Is it going too far to say this is Neil Gaiman at his best? I'm a Gaiman fan anyway, but I felt like this book encapsulated all the things that are great about his writing style. The ease with which he is able to introduce, describe, and utilize Norse concepts and characters is astounding and demonstrates great skill. As someone with absolutely zero familiarity with Norse myths before reading this, I now feel confident in my understanding of their belief system.