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This deeply dystopian post-apocalyptic story steeped in Nordic mythology centers around a conflict between the Norse and the Celts. It takes place in a future after “Ragnarok,” a cataclysm that involves a string of volcanic eruptions, islands sinking underwater, and many other seemingly climate-centered catastrophes.
Stragglers wander the frozen north scraping together leftovers from “The Time Before” to survive. The Celts hunt the terrain, treated by the POV characters as rampaging barbarians to be feared. Meanwhile those Norse who have escaped the fate of stragglers live in an underwater facility called “Mimameid.”
But Mimameid is no paradise either, and our POV characters, Lysander and Petra, soon find themselves trapped between two warring tribes.
I loved the huge twists and giant reveals in this book. They really whetted my appetite for more. Moreover, the explosive conclusion had me desperately ripping through pages to find out what happened.
On the other hand, pacing issues got in the way. The huge twists and reveals were interspersed with long portions of just “life in Mimameid” that moved slow.
That epic conclusion was robbed of some of its power because I had trouble suspending my disbelief regarding one major character’s heartbreakingly difficult choice.
There’s a love story in here, but not a genre romance. No explicit sex. Profanity is rare and mostly in Nordic or Gaelic languages, so should be a safe read for the family. (Don’t worry, the book is in English, but with the languages of the region thrown in for realism. I liked it.)
Lysander is a good, clean morally upright protagonist for whom I have no trouble rooting. I liked him, I always looked forward to his chapters.
Read this if you: Like post-apoc, like cli-fi, are interested in norse culture and mythology, or are interested in how it might be possible to build an entire society underwater.
Maybe aimed at someone other than you if: you’re an adrenaline junkie in your reading; the doses might not come fast enough for you.