I’ve been out of the reviewing game for soooo long even writing mini reviews feels foreign to me. I’ve also been behind my reviews because life’s been so busy since March buuuuut I’m trying to get back to my bookish life so let’s DO THIS. 😎 (Also please bear with me cause I’m rusty LOL)

A sweeping tale of clashing cultures, warring gods, and forbidden love: In 1000 AD, a young Inuit shaman and a Viking warrior become unwilling allies as war breaks out between their peoples and their gods-one that will determine the fate of them all.

"There is a very old story, rarely told, of a wolf that runs into the ocean and becomes a whale."

Born with the soul of a hunter and the spirit of the Wolf, Omat is destined to follow in her grandfather's footsteps-invoking the spirits of the land, sea, and sky to protect her people.

But the gods have stopped listening and Omat's family is starving. Alone at the edge of the world, hope is all they have left.

Desperate to save them, Omat journeys across the icy wastes, fighting for survival with every step. When she meets a Viking warrior and his strange new gods, they set in motion a conflict that could shatter her world...or save it.

I received a free copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Imagine the earth in 1000 AD and what it must have been like when the Inuit first encounter the Vikings. Two clashing cultures with different gods fighting to survive in the hostile environment of the frozen tundra.

Above all else, Jordanna Max Brodsky is a master storyteller. I was immediately transported to this time and place in history within the first pages of her book and the amount of research she’s done to honour the Inuit past is eminent. Brodsky weaved an atmospheric tale with magic, culture, heart, and grit and I’m in awe of it. Her worldbuilding was incredible and I felt, heard, and saw life and death in the arctic.

There are few sounds at night on the frozen sea besides the roar of the wind. No plants to rustle, no waves to crash upon the shore, no birds to caw. The white owl flies on hushed wings. The white fox walks with silent tread. Even Inuit move as softly as spirits, the snow too hard to yield and crunch beneath our boots. We hear little, but what we do hear is vital: the exploding breath of a surfacing seal, the shift and crack of drifting ice. But in the forest there is always sound. The trees, even in their shrouds of snow, are alive, and their voices—groans, creaks, screams—never cease.

This story begins with Omat, a young angakkuq (shaman) born with the spirit of her father. Omat is raised as a man to follow her grandfather’s footsteps in working with the spirits of the land, sea, and sky to guide and protect her people. As an Inuk with a man’s soul and a woman’s body, Omat deals with her own struggles of gender, sexuality, and identity. She’s neither fully man or fully woman and must learn to navigate her world as the ‘third gender’ of the Inuit. I absolutely loved reading about this part of Omat’s journey and see her not only deal with her own doubts/questions, but also fight through traditional male and female roles among her family and strangers unaware of her peoples’ customs.

I am no longer scared of being a woman — it doesn’t make me any less a man. I am both. I am neither. I am only myself.

When Omat meets Brandr, a Viking warrior, chaos breaks out. With him comes a group of Vikings eager to conquer and battle for glory. While Brandr comes from a society that finds joy in war and destruction, he wants to get away from it. As fate would have it, Omat and Brandr must work together despite their differences and I enjoyed seeing the changes each of their characters brought to the other.

All of us had been loosely stitched together from mismatched parts. An Inuk with a man’s spirit and a woman’s body. Three animals caught between dog and wolf. A stranger with a giant’s frame and a man’s heart. Yet somehow, we were becoming a seamless whole.

One of my favourite things about this book was how rich it was in Inuit and Norse mythology. There were Inuit spirits like Malina (Sun), Taqqiq (Moon), Singarti (Wolf), and Uqsuralik (Bear) and there were Norse gods like Odin, Thor, and Loki. I never thought I’d see all of them in one story and it did not disappoint!

The Wolf in the Whale is a beautiful yet melancholic book. Its magic comes with events that are painful to read and hard to swallow. There is rape, physical violence (human, animal), death and gore. But with it also comes hope, family, and friendship. It’s not a story to be rushed (it personally took me a while to read), but the journey is worth it. The Wolf in the Whale is one of the best standalone fantasy novels I’ve read in some time. Steeped in mythology, history, and heart, it’s bound to captivate many readers to come.

March has been such a busy month for me (Mackenzie) and I haven’t been able to read much. So it’s been quite a while since our last Monday Minis post, but now we’re back at it!

