A Norse mythology retelling had me wanting this book immediately!! I love anything Norse related and a relationship with Loki had my imagination running! This is a fabulous book for anyone who wants to know a bit more of a back story about the infamous Norse Gods. Definitely worth a read and one I’m grateful for receiving an arc of!

When I see a work of fiction that involves Norse mythology, I know I'm going to enjoy it. "The Witch's Heart" went way beyond simple enjoyment. I lived and breathed alongside Angrboda for the duration of this book, and a part of her has taken up residence in my brain. The tone of the conversations between Angrboda and Loki were a real highlight for me and really brought these two characters to life. Stunning story, great writing. Read it!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

The Witch's Heart is a Norse mythological retelling of the tale of Angrboda, a witch, and her relationship with Loki and the dire consquences that this relationship has that ultimately leads to the events of Ragnarök. My knowledge of Norse mythology is pretty much all taken from Marvel movies so I was very excited to be approved for an ARC on Netgalley (for the UK publication, it was published in the US in February) and to dive in to what others have described as a "compelling read".

I've mentioned that I'm not well versed in mythology and so whilst I knew who Loki and Thor were, I didn't have a clue about their origins or the roles they played in the major events. Throughout the book I was constantly looking up who the different characters were and how these locations and objects all fit in to the narrative but I didn't mind doing it. It showed that Gornichec is extremely familiar with the original material and she's created a reimagining rather then a retelling. Angrboda, our main character, is apparently only mentioned once or twice in the Old Norse textbooks but the author has extended her story and fleshed it out magnificently all while keeping true to the source.

Angrboda is a fierce warrior of a character with noticeable flaws but her undying love for her children is what really made me love her. What she was willing to sacrifice to protect them was so heartbreaking and emotional to read about, no spoilers but I felt like I was getting punched in the gut a few times whilst reading. Loki is not the Tom Hiddleston version you may know but he still maintains that charm and mischevious nature and his and Angrboda's relationship is complex and wrought with difficulties. I adored Skadi, the huntress, and her friendship with Angrboda was one of my favourite elements of the book, they are devoted to each other and have forged such a strong bond. Their relationship does develop romantically although it's squeezed in towards the end which was a shame as I would have liked it to have been more prominant.

The writing has that storytelling feel to it that works perfectly with the subject matter. It's a very layered story and the author does well to build it from a love story into an action packed, epic battle between gods. The plot is tight and follows the source material well but still manages to make it feel like an original story, a testament to Gornichec's writing. I loved being thrown into the world of Norse gods and monsters, the magic is wonderful and it's just a vivid and enchanting tale.

Apart from some slow moments and feeling slightly overwhelmed at first by all the characters, this is a captivating mythological reimagining that will leave you satisfied. A creative examination of Norse gods that displays themes of love, loss, grief and sacrifice perfectly.

I received an ARC of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This is the debut novel by Genevieve Gorniched and it's a very intriguing mythological retelling/reinterpretation of an underappreciated Norse mythology character: the witch Angrboda. The writing is very easy to follow, the imagery is vivid and the worldbuilding is intimately connected with the heroine and her backstory.

Even if the book started slowly, I was almost in tears during Ragnarok--this is an epic tale of love, family, fate and death and a man vs. God tale of a woman who, even if she was a powerful witch, had to struggle against powers that were far greater than her.

The sapphic representation is so nicely tied with the heroine's wants and needs! Her motherly love leaks through each page. I'm so happy I read this beauty!

I'll definitely keep an eye on the writer's new releases. Seems likes she's one of those people that pen stories which stay with you forever.

I loved The Witch's Heart so much, I could not put it down. It was enchanting and dark and heartbreaking and beautiful and I am already planning a reread.
I honestly thought everything about this book was perfect, the pacing and plot, the characters and worldbuilding - everything was spot on.
I found myself falling in love with most of the characters, even Loki, against my better judgement. The Witch's Heart is the best Norse Mythology retelling I have ever read and I would definitely recommend it to fans of mythology retellings, in fact just any fantasy fans. It is one of my favourites of this year so far.
The writing style is beautiful and compelling. I really did not want to pull myself away from the story and read the book in one day.

My notes for The Witch’s Heart are absolutely ridiculous. Every sentence is punctuated by some form of “I love this”, “I love them”, “LOVE”, and “Oh my god!”.

What an absolutely fascinating and engrossing perspective on Norse mythology with a cast of sympathetic and spirited characters.

The writing style of this book is completely fabulous. The deadpan delivery of lines, banter between characters, true heartache - it could not have been easier to read nor enjoy and I lapped up every single word.

Angrboda is a witch gifted with seid magic. She can travel out of body and through time, knowledge that Odin himself will stop at nothing to get. This results in Boda fleeing, after being burnt 3 times over and becoming the cause of a war, where she is later found by Loki who returns her heart to her.

“Loki was interested in neither peace nor quiet.”

The character relationships from here onwards are nothing short of perfect. For a time, whilst life feels easygoing, we get to experience Boda’s friendships and relationships and it makes your heart happy to see the strong females around her, hello Skadi, and her eventual children.

Though each of the three children have a secret destiny, Boda tries her best to keep them safe at the edge of the world, safe from Odin. Her life, and that of all existence, is in danger and we are with her every step of the way in making decisions that show whether she will accept her fate, or remake it.

A family doesn’t need to be a husband, a wife, a son and a daughter. A family can be a witch mother, trickster father, daughter with dead legs, a wolf son who speaks telepathically and a snake son who cannot speak at all.

There is too much to fawn over with this story and I could write the longest review of praise in existence and so instead I must say PLEASE, if you love fantasy and/or mythology, you have to read it you, just have to.

THANK YOU to Titan Books with all my heart, and all of Boda’s, for allowing me the chance to review The Witch’s Heart. I’m going to need to read this over and over again to feel whole because I loved it with every fibre of my being.

A retelling of Norse mythology that I could not put down, and I am not particularly a mythology fan. I knew the big names, Loki, Thor and Odin as much from Marvel movies as anywhere else and of course i knew of Ragnarok, the event that all of this book leads to. The book concentrates on Angrboda, who Odin tries to kill because she wont share her visions, actually he kills her three times, it just doesn't seem to take. When Loki returns her burnt heart they begin a friendship that turns to love, eventually marrying and becoming parents to three interesting (and unusual) children. True love would run its course but prophecy must have its way. Loki in particular is fleshed out wonderfully.

I kindly received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this Norse inspired story. The Witch's Heart follows Angrboda (a witch) and Loki's love and subsequent children. It was really interesting seeing the story tie into Ragnarok and clever how the author combined different accounts of witches in mythology into one person.

Angrboda is an interesting character with a rich and compelling story. She is a more modern take on a character with LGBT+ themes, a mysterious, magical past and continuously gets roped into the gods schemes. She was burned three times and her heart stabbed because she went against the gods in the past. As you can imagine she's quite a fierce character, especially when it comes to those she loves.

To this end Loki was just as mischievous as you imagine., His decisions, actions etc. are so frustrating yet in keeping with his character.

If you're a fan of Norse mythology and adaptations of old characters/stories then I highly recommend this.

A tale that weaves Norse mythology and more contemporary issues such as family, loyalty and belonging not to mention revenge and retribution, I think I may be a bit old for this book as although I enjoyed it I didn’t really connect with the characters and the style that it is written, definitely a good read but I doubt I would read any further books by the author