Thanks to NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review

The Witch’s Heart is a retelling of a Norse mythology character, in the same vein as Madeline Miller’s Circe. This follows a witch who becomes romantically entangled with a god. If you read the synopsis or are familiar with the character, then you know who this is. However, I think it's a fun surprise if you can manage to read it without getting it spoiled. Overall, this was a good story. I think if you enjoyed Circe you'll probably like this, or if you like mythological retellings in general, you will probably enjoy this. While I felt like it was a fun retelling to follow, and an interesting perspective to have, it failed to add anything new to the story in the same way that other retellings.

I never felt strongly for the main character. For example, the finale was clearly mean to be an emotional send off, but I was void of emotion. I think I get invested in characters fairly easily. I can't help but think about this story in context of other stories like Song of Achilles or Circe where not only will be getting a unique perspective, that perspective gives a new insight into the characters that is focusing on. What's more, it makes you care for them. That was just a big thing missing in this story. Furthermore, the pacing was not always consistent. We jump between domestic life and some high stress high action situations where, and the way the story navigates between them is choppy and inconsistent. Overall, it was a positive experience, but I've seen it done better.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book. This was another anticipated read for me, and I was thoroughly impressed. I loved all the references to Norse mythology and the ethereal/magical mood that Genevieve Gornichec created with her writing.

I am not as familiar with Norse mythology as I am with other lore, but I liked how this made it accessible and bingeable (is that a word? Binge-worthy?). I felt like this tried to be Circe for the Norse, and while it was entertaining, it just didn't have the gravitas or the lyrical writing style that Circe did. The writing here was often times simplistic, and the characters didn't have the depth that they could have had. But it was vastly entertaining and the interactions and conversations were funny. A perfect, quick, effortless read for mythology fans and those who want a chuckle from the Trickster god, Loki.

This was such a beautiful book! I love Norse mythology, so finding a book that is based around that was so fun. And I enjoyed the character development so much!

At times I felt that the plot was moving a bit slow. I liked the story very much, but there were some parts where it took me a bit to read because the pace seemed to drag. I wasn't entirely sure where the plot was going during those slow parts, which made it harder to stay focused. But, in general I had a great time reading this book.

The characters were so wonderful! I loved the unique banter and dialogue between each character, and the growth as the story progressed. It was so much fun to really get to know the characters and create a connection with them.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy and mythology-inspired books! I'm so grateful for the chance to read The Witch's Heart and I can't wait for more people to discover it!

The legendary trickster Loki is a god that readers love to hate or perhaps hate to love. His status as an antihero is fully realized in this debut novel by Genevieve Gornichec and readers familiar with his story will enjoy the imagined relationship with Angrboda, the proclaimer of sorrows. But it is Angrboda herself that portrays what it is to love eternally and the reader will weep with her as she gives her heart over and over to the people that she loves.

The story will engage readers who enjoy mythology but the text does seem to be missing an element of gravitas in the writing. The violence in the story stays true to form to other mythological tales but may prove to be disturbing to a younger audience. Readers looking for the next saga in the story of Loki may also lose their heart to Loki’s witch.

Well, unfortunately this one was a DNF for me. I made it about 10% before I decided that I couldn’t keep going. I kept waiting for something to happen in this book but nothing was really grabbing my attention to make me want to continue reading. The reviews on Goodreads were pretty glowing, so I’m still kind of surprised why this was such a miss for me.

The storytelling really reminds me of fairy tale or folktale retellings. Very factual, very simple, and not a lot of action. The writing style felt very much like someone repeating a tale but with all of the emotion left out of it. And that may be intentional as the author was trying to make a slow build to more heightened action, but the beginning left me, frankly, quite bored. The characterization felt very flat, with Skadi feeling like the only character with much personality from the beginning.

There are a lot of subtle references that fans of Norse mythology will love, but I'm not sure where this grabs a reader who knows nothing of the mythos. There were things that happened where a lot was left for the reader to read between the lines, like Loki as a pregnant mare situation. Obviously based on a Norse myth, yet we're given no elaboration to excite our interest. Just a few remarks from Skadi along the lines of, "That's a pregnant horse. Where did that horse come from? You don’t need a horse!"

