In this book, the author masterfully creates a vivid and immersive world, breathing life into the historical backdrop of Norway during the Viking age. The attention to detail in the settings, cultural customs, and mythology showcases extensive research and adds depth to the narrative. Readers will find themselves transported to a time of longships, seafaring adventures, and the intricate workings of Norse society. The inclusion of magic and mysticism enriches the narrative, imbuing it with an enchanting quality. The author skillfully blends folklore and sorcery, seamlessly integrating fantastical elements into the historical framework. While the pacing occasionally dips in certain sections, the overall narrative maintains a steady momentum, with unpredictable twists and turns.

I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and requested a copy of The Weaver and the Witch Queen. While mythological retellings, fantasy and historical fiction are all in my wheel house, combining all three into one tale was daunting. This book was ultimately not for me, but I think for those who love historical fiction/fantasy- this will be a homerun.

What I loved:

The way found family is woven all throughout the story is beautiful. Also, making a main character be trans made my heart swell. The representation was amazing and refreshing. The storytelling had so many layers and the “world building” was beautiful.

What I didn’t love:

I was confused. A lot. I both listened to the audio (thank you Penguin Randomhouse Audio) as well as read my eARC and there was just so much information that didn’t quite resonate.

HOWEVER- the overall aesthetic and feeling of the book came across beautifully and I would recommend this to readers who love some historical fiction sprinkled into their fantasy!

I loved this story more than her first book. The writing style is so fluid, it’s so easy to get sucked into the story and lost in the worlds she creates. There is something so unique about Norse mythology and this is such a fun take on that. I loved the entire thing and wanted it to never end.

The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec is standalone historical fantasy that takes place in the Viking age. We meet three young girls, two sisters (Signy and Oddny) and a best friend (Gunnhild), who are at the start 12 years old. At their young age, the girls have no control over their fate as women, and though the three of them swear an oath to each other, and in a short time, a seer will change their lives. Gunnhild has a terrible relationship with her mean mother, and when she is offered to go with the seer, and learn magic, she leaves her home, not to been again for 12 years.

12 Years later, Oddny and Signy’s family is attacked by Viking Raiders, killing most of the residents of their villiage. Oddny manages to escape, and Signy is captured by the Vikings. With her family dead, Oddny is determined to do anything to find her sister. Gunnhild over these many years, has learned from her seer, how to use her witch magic and powers. She and her mentor seer, try to fight off three other witches; knowing how powerful these others are. Gunnhild and Oddny eventually find each other, and together they are committed to find out why this attack happened, and to rescue Signy.

Gunnhild makes arrangements to go home, offering her services as a witch, protecting King Eirik, heir apparent to the ruler of all Norway. At first Eirik is not enamored with Gunnhild, until he sees she maybe able to help to him. I did enjoy the snarky relationship between Gunnhild and Eirik; as neither one of them liked each other. Time will change things for both Gunnhild and Eirik, as well as Oddny and Halldor. What I loved the most was the wonderful powers that proved women are capable of fighting this war; especially with their magic, powers, and strong bond between them.

What follows is an exciting, intense, emotional, non-stop action in the last half of the book, which had me unable to put the book down. The Weaver and the Witch Queen was a gripping, intensive, adventurous and fascinating mythology; so very well written by Genevieve Gornichec. This was a fantastic read, and I loved the epilogue. If you enjoy fantasy, you need to wholly read this book.

This book was offered to me as an early read by netgalley

This book was filled with Magic, witches, and Norse history. The Weaver and the Witch Queen Kept me interested the entire time, I had a hard time putting it down! A definite five stars for me and would read again just for fun!

The author refers to this as historical fantasy. She takes a character from the Icelandic sagas and goes running off in her own direction with it. It's historical in the fact that this character was likely a real human person. But there is definitely quite a lot of magic going on here, mostly related to witches.

Can we make historical fantasy be a thing? Because this is lovely.

I also quite enjoyed her other book, The Witch's Heart, which was a retelling of Norse mythology. If you liked that, this is definitely a go.

If you're into mythology, retellings, fantasy, or historical fiction, this one should definitely be on your radar.

In tenth century Norway, Oddny and Gunnhild meet as children. Oddny wants a quiet life, and Gunnhild wants power. A visiting wisewoman makes an ominous prophecy involving Oddny, her sister Signy, and Gunnhild, so the three girls make a blood oath to help each other. Oddny's farm is destroyed by Viking raiders and Signy is kidnapped. Gunnhild had fled her home years ago to learn witchcraft, and her fate is linked to King Eirik, heir apparent to the ruler of all Norway. The childhood bonds that hold the women together are strong, and will be tested in ways they never could have foreseen.

