Ugh the gods were the worst. That's how I am starting my review of The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec. The story of a witch who been killed by Odin three times and survived. She falls in love with Loki and besides being blessed with three unique children, the rest of her tale is filled with tragedy.

It was a little slow in the beginning. While the author was trying to build your trust in Loki, he even managed to charm me for am moment there, but that was short-lived. As soon as he was "forced" to take another wife, it went down hill from there. I despised him with a passion, and I can't remember being so angry at a character in a long time. His actions at one point {no SPOILERS} absolutely gutted me.

When I first finished the book I think I was all wrapped up over the ending and just caught up in the whirlwind of my emotions that I was going to give this a 4.5⭐ But the more I think about Angrboda's character, the more disappointed in her I become. She should have been this bad*ss witch, but instead she sat around and waited for Loki to show her scraps when he wasn't banging his other wife. She could have been so much more and don't even get me started on her forgiveness of Loki in the end, nope, not buying it. She had to lose everything to step up and tap into her powers and take control of her fate. On a positive not, Angrboda is bisexual, and I loved the relationship she formed with Skadi. {{sigh}} If only she could have safe herself the whole Loki attachment, she would have had a much more pleasant life.

I almost left out the parts I enjoyed about the book because honestly I really did! Angrboda wasn't always frustrating, she was a caring and protective mother to her children. I loved the children themselves, just because they were different didn't make them monsters. As I mentioned above, I really enjoyed Angrboda and Skadi's relationship. In the end, while there was so much loss, it managed to end on a hopeful note and was satisfying.

Sorry this review is sort of just random though paragraphs, but I didn't want to give spoilers and I needed to vent a little lol The Witch's Heart was tragedy filled with love, deception, betrayal, loss, love and hope.

A wonderfully feminist retelling of the story of Angrboda and the full cast of the Norse pantheon and related myths. I only knew a bit of Angrboda through her relation to Loki and their children. I truly enjoyed reading about her story in this interpretation. Genevieve Gornichec did for Angrboda what Madeleine Miller did for Circe: a great story told by a woman typically passed by in the original stories.

That was an interesting read. I had some troubles getting into the story due to the myth style of writing, but, I got used to it after a few chapters. A story with strong witch and wonderful family bonds. I enjoyed it overall.

This was a wonderful book that really brought Norse Mythology to life. I enjoyed it so much I bought a hardcover as soon as it was available.

Was not able to read before the publish date, my library has purchased several copies of this book and it seems to be doing well.

I hardly ever read the synopsis. I saw "Witch's Heart" and thought, ooh...another book about witches, sign me up. I started reading the book and realized, this wasn't just a book about a witch. This was a Norse Mythology retelling.

If you've ever read Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology or Rick Riordan's Magnus Chase series (The Sword of Summer), and enjoyed those stories, then you'll love this book.

This book is about Loki's Jotunheim giantess wife, Angrboda, the mother of Fenrir (the wolf), Hel (the ruler of the dead), and Jormungand (the Midgard Serpent). The first part begins with Angrboda sitting in Jotunheim, recovering from being burned alive by the Asgardian gods. They had removed her heart, and Loki came to find her to return her heart back to her.

Loki is the sly one, a trickster. There is always a reason for the things he does. So giving Angrboda back her heart, turned into something he was not expecting. He discovered a friend who would later turn into his wife and the mother of his three children.

She has no memory of her former self and she's lucky to have Skadi come across her. Skadi is a giantess and a trader. She takes Angrboda under her wing and tries to help her become a functioning person again. She suspects Angrboda may be the Great Witch, the one who birthed wolves. But Angrboda has no memory of that life.

As Angrboda learns how to survive living in a cave, Skadi and Loki both visit her often. Yet, Angrboda keeps Loki's identity a secret from Skadi, because Loki isn't the greatest husband or father to his kids. He's always absent, running off for months at a time. And Skadi, being the great friend that she is, will kill this man when she finds him.

