I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Shackled Fates by Thilde Kold HoldtPublished by Rebellion Publishing Ltd on October 26, 2021
ISBN: 9781786184405
Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Epic, Historical
Pages: 656
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher, NetGalley
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As Ragnarok looms, the trickster Loki breaks free from his chains.
In the battle to come, all shall die, but Ragnar will do anything to save his gods.
Einer scours the nine worlds for Hilda, who walks among gods and goddesses, searching the truth of the Runes.
For centuries Siv has run from her past, but she knows that to protect her daughter, and Midgard, she will have to face her worst fears.
It is time to confront the Alfather.
Bend me over and call me Sally. Shackled Fates was somehow better than Northern Wrath and I LOVED it. Close your eyes and imagine waking up in another time, a time for brutality, a time for pain, a time of the gods. Holdt as always transports me into the rugged Norse landscape and has me instantly picking up a shield ready to defend both honour and family. You are walking through the blood-soaked plains, weapons are discarded, the ravens are flying overhead and the sound of metal upon metal can be heard in the distance. That’s why Holdt’s books are a special kind of magic.
Shackled Fates is a story about loss and friendship. If you have read any Norse fiction or TV show, you’ll know there is very rarely a happy ending. The author knows exactly what the reader needs at any given point. Do you want action? She’s got your back, need to believe in humanity again? She explores the nuances of what exactly makes up the human condition. In Northern Wrath, we had the Norse culture, but Shackled Fates take on the mythological aspect of their culture and I swallowed it up like a kid in a sweetie shop.
We are no longer solely having the story told in Midgard, we are now traveling between the worlds and became in love with the imagery that Holdt spun when the reader was introduced to Asgard. It was everything I had imagined and yet nothing like I imagined. The characters are focused and determined in their goals whether that’s saving the world from Ragnarök (my favourite of all the stories in Norse mythology) or searching for a loved one. I was rooting for some and hoping others would fail it was an emotional rollercoaster that had me pulling out my hair and crying at the same time – hot mess central.
Although Shackled Fates is a fiction story, I enjoyed the fact that the author kept the ideas unchangeable, it felt like historical fiction. The fates have been spun. Some of the fates are incredibly unkind and others seem to have been favoured by the gods. The characters must live their lives deemed by how the fates have been spun – the end game has been determined but the side quests are an open playing field.
“Asgard will stand even after the end, even if we will not. In red blood, it shall stand. Flooded in corpses. There are worse in the nine worlds than Ragnarök.”
I can foresee Holdt becoming an informative and inspirational influence in both fantasy and Norse fiction. I would compare her to other big name fantasy authors but really, I can’t – it would be a disservice to her talent because Thilde Koldt Holdt is in a league that is all her own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I am a writer of fantasy novels. My first series, the Hanged God Trilogy, centres around Vikings and the Old Norse gods. I’m represented by Jamie Cowen at the Ampersand Agency.
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