The Witch's Heart

With the panic of moving to a new country decreased a little more in my third week, I immediatelly threw myself into the bookstore. Of course, since I was in Germany, it was quite difficult for me to find a book in Turkish. Thus, I added the ones that interested me among English books to my shopping cart…Let me tell you about my bookstore visits: You enter the bookstore, glance at the discount section, then head straight to the sci-fi and fantasy section, scanning every shelf, taking pictures of the ones that catch your eye, and finally leaving the bookstore with a heavy heart, thinking you won’t have time to read all of them. It was during one of these visits that I came across The Witch's Heart. What attracted me to the book was that the edges of the cover resembled those of "Circe", which has the same edge on its cover. Thus, I guessed that this book might have a mythological theme as well. When I read the back cover, I realized I was right, and I couldn’t resist picking it up.

Our book tells the story of a giant named Angrboda (who also goes by other names like Gullveig/Heid). This giant has been alive for a very long time, performing unparalleled magical feats. She even possessed the "seid" ability, which allowed her to see prophecies. Because of this, the god of gods, Odin, asked her to teach him seid, but every time this witch used it, she was drawn deeper into darker places. Eventually, she turned against Odin. The gods’ egos are well-known in mythology. Odin, angry at not getting what he wanted, killed Angrboda, but each time, the witch rose from her ashes. After being reborn three times, the witch found that the only solution was to escape—but this time, leaving her heart behind.

At the beginning of the book, Angrboda decides to live in a distant, quiet area called Ironhold. The region is so quiet that the witch survives by making potions and selling them to a giantess named Skadi. To avoid starving, she also drinks hunger potions, but for now, her magic is limited to these. After all, dying and coming back to life three times has taken its toll on the giant witch. One day, a grumpy, witty, and tactless figure appears before her and returns her heart. While they begin a friendship, it doesn’t take long before she falls in love with Loki, the mischievous god. However, everything changes for Angrboda when she realizes how the apocalypse will unfold and that there is nothing she can do to stop it. After all, she is right in the center of it, playing the role of the one who triggers it.

Wow! I couldn’t help but think, “What kind of book is this?” It was a huge mistake to think it would be boring to read the ending, knowing what was going to happen, because the events unfold in such a way that I kept saying, "Oh, so that’s what this is about, I didn’t see that coming!" and "I didn’t expect that to happen." My knowledge of Scandinavian mythology is just a bit above zero. I usually gravitate toward Greek and Roman mythology, so it's not surprising that many of my favorite books and movies feature elements from those mythologies. But after reading this book, I was disappointed by how little I knew about Scandinavian mythology. It’s actually a mythology full of courage and warrior spirit, just as rich as the others I love. Taking the motto better late than never, I’ll definitely research this mythology, and I’ll let you know how it goes.

As for The Witch's Heart, the story is incredibly impactful. It features all the fantastic creatures, betrayals, and gods with egos that you’d expect from a mythology. Especially learning about the story behind Ragnarök, a name I’d heard before but didn’t really know, was fantastic. For those interested in mythology, I’m telling you to definitely read this book. If you’re someone who isn’t interested in mythology and doesn’t think you’ll enjoy it, I suggest setting aside your prejudices. If you read this book not as a mythological story, but simply as a fantasy tale, I think it will still catch your interest. As I recommend this book to you, I’m eagerly waiting for you to suggest some of your favorite books, series, or movies from Scandinavian, Egyptian, or Greek mythology. Take care of yourselves and read plenty of books!