I found this book a little drawn out yet still entertaining. I wouldn't necessarily rave about it, but it is definitely a decent historical fiction. I would definitely recommend this to patrons interested in historical fiction, especially those who are tired and overloaded with 20th century/WWII novels. I think this will be a popular title, especially with the recent resurgence of novels set during this time period, with viking influences ("The Half-Drowned God," "The Lost Queen,").

Thank you to NetGalley, Jordanna Max Brodsky, and Redhook Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was awesome.

Combining Inuit and Norse history with fantasy elements, The Wolf in the Whale tells the story of Omat, an Inuit hunter and shaman living in the Canadian arctic in 1000 AD. Born a girl, her family believes the soul of her dead father has been reborn in her and therefore they raise her as a boy. Omat finds her identity in hunting for her family and communing with the spirits to keep them safe, but there are larger forces at work, and evil approaches. Omat must leave the only home she’s known to save those she loves, and keep the gods from tearing her world apart in an epic Ragnarok.

This story was EPIC. I thought it was a little slow at first, but once you get an idea of the scope of the narrative then it’s easy to settle in and let the story build. The insight into the daily life and and belief systems of the ancient Inuit (and Viking, more briefly) was thorough and fascinating. And I loved the blending of mythology and the active participation of the Inuit and Viking gods in the narrative. That aspect reminded me a lot of The Illiad.

I also felt that the author did a great job of exploring the dynamic of gender within the Inuit culture. Omat knows she has the body of a female, but believes (as does everyone else) that the male spirit of her father has been reborn in her. She struggles to reconcile who she feels she is with the rigid gender expectations and taboo beliefs of her people. For example, she is able to remain a “male”, aka hunter, until she begins menstruating, as after menstruation women are forbidden from using or even touching weapons. Omat has grown used to the freedoms allowed men and is frustrated to be relegated to women’s task, particularly when she was exclusive trained as a hunter. Torn between the separate realms of men and women, she doesn’t feel like she belongs in either, existing alone in the shadowy middle. Having read several books about a similar Afghanistan practice of raising girls as boys until puberty, I thought this author explored the concept of non-binary/third gender in nuanced and sensitive way.

I highly recommend this book and it’s definitely one I’ll be re-reading!

Brodsky's novel, The Wolf in the Whale, was an incredibly immersive read from the get-go. After reading the first few chapters and getting familiar with the setting and the story, I didn't want to stop reading it. The story follows Omat of an Inuit tribe through their journey across land and through life. I loved the gender fluidity of Omat, and their struggles in finding their identity. When they meet a Norseman named Brandr, Omat struggles even more with their identity and their place in the world at large and in their own personal world.

The Wolf in the Whale is violent, full of terrible things that happen to Omat and their people, and to everyone Omat meets. It's a reminder that the past was violent in people conquering other people and in people colonizing "new" worlds, and Brodsky doesn't shy away from any of it. None of what happens to the characters in this book feels like it was thrown in as a plot device. Omat and Brandr felt real, their cultures and mythologies felt immediate and real, and the brutalities of the past balanced with the more tender, personal moments.

I don't want to give too much away in this review because so much of what happens is so integral to the story, but let it be known that this is a hefty book and once I started reading it, I got hooked and couldn't put it down. If you enjoy rich, expansive historical fantasies with memorable characters and mythology so real you can almost taste it, don't pass up reading The Wolf in the Whale.

I received this from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

The heroic journey of an Inuit shaman and a Viking warrior in an epic tale of survival, love, and clashing gods in the frozen Arctic of 1000 AD.

Fantasy wrapped around Inuit and Viking legends. This is a very creative story but lagged in places. The final battle (Ragnarok) seemed to go on and on.

