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Runemarks #2
Runelight
The squabbling Norse gods and goddesses of Runemarks are back! And there's a feisty new heroine on the scene: Maggie, a girl the same age as Maddy but brought up a world apart - literally, in World's End, the focus of the Order in which Maddy was raised. Now the Order is destroyed, Chaos is filling the vacuum left behind... and is breaching the everyday world.
A chilling prophecy from the Oracle.
A conflict between two girls.
And with just twelve days to stave off the Apocalypse, carnage is about to be unleashed...
A chilling prophecy from the Oracle.
A conflict between two girls.
And with just twelve days to stave off the Apocalypse, carnage is about to be unleashed...
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
87 people are currently reading
4028 people want to read
About the author
Joanne Harris
124 books6,274 followersJoanne Harris is also known as Joanne M. Harris
Joanne Harris is an Anglo-French author, whose books include fourteen novels, two cookbooks and many short stories. Her work is extremely diverse, covering aspects of magic realism, suspense, historical fiction, mythology and fantasy. She has also written a DR WHO novella for the BBC, has scripted guest episodes for the game ZOMBIES, RUN!, and is currently engaged in a number of musical theatre projects as well as developing an original drama for television.
In 2000, her 1999 novel CHOCOLAT was adapted to the screen, starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. She is an honorary Fellow of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, and in 2022 was awarded an OBE by the Queen.
Her hobbies are listed in Who's Who as 'mooching, lounging, strutting, strumming, priest-baiting and quiet subversion'. She also spends too much time on Twitter; plays flute and bass guitar in a band first formed when she was 16; and works from a shed in her garden at her home in Yorkshire.
Joanne Harris is an Anglo-French author, whose books include fourteen novels, two cookbooks and many short stories. Her work is extremely diverse, covering aspects of magic realism, suspense, historical fiction, mythology and fantasy. She has also written a DR WHO novella for the BBC, has scripted guest episodes for the game ZOMBIES, RUN!, and is currently engaged in a number of musical theatre projects as well as developing an original drama for television.
In 2000, her 1999 novel CHOCOLAT was adapted to the screen, starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. She is an honorary Fellow of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, and in 2022 was awarded an OBE by the Queen.
Her hobbies are listed in Who's Who as 'mooching, lounging, strutting, strumming, priest-baiting and quiet subversion'. She also spends too much time on Twitter; plays flute and bass guitar in a band first formed when she was 16; and works from a shed in her garden at her home in Yorkshire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
January 17, 2012
My thoughts:
1) Joanne, you're a genius.
2) Loki, you're a babe.
3) Maggie, you're an idiot. However, I forgive you because this book is amazing.
1) Joanne, you're a genius.
2) Loki, you're a babe.
3) Maggie, you're an idiot. However, I forgive you because this book is amazing.
Read
April 21, 2012I wanted this book to be the Maddy and Loki Show. I really, really did. Instead, it's the Maggie, Maddy, and Loki Show, and I am so okay with that it hurts. Though I was hesitant about the character of Maggie, I trusted Joanne to do her justice, and oh, did she. Maggie is prickly, clever, stubborn, and powerful (sound familiar?), but instead of being a Maddy clone with a coat of pious paint thrown on, she's her own fully-realized, independent character. A product of her environment, she has been raised to believe in the Nameless and follow all the commands of the Good Book, but she thinks for herself, and still she dreams (and Dreams, which is very important). She also is pretty naive and makes some terrible decisions, as only seventeen-year-olds can do, but I found that realistic, and coupled with her belief that she knows how to do everything right only adds to the complexity and contradictoriness of her character. tl;dr Maggie is awesome.
As usual, Maddy and Odin were spot on, as well as the rest of the supporting cast (especially Frigg, that sneaky Seeress!). And of course there is Loki, whose chapters are always a joy to read (and holds the dubious honor of being the first fictional character I've had a crush on in years). And the plot! Yeah, that's amazing, too. (Can you tell I'm a character-centric person?)
Basically, read this. You won't be disappointed.
As usual, Maddy and Odin were spot on, as well as the rest of the supporting cast (especially Frigg, that sneaky Seeress!). And of course there is Loki, whose chapters are always a joy to read (and holds the dubious honor of being the first fictional character I've had a crush on in years). And the plot! Yeah, that's amazing, too. (Can you tell I'm a character-centric person?)
Basically, read this. You won't be disappointed.
February 24, 2016
Final rating: 3/5 stars
Final rating - for the whole series: 3.5/5 stars
Well, this is a problem. I spent few hours trying to decide how to rate it. Considering how many split opinions I have, I think it's best to give it the middle rating - 3 stars. I don't think it deserves to be more than that.
I loved first book, Runemarks, so damn much. I even read it twice from the beginning to the end, without skipping. But this book was not what I expected and not what I wanted.
I really don't know what I think about this book, except that I'm disappointed it wasn't, in my opinion, as good as first one.
Three years have passed since the events of the first book: Order is gone, everything is in shambles and people get out of control.
In the meantime, Loki is attacked by the ephemera, Gods are reluctant to help him (of course) and Loki gets kidnapped by none other but his ex-wife and their son Fenris. No, not Sigyn, but Angrboda. And they have a proposal for the gods - if the gods decide to listen and don't kill Loki first just for existing and carrying the message. The Chaos party has a bargaining chip - Mjølnir, the lost hammer of Thor.
Maggie Rede, who grew up believing in the order, recently lost her family to the chaos that happened when Order fell and after it. But then she meets Adam Scattergood, and naively trusts him. But then again, Adam Scattergood - possessed by the Whisperer, Mimir the Wise (who is bent on revenge) - plan to use Maggie for their own purposes.
On the other side of the world, Maddy finally got accustomed to being a daughter of a god. And now she wants to find her sister before it's too late. Even if it means betraying the trust of Loki.
And Perth, "an entrepreneur and dealer in other people’s property", aka, a thief, doesn't know his life will drastically change.
While Maddy was still loveable character, and who was still herself after all these years, she didn't change much. She doesn't think of herself and can't stand to leave people to suffer (unless it's Loki, cause she knows he can get out of any situation). She is still capable and she feels regret and remorse, but does what she believes is right and tries to help.
Her twin sister, Maggie, is feeling more than alone. She feels abandoned with no one who understands her. But then she meets Adam and falls in love almost in few seconds. She finally has someone who needs her. But she doesn't know that Adam doesn't care about her and only sees her as a way to be free of the Whisperer who possessed him three years ago. He, on the other hand, only cares about himself. But, will he change by being near Maggie? The answer is .
Loki gets in trouble, again. It's not easy when no one believes you, and definitely harder when something happens and Loki is the one blamed for it. But betrayal by the one who he considered his friend hurts him. But then again, he backstabbed his own people for ages. And now he is not only stuck with his ex wife, but also with . Not to mention his daughter want him dead, his son has the form of his worst phobia, snake, and the other wolf son is mother's boy. Also, I'm still laughing at how genius Loki is to seduce a male demonic horse and become a mother.... Nice. You can probably guess who his horse-child is.
While Odin might be dead, his plans are far from over.
The other gods are stuck between wanting to kill Loki, and sparring his life because Ethel wants him alive. And Idun is lovely.
Also, Crazy Nan Fey, whose dreams are coming true {and who is damn awesome granny for which I loved her a lot} and Hughie and Mandy, aka Hugin and Munin, Odin's ravens whose real allegiance is hard to guess. {But they made me laugh most of the time and very interesting, except the hen parts.}
Also, Jormungand who was just awesome.
And then, there is Perth, a thief, who knows better than to trust someone he just met, and is able to question if what he agreed to is bad or good for his life/business/career. {He is actually great character and I liked him a lot.}
Also, difference between Perth and Maggie. But first of all, similarities. Both of them don't have anyone. Perth is really careful not to be caught and Maggie didn't know she carried a rune. But their differences are this. Despite meeting someone else these things happen:
1. Maggie falls in love in the first person who says she is needed.
2. Perth likes the person but still doubts in the motives and is aware he doesn't know anything about her. (And the same kind is Maddy - she also doubts, but wants to believe.)
So, the quote cores for the two of them (includes SPOILERS):
Perth:
Maggie:
And this is it. if only Maggie acted like Perth, she wouldn't irritate me so much. But she blindly followed whatever Adam said, because, damn, she was in love (she doesn't even know what love is).
So, let me sum it up, all pros and cons:
I LIKED:
☑ LOKI, LOKI, LOKI, LOKI, LOKI. This guy deserves 6/5 stars just for being there. You think you like Marvel's Loki? Try reading about this one! He is damn awesome and complex and just.damn.wonderful!
☑ Maddy and Perth ♥
☑ All parts that weren't about Adam and Maggie were great.
*slight spoilers bellow*
I DISLIKED:
☒ Adam, Maggie and the Whisperer... their parts made me roll my eyes, cry inside from frustration, annoyance and urge to get in the book and put some sense into Maggie's stupid head.
☒ Now that I think about it, If i could unread all Maggie and Adam scenes I would be happy. You know what is frustrating? It's frustrating to read that a generally good person (Maggie) gets influenced by "the love of her life after 1-2 days" that she should, without question, follow orders of the being who possesses her "boyfriend" even when the other side tells her things she should question later on.
☒ In the previous book, most of the gods were somewhat important. Here, they are mostly cameos. Especially Skadi. Not to mention addition of the other characters and not enough time to characterize them all properly.
☒ Loki being moved to secondary main character - I got so used to him being the main one but here there were a lot of scenes without him.
☒ Maggie in general - I really, really, disliked her. Reasons: (ofc, includes some serious spoilers)
So you see... Cons outweigh the Pros. But I enjoyed 1 half of the book and was frustrated with the other half. I don't like when this happens, because I just want to skip the parts and get over with. So best way is to settle on the middle.
Not to mention it dragged for a while and I just wanted Maggie parts over.
I would read another book just for Loki, Maddy and Perth. I still have The Gospel of Loki to read to finish Runemarks series. I have high hopes for that one so I hope it won't disappoint.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFO:
⚠ Standalone: No. But also, part of a series.
⚠ Point of View: Third POV, multiply characters.
⚠ Cliffhanger: No.
⚠ Triggers:lots of slapping; not even 18 and already ; end of the world; brainless chick who is head over heels in love; a successful manipulator; a complete bastard and jerk; two ravens who love calling our main girls a hen...
⚠ Love triangle: No.
⚠ Angst: A bit.
⚠ Supernatural: Yeeeeeeeeeees.
⚠ Explicit content: No. But you know what happened.
