This is definitely a case of It's not you, it's me.

I can see this book really working for many people. It starts a bit jarring, just throwing you into a dark night in a strange world of tails and ravens and might and binding. It's can be hard to play catch up, as there are a lot of POV's. No real chapters, just breaks where the information changes directions. But the story is cohesive, it all flows and goes well together and you can easily follow the storyline with the Rite and the areas.

This world is very rich, the characters are interesting and the storyline is unique and well done. I can see others liking it more than me. If the synopsis sounds good to you, grab this and give it a try. It just wasn't for me.

When I got to the end, I found a small glossary and other information that I think would have been great to have right at the beginning with an actual Glossary title and a hyper link to lead to it.

Odin's Child took me on a wild trip. It is set in a world where the inhabitants are just like humans, but have tails and can do magic. Yes, they have long tails. I sometimes had a hard time picturing what they looked like. There are two different types of magic in this world, the Might and Blindcraft. The Might is the magic that every person has within them and connects them to the earth. Blindcraft is an evil magic that comes from outside of the world and is dangerous, it doesn't belong.

Hirka was found as an infant and then adopted by her father who couldn't bring himself to kill her. Why would he want to kill an infant? Because she didn't have a tail and which meant she was a Child of Odin or the Rot. As Hirka grows into a teenager she is supposed to go through the Rite, to show how much of the magic she can wield. Hirka learns who she truly is and goes on an epic adventure to save her own life and then save the entire kingdom from the Blind and those who use Blindcraft.

The story is told from the perspectives of three people: our protagonist, Hirka, her love interest and a warrior, Rime, and the villain, Urd. I wasn't a fan of Urd and his POV chapters, I thought they were tedious and struggled to get through them. However his story is essential to understanding Hirka and where she came from. The world building in this story is fantastic. The magic system is well explained as well as the cultures in the different regions the world. The story is paced well and continues to build the further your read. There was little connection to Odin and Norse mythology that I recognized which is I was originally interested in Odin's Child. However I think more will be in the next book.

Odin's Child is the first book the Raven's Rings trilogy that is written by Swedish author Siri Pettersen and then translated into English. I look forward to reading the second book.

3.5 stars*
this book was quite the ride!
i enjoyed reading the author's own twist of norse mythology much more than i thought i would.

perhaps it was the fact that the author managed to seamlessly switch between three POVs of polar opposite characters, while beautifully managing to write the voice of each. from our fiery and (usually) unintentionally-mischievous red-haired hirka - a child of odin-, to the simmering-with-anger-and-hatred rime - heir to one of the 12 main families of our world-, and scheming urd with his mysterious collar and stench of blood and death - yet another heir to a main family.

the romance in this book was angsty just enough to make me want to silently scream. and the action was gritting and exciting. i found myself struggling to read as fast as i can, maybe hirka will be safe if i hurry up, or maybe rime can take the decision he's meant to take.

overall this was a really enjoyable book, the sentences felt a little heavy to read sometimes so it took me around 2 weeks to finish it.

looking forward to continuing the trilogy! the ending scene left me at the edge of my seat.

Disclaimer: I received this ARC from @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Pub Date 23 March 2021

Odin's Child tells the story of Hirka, a young girl living in a society where a power called The Might is drawn from the earth and wielded by everyone except for her. Those who cannot “bind” or use The Might are greatly feared and thought to be legend, only existing in frightening songs to scare children. Faced with The Rite, a coming of age ceremony where her inability to bind The Might will be revealed, Hirka is forced to turn to her childhood friend, Rime, for help. Unbeknownst to her however, Rime is keeping secrets of his own and soon the two are caught up in a much bigger conflict between opposing rulers and affecting all they hold dear.
Epic and expansive are two words I would use to describe this book. The world-building is breathtaking and ambitious. At times I almost felt like there was too much exposition crammed into the first hundred or so pages. It was a little difficult to keep up with all the names being used and understand if they were referring to locations, events or people.
The characters are well fleshed out and you really get an understanding for their individual motivations however I did feel like the internal monologue could be confusing.
Overall I liked this book but felt that it was too long and nothing really happens until the second half of the book but by then it was too late. I did enjoy the setting and the writing is excellent however the pacing was too slow and there was too much excess material weighing the narrative down.
I would recommend this to people who like books with a lot of detail, an original storyline and immersive fantasy.

