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The Hanged God Trilogy #2
Shackled Fates
Following on the breakout success of Northern Wrath , Holdt weaves myth and history in a deeply magical saga.
As Ragnarok looms, the trickster Loki breaks free from his chains.
In the battle to come, all shall die, but Ragnar will do anything to save his gods.
Einer scours the nine worlds for Hilda, who walks among gods and goddesses, searching the truth of the Runes.
For centuries Siv has run from her past, but she knows that to protect her daughter, and Midgard, she will have to face her worst fears.
It is time to confront the Alfather.
As Ragnarok looms, the trickster Loki breaks free from his chains.
In the battle to come, all shall die, but Ragnar will do anything to save his gods.
Einer scours the nine worlds for Hilda, who walks among gods and goddesses, searching the truth of the Runes.
For centuries Siv has run from her past, but she knows that to protect her daughter, and Midgard, she will have to face her worst fears.
It is time to confront the Alfather.
569 pages, Paperback
Published October 26, 2021
17 people are currently reading
1065 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
March 10, 2022
Bend me over and call me Sally. Shackled Fates was somehow better than Northern Wrath and I LOVED it. Close your eyes and imagine waking up in another time, a time for brutality, a time for pain, a time of the gods. Holdt as always transports me into the rugged Norse landscape and has me instantly picking up a shield ready to defend both honour and family. You are walking through the blood-soaked plains, weapons are discarded, the ravens are flying overhead and the sound of metal upon metal can be heard in the distance. That’s why Holdt’s books are a special kind of magic.
Shackled Fates is a story about loss and friendship. If you have read any Norse fiction or TV show, you’ll know there is very rarely a happy ending. The author knows exactly what the reader needs at any given point. Do you want action? She’s got your back, need to believe in humanity again? She explores the nuances of what exactly makes up the human condition. In Northern Wrath, we had the Norse culture, but Shackled Fates take on the mythological aspect of their culture and I swallowed it up like a kid in a sweetie shop.
We are no longer solely having the story told in Midgard, we are now traveling between the worlds and became in love with the imagery that Holdt spun when the reader was introduced to Asgard. It was everything I had imagined and yet nothing like I imagined. The characters are focused and determined in their goals whether that’s saving the world from Ragnarök (my favourite of all the stories in Norse mythology) or searching for a loved one. I was rooting for some and hoping others would fail it was an emotional rollercoaster that had me pulling out my hair and crying at the same time – hot mess central.
Although Shackled Fates is a fiction story, I enjoyed the fact that the author kept the ideas unchangeable, it felt like historical fiction. The fates have been spun. Some of the fates are incredibly unkind and others seem to have been favoured by the gods. The characters must live their lives deemed by how the fates have been spun – the end game has been determined but the side quests are an open playing field.
“Asgard will stand even after the end, even if we will not. In red blood, it shall stand. Flooded in corpses. There are worse in the nine worlds than Ragnarök.”
I can foresee Holdt becoming an informative and inspirational influence in both fantasy and Norse fiction. I would compare her to other big name fantasy authors but really, I can’t – it would be a disservice to her talent because Thilde Koldt Holdt is in a league that is all her own.
Shackled Fates is a story about loss and friendship. If you have read any Norse fiction or TV show, you’ll know there is very rarely a happy ending. The author knows exactly what the reader needs at any given point. Do you want action? She’s got your back, need to believe in humanity again? She explores the nuances of what exactly makes up the human condition. In Northern Wrath, we had the Norse culture, but Shackled Fates take on the mythological aspect of their culture and I swallowed it up like a kid in a sweetie shop.
We are no longer solely having the story told in Midgard, we are now traveling between the worlds and became in love with the imagery that Holdt spun when the reader was introduced to Asgard. It was everything I had imagined and yet nothing like I imagined. The characters are focused and determined in their goals whether that’s saving the world from Ragnarök (my favourite of all the stories in Norse mythology) or searching for a loved one. I was rooting for some and hoping others would fail it was an emotional rollercoaster that had me pulling out my hair and crying at the same time – hot mess central.
Although Shackled Fates is a fiction story, I enjoyed the fact that the author kept the ideas unchangeable, it felt like historical fiction. The fates have been spun. Some of the fates are incredibly unkind and others seem to have been favoured by the gods. The characters must live their lives deemed by how the fates have been spun – the end game has been determined but the side quests are an open playing field.
“Asgard will stand even after the end, even if we will not. In red blood, it shall stand. Flooded in corpses. There are worse in the nine worlds than Ragnarök.”
I can foresee Holdt becoming an informative and inspirational influence in both fantasy and Norse fiction. I would compare her to other big name fantasy authors but really, I can’t – it would be a disservice to her talent because Thilde Koldt Holdt is in a league that is all her own.
October 27, 2022
Book 2 in The Hanged God trilogy picks up right where book 1 ends and expands the story greatly. I felt the same reading this as I did reading Northern Wrath. It's such an interesting look at Norse mythology and beliefs, feeling both like a fantasy story and historical fiction all at the same time. I find myself enthralled by the story and these characters, and in wonder about where this story will go. It's both fantastical and believable all at once. This is definitely an underrated story and one that needs to be read by more people. I've pre-ordered book 3, which should arrive here in the next week or two. I recommend for fans of fantasy. 4.5/5.0 stars.
October 18, 2021
ARC provided by NetGalley and Rebellion in exchange for an honest review
Shackled Fates picks up right after the explosive ending of Northern Wrath and definitely did not let me down. I immediately enjoyed that it all felt like a single epic saga. Even the chapter numbers continued on from the last book instead of starting over again. The overall progression from the first book to the second one was also handled immensely well and the evolution of the story came across as being very natural to me.