⚠ Ending type:
⚠ Recommended: No. IF you want to know how it ends, then I recommend it. Loki is worth it. And Perth and Maddy. Others? Not so much. And story is not as good as the first one, in fact it was more dragging than anything. Remember, book 1 was a stand alone for itself, more or less but this deals with some loose ends.
◈ Runemarks (Runemarks, #1)
◈ Runelight (Runemarks #2)
Final rating - for the whole series: 3.5/5 stars
‘So how do I know this isn’t a trick?’
Hughie looked offended. ‘A trick? Now who in the Worlds would do that?’
‘Oh, let me see now …’ Maddy said. ‘Order, Chaos, old gods, new gods, demons, Ice People, Tunnel Folk, ephemera, flying snakes, goblins, escapees from Netherworld, magical artefacts with a will of their own – or anyone else with an axe to grind. The Worlds are full of our enemies. Did you want the full list?’
There was a rather lengthy pause. The ravens exchanged glances.
Well, this is a problem. I spent few hours trying to decide how to rate it. Considering how many split opinions I have, I think it's best to give it the middle rating - 3 stars. I don't think it deserves to be more than that.
I loved first book, Runemarks, so damn much. I even read it twice from the beginning to the end, without skipping. But this book was not what I expected and not what I wanted.
I really don't know what I think about this book, except that I'm disappointed it wasn't, in my opinion, as good as first one.
► STORY:
Three years have passed since the events of the first book: Order is gone, everything is in shambles and people get out of control.
In the meantime, Loki is attacked by the ephemera, Gods are reluctant to help him (of course) and Loki gets kidnapped by none other but his ex-wife and their son Fenris. No, not Sigyn, but Angrboda. And they have a proposal for the gods - if the gods decide to listen and don't kill Loki first just for existing and carrying the message. The Chaos party has a bargaining chip - Mjølnir, the lost hammer of Thor.
Maggie Rede, who grew up believing in the order, recently lost her family to the chaos that happened when Order fell and after it. But then she meets Adam Scattergood, and naively trusts him. But then again, Adam Scattergood - possessed by the Whisperer, Mimir the Wise (who is bent on revenge) - plan to use Maggie for their own purposes.
On the other side of the world, Maddy finally got accustomed to being a daughter of a god. And now she wants to find her sister before it's too late. Even if it means betraying the trust of Loki.
And Perth, "an entrepreneur and dealer in other people’s property", aka, a thief, doesn't know his life will drastically change.
► CHARACTERS:
While Maddy was still loveable character, and who was still herself after all these years, she didn't change much. She doesn't think of herself and can't stand to leave people to suffer (unless it's Loki, cause she knows he can get out of any situation). She is still capable and she feels regret and remorse, but does what she believes is right and tries to help.
Her twin sister, Maggie, is feeling more than alone. She feels abandoned with no one who understands her. But then she meets Adam and falls in love almost in few seconds. She finally has someone who needs her. But she doesn't know that Adam doesn't care about her and only sees her as a way to be free of the Whisperer who possessed him three years ago. He, on the other hand, only cares about himself. But, will he change by being near Maggie? The answer is .
Loki gets in trouble, again. It's not easy when no one believes you, and definitely harder when something happens and Loki is the one blamed for it. But betrayal by the one who he considered his friend hurts him. But then again, he backstabbed his own people for ages. And now he is not only stuck with his ex wife, but also with . Not to mention his daughter want him dead, his son has the form of his worst phobia, snake, and the other wolf son is mother's boy. Also, I'm still laughing at how genius Loki is to seduce a male demonic horse and become a mother.... Nice. You can probably guess who his horse-child is.
THERE’S AN OLD Northlands saying that goes like this: When lies don’t help, try telling the truth. Loki knew it well, of course, but much preferred his own version, which was: When lies don’t help, tell better lies.
While Odin might be dead, his plans are far from over.
The other gods are stuck between wanting to kill Loki, and sparring his life because Ethel wants him alive. And Idun is lovely.
Also, Crazy Nan Fey, whose dreams are coming true {and who is damn awesome granny for which I loved her a lot} and Hughie and Mandy, aka Hugin and Munin, Odin's ravens whose real allegiance is hard to guess. {But they made me laugh most of the time and very interesting, except the hen parts.}
Also, Jormungand who was just awesome.
And then, there is Perth, a thief, who knows better than to trust someone he just met, and is able to question if what he agreed to is bad or good for his life/business/career. {He is actually great character and I liked him a lot.}
Also, difference between Perth and Maggie. But first of all, similarities. Both of them don't have anyone. Perth is really careful not to be caught and Maggie didn't know she carried a rune. But their differences are this. Despite meeting someone else these things happen:
1. Maggie falls in love in the first person who says she is needed.
2. Perth likes the person but still doubts in the motives and is aware he doesn't know anything about her. (And the same kind is Maddy - she also doubts, but wants to believe.)
So, the quote cores for the two of them (includes SPOILERS):
Perth:
Maggie:
And this is it. if only Maggie acted like Perth, she wouldn't irritate me so much. But she blindly followed whatever Adam said, because, damn, she was in love (she doesn't even know what love is).
► OVERALL:
So, let me sum it up, all pros and cons:
I LIKED:
☑ LOKI, LOKI, LOKI, LOKI, LOKI. This guy deserves 6/5 stars just for being there. You think you like Marvel's Loki? Try reading about this one! He is damn awesome and complex and just.damn.wonderful!
☑ Maddy and Perth ♥
☑ All parts that weren't about Adam and Maggie were great.
*slight spoilers bellow*
I DISLIKED:
☒ Adam, Maggie and the Whisperer... their parts made me roll my eyes, cry inside from frustration, annoyance and urge to get in the book and put some sense into Maggie's stupid head.
☒ Now that I think about it, If i could unread all Maggie and Adam scenes I would be happy. You know what is frustrating? It's frustrating to read that a generally good person (Maggie) gets influenced by "the love of her life after 1-2 days" that she should, without question, follow orders of the being who possesses her "boyfriend" even when the other side tells her things she should question later on.
☒ In the previous book, most of the gods were somewhat important. Here, they are mostly cameos. Especially Skadi. Not to mention addition of the other characters and not enough time to characterize them all properly.
☒ Loki being moved to secondary main character - I got so used to him being the main one but here there were a lot of scenes without him.
☒ Maggie in general - I really, really, disliked her. Reasons: (ofc, includes some serious spoilers)
So you see... Cons outweigh the Pros. But I enjoyed 1 half of the book and was frustrated with the other half. I don't like when this happens, because I just want to skip the parts and get over with. So best way is to settle on the middle.
Not to mention it dragged for a while and I just wanted Maggie parts over.
I would read another book just for Loki, Maddy and Perth. I still have The Gospel of Loki to read to finish Runemarks series. I have high hopes for that one so I hope it won't disappoint.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFO:
⚠ Standalone: No. But also, part of a series.
⚠ Point of View: Third POV, multiply characters.
⚠ Cliffhanger: No.
⚠ Triggers:lots of slapping; not even 18 and already ; end of the world; brainless chick who is head over heels in love; a successful manipulator; a complete bastard and jerk; two ravens who love calling our main girls a hen...
⚠ Love triangle: No.
⚠ Angst: A bit.
⚠ Supernatural: Yeeeeeeeeeees.
⚠ Explicit content: No. But you know what happened.
⚠ Ending type:
⚠ Recommended: No. IF you want to know how it ends, then I recommend it. Loki is worth it. And Perth and Maddy. Others? Not so much. And story is not as good as the first one, in fact it was more dragging than anything. Remember, book 1 was a stand alone for itself, more or less but this deals with some loose ends.
► REVIEW(S) RELATED TO THIS BOOK:
◈ Runemarks (Runemarks, #1)
◈ Runelight (Runemarks #2)
June 19, 2013
You'd think Joanne Harris + Norse myth would automatically shoot to the head of my list. I did quite enjoy the previous book, Runemarks, and I have quite a lot of love for the character of Loki in pretty much anything. (Super extra points for Sassafrass' Loki in My Brother, My Enemy, though -- not this Loki at all, perhaps more justified, and so expressively sung.) But... I don't know. I did enjoy Runelight, once I settled down to read it, and I think this is maybe her most likeable set of characters after Vianne & tribe.
But I hesitated too much. It took me too long to get into it. I liked the extrapolation from Norse myth; the New Runes, the unexpected identities of Magni and Móði. I love Loki (I think I said that already.) But even with a recent look through the previous book, there seemed to be too much built on the Norse base that no longer felt right.
It may not help, of course, that I soaked up Norse legends and mythology during my BA, and thus have a big frame of reference to compare all this to. And I do think Joanne Harris does some pretty good world building in terms of creating her own take on Norse mythology. I'm just... apparently too much of a purist, I guess.
But I hesitated too much. It took me too long to get into it. I liked the extrapolation from Norse myth; the New Runes, the unexpected identities of Magni and Móði. I love Loki (I think I said that already.) But even with a recent look through the previous book, there seemed to be too much built on the Norse base that no longer felt right.
It may not help, of course, that I soaked up Norse legends and mythology during my BA, and thus have a big frame of reference to compare all this to. And I do think Joanne Harris does some pretty good world building in terms of creating her own take on Norse mythology. I'm just... apparently too much of a purist, I guess.
October 12, 2014
I used to be a fan of Joanne Harris. Now I'm not even sure why I wanted to read this book. I read the first book of this series in 2008 and barely remember the story; still I felt like I had to read this one too. Which proved to be a rather bad idea.
The thing is, I couldn't understand much of the story and it seemed somewhat pointless. Loki, my favourite Norse god, isn't the central character and doesn't show up for some time in the story. Then, Maggie's story didn't make much sense, what with falling blindly in love with Adam. I understand why Maddy has a twin sister, but Maggie's role in the story felt empty; it seemed she was only there for the Adam business.
And also, what's with the similar names?! Maddy, Maggie, Mandy... Gosh, I really had to pay attention to see if I was ready about Maddy, her twin sister, or one of Odin's ravens.
Talking about Mandy, her and Hughie's scenes were funny. I even had a laugh with Jormugand's. He was even funnier than Loki.
Overall, and I feel sorry for saying it, this book was a bore. I liked the theme and was curious about it. But I felt like I wasted my time in these last few days.
The thing is, I couldn't understand much of the story and it seemed somewhat pointless. Loki, my favourite Norse god, isn't the central character and doesn't show up for some time in the story. Then, Maggie's story didn't make much sense, what with falling blindly in love with Adam. I understand why Maddy has a twin sister, but Maggie's role in the story felt empty; it seemed she was only there for the Adam business.
