The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
The Trickster Loki
While I’ve always loved mythology, I wasn’t as familiar with tales of the Norse gods and goddesses as I was the Celtic and Greek myths. I have read Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman and I loved it but that is as far as I have explored. What I did know of the Norse myths didn’t include the love story of Angrboda and Loki, mostly associating them with evil based on the stories of their children—Hel, Fenrir, and Jormungand—who all play a role in Ragnarok.
However, it’s always good to remember that there are two sides to every story, and the stories are often written by the winners, or those with the most power, and these stories often favor men. Loki is a trickster. Thor is a bit of a narcissist. And Odin can be quite manipulative and self-absorbed. I had a bit of a hard time because I have seen the Thor movies so trying to picture the characters differently was a stretch.
Angrboda the burned witch and her friend Skadi the huntress are the central figures in this reimagining of the events leading up to and culminating in Ragnarok. Their story is just as important as the stories of the Aesir, and much less dramatic. I loved the pacing and the good feelings that I had when reading this book its worth the time for sure.
