This was such a well constructed and fascinating re-telling of the marriage of Angrboda and Loki. As the book suggests, I only knew Angrboda as Loki's lover and the mother of monsters and so it was interesting to have a full length story focusing on her, in the vein of Circe. I thought that the writing was really accessible with enough of a nod to the cadence of folklore without being too stilted. I also really enjoyed seeing her children as children rather than just the forerunners of Ragnarok as they have always been. The pacing was good, although the first part of the book was a little on the longer side and overall, I really enjoyed my time with this one.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Very gripping and wonderfully descriptive writing. I'll look forward to books by this author in the future!

Archived despite trying to download several times, will be buying myself as reallly want to read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I leapt at the chance to read this one, and I wasn’t disappointed. I love Norse mythology and Norse-inspired story, and there are common characters and aspects that appear throughout them, so the fact that this one focused on Angrboda who is only briefly mentioned elsewhere was both exciting and a major draw, and I love what Gornichec did with her character in this book. The prose was beautiful, and the entire book had that feeling of magical otherness that comes with being a myth, while being utterly grounded, and the emotional depth to the Witch’s Heart was breathtaking. The author knew how to transform these voices that we don’t always get to hear, and show their strength and their weakness, and wrap these characters so tightly around our hearts that you can’t help but be invested. My one and only complaint with The Witch’s Heart is that it does take a very long time to get going, almost just beyond the halfway point before it really feels as though it has found where it wants to be - but boy is it worth getting to that point, because this is a fabulous retelling, with emotion and originality and I want more please.

I'm a huge fan of retellings, especially those of myths I'm not very familiar with, so when I heard of a book tackling Norse mythology from the point of view of a woman - a witch! - who'd otherwise been almost completely forgotten, I was unbelievably excited. Unfortunately, The Witch's Heart didn't quite live up to my expectations.

The premise was truly great. I'm not very familiar with Norse mythology beyond the very famous gods and I had actually never heard of Angrboda at all, so I enjoyed having the opportunity to learn more about this fascinating character. Right from the start, hers is a tale of sorrow and pain and she is admirable in her strength to pick up the pieces and rebuild her life from scratch, away from everyone and everything she knows - except for Loki, the god of mischief who brought her back her heart, and Skadi, a huntress determined to help Angrboda through trade.

This is, unfortunately, also where my problems with this book started. Angrboda longs for a quiet life far removed from everyone, and for many, many years she manages to enjoy just that. As a result, over half of the book is dedicated to describing Angrboda's domestic life. Even though that wasn't exactly what I'd been expecting going into this book, I could have gotten on board with it. Except her domestic bliss was in large part dependent on Loki, and Angrboda spent a disproportionate amount of time just waiting for him to decide to return to her.

The characters were really frustrating for me. Angrboda is an incredibly powerful, strong and resilient woman who, for the majority of the book, just sort of floats along, accepting everything that happens to her and deciding very little for herself. Loki felt incredibly flat and, while I was by no means expecting the Marvel version, he was not intriguing nor compelling in the least. Skadi was definitely my favourite, as she came across as slightly more well-rounded, but even she had little time to shine and her relationship with Angrboda felt stagnant for most of the book, until it suddenly was propelled forward and rushed towards the end.

The pacing also didn't really work for me. The majority of the book is very slow moving, as we follow Angrboda's daily life, first by herself and later with her children. Then, things change quite abruptly in the last third or so. The pace did pick up a lot there, to the point where almost too much was happening all at once.

One thing I absolutely loved though was the author's writing style, and it was probably the biggest redeeming feature for this. The writing is absolutely gorgeous and kept me reading even when nothing much was happening (which would have been prime distraction time!). The settings and the world were beautifully described as well, to the point where I could almost picture them. Some of the dialogues felt a bit stilted, and there was occasionally a mix of older and modern language in the dialogues that felt a bit out of place, but overall that didn't bother me too much and I could still enjoy the beautiful writing throughout.

The Witch's Heart is a solid debut, despite some of the issues I personally had with it, and I would absolutely read more from this author. Definitely give this a go if you don't mind slower pacing and a strong focus on domestic life, or even just if you're looking to become more familiar with a fascinating, often forgotten character in Norse mythology.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s something I’ve been looking to read for a while. I read a book years ago called Monstrous Child which was a story about Hel and I adored it but it was painfully short.

This is where The Witch’s Heart comes in, it’s a more expansive story of Loki’s children and Ragnarok from the perspective of a witch who taught Odin how to see the future and gain more knowledge. For this gift, he in turn burned her to death and cut out her heart. This happened to her not only once but twice!