This book was really hard to follow and understand. It started off very slow and didn't make sense even by chapter three. I really hate leaving a book unfinished, but I couldn't finish this book at all. Some things I felt should've been explained but never were.

“They call her the tailless girl. Wolfgirl. I’ve heard Ravengirl, too.”

Odin's Child came out originally in Norway by a Norwegian author in 2013, but is finally releasing in English March 23, 2021! It is the first in a trilogy named The Raven Rings, and it is a fantastic beginning to what promises to be an epic fantasy based on Norse Mythology.

I devour mythology of all kinds, and Norse mythology is no exception. Odin's Child is a reimagining of the Norse mythology realms and what it means to be different. It is the kind of story that keeps you on the edge of your seat, biting your lip as you lean into the moment with the characters. It sucks you in and before you know it, you very nearly forget you're not part of it. This is the kind of sweeping fantasy that fills the mind with color and emotion and action, and I am absolutely invested in it for the next two book translations.

In a realm known as Ym, Hrika is a fifteen year old girl on the precipice of womanhood. In a few months, she has only to pass the coming of age ritual known as the Rite, to demonstrate her ability with the Might. But as that day appears, her father reveals a secret that shatters her very understanding of herself and the world she lives in.

Hrika isn't just a girl whose tail was lost in a childhood accident. She is Hrika the Tailless, an Odin's Child, a creature of myth and horror. Despised and feared, the closer the Rite approaches, the deeper the danger to her life. Especially when her best friend (and sometimes opponent) is the heir to a seat on the Council and one of the most powerful in the Might they've seen in generations. After all, a tailless girl is an acceptable friend for a boy, but not the kind of company an heir keeps. An heir with his own secrets to a council whose secrets are deepest of all.

Hrika is a wholly believable and likeable main character whose thoughts and actions don’t follow today’s YA protagonist angst. I very much think I would have befriended her had I been a Ymling. The raven lore is fascinating for it is symbiotic and sacred in Odin’s Child, especially when you consider how frequently the raven plays in many mythologies, not just Norse. It also calls into question how exactly Odin got his two ravens which is a question I would very much enjoy seeing answered in the coming books. Rime is another character that you can’t help but root for, even if his motivations and actions are far murkier.

“Imagine lacking something that everyone else has. Something that proves you belong to this world. Something so vital, that without it, you are nothing. A plague. A myth. A human.”

Just how far will Hrika go to survive and how will it change not only her, but also the only world she has ever known?

I will caution that while it is labeled Young Adult fantasy, I would probably place this more on the new adult/ adult side of things. The protagonist, Hrika, and Rime are young, but the author does not hold back on descriptions of gore and death. There is violence, xenophobia, blind religion, and sexual aggression as well.

First, I like to point out this story is told with multiple povs in third person which can be confusing at times. I believe due to this story being a translation from norwegian to english, Some parts have weird sentence structures. It doesn't make it unreadable just to point that out but expect some hiccups. Overall I like the writing and the world building even though it's more slow paced which should be expected for a book one in a trilogy. My main problem is that it felt like an average fantasy about kingdom and power etc just throw in people with tails. I would probably have forgotten if it wasn't for them mentioning how Haika doesn’t have a tail giving her a mockery but simple nickname “Tailless”. I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I heard this is about norse mythology but that may be lacking on my part. I would look more into it in future readings and come back hopefully to book two with a better understanding . . maybe. This story may be listed as a young adult because the main character Harika is a 15 year old but it's written more as an adult fantasy. Warning :death of a family member (don't eat while reading around the 6-8% mark the word ‘chunks’ would surely ruin your appetite) . Rape & Explicit scenes etc. I do recommend this book for readers who enjoy slow angsty teenage romance. To sum it up Harika- So what if I'm different I'm a badass who's free and strong can say and act however i want because no one is going to stop me. Rime- I was born without any struggles in life. I have a great future that anyone would kill for but I'm different, I shall rebel. My version of their interactions- I love you but I'm going to pretend that this is just a heart burn. I’ve been watching from the shadows longing to be with you (walks closer) . . . but we're from different worlds and social status (turns back). . . but that's why I'm drawn to you even more (half turn strike a pose showing your hurting deep down inside) .Every time I hear, see or smell your name my heart jumps in excitement but it needs to sit the hell down. Which i absolutely love 10/10. As you can tell I'm in pretty much emotional distress from this book so go ahead and read it and enjoy.