The first book started off almost like a historical fiction novel which began to introduce more and more mythological elements as our group of villagers from Ash Hill started encountering different elements of the Norse Mythos. Much of what made that book special was the intricate focus on Viking culture. Seeing the way they lived and what they believed in was extremely interesting and made everything feel authentic. In Shackled Fates, the author took that mythological aspect and made it the centerpiece of the entire experience. Instead of being primarily in Midgard we now traverse multiple realms meeting a huge number of different gods and creatures. Each of our characters had an exceptionally unique journey through the universe and it was fascinating. We got to visit Asgard and saw Valhalla in all its glory. We met characters like Freya and Loki. The World Serpent and Rán - goddess of the drowned. This is just a small glimpse of what we got to see and anyone even remotely interested in Norse culture should absolutely love it. All of this is culminating in a crazy finale which we get to see in a year and I am very excited.
To make things even better Shackled Fates fixed my main gripe with the previous novel which was that not all of the PoVs seemed necessary or compelling enough for me. I was always extremely happy to follow most of the cast but there were quite a few moments where we were put in the shoes of someone I did not fully care for which periodically brought down my enjoyment. This is entirely fixed in the sequel because every PoV was interesting and offered something unique to the story. I was also impressed because this also applied to characters who I was let down by in the first book.
This brings us to the only negative part of the novel - the ending. There were multiple things I felt were a little off compared to what I had been reading for so long. First of all, there was a very jarring time-skip right at the end. I understand the reasoning behind it and there were even lore explanations for this but it just felt weird to me. Part of this is connected to me being interested in the time period that was skipped over but part was definitely also the way it was introduced to the reader. I just felt really taken aback by that choice. We got to the actual finale right after and while it was an interesting scene it felt like it was lacking something. It wasn't even a bad scene but the ending of the last novel left me feeling hollow and emotional inside. Going from that to really enjoying myself for the majority of the sequel meant that I had quite high expectations which were sadly not met.
Overall, I had a great time with this novel. It is definitely an improvement on the first one and I am really excited to see where all this will take us. The journey was absolutely awesome and being immersed in the myths in this manner is immensely compelling to me. While the ending was a little disappointing it leaves us in a pretty good spot for the finale and I have full confidence that the author will deliver considering the improvement that I already noticed going from her debut to this. I can definitely recommend the series overall and anyone interested in Norse myths should feel right at home.
Death, Pain and Fear
Shackled Fates picks up right after the explosive ending of Northern Wrath and definitely did not let me down. I immediately enjoyed that it all felt like a single epic saga. Even the chapter numbers continued on from the last book instead of starting over again. The overall progression from the first book to the second one was also handled immensely well and the evolution of the story came across as being very natural to me.
The first book started off almost like a historical fiction novel which began to introduce more and more mythological elements as our group of villagers from Ash Hill started encountering different elements of the Norse Mythos. Much of what made that book special was the intricate focus on Viking culture. Seeing the way they lived and what they believed in was extremely interesting and made everything feel authentic. In Shackled Fates, the author took that mythological aspect and made it the centerpiece of the entire experience. Instead of being primarily in Midgard we now traverse multiple realms meeting a huge number of different gods and creatures. Each of our characters had an exceptionally unique journey through the universe and it was fascinating. We got to visit Asgard and saw Valhalla in all its glory. We met characters like Freya and Loki. The World Serpent and Rán - goddess of the drowned. This is just a small glimpse of what we got to see and anyone even remotely interested in Norse culture should absolutely love it. All of this is culminating in a crazy finale which we get to see in a year and I am very excited.
To make things even better Shackled Fates fixed my main gripe with the previous novel which was that not all of the PoVs seemed necessary or compelling enough for me. I was always extremely happy to follow most of the cast but there were quite a few moments where we were put in the shoes of someone I did not fully care for which periodically brought down my enjoyment. This is entirely fixed in the sequel because every PoV was interesting and offered something unique to the story. I was also impressed because this also applied to characters who I was let down by in the first book.
This brings us to the only negative part of the novel - the ending. There were multiple things I felt were a little off compared to what I had been reading for so long. First of all, there was a very jarring time-skip right at the end. I understand the reasoning behind it and there were even lore explanations for this but it just felt weird to me. Part of this is connected to me being interested in the time period that was skipped over but part was definitely also the way it was introduced to the reader. I just felt really taken aback by that choice. We got to the actual finale right after and while it was an interesting scene it felt like it was lacking something. It wasn't even a bad scene but the ending of the last novel left me feeling hollow and emotional inside. Going from that to really enjoying myself for the majority of the sequel meant that I had quite high expectations which were sadly not met.
Overall, I had a great time with this novel. It is definitely an improvement on the first one and I am really excited to see where all this will take us. The journey was absolutely awesome and being immersed in the myths in this manner is immensely compelling to me. While the ending was a little disappointing it leaves us in a pretty good spot for the finale and I have full confidence that the author will deliver considering the improvement that I already noticed going from her debut to this. I can definitely recommend the series overall and anyone interested in Norse myths should feel right at home.
May 21, 2023
Firstly I’d like to thank Hanna at Rebellion for sending me a physical arc of this book as well as a Kindle copy for an honest review. I am proud to say all of my reviews are completely unbiased.
I just want to say that I absolutely love the covers of these books and if you haven’t seen them all you can view them on Thilde’s website here. They all tell a story and this one is no different!
They aren’t massive books but they’re definitely above your average fantasy size coming in at an average amount of 636 pages. The chapters for the books are broken down as always into different points of view (POVs) and this is something I like a lot since reading A Song of Ice & Fire (Game of Thrones) because you always have a favourite character(s) and when you get to their chapter you’re excited to find out what is going to happen. The chapters aren’t in a specific order so you won’t get the same POVs following each other.
“They are often angry, the forefathers. We all are. It runs in our blood and lineage. As you will soon come to learn.”
The story in Shackled Fates follows on immediately from that in Northern Wrath (my review here) and the chapters continue too starting with chapter 69 and not resetting to 1 since this is the same story spread over 3 books. I can’t imagine Thilde trying to sell an 1,800 page debut novel!