I think my expectations going into this book were not quite in line with what the work is meant to be. I thought that it would read more like historical fantasy, with a lot of action and adventure and a decent love story. I feel like this is going to be a good pick for fans of Circe or The Silence of the Girls, but I’ll admit that there’s a gap there for me because I haven’t read those works.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was reading a sequel and didn't get a chance to read Book One. All the seemingly juiciest bits of Angrboda’s story are buried in forgotten memories. Instead of a feeling of suspense where I would look forward to a slow unraveling of her past, we learn from page one that she was burned at the stake, like, three times? I just don’t understand how I’m supposed to feel, because Angrboda just rarely has feelings herself. Is that the point? I guess I’ll have to come to terms with never knowing.

• In the same way that Circe tells a story about a forgotten figure of Greek mythology, The Witch’s Heart does that for Norse mythology with Angrboda. While I wouldn’t compare the two because they are very different and individual stories, I felt the same amount of excitement and intrigue.
• A lot of thought went into the layout of this story, in the end I felt like it came full circle and was almost seamless.
• One of my favorite things is reading a backstory for the characters that are thought of as “the bad guy”, it makes everything feel so morally grey and really stretches the brain.
• Norse Mytholgy is so fun because there is so much humor in it. You can tell that the culture that told these stories to their children loved to laugh and I think the author did a good job of incorporating that into this book.

I received a free ebook via NetGalley via Berkley Penguin Random House. All my thoughts are my own.
CW for the book include domestic and familial physical and emotional abuse. It's Norse family so I think pretty typical for the genre but I don't have a huge frame of reference.

I think mythology is a wonderful genre in the way that it puts you in the middle of a story that feels a bit like magic that the reader can almost touch. I think mythology lacks a bit in the dehumanizing of situations. I think The Witch's Heart fits both of these to a tee.

I loved the story. I liked how we went from the cave to a journey and how all the little foreshadows circled back. The story was incredibly well thought out and clearly researched. The universe felt both massive and small as characters came and went during Angrboda's time in the cave.
I also thought Gornichec did a really good job at making the Norse gods unique to her story. I don't know if it was intentional but, at this point, most pop culture education of Norse mythology is from plotlines from MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) movies. I was worried about making assumptions going into it, but even something as innocuous as reiterating Loki's blonde hair was enough of a reminder that I could really get into Gornichec's story and not worry about others. The time I spent in the cave with Angrboda, and then with her children left me very attached. At one point, I sobbed for like 10 minutes. I really fell into the book. I absolutely could not put it down.
I also loved how much of Angrboda's identity was in being a mom. While all women should obviously not feel forced into making their entire world their children, some women choose motherhood as their passion and I felt it was really well done here. I got a well rounded main character and lots of cute children moments, win win for me.

The attachment to Angrboda also led me to my biggest complaint though. I understand why immortal gods are going to treat mortal beings and their short lifecycle as superfluous and unimportant, but the absolute disregard for anyone's feelings or physical well being was a bit too much for me. Everyone was just so cruel to each other. Yes I sobbed because I loved Angrboda and I was angry on her behalf, but she forgave and kind of moved on so much faster. Between the inevitable prophecy and the gods, I was really emotionally exhausted by the end, and I'm not sure in a good way.
I had also just finished The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller a few books before this one so in the future I might try and put bigger gaps between mythology based books.
I think Gornichec could've done a better job taking care of her characters, and in turn her readers, but I think I would still recommend the book to others. Maybe with a bit more caution, especially if they're experiencing difficulty with a partner or family. It just left me a bit hopeless.

I never downloaded this book to review and didn’t know I was accepted. Please take it out of my list because I was never able to read it

I'm very late to review (book has already been published) but this is a wonderful novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. I was like Skadi in wishing fervently that Angrboda would get over Loki already, and was delighted when Skadi and Angrboda finally got together and Skadi could care for her properly. The ending is masterful, as a mother's love literally conquers all at Ragnarök (which one usually thinks of as a very testosterone-powered end of the world).

A worthy feminist addition to the current mythological fiction craze!

It seems that Riordan’s success in retelling myths has emboldened adult authors to venture into this genre. Reminiscent of Madeline Miller’s “Song of Achilles” and “Circe,” or Linnea Hartsuyker’s “Golden Wolf Saga,” Genevieve Gornichec’s book dives into the tale of a banished witch who falls for Loki, the trickster god of Norse Mythology (not to be confused with Marvel Studios rendition). This is a story full of love and a deep, old magic that seems to radiate right out of the book.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the digital arc right when the book was published. I ended up reading the physical copy I bought instead.