She settles herself far away from the Aesir and rebuilds her life as Angrboda. Angrboda is visited by a man who later reveals himself to be Loki. Knowing that Loki is the brother of Odin and a trickster, she has doubts but he delivers her heart which was missing from her chest. Even accepting the gift and having it back in her chest. Something is missing.

Angrboda becomes friends with a giantess called Skadi who helps her to make her cave a home and she sells Angrboda’s potions in return. I love their relationship! Skadi is a very feisty character.

Angrboda and Loki marry and their union produces three interesting children. No spoilers really as they are well documented! We have Hel, brought back from the brink of death with dying legs. Fenrir, born as a wolf and finally Jormungand, born as a snake.

While her children are unusual, Boda loves them! She is determined to keep them safe and while they favour their father, there is no doubt that she will do anything for them.

Boda begins experimenting with her powers again and sees a vision of the future. A vision of Ragnarok in which the gods fall and the world is delved into flames.

She must decide what to do with this knowledge and her anger at her husbands other wife sets in motions actions that will have severe consequences.

I love reading about Ragnarok from a different perspective. I’ve always been a fan of the three children!

Brilliant book, excellently written and the ending was perfect.

A really fascinating retelling of Norse Mythology and Ragnorak from the female gaze. Much like Circe by Madeline Miller and A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes, it's great to see Norse Mythology getting a female leadership for once.

I started reading this several times before its release but somehow couldn’t get into the book. Having recently completed and loved another fantasy inspired by Norse mythology, I decided to finally to push through and give this book a fair shot. Unfortunately, despite being a relatively easy and short read, and containing numerous story elements that I usually love – witches, myth retellings, gods, and magic – this book didn’t connect with me at all.

Although Angrboda is, if somewhat unusual, definitely an intriguing and resilient individual (apparently frequently overlooked in the lore), I felt like her more interesting characteristics – such as her powers and history – were downplayed in favour of her victimhood, romance and motherhood. For a book about gods and mythical beings, this story unfortunately lacked any sense of wonder, atmosphere or mysticism and I think that was mainly because of the writing. As the novel focuses on Angrboda’s life, joys, sorrows and sacrifice, it is quite slow-paced but overall accessible. Nevertheless, I found the prose and especially dialogue at times quite jarring; a strange mixture of archaic, formal and modern language which frequently disrupted my immersion in the story. I’ve noticed other reviews mention this and I agree - the character interactions, especially in the first half of the book (often between Angrboda and Loki), felt strangely dragged out to the point where they became somewhat stilted and awkward.

I also thought the worldbuilding was very sparse and flimsy which is forgiveable as this novel clearly aimed to be more of a character study. Unfortunately, all the other characters, especially Loki - the renowned god of mischief! - completely lacked charisma and wit, and I honestly felt no sparks between the main couple. The relationship with Skadi was portrayed more believably though I was not particularly invested in neither character dynamic.
I really wish I had loved this more but it just didn’t click with me and was wholly forgettable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.

I knew I had to read The Witch’s Heart when I read the premise. I’m a huge fan of Norse Mythology and have read a lot of retelling’s and alternative versions. Loki is my favourite characters. The Witch’s Heart touches on events I’ve read in other books but from a completely different perspective, that of Loki’s giantess mistress and the mother of the monsters who will set the end of the world in motion. I couldn’t wait to see where the author went with the story. I really loved this. Angrboda and her monstrous offspring are humanised in the book and I felt empathy for them and their plight against the arrogance of the God’s, specially Odin. I thought this was amazing.

I completely and utterly fell in love with this book. There’s been a rise recently in myth retellings and The Witch’s Heart deserves a place among the best of them. Norse mythology is a favourite of mine and somehow I never knew of Angrboda’s story, so I’m eternally grateful that Genevieve Gornichec decided to take her story and turn it into this beautiful book.

This worked perfectly for me. I know a little of Norse mythology so I knew where this book was headed once it revealed who Agrboda’s children were, but I still didn’t know the ins and outs and her place in the events. Gornichec crafts such an important and meaningful place for her, as I believe that Angrboda’s story doesn’t extend much past her being the Mother to Loki’s children. Gornichec has woven Angrboda in the very fabric of these momentus events and given her a place of epic proportions.