And also, what's with the similar names?! Maddy, Maggie, Mandy... Gosh, I really had to pay attention to see if I was ready about Maddy, her twin sister, or one of Odin's ravens.
Talking about Mandy, her and Hughie's scenes were funny. I even had a laugh with Jormugand's. He was even funnier than Loki.
Overall, and I feel sorry for saying it, this book was a bore. I liked the theme and was curious about it. But I felt like I wasted my time in these last few days.
February 16, 2019
This book in two sentences:
I love Loki.
I hate Maggie.
I love Loki.
I hate Maggie.
November 11, 2011
You know from my review yesterday that I enjoyed the first book in this series, Runemarks but this one really blew me away. I LOVED Runelight. This book totally absorbed me like a Venus fly trap, then spat me out at the end after controlling my mind for the whole journey. After reading it, I couldn't help but feel that with Runemarks the author was testing the waters, but with Runelight she swam the Channel - unaided!
We find ourselves returning to World's End, which has basically taken a noise dive in the most beautiful places to live guide. No one seems to be able to forget the events that occurred at the end of Runemarks and the clearing up operations seems to still be going on.
It was lovely to be reacquainted with some friendly old faces and it was interesting to see how they had developed in the three years since the previous events. Many alliances and friendships were in need of rebuilding, which resulted in a group of argumentative and nit picking Norse Gods, who were still having issues with past misdemeanours . The humour in this book really has gone up a notch and it really reminded me of the Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett, where humour is carefully hidden within the high drama.
Just to show you what I mean, here is a scene that could have come straight out of a comedy.
'So protecting me was just a ruse to ensure I survived to cement your deal.' Loki appealed to the party of gods. 'You're really going along with this? You're going to watch them sacrifice me? Sif, we've had our differences, but...'
The goddess of grace and plenty smiled. 'You bet I'm going to watch,' she said. ' I only wish we had popcorn.'
Fabulous! Now imagine 572 pages with humour like this.
I absolutely adored Loki! He is like the Derek Trotter of the Nine Worlds, wheeling and dealing his way out of ever death threat he can. My favourite scenes in the book revolved around the freak show they labelled a circus. In order for the gods to travel unnoticed, he creates a travelling show that will be noticed but won't be believed. Always fond of the weird and wonderful, I couldn't help but become attached to Jormundgand, the World Serpent, who could only think with his stomach.
Some interesting new characters join the cast of many and some of the secondary characters from the previous book step forward to take their moments in the spot light. I found it much easier to keep track of all the characters in this book which I believe is due to the detailed descriptions provided by the author.
The book goes from strength to strength, finishing with an epic battle where the End of the World is at stake. Again. An apocalyptic climax, via a kaleidoscope of varying powers. Asgard - well I am lost for words as to describe how beautiful and wonderful it sounds. You will just have to read it sigh in wonder with me.
Joanne Harris is one of the most versatile authors I have ever come across. With each book she writes, it is like hopping on a magical mystery tour, where you never know where you will end up. She has such a uniqueness to her writing voice, that each book is like a surprise gift. This author cannot be labelled or categorised to fit into one genre. She has the ability to take any subject or genre and make it her own, marking it with her individuality.
This is a tale of epic proportion that will bring to life the Norse myths which so often get over overlooked.
We find ourselves returning to World's End, which has basically taken a noise dive in the most beautiful places to live guide. No one seems to be able to forget the events that occurred at the end of Runemarks and the clearing up operations seems to still be going on.
It was lovely to be reacquainted with some friendly old faces and it was interesting to see how they had developed in the three years since the previous events. Many alliances and friendships were in need of rebuilding, which resulted in a group of argumentative and nit picking Norse Gods, who were still having issues with past misdemeanours . The humour in this book really has gone up a notch and it really reminded me of the Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett, where humour is carefully hidden within the high drama.
Just to show you what I mean, here is a scene that could have come straight out of a comedy.
'So protecting me was just a ruse to ensure I survived to cement your deal.' Loki appealed to the party of gods. 'You're really going along with this? You're going to watch them sacrifice me? Sif, we've had our differences, but...'
The goddess of grace and plenty smiled. 'You bet I'm going to watch,' she said. ' I only wish we had popcorn.'
Fabulous! Now imagine 572 pages with humour like this.
I absolutely adored Loki! He is like the Derek Trotter of the Nine Worlds, wheeling and dealing his way out of ever death threat he can. My favourite scenes in the book revolved around the freak show they labelled a circus. In order for the gods to travel unnoticed, he creates a travelling show that will be noticed but won't be believed. Always fond of the weird and wonderful, I couldn't help but become attached to Jormundgand, the World Serpent, who could only think with his stomach.
Some interesting new characters join the cast of many and some of the secondary characters from the previous book step forward to take their moments in the spot light. I found it much easier to keep track of all the characters in this book which I believe is due to the detailed descriptions provided by the author.
The book goes from strength to strength, finishing with an epic battle where the End of the World is at stake. Again. An apocalyptic climax, via a kaleidoscope of varying powers. Asgard - well I am lost for words as to describe how beautiful and wonderful it sounds. You will just have to read it sigh in wonder with me.
Joanne Harris is one of the most versatile authors I have ever come across. With each book she writes, it is like hopping on a magical mystery tour, where you never know where you will end up. She has such a uniqueness to her writing voice, that each book is like a surprise gift. This author cannot be labelled or categorised to fit into one genre. She has the ability to take any subject or genre and make it her own, marking it with her individuality.
This is a tale of epic proportion that will bring to life the Norse myths which so often get over overlooked.
July 19, 2016
I've got to say, this book was good, but not as good as "Runemark." I felt it left behind a myriad of questions and was a little too filled with unnecessary characters who were shoved it, not because they were needed for the plot, but just for the sake of doing it. Allow me to explain (spoilers head):
Firstly, the plot overall was all right. Prophecy, end of the world, etc.- all this was well and good. I like how the situation in this book followed naturally from the first book. However, I felt there were some big holes left behind, which were avoided, as well as a lack of explaination in many other fields.
For instance, a good part of this book emphasized how much bad stuff had come from Hel breaking her word and unleashing Dream/chaos on the world. Yet, it happens again. Essentially, the climax in this book was the same as the last. They ended up facing Chaos and battling it this time by building Asgard. I'm assuming that now that Asgard's built and the gods are in their Aspects they can "maintain the balance between Chaos and KONTROL" or whatever, but I'm not entirely positive. A little more explaination would have been nice, rather than just vague hints and nursery rhymes. So, I'm assuming that the gods are now going to control the world, like before? If so, how are they going to get people to follow them now, in the aftermath of Chaos and Order? And doesn't that kinda cancel out Ragnarok? I thought the new gods were going to rule, not the old gods in new form. I'd prefer a new regime...
Also, Hel broke her word again. So, aren't the rift in Dream and the consequences from it now going to be much worse?
Secondly, I didn't find Maggie an especially interesting character, and I didn't buy her motivations. She seemed to keep switching sides. She'd talk to Odin, be swayed, and then next thing you know she's back on Mimir's side. Seriously, make up your mind! And did Adam actually love her? Or was he just being a creep/controlled by Mimir? I felt she was a little too trusting of some people and then incredibly suspicious of others. Sure, she had grounds for hating the Firefolk (her roots, Mimir's lies) but once she found out who Mimir was, why didn't she react to him the way she did towards the other Firefolk? Simply because he had Adam in him?
Thirdly, I also thought this book was too spread out- the cast was getting too large, and some people had no purpose. This resulted in a lack of character development and many unresolved plot threads. For example, the Sugar-and-Sack/Tyr thing wasn't so much resolved as completely abandoned. So much for the god of war- I'm guessing he's permanently dead now (?). Then Skadi- why was she there? That's never really established. And she doesn't really do anything except unnerve Loki. The author could've saved her for another plot, not just pushed her in there.
The wolves also seemed unnecessary. I mean, at least Jorgi and Angie had purpose. The wolves seemed to be there just for kicks. They did very little. Jolly as well. Sure, it was kind of due to him that the gods teamed up with Angie, but after that, what did he do? Initially it was implied that with Mjolnir, they could rebuild Asgard. But in the end, he wasn't really that crucial.
However, there were things I liked, or at least appreciated. I feel like Loki and Maddy got some good character development. I wonder if Loki will eventually settle down. I know "it's in his nature" and he's got a bit of a bad reputation, but it's after Ragnarok now. Who says he can't change? I feel like the author left a good amount of room for the characters to develop further in the next book.
Especially Maddy. I like how her relationships with her new "family" have changed. She has a place in the ring of gods. I'm especially excited to see how she deals with a reversed runemark- I believe this makes her the only one in the Middle Worlds with a reversed mark. That'll be interesting to read about... now she's left out again. I'd like to see how she deals with that, as well as with her sister and nephew.
So, overall, I'm looking forward to the next book, but I hope it will be more focused. Streamlining the plot and characters would help a lot. Hopefully, it will conclude everything that began in this one, and leave room for more stories!
Firstly, the plot overall was all right. Prophecy, end of the world, etc.- all this was well and good. I like how the situation in this book followed naturally from the first book. However, I felt there were some big holes left behind, which were avoided, as well as a lack of explaination in many other fields.
For instance, a good part of this book emphasized how much bad stuff had come from Hel breaking her word and unleashing Dream/chaos on the world. Yet, it happens again. Essentially, the climax in this book was the same as the last. They ended up facing Chaos and battling it this time by building Asgard. I'm assuming that now that Asgard's built and the gods are in their Aspects they can "maintain the balance between Chaos and KONTROL" or whatever, but I'm not entirely positive. A little more explaination would have been nice, rather than just vague hints and nursery rhymes. So, I'm assuming that the gods are now going to control the world, like before? If so, how are they going to get people to follow them now, in the aftermath of Chaos and Order? And doesn't that kinda cancel out Ragnarok? I thought the new gods were going to rule, not the old gods in new form. I'd prefer a new regime...
Also, Hel broke her word again. So, aren't the rift in Dream and the consequences from it now going to be much worse?
Secondly, I didn't find Maggie an especially interesting character, and I didn't buy her motivations. She seemed to keep switching sides. She'd talk to Odin, be swayed, and then next thing you know she's back on Mimir's side. Seriously, make up your mind! And did Adam actually love her? Or was he just being a creep/controlled by Mimir? I felt she was a little too trusting of some people and then incredibly suspicious of others. Sure, she had grounds for hating the Firefolk (her roots, Mimir's lies) but once she found out who Mimir was, why didn't she react to him the way she did towards the other Firefolk? Simply because he had Adam in him?