The Weaver and the Witch Queen is loosely based on historical figures, but I didn't know that until I read the author's note at the end. I followed the story from the start, interested in how Gunnhild needed to leave a home where she felt continually targeted, learning witchcraft to feel a sense of power. Signy and Oddny had sisterly bickering before the raid on their home, which set into motion the very thing that the other witches had hoped to stop. Gunnhild and Oddny work together after Signy is kidnapped and sold into slavery, but their means of getting there are different. Oddny is a healer and weaver, working with different households and reinforcing relationships in the hird, while Gunnhild challenges and asserts herself whenever possible. At the same time, Gunnhild is harassed and thwarted by the three other witches hoping to stop her future from coming to pass. The more she doubts herself, the more events spiral out of her control and reinforces her doubts.

The life of women in that culture generally ran on prescribed rails, with distinct roles. Oddny had wanted to stay within those bounds, but this adventure forced her out of them. Gunnhild wanted power and safety in a different way, and pushed back against all the infighting. At the core of their sworn sisterhood is love, so that even as they sometimes go about their goal to get Signy back in different ways, there is still love between the two women. The end of the novel is in line with history, but still emotionally satisfying for the paths they chose throughout the novel. It's very well done, and breathes life into the limited knowledge we have about these figures.

Genevieve Gornichec’s debut The Witches Heart is on my top favorite books of all time list. The Weaver and The Witch was one of my top most anticipated reads for 2023 and I’m happy to say it was BRILLIANT!

Bits…
Nordic mythology
Tenth century Norway
Historical fantasy
Sisterhood…by blood and found family
Witches and witchcraft
Sons of kings!
Destinies and grand adventures

From reading both of Genevieve‘s books I have gathered she is a brilliant storyteller and knows how to capture the readers attention with setting, historical details and character development. I’m excited to see what else she creates.

I don’t know if there’s a name for this trope or type of story (maybe self-fulfilling prophecy?) but one of my favorite things to read are stories in which characters are warned about terrible things in their future and, in their attempts to avert their fate, steer straight into the exact scenario they were trying to avoid in the first place. This happens multiple times in the stories of Oedipus, Macbeth, and even Harry Potter. Genevieve Gornichec’s The Weaver and the Witch Queen is a Norse saga-inspired version of this all too human story. We just can’t seem to help ourselves when someone presents us with a glimpse of the future. We try to put our stamp on fate and Fate stamps back.

As the unloved youngest child of a minor lord in Norway, Gunnhild has no idea that the future holds anything for her other than a boring life of domestic drudgery. The only interesting thing in her life is an aggravating mystery. When she was young, a seeress saw—but then refuse to tell—Gunnhild’s future. In a fit of frustration after yet another fight when her mother and the threat of being married off, Gunnhild manages to escape when another seeress passes through their village. She’d rather learn magic in the hinterlands of Finnmark than get married to an oaf decades older than she is. Who wouldn’t?

Twelve years later, Gunnhild is a gifted witch who can fly, heal terrible wounds, talk to the dead, and all sorts of feats. Using her ability to fly is how she learns that her only childhood friends, Oddny and Signy, have been attacked by roving raiders. Signy is taken. Oddny manages to escape and find sanctuary with Gunnhild’s parents. If it hadn’t been for this attack, Gunnhild would have stayed in Finnmark and never popped into history. But because her friends are harmed, Gunnhild swears to track down the people responsible and take her revenge.

Like Kaikeyi of the Ramayana, Gunnhild is written as a villain in the original versions. From Gornichec’s retelling, it isn’t hard to see how the hardheaded and fierce Gunnhild would end up on the wrong side of a skald. Gunnhild lets nothing get in her way, even if it means breaking promises and arguing the opposition into the ground. And I daresay it pissed a lot of people off that Gunnhild had the power—magical, physical, and emotional—to get her way. But because Gornichec took the time to show us what shaped this remarkable character and what it meant for her to have two great friends during the loneliest time of her life, it isn’t hard to be on Gunnhild’s side in her quest for rescue and revenge.

I’ve been eagerly awaiting Gornichec’s second novel. Her debut, The Witch’s Heart, is one of the best books I’ve ever read. The Weaver and the Witch Queen is not a sequel and it’s more of a traditional work of historical fiction than the episodic Witch’s Heart and might be more accessible to readers who aren’t as familiar with Norse mythology. No prior knowledge is required for The Weaver and the Witch Queen. But for any readers who want to read amazing tales of Norse women, magic, power, and fate, I highly recommend both of Gornichec’s novels.

I love fantasy, historical fiction, and stories of lesser known women so this book was right up my alley.

