The Wolf in the Whale

by Jordanna Max Brodsky

"If you liked American Gods by Neil Gaiman or Circe by Madeline Miller, be sure to pick this one up." -- Timeworn

A sweeping tale of forbidden love and warring gods, where a young Inuit shaman and a Viking warrior become unwilling allies in a war that will determine the fate of the new world.

There is a very old story, rarely told, of a wolf that runs into the ocean and becomes a whale. . .

Born with the soul of a hunter and the spirit of the Wolf, Omat is destined to follow in her grandfather's footsteps-invoking the spirits of the land, sea, and sky to protect her people.

But the gods have stopped listening and Omat's family is starving. Desperate to save them, Omat journeys across the icy wastes, fighting for survival with every step. When she encounters Brandr, a wounded Viking warrior, they set in motion a conflict that could shatter her world. . .or save it.

• ISBN10: 0316417157
• ISBN13: 9780316417150
• Publish Date: 29 January 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Little, Brown & Company
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 560
• Language: English

Reviews

[Beth C.]

I really enjoyed Jordanna Max Brodsky's The Immortals trilogy, so when I saw this book, I was quite excited. Even though the premise was CLEARLY quite different, it was still intriguing. I have always been fascinated with the lore and legends of various god pantheons, and while this was clearly fiction, it seemed right up my alley. And while it took me longer to read it that it needed to (I put it down about halfway through for some reason, and didn't come back to it until a few months later.), it turned out to be an excellent book. In fact, coming back to the book even halfway through, I picked it up and was engrossed immediately all over again.

The mix of Inuit and Norse gods was somewhat startling, but Brodsky tied them together - along with Ragnarok - in such a way as to make it flow, even when it seems as though they shouldn't. It was also quite interesting to read about Omat being considered a "third sex" in the Inuit tradition - a female with a male's spirit. What makes all of this even more interesting are the author's notes at the end explaining her research and just how much her story was truly based on the history of both peoples.

I definitely recommend this book - it's unique and lovely, with a spirit all its own. Just like Omat.

[Liz (Bent Bookworm)]

~*Check out all my reviews over on The Bent Bookworm!*~

TW: violence, battle scenes, rape, animal death.

The Wolf in the Whale is an absolutely beautiful, gut-wrenching book. It held my attention for the entire 500+ pages and my heart for much longer - I'm really shocked that it hasn't received more attention! Also, I'm still struggling to find the words to describe both the book and my feelings about it. I really just want to shove it in everyone's face and tell them YOU MUST READ THIS (after pointing at the trigger warnings above, of course). But that typically only works with very close friends.

Not enough for you either? Ok, moving on...

First of all, the entire book is based around the gods even though the main characters are human. The gods of the Inuit and of the norsemen are involved - to the point of meddling selfishly - in the lives of mortals. I didn't realize this when I first started reading and it took me several chapters to realize that no, the scenes with the gods weren't visions or dreams. The gods were actual, physical AND spiritual beings that interacted with humans. Excuse me while I rearrange my brain cells. Also, don't expect any high moral standards from the gods. Some of them are just as despicable as any human villain-characters. It was rather ghastly at times. :P

The main characters are complicated. The things that happen to Omat are absolutely brutal. The Viking warrior is sympathetic but not an innocent. The clash between Inuit and the Norse gods was fascinating.

I'm going to stop here, because this book has stumped me on writing an actual review for months now. I hope that I've convinced you to give it a shot, if you can stomach the heartache and violence. It's totally worth it.

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[Amber]

I received The Wolf in the Whale as a review copy from NetGalley. Obviously, these are my honest thoughts and feelings about the book. I also posted this review on my book blog if you'd like to check it out!

I heard about The Wolf in the Whale from Jes when she gushed about it on her Booktube channel, and I thought I should give it a go. It’s set in the wilderness of what will eventually become Canada. The main character is part of an isolated tribe that is dying out, and one day strangers arrive and mess stuff up.

The parts I most enjoyed about this book were the writing style and the setting. It was incredibly atmospheric, and the author drew me in with her prose. I loved the incorporation of three different mythologies – Norse, Inuit, and Christian. It all wove together seamlessly.

I’ve realised that I need to read more books about the pre-colonised Americas, because there is so much that I know little about. I’ve read quite enough Roman and Greek history books, I think.

I loved that the main character identifies as both a boy and a girl. That was a really nice inclusion, and it worked really well with the story. Their struggle to accept themselves was tough to read in the beginning, but it all came together really well in the end.

While I did really enjoy this story, I have to say that I didn’t enjoy the way that rape and assault were handled in this book. There was a lot of talk of rape, and I felt that at times the detail it went into was unnecessary. I’m not usually that put off by it, but I think the fact that it came up over and over again and I felt like I was being beaten around the head with it.

I also really didn’t enjoy the relationship in this book. The main character saw the love interest rapes multiple women in a sort of vision sequence, and yet they still fell for him?? After seeing all of that?? After being raped herself?? Nah. It didn’t fly with me.

Overall, The Wolf in the Whale is an intriguing and atmospheric read. I would go into it cautiously due to the things I mention above, but if you think you can handle it then it’s definitely worth picking up.

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