This is a book I was very much looking forward to. I felt it was very much a character driven story with so many different POVs. Within these POVs there are of course secondary characters and these range from a Christian King to Norse gods to a Prince to giants to other beings. The main characters in this story are all chasing their own ideals, they all want their own things and sometimes this comes at the detriment of others within the nine worlds.
“Asgard will stand even after the end, even if we will not. In red blood it shall stand. Flooded in corpses. There are worse in the nine worlds than Ragnarok.”
The characters are so well written and diverse. There are Norse gods, many of whom you have never heard of, chieftains, warriors and many other beings spread across many worlds that you visit. Most importantly they all feel very real. For example, Odin and Loki are absolutely nailed. I mean like perfectly. Forget what you have seen in the Marvel films, which are great by the way, because this is much more gritty, realistic and entertaining. Odin has a certain air of authority about him that isn’t told but is shown so delicately that you yourself would tread carefully if you met him. Loki on the other hand is as devious as you can imagine and you won’t know whether to believe the words you read on the page or not. Their descriptions too are really well done and true to mythology and not Hollywood. I won’t say much about them because I want you to find out for yourself but they’re just brilliantly written and they leave a great first impression.
“‘In the Darkness.’ His whisper slithered dangerously over the battlefield.”
It’s not just the gods who are alive, there are the main characters who shine as brightly as Thor’s lightning. Einer is brilliant as always but so many other characters are developed deeper than what they had been in Northern Wrath. Characters like Finn, Tyra, Siv and Buntrugg (probably my favourite character next to Surt who is as equally awe inspiring as Odin!) all come to life from the pages that make you want to learn about the Nordic mythology and way of life. The writing in this book is a testament to Thilde’s expertise on the subject.
“‘Time is slipping faster and fast,’ Buntrugg observed. At first it had been harder to tell; the difference had been no more than a few days. But that was no longer true. The nine worlds were being wrenched apart.”
The dialogue between characters brings them to life and you can see how each character affects someone else with their words or actions. When you think one person is in control you later realise it was actually the other person all along and this is just the humans in the story.
The battles and fighting in this book are just as well written as the first one. Again I don’t want to drop anything at all but there are parts I really enjoyed because everything is written in a way that is easy to follow but equally fast moving within the story. Weapons clash off the pages and into your ears while the next death is only a page turn away.
“‘We are all mere tafl piece to Ragnarok,’ he reminded Einer. ‘No one calls upon the war between giants and gods. Ragnarok calls upon itself.’“
Worldbuilding to me is important because I love diving into a new world. If you read Northern Wrath then have no fear, the worldbuilding in this book is as good as the previous installment. This story originally focused on Midgard and now Thilde really fleshes out a lot of the lore and worlds from the old stories. You will be impressed as you are taken across worlds new and far, learning about how they are connected and who inhabits which place. There is certainly much less focus on the Christian religion part of this story as it focuses so much heavier on the impending Ragnarok and the battle of gods and giants.
“‘The nine worlds may have let you live,’ said his grandfather.’ But Ragnarok will not be as kind.'”
This is not like other viking stories. Yes this has “vikings” but it has so much more. Gods, monsters, myths, magic. It really captures everything you would ever want from a Norse story and splatters it across the pages for you to wade through. You will not read another Norse inspired story of this quality.
Rating 5/5 – Shackled Fates is a blockbuster sequel that somehow out performs everything the first book gave us. The characters are amazing, the story brilliant and the worlds, alive. This will keep you turning the pages until the early hours and will leave an impact on you akin to Thor’s hammer. I can’t wait to see what Thilde has lined up in Slaughtered Gods next year because this is a fantastic fantasy story that really brings Norse men, women and gods to life. Everyone should read this series. Fact.
You can buy both books in this series at The Broken Binding here and use the code BLURB5 to get a 5% discount on all orders.
I just want to say that I absolutely love the covers of these books and if you haven’t seen them all you can view them on Thilde’s website here. They all tell a story and this one is no different!
They aren’t massive books but they’re definitely above your average fantasy size coming in at an average amount of 636 pages. The chapters for the books are broken down as always into different points of view (POVs) and this is something I like a lot since reading A Song of Ice & Fire (Game of Thrones) because you always have a favourite character(s) and when you get to their chapter you’re excited to find out what is going to happen. The chapters aren’t in a specific order so you won’t get the same POVs following each other.
“They are often angry, the forefathers. We all are. It runs in our blood and lineage. As you will soon come to learn.”
The story in Shackled Fates follows on immediately from that in Northern Wrath (my review here) and the chapters continue too starting with chapter 69 and not resetting to 1 since this is the same story spread over 3 books. I can’t imagine Thilde trying to sell an 1,800 page debut novel!
This is a book I was very much looking forward to. I felt it was very much a character driven story with so many different POVs. Within these POVs there are of course secondary characters and these range from a Christian King to Norse gods to a Prince to giants to other beings. The main characters in this story are all chasing their own ideals, they all want their own things and sometimes this comes at the detriment of others within the nine worlds.
“Asgard will stand even after the end, even if we will not. In red blood it shall stand. Flooded in corpses. There are worse in the nine worlds than Ragnarok.”
The characters are so well written and diverse. There are Norse gods, many of whom you have never heard of, chieftains, warriors and many other beings spread across many worlds that you visit. Most importantly they all feel very real. For example, Odin and Loki are absolutely nailed. I mean like perfectly. Forget what you have seen in the Marvel films, which are great by the way, because this is much more gritty, realistic and entertaining. Odin has a certain air of authority about him that isn’t told but is shown so delicately that you yourself would tread carefully if you met him. Loki on the other hand is as devious as you can imagine and you won’t know whether to believe the words you read on the page or not. Their descriptions too are really well done and true to mythology and not Hollywood. I won’t say much about them because I want you to find out for yourself but they’re just brilliantly written and they leave a great first impression.