Thirdly, I also thought this book was too spread out- the cast was getting too large, and some people had no purpose. This resulted in a lack of character development and many unresolved plot threads. For example, the Sugar-and-Sack/Tyr thing wasn't so much resolved as completely abandoned. So much for the god of war- I'm guessing he's permanently dead now (?). Then Skadi- why was she there? That's never really established. And she doesn't really do anything except unnerve Loki. The author could've saved her for another plot, not just pushed her in there.
The wolves also seemed unnecessary. I mean, at least Jorgi and Angie had purpose. The wolves seemed to be there just for kicks. They did very little. Jolly as well. Sure, it was kind of due to him that the gods teamed up with Angie, but after that, what did he do? Initially it was implied that with Mjolnir, they could rebuild Asgard. But in the end, he wasn't really that crucial.
However, there were things I liked, or at least appreciated. I feel like Loki and Maddy got some good character development. I wonder if Loki will eventually settle down. I know "it's in his nature" and he's got a bit of a bad reputation, but it's after Ragnarok now. Who says he can't change? I feel like the author left a good amount of room for the characters to develop further in the next book.
Especially Maddy. I like how her relationships with her new "family" have changed. She has a place in the ring of gods. I'm especially excited to see how she deals with a reversed runemark- I believe this makes her the only one in the Middle Worlds with a reversed mark. That'll be interesting to read about... now she's left out again. I'd like to see how she deals with that, as well as with her sister and nephew.
So, overall, I'm looking forward to the next book, but I hope it will be more focused. Streamlining the plot and characters would help a lot. Hopefully, it will conclude everything that began in this one, and leave room for more stories!
May 25, 2017
My heart is breaking right now, because I wanted to love this book. I loved Runemarks. I loved The Gospel of Loki. I will read any other sequels/prequels/whatever released in this series because, let's get one thing straight here, I did not dislike the book. I liked it just fine, just not as much as I wanted to.
I'll start with the things I loved. First off, LOKI. I'm sorry Thor fans, you may think Marvel has the best version of Loki, but you're wrong. The best version of Loki is Joanne Harris's. Then, obviously, Maddy. She's still an awesome heroine. I would've liked to see her and Loki interact more because they seem to be friends and Loki doesn't have many of those, but this was essentially a three plot book. It followed Maddy, Loki and Maggie seperately and brought them all together at the end. I liked Perth too - he was a lot like Loki but I still liked him. As usual for this series, it's brilliantly quotable too!
My main issue, I think, was Maggie (and her entire relationship with Adam, but I'll get to that in a minute). She's been brought up in World's End, which appears to be rather sexist, and we're told several times that she values purity/modesty/other stereotypically female virtues. All of this so far is fine, and I was actually impressed at how different she was to Maddy...on paper. You see, I'm not sure when exactly it happened, but she'd kind of turned into Maddy by the middle. This annoyed me. Not to mention the fact that this girl who has been brought up in an area that seems to value virginity allows Adam to pull her into bed before they've known one another for a full week. I know she put up a small amount of resistance but...sorry, I wasn't convinced. Their whole relationship developed from meeting to marriage within a week and this just...I know it was fake, okay? I know that he didn't really love her, but I still can't see what she saw in him. Now that I'm writing this down, it occurs to me that she'd been lonely for the last three years and then, suddenly, there was Adam. Maybe that was where the attraction truly lay?
Overall, I'm the tiniest bit sad. This was on my to-read pile for over a year, and, when I finally had the time to pick up a book that's almost 600 pages long, I was really excited about it. I liked the book, and I'd still reccomend this series to anyone who's interested in Norse mythology, or just likes books with strong heroines.
I'll start with the things I loved. First off, LOKI. I'm sorry Thor fans, you may think Marvel has the best version of Loki, but you're wrong. The best version of Loki is Joanne Harris's. Then, obviously, Maddy. She's still an awesome heroine. I would've liked to see her and Loki interact more because they seem to be friends and Loki doesn't have many of those, but this was essentially a three plot book. It followed Maddy, Loki and Maggie seperately and brought them all together at the end. I liked Perth too - he was a lot like Loki but I still liked him. As usual for this series, it's brilliantly quotable too!
My main issue, I think, was Maggie (and her entire relationship with Adam, but I'll get to that in a minute). She's been brought up in World's End, which appears to be rather sexist, and we're told several times that she values purity/modesty/other stereotypically female virtues. All of this so far is fine, and I was actually impressed at how different she was to Maddy...on paper. You see, I'm not sure when exactly it happened, but she'd kind of turned into Maddy by the middle. This annoyed me. Not to mention the fact that this girl who has been brought up in an area that seems to value virginity allows Adam to pull her into bed before they've known one another for a full week. I know she put up a small amount of resistance but...sorry, I wasn't convinced. Their whole relationship developed from meeting to marriage within a week and this just...I know it was fake, okay? I know that he didn't really love her, but I still can't see what she saw in him. Now that I'm writing this down, it occurs to me that she'd been lonely for the last three years and then, suddenly, there was Adam. Maybe that was where the attraction truly lay?
Overall, I'm the tiniest bit sad. This was on my to-read pile for over a year, and, when I finally had the time to pick up a book that's almost 600 pages long, I was really excited about it. I liked the book, and I'd still reccomend this series to anyone who's interested in Norse mythology, or just likes books with strong heroines.
March 22, 2024
I can’t really say why but this book just kind of disappointed me.
February 21, 2012
Runelight is a rather convoluted sequel to Runemarks, so it’s definitely a good idea to read the first book (which I did not, lesson learnt).
Simply put, the story of Runelight follows two magical girls, six hundred miles apart, who both have a runemark on their skin, a symbol of the Old Days when the Worlds were ruled by the gods from their sky citadel, Asgard. However, the famed citadel of Asgard now lies in ruins and the gods’ power has been destroyed. Or so everyone thinks...
The most complicated things about Runelight are the characters. There are many different characters, all with different personalities and motives, and it’s often hard to keep track of what everyone’s doing.
The best thing about this novel is the construction of the worlds. The Map Of The Nine Worlds at the beginning is simply incredible to behold and every location in the novel is well thought out, imaginative, and filled with colour.
The inclusion of the Norse gods is excellent and the character of Thor is surprisingly amusing, what with him constantly wanting to fight everyone and getting into trouble more often than the son of Odin really should be.
However, the downside of this book is that it never really seems to get going. It stops and starts along for the first hundred pages and then settles down to a pace that probably won’t hold the interest younger readers.
It's a pretty good read and I'd recommend it to lovers of fantasy or the Norse gods.
Simply put, the story of Runelight follows two magical girls, six hundred miles apart, who both have a runemark on their skin, a symbol of the Old Days when the Worlds were ruled by the gods from their sky citadel, Asgard. However, the famed citadel of Asgard now lies in ruins and the gods’ power has been destroyed. Or so everyone thinks...
The most complicated things about Runelight are the characters. There are many different characters, all with different personalities and motives, and it’s often hard to keep track of what everyone’s doing.
The best thing about this novel is the construction of the worlds. The Map Of The Nine Worlds at the beginning is simply incredible to behold and every location in the novel is well thought out, imaginative, and filled with colour.
The inclusion of the Norse gods is excellent and the character of Thor is surprisingly amusing, what with him constantly wanting to fight everyone and getting into trouble more often than the son of Odin really should be.
However, the downside of this book is that it never really seems to get going. It stops and starts along for the first hundred pages and then settles down to a pace that probably won’t hold the interest younger readers.
It's a pretty good read and I'd recommend it to lovers of fantasy or the Norse gods.
May 15, 2012
AAAAAAH! Why did I not know that this was out yet??? I'd nearly given up on there being a sequel!
TO AMAZON!!!! CHAAAAARGE!!!
*waves credit card wildly*
(Might I just add that I'm glad everyone else here loves Loki as much as I do?)
***
What can I say? I loved this book just as much as the last one. There were sections I found boring (Maggie's), just as in the last book. Loki was his usual charming self. Maddy was pretty much a ninja. The other gods (Thor, Heimdall, Freyja, etc.) were fun to read about. All in all? A great book. And a long one, too, so that was good.
TO AMAZON!!!! CHAAAAARGE!!!
*waves credit card wildly*
(Might I just add that I'm glad everyone else here loves Loki as much as I do?)
***
What can I say? I loved this book just as much as the last one. There were sections I found boring (Maggie's), just as in the last book. Loki was his usual charming self. Maddy was pretty much a ninja. The other gods (Thor, Heimdall, Freyja, etc.) were fun to read about. All in all? A great book. And a long one, too, so that was good.
June 19, 2017
De Noorse goden hebben hun gezag verloren. Allerlei demonen zijn ontsnapt uit de Chaos. Een jonge tweeling is voorbestemd om te helpen de Orde te herstellen.
ProBiblio-gegevens:
Genre: sprookjes
Trefwoord(en): Magie, Runen, Queesten
NUR: Fictie 13 - 15 jaar (284)
Leeftijdscategorie: Voor kinderen van 13 j. e.o
Okay. Dit is een jeugdboek, althans volgens het ProBiblio etiket een 'C'-boek. Maar volgens Probiblio is het ook een sprookjes-boek. Ik zou het zelf liever 'fantasy' willen noemen, want bij sprookjes denk ik eerder aan zoete boekjes met spoken zoals Casper etc. waarin alles goed komt. Nou, dat is in dit boek dus niet het geval. O, aan het einde is natuurlijk alles weer okay, maar dan anders...
Toen ik het boek uit de kast 'Young Adult' haalde, wist ik niet dat het een tweede deel uit een serie was, gelukkig was er een verklarende hoofdstuk, dat in het kort het vorige boek aanhaalde.
Boek was wat lastig te lezen, elk hoofdstuk had zijn eigen POV (Loki, Malin en Maggie) en terwijl de hoofdstukken in eerste in instantie verschillend lijken, kwamen ze plotseling samen en werd alles onthuld.
ProBiblio-gegevens:
Genre: sprookjes
Trefwoord(en): Magie, Runen, Queesten
NUR: Fictie 13 - 15 jaar (284)
Leeftijdscategorie: Voor kinderen van 13 j. e.o
Okay. Dit is een jeugdboek, althans volgens het ProBiblio etiket een 'C'-boek. Maar volgens Probiblio is het ook een sprookjes-boek. Ik zou het zelf liever 'fantasy' willen noemen, want bij sprookjes denk ik eerder aan zoete boekjes met spoken zoals Casper etc. waarin alles goed komt. Nou, dat is in dit boek dus niet het geval. O, aan het einde is natuurlijk alles weer okay, maar dan anders...