Mackenzie’s Minis

In the tropical kingdom of Rhodaire, magical, elemental Crows are part of every aspect of life...until the Illucian empire invades, destroying everything.

That terrible night has thrown Princess Anthia into a deep depression. Her sister Caliza is busy running the kingdom after their mother's death, but all Thia can do is think of all she has lost.

But when Caliza is forced to agree to a marriage between Thia and the crown prince of Illucia, Thia is finally spurred into action. And after stumbling upon a hidden Crow egg in the rubble of a rookery, she and her sister devise a dangerous plan to hatch the egg in secret and get back what was taken from them.

I dunno! I was really enjoying this up until the second boy was introduced and then for some reason I just couldn’t get over it and didn’t enjoy the second part as much. I VERY MUCH like the beginning – the description of Thia dealing with depression and having trouble communicating that to other people. I feel that on a deep level as someone who also struggles with depression. I thought it was really well done. I also love the concept of the different types of magical crows that have different powers that help the kingdom run (water, healing, storms, etc). Also what can I say, I’m a complete sucker for enemies-to-lovers so I loved the Ericen/Thia interactions. I also have a soft spot for snarky/asshole boys that are really a bit soft on the inside. That’s probably not the greatest in terms of real life but whatever I’m rambling. I just!! When Caylus or whatever his name is was introduced….ugh. I hate love triangles goddamnit. Pick one relationship and focus on it! I don’t mean the character, I mean just in terms of writing I’d just like to see better developed relationships and I felt like absolutely nothing for Caylus other than “ooo he’s pretty”. UHGHGHGH>. I think I will probably read the sequel when it comes out, as I did enjoy this one. It’s just not super high up anymore. I do think many people will love this though!!

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER

From New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi comes The Gilded Wolves, a novel set in Paris during a time of extraordinary change—one that is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous desires...

No one believes in them. But soon no one will forget them.

It's 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To hunt down the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood.

Together, they will join Séverin as he explores the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history—but only if they can stay alive.

I read this on an airplane a few weeks ago so my thoughts aren’t fresh but man do I love heist stories!!! I really liked getting to know each character, and their special talents. I loved the brother dynamic between Severin and Tristan. I’ve also read The Star Touched Queen (by the same author) and I liked this one way more – the writing in this was gorgeous, but not over the top like I felt it was in TSTQ. There were some THINGS that happened at the end that I wasn’t expecting, but they worked really well and now I can’t wait for the sequel! Diverse and lovely and fun – would recommend.

Going back and thinking about it more, I feel like through the book I wasn’t really sure where the story was going. It was enjoyable while reading but it still felt a bit muddled.

Also, check out Shari’s review here! It’s much more in depth than my little mini review.

Shari’s Minis

The eighteen poems that comprise Malene Engelund’s debut pamphlet, The Wild Gods, reveal a distinctly Nordic imagination, punctured with rich colour, shadows and light.

Here are letters, portraits and prayers, composed with an almost painterly precision. Searching and clear-eyed, each poem a compact saga that revives folklore and extends it into the present, Engelund’s wild gods take their places between borders: of home and belonging, darkness and dawn, the silenced and the lost.

I don’t read poetry collections often because they’re usually a hit or miss for me. The Wild Gods is probably the first collection I’ve felt this strongly about. It’s rich in beautiful lines and imagery and I was often in awe of how Engelund came up with them. I loved that the poems weren’t too short or too long and recommend this collection to anyone who may be interested in reading more from this genre.

What have you been reading lately?

It’s been a few weeks since our last minis post, since we have both been pretty busy with life and etc! But now we’re back! Hope you enjoy these minis 🙂

In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
Series: Wayward Children #4
Published by Tor.com on January 8, 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 208
Format: ARC, Paperback
ISBN: 0765399296
Source: Publisher
Goodreads

This is the story of a very serious young girl who would rather study and dream than become a respectable housewife and live up to the expectations of the world around her. As well she should.

When she finds a doorway to a world founded on logic and reason, riddles and lies, she thinks she's found her paradise. Alas, everything costs at the goblin market, and when her time there is drawing to a close, she makes the kind of bargain that never plays out well.

For anyone . . .