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.
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.
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Find The Witch's Heart Genevieve Gornichec in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.
Find The Witch's Heart 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.
