First published 1220
The gods know their fate. Odin sits on his throne in Asgard, gathering knowledge of the coming destruction. Thor wields his hammer against the giants who threaten the world tree Yggdrasil. Loki schemes and shapeshifts, his actions pushing all the realms toward their inevitable end. From the first stirrings of creation out of primordial void, through the ongoing wars between gods, giants, dwarves and elves, every victory carries the seed of ultimate defeat. The Norns weave destiny at the base of the world tree. Heroes rise and fall in Midgard while the gods prepare for the final battle that will consume everything they have built. Ragnarok waits at the end of all stories, when fire and flood will remake the cosmos. This cycle of creation, conflict and destruction forms the heart of Norse belief, captured in Iceland during the thirteenth century from older oral traditions.
Genres: mythology, historical-fiction, fantasy, epic
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: epic-journey, fate-and-destiny
Setting: Asgard, Midgard, Yggdrasil
Period: 13th-century
224 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books