A Flame in the North follows Solveig and her shield maiden Arn in this Norse inspired start to a new fantasy series. There were many things I liked about this; the two main characters were fun to follow, the world building was interesting, and the battle scenes were well written. However, something about this book left me wanting more. I wanted more from the world, the plot, the characters. There were times the book felt repetitive or the pacing slowed, which made it take me forever to finish this. Overall, it's a solid start to the series and I'm interested to see where the story goes from here. I think readers who enjoy epic fantasy, especially Lord of the Rings, or Norse inspired fantasy, will really enjoy this.

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC.

I went into this knowing Viking and Norse history and culture, so this book fell pretty flat for me. It felt underdeveloped and a bit repetitive in what was happening with traveling and fighting repeating. It grew boring and I felt that it lacked something more. It was a good start for those that are not familiar with the Norse mythos, but for those that do, this felt like it wasn't researched and added in as well as it could have been

"A Flame in the North" is a new urban fantasy novel that has a take on Norse mythology. While I found there to be a struggle with the pacing in the middle of the book the intriguing world-building and writing make this an amazing read. If you enjoy urban fantasy that's dark, complex, and doesn't shy away from difficult themes this book is for you! I rated this 3.75 stars and I can’t wait for others to read and support this book!

I was very excited about this one. Viking-esque/Norse inspired. I was all in, but unfortunately it missed the mark for me.

The entire concept was intriguing with all the aspects of hidden lore. But with the slow pacing, I often found it hard to follow along. The writing was jarring at times. I enjoyed learning about the magic and how it manifests in others. I only wish it was more developed. It felt almost basic at times. Very surface level.

And Sol. She has so much potential! She was portrayed as this strong character, but I found her to be very one dimensional. I wanted to connect with her so bad!

Overall, if the world building, magic, and our FMC would have been more fleshed out, I think it would have been a phenomenal story. I just felt like I was being “told” how the story was going instead of experiencing it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

I have tried to read this twice now and I just can't connect with the story.I don't think this is the type of story I'm interested in anymore but think others would enjoy.

DNF at 61%

I was so excited for this book because I love Viking inspired stories, but this one just really did not work for me.

It seemed to me as though the author took “show, don’t tell” as just a suggestion. Instead of showing, she used purple prose to make telling prettier. It felt like the entire story was all pretty thoughts, and a few lines of dialogue. Nothing really seemed to happen.

Also what was the sheildmaidens purpose? Obviously she was important because “my shield maiden” was said every other paragraph but she doesn’t even get a name? Also I don’t remember ever hearing her speak, it was always a meaningful gaze or body language.

Purple prose is not my favorite, and I didn’t realize this story was until after I started reading, so a lot of my dislike is my own fault for not checking for that. I felt like the plot wasn’t really moving and by 60% I feel like something should’ve happened to get me invested by that point.

Was not the read for me, but would definitely work for someone who enjoys more flowery writing. You may be able to pick up on things that I was not.

⭐️: 2
I tried to get into it, but it didn’t hold my interest Maybe I’ll be in a better mindset book wise if I try to reread it at another time.

What an amazing Epic Fantasy by Lilith Saintcrow. It reminded me if Lord of the Rings is a bit more modern. If your a fab of trolls, elves, witches, demons and trolls, this is your tale.
Arneior reminded me of Brianne of Tarth from Game of Thrones, a loyal badass shield maiden that is such an amazing character. Sol is also captivating and such an amazing character. Would recommend for any fantasy lover.

YES! This book was amazing. From start to end I loved this one. The plot, the world, the characters and the story behind it all. Lilith Saintcrow captured my interest with the title and kept it throughout the book. I really loved how this book had action that fit with the evolution of the story but also added to it in ways that built my suspense about what would happen to the MCs and to the growing tension that pushed the book forward.

A Flame in the North by Lilith Saintcrow is an epic fantasy very much in the same vein as The Lord of the Rings.

Initially I was very intrigued by the premise of this story and had high hopes for enjoying the book, but this is a heavy and dense book.

I’m sure there are tons of people who love the Tolkien writing style and denser plot and prose, however, this book dragged for me. While I could follow the plot and I understood what was going on, it felt almost labored. It took a lot more effort than I wanted to get through this book, and I just don’t think it was the escapism I was searching for.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I tried to get into this book, but the writing style felt like it was trying too hard to be ancient-sounding and that took away from my enjoyment of this book.

This enthralling story follows Solveig, a volva, and her shield maid, Arneoir, as they venture into a land steeped in myth. Rich with references to Norse mythology, the plot continuously challenges readers’ expectations, keeping you guessing throughout.

The writing style is reminiscent of epic sagas, featuring a rhythm of pauses and action that may not suit those looking for relentless excitement or a straightforward quest. However, for readers who appreciate a more layered narrative, this book is a true gem. The battle scenes are gritty, with just the right touch of gore, while the interactions among characters stand out. The motivations of Solveig and Arneoir’s companions remain ambiguous, reflecting the uncertainty experienced by the protagonists.

As their journey unfolds, Solveig and Arneoir slowly begin to trust the men accompanying them, leading to a sweet, begrudging respect by the conclusion. This blend of character growth and mythological adventure creates a captivating read that will leave a lasting impression.