This story tells the fate of the Asgardian gods and how Angrboda and her family played a role in Ragnarok. It's almost like karma came for the gods after they tried to kill Angrboda. This tale tells her story and the story of the monsters of Midgard that would one day bring the end to the gods.

What I loved about this story is that the women in this tale are not weak. They are strong. Their love is strong. Angrboda is sort of a story that's a footnote in Norse Mythology. Expanding on her story breathes life into a woman thought to be an evil monster, but really she is just a victim of the gods and their games. They got what they had coming to them.

This is an excellent book. For those who know Norse Mythology, you'll understand most of this story. For those who don't, it may appear there are spoilers above, but they're not. These are myths passed down for thousands of years. This story just expands on a character in the demise of the gods that is not really told. This retelling was incredible.

While The Witch's Heart is an excellent retelling of the Norse myth, it fell short for me as far as the writing style and prose, dipping between more classic language and modern slang terms at times. It started off a bit slowly, but it really does turn out to be a stunning tale centered on the women of this myth who typically go without their voices actually being heard. Overall, I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars, and I would definitely read more from this author!

The Witch's Heart is a solid reimagining of Norse mythology. I enjoyed the story overall, but it took me much longer than anticipated to read because I slogged through part 1. The 2nd half of the book really hooked me as we were exposed to more of Angrboda's world than just her cave home. Part 1 makes up about 60% of the book, but I thought way too much time was dedicated to setting up Angrboda's relationships while still not really making me 'feel' much for any of the characters. My biggest critique of the book though is that the dialogue wasn't great, especially between Angrboda and Loki, and I found myself cringing at a majority of their conversations.

I'm a sucker for mythologies of all kind, though I wasn't sure I was going to love this one toward the start of the novel. The tonal switches between "serious tale of old" and "playful banter" read oddly to me. But woof, this story sucked me in anyway, and by Part II, I was utterly committed to Angrboda and her brood. A good read for CIRCE fans.

The Witch's Heart is a new spin on the classic mythology tale of trickster Loki and his children. This version is told through the eyes of Angriboda. She wakes in a clearing and makes her home in a cave, all the while feeling like something is missing and unable to remember what happened to her. The Norse god Loki stumbles upon her home and returns Angriboda's heart to her along with the tale of how she came to lose it. Once Angriboda replaces her heart that and her powers return bit by bit, she falls in love with Loki and bears him three children. In the midst of all this, she has visions of the end of the world and the horrible Fates that befall Loki and the other gods as well as their children. This was an excellent story, well researched and an enjoyable read. Of course fans of North mythology will read this and love it, as should anyone who enjoys a great tale. Many thanks to NetGalley for the privilege of reading the arc.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for providing an ARC copy of The Witch’s Heart via NetGalley for review!

THE WITCH’S HEART delves into the story of Angrboda, a witch whose heart Odin tears out and thrice burns at the stake when she refuses to look into the future for him. She survives and retreats only to be discovered by Loki as he attempts to return her heart. Angrboda makes her home in a forest at the edge of the world, falling in love with Loki, building a friendship with Skadi, and becoming the mother of monsters. Angrboda raises her three children far away from Asgard, hoping to protect them from the glimpses she’s seen of their participation in Ragnarok as Loki flies in and out of their lives. But the future and Asgard eventually catch up to Angrboda, triggering a series of challenges for her to face in her attempt to protect her children.

I had a bit of trouble getting into the story. The beginning features some highly entertaining banter between Angrboda and Loki; however, I found myself putting the book aside more often than not as I tried to immerse myself in the retelling. As the stakes rose, my interest in the story followed. The latter half of the book felt much quicker as Angrboda’s fierce resilience and determination shine through as she embarks on her quest.