“‘In the Darkness.’ His whisper slithered dangerously over the battlefield.”
It’s not just the gods who are alive, there are the main characters who shine as brightly as Thor’s lightning. Einer is brilliant as always but so many other characters are developed deeper than what they had been in Northern Wrath. Characters like Finn, Tyra, Siv and Buntrugg (probably my favourite character next to Surt who is as equally awe inspiring as Odin!) all come to life from the pages that make you want to learn about the Nordic mythology and way of life. The writing in this book is a testament to Thilde’s expertise on the subject.
“‘Time is slipping faster and fast,’ Buntrugg observed. At first it had been harder to tell; the difference had been no more than a few days. But that was no longer true. The nine worlds were being wrenched apart.”
The dialogue between characters brings them to life and you can see how each character affects someone else with their words or actions. When you think one person is in control you later realise it was actually the other person all along and this is just the humans in the story.
The battles and fighting in this book are just as well written as the first one. Again I don’t want to drop anything at all but there are parts I really enjoyed because everything is written in a way that is easy to follow but equally fast moving within the story. Weapons clash off the pages and into your ears while the next death is only a page turn away.
“‘We are all mere tafl piece to Ragnarok,’ he reminded Einer. ‘No one calls upon the war between giants and gods. Ragnarok calls upon itself.’“
Worldbuilding to me is important because I love diving into a new world. If you read Northern Wrath then have no fear, the worldbuilding in this book is as good as the previous installment. This story originally focused on Midgard and now Thilde really fleshes out a lot of the lore and worlds from the old stories. You will be impressed as you are taken across worlds new and far, learning about how they are connected and who inhabits which place. There is certainly much less focus on the Christian religion part of this story as it focuses so much heavier on the impending Ragnarok and the battle of gods and giants.
“‘The nine worlds may have let you live,’ said his grandfather.’ But Ragnarok will not be as kind.'”
This is not like other viking stories. Yes this has “vikings” but it has so much more. Gods, monsters, myths, magic. It really captures everything you would ever want from a Norse story and splatters it across the pages for you to wade through. You will not read another Norse inspired story of this quality.
Rating 5/5 – Shackled Fates is a blockbuster sequel that somehow out performs everything the first book gave us. The characters are amazing, the story brilliant and the worlds, alive. This will keep you turning the pages until the early hours and will leave an impact on you akin to Thor’s hammer. I can’t wait to see what Thilde has lined up in Slaughtered Gods next year because this is a fantastic fantasy story that really brings Norse men, women and gods to life. Everyone should read this series. Fact.
You can buy both books in this series at The Broken Binding here and use the code BLURB5 to get a 5% discount on all orders.
November 11, 2021
I finished Shackled Fates at the beginning of the month, just in time for Norsevember. I think this installment is even stronger than its predecessor, Northern Wrath!
I enjoyed that Shackled Fates was a bit more heavy in lore. I was enthralled with the story and how our characters got tangled up in each other’s webs. Also, I am a huge fan of Loki. This book had a lot more Loki in it and in my opinion, that makes everything more interesting. If Loki is around, you’re guaranteed to be more entertained, for better or for worse. I think every portrayal of Loki I’ve read is different, which I love. Holdt manages to capture his cunning, trickster side while casting a slightly new light on him. He had a humanity in him driving his trickster ways. I think ALL of the featured Gods seemed a bit more human than we usually see and less untouchable.
There’s a focus on the way Christianity swept in, which I think is important in Nordic books. Popular culture often portray the Scandavians as the aggressor because of their love for battle, but the Christians of this time were just as brutal, especially when defied. They weren’t kind to anyone who didn’t convert to their faith.
I always find interpretation of The Fates in different mythologies to be so intriguing. In fact, I have a print hanging in my room of the mythological Fates cutting the Thread of Life. This was my first time really getting to hear about the Nordic Fates, so I was super excited. Greek and Roman mythologies are often compared for their similarities but Norse myths share quite a few with them, as well. The way The Fates were incorporated into the ending had goosebumps rising on my skin. That ending is definitely one of the most memorable ones I’ve read all year!
I cannot wait for the next installment. Thank you to Rebellion for the physical and ebook ARCs!
I enjoyed that Shackled Fates was a bit more heavy in lore. I was enthralled with the story and how our characters got tangled up in each other’s webs. Also, I am a huge fan of Loki. This book had a lot more Loki in it and in my opinion, that makes everything more interesting. If Loki is around, you’re guaranteed to be more entertained, for better or for worse. I think every portrayal of Loki I’ve read is different, which I love. Holdt manages to capture his cunning, trickster side while casting a slightly new light on him. He had a humanity in him driving his trickster ways. I think ALL of the featured Gods seemed a bit more human than we usually see and less untouchable.
There’s a focus on the way Christianity swept in, which I think is important in Nordic books. Popular culture often portray the Scandavians as the aggressor because of their love for battle, but the Christians of this time were just as brutal, especially when defied. They weren’t kind to anyone who didn’t convert to their faith.
I always find interpretation of The Fates in different mythologies to be so intriguing. In fact, I have a print hanging in my room of the mythological Fates cutting the Thread of Life. This was my first time really getting to hear about the Nordic Fates, so I was super excited. Greek and Roman mythologies are often compared for their similarities but Norse myths share quite a few with them, as well. The way The Fates were incorporated into the ending had goosebumps rising on my skin. That ending is definitely one of the most memorable ones I’ve read all year!
I cannot wait for the next installment. Thank you to Rebellion for the physical and ebook ARCs!
September 10, 2022
Le troisième et dernier tome de la trilogie The hanged god sort dans moins de deux mois, il était temps de me mettre à jour ! Après un excellent Northern Wrath qui nous a plongé dans les conflits entre vikings et chrétiens pour révéler des intrigues mythologiques, ce second tome reprend l’histoire après quelques drames. Mais la mort n’est que le commencement.