I’m doing a shorter review for it because of that.

The Witch’s Heart recounts the life of Angrboda, witch and wife of Loki, known only as being the mother of monsters. Her meeting Loki, their relationship with one another, their children, Angrboda’s friendship and eventual relationship with Skadi, all converging into the end times of Norse mythology: Ragnarok.

Overall, as someone who loves reading myth retellings, I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it. I liked the characters and the mythology itself. I LOVED Skadi, and Hel. The surprise wlw relationship that I didn’t expect to happen.

There were two main things I didn’t like.

First of which, and the most minor, being how modern the speech was. I usually only read historical fantasy and there is a way to write speech to be easily read (and not ye olde days speech) but also not sound super modern. This author failed at that. It was a bit jarring and prevented me from being fully immersed in the story. It wasn’t terrible but I just didn’t like that. You could really tell when Angrboda and Loki would bicker with each other. Their banter was much too modern to seem appropriate for the setting and tone of the book.

Second of which being Angrboda’s relationship with Loki. I liked both of them as characters and I do think the author did do a really good job characterizing them but Loki would do X bad thing to Angrboda/her children and Angrboda would either 1) not care 2) care for two seconds and then forgive him 3) be angry but still forgive him. It just got so annoying to read. It really took away from her growth as a character because it seemed like her whole purpose (aside from her being a mother) was to defend/forgive Loki every step of the way in the book no matter what he did and how he hurt her or their children. It was just.... weird.... and also unnecessary to the story. The same events could have happened without Angrboda constantly forgiving and defending Loki, even to the bitter end. I don’t like men enough to vibe with that, if I’m being honest.

But aside from those two things I think it was a great retelling and recommend it to people who are interested. I don’t think you’d need to know much about Norse mythology, this novel is pretty easy to read and incorporates lots of the myths.

The writing style feels too juvenile for an adult fantasy, and the contemporary-sounding dialogue is jarring. Both those aspects made it difficult to get very far, and I had to conclude this book just wasn't for me, even as someone who loves Loki as a character and an archetype. This approach doesn't do him justice, and the comparisons to Madeline Miller don't do this book any favors. Younger readers who don't mind the dissonant voice and tone, or who aren't very familiar with Norse mythology, might enjoy it more.

A beautifully written and enthralling story based on Norse mythology.



4.5 Stars

I went into this story knowing next to nothing about Norse mythology. Let's just say that Genevieve Gornichec completely captured me within just a few pages.

I will start off by saying that I did almost put this book down and decide not to read it within the first few pages. The prose started off beautifully, however, the first taste of dialogue between characters was jarring. The dialogue is very modern and seemed (at first) out of place with the setting and subject. It had the effect of taking me out of the story. Despite that, I ultimately decided to push on and I am oh so glad I did. Within the first quarter of the book I became used to the characters' dialogue and was able to stay immersed in this lush story of Angrboda Iron-Witch.

Angrboda's story is epic, heartbreaking, empowering, and just plain captivating. Angrboda is a witch (of course), a healer, a wife, a lover, and a friend. But she is also a mother. My heart went out to her as mother who is determined to anything and everything within her power to protect her children. Reading about Angrboda's life, her powers, her relationships, and her resolve was enthralling. I was completely enchanted by this story.

The Witch's Heart will appeal to fans of mythology and fantasy, and strong women.

I loved this! If you loved Circe and Achilles by Madeline, this is like that. I am so fascinated by ancient mythology, but the only way I can learn about it is through these novelizations. It’s the richest, most fun and most realistically these stories come to life. This book made me cry more than once. It made me angry more than once. It’s full of magic and prophesy and love and betrayal and stories and motherhood. The writing manages to be both appropriate to the time (in my imagination) but also modern. It’s super readable but also rich and descriptive and layered. Just so good.

Oh I love a mythology retelling, especially one as well written as this one. The Witch's Heart is a reimagining of the story of Angrboda, who is in the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda. Angrboda is known in Norse mythology as the mother of monsters. Genevieve Gornichec gives Angrboda an identity and story beyond her children's legends. She does this by pulling from other Norse mythologies involving women including Gullveig, the jotunn Hyndla, Hyrrokkin and the giantess in the Ironwood. The combination of these mythologies feels realistic and it is easy to imagine that all these legends did come from the same woman.

