The Witch's Heart

Generally, I do not engage with fiction based on mythologies or historical periods I am deeply interested in. I typically find the liberties writers take to be superfluous, and often the changes made are weaker than the original myths, facts, and characters and/or historical figures. Thankfully, the premise of The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec intrigued me, and the positive buzz on social media convinced me this was an exception I needed to make.I could not be happier that I did. (Minor spoilers will follow, but I will refrain from revealing specific plot points where possible.)The Witch's Heart tells the story of Angrboda—or rather, a composite character based on several figures attested in the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda (our primary sources on Norse mythology). By combining these figures, Gornichec weaves a cohesive, emotional narrative of a Norse witch and giantess who is more than just the mother of Loki's children (as this is basically all we know of Angrboda from the surviving myths) and more than just a seeress (as many of the other figures Gornichec draws from are in the surviving myths). This simple liberty allows Gornichec to connect various (and often contradictory) events and tales into an impressively thought-out and logical canon.But a novel can hardly survive on thorough research, clever retellings, and contemporary subversions. The Witch's Heart has all these, but its most accomplished feat is the emotional weight the story of its protagonist carries. In this take on Norse mythology, Angrboda has escaped Asgard after having her heart cut out and being burned alive (three times!) and taken refuge at the far end of the world. 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.And that journey is not just an unraveling 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.As an aside, 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 worshiped or revered. Needless to say, he is a compelling god—and Gornichec not only captures the spirit of Loki but somehow manages to deepen his complexity.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 is to say nothing of his banter with Angrboda, which is equal parts hilarious and exasperating. Or to say anything of the pair's actual relationship. I have such a hard time sympathizing with neglectful or abusive romantic partners in novels (Loki is more neglectful here), and any displays of love or redemption writers typically try to create with those characters only makes me roll my eyes, but Gornichec really makes you believe Loki is sincere during his tender moments, and there was one such line in the book in particular that floored me, despite all the earlier instances of Loki's absence and seeming disregard for Angrboda's growing needs.Every relationship Angrboda forms, particularly with her close friend, Skadi, and her daughter, is treated with as much care and complication, but for the sake of brevity and spoilers, you will have to discover those for yourself. Suffice it to say, if you enjoy Norse mythology or are just looking for a fantasy-based novel with some of the deepest, most interesting character writing currently available, I cannot recommend The Witch's Heart highly enough.I will add a few extra impressions here that are less about the emotional impact of the novel and more about the faithfulness to the source material I picked up on. Feel free to quit reading here if you're not as interested in the Norse mythology aspects of the novel:- Like virtually every novel, there are some moments where the "show, don't tell" rule is broken to move us from one major event to the next. I have no idea if this was intentional, but these moments of the novel read a bit like the actual sagas, and it seemed to me to reveal Gornichec's devotion and love for Old Norse texts.- Many of the more popular myths happen off-page and are told to us through characters sharing stories, which feels like an homage to the fact that this is how many of the myths and sagas unfold. More importantly, there are almost no authorial liberties taken with these myths. Beyond combining Angrboda with other characters (Gullveig/Heid, Hyrrokin, etc.), I did not notice any major liberties taken.- This feels like a love letter of sorts to the myths and characters themselves. Since we know so little about almost all of the characters who appear in the myths (many of whom are little more than name-dropped), there is a lot of room for creative license without tampering with the original stories, and Gornichec does this beautifully. The characters we do know a lot about (Odin, Loki, Thor) appear here much as they do in the myths, and the ones we don't (Angrboda, Skadi...and virtually everyone else) are provided the same level of depth the myths provide characters like Odin and Loki. It is obvious Gornichec treasures these characters, and there are few authors better suited to tell their stories today.- As a quick note, while the novel is faithful to the myths, it is still very much a contemporary novel, and it does not seem much attempt was made to preserve any sort of archaic language. This is by no means a bad thing, but worth noting if that is the sort of novel you're looking for.

This is a poorly written YA novel lacking any mythical or historical atmosphere or depth. The characters sound and act as if they are modern day tweens, and while the story may have potential, the writing and characterization are so awful that I couldn't justify spending any more hours of my life on finishing this book (dnf at page 65 - one of the only two books I've ever returned in my life).

