Review Detail

Bane of Asgard returns, where readers are left off with characters from The Children of Ragnarok on the brink of war. Eiric is in prison with his mind being destroyed by Modir Tyra resulting in everyone thinking he is a crazy barbarian. Reginn with her unlikely plans succeeds in pulling off a ruse making everyone believe he is dead giving him time to escape. Liv, now Heidin, is sent through the fire again and is fully inhabited by the Volva witch of legend slowly taking over her mind and killing her body.
There are many surprises in this book. There is a 10-year time jump between Eimyrja and Muckleholm. This allows the plot to move along differently than expected. Eiric’s half-brother, Ivar, is no longer an infant, but an uncanny boy of ten who is unusually tall, strong, and learned. He also has no attachment to Eiric but is now the heir apparent to the kingdom where Rickhard is king. The inhabitants of Muckleholm are also now seasoned warriors no longer easy prey when Tyra’s spinners arrive.
Our knowledge of Grima evolves from the executioner of Eimyra to an undercover assassin with plans to take over Muckleholm for herself with all the gifted she has trapped and collared over the two years she has been “helping” in Rikhard’s court. Reginn’s character also evolves as she is forced to put her talents to use as the Aldrnari and raise the restless dead of the Joten killed at Ragnarok to serve Queen Heidin.
All these revelations and plot twists combine to make for a robust team of characters with solid backstories and motivations as the characters edge ever closer to a world-ending war. The characters come in and out of contact with each other. Alliances change as the circumstances keep evolving. At the center is Reginn, her wish to avoid a senseless war, and her unusual skills that can provide the power to see the outcome she wants.
Modir Tyra and Asger Eldr were the most surprising to me. Tyra was perched on the threshold of being a major player from the first book. However, she raises forces greater than herself with her dottir and Reginn and never gains the momentum she aims for. Asger is villainized in the first book and then suddenly is a loyal servant to Reginn with a surprising secret that is hinted at but not fully understood until the very end.
Overall, this epic high fantasy was complex and satisfying in its conclusion. The book never had the emotional connections between the characters that I expected. It was about the mystery and intrigue as the sides all came to power and were on a course to clash. I can see fans of Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and Wheel of Time enjoying this YA duology as much as the teen readers.