#and the weaver and the witch queen

[loonylooly]

i need to reread the seven or eight deaths of stella fortuna aswell as pachinko. those two books just hang out in my little brain every day

[lemon-pilled]

i have work tomorrow and instead my ass stayed up to draw all the hunters.

youre welcome (god i have to tag everyone. augh.)

[owlcatchyoul8r]

A coven of witches.

Maiden, Mother, Crone

Needle, Thread, Spool

The beautiful Hazel belongs to @mrsthunderkin

[pikminenjoyer]

I think I can probably finish the yellow wallpaper today so I'm polling my next read

[direwombat]

novels set in the viking age save me. help me find the voice i need to write my own viking au

[alkibiadessuperfan]

also book recommendation: read the weaver and the witch queen by genevieve gornichec. I read it and I loved it so much.

[bookcoversonly]

Title: The Weaver and the Witch Queen | Author: Genevieve Gornichec | Publisher: Ace (2023)

[fullibooked]

Historical fantasy set in Scandinavia with witchcraft, shapechanging, romance, and a whole lot of sword fighting? Is it my birthday??

Genevieve Gornichec's story of Angrboda, Witch's Heart, was an absolutely incredible re-imagining of Norse mythology, so the second I saw that they'd written another book I was dying to read it. The Weaver and the Witch Queen did not disappoint.

Inspired by the tale of Gunnhildr from the Icelandic sagas, this story tells of three girls who as children vowed to always help each other. Now as adults their lives had diverged greatly, but fate has brought their bond back to them. In strange and terrible ways. When the lives of the ones the women love are threatened, where will they break their vows, hearts, or stories? These women are not cut and dry characters. They are all manner of sharp tongues, and mischief making, and interesting intentions.

The magic of this world is delectable. I'm talking prophecy, runes, spirits, and threads of life. There's complicated familial bonds, some that are just frayed, others that end with blood. As I mentioned there's romance, of the most complex kinds. Raiding and violence, kindness and sisterhood. Weaving and seafaring and fighting.

What struck me the most out of all of this was the historical feeling. Now I may be biased based on how many Welsh Viking videos I've watched on YouTube, but the historical creation of the world felt so genuine that I would forget magic wasn't actually a part of casual Norse life. From the descriptions of the clothing, to the sleeping arrangements, to the moral and law codes, to the weather. I really felt like I was there. Brooches and beads baby!! Yes!!

Also it is nearly my birthday so thank you Newsouth Books Aus for this wonderful gift of an ARC.

[loonylooly]

me when i'm obsessed with fictional gingers

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: The Weaver and the Witch Queen

Author: Genevieve Gornichec

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2023

Genres: fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, mythology, retelling

Blurb: 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 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. 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.

[booksandthoughts-stuff]

The Weaver and the Witch Queen - Genevieve Gornichec

'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 far to the north, Gunnhhild, 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 forseen.'

Spoilers

I've not read many books with a Nordic based culture even though I do have some interest in the mythology of the area. I was really excited to read this book but it did take me some time to get through.

The mystery with Gunnhilds' prophecy was a big build up and ended up with what I thought was very little pay off, I felt that it was a generic prophecy - the reveal of which was a bit disappointing. I loved how Gunnhild found the mother she wanted in Heid, found family is a trope I have a soft spot for so her death hit me hard. I wish we'd seen much more of it I wouldn't have minded the book being a 100 pages or so longer if only so we could see more of the early relationships between our main characters.

One thing I did enjoy immensely was that the initial animosity between the love interests (Oddny & Halldor, and Gunnhild & Eirik) was created by real, actual problems that take some time to overcome instead of a slight miscommunication that gets carried through the story. I appreciated there were some moral struggles before the relationship could properly begin.

I did think that Ulla might be the third witch since she was so nice, it made me suspicious of her so imagine my surprise when it turned out to be Thora! - an exceptionally nice character who I thought was too nice to be evil... a moment of silence please.

Rating out of 5

3/5

[theworldof11]

Whenever I finish a book good enough to want to read fanfiction and there isn't any, I need to write fanfiction - my thing is, what do I even want to read?

[meat-loving-meat]

@bluewingedcoyote it doesn’t have an anti-drug PSA, but it DOES have this detailed guide on how to have extremely consensual sex

[thereadingcafe]

[ohisms]

↪ ✧ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐋 ( based on the oracle deck created by fez inkwright. each card represents an archetypal 'character' who resides in the citadel. send these as prompts for inspiring starters , or use them for drabbles ! feel free to combine prompts where desired . SEND A " ✧ " FOR RECIEVER TO RANDOMIZE A CARD ! )

𝐈. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓 , - the aspirant : ambition, diligence, setbacks. - the assassin : ruthlessness, conviction. - the catalyst : radical changes, taking control. - the diviner : divine timing, evaluation. - the fate : accepting help, guidance. - the founder : foundations, community. - the heir : unseen potential, hesitation. - the hound : loyalty, chains, promises. - the king : control, reversal of fortune. - the poet : relationships, vulnerability. - the queen : determination, sacrifice. - the sleeper : cause and effect, clarity. - the spymaster : knowledge, distrust. - the waker : awareness, reflection. - the wise one : tradition, order.

