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 Viking Age historical fantasy novel 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 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 Viking Age historical fantasy novel 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.
Add to your library to track progress and write reviews
Add to your library to track progress and write reviews
Find The Weaver and the Witch Queen Genevieve Gornichec in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.
Find The Weaver and the Witch Queen Genevieve Gornichec in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.
2 books in catalog
Reimagining ancient Scandinavian mythology through the perspectives of marginalized mythological figures has reshaped contemporary mythological fantasy literature, particularly through the publication of The Witch's Heart. Author Genevieve Gornichec brings historical rigor and deep research into Norse lore to craft character-driven narratives that center women whose stories were often sidelined in historical sagas.
Her historical fantasy novels blend meticulously researched early medieval history with rich mythological tradition. Through works such as The Witch's Heart and The Weaver and the Witch Queen, Gornichec explores themes of fate, sisterhood, sorcery, and survival in historical and legendary Scandinavian settings.
Genevieve Gornichec was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from The Ohio State University, focusing her academic studies as closely as possible on Viking history, Norse myths, and Icelandic sagas. Her formal education in history directly inspired her career as a novelist, providing the foundation for her detailed reconstructions of early medieval northern European settings and mythos. To further her study of Old Norse literature and history, she enrolled in the Master of Arts program in Viking and Medieval Norse Studies at the University of Iceland in Reykjavík.
Gornichec began writing her debut novel, The Witch's Heart, during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The novel was acquired by Ace/Berkley and published in February 2021, earning wide reader recognition and subsequent translations into more than a dozen languages. Following her debut, she released her sophomore historical fantasy novel, The Weaver and the Witch Queen, in July 2023. In addition to her standalone novels, she co-authored the fiction collection Walk Among Us alongside authors Cassandra Khaw and Caitlin Starling.
Gornichec's writing style is characterized by grounding legendary and fantastical elements in realistic historical detail and emotional intimacy. Rather than focusing solely on epic battles or heroic exploits traditional to masculine saga narratives, her work emphasizes the daily lives, domestic crafts, personal bonds, and quiet resilience of historical and mythical women. The role of magic is treated with cultural authenticity, reflecting how early medieval Scandinavians understood sorcery and destiny.
A central recurring theme throughout Gornichec's catalog is the subversion of traditional mythological narratives to give voice to complex female characters. In her debut novel, she examines the tragic fate and quiet strength of Angrboda, the mother of monsters in Norse mythology. Her second novel, The Weaver and the Witch Queen, turns to tenth-century Norway to explore female friendship, sisterhood, and the agency of historical women, highlighting the cultural significance of women's work such as weaving alongside magical practices.
2 books in catalog
Reimagining ancient Scandinavian mythology through the perspectives of marginalized mythological figures has reshaped contemporary mythological fantasy literature, particularly through the publication of The Witch's Heart. Author Genevieve Gornichec brings historical rigor and deep research into Norse lore to craft character-driven narratives that center women whose stories were often sidelined in historical sagas.
Her historical fantasy novels blend meticulously researched early medieval history with rich mythological tradition. Through works such as The Witch's Heart and The Weaver and the Witch Queen, Gornichec explores themes of fate, sisterhood, sorcery, and survival in historical and legendary Scandinavian settings.
Genevieve Gornichec was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from The Ohio State University, focusing her academic studies as closely as possible on Viking history, Norse myths, and Icelandic sagas. Her formal education in history directly inspired her career as a novelist, providing the foundation for her detailed reconstructions of early medieval northern European settings and mythos. To further her study of Old Norse literature and history, she enrolled in the Master of Arts program in Viking and Medieval Norse Studies at the University of Iceland in Reykjavík.
Gornichec began writing her debut novel, The Witch's Heart, during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The novel was acquired by Ace/Berkley and published in February 2021, earning wide reader recognition and subsequent translations into more than a dozen languages. Following her debut, she released her sophomore historical fantasy novel, The Weaver and the Witch Queen, in July 2023. In addition to her standalone novels, she co-authored the fiction collection Walk Among Us alongside authors Cassandra Khaw and Caitlin Starling.
Gornichec's writing style is characterized by grounding legendary and fantastical elements in realistic historical detail and emotional intimacy. Rather than focusing solely on epic battles or heroic exploits traditional to masculine saga narratives, her work emphasizes the daily lives, domestic crafts, personal bonds, and quiet resilience of historical and mythical women. The role of magic is treated with cultural authenticity, reflecting how early medieval Scandinavians understood sorcery and destiny.
A central recurring theme throughout Gornichec's catalog is the subversion of traditional mythological narratives to give voice to complex female characters. In her debut novel, she examines the tragic fate and quiet strength of Angrboda, the mother of monsters in Norse mythology. Her second novel, The Weaver and the Witch Queen, turns to tenth-century Norway to explore female friendship, sisterhood, and the agency of historical women, highlighting the cultural significance of women's work such as weaving alongside magical practices.