Toen ik het boek uit de kast 'Young Adult' haalde, wist ik niet dat het een tweede deel uit een serie was, gelukkig was er een verklarende hoofdstuk, dat in het kort het vorige boek aanhaalde.
Boek was wat lastig te lezen, elk hoofdstuk had zijn eigen POV (Loki, Malin en Maggie) en terwijl de hoofdstukken in eerste in instantie verschillend lijken, kwamen ze plotseling samen en werd alles onthuld.
January 29, 2019
On the whole, a great story. There's just a couple of elements that didn't really land with me.
I suppose the jokes about marriage being hell fit with Loki's character, but they seemed a little too close to being the narrator's view. It was a bit....70s male comedian, at times.
The other thing I never fully made peace with, was Harris's decision to give religious female characters headscarves called berghas, which seem to be similar in design to burkhas (or, to be more accurate, hijabs as popularly misnamed). The Order is definitely based off Christianity, and at one point the characters pass some background people wearing what sound like niqabs, so I rather wonder what the point is supposed to be. After all, modesty-preserving headwear is not exclusive to Islam.
I suppose the jokes about marriage being hell fit with Loki's character, but they seemed a little too close to being the narrator's view. It was a bit....70s male comedian, at times.
The other thing I never fully made peace with, was Harris's decision to give religious female characters headscarves called berghas, which seem to be similar in design to burkhas (or, to be more accurate, hijabs as popularly misnamed). The Order is definitely based off Christianity, and at one point the characters pass some background people wearing what sound like niqabs, so I rather wonder what the point is supposed to be. After all, modesty-preserving headwear is not exclusive to Islam.
March 12, 2018
3.5*?
Such a fun, nostalgic read! I absolutely love all things Norse Mythology and the way Harris adapted it (except for Skøl, Haiti and Fenris, but hey, taste and stuff). It was a little long for the story it had to tell, maybe, but she's a master of dramatic and fun reveals (could this character *gasp* be a Norse god? Yes, yes they can!) that never get quite dull. I hope that, if she continues this series, she'll put a little more effort in characterising characters like Sif and Freyja and Bragi just as amazingly as she's portrayed Loki and Odin.
Such a fun, nostalgic read! I absolutely love all things Norse Mythology and the way Harris adapted it (except for Skøl, Haiti and Fenris, but hey, taste and stuff). It was a little long for the story it had to tell, maybe, but she's a master of dramatic and fun reveals (could this character *gasp* be a Norse god? Yes, yes they can!) that never get quite dull. I hope that, if she continues this series, she'll put a little more effort in characterising characters like Sif and Freyja and Bragi just as amazingly as she's portrayed Loki and Odin.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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May 5, 2017
Read this review, and many more on my blog October Tune!
The Order is destroyed, but everything is far from over. In World’s End, a girl named Maggie is about to learn a lot about her past. In Malbry, the Gods are trying their best to stop the world from ending, but with Odin the Allfather dead, Ragnarok may mean the end of Aesir and Vanir alike. They must find out the truth behind a mysterious prophecy, stop the world from ending and rebuild Asgard. Piece of cake.
At the beginning of this year, I found out about Runemarks, a fictional book about Norse Gods. I had been a fan of Norse Mythology for a while now, and I was a bit saddened by the fact that there were hardly any fictional books about it; there were plenty for Greek and Roman Mythology, but only a handful for Norse. Then, I found Runemarks and immediately fell in love with the summary. I purchased the book, read it and loved it to bits. When I was in Newcastle, one of the books on my list was Runelight, and Waterstones just happened to have one copy with the right cover (the one that fits my Runemarks cover); so of course, I bought it.
Almost all the characters from the previous book are in Runelight as well. There’s Maddy Smith, who I thought was the main character, but I don’t really think there’s a main character at all in this book (but if it is, it would be Maddy). The Æsir and Vanir Gods (including Thor, Loki and Frigg), Skadi of the Ice people, a goblin called Sugar-and-Sack; and of course the people of Malbry (including Crazy Old Nan Fey, Mae Smith, Adam Scattergood). And there were some new characters; Maggie Rede (not to be confused with Maddy), Sigyn, Angrboda, Jolly, Fenris, Skól, Haiti, Hughie and Mandy, and a horse called Sleipnir.
Out of these new characters, I have to say I liked Hughie and Mandy the most, though I have to admit throughout the book I wasn’t entirely sure of their loyalty to the people they swore loyalty to. In the end, it was kind of obvious who they were loyal to and I could have slapped myself for not realising that sooner. I liked reading about them, about their plans and their schemes.
I loved reading about the Gods trying to make sense of the prophecy that Ethel had made, about their fight against the creatures that escaped from dream and eventually their journey to World’s End, where after a while they realised they really needed Loki (who’d have thought?!). I especially liked their traveling carnival and I would pay to see a movie made just out of their adventures as that carnival.
The book was divided into several ‘books’, each with a nice little quote at the beginning. There were also some nursery rhymes (one including an old lady flying a washing basket), and the prophecy that Ethel made of course, the one that the Gods had to figure out before traveling to World’s End. In the end, when the parts of the prophecy came true, I have to say it surprised me because I had never expected certain things to go the way they went.
I just love Joanne Harris’ writing, though it’s not really simple, kind of the same as Lord of the Rings and the Trials of the Core perhaps, with several (made-up?) words that were very difficult for me to pronounce and understand, lots of talking in accents (mainly from Hughie) and of course lots of talk about Ragnarok, Chaos, Hel, Asgard etc. This book also teaches the reader more about Norse Mythology, and makes you curious to know even more (at least that’s what it did to me). I really really loved it! I am definitely going to check out more of Harris’ books.
As I said before, Hunin/Hughie talked in a very strong accent in his human aspect, and sometimes I just couldn’t understand what he was saying. So after a while, I just skipped the words that were too hard and got along just fine. There were also the inhabitants of Malbry talking in accents. Though those accents weren’t as strong as Hughie’s and I could manage to read them just fine.
There was also the whole changing POV’s still, which made me realise that this book didn’t really have a proper main character at all, though in my head it’s still Maddy. And there was some confusion with several names. There was Maddy Smith, Maggie Rede and Mandy. I especially confused Maddy and Mandy a lot of times, and then I started asking myself why Mandy was in Maggie’s room, or why Mandy was suddenly riding Jorgie/Jormungand.
The final battle, to save World’s End; to restore Order and banish Chaos was amazing. The Rainbow Bridge (which always makes me think of Mario Kart) made an appearance, and the three riders; Carnage, Treachery and Lunacy (two of those who were very surprising) were really awesome. Of course, several moments during the story I asked myself if the Gods were ever going to have some luck for once, but in the end it all worked out and the book had an amazing and satisfying ending, in my opinion.
I loved Runelight as much as I loved Runemarks, and I will definitely recommend these two books to everyone who loves a good story about love, friendship and Norse Gods.
The Order is destroyed, but everything is far from over. In World’s End, a girl named Maggie is about to learn a lot about her past. In Malbry, the Gods are trying their best to stop the world from ending, but with Odin the Allfather dead, Ragnarok may mean the end of Aesir and Vanir alike. They must find out the truth behind a mysterious prophecy, stop the world from ending and rebuild Asgard. Piece of cake.
At the beginning of this year, I found out about Runemarks, a fictional book about Norse Gods. I had been a fan of Norse Mythology for a while now, and I was a bit saddened by the fact that there were hardly any fictional books about it; there were plenty for Greek and Roman Mythology, but only a handful for Norse. Then, I found Runemarks and immediately fell in love with the summary. I purchased the book, read it and loved it to bits. When I was in Newcastle, one of the books on my list was Runelight, and Waterstones just happened to have one copy with the right cover (the one that fits my Runemarks cover); so of course, I bought it.
Almost all the characters from the previous book are in Runelight as well. There’s Maddy Smith, who I thought was the main character, but I don’t really think there’s a main character at all in this book (but if it is, it would be Maddy). The Æsir and Vanir Gods (including Thor, Loki and Frigg), Skadi of the Ice people, a goblin called Sugar-and-Sack; and of course the people of Malbry (including Crazy Old Nan Fey, Mae Smith, Adam Scattergood). And there were some new characters; Maggie Rede (not to be confused with Maddy), Sigyn, Angrboda, Jolly, Fenris, Skól, Haiti, Hughie and Mandy, and a horse called Sleipnir.
Out of these new characters, I have to say I liked Hughie and Mandy the most, though I have to admit throughout the book I wasn’t entirely sure of their loyalty to the people they swore loyalty to. In the end, it was kind of obvious who they were loyal to and I could have slapped myself for not realising that sooner. I liked reading about them, about their plans and their schemes.
I loved reading about the Gods trying to make sense of the prophecy that Ethel had made, about their fight against the creatures that escaped from dream and eventually their journey to World’s End, where after a while they realised they really needed Loki (who’d have thought?!). I especially liked their traveling carnival and I would pay to see a movie made just out of their adventures as that carnival.
The book was divided into several ‘books’, each with a nice little quote at the beginning. There were also some nursery rhymes (one including an old lady flying a washing basket), and the prophecy that Ethel made of course, the one that the Gods had to figure out before traveling to World’s End. In the end, when the parts of the prophecy came true, I have to say it surprised me because I had never expected certain things to go the way they went.
I just love Joanne Harris’ writing, though it’s not really simple, kind of the same as Lord of the Rings and the Trials of the Core perhaps, with several (made-up?) words that were very difficult for me to pronounce and understand, lots of talking in accents (mainly from Hughie) and of course lots of talk about Ragnarok, Chaos, Hel, Asgard etc. This book also teaches the reader more about Norse Mythology, and makes you curious to know even more (at least that’s what it did to me). I really really loved it! I am definitely going to check out more of Harris’ books.
As I said before, Hunin/Hughie talked in a very strong accent in his human aspect, and sometimes I just couldn’t understand what he was saying. So after a while, I just skipped the words that were too hard and got along just fine. There were also the inhabitants of Malbry talking in accents. Though those accents weren’t as strong as Hughie’s and I could manage to read them just fine.
There was also the whole changing POV’s still, which made me realise that this book didn’t really have a proper main character at all, though in my head it’s still Maddy. And there was some confusion with several names. There was Maddy Smith, Maggie Rede and Mandy. I especially confused Maddy and Mandy a lot of times, and then I started asking myself why Mandy was in Maggie’s room, or why Mandy was suddenly riding Jorgie/Jormungand.
