This book has some of the best prose I’ve read in a while. ‘Long ago when the gods were young and Asgard was new, there came a witch from the edge of the world.’ I was slightly concerned before starting it that it would be too familiar, since I’ve heard these stories from Norse mythology retold a few different times, but I was swept away right from the first line and Angrboda stole my whole heart. Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. From the most ancient of tales this novel forges a story of love, loss, and hope for the modern age. With help from the fierce huntress Skadi, with whom she shares a growing bond, Angrboda must choose whether she’ll accept the fate that she’s foreseen for her beloved family…or rise to remake their future. But as Angrboda slowly recovers her prophetic powers, she learns that her blissful life-and possibly all of existence-is in danger. Their union produces three unusual children, each with a secret destiny, who Angrboda is keen to raise at the edge of the world, safely hidden from Odin’s all-seeing eye. There she is found by a man who reveals himself to be Loki, and her initial distrust of him transforms into a deep and abiding love. A punishment from Odin for refusing to provide him with knowledge of the future, the fire leaves Angrboda injured and powerless, and she flees into the farthest reaches of a remote forest. Angrboda’s story begins where most witches’ tales end: with a burning.
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