Les survivants de Ash-hill poursuivent leurs quêtes. Après l’attaque de Magadoborg, Einer traine sa carcasse pleine de flèches avec une idée fixe : Retrouver Hilda. Il lui faudra un peu d’aide pour aller à Asgard alors qu’il peine à contenir la rage des Forefathers, parce que la guerrière n’est plus à Midgard, elle continue de suivre le chemin que lui souffle les runes, à travers les neuf mondes. De son côté, Siv fait le nécessaire pour protéger la petite Tyra, mais celle-ci a attiré l’attention des dieux, et eux connaissent l’identité cachée de Siv. Tous vont devenir des rouages dans les intrigues entre les dieux, à l’aube du Ragnarök.
Et boum ! Avec ce deuxième tome, Thilde Kold Holdt part dans la mythologie à fond les ballons. Là où Northern Wrath commençait à nous ajouter des éléments par-ci par-là en restant principalement à Midgard, là on va voyager un peu partout. De la grande halle du Valhalla aux ombres éternelles d’Yggdrasil, des plaines glacées de Nifflheim aux fournaises de Muspellheim, on va faire un joli tour dans les neuf mondes de la mythologie nordique. Shackled fates arrive brillamment à nous plonger dans une intrigue où les humains découvrent la réalité des dieux, et deviennent acteurs et actrices de leurs manigances. Que ceux qui sont pas experts dans les choses divines se rassurent, la série nous présente tout ça de manière progressive et fluide, et introduit les dieux, leurs relations, et leurs petites querelles avec beaucoup de finesse.
Mais quel plaisir de voir tout ça se dévoiler ! La prestance surnaturelle d’Odin, les manigances de Loki, les géants, les nornes, les nains, et tous les détails, toute cette mythologie prend vie sous nos yeux. Mais on n’oublie pas nos héros qui sont toujours écrits avec beaucoup de soin et de talent, chacun avec ses motivations et sa compréhension du monde. Chacun dans leur coin ils vont plonger dans des histoires qui les dépassent, on pourra pardonner le côté passif de certains qui subissent plus qu’ils n’agissent, au final ils sont quand même submergés par la découverte des dieux « pour de vrai », devant réajuster un peu leurs convictions et croyances. On aimerait aussi les voir se croiser plus, mais l’autrice doit nous garder ça sous le coude pour la conclusion.
En fond il y a évidemment les signes du Ragnarök qui menacent, on sent que le statu quo divin s’est pris un pain dans la figure, les acteurs se mettent en place, les vraies identités se révèlent. Hilda, Einer, Siv, Ragnar, Tyra, ils ont tous leur rôle là-dedans, ils ne se contentent pas d’être spectateurs de la folie des dieux, ils sont autant les rouages qui la mettent en mouvement que les petits cailloux qui font coincer tout le bordel. Et c’est ça que j’ai trouvé brillant, le mélange des éléments mythologiques très précis et documentés avec les destins de ces protagonistes, tout s’articule à la perfection, on reste poussés par notre attachement à ces personnages et on découvre avec eux les forces en présence.
On arrive à des scènes toujours très marquantes, grâce aux personnages et aussi grâce à la puissance évocatrice de cette mythologie extrêmement bien mise en scène. La traversée sanglante d’Einer sur le champ de bataille du Valhalla, les errances de Ragnar dans les Ténèbres, les fournaises de Muspellheim, l’autrice met en scène toute cette richesse avec force détails et une ambiance fascinante. Avec un rythme qui prend son temps, on a l’impression de vivre une immense aventure épique aux côtés des dieux.
Le troisième et dernier tome, Slaughtered Gods (ça promet), sortira début Novembre. Entre ça et God of war Ragnarök, l’hiver sera épique ! Par Odin !
https://ours-inculte.fr/shackled-fates/
Les survivants de Ash-hill poursuivent leurs quêtes. Après l’attaque de Magadoborg, Einer traine sa carcasse pleine de flèches avec une idée fixe : Retrouver Hilda. Il lui faudra un peu d’aide pour aller à Asgard alors qu’il peine à contenir la rage des Forefathers, parce que la guerrière n’est plus à Midgard, elle continue de suivre le chemin que lui souffle les runes, à travers les neuf mondes. De son côté, Siv fait le nécessaire pour protéger la petite Tyra, mais celle-ci a attiré l’attention des dieux, et eux connaissent l’identité cachée de Siv. Tous vont devenir des rouages dans les intrigues entre les dieux, à l’aube du Ragnarök.
Et boum ! Avec ce deuxième tome, Thilde Kold Holdt part dans la mythologie à fond les ballons. Là où Northern Wrath commençait à nous ajouter des éléments par-ci par-là en restant principalement à Midgard, là on va voyager un peu partout. De la grande halle du Valhalla aux ombres éternelles d’Yggdrasil, des plaines glacées de Nifflheim aux fournaises de Muspellheim, on va faire un joli tour dans les neuf mondes de la mythologie nordique. Shackled fates arrive brillamment à nous plonger dans une intrigue où les humains découvrent la réalité des dieux, et deviennent acteurs et actrices de leurs manigances. Que ceux qui sont pas experts dans les choses divines se rassurent, la série nous présente tout ça de manière progressive et fluide, et introduit les dieux, leurs relations, et leurs petites querelles avec beaucoup de finesse.
Mais quel plaisir de voir tout ça se dévoiler ! La prestance surnaturelle d’Odin, les manigances de Loki, les géants, les nornes, les nains, et tous les détails, toute cette mythologie prend vie sous nos yeux. Mais on n’oublie pas nos héros qui sont toujours écrits avec beaucoup de soin et de talent, chacun avec ses motivations et sa compréhension du monde. Chacun dans leur coin ils vont plonger dans des histoires qui les dépassent, on pourra pardonner le côté passif de certains qui subissent plus qu’ils n’agissent, au final ils sont quand même submergés par la découverte des dieux « pour de vrai », devant réajuster un peu leurs convictions et croyances. On aimerait aussi les voir se croiser plus, mais l’autrice doit nous garder ça sous le coude pour la conclusion.