I purchased this (twice) for my new Kindle Paperwhite and it would not advance past Part 1...would love to read but I couldn’t...had to process a refund :(

I was drawn into this story from the first page. I love the old Norse myths anyway, but this telling made them so vivid. Sometimes the gods and giants of legend seem distant and inhuman, but in this story they are very, very real and relatable. I cared about the main characters and was moved by the ending. Very well done!

I rarely read fiction but love Norse mythology and this book got a good review. However I get to the title page for part 1, from there I can go to the title page for part 2 but cannot access anything in between or after. I've never had any trouble with the 100+ books I've downloaded before.

Angrboda has been burned and reborn three times by Odin for not tellinghim what will happen in the last days of the Aesir and Vanir in Asgard. Shetries to keep away from the goings on in Asgard, but Loki seeks her out andthings go on from there. Will she be free?A great re-telling of the Norse myths from a different perspective. I liked howshe made the story down to earth and humanized most of the events. I lovedGronichec's writing style, very easy to read. I almost read the book in one go.Recommended, especially if you liked Neil Gaiman's take on the Norse Myths.

bummed I had to process a refund for this book. It loaded fine on my android phone but not my 2012 iPad Kindle App - must need the latest Kindle software (which is not available for older iPads).

“They say an old witch lived in east, in Ironwood, and there she bore the wolves who chased the sun and moon. “If you’re expecting Marvel style Norse gods, well you may need to rethink what you’re going to read.The Witch’s Heart is about Angrbroda’s who was punished by Odin and from her injuries and flees. She is later found by Loki who she ends up with three children with, all unique and all with purpose. Purpose that will change the nine worlds together.I enjoyed this story, it was done well, and the story was very different. You can tell there was a lot of research, thought, and planning that went into this debut novel. A love for mythology, I was very interested to read this one for sure. There was a lot of characters development (I will touch on again) and all the feelings for the story that unfolded.As much as I enjoyed this story, it started slow and took a while for me to get into it. It took around a 100 pages, it was a bit too much character development at the start for me because there was some story development missing. But this is my opinion, I like a lot of plot mixed with character development as we go. And I felt it was a bit too long from it.But I did enjoy the story, the mythology, and I am very interested in reading what Genevieve Gornichec puts out next! A good debut, a strong 3 star for me. 👩🏻🐺🐍

“Long ago, when the gods were young and Asgard was new, there came a witch from the edge of the worlds. She knew many ancient spells, but she was especially skilled with seid, a magic that allowed one to travel out of body and divine the future. “‘The Witch’s Heart’ by Genevieve Gornichec is a fascinating novel that tells the story of the giantess witch Angrboda. It starts where most witch tales end: with being burnt. This was her punishment from Odin for sharing her visions of the future with those he considers the wrong people. Yet the fire only leaves Angrboda injured and powerless.She flees to a remote forest and later she is found by a man, who reveals himself as the shape-shifting trickster god Loki. While she initially distrusts him, over time they fall in love and she eventually gives birth to three strange children, each with a secret destiny.Angrboda is keen to keep them hidden from Odin’s all-seeing eye. She slowly regains her prophetic powers and learns that not only her blissful life but possibly all of existence is in danger. This presents her with a crucial choice.The opening pages of the novel felt quite formal as if taken from a saga, though this quickly shifts to a more informal narrative style as soon as Loki enters the story.I enjoyed this very much. Prior to reading this, I only knew Angrboda’s name and her role as Loki’s secret baby mama, so I appreciated this reimagining of the myths from the perspective of Angrboda. I was especially moved by her relationship with her daughter, Hel.Genevieve Gornichec clearly has a deep understanding of Norse mythology and the skills to weave them into a powerful tale that honours the source material while making the myths relatable to modern readers.Overall, I enjoyed this novel very much and found myself completely immersed in its vivid descriptions and rich storytelling. ‘The Witch’s Heart’ is Genevieve Gornichec’s debut novel and I will certainly be looking forward to her future projects.

This was a masterful re-visioning of the old Norse tales. New life breathed in the lives and loved of gods and giants. A new perspective while keeping true to the essential information from older stories. Highly recommended and well worth loosing yourself in for a time.

This book tells the stories of the gods from a different perspective. It is a good read, the characters are believable, the writing style is easy. Perfect price. Perfect to curl up with on a cold night.

Nearly finished. It’s a brilliant funny book which tells the stories of the Norse gods mythology. Recommend

I’m so glad I purchased this book it really didn’t disappoint !So well written, it kept me engaged throughout. Highly recommend.