*cracks knuckles* Okay, let’s do this. But before I get into the nitty-gritty, I have something I must confess.

It took me almost a month to read this book.

Now, before you start lighting your pitchforks and sharpening your torches (how many of you didn’t notice what I did there?), it wasn’t like I read a chapter a day for almost a month–no! I got distracted by other books… Since I picked up this book, I started and finished four other books. It’s not something I normally do, but it was just so hard to get into this book. It is through no fault of the book itself–it was actually rather good–I just have a very short attention span if the book isn’t ~right~.

Whew, that’s out of the way, we can begin. Properly.

Plot-wise, everything you really need to know is in the synopsis. Literally. Why Hirka is tailless, why her life is in danger, the main (ish) conflict of the book–you even know the name of her love interest and that he might be even more interesting than what meets the [wolf] eyes. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist; practically every time Rime is described, mentioned, or simply there, the obligatory “Wolf eyes” comment follows. Is that a spoiler? … Nah.) Also, just as a little side remark, Hirka’s secret is already spelled out before you even read the book and Rime is also hinted at having a secret, but I don’t know… his secret seemed kind of obvious? Even way before it was officially spelled out? It’s not a criticism or really anything; it’s just the way I saw it.

So since the synopsis was so thorough, I really can’t talk about anything else related to the plot because that would be veering straight onto the Spoiler Expressway, so I’m going to talk about something I was particularly excited about.

The romance.

“That’s when Rime knew he was in danger. Because suddenly the rot seemed a small price to pay to be close to her.”

Oh, ho ho! Y’all know I’m a sucker for love (though not nearly as annoying about it as I was a decade ago *nervous laughter*). So if you’re not a fan of slow-burning, angsty love, just… skip a few paragraphs and I’ll see you there. (You know what? I’ll let you know when I’m done gushing because I already know this is going to turn into Sap City.)

Okay, so… you know those high school dramas with That Guy and That Girl? Ya know, the popular jock guy who’s also super smart and has a literal fan club of girls chasing him down the hallways? Oh, and he’s super rich? Yeah, him. With the tomboyish/ nerdy girl who has all of one friend and everyone either bullies her or avoids her at all costs. Well, the romance between Hirka and Rime kind of reads like that.

Rime: *pursues her*

Hirka: No, I’m not good enough for you! *runs away*

Rime: *is sure of his feelings*

Hirka: Pffft, it’s just a phase. *heart breaks*

Rime: *kisses her* (okay, I assume you knew they would probably kiss at some point, so I don’t consider that a spoiler.)

Hirka: … He’s just sad.

Rime: *exists*

Hirka: *literal embodiment of the heart eyes emoji* He can never know how I feel about him.

Me: *screaming through my tears* JUST TELL THE POOR BOY AND PUT US ALL OUT OF OUR MISERY!

Seriously, though. I like a good slow burn as much as the next gal, but this was particularly agonizing. In a good way? Maybe. At least Hirka at least acknowledged the existence of her feelings, I suppose. It was obvious from pretty much the beginning, but hey, high school drama with tails and the Might and the rot.

“He stood there in all his glory, elevated by his family’s history and the Seer’s blessings. The entire world embraced him. She had no place here.”

See what I mean? Pining. Angst. She clearly adores and idolizes him. *sigh* I guess we’re just going to have to wait for book two for more Rime and Hirka content.

————————————————– I’m done talking about feelings now ———————————————————

Back to our, calmer, regularly scheduled programming.

So, one of the slight grievances I had while I was reading–and this is just me, maybe you’ll like it–was that the story was told in third person limited from the perspective in three characters. That, in itself, was not my problem. My problem was that I didn’t particularly care about the third character. *nervous sweating* It was also jarring when I started his first chapter because he wasn’t introduced prior to that chapter and I had no idea who he was. (I even went back a couple chapters to see if I missed something; I didn’t.)