While this book covers a large span of time and has a lot of time jumps, it feels organic and you really understand Angrboda and her relationship with Loki. As Gullveig, Angrboda was burned three times at the stake by the Aesir and Odin. Each time she was revived and on the third time, the Aesir took her heart on a stake. She escapes to the edge of Jotunheim to the Ironwood, where she remade herself. She focused on healing and blocking her powers so that Odin cannot find her again. She hides in a cave in the Ironwood and meets Loki, Skadi & Gerd, who all help her survive and thrive in thier own way in her new world. As the story progresses, Loki and Angrboda's relationship is explored and so is the Ragnarok legend regarding Hel, Fenrir, & Jormungand.

This retelling has all the feels in it. I had moments of joy, hope, sadness and sorrow . Genevieve Gornichec does a wonderful job portraying a mother's love as Angrboda does not even think of her children's nature or fate, but only of her unconditional love for them. This book is definitely a must read for fantasy romance readers and for fans who love mythology retellings.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3683247021?book_show_action=falseWhere are my Marvel fans at?
That may be the main reason I was excited to read this book, because Thor & Loki have stolen my heart over the years, BUT I mostly was excited to get a story woven with Norse mythology that gave characters I already enjoy a backstory, mixed with incredible new ones.

It was a bit of a slow burn, but I really enjoyed this authors writing style, and thought it was a fantastic debut!

Thank you to Berkley + NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my personal review, I really enjoyed being able to read this one as part of the #BerkleyBuddyReads

always down for a retelling that isn't just greek mythology or beauty and the beast! not that i'm not reading those too, but it's nice for a shift. not my favorite structure or dialogue but a super engaging story!

***5 STARS***
REVIEW GOES LIVE ON LAIROFBOOKS ON 3/6/2021 @ 8AM EST

THE 411...

“𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝑐ℎ 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡, 𝑖𝑛 𝐼𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠, 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑜𝑛. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝐴𝑠𝑔𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑝𝑦𝑟𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑑“

I’m happiest with a slower paced read that pulls me in with lush storytelling and characters I can’t help but get invested in. The Witch’s Heart will appeal to fans of Madeline Miller, Katherine Arden and Rin Chupeco. We follow Angrboda a Giantess who has lived many times over in the Ironwood. She’s been burned by Odin three times and has had her heart cut out, yet she lives. Angrboda is gifted with the magic of Seid, the ability to see the future and essentially the end of the world as the Gods know it. She lives protected and in hiding until the God of mischief Loki stumbles across her cave. This is the story of their complicated love, offspring, and revenge on the Gods who constantly play with the lives of those they consider beneath them. Angrboda is bi-sexual and there’s a beautiful relationship that develops later on in the book, slow burn *𝐶ℎ𝑒𝑓𝑠 𝐾𝑖𝑠𝑠* worth the wait! I went into this story not knowing much other than it was centered on Norse Mythology which is a subject of interest for me. I allowed myself to get swept away by Angrboda's story and quickly found myself absorbed by these characters lives. There's a prophecy and there are Gods behaving badly, it just doesn't get better than that!

WRITING & FINAL THOUGHTS...

There is a fair amount of dialogue in this story which is something I personally enjoy. I’ve seen some reviewers say they were a little thrown off by the dialogue being a bit more modern in comparison to the world it’s set in...honestly, the witty banter between all of the characters is what made this book super entertaining and endearing. Angrboda herself is someone who has lived a few times over and as such she is NOT in any way old fashioned. As a matter of fact she's quite the opposite! Angrboda is all accepting, she loves who she wants to love and is quick to look you in the eye and ask why you'd assume she preferred one gender over another for her lovers. She's simply a character I hope to never forget! now, I didn't think we'd get much from Loki but I was pleasantly surprised by how Gornichec wrote this character. Loki is a multi-faceted character who is very comfortable with his sexuality and wishes only to never be controlled and/or know what the future has in store. We also got an amazing line-up of side characters in Angrboda & Loki's children but I won't speak on the why's since that would be spoilery. Overall, a new favorite for me this year and a mood changer. I'd say this is a medium paced book with lots of character development, witty banter and YES! ROMANCE for the WIN! 🤗

This book was imaginative, haunting, and a treat to read. A darkly feminist tale that could have come from the pages of a Brothers Grimm anthology, The Witch's Heart is a must-read for anyone who enjoyed The Year of the Witching, The Witching Hour, or the works of Anne Rice in general.