The final battle, to save World’s End; to restore Order and banish Chaos was amazing. The Rainbow Bridge (which always makes me think of Mario Kart) made an appearance, and the three riders; Carnage, Treachery and Lunacy (two of those who were very surprising) were really awesome. Of course, several moments during the story I asked myself if the Gods were ever going to have some luck for once, but in the end it all worked out and the book had an amazing and satisfying ending, in my opinion.
I loved Runelight as much as I loved Runemarks, and I will definitely recommend these two books to everyone who loves a good story about love, friendship and Norse Gods.
August 13, 2022
A great ending to this series.
August 15, 2013
Opinião do blogue Chaise Longue: http://girlinchaiselongue.blogspot.pt...
Quando tinha dezanove anos, Joanne escreveu uma história sobre magia, deuses e demandas, uma história guardada na gaveta chamada Witchlight que foi recusado pelos editores até a autora a tornar uma história de mãe e filha, algo privado entre ambas e até imaginada por ambas até que Anouchka achou que outras pessoas deviam conhecer a história de que ela tanto gostava e convenceu a mãe a voltar a mostrá-la aos editores e, desta vez, renascida como Crónicas das Runas, a história viu a luz.
Publicado em 2011, A Luz das Runas foi traduzido para dez línguas e é para já o fim das Crónicas das Runas até a autora cumprir a promessa de regressar a este mundo e terminar a história de Maggie.
Três anos depois, o Caos instalou-se e Maggie perdeu tudo o que tinha: a sua casa, a sua família, o seu mundo. Mas um encontro inesperado coloca-a no meio de uma profecia que revela estranhos factos sobre si própria e a meio caminho de conhecer a sua verdadeira família, os demónios que odeiam profundamente. O Fim dos Mundos aproxima-se e o tique-taque do relógio não perdoa. Sem o General, os deuses sentem-se perdidos mas Maddy é mais uma vez chave mas será preciso mais que força de vontade para reerguer Asgard.
A Marca das Runas surpreendeu por mostrar uma faceta mais divertida e sonhadora de Joanne Harris e este livro segue o mesmo caminho que o anterior apesar de por vezes ter um lado mais sombrio, condizente com o que é habitual na escrita da autora. De uma forma criativa e imaginativa, Joanne escreveu um conto familiar que dá uma nova vida e um lado mais hilariante e humano às lendas nórdicas. Numa demanda de magia, astúcia e coragem o fim depende das escolhas, do esquecimento das diferenças e da união pelo mesmo objectivo mas principalmente pela capacidade de sonhar e acreditar. Uma história de aventuras, este livro mantém mesmo assim a complexidade e algo do lado mais negro da autora bem como a sua ironia sempre patente e a divisão entre o bem e o mal, a magia e a religião, a sanidade e a loucura.
Como um conto de fadas moderno, uma fábula de aprendizagem, esta narrativa é pautada por uma demanda onde profecias têm de ser cumpridas e provas são colocadas aos heróis para que estes demonstrem se são merecedores do prémio final mas onde o Bem e o Mal não são tão lineares nem assim tão diferentes e apenas se distinguem pela sua perspectiva e desejos, pela forma como os levam a cabo. Parece uma história fácil, quase de crianças, ingénua e espirituosa mas nas entrelinhas quase se consegue sentir a densidade por trás de gestos que parecem tão simples e de palavras quase inocentes. É preciso talento para construir algo assim, colorido, extremamente divertido e doce e mesmo assim manter a escuridão da alma humana e os grandes dilemas que nos assombram.
Apesar do tamanho, esta é uma história que fluí sem quase darmos por ela e muitas são as gargalhadas que nos arranca. Cheia de peripécias, mistérios e muitas surpresas, reflecte sobre a família, as nossas origens, o futuro e as esperanças de que vivemos diariamente, num ambiente fantástico onde os deuses não são perfeitos e poderosos mas muitas vezes trapalhões e ingénuos. É óbvio que não apresenta o suspense de que estamos habituados por parte da autora mas o seu talento para criar situações que não são o que parecem ou tornar o improvável bastante óbvio está bem latente nas reviravoltas do enredo. Também a dualidade é aqui representada, quer por Maggie e Maddy, quer pela Ordem e o Caos, a racionalidade ou a loucura. Tudo tem dois lados, duas versões, duas maneiras de se ver ou se pensar, não existindo uma verdade ou um bem absoluto.
Se a história em si é algo de mágico acabam por ser as personagens o verdadeiro encanto desta demanda. Cheias de graça e sabedoria, trapaceiras ou inocentes, loucas ou racionais, todas elas nos enchem de afeição e nos conquistam cada uma à sua maneira. Loki, uma personagem bem Harris, seduz-nos, irrita-nos, nunca nos deixa indiferentes. Já as gémeas, tão iguais e tão opostas, são como dois lados de uma moeda, e cada uma à sua maneira tem um encanto próprio que deixa o leitor do seu lado. Mas para mim, a personagem mais fantástica foi Nan Tonta, a velha louca que é muito mais do que aparenta.
Um ciclo que se fecha e que nos faz desejar uma continuação, A Luz das Runas pode não ser um grande livro mas é sem dúvida uma história que se partilha, que nos permite viajar por outros mundos, que traz a criança que há em nós ao de cima. E, é sem dúvida a prova, de que seja o que for que escreva, Joanne Harris é uma escritora genial.
Quando tinha dezanove anos, Joanne escreveu uma história sobre magia, deuses e demandas, uma história guardada na gaveta chamada Witchlight que foi recusado pelos editores até a autora a tornar uma história de mãe e filha, algo privado entre ambas e até imaginada por ambas até que Anouchka achou que outras pessoas deviam conhecer a história de que ela tanto gostava e convenceu a mãe a voltar a mostrá-la aos editores e, desta vez, renascida como Crónicas das Runas, a história viu a luz.
Publicado em 2011, A Luz das Runas foi traduzido para dez línguas e é para já o fim das Crónicas das Runas até a autora cumprir a promessa de regressar a este mundo e terminar a história de Maggie.
Três anos depois, o Caos instalou-se e Maggie perdeu tudo o que tinha: a sua casa, a sua família, o seu mundo. Mas um encontro inesperado coloca-a no meio de uma profecia que revela estranhos factos sobre si própria e a meio caminho de conhecer a sua verdadeira família, os demónios que odeiam profundamente. O Fim dos Mundos aproxima-se e o tique-taque do relógio não perdoa. Sem o General, os deuses sentem-se perdidos mas Maddy é mais uma vez chave mas será preciso mais que força de vontade para reerguer Asgard.
A Marca das Runas surpreendeu por mostrar uma faceta mais divertida e sonhadora de Joanne Harris e este livro segue o mesmo caminho que o anterior apesar de por vezes ter um lado mais sombrio, condizente com o que é habitual na escrita da autora. De uma forma criativa e imaginativa, Joanne escreveu um conto familiar que dá uma nova vida e um lado mais hilariante e humano às lendas nórdicas. Numa demanda de magia, astúcia e coragem o fim depende das escolhas, do esquecimento das diferenças e da união pelo mesmo objectivo mas principalmente pela capacidade de sonhar e acreditar. Uma história de aventuras, este livro mantém mesmo assim a complexidade e algo do lado mais negro da autora bem como a sua ironia sempre patente e a divisão entre o bem e o mal, a magia e a religião, a sanidade e a loucura.
Como um conto de fadas moderno, uma fábula de aprendizagem, esta narrativa é pautada por uma demanda onde profecias têm de ser cumpridas e provas são colocadas aos heróis para que estes demonstrem se são merecedores do prémio final mas onde o Bem e o Mal não são tão lineares nem assim tão diferentes e apenas se distinguem pela sua perspectiva e desejos, pela forma como os levam a cabo. Parece uma história fácil, quase de crianças, ingénua e espirituosa mas nas entrelinhas quase se consegue sentir a densidade por trás de gestos que parecem tão simples e de palavras quase inocentes. É preciso talento para construir algo assim, colorido, extremamente divertido e doce e mesmo assim manter a escuridão da alma humana e os grandes dilemas que nos assombram.
Apesar do tamanho, esta é uma história que fluí sem quase darmos por ela e muitas são as gargalhadas que nos arranca. Cheia de peripécias, mistérios e muitas surpresas, reflecte sobre a família, as nossas origens, o futuro e as esperanças de que vivemos diariamente, num ambiente fantástico onde os deuses não são perfeitos e poderosos mas muitas vezes trapalhões e ingénuos. É óbvio que não apresenta o suspense de que estamos habituados por parte da autora mas o seu talento para criar situações que não são o que parecem ou tornar o improvável bastante óbvio está bem latente nas reviravoltas do enredo. Também a dualidade é aqui representada, quer por Maggie e Maddy, quer pela Ordem e o Caos, a racionalidade ou a loucura. Tudo tem dois lados, duas versões, duas maneiras de se ver ou se pensar, não existindo uma verdade ou um bem absoluto.
Se a história em si é algo de mágico acabam por ser as personagens o verdadeiro encanto desta demanda. Cheias de graça e sabedoria, trapaceiras ou inocentes, loucas ou racionais, todas elas nos enchem de afeição e nos conquistam cada uma à sua maneira. Loki, uma personagem bem Harris, seduz-nos, irrita-nos, nunca nos deixa indiferentes. Já as gémeas, tão iguais e tão opostas, são como dois lados de uma moeda, e cada uma à sua maneira tem um encanto próprio que deixa o leitor do seu lado. Mas para mim, a personagem mais fantástica foi Nan Tonta, a velha louca que é muito mais do que aparenta.
Um ciclo que se fecha e que nos faz desejar uma continuação, A Luz das Runas pode não ser um grande livro mas é sem dúvida uma história que se partilha, que nos permite viajar por outros mundos, que traz a criança que há em nós ao de cima. E, é sem dúvida a prova, de que seja o que for que escreva, Joanne Harris é uma escritora genial.
January 20, 2013
Yabba dabba doo! While there is no Fred Flintstone some of the Norse gods are painted in a cartoonish way. While I found the ravens with their Scottish accent enduring, the anachronistic wolfmen with their dude-speak was quite annoying. You'll have to read the book to decide for yourself who ye like and who ye dinnae like verra much (raven-speak). Actually you need to read the first book before this one because the author doesn't spend much time explaining the world she created in book 1. I had forgotten how the runes worked and who the Whisperer was before getting some glimpses on page 200 to jar my itty-bitty memory. But I like Norwegian mythology so inspite of the flaws, I did enjoy the tale and the author's twist on the creation story.
