik. It would have been fun to have that confirmed or dispelled to bring the story to a full conclusion. But other than those few minor issues this is a great follow-up to Genevieve Gornichec's first book The Witch's Heart.
“Your enemies are my enemies.” At once he recognized his own words from the day they’d bound themselves with blood nearly a moon ago, and a ghost of a grim, determined smile played at his lips. This wedding was for his family, the people, the gods. But these words were a reminder of the oath they’d already taken, a reminder for just the two of them. “And your fate is my fate,” he said.
August 24, 2023
After finishing The Witch's Heart, I'd decided to skip out on Gornichec's next novel, The Weaver and the Witch Queen, but lo and behold, I received my free copy from a Goodreads giveaway and asked for a review by Berkley Press. Not one to back down from an obligation, I put it at the top of my TBR pile and here we are a month later. Because this was a request, I'm deciding to actually type a review on a computer instead of a brief thought on a phone, which is my typical style.
The Weaver and the Witch Queen revolves around the friendship of Gunnhild, and sisters Oddny and Signy. Gunnhild, as the Sagas tell us, is the Mother of Kings and progenitor of Norway's royal families. Oddny and Signy are purely fictional, but their roles serve to launch the story's main conflict. These three friends are separated early in life as Gunnhild is taken in as an apprentice to a witch, while Oddny and Signy continue life on their family farm.
Ten years pass since the last time the friends met, though Gunnhild checks in from time to time in the form of a sparrow. It's on one of these occasions that the sisters' village is laid seige to. Their family is killed, Signy is dragged away by raiders under the direction of a witch, and Gunnhild is not strong enough in her craft to save them. What follows is a sad reunion between Gunnhild and Oddny, their plot to save Signy, and the loves they find along the way.
As with The Witch's Heart, Gornichec's writing is lackluster and shallow. Though she takes pride in her BA in History, she would've been better served in trying for a degree in creative writing if this is the direction she wants to go in with her pet interests. Her writing is heavily dialogue driven. If you're anything like me as a reader, you tend to skim through the unimportant narrative portions between dialogue because it's not all that exciting. "He smiled," or "She turned," are not really details I need to enjoy a story, but I do appreciate narrative that paints a picture of the environment, or lets us get insight into what characters are thinking or feeling. There is very little of that here, and when it does happen, it's brief and holds no real emotional weight because all we have to run off of is dialogue.
For example, when Gunnhild and Eirik, her hesitant ally, reluctant fiance, and eventual beloved husband come to blows in the last quarter of the book, Eirik questions Gunnhild's motives in marrying him. This is immediately after Gunnhild and Oddny have an argument where Oddny does the same thing. Gunnhild is hurt, which we know because we're told as much, but I can't buy it because we've had no real time in her head, had no moments of introspection or the formation of real emotional attachment to Eirik. Honestly, I think Eirik and Oddny have a point and Gunnhild comes off as being insincere because we don't know her. Gornichec doesn't know her. She's not real in the way that good fiction can make her real.
The first quarter of the book feels forced in an effort to sell the audience on the idea that the three friends are really REALLY close and that Signy is in real danger after she is taken. We are introduced to these characters in that sort of way that feels like a set up, rather than in an immersive and deeply connected manner. They describe each other to each other because that's the only way we can apparently get to know them and as though it's normal to enter into a room and immediately start informing your friends that they are this or that like you haven't known them for a long time. By page one hundred, you're expecting a journey on which you can see characters grow, but conveniently (this book is FULL of conveniences, like the fact that Gunnhild is engaged briefly for a minute to another guy, but he conveniently disappears for the rest of the book once she agrees to Eirik's proposal) all it takes to travel is turning the page because the ships they travel on aren't allowed to be symbolic, liminal spaces where pondering on circumstances can happen.
The second and third quarters slow down and almost aren't that bad, only we're constantly reminded that this book is about rescuing Signy without any real motion happening towards that conclusion. Meanwhile Eirik and Gunnhild are arguing like middle schoolers who don't want to like each other but who will get together in the end, and Oddny is falling middle school style for one of her would-be captors from the raid (who happens to be trans, which is very important to point out, but not at all important to really understand, despite the proposition of a trans Viking being really super intriguing). Eventually this new witch queen and "weaver" (Though Oddny is really more of a healer? I mean, when does she ever weave anything?!) fall in love, have that love reciprocated, and we're back on to the whole point of this book on page 309 of 412.
The final quarter of this book is a shit show. We've spent so much time plodding through, that Gornichec seemed to have forgotten that books have plots and that you should start wrapping them up somewhere between the halfway and two thirds mark. Everything here becomes a blur as I tried to rush through this, but I'm pretty sure it will lose other readers who are more careful because GOD, is this ending BAD! (SPOILERS)
Phew! All of that happens in a hundred pages, and this book somehow got published.
I have to roll my eyes as well at Gornichec's insistence that she "got as close to majoring in Vikings as she possibly could." I happen to have a BA in History myself, as well as Classics, as well as an MA in Folklore (where most of my coursework was crosslisted with the History Department) and there really is no good way to "major" in a certain time period as an undergraduate. You barely get a decent handle on how to do thorough research until your senior year or even graduate school. So when she says in her Author's Note that her research comes from "textbooks, podcasts, and museums" I have to cringe. These are broad surveys at best, and entertainment productions at worst. It leaves me wondering if she got the idea for the duck dress that Gunnhild wears from a podcast on quirky history and imagined rubber ducks. In the book it's implied that the dress looks ridiculous even to the characters, but in reality animal motifs were not uncommon and looked anything but ridiculous.
