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 wise woman makes an ominous prophecy that involves Oddny, her sister Signy, and Gunnhild, the three girls take a blood oath to help each other always.
When Oddny’s farm is destroyed and Signy is kidnapped by Viking raiders, Oddny finds herself set adrift from the life she imagined. Gunnhild, who fled her home years ago to learn the ways of a witch in the far north, is on her way to her exalted destiny. But the bonds–both enchanted and emotional–that hold them together are strong, and when they find their way back to each other again, those bonds will be tested in ways they could never have imagined in this rich, searching novel of magic, history, and sworn sisterhood.
“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 bestselling author of The Splendor Before the Dark On THE WITCH’S HEART
“At once mythic and intimate, The Witch’s Heart is a story of fate and survival and all the ways love leaves thorns buried in your flesh. It will haunt you long after you close the covers.”
— Leife Shallcross, Author of The Beast’s Heart ON THE WITCH’S HEART