You know those multi-POV novels and there’s that one character you really don’t care about? Yeah, that was him (for me). Some of you may disagree and say that he’s important to the overall story and his character is ~interesting~, and, honestly, I’m thrilled if that was the case. It’s just something that I–personally–thought was unnecessary to the story.

Also, this is minor, but since so much of the story revolves on Hirka being an unearthed embling with no tail, I think this is kind of relevant.

I read the entire book and I still have no idea what tails look like in this world.

Do they look like cat tails? Dog tails? Lizard? (Actually, I was able to rule out reptilian tails about 100 pages in when said tails were mentioned to have fur. One hundred pages!) My best guess is something that resembles a lion’s tail–but only because of the cover. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know. And I know that this is tiny and insignificant and I’m sorry! My brain just clamps down on said details and won’t let go until its curiosity is satisfied.

“You’re forgetting the most important thing.”

“What? That you’re Rime An-Elderin? The holy idiot? The good luck charm who thinks with his little toe and goes wherever he wants?”

Also, I’m in love with how witty and sharp-tongued Hirka is. *sigh* If only she were this straightforward when it came to other things.

Anyway!

As you probably guessed from the synopsis, Hirka spends a good portion of this book fearing for her life. Seriously, this girl needs a hug and a vacation. Jeez. But despite the literal mortal danger that seemed to follow her through hell and highwater, Hirka remained steadfast in her beliefs? I??? Sometimes in books like these, characters are put in situations where they have to kill in order to survive. And yet, Hirka is over here trying to save everyone she can. (This could probably be chalked up to her background as a healer, but I think there’s more to it than that; she’s just a genuinely good person who’s been dealt a bad hand in life.)

Oh! One last–small–gripe before I wrap things up. The dialogue when characters were describing things that had happened in the past was so… It’s hard to describe. “Unnatural” is as close as I can get. And it’s consistent; every time someone recalls something that happened literal decades ago, the same thing happens and I just… It’s like the author wanted the dialogue to resemble the way events are described in the rest of the book and just forgot that humans don’t speak that way. Especially about things that happened so long ago.

I really can’t explain this, so I’ll give you an (exaggerated) example of what I mean.

Nonexistent Character: “Her eyes reflected the stars in the sky, but it was more than that. It was as if the stars fell down from the heavens to be in her eyes. She kept her gaze trained on the heavens above while she spoke her mind. But I knew even before she said anything. I could tell from the soft arch of her eyebrows and the stiff line of her back: she was leaving. I looked away; I couldn’t bear to see her tears. Or for her to see my tears. The wind blew with the last scents of summer and I knew that this was how I would remember her. As the sweetness of summer turned into the cold, starkness of autumn, so, too, would our short-lived passion.”

Like I said, this was pretty exaggerated, but this is the general idea.

To (finally) wrap things up, I will say that I did like this book–despite the vibes you might be getting. The story was interesting and not at all what I expected. (I didn’t read the synopsis, so I was kind of expecting a more serious version of Rick Riordan’s Magnus Chase series. *nervous laughter*) The pacing was okay; there were parts that were lagging a bit, but that didn’t really take away from my overall enjoyment. I liked the characters and I got very invested in what would happen to them. So yeah, if you like YA fantasy with a broody hero and snarky, heart-of-gold heroine, you’ll probably like this.

Book Stats:

Feels: 6.78/10 I got misty-eyed at times, but it wasn’t too heart-wrenching.

Funnies: Hirka and Rime’s sarcastic banter gave me life.

Cute animal sidekick: Kuro the raven is a precious baby and I will not be convinced otherwise.

Badass ninjas: surprisingly, yes.

Ultimate angst: 11/10

Inclination to read the sequel: 10/10

Re-readability: depends on the rest of the trilogy.

Overall rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐
(3.5/5)

This book was everything I ever needed, but didn't realise it could be. Myth, legend, reality, heartaches of all kinds, it has everything.

Such a richly-composed world, reminiscent of the kingdoms and relationships with Lord of the rings, the tale weaves a tapestry between kingdoms, types of being, reality and magic.

It also doesn't shy away from the light and dark within a person, really showing the reader how both are necessary, but that morality must win everytime.

There's a sweet undercurrent of love that grows throughout the story, that grounds the reader in emotion that they can relate to.

All in all, a wonderful tale about being different, and really knowing who you are as a person.

