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The Witch's Heart cover art

The Witch's Heart

By: Genevieve Gornichec
Narrated by: Jayne Entwistle
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Summary

When a banished witch falls in love with the legendary trickster Loki, she risks the wrath of the gods in this moving, subversive debut novel that reimagines Norse mythology.

Angrboda’s story begins where most witches' tales end: with a burning. A punishment from Odin for refusing to provide him with knowledge of the future, the fire leaves Angrboda injured and powerless, and she flees into the farthest reaches of a remote forest. There she is found by a man who reveals himself to be Loki, and her initial distrust of him transforms into a deep and abiding love.

Their union produces three unusual children, each with a secret destiny, who Angrboda is keen to raise at the edge of the world, safely hidden from Odin’s all-seeing eye. But as Angrboda slowly recovers her prophetic powers, she learns that her blissful life - and possibly all of existence - is in danger.

With help from the fierce huntress Skadi, with whom she shares a growing bond, Angrboda must choose whether she’ll accept the fate that she’s foreseen for her beloved family...or rise to remake their future. From the most ancient of tales this novel forges a story of love, loss, and hope for the modern age.

This audiobook includes a PDF that contains the Acknowledgments and the Appendix - a listing of people and places that appear in the story, and recommendations for further reading.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Genevieve Gornichec (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A deep journey into the mists of the ancient Norse world of gods, monsters and humans, who shape shift from one to another.  But the heart of the story is a witch’s passage over many lifetimes and the ultimate sacrifice she makes for those she loves. A timeless tale of great power and artistry." (Margaret George, New York Times best-selling author of The Splendor Before the Dark)

“A beautiful and fleshed-out story for the jötunn Angrboða.... Genevieve Gornichec both acknowledges her erasure and resolves it, giving Angrboða a life beyond her relationship with Loki, even as she explores their love story in detail. We see Angrboða as a powerful witch and seer, a devoted mother, a lover and friend, and most importantly, as a woman at the heart of her own story at last. I’m very grateful for books like this one.” (Samantha Shannon, New York Times best-selling author of The Mask Falling

“Ms. Gornichec subverts the mythology from inside, knowledgeably and provokingly. Whatever the Elder Edda may say, the heroines of The Witch’s Heart will not be a delight to “wicked women” alone.” (Tom Shippey, The Wall Street Journal

What listeners say about The Witch's Heart

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Brilliant

I am an avid reader of mythology and fantasy. This was an interesting and thought provoking perspective of a much overlooked Angrboda. I loved this story. Angrboda is portrayed as having the strength and commitment we all wish we had. She is now my favourite character in Norse mythology ❤️

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Just wonderful

I loved this book so much! one of the best books I've read and I've nearly read 1000.

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2 people found this helpful

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A fresh new look at old stories

3.5

A refreshing new look at the tales of nordic mythology and the events of Ragnarok.

In drawing on an under-used but pivotal character of this mythology Gornichec shines a light on the gods and creatures she weaves into her story from a whole new angle we have not seen before.

The writing is fluid and expressive, though the dialogue does not match the quality of the description. No character goes without their flaws, consuming them as much as they did in the sagas this story is inspired by.

The pacing of the story could make it harder to stay gripped than it should have done, with pages where a dozen exciting things happened often followed by long stretches where it was difficult to see the purpose of what was being described.

This was more than made up for by a beautiful and vivid bittersweet ending that really tugged the heart and made so many of the relationships built worthwhile.

Definitely worth a read by any fan of folklore and mythology.

- The narration was very well done, ideal for an audio book

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1 person found this helpful

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Brilliant, Enchanting & Magical

A must read!! Couldn't put it down!! Brilliantly performed, Inventive, Magical and heartbreaking!! You'll love it!

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Informative and thrilling

Loved the historical accuracy emerged in a fantastically written story. I was hooked from the start. Can’t wait to see what you come up with in the future!

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Enjoyable

There were some lovely parts in this and I probably would have enjoyed it even more when I was a teenager. Lovely retelling all in all and an easy listen by the fire 🔥

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Alternative perspective

Such an interesting change in perspective of well known stories. it's become a go to story for me, like being wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold evening

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Love love love!!!!!

Literally could not put it down. The story just flows from the start to the finish. Its beautifully written storytelling. Highly recommend!

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Fabulous mystical tale

Original storyline with a great performance. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
It would make a good film

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One of my favourite books

Beautifully told through a mothers eye. A mix of mythology, love and loss. A must read

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