As much of the story is set in the furthest reaches of an isolated wood the cast of characters is small but mighty. Between Angrboda, Loki, their children, and Skadi we find a story of love, friendship, and events that changed the world. They make for a wonderful group, with their conflicts, their complicated relationships, and they are ultimately the pillar of this story.

Norse mythology is known for its fluid approach to sexuality and gender and Gornichec doesn’t shy away from this. The characters are just who they are, and there need be no explanation for it. Angrboda and Skadi’s relationship to each other is fluid and easy, and Loki just appears however he wishes to.

I was utterly hooked from the beginning and I barely put this book down until the very end. Gornichec managed to bring tears to my eyes, and that’s a rare thing indeed. I utterly adored this one and Gornichec is now firmly on my auto-buy author list.

The cover and synopsis for The Witch's Heart really piqued my interest, I'm a big fan of Norse Mythology and absolutely adore reading about Loki, the trickster (I blame Stargate for this). Gornichec has woven an impressive tale as a debut, using well known characters like Odin, Thor and Loki - bringing them back to their roots away from the Marvel universe.

And a far cry from the Marvel universe this is unfortunately, I did struggle to get along with the narrative. It is broken into three parts (no chapters) which I found to be quite frustrating although it did add to the air of this being an ancient tale. It read like someone was talking to me which I wasn't expecting - again, it did fit with the tale itself however did give me the feeling I was being told rather than shown which led to me skim reading a bulk of the book.

I enjoyed the take on Angrboda as her character isn't one often seen so it was interesting to read about her. As always when dealing with myths, there has to be a suspension of belief and this story is particularly intense which made me want to get to the end. I did root for Boda through the book and I was invested in her relationship with Skadi who was definitely my favourite character of the bunch!

This is my own personal experience and I know readers who will absolutely love this book so please give it a read!

story 3,5/5
characters 3,5/5
writing 4/5
audio/paper Paper.
reread? Yes.
Recommend it? Yes.

First I'd like to say thank you to Titan Books and Netgalley for sending me an e-ARC.
I don't know why it took me so long to write and post this review, because I honestly really enjoyed reading this book.

The story touches just about everything.
Losing everything, and supposedly your life even, and trying to rebuilt everything.
And trying to care about living, daring to be open for friendship and love but also staying aware that betrayal in one way or another can happen any time in anyway.

I have not (yet) read the original mythology so can not comment much about originality.
Bigger minor point for me, once again, are time jumps.

Thank you, once again, Titan Books and Netgalley.

Firstly, a huge thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

After rediscovering my love for Greek mythology through retellings last year I was eager to find more from other mythologies, particularly Norse as it is one of my favourites. As soon as I heard about this novel being released I knew that I just had to read it, especially as it is one of my favourite stories from Norse mythology too. Gornichec has done a wonderful job bringing this story to life through her writing and portrayal of such classic figures in Norse mythology and it has become one of my favourite retellings of all time.

I loved Gornichec’s characterisation of Angrboda. She was so fierce and strong, yet incredibly compassionate. I really enjoyed that we got to see a lot of time with Angrboda on her own or with Skadi as this was a great way to really build on the characters that we see so little of in Norse mythology. From the very beginning there is no mistaking that this is Angrboda’s story and not simply a retelling of stories from Prose Edda; a voice that has been markedly absent for years despite playing such a crucial role in mythology. I really enjoyed seeing the way she would interact with the other characters, in particular Skadi and Loki. They all seemed to be incredibly well matched when it came to strength and wit, which made a lot of their discussions fun to read.

I especially loved being able to see Angrboda as a mother to Hel, Fenrir and Jormungandr; as well as them being children as this is something that I, personally, have never really considered when seeing their roles within Norse mythology. They’re always creatures to be feared, so to see them as children was a wonderful addition and gave the novel an added depth for those reading it who are familiar with the myth as well as for those who aren’t. I also enjoyed the way that Loki was portrayed, instead of going down the route of casting him as a ‘villain’ that others often mistake him for, here he lived up to his ‘Trickster’ title who was clever and charming but wonderfully obnoxious about it.

Gornichec does a superb job throughout the novel of not only capturing the importance and seriousness of elements of the mythology, but also still including all the fun and the humour that comes from the myths too which makes the novel a complete joy to read. The balance between seriousness and humour is perfected in this novel which is further complemented by the pacing too. The novel is split into three parts, with a long first part to give you time to get to know everyone and settle comfortably into the world before ramping up the pace that will make it impossible to put the book down.

