Wow. A complete surprise take on Norse Mythology that draws you in and transports you to an icy north to the cave-days before the foundations of Nordic society popped into existence… 

Angrboda is a character you want to saddle up alongside to hear her stories. Immediately interesting without flaunting her worth, she is an attractive recluse, one you’d like to journey with, because you can feel there’s far more than she’s telling, and if you stick close, you’ll learn. 

The banter between her and Loki is some of the best relationship chat I’ve read since Norse gods wreaked havoc in the north. Loki is my favourite. Still. 

And the plot here is a heart-breaking, heart-warming, heart— yes, there’s a lot of rending and restoring of the heart going on in these pages. 

I’ll not do any spoilers, but if you ever thought your offspring might be unlovable, let’s just say the most unlovable sorts of offspring can even be loved by those who would not have been otherwise inclined were it not for the superior writing skills of an author like this one… 

Maybe the last third dragged on more than I liked, but who cares? The rest of it (including the ending) was so bloody brilliant.