The novel is set in early 10th century Norway and follows to lives of three women on their quest for power and/or love. Oddny and Signy are sisters and friends of Gunnhild the neglected daughter of the neighboring nobleman (or hirsir). Their lives are disrupted by a visiting seeress who prophecies trouble and inevitably curses all three of them. This curse turns out to be correct when Gunnhild disappears and Oddny and Signy's farm is raided and Signy is kidnapped. Oddny and Gunnhild reunite and it's revealed that Gunnhild has spent the last ten years of her life training to be a witch. The two women are determined to get Signy back and must work with each other as well as unsavory allies like the future King of Norway and the man who participated in the raid on Oddny's farm. Complicating matters as well is the appearance of other witches and the burgeoning romance between Gunnhild and Eirik and Oddny and her raider.

This book is long and has many twists and surprises but I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Between the beautiful historical details to the enemies-to-lovers romance this book was fantastic. I honestly think it's one of the best books I've read this year. Gornichec has a great eye for detail and skillfully combines myth and facts. I highly recommend for fans of fantasy or historical fiction.

I was provided a free copy of this book through NetGalley

I LOVED The Weaver and The Witch Queen. What a stunning book! Everything about it is fantastic from the writing to the characterization and the utterly enchanting plot. I don't quite know how to describe this book and do it justice.

I loved Oddny especially and thought her character arc interesting.

I highly recommend checking this one out!

The Weaver and the Witch Queen is a great Nordic historical fantasy full of wonderful female characters. It is a retelling of a myth I wasn't familiar with, witch queen Gunnhild, but I don't think lack of familiarity hurt my enjoyment of it.

My favorite aspect of this was the complex relationship between childhood friends Gunnhild and Oddny. Their dynamic evolves following the different paths they take, and it is definitely the heart of the novel. I do wish their romantic lives hadn't taken the reigns of their decision-making so much.

Grunhild does some villainous things but I loved rooting for her. She's a great protagonist, even though I knew nothing of her before reading this.

There is excellent trans representation with a positive experience for the character.

This author's debut, The Witch's Heart, was one of my favorite books I read last year so I was super excited for this one. Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group and Ace for the opportunity to read it.

I received a gifted galley of THE WEAVER AND THE WITCH QUEEN by Genevieve Gornichec for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, PRHAudio, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

THE WEAVER AND THE WITCH QUEEN follows two lifelong friends in tenth century Norway, Oddny and Gunnhild. Along with Oddny’s sister Signy, the girls take a blood oath to always help each other. When Signy is taken by Viking raiders, Oddny will do everything to get her sister back. Gunnhild has gone to study in the ways of the witch, powers that might help but aren’t always in her control. Though not always together and often with paths in conflict, their vows to each other keep their lives intertwined.

I really enjoyed this author’s THE WITCH’S HEART so I was thrilled to see another book coming out that felt like it might be in the same vein. I was very happy to find that this book quickly drew me in the same way! I really enjoyed getting some different history in this one with the Norway setting and the Vikings history as well. The magic with the bond between the women and Gunnhild’s magic was really interesting as well.

While the writing feels very cozy and easy to settle into, there are some very heavy topics in this one as well. The author has a list of content warnings on Goodreads to check out if that is a concern. I really liked how the relationships in this bookand the women weren’t overly perfect even as there was strength and loyalty.

This was a fantastic read and I can’t wait to see what Genevieve Gornichec comes out with next! THE WEAVER AND THE WITCH QUEEN is out today!

This is such a rich story, and I loved it! It's historical fantasy with found family, bonds between women, an immersive setting, and magic. The exploration of the power of women, their bonds, their choices, their influence, and their impact was so powerful and well-done. I loved the development of the relationships between Gunnhild and Eirik and between Oddny and Halldor and the impacts those relationships had on Gunnhild and Oddny's own relationship.
Did this book rip my heart out the way The Witch's Heart did? No it didn't, but it was still emotionally impactful, and I did feel more tied to the characters in this book. The ending is pretty open-ended and we know that so much must take place after the conclusion, and I would absolutely read another book that continues the story of these characters.

4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a requested copy to review. All opinions are my own.

I broadly enjoyed this! It takes an interesting and under-examined historical setting and gives it a fantasy flourish that still managed to feel very much a part of the world.

It did feel at times like it slacked the emotional follow-through, though. Something major would be set up, and then the writing didn't *quite* pay off what followed. The whole novel also ends *before* Gunnhild's historical story really takes off, and that allows the author to avoid choosing whether to keep her in "flawed heroine" territory or take her into the realm of full ruthless anti-heroine (as well as leaving an impression of Eirik, aka Erik Bloodaxe, that is... well, less complicated than the historical and saga record would have you think).

But, on the whole, I was very much drawn into the story and enjoyed the read!

I love a fairytale retelling so it's obvious I will also enjoy an Icelandic/Norse saga reimagining. I've never heard of the saga of Gunnhild, Mother of Kings before reading this book. I've skimmed a bit of it, and can't wait to dig in and learn more.

There's so much to unpack here but one of my biggest takeaways is the emotional bond between these young women as they navigate challenging world of Vikings society. Their commitment to each other is continuously challenged as they fight unknown adversaries and are pulled in their own directions in life.