Overall, as you can tell, I loved this book and thought Gornichec’s writing was completely masterful creating such a delightful read that I can’t stop thinking about. Although this story is one I already knew fairly well, there was still a lot to offer and surprise the reader. It also still left me sobbing by the end yet although the novel ripped out my heart and tore it to shreds, in the final pages it ever so gently pieced it back together and softly laid it back in my chest. Which was very fitting for The Witch’s Heart.

Considering how well known the trickster god Loki is (even before the popularity of the Marvel Comics version of the character), as well as his three unusual children, it's pretty astonishing that the woman who births the goddess of death, the giant wolf Fenrir, and the world serpent Jormungand is relegated to a single mention in the Poetic Edda. With such an important figure left largely unexplored it's territory ripe for storytelling, and Genevieve Gornichec not only tells a story worthy of the Norse gods, but one that ends up being a truly astonishing debut novel.

The book begins at the death of the witch Gullveig, who is impaled on spears, has her heart removed, and is burnt to death. Well, burnt to death three times, as the woman refuses to stay dead. Having managed to flee the halls of Odin, the god who ordered her multiple executions, she has travelled across the nine worlds to the Ironwoods, a barren and lonely place. It's whilst she's here, burnt, alone, that she's approached by a man carrying a heart, the heart that was ripped from her by the gods. This man, Loki, returns her heart to her, and the two of them strike up an unlikely friendship.

Over the years Gullveig, now calling herself Angrboda, settles in a small cave deep within the Ironwoods. It's here that she heals and begins to forge a new life for herself, even making friends with Skadi, a huntress who sometimes ventures into the desolate forest. With the help of Skadi, and the occasional visit of Loki, Angrboda finds happiness in her new home. Her cave becomes a real home, she begins to grow plants and raise goats, and even uses her skills to brew potions and healing salves that Skadi trades for her in the surrounding towns and villages.

Despite being happy with her life things change when she and Loki grow close, and the two of them choose to marry. Despite having to spend much of his time in Asgard, the kingdom of the gods, he and Angrboda seem happy, and soon expect their first child. Unfortunately, when something goes wrong during the pregnancy Angrboda uses her powers to save her child, with some unfortunate results. Not only is her daughter, Hel, born with dead legs that require constant healing, but Angrboda feels a dark presence creeping into her mind. Despite this, she and Loki continue with their life, and their family grows even more with their two sons; though these are even stranger than their daughter. Despite their son Fenrir being born a wolf, and Jormungand a snake, they're happy.

This all change when Odin, the presence that has been haunting her, learns that Angrboda is alive, and seeks her out for her powers to see the future. When she sees a vision of the end of everything, of the death of the gods and the destruction of the nine worlds her entire life, and her family, are put at risk.

The story of The Witch's Heart is, much like the mythology it takes its inspiration from, pretty epic. I don't like to use that word lightly, but this is a book that definitely deserves it. The story takes place over countless years, hundreds or even thousands. The characters are more than human, they live for lifetimes longer than we could, and command powers and abilities that are astonishing to say the least; and the story deals with destruction and rebirth on a galactic scale.

Despite all of this, despite the sheer vastness of the story and the mythology at play here the book is such a personal story it's astonishing Gornichec was able to pull it off. It's one thing to write a story about the origins of Ragnarok, about the deaths of hugely powerful gods and giant monsters, but to centre it all through the life and experience of one woman, one incredibly human and empathetic woman is nothing if not sublime and wonderful.

Angrboda is, despite being a thousands of years old un-killable witch, a woman who simply want to live her life with her family in peace. The entire book is told through her perspective, her experiences, and we get to see these huge, wondrous things through a woman I feel we can all identify with. Despite all the power at her command she simply wants to be left alone, to not be a pawn in the game of gods, and to experience peace with her family. The best parts of the books are the quite moments where we get to experience this, whether it's her and Loki falling in love, the love she gives to her three children, and the ways her relationship with Skadi changes and evolves. It's an odd thing to say, but a book that deals with gods, monsters, giants, and other beings from mythology is one of the most human stories I've ever read. Everything Angrboda chooses to do comes from her emotions, from her loves and desires.