I don't know who this book was written for. It's juvenile, and yet we have classic YA novelists like Rosemary Sutcliffe and Lloyd Alexander who are much better writers and still enjoyable for adults. It's adult, and pales in comparison to Robert Graves or Edward Rutherfurd in the sophistication of prose or research. I suppose this needs to be filed under the "New Adult" genre, which would be fine, but as a fan of historic fantasy, historic fiction, and mythological retellings, it seems that these genres have been turned over entirely to writers who don't know how to prepare, research, or execute well made literature. Will I never find a new book worth reading? Must everything be written for TikTok New Adults in a perpetual state of infancy?
Courtesy copy from Berkley Publishing through a Goodreads giveaway. If you want it sent back because I hated it, I'm happy to oblige.
The Weaver and the Witch Queen revolves around the friendship of Gunnhild, and sisters Oddny and Signy. Gunnhild, as the Sagas tell us, is the Mother of Kings and progenitor of Norway's royal families. Oddny and Signy are purely fictional, but their roles serve to launch the story's main conflict. These three friends are separated early in life as Gunnhild is taken in as an apprentice to a witch, while Oddny and Signy continue life on their family farm.
Ten years pass since the last time the friends met, though Gunnhild checks in from time to time in the form of a sparrow. It's on one of these occasions that the sisters' village is laid seige to. Their family is killed, Signy is dragged away by raiders under the direction of a witch, and Gunnhild is not strong enough in her craft to save them. What follows is a sad reunion between Gunnhild and Oddny, their plot to save Signy, and the loves they find along the way.
As with The Witch's Heart, Gornichec's writing is lackluster and shallow. Though she takes pride in her BA in History, she would've been better served in trying for a degree in creative writing if this is the direction she wants to go in with her pet interests. Her writing is heavily dialogue driven. If you're anything like me as a reader, you tend to skim through the unimportant narrative portions between dialogue because it's not all that exciting. "He smiled," or "She turned," are not really details I need to enjoy a story, but I do appreciate narrative that paints a picture of the environment, or lets us get insight into what characters are thinking or feeling. There is very little of that here, and when it does happen, it's brief and holds no real emotional weight because all we have to run off of is dialogue.
For example, when Gunnhild and Eirik, her hesitant ally, reluctant fiance, and eventual beloved husband come to blows in the last quarter of the book, Eirik questions Gunnhild's motives in marrying him. This is immediately after Gunnhild and Oddny have an argument where Oddny does the same thing. Gunnhild is hurt, which we know because we're told as much, but I can't buy it because we've had no real time in her head, had no moments of introspection or the formation of real emotional attachment to Eirik. Honestly, I think Eirik and Oddny have a point and Gunnhild comes off as being insincere because we don't know her. Gornichec doesn't know her. She's not real in the way that good fiction can make her real.
The first quarter of the book feels forced in an effort to sell the audience on the idea that the three friends are really REALLY close and that Signy is in real danger after she is taken. We are introduced to these characters in that sort of way that feels like a set up, rather than in an immersive and deeply connected manner. They describe each other to each other because that's the only way we can apparently get to know them and as though it's normal to enter into a room and immediately start informing your friends that they are this or that like you haven't known them for a long time. By page one hundred, you're expecting a journey on which you can see characters grow, but conveniently (this book is FULL of conveniences, like the fact that Gunnhild is engaged briefly for a minute to another guy, but he conveniently disappears for the rest of the book once she agrees to Eirik's proposal) all it takes to travel is turning the page because the ships they travel on aren't allowed to be symbolic, liminal spaces where pondering on circumstances can happen.
The second and third quarters slow down and almost aren't that bad, only we're constantly reminded that this book is about rescuing Signy without any real motion happening towards that conclusion. Meanwhile Eirik and Gunnhild are arguing like middle schoolers who don't want to like each other but who will get together in the end, and Oddny is falling middle school style for one of her would-be captors from the raid (who happens to be trans, which is very important to point out, but not at all important to really understand, despite the proposition of a trans Viking being really super intriguing). Eventually this new witch queen and "weaver" (Though Oddny is really more of a healer? I mean, when does she ever weave anything?!) fall in love, have that love reciprocated, and we're back on to the whole point of this book on page 309 of 412.
The final quarter of this book is a shit show. We've spent so much time plodding through, that Gornichec seemed to have forgotten that books have plots and that you should start wrapping them up somewhere between the halfway and two thirds mark. Everything here becomes a blur as I tried to rush through this, but I'm pretty sure it will lose other readers who are more careful because GOD, is this ending BAD! (SPOILERS)
Phew! All of that happens in a hundred pages, and this book somehow got published.