En fond il y a évidemment les signes du Ragnarök qui menacent, on sent que le statu quo divin s’est pris un pain dans la figure, les acteurs se mettent en place, les vraies identités se révèlent. Hilda, Einer, Siv, Ragnar, Tyra, ils ont tous leur rôle là-dedans, ils ne se contentent pas d’être spectateurs de la folie des dieux, ils sont autant les rouages qui la mettent en mouvement que les petits cailloux qui font coincer tout le bordel. Et c’est ça que j’ai trouvé brillant, le mélange des éléments mythologiques très précis et documentés avec les destins de ces protagonistes, tout s’articule à la perfection, on reste poussés par notre attachement à ces personnages et on découvre avec eux les forces en présence.
On arrive à des scènes toujours très marquantes, grâce aux personnages et aussi grâce à la puissance évocatrice de cette mythologie extrêmement bien mise en scène. La traversée sanglante d’Einer sur le champ de bataille du Valhalla, les errances de Ragnar dans les Ténèbres, les fournaises de Muspellheim, l’autrice met en scène toute cette richesse avec force détails et une ambiance fascinante. Avec un rythme qui prend son temps, on a l’impression de vivre une immense aventure épique aux côtés des dieux.
Le troisième et dernier tome, Slaughtered Gods (ça promet), sortira début Novembre. Entre ça et God of war Ragnarök, l’hiver sera épique ! Par Odin !
https://ours-inculte.fr/shackled-fates/
March 12, 2024
This series went from historical fiction/fantasy to full on fantasy. The mythology aspect went up 1000x more than Northern Wrath. Don’t get me wrong, this is exceptional but is it also a bit confusing and have so many threads that I’m not sure where certain characters are going, Yes. Who even are half of these characters, where are the answers?
Do I care? Absolutely not! A fast paced, high stakes EPIC! Oh Shackled Fates really went “you want to meet your heroes, are you sure?”
Do I care? Absolutely not! A fast paced, high stakes EPIC! Oh Shackled Fates really went “you want to meet your heroes, are you sure?”
April 9, 2024
Rating: 3.5/5 (CAWPILE: 6.43)
Shackled Fates picks up near immediately where Northern Wrath ended (even with the chapter numbers). We continue to follow Hilda, Einer, Siv, Tyra, Buntrugg and Finn as the battles fought between the Vikings and Christians on Midgard expands across the Nine Realms with Ragnarok approaching.
“Jotnar die, Aesir die, We must die likewise. Only one thing never dies. Destinies spun by the wise”
Where Northern Wrath read like a historical fantasy almost, Shackled Fates turns more towards the high fantasy with a significant portion of this book expandings out of Midgard and into the realms of the aesir, vanir, jotun and more. Like the first book, Shackled Fates is very fast paced and full of action.I do wonder if it was almost too fast paced meaning that the characterisation suffered (as in the first book, this was in the weakest area here for me).
“A giant lays dead in the Hall of Fates. Now let the word spread and open the gates.”
This series will almost certainly appeal to fans of Norse mythology and this element is turned up to 11 in this book. I’m curious to see how this trilogy will end as Ragnarok looms in the final book, Slaughtered Gods.
December 18, 2021
How could anything surpass Northern Wrath, one of my favourite ever books?
I guess I’m going to have to explain how indeed with this review, because Shackled Fates is mind-blowingly brilliant.
Again, as with Northern Wrath, Thilde Kold Holdt invokes the power of Frīgg. She knows exactly the right times to push and pull the story in a given direction. When the story needs more of one character, they’re there. As we come off the back of excitement or action, we are thrown into intrigue with mystery and suspense. At the exact right moments we have our heartstrings yanked with loss or hardship. In others, the author weaves magic and wonder through the story as a norn weaves the fates.
This particular analogy really rings true both for the way in which Holdt crafts the multitude of enjoyable elements but also in a more literal sense, as the weaver of the characters’ fates and plotlines. There are multiple points of view again here and they intertwine and go their separate ways too, which is executed really well. It gives the book such a satisfying flow, meandering forwards at all times, but without feeling rushed. The pacing is absolutely perfect.
As with the Norns in the book itself (a feature I really enjoyed) Holdt is careful with these threads of fate; there are wider stories the characters are part of yet each has their own very distinct journey. This, like Northern Wrath, makes a pretty large book feel like it was over incredibly fast, because it never feels like a slog. Neither does it feel disjointed swapping between the characters because as mentioned, their paths intertwine in really satisfying ways that keep you enthralled. Particularly striking is how invested I continued to be in every single pathway; there were no threads I wanted to snap, so to speak.
Most of what makes Northern Wrath great is maintained here, the biggest divergence being a much greater focus on the mythology and norse lore. Where there were dozens of chapters inspired by history in book one, the only character who actually spends all of their time in Midgard is Finn (who I suspect you will actually warm to in this book). I thought both the mythology and the history were really well done in Northern Wrath, so I was happy here with a bigger focus on either, but I do love the mythology approach taken here which I feel gives the book more of a distinct identity.
I really enjoyed how the book is all about change and the reaction to it. It looks at a testing of faith, of courage and of independence. Is Odin the God you idolised? What do you do about a King who has abandoned his (and your) faith? Can you survive without the thing(s) that helped to keep you safe? Can you accept the past, and the future? These questions and more are asked of the characters in this book.
It creates an overall sense of uncertainty in more ways than one, with struggle and pain at every corner. Curiously though, I don’t feel like this is passed on to the reader. It’s not heavy going in that respect and it won’t leave you feeling down; the storytelling is too good to leave any negative impact on the reader. The lasting sense of grand discovery, hope and the qualities of a campfire tale succeed in keeping your spirits up and your imagination soaring.
