Book Review: The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichech

 

Gornichech’s novel is a mixture of a mythological tome mixed with the modern domestic novel. The book follows the life of a witch named Angrboda, who was tortured by the god Odin in order to achieve her magical knowledge. After escaping from Asgard and the wrath of the gods, Agrboda finds herself falling in love with the mischief maker, Loki. As they create a family together, everything seems peaceful, until Angrboda has a vision that her children will be an integral instrument of Ragnarok—the end of the world. From there, Angrboda must race against time—and the gods—to protect what she loves or see everything in the nine worlds burn.

Gornichech masterfully weaves the Norse myths into what could otherwise be considered a modern novel. Many of the stories believed by the Scandinavian people are touched on flawlessly as she builds up the domestic lifestyle of Angrboda, who takes to living in a cave with her husband, Loki. What was most engaging about the novel was the fact that we see a side of Loki that the old myths and the Marvel movies don’t touch on: Loki as a loving and doting father, as a husband. It answers a question that many people have never thought of before, which is “What is the home life of a god like?”

Keeping to a style that isn’t unlike reading a fairy tale but mixing in contemporary techniques, Gornichech avoids using flowery writing. The story is straightforward and aims right for the heart of the story (pun intended). A novel that most adults should enjoy, I give the book four out of five stars and recommend it for anyone who has a taste for mythology.