I have to roll my eyes as well at Gornichec's insistence that she "got as close to majoring in Vikings as she possibly could." I happen to have a BA in History myself, as well as Classics, as well as an MA in Folklore (where most of my coursework was crosslisted with the History Department) and there really is no good way to "major" in a certain time period as an undergraduate. You barely get a decent handle on how to do thorough research until your senior year or even graduate school. So when she says in her Author's Note that her research comes from "textbooks, podcasts, and museums" I have to cringe. These are broad surveys at best, and entertainment productions at worst. It leaves me wondering if she got the idea for the duck dress that Gunnhild wears from a podcast on quirky history and imagined rubber ducks. In the book it's implied that the dress looks ridiculous even to the characters, but in reality animal motifs were not uncommon and looked anything but ridiculous.
I don't know who this book was written for. It's juvenile, and yet we have classic YA novelists like Rosemary Sutcliffe and Lloyd Alexander who are much better writers and still enjoyable for adults. It's adult, and pales in comparison to Robert Graves or Edward Rutherfurd in the sophistication of prose or research. I suppose this needs to be filed under the "New Adult" genre, which would be fine, but as a fan of historic fantasy, historic fiction, and mythological retellings, it seems that these genres have been turned over entirely to writers who don't know how to prepare, research, or execute well made literature. Will I never find a new book worth reading? Must everything be written for TikTok New Adults in a perpetual state of infancy?
Courtesy copy from Berkley Publishing through a Goodreads giveaway. If you want it sent back because I hated it, I'm happy to oblige.
November 19, 2023
As children Gunnhild, Oddny, and Signy made a blood oath to always help each other. Soon after, Gunnhild flees her home to train as a witch. Ten years later the girls' paths cross again when Signy is kidnapped, and Gunnhild and Oddny must act to honor their oath. A story highlighting personal growth, this novel features strong characters who define their own femininity as they navigate the Viking world. Gornichec takes historical figures and Norse mythology and blends them together into a fantastic fantasy tale. This novel is engaging and well researched in a way that will have you wanting to read more about Norse history. – Maria S.
March 16, 2023
“the weaver and the witch queen” is a historical fantasy novel that takes place in viking age pagan norway. we follow gunnhild, oddny, and signy, three young girls who are plunged into peril when raiders attack their village.
this is a novel about the power of women. these women have agency, magic, and bold personalities. they are imagined as strong, capable women who are able to defend themselves and change their fate. this is not a romance novel, no, it’s a novel about war, kingship, and honor. it is beautifully written and gripping. i read it in one sitting, unable to put it down.
it was so exciting to see trans representation in this novel, and it made me incredibly happy. it was so well done, not at all transphobic in any way. to see yourself in a novel that takes place so long ago is phenomenal.
thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
this is a novel about the power of women. these women have agency, magic, and bold personalities. they are imagined as strong, capable women who are able to defend themselves and change their fate. this is not a romance novel, no, it’s a novel about war, kingship, and honor. it is beautifully written and gripping. i read it in one sitting, unable to put it down.
it was so exciting to see trans representation in this novel, and it made me incredibly happy. it was so well done, not at all transphobic in any way. to see yourself in a novel that takes place so long ago is phenomenal.
thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
August 29, 2024
dnf @ page 367.
The first half of the book was decent even though the story never really managed to grip me and I think I've read enough of this to give it a rating. The fantasy elements were fine, but nothing too memorable or special. The worldbuilding overall remained surface-level and the plot moved at a snail's crawl and was almost completely devoid of suspense. After making it through roughly 350 pages (out of nearly 500) not a lot had happened. It really started to drag and ultimately, I just didn't care how this story ended. By the halfway point I was sick to death of Gunnhild, she was insufferable. The nail in the coffin was when she called Eirik "Eiki"... At this point I was rooting very hard for the villains trying to kill her. 🥴
[minor spoilers ahead]
I usually like the Viking time period, but none of these characters felt like they belonged there. Gunnhild kept flippantly talking down to everyone (including a king, because... sure) but she never had to suffer any consequences. Everyone was just so enthralled by her bossy and annoying attitude, I guess... 🤧 I don't know but if you're setting a story in the Viking age, a harsh time full of battles and raiding and gruesome death, you should at least somewhat stick to that or just make it a fantasy world entirely. This book did neither, but landed in the middle as a half-baked mess. It felt very implausible that most of the battle-hardened Vikings in this book were either a secretly soft, misunderstood, brooding guy (the contemporary romance-coded love interest) or super feminist (for their time). Obviously, as a woman, I'm 100% here for men being feminists. But unfortunately, the book never managed to explain where its characters got their modern mindsets from, given that the world they live in is pretty much exactly like the "real" 10th century, including slavery, having multiple wives, raiding, raping etc. I'm sorry but it is absurd to me that someone who enslaves people would at the same time be a feminist and LGBTQIA+ ally. It is absolutely possible to write likeable historical characters who aren't rapists or misogynists, but you still have to put in the work to make them feel authentic and believable, even if it's a world with fantasy elements. None of this worldbuilding makes any sense!!
I think it's more than possible to write complex, interesting female and queer historical characters and believable yet healthy relationships in a historical setting. A prime example for this would be The Last Kingdom, my favourite TV show of all time. The variety of female characters with incredibly diverse personalities and personal circumstances is amazing. The show managed to make you fall in love with the characters (the men in TLK are the literal gold-standard) while still maintaining a great sense of historical accuracy.
But this book just completely left the realm of "historical" and ventured into "YA fantasy romance" entirely, which is fine but just doesn't work for me.