3.25 stars

Omat is a tough and able hunter. The only problem is she’s female. Hunters of the Inuit tribes must be male or they’ll anger the Gods. Omat is granted a reprieve until she reaches the age to bleed. Life for her is fulfilling until her blood begins to flow. Omat must comply and live by the strict female rule.
The author, Jordanna Max Brodsky, has done tremendous research into the history and evolution of the Inuit tribes. As you read the thoughts, emotions and living conditions of Omat you’ll feel so in tune with her landscape and traditions.
Omat is a shaman; she can communicate with the gods. This angle of the book may be a bit far-fetched for some readers but the author is staying true to the Intuits’ belief that the gods of the sun, moon, ocean, etc. must be kept content and happy in order for survival on the earth. Omat makes many trips to the gods, enabling her soul to leave her human body and become whatever creature is needed to move and persist. She listens to and tells many of the folk stories that help explain where they are and how they got there.
Due to the belief that women jinx the hunt, Omat is cast from her hunting tribe. In her struggle to survive alone, she saves the lives of 3 wolf puppies. Her life is rewarded many times over for her kindness; these wolves become her only means of survival as she endures the cold and hunger.
Just as she’s regaining her powers and strength, a wounded Norseman crosses her path. The first gut reaction is to kill him, but again, she shows compassion and allows him to live. She and her wolves both assist him as he recovers from his wounds. Thus starts the journey of the uncommon group, one Inuit, one Norseman, and three highly intelligent wolves.
This book reminds me of the Clan of the Cave Bear, but it’s also very different and unique. If you’re an avid reader of the history and evolution of man, this book will satisfy your hunger. And here ends this tale.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to Redhook Books for making it available.)

I wavered between 3 and 4 stars on this one. Brodsky weaves together a tale of family, survival, courage and acceptance. Omat is born a woman but raised a man, a hunter. She is taught by her grandfather to hunt, speak to the gods and save her people. Omat's journey takes her from hunter, to slave, to friend, and finally back home. She journey's across the ice with her wolf-dog pack and eventually her Viking.

The first 1/3 of this book is a little slow going. Honestly I almost put it down for good. However, I'm glad I didn't. Once you make it through that, the story really picks up. I found it interesting how the author was able to weave together Inuit mythology with Norse mythology and somehow it all seemed to work. I was surprised I enjoyed all the mystical analogies and stories. That's usually not my thing, but it somehow makes sense here.

The story of Omat, is one that has been told countless times. A strong smart woman is seen as a threat, needing to be tamed, to be quieted. However she persists and saves those she loves. While the core story itself may not be original, the way in which Brodsky crafts this story is. Any lover of mythology or history will enjoy this tale. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC for review.

In 1000AD, an Inuit community is dying. A young girl grows up with the soul of a hunter, raised as a man and determined to follow in her grandfather's steps. She wants to become the next shaman-type leader of her community, communicating with the spirits. But the spirits have stopped listening. Her community is starving and hope is all they have left.

Wow. I LOVED this book. It was just so complex and layered. It incorporates both Inuit legends and Norse mythology. Yes, that's right. Inuit legends *and* Norse mythology. The story, after all, takes place roughly when the Norse were travelling and exploring North America; the author herself states that we don't know what happened when the Norse met the American indigenous peoples, but she could imagine. In this world, Norse gods exist simultaneously with Inuit spirits.

Admittedly, it took me a while to get into this book. The beginning chapters are a bit slow but I felt they were also really realistic in depicting the life and difficulties of Inuit people. There are a few sections on hunting, which was to be expected. Although they were a bit boring, I honestly appreciated the look into the Inuit way of life.

For me, the highlight of the book was its exploration of gender. Omat is raised basically thinking she's a boy, even though she recognizes she has the body of a girl. Omat doesn't want to be a girl. She associates girls with weakness and domesticity; she wants to be a boy because they are stronger, and get to hunt and speak with spirits. Omat struggles to reconcile this throughout the book, and I just honestly loved it so much.

I also really loved the inclusion of the Norse gods and Vikings in general. It was bloody and exciting, and Omat absolutely shined throughout whatever hardships she experienced. I loved her grudging relationship with Brandr, and how they must work together. At some point, I just became addicted to this story and could not put it down.

This was honestly an unexpected gem. It was incredibly well-written, and don't let the slow beginning fool you. It's such a rich, complex story. Highly recommend!

I requested this title because I was a big fan of The Immortals. To be honest, if I hadn't read the series, I would have never read this book. The description did not draw me in. This was a good story but it dragged here and there a bit. Has some good twists and an excellent ending. Would say to put some warnings in there for the super feminists and easily triggered lol.

First of all, I would recommend this to all that seem even slightly interested in it based on the synopsis. If religion, Norse Gods, Inuit spirits, or coming of age stories interest you, you should most definitely enjoy this. It will most likely cause tears though. Be forewarned!
TW: sexual violence

My only complaint with the book was somewhere like 1/3 of the way through, it dragged a bit for me. That being my only complaint and the fact that it definitely redeemed itself, it’s a great and interesting read about Omat - a girl raised as a boy all her life who one day everything she knew went out the window in a flash. Readers will definitely feel for Omat and will love the look into a different culture. For me, that is the reason this book deserves such high praise. It feels unique and brings a different culture to our attention that I enjoyed learning more about. I will be planning on reading more from Jordanna Max Brodsky.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me a chance to read an advance copy of this wonderful story. Look out for this book coming out January 29, 2019!

