Death of the Gods: A Review of The Witch’s Heart, by Genevieve Gornichec

Norse mythology may be more popular than ever at the moment, in no small part due to the influence of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the versions of Thor and Loki we see in the movies are far from their historic portrayals.  While we call it a mythology, on part with Greek or Japanese mythology, what we know of the religion of the Vikings was not written down until after Christianity had already converted the population.  As opposed to the Greeks, who recorded their tales in the forms of poems or plays, the Norse only left behind a few glyphs or runic art pieces in their wake.  But the two written sources we do have, the Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson and the Poetic Edda by numerous anonymous authors, paint a picture of the gods unlike their modern counterparts.  Like the gods of ancient Greece, the gods of the Norse were fallible.  They were corrupt and vain and jealous, capable of great cruelty and constantly making mistakes.  These cultures worshiped gods very similar to mortals, with all of their flaws, and they were not heroes.

Dark Heart of Sweden: A Review of Lazarus, by Lars Kepler

Ever since the series began in 2009 with The Hypnotist, the tales of Joona Linna, Saga Bauer, and the dark heart of Sweden, Lars Kepler has captivated their audience.  Swedish detective fiction is a very unique genre, one which often goes far and above the types of crimes and mysteries written about by American counterparts.  Beginning with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the world found a taste for the darkness that only Nordic authors seem capable of capturing.  Since the completion of that trilogy, Lars Kepler has kept the tradition going.  Originally published in 2018, but only recently released in English, Lazarus is the seventh entry into the newly christened Killer Instinct series of detective novels.  I have followed this series since the beginning, and each entry never fails to draw me in while making me feel slightly ill.  The best combination for a detective novel.