And lastly, the dialogue was horrific. The way these characters talked to each other was completely off, it sounded like conversations (cringy) modern-day people would have. I'm currently still making my way through the Last Kingdom books by Bernard Cornwell, a fantastic, thoroughly researched and believable historical fiction, and the difference in quality is just glaring to me.
The first half of the book was decent even though the story never really managed to grip me and I think I've read enough of this to give it a rating. The fantasy elements were fine, but nothing too memorable or special. The worldbuilding overall remained surface-level and the plot moved at a snail's crawl and was almost completely devoid of suspense. After making it through roughly 350 pages (out of nearly 500) not a lot had happened. It really started to drag and ultimately, I just didn't care how this story ended. By the halfway point I was sick to death of Gunnhild, she was insufferable. The nail in the coffin was when she called Eirik "Eiki"... At this point I was rooting very hard for the villains trying to kill her. 🥴
[minor spoilers ahead]
I usually like the Viking time period, but none of these characters felt like they belonged there. Gunnhild kept flippantly talking down to everyone (including a king, because... sure) but she never had to suffer any consequences. Everyone was just so enthralled by her bossy and annoying attitude, I guess... 🤧 I don't know but if you're setting a story in the Viking age, a harsh time full of battles and raiding and gruesome death, you should at least somewhat stick to that or just make it a fantasy world entirely. This book did neither, but landed in the middle as a half-baked mess. It felt very implausible that most of the battle-hardened Vikings in this book were either a secretly soft, misunderstood, brooding guy (the contemporary romance-coded love interest) or super feminist (for their time). Obviously, as a woman, I'm 100% here for men being feminists. But unfortunately, the book never managed to explain where its characters got their modern mindsets from, given that the world they live in is pretty much exactly like the "real" 10th century, including slavery, having multiple wives, raiding, raping etc. I'm sorry but it is absurd to me that someone who enslaves people would at the same time be a feminist and LGBTQIA+ ally. It is absolutely possible to write likeable historical characters who aren't rapists or misogynists, but you still have to put in the work to make them feel authentic and believable, even if it's a world with fantasy elements. None of this worldbuilding makes any sense!!
I think it's more than possible to write complex, interesting female and queer historical characters and believable yet healthy relationships in a historical setting. A prime example for this would be The Last Kingdom, my favourite TV show of all time. The variety of female characters with incredibly diverse personalities and personal circumstances is amazing. The show managed to make you fall in love with the characters (the men in TLK are the literal gold-standard) while still maintaining a great sense of historical accuracy.
But this book just completely left the realm of "historical" and ventured into "YA fantasy romance" entirely, which is fine but just doesn't work for me.
And lastly, the dialogue was horrific. The way these characters talked to each other was completely off, it sounded like conversations (cringy) modern-day people would have. I'm currently still making my way through the Last Kingdom books by Bernard Cornwell, a fantastic, thoroughly researched and believable historical fiction, and the difference in quality is just glaring to me.
July 25, 2023
This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I really enjoyed this book! I fell in love with Genevieve Gornichec’s writing when I read The Witch’s Heart last year. I couldn’t wait to dive into her sophomore novel. Once I started this book, I did not want to stop because I was fully invested in the fate of these 3 women. I found this to be a very entertaining novel set against a compelling Viking backdrop.
Gunnhild, Oddney, and Signy were fantastic characters. I could tell just how much they meant to each other as children. They haven’t seen each other for years but their paths cross just as Oddney and Signy’s farm is raided and Signy is taken away. They are both determined to do what it takes to get her back. This story was exciting and sometimes heartbreaking. There was just the right amount of magic and enough romance to keep things very interesting.
I listened to the audiobook and thought that Nina Yndis did a remarkable job with the story. I believe that this is the first time that I have had the chance to listen to this narrator’s work and I must say that I was impressed. I thought that she did a great job of bringing this extensive cast of characters to life. I found her voice to be very pleasant and had no issues listening to this book for hours at a time. I am certain that her narration only added to my overall enjoyment of the story.
I would recommend this book to others. I was drawn into this entertaining and often exciting novel featuring characters that I found easy to like. I cannot wait to read more of this talented author’s work.
I received a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group and Penguin Random House Audio.
I really enjoyed this book! I fell in love with Genevieve Gornichec’s writing when I read The Witch’s Heart last year. I couldn’t wait to dive into her sophomore novel. Once I started this book, I did not want to stop because I was fully invested in the fate of these 3 women. I found this to be a very entertaining novel set against a compelling Viking backdrop.
Gunnhild, Oddney, and Signy were fantastic characters. I could tell just how much they meant to each other as children. They haven’t seen each other for years but their paths cross just as Oddney and Signy’s farm is raided and Signy is taken away. They are both determined to do what it takes to get her back. This story was exciting and sometimes heartbreaking. There was just the right amount of magic and enough romance to keep things very interesting.
I listened to the audiobook and thought that Nina Yndis did a remarkable job with the story. I believe that this is the first time that I have had the chance to listen to this narrator’s work and I must say that I was impressed. I thought that she did a great job of bringing this extensive cast of characters to life. I found her voice to be very pleasant and had no issues listening to this book for hours at a time. I am certain that her narration only added to my overall enjoyment of the story.