With the heightened focus on the mythology, you’d be right in guessing the Gods play a much bigger role. They do, as well as an expansion of the world, or more correctly, worlds. This adds to this feeling of discovery as Holdt brilliantly imagines a number of the 9 worlds, from the bleak harshness of Niflheim to a fiery, brief introduction to Muspelheim. We also delve further into Ragnar’s story, discovering what this darkness really is – and what that means.
“You are never safe in the presence of your gods,” he said. “We do not live to serve you, you live to serve us. Like cattle serve you, until the day you feast on their blood.”
Njord
The Gods themselves are perfectly written. The references and interpretations were done with so much love and care, as was the author’s own creative flair for their personalities. She really captures my perception of Odin’s character for example – wise and knowing, but full of pride and a willingness to put his goals above all else. We are also reminded that despite being beautiful, Freya is afterall a Goddess of war, too.
Freya isn’t the only female character to show her strength. Shackled Fates is characterised by a number of strong, charismatic women forging their own paths and defending their beliefs. Tyra was one character I felt fairly neutral about before, who really starts to come into her own here as she is further thrown into hardship and adversity. It goes without saying that Hilda’s chapters continue to be particularly engaging, for a multitude of spoilery reasons I can’t really talk about!
If you like your giants, there are plenty in Shackled Fates and I really enjoyed the author’s take, in which we experience their culture and background as well as meet a number of distinctive, big personalities. A new POV, Buntrugg is one such giant whose chapters are a real highlight.
Events are set up for a phenomenal finale in book 3 next year, the ominously titled Slaughtered Gods. Shackled Fates isn’t however here just to put everything in place for the encroaching showdown on the horizon. For a start, the chapters actually continue straight on from Northern Wrath, the first page starting on chapter 69.
Shackled Fates is a very special book in its own right, regardless of what came before it or what comes after. It was a privilege to lose myself within these pages, spending time with these characters, immersed in the author’s captivating writing style and spellbinding imagination.
A masterpiece of Norse storytelling.
I guess I’m going to have to explain how indeed with this review, because Shackled Fates is mind-blowingly brilliant.
Again, as with Northern Wrath, Thilde Kold Holdt invokes the power of Frīgg. She knows exactly the right times to push and pull the story in a given direction. When the story needs more of one character, they’re there. As we come off the back of excitement or action, we are thrown into intrigue with mystery and suspense. At the exact right moments we have our heartstrings yanked with loss or hardship. In others, the author weaves magic and wonder through the story as a norn weaves the fates.
This particular analogy really rings true both for the way in which Holdt crafts the multitude of enjoyable elements but also in a more literal sense, as the weaver of the characters’ fates and plotlines. There are multiple points of view again here and they intertwine and go their separate ways too, which is executed really well. It gives the book such a satisfying flow, meandering forwards at all times, but without feeling rushed. The pacing is absolutely perfect.
As with the Norns in the book itself (a feature I really enjoyed) Holdt is careful with these threads of fate; there are wider stories the characters are part of yet each has their own very distinct journey. This, like Northern Wrath, makes a pretty large book feel like it was over incredibly fast, because it never feels like a slog. Neither does it feel disjointed swapping between the characters because as mentioned, their paths intertwine in really satisfying ways that keep you enthralled. Particularly striking is how invested I continued to be in every single pathway; there were no threads I wanted to snap, so to speak.
Most of what makes Northern Wrath great is maintained here, the biggest divergence being a much greater focus on the mythology and norse lore. Where there were dozens of chapters inspired by history in book one, the only character who actually spends all of their time in Midgard is Finn (who I suspect you will actually warm to in this book). I thought both the mythology and the history were really well done in Northern Wrath, so I was happy here with a bigger focus on either, but I do love the mythology approach taken here which I feel gives the book more of a distinct identity.
I really enjoyed how the book is all about change and the reaction to it. It looks at a testing of faith, of courage and of independence. Is Odin the God you idolised? What do you do about a King who has abandoned his (and your) faith? Can you survive without the thing(s) that helped to keep you safe? Can you accept the past, and the future? These questions and more are asked of the characters in this book.
It creates an overall sense of uncertainty in more ways than one, with struggle and pain at every corner. Curiously though, I don’t feel like this is passed on to the reader. It’s not heavy going in that respect and it won’t leave you feeling down; the storytelling is too good to leave any negative impact on the reader. The lasting sense of grand discovery, hope and the qualities of a campfire tale succeed in keeping your spirits up and your imagination soaring.
With the heightened focus on the mythology, you’d be right in guessing the Gods play a much bigger role. They do, as well as an expansion of the world, or more correctly, worlds. This adds to this feeling of discovery as Holdt brilliantly imagines a number of the 9 worlds, from the bleak harshness of Niflheim to a fiery, brief introduction to Muspelheim. We also delve further into Ragnar’s story, discovering what this darkness really is – and what that means.
“You are never safe in the presence of your gods,” he said. “We do not live to serve you, you live to serve us. Like cattle serve you, until the day you feast on their blood.”
Njord
The Gods themselves are perfectly written. The references and interpretations were done with so much love and care, as was the author’s own creative flair for their personalities. She really captures my perception of Odin’s character for example – wise and knowing, but full of pride and a willingness to put his goals above all else. We are also reminded that despite being beautiful, Freya is afterall a Goddess of war, too.
Freya isn’t the only female character to show her strength. Shackled Fates is characterised by a number of strong, charismatic women forging their own paths and defending their beliefs. Tyra was one character I felt fairly neutral about before, who really starts to come into her own here as she is further thrown into hardship and adversity. It goes without saying that Hilda’s chapters continue to be particularly engaging, for a multitude of spoilery reasons I can’t really talk about!