Maddy, the protagonist from book 1, Runemarks, is back and discovers that she has a sister, Maggie. The two have new runemarks that the gods want to use to build Asgard once again. As Maggie is used by one powerful god, Maddy is used by another. Neither blindly follow the gods and as they make friends they learn that trust can always be betrayed.
Maddy doesn't show up in the story until page 100 and like a dip I didn't figure out that Maggie was not Maddy until then. I have not read book one in a couple of years and had problems putting two and two together. Maggie's character is not as engaging as Maddy in book one and that was my biggest problem. I just couldn't buy Maggie and Adam as a couple. I kept thinking her strict upbringing would not have caused her to act as she did, although the author tries to show that it was loneliness that made her act as she did. Perhaps if the Whisperer had revealed some flaw or some hint of a love in his past, then I think I would have enjoyed the character development more. The threesome was a bit flat and I never got sucked into their story like Maddy's tale in book 1.
Loki is the most interesting character for me and again I found him fascinating. The author does a great job making him a complex web of good decisions and bad decisions. I found his wife annoying at first but her unconditional love is used in an interesting twist at the end that I didn't see coming. The Loki/Maddy interest in each other is dropped completely in this book.
The prophecy was yabba dabba dumb. I'm not usually that harsh but it was a lazy Fred Flintstonish way to not foreshadow the plot and with the rock-a-bye baby nursery rhyme I found myself gritting my teeth and skimming it so I didn't have to read it. I realize mythology is full of oracles and prophecies, but I wish the author had handled it differently. The ending suggests a sequel but I'm not sure. It would be just another reworking of the same plot. Book 1 and book 2 are basically saving the world from destruction. Book 3 would be saving the world from Maggie's Bamm-Bamm. Or would it?<
Young Adult
Maddy, the protagonist from book 1, Runemarks, is back and discovers that she has a sister, Maggie. The two have new runemarks that the gods want to use to build Asgard once again. As Maggie is used by one powerful god, Maddy is used by another. Neither blindly follow the gods and as they make friends they learn that trust can always be betrayed.
Maddy doesn't show up in the story until page 100 and like a dip I didn't figure out that Maggie was not Maddy until then. I have not read book one in a couple of years and had problems putting two and two together. Maggie's character is not as engaging as Maddy in book one and that was my biggest problem. I just couldn't buy Maggie and Adam as a couple. I kept thinking her strict upbringing would not have caused her to act as she did, although the author tries to show that it was loneliness that made her act as she did. Perhaps if the Whisperer had revealed some flaw or some hint of a love in his past, then I think I would have enjoyed the character development more. The threesome was a bit flat and I never got sucked into their story like Maddy's tale in book 1.
Loki is the most interesting character for me and again I found him fascinating. The author does a great job making him a complex web of good decisions and bad decisions. I found his wife annoying at first but her unconditional love is used in an interesting twist at the end that I didn't see coming. The Loki/Maddy interest in each other is dropped completely in this book.
The prophecy was yabba dabba dumb. I'm not usually that harsh but it was a lazy Fred Flintstonish way to not foreshadow the plot and with the rock-a-bye baby nursery rhyme I found myself gritting my teeth and skimming it so I didn't have to read it. I realize mythology is full of oracles and prophecies, but I wish the author had handled it differently. The ending suggests a sequel but I'm not sure. It would be just another reworking of the same plot. Book 1 and book 2 are basically saving the world from destruction. Book 3 would be saving the world from Maggie's Bamm-Bamm. Or would it?<
Young Adult
December 29, 2016
За съжаление сладникавата проза на Джоан Харис така и не намери гостоприемно място в читателското ми сърце през последните десетина години. Рунически знаци – първата част от нордическата ѝ епопея, беше обаче нещо различно – мрачно, обречено, оригинално като сетинг, със силна малка героиня, толкова лесна за идентифициране с интровертния и непреклонен характер на твърде рано порасналото дете в мен, а и с едно доста приятно черно чувство за хумор, което всяко добро дарк фентъзи трябва да има. Затова и очакванията ми към Руническата светлина бяха доста завишени – и, разбира се, разочарованието не закъсня.
Рагнарьок е минал без особени последствия за света вече три години. Боговете живеят като окаяни селяни и се дърлят по теми като цената на порцелана, жътвата и времето. Малката ни протагонистка Мади расте и по тийнейджърски става прекомерно чувствителна млада дама, на която предстои леко сърцераздирателна среща с отдавна изгубената ѝ сестра Маги, която е доста наивна и тесногръда спъната глупачка от Края на света, което не пречи да надуе корема от най-лошия избор на партньор, обсебен на всичкото отгоре от доста неприятен стар бог, демон или каквото там се води Мимир мъдрия. Локи си има семейни проблеми с бивши жени и неособено мъртви деца; Тор, очовеченият му чук и освинената му жена са също втора линия на фамилни недоразумения, а хаотичните връзки на противоречащи си биологични видове и плодовете от техните изродски отношения не пропускат да поскачат, лазят, пълзят и съскат наоколо.
Хубава лудница, към която се прибавят ордите на Хел и Съня, и всичко става на доста прилично визуално мазало. А, тъй като няма абсолютно никакво значение за имитацията на удоволствие от четенето на точно тази книга – да си знаете – вдигат Асгард накрая и всички са щастливи, лошите са сега-засега мъртви, и се оставя вратичка за продължение, което аз лично ще пропусна. Защото е тъжно един прекрасен малък образ да бъде окепазен до нещо скучно и предвидимо, с който само родата му може да се сравнява по отегчителност. Има някой и друг добър комичен момент, като вълци говорещи на съвременен сленг или гарвани мърморещи на суров шотландски в оригинал, които не пропускат да се сбият или натъпчат с всичко за ядене наоколо, докато чакат да блеснат в ролята си на достойни сайдкикове. Боговете в ролята им на хора са ми винаги били протяжна картинка, и меко казано разочароваща. Хайде моля човешката простотия да си остане само нашо си нещо, не е нужно по-висшите видове да са толкова смотани, колкото и предполагаемите им подопечни. Но, да, леко е за четене, кинематографично, и що-годе добро YA фентъзи. Ако Джоан Харис е вашата любима писачка – ами, браво на вас, ще си имате приятно лятно четиво.
Рагнарьок е минал без особени последствия за света вече три години. Боговете живеят като окаяни селяни и се дърлят по теми като цената на порцелана, жътвата и времето. Малката ни протагонистка Мади расте и по тийнейджърски става прекомерно чувствителна млада дама, на която предстои леко сърцераздирателна среща с отдавна изгубената ѝ сестра Маги, която е доста наивна и тесногръда спъната глупачка от Края на света, което не пречи да надуе корема от най-лошия избор на партньор, обсебен на всичкото отгоре от доста неприятен стар бог, демон или каквото там се води Мимир мъдрия. Локи си има семейни проблеми с бивши жени и неособено мъртви деца; Тор, очовеченият му чук и освинената му жена са също втора линия на фамилни недоразумения, а хаотичните връзки на противоречащи си биологични видове и плодовете от техните изродски отношения не пропускат да поскачат, лазят, пълзят и съскат наоколо.
Хубава лудница, към която се прибавят ордите на Хел и Съня, и всичко става на доста прилично визуално мазало. А, тъй като няма абсолютно никакво значение за имитацията на удоволствие от четенето на точно тази книга – да си знаете – вдигат Асгард накрая и всички са щастливи, лошите са сега-засега мъртви, и се оставя вратичка за продължение, което аз лично ще пропусна. Защото е тъжно един прекрасен малък образ да бъде окепазен до нещо скучно и предвидимо, с който само родата му може да се сравнява по отегчителност. Има някой и друг добър комичен момент, като вълци говорещи на съвременен сленг или гарвани мърморещи на суров шотландски в оригинал, които не пропускат да се сбият или натъпчат с всичко за ядене наоколо, докато чакат да блеснат в ролята си на достойни сайдкикове. Боговете в ролята им на хора са ми винаги били протяжна картинка, и меко казано разочароваща. Хайде моля човешката простотия да си остане само нашо си нещо, не е нужно по-висшите видове да са толкова смотани, колкото и предполагаемите им подопечни. Но, да, леко е за четене, кинематографично, и що-годе добро YA фентъзи. Ако Джоан Харис е вашата любима писачка – ами, браво на вас, ще си имате приятно лятно четиво.
December 14, 2012
It got a bit whiplashy towards the ending but it's still leagues ahead of any YA I've read so far. (Except maybe Seraphina.)
I don't know how I feel about these series. Normally, one would want author to continue. But would it be a good idea? What will be there to say, besides the resolving the problem of the baby? Will things simply come full circle again?
Can the circle be broken? Can Whisperer truly be destroyed? Will whatever cosmic force that imposes it allow such a thing?
Part of me that hates the idea of complete predestination would love it. But rational part of me is not sure how it could be executed plausibly without destroying the existence itself. The cowardly part of me does not want to see something that started out so well ruined. Yet another part does not want to see the mystique shattered.
Will I ever know what I want?
To clear up confusion a little:
ETA:
Okay, forgot to mention, about "romantic" elements:
Yay cliche subversion.
I also forgot legit strong female characters.(As in, "strong, female characters", not "strong female, characters".)
Why aren't these books more popular?
I don't know how I feel about these series. Normally, one would want author to continue. But would it be a good idea? What will be there to say, besides the resolving the problem of the baby? Will things simply come full circle again?
Can the circle be broken? Can Whisperer truly be destroyed? Will whatever cosmic force that imposes it allow such a thing?
Part of me that hates the idea of complete predestination would love it. But rational part of me is not sure how it could be executed plausibly without destroying the existence itself. The cowardly part of me does not want to see something that started out so well ruined. Yet another part does not want to see the mystique shattered.
Will I ever know what I want?
To clear up confusion a little:
ETA:
Okay, forgot to mention, about "romantic" elements:
Yay cliche subversion.
I also forgot legit strong female characters.(As in, "strong, female characters", not "strong female, characters".)
Why aren't these books more popular?