I would recommend this book to others. I was drawn into this entertaining and often exciting novel featuring characters that I found easy to like. I cannot wait to read more of this talented author’s work.
I received a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group and Penguin Random House Audio.
October 20, 2024
Another hard book to rate.
I loved many elements of this one, specifically Viking society. The Norse homes and their culture and beliefs. The biggest issue was not quite reaching full immersion. There was a bit of a disconnect with certain modern terms that kind of broke up the full of immersion, but overall it was doable.
I enjoyed the romance of the characters and the complex relationships.
I loved the shifter qualities and how magic worked with this, but much of the rest of the magic was less well-defined. There's a section near the end in a place of darkness that is clear as mud.
This is a fun read that takes inspiration and a setting from a historical time when magic and the Norse Gods were the beliefs of the people. There are some great introspective passages about what it is like to be a Raider and to find one's place in the world.
A great read if you don't take it too seriously.
3.5 Stars!
I loved many elements of this one, specifically Viking society. The Norse homes and their culture and beliefs. The biggest issue was not quite reaching full immersion. There was a bit of a disconnect with certain modern terms that kind of broke up the full of immersion, but overall it was doable.
I enjoyed the romance of the characters and the complex relationships.
I loved the shifter qualities and how magic worked with this, but much of the rest of the magic was less well-defined. There's a section near the end in a place of darkness that is clear as mud.
This is a fun read that takes inspiration and a setting from a historical time when magic and the Norse Gods were the beliefs of the people. There are some great introspective passages about what it is like to be a Raider and to find one's place in the world.
A great read if you don't take it too seriously.
3.5 Stars!
April 29, 2024
Really enjoyed myself with this story that was apparently inspired by an Icelandic saga or two. Still baffled by the mediocre reviews.
[4.5 stars]
[4.5 stars]
October 31, 2023
~3.5 stars
this was a really great story! the only thing that really bothered me was that the dialogue felt too modern where a viking king actually says "it takes one to know one" at one point and words like "literally" are used (this actually blows my mind a little because i feel like "literally" is one of the most modern words out there, and this was just such an avoidable mistake. also it really just takes you out of the story :/) even though this book is set in the 10th century and that word wasn't even invented yet. also, the wit was sometimes cringe.
the worldbuilding was weak which sucks because this book is very heavy on myths and has a complex magic system.
a bit slow paced, but i didn't really mind because i was so invested in the characters and their relationships. and i know it's hardly the focus of the book but the relationship progression of gunnhild and eirik is soo good. enemies-to-lovers in fantasy is always better! and of course the bond between gunnhild, oddny, and signy was just the best and was written so well.
the ending felt a bit like it was setting up for a sequel even though this is a standalone. it felt weird that the driving force of this book was this prophecy that gunnhild was going to be a violent and crazy sorceress and leave nothing but blood and terror in her wake, but the book just ends before any of that happens. although we did get to see gunnhild go a little crazy at the end which was super fun. overall, it just left me wanting more from this book.
this was a really great story! the only thing that really bothered me was that the dialogue felt too modern where a viking king actually says "it takes one to know one" at one point and words like "literally" are used (this actually blows my mind a little because i feel like "literally" is one of the most modern words out there, and this was just such an avoidable mistake. also it really just takes you out of the story :/) even though this book is set in the 10th century and that word wasn't even invented yet. also, the wit was sometimes cringe.
the worldbuilding was weak which sucks because this book is very heavy on myths and has a complex magic system.
a bit slow paced, but i didn't really mind because i was so invested in the characters and their relationships. and i know it's hardly the focus of the book but the relationship progression of gunnhild and eirik is soo good. enemies-to-lovers in fantasy is always better! and of course the bond between gunnhild, oddny, and signy was just the best and was written so well.
the ending felt a bit like it was setting up for a sequel even though this is a standalone. it felt weird that the driving force of this book was this prophecy that gunnhild was going to be a violent and crazy sorceress and leave nothing but blood and terror in her wake, but the book just ends before any of that happens. although we did get to see gunnhild go a little crazy at the end which was super fun. overall, it just left me wanting more from this book.
September 2, 2023
Gunnhild's immaturity was annoying. The author prolonged her bickering with Eirik for too long. The men were too tame for Norsemen. And a transgendered Viking in the 900s and no one raising an eyebrow? This was not historical at all. I loved The Witch's Heart, this one, not so much! I think I'll just stick to Bernard Cornwell's Last Kingdom series for my Viking kick from now on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2023
”One of you clouds the futures of the others. For better or worse, your fates are intertwined." Her features contorted again, this time in fear and confusion. "I dare not say more."
Thank you to Ace for sending me a physical arc in exchange for a review!
Sworn together by a blood oath, and tied together by an ill-omened seeress’s telling of fate, three girls are bonded together in a epic and spellbinding piece of literature depicting famous historical figures from Norway.
Separated as children, the three are joined together when the youngest is stolen away by powers at play wishing to keep them separate.
The other two, one a healer and one a witch, swear vengeance and wish to rescue their sister/friend.
”Who says a woman has to be defined by her men? By her male kin, and then by her husband and sons? Who says? Who says a woman can't stand for herself and make her own way?"
This book highlights women’s strength and resilience. Their determination in a world where their position and status depends on men - their fathers, brothers, husbands.
The parental relationships!