The women portrayed had bold personalities. They were strong and capable of defending themselves, and they didn't rely on the men in their families or relationships. These women supported each other and found strength in their own abilities. The author also includes LGBTQ representation, and I am here for it.

The pacing of the book in the beginning was a bit slow for me, and I found myself having a tough time feeling this book as it got going. There was a lot of setting the stage for the overall story. I found that it was worth the wait, so grab your tea, comfy blanket and dig in.

Overall, anyone who loves fantasy, but also Norse/Iclandic Folklore will love this imaginative retelling.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to pre-read this book and share my opinions on it.

Fantasy and historical fiction are my two most favorite genres, so naturally, when an author blends the two into something suspenseful, engaging, and rich in all kinds of nerdy details that will make fantasy-loving hearts go pitter patter, well... my heart goes pitter patter! I've always been fascinated by Vikings and Norse myths and sagas, but have only really felt myself fully get pulled into them over the course of the past five years or so, a little bit at a time. As such, I am by no means an expert in all things Viking, but I could kinda tell that some of the details were more to play towards the fantasy readers and not so much those that are sticklers for historicity, but not to worry - Gornichec provides a handy little overview in her author's note of what's based in history, what she toyed with a little, and what she invented. Loved getting that little history lesson at the very end.

What didn't blow me away, though, was what I thought to be the somewhat simplistic writing style. It was efficient and did its job satisfactorily, but it didn't have the grand sweep that I was hoping for from a story based in such epic myths. The tone of the writing didn't quite live up to the tone of the story, and that was disappointing.

Also, big tip to any future readers of the story: keep a bookmark in the character list at the back of the book. If you're like me, you'll want to refer to that an awful lot. Here are the characters I could easily keep track of: Gunnhild. Eirik. Halldor. Oddny, but only after she was separated from Signy. Everyone else had names that were very similar to other character's names. I do realize that when you are using Anglicized versions of old Nordic names, you are somewhat limited, but I could get pretty frustrated trying to remember who was whom. That ended up taking me out of the story and ruining the impact of some key moments, mostly because I couldn't remember who the heck we were actually talking about.

Overall, a solid piece that wasn't without its technical problems, but those problems were easy enough to overcome considering how well the story held my interest. I'm excited to dig into more Norse-based historical fiction and fantasy, and I'll be interested to see what else Gornichec produces (still haven't read the copy of her first book, The Witch's Heart, that I bought over a year ago, but alas, buying books and actually reading them are often two separate hobbies).

THE WEAVER AND THE WITCH QUEEN is another gorgeous Nordic retelling by Genevieve Gornichec. Pulling from Icelandic sagas, Gornichec retells the story of Gunnhild, the “Mother of Kings” from tenth century Norway. As with her previous book, THE WITCH’S HEART, the author blends history with fantasy to retell an epic centering on women. Gornichec’s signature ability to bring an ancient culture to life is fully on display, but even more impressive is her ability to give voice to three girls struggling to fit in and turning to each other for strength and support. Young Gunnhild is a disappointment to her mother and her voice most of all rings so true. Those expecting a swashbuckling adventure will not be disappointed – these are Vikings after all. There are swordfights and nail-biting action aplenty. What makes this novel stand out, however, are the beautifully fleshed out characters, Gornichec’s particular skill in honoring women’s work in a period where most historians don’t give them much attention, and the sensitive examination of the inner lives of the young women.

Daughter of a warlord, Gunnhild is worlds away from farmer's daughters Oddny and Signy, yet the three girls are inseparable, as close as sisters. When Gunnhild's cruel mother won't allow her to see the Seer who has come to their hall, Oddny and Signy sneak their friend into the line. But the Seer refuses to give their fortune, stating only that the three girls' lives are bound together. To save her friends from being bound to her fate, Gunnhild runs away, joining the Seer to train as a witch.

Years later, their farm is attacked by raiders and Signy taken by slavers. Oddny will do anything to save her sister, enlisting the help of her old friend Gunnhild, now a powerful witch. Gunnhild has allied herself with the most hated man in Norway- Eirik, son of King Harald. Eirik enlists Gunnhild's help as a witch to protect his men from the witches who follow his every move. Will Oddny and Gunnhild be able to save Signy before it's too late?

The Weaver and the Witch Queen is a stunning mythical fantasy retelling of the life of the witch queen of Norway.

The Weaver and the Witch Queen is at its core a story about female friendships. The three women who make a pact early on experience heartache, violence, and supernatural threats to themselves and their loved ones. While the story is at times slow, it is worth it to keep reading. Each woman's path leads them back to together. The story takes place during the viking era and can be violent at times. If you enjoy books with a focus on historical fiction, vikings, and friendship, check out this book.