Norse Code: A Novel

_Norse Code_ is a little gem of a book. When so many fantasy books today are small installments in series that may run into the dozens (assuming they actually do ever reach a conclusion!), _Norse Code_ harks back to the days of "done in one". While it's not the slim 190 pages of some classic genre books, at 292 pages definitely not yet another "doorstop" fantasy where you could cut 100 pages and do nothing but improve things. The story itself is a setting of the Norse "Twilight of the Gods" in the modern world, and successfully treads a very fine line between treating its characters as figures of myth with all the irrationalities of myth and grounded modern men and women who think as we do. The main characters are Hermod, an Aesir (he is careful not to actually claim to be a 'god') brother to Balder and Thor who after failing to bring Balder back from the land of the dead has been in self imposed exile on Midguard (our world) for thousands of years, and Mist a modern California Valkyrie who is recruting warriors for the final, hopeless battle of Ragnorok. Hermod is a well realized, wry character who though he considers himself to have failed at everything grand he has ever tried, and tries grand things with no enthusiasm still nonetheless never shirks from the tasks he feels set before him. Mist is a bit less well realized but still engaging. Although I suppose a sequel is possible (for instance, who killed Mist in the first place?), things are generally wrapped up well enough by the books end that none is necessary or expected.

If you have any working knowledge of the Norse myths and culture, then you'll most likely enjoy this book. It's wonderfully written, with great dialogue. I'd never heard of the author, just saw it on a bookshelf at a local store, and thought I'd pick it up, because I'm into Norse mythology. I'm glad I did. The author weaves mythology into modernism in a respectable fashion, avoiding the usual cheesiness that comes with less respectable books. The only book I can think of that is similar in terms of using old gods and new worlds is Neil Gaiman's "American Gods," and this book, in my opinion, far surpasses Gaiman's. Kudos to this author. Can't wait to read more.

The NorseCODE genome project was designed to identify descendants of Odin. What it found was Kathy Castillo, a murdered MBA student brought back from the dead to serve as a Valkyrie in the Norse god's army. Given a sword and a new name, Mist's job is to recruit soldiers for the war between the gods at the end of the world - and to kill those who refuse to fight. But as the twilight of the gods descends, Mist makes other plans. This book was amazing! I gave it 5 stars for sheer originality as well as for having great characters and a good plotline. I mean, honestly, how many books have you ever come across featuring the Norse gods and Ragnarok? I vaguely remember Odin and Loki, but the other gods and mythology were new to me. Greg did a great job of providing short backgrounds when necessary, and made it easy to keep track of everyone. Mist is a new Valkyrie who is not really comfortable with her job of finding new recruits for the final battle between the gods. On her very first job, when her first recruit is deemed unworthy and is set on the road to Helheim (the land of the dead), Mist decides to embark on a rescue mission. She will not only rescue her recruit, but also her murdered sister Lilly. To do this, she needs the help of the only one to ever go to Helheim and back, the Norse god Hermod. Hermod has problems of his own and would rather just be left alone, but somehow winds up accompanying Mist on her rescue mission. Along with her bodyguard Grimnir and Hermod's loyal dog Winston, they set off on the adventure to end all adventures. And hey, while they're at it, why not prevent the end of the world as well?

I don't know what I expecting from the cover. I think I was vaguely expecting another thinly disguised magic warrior woman romance sort of thing which really wasn't what I was in the mood for, but I decided to read it anyway. I'm glad I did. It's complicated with a lot of characters and jumping between different scenes taking place with the characters, but it's worth it. It's sometime in the near future. The world is in winter and pretty bleak, civilization as we know it is crumbling, but it's not really mankind's fault. It's Ragnarök. Despite everything humans have done with their free will and inventive spirit, at the end, it comes down to prophecy laid down eons ago, it's up to a lesser known god, a renegade Valkyrie, a warrior, a ghost, and the god blamed for the start of the fall to change it, to save the world from destiny. It's well written and a great re-imagining of mythology. I enjoyed it completely. It's not fluffy and light like the cover suggests. It's a good story.

Civilization everywhere is in total collapse with no hope for any survival. In that environs the Valkyrie expecting Ragnarok apply NORSE CODE genetic testing to choose the army of the dead. Due to a tragedy that left her sister dead, Valkyrie perfect warrior Mist nee Kathy Carlisle no longer believes in the Ragnarok plan. Instead she does the unexpected by simply vanishing. At the same time she dispears from the Odin project group's Valkyrie sect, the deity Hermod investigates signs of the end of days in California. He and Mist meet and travel to the afterlife of Helheim for differing reasons. Whereas she wants to rescue her sibling, he wants to rescue a world. Apocalypse increasingly seems imminent as the unlikely pair try to prevent the end but increasingly they expect to fail. Instead ancient prophecies are being manipulated by conniving Gods trying to regain the lost power they once yielded. NORSE CODE is a fresh combining of genome research with Norse mythology. Mist and Hermod are a terrific pairing as she is on a personal quest no longer believing in prophesies, Gods, or science; while he is a nothing God who when he had some power he still was in the bottom rung of the pantheon food chain. This couple only has a world to save starting perhaps with her sister. Mindful of the Marvel comic books Thor premise, Greg van Eekhout provides his imprint with this terrific mythological science fiction thriller. Harriet Klausner