There’s found family, toxic mother/daughter relationships, adopted mothering and care, father’s ideals and imitations.
There are some really important themes and points brought up around our expectations and experiences of one of the most poignant persons in our life.
I don't want to be taken care of, Gunnhild wanted to scream. I want to be free.
I could gush about the themes of familiar ties, cycles of revenge, fighting, blood. The preconceived prejudice and attitudes which can lead to downfall. Every page was breathtaking, each character reprehensible, loving, confused, struggling - most importantly making them realistic.
”I'm- I'm afraid to fail," Gunnhild answered at last. "I'm afraid I'm not strong enough. I'm afraid to die. I'm afraid to lose more than I already have. I'm afraid to be nothing."
And wow, when you think it can’t get better, the representation. My heart just warms thinking of how cleverly Gornichec incorporated it in this setting.
As a last note: finally an author who addresses period and they’re debilitating pains!!!
Bookstagram
Thank you to Ace for sending me a physical arc in exchange for a review!
Sworn together by a blood oath, and tied together by an ill-omened seeress’s telling of fate, three girls are bonded together in a epic and spellbinding piece of literature depicting famous historical figures from Norway.
Separated as children, the three are joined together when the youngest is stolen away by powers at play wishing to keep them separate.
The other two, one a healer and one a witch, swear vengeance and wish to rescue their sister/friend.
”Who says a woman has to be defined by her men? By her male kin, and then by her husband and sons? Who says? Who says a woman can't stand for herself and make her own way?"
This book highlights women’s strength and resilience. Their determination in a world where their position and status depends on men - their fathers, brothers, husbands.
The parental relationships!
There’s found family, toxic mother/daughter relationships, adopted mothering and care, father’s ideals and imitations.
There are some really important themes and points brought up around our expectations and experiences of one of the most poignant persons in our life.
I don't want to be taken care of, Gunnhild wanted to scream. I want to be free.
I could gush about the themes of familiar ties, cycles of revenge, fighting, blood. The preconceived prejudice and attitudes which can lead to downfall. Every page was breathtaking, each character reprehensible, loving, confused, struggling - most importantly making them realistic.
”I'm- I'm afraid to fail," Gunnhild answered at last. "I'm afraid I'm not strong enough. I'm afraid to die. I'm afraid to lose more than I already have. I'm afraid to be nothing."
And wow, when you think it can’t get better, the representation. My heart just warms thinking of how cleverly Gornichec incorporated it in this setting.
As a last note: finally an author who addresses period and they’re debilitating pains!!!
Bookstagram
August 11, 2023
I really was so let down by this book. Especially when the Witches Heart tore my heart out! How could this possibly be the same author?
The modern dialogue throws me out of the story. All the characters but Arignborn were irritating and made stupid decisions. The whole plot was trying to get Signy back and that wrapped up within pages sooo obviously it wasn't that big of a deal.
Another one of my biggest pet peeves are these authors recently that take a character who seemingly are not LGBTQ and in the middle of the book or series all of a sudden just... Are? If you are going to do characters like it give them MORE personality, give them MORE book time and not just a side character you slapped in there. It's sloppy.
M.A Carrick literally SLAYS this and more authors need to follow suit.
The modern dialogue throws me out of the story. All the characters but Arignborn were irritating and made stupid decisions. The whole plot was trying to get Signy back and that wrapped up within pages sooo obviously it wasn't that big of a deal.
Another one of my biggest pet peeves are these authors recently that take a character who seemingly are not LGBTQ and in the middle of the book or series all of a sudden just... Are? If you are going to do characters like it give them MORE personality, give them MORE book time and not just a side character you slapped in there. It's sloppy.
M.A Carrick literally SLAYS this and more authors need to follow suit.
August 1, 2023
My official endorsement!: The Weaver and the Witch Queen is a breathtaking saga of a novel that brims with page-turning tension and wit, impeccable historical and cultural detail, and heroines that are at once fierce and complex but also full of true heart and soul. A vivid, immersive, expansive tale about sisterhood, female friendship, and the lengths that women will go to save each other against all odds--even fate herself.
October 31, 2023
Entertaining and fast read.
Historical fiction based on Queen Gunnhild, but filled with strong females relationships and characters' personal development more than romance. I read this in a couple days, so definitely a page-turner. Get your fill of viking (raiding), runes, and magic with this story.
Looking forward to reading more of this new-to-me author.
Historical fiction based on Queen Gunnhild, but filled with strong females relationships and characters' personal development more than romance. I read this in a couple days, so definitely a page-turner. Get your fill of viking (raiding), runes, and magic with this story.
Looking forward to reading more of this new-to-me author.
August 17, 2023
This book started out great, but it fell apart in the middle. The two main protagonists hurled insults at each other nonstop. It was frustratingly stupid, because people do not talk to each other that way. The book used a lot of 21st century language for a book about Vikings. I almost stopped reading the book, but I hoped it would get better as it went along. It didn't.
I also didn't buy into the transgender Viking. Women are not stronger than men no matter how hard they train, or how much they identify as a man. It was completely unrealistic and did not fit the time period.
I also didn't buy into the transgender Viking. Women are not stronger than men no matter how hard they train, or how much they identify as a man. It was completely unrealistic and did not fit the time period.