She's not the only person in the book to receive this kind of treatment, though, as several figures from Norse mythology make appearances throughout the narrative and get given some incredible characterisation. Whilst I loved the way Gornichec wrote Loki and Hel in this book my favours were probably Skadi and Fenrir. Skadi, the god of bow-hunting, winter, and skiing, is a figure that I'd not come across before this book, and as such didn't really have any expectations of what she'd be like or how her story would play out. Her friendship with Angrboda is a huge highlight, and getting to see how it goes from strength to strength over the years, and how the major developments in the plot alter the courses of their lives and interactions together is truly wonderful. Fenrir is fairly different, as he's a figure I was more familiar with than many others who appear in the book, though this was fairly limited to him being a giant wolf and the role he'd play in Ragnarok. Where most stories that feature him either have him as an antagonistic figure, or simply a wild beast, Gornichec breathes so much life into him, and makes his childhood and his development one of the things I became most invested in. He was transformed from a vicious, almost evil character in my mind into a tragic figure, a child who cares deeply for his family but is put into horrible situations by the gods of Asgard.

The Witch's Heart is a story that deals with huge things, that takes myths and legends that have survived for centuries, and turns it into a personal and human driven tale of love, loss, and the desperate lengths that people are willing to go to to protect their families.

If you know about the myths that this book is based upon you'll like it because it breathes more life and character into them than I've seen done elsewhere; and if you know nothing about Norse mythology you'll be able to pick this book up and get lost in the drama and the amazing, wonderful characters.

Like I said earlier in this review, this is a debut novel, and it's an absolutely stunning one. There are authors who have been writing for decades who don't bring as much depth and realness to their character or stories as Genevieve Gornichec does here; and it's an even bigger achievement when you remember that these aren't even her own characters. She's taken figures that have existed for generations and made them feel new, wholly original, and oh so real. That takes an astonishing level of talent. I don't know what she's planning on writing next, but if it's even half as good as this book it's going to be amazing. This is definitely a writer you need to keep an eye on.

DNF at 63% - I wanted to love this book so much... unfortunately it wasn’t for me. I found the dialogues (and banters) between Loki and Angrboda quite boring and childish and by the time action started (at the 60% of the book) I was feeling bored and I had lost all interest in the story.

Thanks NetGalley and Titan Books for the ARC!

There was a time, and a life, before, but Angrboda can't remember it. For her, the story starts when Odin attempts to kill her for not revealing visions of the future to him. Three times he has her burned, then tears out her heart. But still Angrboda survives. Wanting to have nothing further to do with the gods of Asgard she retreats to the far-distant Iron Wood to heal and start over. She's soon followed though by Loki, the trickster, bringing back her heart but winning it through love. Together they raise three strange children; a daughter, Hel, born with withered legs, and two sons - Fenrir, a wolf, and Jormungand a small wriggling worm who rapidly grows into an enormous serpent. Despite their oddness, all three are greatly loved by their parents, but as Angrboda recovers her powers of prophecy she realises that her children have an important part to play in the end of the world - and that there's nothing she can do to avert it.



i loved this book - a feminist re-imagining of Norse myths in which a minor character - a woman dismissed to the margins of the old tales now takes centre stage. Angrboda is the sort of woman rejected by society, often labelled 'witch', whose knowledge is both in demand and feared, and at the same time a mother, full of love for her unique children, her often-absent husband, Loki, and her one close friend, the huntress Goddess Skadi. It's love in general, and that maternal love specifically which makes her courageous enough to take on destiny.



Within their close-knit, isolated home, the children are just seen as unusual; being different doesn't make them unlovable or 'less' than others. It's only when outsiders disrupt this environment that Angrboda's children see themselves as monsters.



The story reads like a fairytale or myth, but turns our usual understanding of the Norse gods and Ragnarok, the ending of their days, on its head. This isn't about superheroes saving the world as in the Marvel comics and films, or even the old traditional myths, but of the power of a mother's love that can sometimes change fate, if only a little.



It's an absolutely stunning fantasy debut, and I look forward to reading more by Genevieve Gornichec.

I loved this story and it kept me reading till late in the night.
I'm not a big fan of Edda and Scandinavian mythology, this means I knew who Loki is but I never read the Edda.
This means I read this story with a few notions and loved the characters.
Angrboda is well thought, resiliant and strong willed character. I loved her and her character arc is very interesting. Loki was the biggest surprise as he is described as a trickster and not as the bad guy in the story.
Skadi is another great character.
The world building is amazing and it was really interesting to read a well known story told from the other side.
This is a gripping, poignant, and exciting novel. There are some heartbreaking and some great epic moments.
It's an excellent read that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I'm a huge mythology fan and this sounded right up my street, but I just think this book isn't for me. It's such a shame that I DNF'ed this, I wanted to love this so much.
There was a LOT of telling rather than showing, a lot of world building and I didn't feel immersed in the story or the characters.
I know a lot of people loved this, so I think I'm just in the minority.

