Inheritance of Scars

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.