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4.5/5 - Two quick notes: 1) I do not recommend reading the whole blurb for this book. It has spoilers for basically the entire story. 2) I'm almost entirely unfamiliar with Norse mythology, so take that how you will.

A friend recommended this to me, and I went in fully unaware beyond that. It was surprising how quickly it started, but I think it works; the feeling is like that of a fable or fairy tale, where "once upon a time" is really all you need to get going. I fully accepted that we weren't going to learn everything there was to know about Angrboda, but it was so satisfying as the exposition unfolds in real time. It added to the story for me, following alongside someone who is growing and changing. Other reviews mention not liking some of the characters and having trouble rooting for them - totally valid. I would have loved a 100% happy story but felt this was more realistic and very interesting. For me, it totally worked.

Character-driven, lots of development, surprising choices, and a very approachable angle to what I'm sure is only a sliver of the mythology... Can't say whether it was fully accurate, but I had a very good time. Only reason I can't give it a perfect score is that the names were a bit unapproachable to me as a first-timer. The guide in the back also had spoilers, rendering it unhelpful to me, and the similarity of certain names next to others without reminders scrambled my brain a little. I don't mind having to make my own cheat sheets but don't love it. Overall, though, I figured it out with context and didn't suffer too much. The book is strong and does a nice job sharing a perspective that stands alone but makes me interested in more. Bonus points, as always, for the casual and lovely queer representation, too.

Content warning for pregnancy/pregnancy loss, violence, self-harm, torture, infidelity, and grief.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (family matters, hard mode); also fits revolution & rebellion (hard mode?), non-human protagonist, mental health (hard mode), award finalist but not winner (hard mode), and shapeshifters (hard mode).