Synopsis from Amazon:
When the murder of a god shatters a thousand years of peace, chaos
reigns among the known worlds. Even the Norns, blinded and stripped of
their powers, cannot see how it will end. Left without guidance, some
gods choose to make their own fates. Others cannot. Old ties are torn
apart while new ones are forged. And amidst that tenuous balance,
ancient secrets emerge. War looms on the horizon. In a struggle where
battle lines constantly shift and allies just as quickly become enemies,
nothing is sacred. For some, the end comes sooner than Ragnarok.
>>>>>
My Review:
What is more unique than a multiverse theory? Try a multi-pantheon
premise. Tyr presides over most of the other pantheons, regarding few as
his equals. Amid the network of heavenly realms, each has their own
series of arch-gods, gods, and spirits. After Baldr is killed, Tyr uses
the reputations of the others to get Loki banished to the abandoned
corner of Asgaard, while trying to satisfy his lust for complete control
by restricting the movements of other gods. They are all cut off from
their worshipers, and Tyr hopes that this will conserve the power of
the gods and they are better off without all the meddling.
Adding
to the mix is the "svartalfs" (dark elves) whose own realm is dying.
The arch-god Forbelo has in his possession a "breadth key", an artifact
of immense power. (If I recall, it essentially gives the bearer access
to all realms everywhere, or something). Tyr wants it, but Forbelo would
rather keep it safe, so Tyr doesn't mind "keeping" Forbelo himself. But
there is a goddess Anjaeraste who desires to usurp Forbelo and claim
the breadth key—only Forbelo knows where it is, and he would die before
revealing that to her. This, out of all the others, is a side of mythology I hadn't heard before, and I really enjoyed it! I couldn't even tell if Vanderbilt had invented it all her own, or it was based in another culture--which is pretty much exactly the place a mythology writer wants to be. Well played!
The plot is complex and yet the Norns
themselves could not have woven it better. Loki is a complicated
villain—one is almost sympathetic to his plight as his nature as a Jotün
troll is constantly reiterated, and Tyr would rather see him and his
sons (a wolf and a world-serpent) banned from existence. Tyr is also
presented as an even bigger jerk than all the rest, as his response to
any threat to his power would be to annihilate and subjugate. And yet Loki still makes those selfish and amoral choices that we would expect from a "trickster god" like him--especially when placed in contrast as an opposite to the sun-god Freyr. Loki uses the beings who worship him to accomplish his own diabolical purposes, whereas Freyr wants to see the "weaker" mortals rise up in their own sort of glory, as well as reinstating the gods. Some profound life lessons on the nature of true leadership are surely found here!
Freyr
is a sympathetic protagonist as he has a genuine concern for repairing
the breach between the realms, Midgard included. Yet even he is not
without flaws, as the nymph Vatten soon points out the arrogance in
Freyr's bearing.
Speaking of Vatten... "Midgardians" Vatten, Emise, and so many
others are fantastic characters, were so vivid and fascinating that I wanted
to keep reading if merely for their sakes. The interactions between the characters brought out the various dimensions and rounded out their characters very well, also giving the reader plenty of food for thought! As things in the "celestial
realms" are steadily worsening, the gods' best hope just might lay with
the mortals they abandoned long ago.
I would
give SKEINS UNFURLED a solid *****4.5 STARS*****—a bit tedious and at
times too confusing in parts, but definitely 5-star in terms of
complexity and depth of the plot and the characters! This is pretty
heavy reading, I'd say it's more "New Adult" than "Young", and
definitely a good fit for those who enjoy classical mythology, maybe
even grown-up fans of Rick Riordan's books (which I think are fantastic!) who are
looking for something similar, but on a more mature level. For sure I
am looking forward to the rest of the Breadth Key Cycle!
Further Reading: (Mythology/Traditions/Urban Legends/Religious Mythology)
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