February 5, 2016
This was not a good book. I'm a very generous reader, and, to be sure, there were many many moments in this book that were a lot of fun. But the slog through 500 pages for these few moments simply isn't worth it. I don't write bad reviews. If I don't like a book, I just won't review it. But I was annoyed over and over again by what felt like poor content editing and, primarily, this regurgitation and reliance on outdated, boring, and deeply problematic gender roles. We get this in media and literature all the time, we criticize it, and move on. In this book, the narrative tension and archetypical development RELIED on gender roles. In 500 pages there is next to no real character building or deepening beyond further entrenching each archetype further into their respective roles. Thor's deepest complexity is a moment at the end of the book where he thinks he sees his daughter die and briefly wishes he could have told her that she wasn't so bad even though she wasn't a son. WHAT? The worst for me was a new character introduced into the world, Maggie, the sister of Maddy who was a compelling character from the first book (and who is sadly overlooked in this book). Maggie is supposedly a lot like Maddy, but in the span of a few days rejects her world views, falls in love with someone who is clearly creepy (someone she literally knows to be possessed), and is determined to get married in order to solve her current predicament. And it's not ironic. This character believes this. She's also brave, very smart, and courageous. There's no consistency or explanation for why this fiercely boring trope must exist in this book and in a character that doesn't support this dependency. I don't know. I liked Runemarks. It was fun. This is a crummy addition to the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2014
If it weren't for my exams, I would have finished this book a
lot faster than I did! Firstly, the plot: I loved how it all came together. Each chapter had different POVs (mainly Loki, Maddy and Maggie) and when at first the plots seemed separate, they suddenly came together and everything was revealed. I was kept guessing right up to the climax, which spanned several chapters and did justice to the previous 500+ pages. Secondly, the characters: my favourite was Loki. Mischievous, witty and cunning, all his scenes were hilarious and I especially loved his scenes with the other Gods, who only just about managed to resist beating him to a pulp. Maddy was as courageous and stubborn as always, and Maggie was similar but still another strong heroine in her own right. She made some stupid decisions and was a very flawed character, but I still liked her. Lastly, the prose: Joanne's writing is very descriptive and lovely to read, but sometimes it was a bit too elaborate. I didn't mind it, but if the only book you've managed to finish is The Hunger Games, then I think you might struggle a bit with Runelight. Still, Joanne writes with a lot of humour and the dialogue is snappy and realistic, which makes up for that. All in all, this a great sequel to Runemarks, with lots of action, plot twists and Loki's awesomeness. The only thing I regret (SPOILER ALERT: is that Loki didn't end up with Maddy, which is kinda what I was hoping for!)
lot faster than I did! Firstly, the plot: I loved how it all came together. Each chapter had different POVs (mainly Loki, Maddy and Maggie) and when at first the plots seemed separate, they suddenly came together and everything was revealed. I was kept guessing right up to the climax, which spanned several chapters and did justice to the previous 500+ pages. Secondly, the characters: my favourite was Loki. Mischievous, witty and cunning, all his scenes were hilarious and I especially loved his scenes with the other Gods, who only just about managed to resist beating him to a pulp. Maddy was as courageous and stubborn as always, and Maggie was similar but still another strong heroine in her own right. She made some stupid decisions and was a very flawed character, but I still liked her. Lastly, the prose: Joanne's writing is very descriptive and lovely to read, but sometimes it was a bit too elaborate. I didn't mind it, but if the only book you've managed to finish is The Hunger Games, then I think you might struggle a bit with Runelight. Still, Joanne writes with a lot of humour and the dialogue is snappy and realistic, which makes up for that. All in all, this a great sequel to Runemarks, with lots of action, plot twists and Loki's awesomeness. The only thing I regret (SPOILER ALERT: is that Loki didn't end up with Maddy, which is kinda what I was hoping for!)
December 28, 2017
Three things:
First: I love Joanne Harris – I've read most of her published novels, and most of the rest I own and they're patiently waiting on my to-read-shelf.
Second: The first Joanne Harris novel I ever read was Runemarks, in the German edition (Das Feuervolk), as a child, and I LOVED it. I'd always been interested in mythology and the Norse Gods, but this book really got me into that stuff even more. I re-read it several times, and was then devastated to learn that there was no second volume (or so I thought, because Runelight has never been translated into German for reasons unknown). Imagine my excitement many years later to realise that in fact there IS a sequel, and that by now my English skills allow me to read it.
Third: I did not like Runelight. In fact, I had to force myself to finish the book at all, and GR tells me that it took me months to do so. I'm not entirely sure what happened here, as I set out intending to adore this book with all my heart. Perhaps it is the fact that sometimes things we love as children don't resonate with us when we're adults. Perhaps my expectations were too high. Perhaps I should have re-read Runemarks before reading this one. I don't know, but I do think the fault is possibly not within the book itself, but in me. So I'll give this one away, and go back to believing that there never was a Runemarks sequel in this world, and I'll pick up other books by Ms. Harris to enjoy.
First: I love Joanne Harris – I've read most of her published novels, and most of the rest I own and they're patiently waiting on my to-read-shelf.
Second: The first Joanne Harris novel I ever read was Runemarks, in the German edition (Das Feuervolk), as a child, and I LOVED it. I'd always been interested in mythology and the Norse Gods, but this book really got me into that stuff even more. I re-read it several times, and was then devastated to learn that there was no second volume (or so I thought, because Runelight has never been translated into German for reasons unknown). Imagine my excitement many years later to realise that in fact there IS a sequel, and that by now my English skills allow me to read it.
Third: I did not like Runelight. In fact, I had to force myself to finish the book at all, and GR tells me that it took me months to do so. I'm not entirely sure what happened here, as I set out intending to adore this book with all my heart. Perhaps it is the fact that sometimes things we love as children don't resonate with us when we're adults. Perhaps my expectations were too high. Perhaps I should have re-read Runemarks before reading this one. I don't know, but I do think the fault is possibly not within the book itself, but in me. So I'll give this one away, and go back to believing that there never was a Runemarks sequel in this world, and I'll pick up other books by Ms. Harris to enjoy.
April 28, 2015
1-12-14 update
Between the publication of Runemarks and Runelight were 4 years. Runelight came out in 2011, and it's almost 2015..
There are some rumors that Joanne Harris is going to write a third book (she even said that she might herself!) so if everybody could just use all the wishes that come along to wish for that third book, that'd be great!
*spoiler free review*
Clever. So, so clever!
This book made me fall in love with the series and the characters (especially Loki, hehe) all over again! I read the first book back in 2008 I think, and it has always been my childhood favorite (seeing as Runemarks was the only book I possesed at the time, I read it over, and over, and OVER again)
It's been a few year since I've read it, though, but that wasn't a problem at all. I fell right into this one and I LOVED it and the plot-twists were incredibly clever and unpredictable and I LOVED it. I didn't see any of it coming.. I LOVED that. (Am I clear yet? I hope so, because I really LOVED this book)
This book is a piece of art and it will always be one of my favorites
ps. regretting the ships that never sailed
Between the publication of Runemarks and Runelight were 4 years. Runelight came out in 2011, and it's almost 2015..
There are some rumors that Joanne Harris is going to write a third book (she even said that she might herself!) so if everybody could just use all the wishes that come along to wish for that third book, that'd be great!
*spoiler free review*
Clever. So, so clever!
This book made me fall in love with the series and the characters (especially Loki, hehe) all over again! I read the first book back in 2008 I think, and it has always been my childhood favorite (seeing as Runemarks was the only book I possesed at the time, I read it over, and over, and OVER again)
It's been a few year since I've read it, though, but that wasn't a problem at all. I fell right into this one and I LOVED it and the plot-twists were incredibly clever and unpredictable and I LOVED it. I didn't see any of it coming.. I LOVED that. (Am I clear yet? I hope so, because I really LOVED this book)
This book is a piece of art and it will always be one of my favorites
ps. regretting the ships that never sailed
March 4, 2014
3.5 stars. Lacks a bit of the spark of the first (AMAZING) book, which cost it a half-star; it takes this story awhile longer to come together, or rather the two stories since we're following Maddy and the gods on one end and Maggie on the other for a good while before their paths collide. However, it was good to see the gods squabbling amongst themselves as entertainingly as before as they try to adapt to their new, mundane Aspects, and the twists and turns of the troublesome doomsday prophecy worked out very well, never exactly what you expect, which makes for some good second-guessing (even third-guessing) on the reader's part. Maggie, the lost twin, is a well-formed character--rule-bound and a bit up-tight, which is fully understandable considering her upbringing at the centre of the Order's domain, as are some of the unfortunate conclusions she jumps to. By the end, it feels like they might very well be a third book in the works to wrap up that one remaining loose end, but the main story-arc is resolved (for now) and it is not really a cliffhanger.
September 27, 2012
I borrowed Runelight from the school library ages ago ( a month ago = overdue book) and FINALLY finished the book today.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book Runemarks and was ecstatic when I saw Runelight.
So first things first, the reason why it took me so long to finish the novel was the first boring chapters. Personally, I was bored at the start. Harris's writing is fantastic and is of a proper author's talent, but it was literally exhausting to read the beginning pages.
HOWEVER...
Further in the book, the characters, conflicts and the way Joanne had written the story was incredible. I was glued and mesmerised with the originality and particularly the action and adventure woven into the chapters.
I was sitting on the edge of the chair during the final chapters.
Overall, Runelight is a compelling novel and it should amaze adventure/fantasy taste readers (such as myself). My advice: Be patient in the first couple of chapters.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book Runemarks and was ecstatic when I saw Runelight.
So first things first, the reason why it took me so long to finish the novel was the first boring chapters. Personally, I was bored at the start. Harris's writing is fantastic and is of a proper author's talent, but it was literally exhausting to read the beginning pages.
HOWEVER...
Further in the book, the characters, conflicts and the way Joanne had written the story was incredible. I was glued and mesmerised with the originality and particularly the action and adventure woven into the chapters.
I was sitting on the edge of the chair during the final chapters.
Overall, Runelight is a compelling novel and it should amaze adventure/fantasy taste readers (such as myself). My advice: Be patient in the first couple of chapters.
June 28, 2015
Runes, Magic, Loki, Chaos, Order, Dreams, Loki, Nursery Rhymes, Love, Betrayal, Loki, Prophecy, End of the World, Apocalypse, Cat's Cradle, Loki, Fish-Eating Horse, Flying Baskets, Loki... and so much more! This is storytelling at its finest. So many characters, each trying to steer the course as they see fit. And everything clicks into place as the climax builds up - Approach of Lord Surt, an aspect of Chaos.
Admittedly, Loki has fewer screen time (Or word count) compared to Runemarks. But I enjoyed his character the most. (Who wouldn't?)
The way the story ends, I think I can guess at what a sequel may hold, if there's one.
I must definitely learn from her how to write each page so that it makes the reader wonder if the very next one is the beginning of the climax.
Admittedly, Loki has fewer screen time (Or word count) compared to Runemarks. But I enjoyed his character the most. (Who wouldn't?)
The way the story ends, I think I can guess at what a sequel may hold, if there's one.
I must definitely learn from her how to write each page so that it makes the reader wonder if the very next one is the beginning of the climax.
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