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The Witch's Heart

Written by: Genevieve Gornichec
Narrated by: Jayne Entwistle
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Publisher's Summary

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
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What the critics say

"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)

What listeners say about The Witch's Heart

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Beautiful story

Took a couple pages to fully get into this story, but I am glad I pulled through. Beautiful story, very detailed in description. Loved it

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If you are a mother or love norse mythology...

Though the mythological tone had me at an arm's length for the first while, this story of giants and gods became poignantly human.

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Holy cow this was one great book!

Jane Entwistle’s narration was spot on and added much enjoyment to my reading. The story itself was captivating. Nearing the end of it, it almost felt like a history lesson of sorts, a history of Norse mythology. There was just so much detail that the author covered. Really well done and I highly recommend the audiobook.

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So Good.

I listen to a lot of books while I work, and this story was beautifully written. I could not stop listening and it just got better and better.

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captivating story!

I loved the different perspective of old tales and the characters are wonderfully compelling and believable

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omg

i understand that some people don't like the narrator's voice, but whatever you do, don't scorn that book for so little. Read the physical version of it if you can't stand the voice, but seriously give that story a fair chance. It made me live through so much, and i'm grateful to the author for offering us such a good book.

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The book I’ve been waiting for

The story and the telling of it captivated me from beginning to end. Gornichec has dug deep into Norse mythology and brought to life many gods, goddesses, giants and giantesses - who many of us will be familiar with. She goes much farther than that though, and this is where the true magic of this unforgettable tale shines!

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nice listen

I enjoyed this audiobook. It was very relaxing and nice. There's something really soothing about a story of a witch who lives in the woods and has visitors and adventures and immortality and legends and so on. It's very much like Circe but Circe was better.

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wow, such emotion and feel

from the first word this book grabbed me and took me in. a mother's love so painful and filling. a tale from a different perspective. so rich in love and heart. loved loved loved this.

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Heart of a Mother

This is an amazing text that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in the importance of the feminine in the world, or in the sagas of the Norse gods.
This main character, classified from the beginning as a 'witch' and who becomes a mother of 'monsters', is the most empathetic character I have encountered in a long time. At her centre, she is full of fierce, unconditional love for her children and her true friends. She is tortured and burned and killed, and still she comes back again and again to heal and protect. This is a monumental story of motherlove and courage in the face of bigotry and misogyny. To Ragnarok and beyond.

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