2.5 // 5
I wanted to begin this review by saying I liked this story. I never read anything like the world I got to know, and it left me entranced. I’m a HUGE history nerd, so the references to Vikings had me squealing all over the place.
My favorite aspect to this story was the familial relationship and meaning of the story. The romance was pushed to the side till the end, and it focused on the sibling relationship and family that isn’t blood because in many ways found families are just as vital as blood ones. It showed strong kinship and the power of love for others, which is the true meaning of family. I loved it. I loved it.
My only real complaint is that I wanted more. Each chapter felt like it was moving lightning fast and ended too abruptly. I wanted to spend time molding these relationships further, but I felt as if the scene would slip out of my fingers because everything moved faster than I could comprehend. And it kept happening.. It hurt my enjoyment because I was frustrated scenes ended so soon. This fast paced feel I experienced then led me to not really care for the characters, and I was left with this wonderful story with "eh" emotions for the characters. Eventually when I reached those pivotal scenes that were meant to move me- I blinked and felt basically nothing. I know that's a bit harsh to say, but I didn't have that connection.
It's a sad feeling to be disappointed in an exciting debut, and I hate feeling anything less than positive, especially when the writing is so luscious. Still torn on my rating but I'm leaving it at middle ground for now.