August 12, 2023
Required disclaimer: Genevieve is a colleague and therefore my review will be somewhat skewed, though I do my best to always be honest!
I have a lot of respect for the deep care Genevieve puts into her work. While listening to the audiobook, I noticed detail after detail that would've come from extensive research and planning, and unfortunately might not be immediately noticeable to a reader unfamiliar with the material. The afterward, which points out some of these details, doesn't even scratch the surface.
Anyone working to modernize the sagas is working with an impossible task. While the mythological figures of the Viking age are popular, many of the day-to-day details aren't common knowledge. Many people can't imagine the lives of Viking age people outside of raiding, and so things like poetry battles and blood oaths and bind runes have to be explained from scratch. Worldbuilding, but make it real life. Genevieve does an amazing job of threading these things into the story and slowly creating a world that readers will understand.
The two things that I loved the most were the complicated relationship between Signy and Oddny, and then the character of Halldor in general. Genevieve has managed to create a story about messy young women making questionable choices in the face of horrible events, and have it also be a story of love between friends. Friendship can be messy stuff, and I especially loved the challenges they faced toward the end in that regard.
And Halldor. While listening to the author's note, I began to tear up. When writing about Norse mythology or Norse history, writing queer characters is a risk. There's no shortage of white supremacists who have chosen to hide behind skewed versions of pagan or secular Nordic ideals. To draw their ire is a risk. To publicly, irrefutably put on paper that queer people existed all through history is to take a risk. I know what it's like to live with this choice and to wonder when these people are going to find you. I know what it takes to do it anyway. It means the world to me to see Halldor in this book.
We have always been here and we always will be.
I had a great time with this book and can highly recommend the audiobook since the narrator does a superb job with the Old Norse. I look forward to whatever Genevieve does next.
I have a lot of respect for the deep care Genevieve puts into her work. While listening to the audiobook, I noticed detail after detail that would've come from extensive research and planning, and unfortunately might not be immediately noticeable to a reader unfamiliar with the material. The afterward, which points out some of these details, doesn't even scratch the surface.
Anyone working to modernize the sagas is working with an impossible task. While the mythological figures of the Viking age are popular, many of the day-to-day details aren't common knowledge. Many people can't imagine the lives of Viking age people outside of raiding, and so things like poetry battles and blood oaths and bind runes have to be explained from scratch. Worldbuilding, but make it real life. Genevieve does an amazing job of threading these things into the story and slowly creating a world that readers will understand.
The two things that I loved the most were the complicated relationship between Signy and Oddny, and then the character of Halldor in general. Genevieve has managed to create a story about messy young women making questionable choices in the face of horrible events, and have it also be a story of love between friends. Friendship can be messy stuff, and I especially loved the challenges they faced toward the end in that regard.
And Halldor. While listening to the author's note, I began to tear up. When writing about Norse mythology or Norse history, writing queer characters is a risk. There's no shortage of white supremacists who have chosen to hide behind skewed versions of pagan or secular Nordic ideals. To draw their ire is a risk. To publicly, irrefutably put on paper that queer people existed all through history is to take a risk. I know what it's like to live with this choice and to wonder when these people are going to find you. I know what it takes to do it anyway. It means the world to me to see Halldor in this book.
We have always been here and we always will be.
I had a great time with this book and can highly recommend the audiobook since the narrator does a superb job with the Old Norse. I look forward to whatever Genevieve does next.
September 28, 2024
Eigentlich nicht die Art von Büchern, die ich lese. Und doch hat es mich gut unterhalten.
Read
October 1, 2023DNF 40-ish %
August 10, 2023
3.75⭐️
I really enjoyed this book. A couple of niggles that stopped it rating higher - certain words and phrases sounded very incongruous and gave the book a much more YA feel than I had anticipated. This is a particular bugbear of mine and may not bother another reader.
I really enjoyed this book. A couple of niggles that stopped it rating higher - certain words and phrases sounded very incongruous and gave the book a much more YA feel than I had anticipated. This is a particular bugbear of mine and may not bother another reader.
October 29, 2023
An epic tale of sisterhood, love, battles, curses, magic, revenge and so much more based on Norse mythology this was a transporting tale with a cast of memorable characters!!
Three young girls make a blood bond for life only to have one sold into slavery. The other two vow to rescue her and so sets the course of each of their lives as they travel with a Viking king, rise in power and fall in love all while battling three evil witches.
This took me a bit to get into but once I was in I was so invested!! I loved that one of the MCs is a trans man and is treated in such a normalized way! Great on audio too with an interesting author's note included at the end.
Highly recommended for fans of stories like Wrath goddess sing or Shield maiden. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
Three young girls make a blood bond for life only to have one sold into slavery. The other two vow to rescue her and so sets the course of each of their lives as they travel with a Viking king, rise in power and fall in love all while battling three evil witches.
This took me a bit to get into but once I was in I was so invested!! I loved that one of the MCs is a trans man and is treated in such a normalized way! Great on audio too with an interesting author's note included at the end.
Highly recommended for fans of stories like Wrath goddess sing or Shield maiden. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
July 15, 2023
Norse-inspired historical fantasy story.
