Ravnur has long since been the god Freyr's closest confidant and friend, a loyal hirdman like no other. Though young among Freyr's elven citizens in Alfheim, he has known what he truly wants from his king since the moment they met. However, it is not only the god of virility's bed that Ravnur craves.
He seeks to win his heart.
Does he dare risk pushing his Fricco away by revealing his love when, during Ragnarök, he learned too well what it means to lose him?
As brother to Freya, the goddess of love, Freyr commands similar domains as a deity of desire, as well as one of nature and weather, especially the sun. But what Freyr yearns for above any carnal temptations is to find a love that's real. Despite his loneliness, he has allowed the fear of risking his heart to hold him back, because the last time he took such a leap, the cost was too great.
In the wake of Ragnarök, a mortal named Oli—a gift from Loki whom Freyr indulged in for a day—convinced him that pursuing Ravnur was worth that risk. But can he finally embrace a new beloved that he might cherish and keep through the ages to come? Or is he once again destined to lose everything?
Freyr’s Hirdman can be read as a standalone but is best as a follow-up to Last Thrall of Asgard for those who wanted to see Freyr and Ravnur get their happily ever after.
Amanda Meuwissen is a queer author with a primary focus on M/M fiction and romance. As the author of LGBTQ+ Fantasy #1 Best Seller, Coming Up for Air, LGBTQ+ Horror #1 Best Seller and #1 New Release, A Delicious Descent, and several other titles through various publishers, Amanda regularly attends local comic conventions for fun and to meet with fans, where she will often be seen in costume as one of her favorite fictional characters. She lives in Minnesota with her husband, John, and their cat, Helga.
A quick, sweet read with a bit of spice, this is a nice spin-off to the Last Thrall of Asgard book.
I liked Freyr, Ravnur, their romance, and all the side characters a lot. Still, something felt lacking in this book and I'm not 100% sure what.
I guess the yearning and eventual resolution didn’t hit as hard as I had expected it to, and despite the book including a bit of backstory from Ravnur's POV, the courting and falling in love felt a bit too quick and simple to convince me fully. Maybe it was also a lack of external conflict, I'm not sure.
I still enjoyed it a fair amount, and will be reading the Last Courtesan of Olympus spin-off as well!