A review by singalana
The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

adventurous dark sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5


I got very strong fanfiction-vibes from the start of this book, but in my opinion, this story lacks the best aspects of a good fanfiction: deep understanding of the characters and compelling interaction between them.

The Witch’s Heart is based on Norse mythology, perhaps a little bit too faithfully, because the different elements in this book create a jarring dichotomy. For example, the banter in this book feels modern and clashes with the mythological aspects of the story. No matter how horrific or bizarre the events get, the characters shrug them off without feeling any deeper emotions. (But Loki wearing a dress, that’s considered weird.) 

I found the writing to be average, and at times I disagreed with the word choices the author chose to use. For example the word ‘snivel’ was used in many cases, for example: “(daughter) snivelled, sensing his (her father’s) distress”. And "she chewed dismally". Sometimes the words used paint a different picture than the author had perhaps intended.

The characters don’t feel well-rounded. And the interactions between the characters feel juvenile, especially since the world appears black and white in this book. Angrboda (the main character) is depicted by an innocent and peaceful woman, who is wrongfully persecuted by the evil Aesir. Her relationship with Loki lacks attraction, and because of the fanfiction-vibes, I was expecting there to be more steamy scenes in this book, but the relationship between Loki and Angrboda is lukewarm at best. (Warning, mild spoilers ahead!) 
Instead we get a sapphic romance that feels forced with zero attraction between the characters until they suddenly realise that they’ve been in love with each other all this time. 
 

In the back cover it says that “Angrboda is an unforgettable heroine”, and I must say that I disagree with this completely. In the beginning of the book she is extremely passive, things just happen to her without much reaction from her. Around the middle of the book she has an overscaled and unjust (in my opinion) reaction and sets in motion a chain of events. If there is an unforgettable heroine in this story, it should have been Sigyn. What she endured was just as bad, and in fact, even worse than what Angrboda did.

The ending, which was meant to be profound and emotional achieved some of what it was trying to do, but still felt somewhat clichéd and so did parts of the dialogue. 

And finally, things that I liked about this book (warning, spoilers ahead):  
  •  
      The banter in the beginning of the book.
     
  •  
      The reunion of Loki, Angrboda, Fenrir and Jormungand.
     
  •  
      Baldur
     
  •  
      Some scenes with Loki. 
     

 
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