Odin's Child is a delightful start to a fantasy trilogy. Hirka was a compelling character, and I enjoyed the slow build and the gradual, well-planned world building, which let the reader to discover new information as needed without info dumping. The translated prose flowed nicely and allowed me to make swift progress, finishing just over 600 pages in about six hours of reading time. The plot was gripping and I turned the last page of this first book eager to find out what would happen next, so I hope there will not be a long wait for Book Two. I found the romance between Hirka and Rime a little forced at times, but I am willing to wait and see how it further develops in the later books. And for once it was nice to see the antagonist presented with enough depth that we get some inkling of what he is thinking and why, rather than just moustache-twirling evil. All up, a solid and enjoyable read for fans of fantasy with a folklore bent, and I would certainly be keen to read on in the series.

This book is a YA fantasy with roots in Norse mythology. The protagonist is 15 year old Hirka who is an outsider in the world of Ym. Everyone else in Ym can access power that runs through the earth, called the Might, but Hirka is unable to do so because she's not from Ym. As long as Hirka remains in Ym, the ancient stone circle will remain open and allow creatures called the blind to follow (which the people of Ym fear). So we follow Hirka as she tries to keep her secret from everyone, but especially from her childhood friend Rime, who has his own burdens to carry.

Once I got through the first few chapters, I found myself really engaged with the story and the world building, it was really well done. I also really enjoyed seeing the character development of the protagonist, Hirka, throughout the novel. While reading the story I sometimes felt like I was losing some of the nuance of the original text, and at times I felt that I was reading a translation, which is the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars.

If you enjoy the YA fantasy genre, I highly recommend this. I loved the story overall and will definitely be reading the next book in the series which is scheduled to be released later this year!

Fifteen winters old, Hirka learns that she is an Odin's child - a tailless rot from another world.
I'm very conflicted on giving this 3 or 4 stars. The description sounded absolutely amazing but the actual contents of the book didn't exactly live up to the description in my opinion. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it because I did. Hirka is an amazing main character and she is so well written. Every character is well thought out and Odin's Child is a very entertaining read.

Personal rating: 4.5 stars. I really like this book! I love the world and its politics. I like the hints of Norse mythology; mythology with science fiction is my favourite blend of genres. I liked the romance, I thought it might turn into a love triangle, but it didn't, and I love for not doing that (YA has enough of those). It was interesting to see how religion was discussed in the book since I recently read Soulswift.

The pace of the book is "medium" I would say. There were times that I thought things would pick up the pace and it did and didn't. The book really picked up the pace near the end of the book. A thing that slowed me down was the names since I'm unfamiliar with them (though does 'Hirka' mean something like 'bitter' in Norwegian like it does in Ukrainian? Given the story that does seem to fit).

For me, the weakest aspect of the book was the way background information was provided in the story. Snippets of exposition seemed to repeat at time whereas at other times there was very little. I would have settled for either figuring out the worldbuilding on my own while reading -or- have it told once and move on to the next topic when it comes up. So, for me, the exposition was a weak point because of the way that it didn't quiet do either. At times it felt like a nice mystery to unravel, at other the same snippet of exposition was repeated multiple times.

I didn't see a map anywhere in the ebook so I looked on the author's website and found it (based on the labels on some of the other maps there, I'm excited for the other books in the series!!!).

The book is also more on the mature side of YA given the themes in the book.

Overall, I like that the book does its own thing without leaning heavily on Norse mythology. The concept is interesting, the romance is of the type that I like. The exposition was a weak point but the worldbuilding kept it all interesting. I can't wait to see what next in the series!

***I received an ARC copy from NetGalley***

Thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC.

This book had a lot of really amazing elements. The one I want to focus on the most is the incredible world-building that occurs using traditional Norse mythology. The ability to create an absorbing world using such ancient practices was the most entertaining part of this epic.

"Odin's Child" is a fantastic tale combining Norse mythology and modern reality. Hirka is an odd one out in her tribe because she was born without a tail. That makes her a human, and humans are despicable. But she isn't the only one that seeped through the gates between her world and the world of humans. One thing is certain, the danger is coming.

