Norse Mythology made feminist!
As a Dane, I am somewhat well versed in Norse Mythology (it being the mythology of my ancestors, after all) but I hadn't ever really connected with the witch, Angrboda. Perhaps because she is, in traditional Norse Mythology, never really described as anything more than the mother of Hel, Fenrir and the Midgard Serpent. So I was excited to see her expanded as a full fletched character. While you can't exactly call this 'accurate' - it is mainly a work of fiction - it felt authentic and real.
👍 What I Liked 👍
Angrboda: Finally! Angrboda is a woman in her own right! Not just because of who she partnered up with or gave birth to. She has a story of her own, which has here been told masterfully by Gornechic. This not a story you will ever see in any 'official' books on Norse Mythology, but it still felt like it could have been. It felt very authentic and Angrboda was the deserving center of the story.
Goddeses: It was such a treasure to see how many other goddesses, like Skadi, Gerd and Freya, was given more attention as well. They had wills, desires and ambitions of their own. Too often we tend to think of Norse goddesses in terms of the men in their lives - here they are characters in their own right.
Loki: If you only know Loki from the MCU, you don't know very much about him. Yes, he is a trickster in original Norse Mythology, but never really in a sinister way (except for that one time with Baldr, though....) I felt that this book did a very good job of showing Loki as he truly was - but also to expand on his character. He was more complex in this book. We get to see under his skin, to get some kind of explanation for why he behaves as he does. And we see how many different faces he has. It was very fascinating.
Relationships: There are several noteworthy relationships in this book, but I particularly liked Loki and Angrboda, Loki and Hel and Angrboda and Skadi. Loki and Angrboda had a very untraditional relationship, and while Loki never gave her all she deserved, it was clear that he was really dependent on her and truly cared for her. It was a side of Loki, that is not usually shown in the original mythology. And the relationship he has with baby Hel is so adorable! The relationship between Skadi and Angrboda is definitely one built on trust and respect, which is the best kind there is.
👎 What I Disliked 👎
Circe: The only thing that bothered me a bit was how much this book reminded me of Circe by Madeline Miller. If you scratch out the names of each book, you're pretty much left with the same story. A witch lives alone in a secluded place, only sporadically visited by others. She meets a man, who gives her less than she wants - but who also gives her the biggest gift, a child. After the birth of the child, she learns that motherhood was her calling all along. See? Pretty much the same book...
