Becky Bookworm Book Review: The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec

 

The lives of two women—one desperate only to save her missing sister, the other a witch destined to become queen of Norway—intertwine in this spellbinding, powerful novel of Viking Age history and myth from the acclaimed author of The Witch’s Heart.

Oddny and Gunnhild meet as children in tenth century Norway, and they could not be more different: Oddny hopes for a quiet life, while Gunnhild burns for power and longs to escape her cruel mother. But after a visiting wisewoman makes an ominous prophecy that involves Oddny, her sister Signy, and Gunnhild, the three girls take a blood oath to help one another always.

When Oddny’s farm is destroyed and Signy is kidnapped by Viking raiders, Oddny is set adrift from the life she imagined—but she's determined to save her sister no matter the cost, even as she finds herself irresistibly drawn to one of the raiders who participated in the attack. And in the far north, Gunnhild, who fled her home years ago to learn the ways of a witch, is surprised to find her destiny seems to be linked with that of the formidable King Eirik, heir apparent to the ruler of all Norway.

But the bonds—both enchanted and emotional—that hold the two women together are strong, and when they find their way back to each other, these bonds will be tested in ways they never could have foreseen in this deeply moving novel of magic, history, and sworn sisterhood.

The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a truly immersive and wonderfully detailed Viking Age world where readers get to experience the rich culture, varied roles and religious practices, of the many women, from wives to daughters to grandmothers, and most significantly Volvas, or as they are termed in the novel, Witches. Readers will meet servants, slaves, and also weavers and other crafts women provided.
The cast of characters that surround and encounter the two female protagonists is as extensive as a full threatre or even a film. Each character shines and has surprises and secrets, motives and agendas, that either support or hinder the two heroines and the female figures that are the antagonists are equally challenging and it was a genuine delight and shock when one isn't revealed until near the end. I was personally impressed with the depiction of seidr magic, rituals, charms and runes used in the book. It felt very fitting and appropriate as befitting the historical era, reflected natural resources and materials available for ingredients and trance inducing herbs and plants.
It was a hugely enjoyable read from start to finish, many topics are explored and experienced in this book, from gender equality, relationships, trust, abuse, the cost of power, revenge and justice.
The book captures a small part of the lives of Gunnhilde, Mother of Kings and Eric, before he earned the nickname Bloodaxe, but as each was integral to the others rise to power, in a very turbulent period of scandinavian history, it is guaranteed to hook readers in and maybe leave them wanting to know more about the nation shaping characters they've met.

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