I'm really glad this book is finally being translated into English. It's a really entertaining story that might bring a wave of fresh air onto the book market. I especially enjoyed the worldbuilding and the interlacing of Norse mythology. It still has some issues, such as writing or that one rape scene, but I overall enjoyed it enough to continue with the series.

This book was so amazing. I loved every part of it. I loved the world building, i loved the characters and mostly i freaking loved the story! I was sucked right iñ until the end. It was really wonderfull

Wow, how can I describe this book?? Odin’s Child had such a great plot mixed with all the best parts of Norse Mythology. Hirka is known as “the tailless” and stands out among the people of Elveroa. Rime is the descendant of a council member, and is due to take his spot among them soon. But, the dangers of the blinded and the influence of the Seer soon send Rime and Hirka on a perilous journey.
I love this book. Hirka is a wonderful main character who finds her confidence and self purpose which I love to see in a plot. The chemistry between Hirka and Rime is so great throughout this plot.
I did find that the world-building as well as the terminology took up quite a bit of the first part of the book. This caused the book to start off slowly. However, it did pick up speed and soon I was unable to put it down!

I was excited to read the summary of Odin's Child and be able to have the chance to read this. Unfortunately, I just could not get into the story or finish the book.

You are dropped directly into the story without any true explanations, which can be a lot of fun, it I never seemed to quite get what was going on. Perhaps something got lost in translation from the original Norwegian to the English version I read.

ARC from NetGalley

At first I was really bummed by the ending, but now I see that this is a trilogy, and I have different emotions.

In this story, there are no humans. Everyone, except for Hirka, has a tail. The people are very superstitious and very devout. They, like many people, are afraid of what they don't understand and most definitely do not like people who are different. We spend time with Hirka and her father in their tiny village. She lives her life as an oblivious young girl until suddenly her world is flipped upside down. We travel with her as she learns who she is, runs from danger, runs into danger, etc. I think maybe it was the translation, but this didn't read as smoothly as it could have. There were a lot of times that I was a bit confused and things were a bit... how to describe... jagged? At any rate, the premise was interesting. I enjoy Norse-inspired fantasy. It was nice that this had nonhumans who were also not a traditional fantasy race. The Might is an interesting magic, though I would have liked to know a bit more about it. If you are looking for romance, it is here but it is not prominent, and there is not a happy ending. There is no culmination or declarations of love. This is a trilogy though, so perhaps that is to come. I do recommend. It's an interesting read.

It was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I jumped to the occasion of reading a Norwegian author, mainly because I have never read something from one, before. I deemed it to be a good time as any to rectify the situation.
The book was written in the third person (from starters the distance between the reader and the main character was there).
The world in which I was welcomed in was <u>one in which having no tail was the peculiar part.
That was exactly the fault of Hirka (the main character).
She was born without a tail tailless. She was adopted by a kind man that scratched some claw marks on her hinder part when she was a baby (so people would think that her tail had been ripped off by wolves??? But for some reason they hadn`t killed her in the process??).
Anyhow, the main love interest is a boy by name: Rim, that of course is the most powerful, most important busy body that there`s been. He has a great destiny before him and she is the smudge on the lenses that can`t even reach the Might (something that everybody could do, it was as simple as breathing—his words).
“But she wasn’t like him. He stood there in all his glory, elevated by his family’s history and the Seer’s blessings. The entire world embraced him. She had no place here. She was a fool for not realizing sooner. She knew that now.”
Oh, yes, the Might!
that was similar to the Force in StarWars.
[It doesn't matter how it works. The only thing that matters is that it works.]
I should be more sympathetic towards this book.
It really tried.
It had love (a tad boring, a bit overdramatic), it had folklore (thrown into my face, I could barely see something through the thick fog of terminology from foreign myths and legends---good thing that I`d seen the Vikings), it had the heroine (one like many others: born as an outcast but destined to greatness), the challenges peppered along the way (you had your runaways, your stalking, your run for your life, your friendly pet that accompanied the heroine) and finally, the great evil that had to be defeated at any price/any cost.
“Her life wouldn't be made more worthwhile by prostrating herself on her knees before the Raven. Yet she was going to throw herself off this roof, possibly to her death, with someone who had been sent to kill her. […]"
Did I fall in love with this book? No. Would I read the sequel? No.
But, did I find it quite cute and even endearing? Absolutely!