The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec is an adult fiction take on Norse mythology.
Angrboda was killed thrice and burned twice, so when she wakes up from her second burning she decides to keep to herself and away from Odin and his demands for information she is not willing to pay the price to get. Isolating herself in a remote forest, Angrboda is discovered by Loki, who she mistrusts but with whom she eventually falls in love.
In an unconventional romance, the two produce three strange children, with futures Angrboda must keep hidden. As Angrboda begins to regain the memories of her lost lives, along with her prophetic powers, she realizes the small bubble of peace she has created for herself and her family may be in danger.
As Ragnarök looms, will Angrboda be able to save the ones she cares for most?
Damn, I waited too long to review this one, so pardon my less than stellar review. That being said, I really enjoyed this story of the Norse gods from Angrboda's perspective. And I have to say, I was amazed that I got halfway through the book before even realizing that we'd never even left the little forest she calls home. How Gornichec was able to create this whole world without taking the reader barely farther than the cave doors for half the story, is beyond me.
I also loved this version of Loki. With all the Marvel movies popularizing Thor and Loki, it was refreshing to get this, almost boyish version of the god, only to fully understand his many faces by the end.
Norse mythology is very male centric, so it was also nice to see this reimagining where women are the true center of the story.
I was surprised by how much I liked this book and can't wait to see what my adult book club has to say about it.
That's all for now!
-M-