Reviews

The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

arianna_lee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Pulled me in immediately and wouldnt let me go till I finished. A deeply moving book about family, fate, and how to love in a deeply unjust world.

raygersh's review against another edition

3.0

Norse mythology is enthralling and Genevieve Gornichec has done a remarkable job of telling it. I love the way that she has interwoven the standalone stories into the overarching perspective of the protagonist, Angrboda. Not only that, but she has redefined the Angrboda’s character. Typically known for being the mother of the monster children leading Ragnarök, and little else, Angrboda has not been much of a character to the Vikings. Instead, she is now a fiercely loyal and brave independent woman, representing the best of motherhood and the strength in loving.

Because of all of this, The Witch’s Heart was on its way to receiving a stellar rating from me. But at about the two-thirds mark through the novel, I got really bored. I don’t know what it was, but the story seemed to drag on and on. I think Angrboda’s arc was stretched into more in order to fit in some of the classic Norse tales. A lot started to feel forced in the end and I was vaguely disappointed by the way it went down.

Overall: A fun retelling of Norse mythology with a feminist take.

kelseykokeny's review against another edition

dark inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

hwelser's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

v_fill's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

alexbthelibrarian's review against another edition

5.0

I received an eARC copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This book really surprised me in a good way. I enjoyed it as a beautiful retelling of Norse mythology with twists, turns, and betrayals.

The characters were so well written, I cared about all of them. When one felt betrayed, I actually felt that betrayal as well. I connected with the main character Angrboda as all she wanted was a quiet life and not put herself in the way of anyone else. However, fate seems to have another destiny for her.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who also enjoys books like Madeline Miller’s “Song of Achilles” and “Circe”.

slowbollard's review against another edition

3.0

This was a hard 'meh'. I didn't like Angrboda...or Loki. Skadi was probably the best character, the only reasonable, sane character. The relationship between Angrboda and Loki was painful to read. Like two weak people making terrible decisions, just flopping around on the floor with each other. The mythology was weird and fun, but that isn't exactly something the author can take credit for. I'm not big into Norse mythology, so I can't help thinking I would have liked this book less if I were. This felt like it took months to read, despite me rushing through the last third just to be done. It wasn't terrible, but not great either.

erinngus's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.25

asyaqub's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

riedk's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0