This is a beautiful book that fills the woman-shaped gaps in Nordic history and mythology. This is so much more than a love story between Loki and Angrboda; it’s a love story between Angrboda and herself. It’s a story in which she finds her own automony against even the gods.
Angrboda is a powerful witch who once was coveted by the gods themselves until she refused to give Odin what he demanded. But she isn’t so easy to destroy, and she finds her way back every time. During one of these lives, she crosses paths with Loki, the trickster god who is torn between his love for Angrboda and his family. With him, she finds love and bears three children, each of whom has their own destiny within the history of the world.
This was such a vividly created story within a world of mythology and magic. The characters are well developed, compelling and interesting. Angrboda, especially, is a fabulous character, uncompromising in her love and loyalty, strong in the face of any adversity, but also very loving. She has complicated, but deep relationships with Loki and Skadi, as well as with her children. It is those relationships that are really the core of the story. The writing is descriptive and well paced, driving the story forward with every page.
My only quibble with the novel is that some of the dialogue feels too modern. Instead of the more formal speech one might expect, there is quite a bit of phrasing and idioms that feel more casual, things we’d use in conversation today. That could be a bit jarring sometimes.