The Witch's Heart

By: Genevieve Gornichec

Narrated by: Jayne Entwistle

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)

Interesting take on Romance, Betrayal, & Mythology

This book took me by surprise, I wasn't sure if a love story between an ancient witch and Loki was up my alley. But the author takes you through some twists and turns for a intriguing story.

The Eddas of Norse Mythology, but different

The author knows her Norse mythology, but so should you, to some extent, to appreciate what she has done to tell the stories from a different point of view. As one who has studied it, I enjoyed hearing about the birth of the monsters, Odin, Thor, Loki, and the Battle of Ragnarok. I think the book started a bit slowly, but gains momentum quickly. Very thought provoking! Especially after the battle. But no spoilers here. Enjoy it!

YOU HAVE TO READ THIS

This book was everything previous reviews have said and more! This book is already a favorite and I can't wait to read more from this author. The story was beautiful, everything tied together so wonderfully and made a full circle. It was touching, heart wrenching, funny, and honestly just tremendous. I loved all the characters, and I felt like they all grew and changed in their own ways. I do not have a single bad thing to say about this book, other than the fact that I've finished it and now I don't know what to do with my life. The narrator was absolutely brilliant, not too slow paced, not too fast, her reading was melodic and transported you into the world of the book flawlessly. Her voice changed with the characters and I felt like every character's personality was really reflected well verbally. I could picture it all so clearly. Honestly, just read this book, listen to it, buy it, everything! You won't be sorry, and you may find yourself wishing for just a bit more like me

Wonderful Magical Story w Lots of Funny Moments

I really enjoyed this magical story! I loved to read about the Iron Witch, her journey, and her relationships and bond with her children. I was surprised by how funny this book was! Lots of enjoyable laugh out loud moments. Great narration too!

Wonderful

I loved the story and the characters. They have been created so well, you feel what they feel. My only dislike was at times I couldn’t tell who was speaking (mainly when it was skadi and angryboda), but other than that I knew the characters speaking

Great read, amazing story, the end dragged on though

I really loved this story. Even though I’m listening to it was 11 hours long. I found that it was wonderful. I was doing other things while listening so it may have been a bit tedious at times had I not. The end I felt like just dragged but it was good. I would recommend it!

Beautifully told.

Beautiful story; it had a melancholic ending that made my heart ache. Still love it.

Beautiful

This book and narrator were enchanting and beautiful and haunting. The story reminded me of Circe which is my favorite book. I was sucked in from the first paragraph. When it was ending I wanted to cry because it was over and because it made me very emotional. Great read!

Amazing

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I don't think I've ever reviewed a story before but loved this one so much I had to share. Initially I was hesitant as it didn't draw me in immediately. Once the story got going it was poignant and thoughtful at times and hilarious at others. I wasn't shocked that it brought me to tears. All in all, a very good read that I was saddened for it to end.

A must-listen

Amazing story and performance! I was sad to finish this one. You don't have to be a fan of Norse Mythology to enjoy this one, but it tells the story of the witch so well that you feel you know her.