I’ve tried to read this book somewhere around 3 or 4 times, and everytime I’ve had to call it quits. This book’s beginning is so dense that I am frankly unable to get through it. Which is saying something because I’ve been exclusively reading military and political science fiction space opera for the past 3 weeks.

I love a good viking fantasy book and this is exactly that! The storyline flowed nicely and kept my attention the whole time. I think the fight scenes were specifically great and captivating. The worldbuilding felt just a little lackluster to me and could have used some more development, but overall I enjoyed this book quite a bit.

I don't like leaving negative reviews because I understand the amount of work authors put into their books, but this book genuinely made me want to DNF ... which I have not done in over 2 years.

I requested A Flame in the North on Netgalley when I first made my account, so I will take partial responsibility for my disliking of this book (I requested a ton of books initially that I didn't end up enjoying because I didn't fully read the blurbs). That being said...I really didn't enjoy this book. At 33%, I posted a poll on my Instagram asking if I should bother continuing. By the time I got the results (most of which said I should quit), I'd already gotten to around 61%, and so I decided just to power through it so I could add it to my yearly goal.
The biggest issue I had: where was the plot? Look, I understand that sometimes pretty writing can make up for a slower plot, but I didn't love the purple prose-y style of this book. Solveig is the daughter of a clan leader, and she has elemental magic of sorts. When her brother kills a member of an opposing plan, she is taken as weregild (blood tax). The description said she was a hostage, but I definitely didn't get that vibe. Literally no one talked to her, so the first half of the book was pretty much her leaving home, eavesdropping, and then getting lost in the woods for a bit. At some point, she realizes that maybe her "captors" have ulterior motives ... aka they want her to fight some big Evil Enemy for them. To be honest, I kinda skimmed the story past the halfway point, and I have, like, no recollection of half the plot points. Maybe it's my fault I disliked it, but I just couldn't get invested. After the halfway point, the story is just fighting, traveling, fighting, and then more traveling ... which would be fine if the main character was allowed to wield a weapon instead of hiding in a corner repeatedly.
I also didn't care for any of the characters. Sol was meh. Her internal monologue droned on after a while, and as I said, she's not allowed to actually fight because she's a witch, so she just sits there while everyone else saves her butt. Arn is her shieldmaid (aka bodyguard), and for some reason, I kinda expected Arn and Sol to be a thing, but they weren't? Arn saved Sol a ton of times and is loyal to her for no reason other than duty, at least as far as I know...but at least she was useful. I don't remember most of the supporting cast. I hate the name Bjorn, so I hated Sol's brother. There was some elf-y/immortal/magic-type guy whose name had a lot of vowels, and I thought he was somewhat interesting, but he didn't have a ton of importance.
The reason I gave this two stars instead of one is because a) I am taking responsibility for not reading the full description before agreeing to read this, and b) I've seen other positive reviews, so I'm sure there is some potential for enjoyment in this book. If you're a fan of Viking books and can tolerate slow plots and minimal worldbuilding/character development, then maybe you will enjoy A Flame in the North.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

2/5

I am 50 minutes into the audiobook and am already struggling to follow it. The first chapter of the book is also 348 minutes long and I don’t have it in me to listen to something this long right now. The writing also felt really clunky.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

A Flame in the North was fairly well written and easy to understand, I have read a lot of Norse mythology base books but this one didn’t stand out to me. Looking forward to reading the finished publication!

2.5 stars!

There was something about this book that just really didn't work for me. I should've known because for some reason I personally don't really connect to Norse stories, but also I found the book really disjointed and the narration style a bit odd. I had to reread the book a lot because I was really confused as to what was happening, and unfortunately the confusion didn't get any better.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Riveting new series from talent Ms. Saintcrow, I am pulled into a world of magic and old evil rising again. Our story is mostly from the heroine perspective, Solveig.

The story starts a little slow with Solveig as the beleaguered older sister who needs to fix the messes of her younger siblings. This quickly escalates and our heroine is pulled into a world long forgotten with creatures she never expected to see. Some of these are only myths the elderly share during long nights over a fire. What she is seeing cannot be real and yet it is all too real.

I enjoy the Tolken-esque feel to this story. I love how this isn't easy for anyone. I love how the heroes and the good are fighting a losing battle and it isn't a surety they will win. The adversities that Sol encounters in her trek to the Black Lands are numerous. Many of the things Sol believes are no longer true.

I love the complexity of the conflict here. This is not a clear cut black and white situation. Yes there is a Great Enemy. How this enemy came to be - the origin story is not so clear. This grayness intrigues me and I crave to learn more about this world. This world where danger has been sugarcoated and forgot. This world where fae magic is hidden and no more amongst the humans. I look forward to the next book in this series. Recommended to fantasy readers who enjoy quests and character progression stories.

This is a norse inspired fantasy that I was really excited about when it was chosen for me in my may tbr jar video, I tend to really enjoy anything norse mythology inspired and I liked this one. We get to see this authors version of loki and odin and I think they were implented really well. Our main character has magical powers where she can control all of the elements, during her celebration festival, her brother kills a man and now she has to travel north with the deceased mans tribe, I’m trying to keep this vague. My biggest complaint about this book is I feel like nothing was ever explained and I was left very confused and blind to everything and I know the sequel is out or coming out soon but it’s nice to be given some information. I do think I will read the sequel because there’s actually a good chance that one will be better with how this one was set up for it.