Wow. This book.

I’m not sure how I’m going to sum this up, because this book gave me all kinds of the feels.

This is the story of Omat, who is a young Inuit hunter and apprentice shaman. As there are very strong taboos about women hunting and women being shamans in Omat’s culture, this is a bit of a difficult situation. Omat holds her father’s spirit, and as such, she is raised like a boy, in fact she doesn’t even realize that she is physically a girl until she’s ten or so. Nevertheless, it is decreed that until she bleeds, she has the spirit of a man, and is therefore a man, and can hunt seals and walrus for her small family. And everything is fine, until strangers arrive and throw everything into chaos. Eventually, chaos brings Omat face to face with people she has never seen before.

This one took me a little while to really get into. The beginning is a coming of age story, and while I don’t dislike those, and Omat does indeed have a very non-typical coming of age, I still found myself not really 100% sure of how I felt about her character. But I kept on going, because this book sounds very interesting indeed from the blurb.

And suddenly it was 3am, I couldn’t put this book down, I was having a bit of a cry, and I realized that I was a bit hooked on it. This book is really hard to put down once you pick it up.

The prose was lovely, and it was a very well written book. There must have been quite a lot of research involved, and it was all very well put together. There is a fair deal of Inuit language and folklore involved, as well as Norse folklore and mythology and it was truly fascinating to read a fantasy story based in both cultures and how the two peoples are very different but not completely.

It’s a bit of a difficult read at times, and I mean that in that Omat… generally does *not* have a good time of things in this one. There are some tough subjects at times, like sexual violence, violence against infants and children, and just general violence. But none of this stuff ever seemed like it was in there as a plot device or something bad that happens for badness’ sake. It also uses the idea of gender and what makes a person male or female in an interesting way. It felt very realistic, as far as historical arctic-set fantasy with gods and magic can be.

When Omat crosses paths with the Norse, and spends time with Brandr, learning about him and his people, this one only got harder and harder to put down. Even with frequent breaks, I plowed through this one in just short of 3 days, and it’s not a short book. The last 1/4 of this book had me in tears. Teeeeaaaarssss!

All told, I really liked this one. There were times that I wasn’t sure if I’d have to stop. As I’ve mentioned, sometimes books that have heavy themes make me a little antsy, and I have to take many breaks to avoid getting a little too ramped up. This was one of those books (it’s not the first, and it won’t be the last) but at the same time, it was one that I always, always went back to as soon as I could.

Really well done! I loved it.

Many thanks to the author, as well as Redhook via NetGalley for the review copy.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
****
TW: rape

The Wolf in the Whale starts out super intriguing. I love how overall the story is built on faith, and myth, and beliefs.
The day Omat is born her mother dies giving birth to her, her grandfather is spurned not just by his spirit but all spirits, her father died shortly before her birth, and she is not expected to survive either. Not until the wolf spirit joins her abandoned body in the snow to offer her spirit and life and Omat’s grandfathers connection to the spirits is restored. Omat is taken in by her fathers sister and her future is shaped by her being given her dead father’s name.
Raised as a boy her whole life, accepted by most of her people for this choice, and trained to become the next angakkuq, shaman of her people, Omat’s life is thrown into disarray by the appearance of outsiders and the reveal that her gods have turned their backs on her and are a threat to her and, because of that, her people as well.
The Wolf in the Whale is a coming of age story. Its a story about a girl raised as a boy who also learns to accept they are a woman and can be both without compromising who they are. It’s about the struggle to find that balance and find those who support them in that struggle and stay strong even when lacking the support needed. Omat is a strong character who goes through a lot, the trigger warning is there for a reason. It’s a fascinating story about clashing gods, people, and faiths. About how the gods are only as strong as the belief in them is and how even as they raise their faithful up, the lack of faithful can bring them down.
I had some concerns a little into the story, about a quarter of the way through or so, tied into the trigger warning, but I feel like the ending tackles it a little bit and gives it some closure that I’d been struggling with up until that point. I don’t think it makes it any easier, and definitely doesn’t make it any better but it did at least give me closure.
Overall I found this story to be fairly enjoyable.

A fascinating world opens up thanks to the imaginative work of Jordanna Max Brodsky. Combining research into contemporary far north tribal society, current archeological understanding of the first European contacts with North America, and what-if dreams of ancient powers, she creates a story powerful and empowering. Fans of Neil Gaiman will welcome this addition to the literature exploring the tension of all-too human life when it draws the attention of gods. She lifts the veil from a unique world we can all explore, and leaves us with much to ponder.

