Ragnarok Unwound by Kristin Jacques ~ a Review

by MK French

Ikepela Ives is a mortal, but her immortal mother had the ability to unbind fate. That ability was passed to Ives when she turned eighteen, and she had done her best to avoid dealing with the power as best as she could out of anger at her mother for disappearing. The problem is, a very determined Valkyrie needs her help to stop Ragnarok.

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January 2019; Sky Forest Press; 978-1949665000
ebook, print (258 pages); urban fantasy

Ragnarok Unwound is a wonderful premise that involves Norse mythology. Ives (do not use her first name, she really doesn't like it) would rather spend time with her father, who is a mortal descendant of the Goddess Pele's mortal sibling, as well as the lost fae Jules that she had found and is her best friend. She lives in Hawaii and adores her home and the life she has; trying to be a Fate Cipher would rather get in the way of that. The Valkyrie is very determined to get her help, and the other Norse gods are starting to get involved. That means there is an almost constant stream of action, from when the Jotun arrive at Ives' father's home to look for her, to journeying to Hel, to Vegas, to New York and the in-between of the Fates themselves. We also see the mystery surrounding Ives' mother and why she had to disappear when Ives was a baby.

The legends here are not what people might think of thanks to the Marvel comics and the Cinematic Universe. This follows the traditional Norse legends more closely, with Loki being called the Father of Lies, having red hair, and a series of monstrous children that are also caught up in the prophecy of Ragnarok. He's a mostly absent kind of figure in the beginning of the novel, as he is trying to escape his fate as best as he can while it winds even tighter around him, but the flashes of personality we see of him as the novel progresses are definitely fun and interesting. I adored the idea of Hel being a geeky gamer and was just as sad about Ives being the first one to truly hug her since Loki's imprisonment.

All in all, this is a wonderful start to a new series of novels exploring Ives' abilities and mythology, which are some of my favorite things in magical realism books.

Buy Ragnarok Unwound at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and golden retriever.

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