The story begins when the trickster god Loki finds Angrboda’s missing heart, speared and still smoking on the pyre upon which she had been burned for the third time. Drawn to Ironwood and the possibility of some excitement he decides to return her heart to her. They end up falling in love and have three children; Hel – the ruler of the Norse underworld, Fenrir – the giant wolf and Jormungard – the Midgard serpent, all of whom are prophesied to play an important part in the great battle of Ragnarok and the ultimate end of the world. The Witch’s Heart is a very clever and immersive reimagining of Norse mythology. Generally I find books of this nature difficult to engage with and completely overwhelming but this author’s approach is brilliant. The story is presented in a comprehensible and understandable manner and it captured my attention in a way I never thought possible. The writing is detailed, vivid and completely engrossing and I thoroughly enjoyed the story arc and the way it gradually built up to an explosive ending.

The characters are complex and extremely interesting and brought to life by the author’s beautiful prose and the three characters I’m about to mention particularly stood out for me. I absolutely adored the portrayal of Loki in this novel and his wonderful dry sense of humour. He is comes across as the cheeky trickster, always up to no good, witty and also utterly charming. I loved the humorous exchanges and banter with Angrboda, she certainly gave back as good as she got and I chuckled to myself many a time with their entertaining repartee. Theirs was an unpredictable relationship but undoubtedly had spark and chemistry. Angrboda, is the Norse Witch and a giantess and a remarkable but complicated character. She is extremely resilient and overcomes all the obstacles presented to her, she is also fiercely determined and will do anything to protect her children. The overarching theme throughout is a mother’s love and there were some truly heartfelt moments. Her love and devotion to her children when everyone else calls them monsters is heart-wrenching as is her loyal and strong bond with Skadi, the huntress. They have a wonderful and supportive friendship, but there is undeniably a slow burn attraction. This develops as Skadi spends more and more time with Angrboda assisting her to make her cave more homely, selling her potions and salves in exchange for food and supplies and helping her adjust to her new life in the remote forest of Ironwood. She could not have survived without her.

The Witch’s Heart is a powerful, moving and imaginative tale but which is written in such a way that it’s relatable and easy to read. A beautifully crafted tale peppered with adventure, romance and Norse mythology. My knowledge of Norse mythology is a little scant, however after reading this book I have learnt so much more. This retelling has a fabulous and refreshing perspective on the subject and it has left me wanting to know more. A must read for fans of mythology, fantasy and retellings and I will definitely be interested in reading more more from this author in the future.

[Don’t forget the glossary at the back (which I failed to notice until I finished the book) this helps getting to know who is who, however I did read an eARC so I highlighted and looked up the names as I went along].

Thank you so much to the publisher for my eARC via Netgalley.

“Long ago, when the gods were young and Asgard was new, there came a witch from the edge of the worlds. She knew many ancient spells, but she was especially skilled with seid, a magic that allowed one to travel out of body and divine the future. “

My thanks to Titan Books for an advance review copy via NetGalley of ‘The Witch’s Heart’ by Genevieve Gornichec in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fascinating novel that tells the story of the giantess witch Angrboda. It starts where most witch tales end: with being burnt. This was her punishment from Odin for sharing her visions of the future with those he considers the wrong people. Yet the fire only leaves Angrboda injured and powerless.

She flees to a remote forest and later she is found by a man, who reveals himself as the shape-shifting trickster god Loki. While she initially distrusts him, over time they fall in love and she eventually gives birth to three strange children, each with a secret destiny.

Angrboda is keen to keep them hidden from Odin’s all-seeing eye. She slowly regains her prophetic powers and learns that not only her blissful life but possibly all of existence is in danger. This presents her with a crucial choice.

The opening pages of the novel felt quite formal as if taken from a saga, though this quickly shifts to a more informal narrative style as soon as Loki enters the story.

I enjoyed this very much. Prior to reading this, I only knew Angrboda’s name and her role as Loki’s secret baby mama, so I appreciated this reimagining of the myths from the perspective of Angrboda. I was especially moved by her relationship with her daughter, Hel.

Genevieve Gornichec clearly has a deep understanding of Norse mythology and the skills to weave them into a powerful tale that honours the source material while making the myths relatable to modern readers.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel very much and found myself completely immersed in its vivid descriptions and rich storytelling. ‘The Witch’s Heart’ is Genevieve Gornichec’s debut novel and I will certainly be looking forward to her future projects.