Heathen by Natasha Alterici

I wasn't sure what to expect from a book called HEATHEN, but it certainly wasn't a bad-ass tale about a lesbian viking warrior girl who embarks upon a quest to save a Valkyrie from the curse of Odin. Which is exactly what it is, BTW.

I know.

Too often, these warrior girl tales buy into the cliche fantasy tropes established by male fantasy writers (because they were the first, so they got to set all the rules).

NOT THIS BOOK.

I loved HEATHEN. Aydis has a great backstory, and her motives are pure even if she sometimes acts too impulsively. Freyja was awesome; it's rare to see a good female character who oozes sexuality. And Bryhild was so great - tortured and Byronic in a way that few female heroines get to be. Her doomed romance with Sigurd caused all the feels.

If you love fantasy novels and bad-ass women and comic book novels and vikings, you will love this book, I think. The writing is good, the art work is beautiful, and all the female characters in here are complex and interesting and thoroughly fleshed out. I honestly can't wait for volume two.

Thanks to Netgalley/the publisher for the review copy!

4 to 4.5 out of 5 stars