Review: Intricate world building....
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 2, 2013
Life was never simple for Astrid dealing with isolation, loneliness and a destiny most would run from but her inner strength and resolve kept her fighting to survive the Shadow. I enjoyed reading about Norse Mythology and the odd translation thrown in from time to time but initially I was overwhelmed by the overload of information. The world building was amazing but I struggled to absorb it all as I felt it was more like reading a documentary rather than experiencing it with the characters. There was quite a few battle scenes and the relationship between Erik, Emma and Hallad was explored in depth yet the relationship between Astrid and Hallad was left to the end. I understand that Astrid could not speak out loud but I would have liked to have seen more telepathic communication between the two main characters cementing their bond further. I found myself skipping over some parts of the story to find the battle scenes though overall I did enjoy reading this book.