Though my knowledge of Norse mythology is basic, THE WITCH’S HEART is an immensely accessible read. The prose is lovely, presenting a world of magic and scope. I appreciated that the story isn’t about her romance with Loki but is rather a tale about a woman who is determined to do what feels right to her as she finds herself. All too often the women in mythology are brushed over, mentioned in relation to their partners and children, and Angrboda is no exception to this. The Witch’s Heart also sketches her character in relation to Loki, Hel, Fenrir, and Jormungand but also vibrantly layers in her feelings, goals, motivations, and history in vibrant color.

I’d recommend this if you’re in the mood for a humanizing mythological reimagination with a splash of witchiness.

(THE WITCH’S HEART reminded me a lot of CIRCE as both provide voice to often voiceless characters with strong themes of motherhood.)

I feel as though I don't have the appropriate words to describe how wonderful THE WITCH'S HEART is. Poetic, tragic, hilarious, bizarre, romantic, and so many other things in their turns, it's the most innovative and fascinating retelling of Norse mythology, indeed of ANY mythology, right up there with SONG OF ACHILLES and CIRCE, I've read in a very long time. Anghrboda has always deserve her chance to speak and Gornichec has given her the perfect voice, a voice that refuses to be buried or silenced by Loki, by Odin, by history, by time, or even by the forces of nature. She is the witch women need and the witch we deserve. I can't wait to see who Gornichec gives life to next.

If you are in the mood for a retelling of the story of Ragnarok and how it came to be, this is a book for you. Angrboda is the main character, although she has other names. She survived being burned 3 times before she woke on the edge of Ironwood missing her heart. Loki returned it to her and thus the tale begins. The tale spirals through the familiar story of the Norse gods but framed from the view of Angrboda and her concerns. This framing makes the tale much more personal and less abstract as so many retellings are. A very nicely paced tale.

This was a lovely and really beautifully written retelling of Ragnarok. Great for fans of Tolkien and similarly epic storytellers.

This might just be my favorite read of the year. An exceptional story, and a wonderful debut. I hope we hear many more stories from Ms. Gornichec.

My entire knowledge base of Norse mythology comes from two sources: Neil Gaiman and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As I read this book, I had Neil's voice telling me the story and I pictured Tom Hiddleston's Loki. Yes, Loki's description is different in this novel, but he's still the charming trickster, and we get to see beyond the front he hides behind.

If you've ever introduced yourself as "So-and-so's parent" or maybe "So-and-so's wife/husband/spouse" and it made you pause, you'll understand why this story is so important to put into the world. All we know about Angrboda according to the mythology is that she's Loki's first wife, and the mother of monsters. But she must have had a life beyond those two characterizations. She must have had her own wants and dreams. Finally, Angrboda's story is told.

This book was getting no shelf-love at my library so I've taken to pushing it (kindly and politely) on patrons I know will enjoy it. So far, so good.

Love this book! The writing is poetic and gorgeous. Gornichec effortlessly pieces together Norse sagas and eddas in a surprising new way, all from the point of view of Angrrboda, Loki's wife. For fans of Madeline Miller's Circe, this book won't dissapoint.

I really loved the subject matter but had a hard time getting into this book. There will be specific customers I will recommend to

Took a little time away from this book after reading it to process it. My initial inner review was less than favorable. I still can't quite put my finger on why, but possibly because for some reason I didn't go into this book realizing it was Norse mythology themed! Not that I dislike Norse Mythology, it just wasn't what I expected. Maybe I need to pay closer attention the back covers!

However the book grew on me, the main character is likable and I appreciated the a non mortal "outsider" view of the gods.

I wanted to love this book. It seemed like it had all of the bones of a good story but I really struggled to get into it. I gave it about 150 pages and had to throw in the towel and DNF. I would like to think that I will go back and try to read it again but I don't think I will. I appreciate you all sending me this title but it wasn't for me.

An interesting take on the Norse myths told from the point of view of one of the “monsters”. Heartwarming and heartbreaking by turns.