(review will post to below link 1/24/19)

Before I talk about the actual book, I want to address the fact that this is primarily a story about an Inuit character written by a white author. It doesn't become a question of the plot or the question of how the writing is, but it gets down to the fact that when we acquire books written outside of people's own experiences we are robbing Inuit voices of the chance to speak their own stories. This has nothing to do with the amount of research or even sensitivity readers, it comes down to the fact that this book may make it more difficult for ownvoices stories to be heard, especially in this publishing landscape. The presence of the third gender character adds another complexity to the discussion as well - which is not really revealed on the back matter. While the author references Inuit community members who were crucial in the story, as well as a bibliography, this doesn't negate the fact that in order to publish more diverse stories, the priority should be on acquiring ownvoices stories.

(TW: Rape)
I just wanted to get that out of the way before I began my review of the story. I had no major qualms with the story, except at times it felt too akin to Pocahontas. This seemed like it would be a good opportunity to comment on the colonialism, but they weren't pursued. There were a few scenes which I am still processing which were extremely rough for me to read. I appreciated the archaeological detail in how the Inuit hunted whales, but I am not able to determine how historically or culturally accurate they are. But as a whole I was relieved that this story did not fall into a trope where the Viking society either saves Omat's people (like a benevolent white savior) or completely annihilates them in conquest. Instead this is a story that draws in both the Inuit and Viking gods in a harsh landscape that will entirely change their way of life as they know it.

This is an epic story of Omat, an amazing woman with a warrior heart. I found it intriguing that she had never thought of herself as a woman, but thought she was a boy! It was thought that if you were a woman you could not be a hunter or warrior, but Omat proved them wrong. A powerful story of survival.

This book was exceptional. I loved the slow and steady build of the pacing. In a sense, it starts off at a simple walk that builds up speed until it ends in a sprint, just before settling back into a walk again. And the interwoven tales told throughout really added something special. Omat struggles throughout the course of the novel; nothing is ever easy for her. But she lives between two worlds and has the strength of both. Both man and woman. Inuit and Norse. Omat is not defined by her hardships but by her strengths and tenacity. She is sometimes too quick to act, but she is ever vigilant and clever. The research done and effort put forth for this novel really show. Something I wish would've been expanded upon just a little bit more, however, is the battles of the gods near the end. It felt more like we were told who was there, rather than really seeing the grandness of the fighting. Although we did see some spectacular moments. I would definitely recommend this book.
[Full review to be posted later at thefantasyinn.wordpress.com]

A beautiful coming together of both Inuit and Norse folklore. You will meet strong characters who will easily pull you though to to heroic conclution. Well worth the read!

I LOVED this book! It surprised me several times with interesting plot turns . Characters were either really frightening or really appealing making for great tension and suspense. I am partial to anything Viking and icelandic but even those new to these cultures may enjoy this coming of age, romance, adventure take. Loved it!

I can think that Jordanna used her history and literature degree from Harvard to learn everything that she could to put together the story that she tells about Omat, Kiasik, Puja, and Brandr. She describes this in detail after the story, which to me was a list of people and books worth reading. However, she describes how Omat, a boy in a girls body was made a boy by her Ataata (father/grandfather) who was a angakkuq (shaman) who wants him/her to be an angakkuq also. It goes into detail how Omat is captured and then escapes and has many other adventures including one that brings her love to her being chased by a bear. This has Norse gods that are described in detail and clash with the Inuit gods foretold by the Norse legends. With the Christian god being fought off by the Norse people. Thought provoking things to think about. I can say that I really liked this book by Jordanna and would recommend it to anyone who likes history and tales. You won't regret reading this story.

So I was auto approved for this book and actually had no idea what it was actually about.. I never go in blind and now I know not to do that. This book at times can be hard to read especially all the terrible things that happen to Omat, especially when it seems that all these terrible things happen to her because she's different and her only difference is that she wants to protect her family and people. I did enjoy the history and mythology the author weaved together combining Inuit mythology and Norse mythology was very intriguing, The book shows that the author did her research.

Overall this is a likable read for me that has some TW. I would recommend to those who like to read Norse mythology and would like to branch out into different ethnic heritages.

The Wolf in the Whale is an absolutely enthralling tale with an epic finale. I found the story to be a spellbinding page turner. It is a coming of age story of survival against the elements set alongside the mythology and spiritual realms of the Inuit and Vikings. I am definitely looking forward to ordering this title into the shop!