𝐈𝐈. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐘 , - the acolyte : new projects, learning. - the alchemist : balance, invention, destruction. - the archer : biding your time, planning ahead. - the astronomer : discovery, augury. - the captain : taking command, teamwork. - the cartographer : a crossroads, exploration. - the champion : achievement, downfall. - the enchanter : deception, trickery. - the guide : inheritance, correction. - the orator : communication, confidence. - the patron : mentorship, finances. - the priest : perseverance, faith. - the scholar : investigation, research. - the sentinel : determination, certainty. - the warrior : perfectionism, burnout.

𝐈𝐈𝐈. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐃 , - the botanist : parenthood, legacy. - the forgotten : missed opportunities, fear of failure. - the gambler : loss, risks. - the hunter : surefootedness , predestination. - the merchant : self-worth, trade. - the miser : stubbornness, inflexibility. - the muse : generosity, naivety. - the pathless : difficult decisions, lack of direction. - the pilgrim : opportunities, growth. - the sailor : new influences, wanderlust. - the shepherd : celebration, family. - the smith : overthinking, taking action. - the thief : seizing the moment, selfishness. - the vengeance : overcoming sleights, a choice. - the walker : the unknown, the journey.

𝐈𝐕. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐏𝐄 , - the adventurer : responsibility, expectations. - the brawler : lack of empathy, confrontation. - the chiromancer : delivering news, collaboration. - the dancer : self-expression, strength. - the herald : small regrets, longing. - the mascareri : hiding your true self, projection. - the musician : inspiration, gratitude. - the painter : productivity, creation. - the puppeteer : explanations, apologies. - the runaway : secrets, running away from problems. - the storyteller : viewpoints, control. - the tailor : attention to detail, pride. - the twins : self-protection, dual natures. - the weaver : rediscovery, transition. - the witch : experimentation, rebellion.

[petalpetal]

Anyway here is the full list of books I’ve read this year this is a mix of adult and YA with one middle school book the ones in bold are my big reccomenders

- Hild and Menewood by Nicola Griffith

- Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin

- Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

- Joan by Kathrine J. Chen

- The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

- Butcher of The Forest by Premee Mohamed

- The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

- Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian

- Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

- Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

- The Scholomance series by Naomi Novik

- Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill

- Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart: and Other Stories by GennaRose Nethercott

- Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

- Godkiller and Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner

- Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

- The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec

- A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix by C.B. Lee

- The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

- Lore by Alexandra Bracken

- The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

- The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

- Gallant by V.E. Schwab

- Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati

- The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim

- No One Will Come Back For Us: And Other Stories by Premee Mohamed

- Slasher Girls & Monster Boys by Various Authors

- The Libarary of Legends by Janie Chang

- The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman

- Girls Who Burn by MK Pagano

- Starve Arc by Andrew Michael Hurley

- Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

- Catfish Rolling by Clara Kumagai

- A Sorceress Comes To Call by T. Kingfisher

- The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks

- Circe by Madeline Miller

- Woodworm by Layla Martínez

- The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

- Sworn Soldier series by T. Kingfisher

- Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

- A Drop of Venom by Sajni Patel

- Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig

- Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

- Jonathan Strange & Me Norrell by Susanna Clarke

- The Darkest Part of The Forest by Holly Black

- The Fortune Teller by Gwendolyn Womack

- Six Crimson Cranes series by Elizabeth Lim

- A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

- Boys In the Valley by Philip Fracassi

- The West Passage by Jared Pechaček @jpechacek

- The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh

- Revelator by Daryl Gregory

- The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

- Hera by Jennifer Saint

- Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata

- Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

- The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones

- The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

- Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

- The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

- The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

- The Hearts We Sold by Emily Lloyd-Jones

- Sistersong by Lucy Holland

- House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

- The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne

- The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher

- The Children of Gods and Fighting Men by Shauna Lawless

- The Witch of Colchis by Rosie Hewlett

- Sisters of Sword & Song by Rebecca Ross

- Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier

- Little Eve by Catriona Ward

- Pilgrim: A Medieval Horror by Mitchell Lüthi

- The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk

- Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

- O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker

- everything by Shirley Jackson