I liked the depiction of sisterhood and friendship and the LGBT+ representation. I found the different types of thinking and different moral understanding of the world interesting. However, the book was very slow, especially in the middle. At the same time it did not explore either of the two buddying romantic relationships in as much depth as I would have preferred: one of the couples kept arguing untill they realised they had feelings for each other, mostly off-page, the other progressed much more smoothly, but again, mostly off-page. I don't need steam, but I would have appreciated a deeper exploration of the relationships, as these were central to the story. It felt like the book focussed on some realtively useless scenes to pass the time, while the page count could have been used more effectively and interestingly.
I also think the book would have benefitted from an epilogue to explain Gunnhild's and Eirik's life and achievements beyond the story, as part of the drive of the story was that Gunnhild was destined to become a threat to some people, but it was left unexplained exactly how. As the real history the book is based on is not of common knowledge, I think people unfamiliar with it are left unable to appreciate the story in full - as if this was the origin story for a character we, as readers, do not know. It would work for a first book in a series, I imagine, but not for a standalone.
Overall, I enjoyed it, but I was hoping to love it more.
I liked the depiction of sisterhood and friendship and the LGBT+ representation. I found the different types of thinking and different moral understanding of the world interesting. However, the book was very slow, especially in the middle. At the same time it did not explore either of the two buddying romantic relationships in as much depth as I would have preferred: one of the couples kept arguing untill they realised they had feelings for each other, mostly off-page, the other progressed much more smoothly, but again, mostly off-page. I don't need steam, but I would have appreciated a deeper exploration of the relationships, as these were central to the story. It felt like the book focussed on some realtively useless scenes to pass the time, while the page count could have been used more effectively and interestingly.
I also think the book would have benefitted from an epilogue to explain Gunnhild's and Eirik's life and achievements beyond the story, as part of the drive of the story was that Gunnhild was destined to become a threat to some people, but it was left unexplained exactly how. As the real history the book is based on is not of common knowledge, I think people unfamiliar with it are left unable to appreciate the story in full - as if this was the origin story for a character we, as readers, do not know. It would work for a first book in a series, I imagine, but not for a standalone.
Overall, I enjoyed it, but I was hoping to love it more.
August 3, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.
The Witch's Heart was for sure the biggest surprise of my reading year so far, I went in not expecting much and ended up being blown away by what a wild ride it was. I laughed, I cried, I immediately added The Weaver and the Witch Queen to my Goodreads TBR.
While this wasn't as exhilarating as TWH, it was just as good and filled with emotions, rawness and characters you can't help but root for, despite their flaws. The rough setting is such a contrast to the softness of some of the characters' interactions, I loved how close they grew and how they handled the... hiccups along the journey.
I loved how this felt almost like a romantasy but make it historical fiction/fantasy, I haven't read anything like it, it had a very unique feel to it. Romance was definitely a big focus of the story, but it never overwhelmed the plot, the two flowed together very beautifully.
The writing was beautiful and captivating. Even though the pace of the book is rather slow, it was still hard to put it down because the author just knows how to get you and keep your attention.
Vikings and Norse mythology are two themes I tend to enjoy a lot, and this book took the historical and mythological aspects and turned it into this rich historical fantasy that almost feels realistic despite the magical elements.
Overall, I really loved this book and the author has certainly become an auto-buy author for me now.
The Witch's Heart was for sure the biggest surprise of my reading year so far, I went in not expecting much and ended up being blown away by what a wild ride it was. I laughed, I cried, I immediately added The Weaver and the Witch Queen to my Goodreads TBR.
While this wasn't as exhilarating as TWH, it was just as good and filled with emotions, rawness and characters you can't help but root for, despite their flaws. The rough setting is such a contrast to the softness of some of the characters' interactions, I loved how close they grew and how they handled the... hiccups along the journey.
I loved how this felt almost like a romantasy but make it historical fiction/fantasy, I haven't read anything like it, it had a very unique feel to it. Romance was definitely a big focus of the story, but it never overwhelmed the plot, the two flowed together very beautifully.
The writing was beautiful and captivating. Even though the pace of the book is rather slow, it was still hard to put it down because the author just knows how to get you and keep your attention.
Vikings and Norse mythology are two themes I tend to enjoy a lot, and this book took the historical and mythological aspects and turned it into this rich historical fantasy that almost feels realistic despite the magical elements.
Overall, I really loved this book and the author has certainly become an auto-buy author for me now.
June 28, 2023
I loved this book.
I felt it was a cozy read with sisterhood and romance, alongside elements of peril and violence. That’s not to say there isn’t action as there is plenty.
The use of Nordic mythology and weaving this into a fantasy novel was amazing! I even read the authors note at the end for further details and I never do that!
I liked the inclusion of gender identity as I find this often is missed in historical fantasy.
The magic system was so interesting to read and original as well.
All of the characters are compelling, I enjoyed reading about them all.
Overall I really savoured this read and I would re-read this book. So for that it has to be a 5 star.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.
I felt it was a cozy read with sisterhood and romance, alongside elements of peril and violence. That’s not to say there isn’t action as there is plenty.
The use of Nordic mythology and weaving this into a fantasy novel was amazing! I even read the authors note at the end for further details and I never do that!
I liked the inclusion of gender identity as I find this often is missed in historical fantasy.
The magic system was so interesting to read and original as well.
All of the characters are compelling, I enjoyed reading about them all.
Overall I really savoured this read and I would re-read this book. So for that it has to be a 5 star.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.
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