Renate Rowland has crafted another masterpiece in this trilogy and shown how well she can create so much emotional damage in a single book. 

The devastating scenarios between Eve and Kjan start off close to the beginning of the book as the plot unfolds because Kjan’s sire has shown up in Portland ready to wreak havoc.

The book is written in third person dual point of view which adds depth and emotion to the story, completely immersing the reader in the minds of the two main characters. 

Rowland expertly weaves information about the Futhark Runes, Norse Gods, and Norse Mythology into the story to provide context to readers who are unfamiliar with the tales. As a fellow Norse Pagan, I felt that Rowland preserved the tales of the Gods while also creating her own narrative around a son of Iðunn and Hoðr who doesn’t exist in the original myths but is key to her choice to make this series a vampire origin story that occurs post Ragnarök. 

Set mostly in Oregon, the PNW backdrop provides a beautiful setting full of nature and connection with the earth. 

Kjartan is the ultimate morally grey character in this book. He struggles with his own personal vendetta, trauma, and conflicting emotions while trying to assimilate himself into the modern world. His relationship and interactions with Eve are the most conflicting because of his possessive tendencies as well as heartache. 

With regard to spice for this book, Rowland hits the reader right off the bat with an intimate scene in chapter one but the intimacy between characters isn’t the main premise of the plot. 

Overall, this book kept me sucked in through the entire thing as I wondered what would be thrown my way next as a reader. The emotional damage through numerous sections of the book had me shocked, sad, and joyful simultaneously.