Review Detail

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).