Inheritance of Scars

Step aside, Skyrim's shambling skellytons, cause Soren is here to prove that draugr can also be romance-worthy vampires.

Inheritance of Scars is a standalone, YA fantasy romance with more than a dash of horror and mysterious woods in modern Sweden. From the moment Astrid found the literal undead body in her grandmother's basement, I knew it'd be a spooky time, and the eerie element only continued to build throughout the story. This works well with the relatively isolated plotline - Astrid and Soren are mostly on their own in the woods, so the intrigue is built by the dangerous world around them and the clues Astrid discovers about her town's history. It's reminiscent of Claire McFall's Ferryman, with two strangers traversing a surreal landscape while battling inner and external demons and the confusing attraction between them.

While the cover evokes more of a fantasy adventure, it's definitely more magical realism, blurring the line between history, fact, and fable. The romance comes on fast (oh, teenagers) and has many fun (embarrassing?) moments, although sometimes ill-timed given the hostile environment, violent monsters, cultish shenanigans, etc.

Despite the longing looks, it's not all fun and games. Astrid has Crohn's, as did her mother who died in childbirth, and a large part of her determination to find Amma is rooted in proving her strength to herself and to her father, who took her away from their hometown once her illness was discovered. Astrid is aware of her condition and matter-of-factly accepts the ongoing challenge, but it actually also helps her feel more empathy for Soren, as she finds parallels between chronic illness and his state as a Draugr. Although, this is mostly a feature in the first half, so it feels like the story opens many discussions without being worried about seeing them through.

Content: Contains some swears (about 10 f's), blood sacrifices, kisses, and sensual blood drinking (courtesy of the draugr).

Inheritance of Scars is a wonderful mix of modern and ancient Nordic mythology in the small forgotten town of Unden. Astrid is an interesting character because she is staunchly loyal to find her missing grandmother and willing to go to whatever lengths to find her. While that is a common trait in main characters, what makes her interesting is that she does all this while battling Crohn’s Disease.
Her loyal companion and rival-to-lover character is Soren, a draugr. A draugr acts much like a vampire. He is ancient, he has secrets, but he also has undying love. Even though Astrid and Soren’s relationship is a forgone conclusion it is enjoyable to read.
Astrid’s quest uncovers family secrets too shocking for her to fathom at first. She must break generational trauma in a literal way and work through the consequences of her actions both now and from the past.
The story unfolds at a nice pace with surprises for the audience and for the character throughout. This was the perfect next read after finishing Cinda William Chima’s Runestone Saga duology, which was also steeped in Norse mythology. It is a standalone story with a solid conclusion making for a satisfying read to sit down and consume quickly.

I don't know why, but I went into this book thinking it was going to be one thing. Then the complete opposite happened, and now I'm slightly confused and underwhelmed? Yet, I still really liked this book.

Inheritance of Scars by Crystal Seitz is a YA fantasy that plays off the gimmick of featuring fairy tale vibes, mixed with Norse mythology. Looking at the cover and reading over the premise, I thought this book was going to be darker version of Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek, but it wasn't really? Never go beyond the stave church. Within Tiveden Forest, bloodthirsty monsters known as draugr lurk behind every tree, and secrets run through the soil like twisted roots. When her grandmother vanishes into the forest, Astrid won’t let Crohn’s disease get in the way of finding her. But in searching for her lost loved one, Astrid soon uncovers an even greater mystery: A conflict that’s haunted her village and family for generations. An ancient blood oath her ancestor made to protect them. A deadly draugr imprisoned for centuries…who Astrid accidentally awakens. Newly revived, Soren first mistakes Astrid for her ancestor, his ex-lover turned enemy. Astrid can’t tell if he would rather kill her or kiss her. But Soren knows the forest better than anyone, and Astrid quickly realizes that she’ll need his help to rescue her grandmother. The deeper they venture into Tiveden, the closer Astrid gets to the cold, alluring Soren and the truth behind her grandmother’s disappearance. To save her home, a dark ritual must be performed before Midwinter—and only Astrid can fulfill her ancestor’s blood oath…or break it. That is, if Soren—or the forest—doesn’t break Astrid first.

First off, I really liked the vibes of this book. The mood was dark and perfectly matched the general direness of the plot. And I am quite the sucker for books featured in a forbidden or dangerous forest. Though I will admit, I wasn't the biggest fan of that plot twist, I feel like I saw it coming from page one, so it didn't have that much of a pay off.

I feel like the biggest hurdle of this book, was that it had a really cool concept. But in the actual execution of the narrative, I found myself more confused more than anything. And I feel like that can be blamed on the simple fact that I am not an expert in Norse mythology.

Regardless, this is a solid read. The vibes are spooky, the plot it a bit flimsy at times, but it's one of the many books that are to be paired with the spooky season for the best enjoyment.