If you like your giants, there are plenty in Shackled Fates and I really enjoyed the author’s take, in which we experience their culture and background as well as meet a number of distinctive, big personalities. A new POV, Buntrugg is one such giant whose chapters are a real highlight.
Events are set up for a phenomenal finale in book 3 next year, the ominously titled Slaughtered Gods. Shackled Fates isn’t however here just to put everything in place for the encroaching showdown on the horizon. For a start, the chapters actually continue straight on from Northern Wrath, the first page starting on chapter 69.
Shackled Fates is a very special book in its own right, regardless of what came before it or what comes after. It was a privilege to lose myself within these pages, spending time with these characters, immersed in the author’s captivating writing style and spellbinding imagination.
A masterpiece of Norse storytelling.
September 15, 2025
these books are like riding a wave. There are highs n lows in the writing. Objectively the writing is good but the plot doesn't always capture your attention. The first half was a 5⭐️ but then things get a little convoluted. I am looking back on this fondly.
November 23, 2021
Shackled Fates is the follow-up to author Thilde Kold Holdt’s 2020 debut novel Northern Wrath (which I absolutely loved. You can read my review here.) Northern Wrath was one of my favorite books of 2020, and I honestly did not think there was any way I could like book 2 more. But something happened on my way to Niflheim…
In my opinion, second books in trilogies can be hard. You might have seen me rant about this before, but I think it is extremely hard to find the right balance of keeping and expanding upon what worked in book 1 while also introducing new aspects of the stories to keep readers’ interests. This is what impressed me most about Shackled Fates: Holdt’s ability to walk that line between old and new and still make everything feel fresh.
The author is so good at writing characters. The character set of this book is extremely diverse, and every single one of them is going on an journey into the depths of The Nine Worlds (more on that later). For me, the intrigue that comes with each storyline is that each character has strong motivations: they are trying to find a loved one, or looking for a place where they belong, or saving the world from Ragnarok. The stakes are so high and the quests are so intense that the whole book becomes one big emotional roller coaster. With the first book I said I was constantly awaiting Ragnar’s narrative to come back up (not that the rest were not good, but I found his to be the most provocative). With this book, I can easily say I do not have a favorite because they are all great.
One of the best aspects of the book is how the author uses the character arcs to explore The Nine Realms. The reader gets to experience the different domains along with the characters as they travel along their paths. Holdt is really descriptive, and that really helps for those of us who are not experts in Norse mythology. But we also get to spend time with many Norse icons of legend. It was a one of the coolest parts of the story.
I have to give a shoutout to the author for the writing. Great characters, intriguing storylines, and amazing settings are nothing without good writing. Holdt really nailed it, here. The pacing was just right, steady with mini-crescendos and climaxes mixed in along the way. I would not say it was constant action, but there was always something to look forward to, something pulling things along. I was never bored or even distracted from the story, and I could not put it down. Even the chapter lengths were perfect, ranging from 4-10 pages most of the time, feeding into my “just one more chapter” policy.
With Shackled Fates, Holdt brings The Nine Realms to life. It has no doubt made the short list for my favorite books of 2021. I recommend it 100% for fans of fantasy. Now, do we really have to wait another year for book 3?
In my opinion, second books in trilogies can be hard. You might have seen me rant about this before, but I think it is extremely hard to find the right balance of keeping and expanding upon what worked in book 1 while also introducing new aspects of the stories to keep readers’ interests. This is what impressed me most about Shackled Fates: Holdt’s ability to walk that line between old and new and still make everything feel fresh.
The author is so good at writing characters. The character set of this book is extremely diverse, and every single one of them is going on an journey into the depths of The Nine Worlds (more on that later). For me, the intrigue that comes with each storyline is that each character has strong motivations: they are trying to find a loved one, or looking for a place where they belong, or saving the world from Ragnarok. The stakes are so high and the quests are so intense that the whole book becomes one big emotional roller coaster. With the first book I said I was constantly awaiting Ragnar’s narrative to come back up (not that the rest were not good, but I found his to be the most provocative). With this book, I can easily say I do not have a favorite because they are all great.
One of the best aspects of the book is how the author uses the character arcs to explore The Nine Realms. The reader gets to experience the different domains along with the characters as they travel along their paths. Holdt is really descriptive, and that really helps for those of us who are not experts in Norse mythology. But we also get to spend time with many Norse icons of legend. It was a one of the coolest parts of the story.
I have to give a shoutout to the author for the writing. Great characters, intriguing storylines, and amazing settings are nothing without good writing. Holdt really nailed it, here. The pacing was just right, steady with mini-crescendos and climaxes mixed in along the way. I would not say it was constant action, but there was always something to look forward to, something pulling things along. I was never bored or even distracted from the story, and I could not put it down. Even the chapter lengths were perfect, ranging from 4-10 pages most of the time, feeding into my “just one more chapter” policy.
With Shackled Fates, Holdt brings The Nine Realms to life. It has no doubt made the short list for my favorite books of 2021. I recommend it 100% for fans of fantasy. Now, do we really have to wait another year for book 3?
June 28, 2023
This was good, but I'm a little disappointed after book one being my 2nd highest rate book of the year so far (70 books)
This story really stepped up the mythology and explored the multi worlds and the gods. This was exciting, if not, at times, really confusing
I think the book really did feel like a middle book at times and there was a lot of set up and new threads, without a lot of conclusions
I'm eager for book 3
This story really stepped up the mythology and explored the multi worlds and the gods. This was exciting, if not, at times, really confusing
I think the book really did feel like a middle book at times and there was a lot of set up and new threads, without a lot of conclusions
I'm eager for book 3
October 2, 2022
Den svære toer er en leg for Thilde Kold Holdt. Shackled Fates fortsætter, hvor Northern Wrath slap og igen blev jeg draget af den her fremragende fortælling om dengang Danmark blev kristent og de nordiske guder mistede deres hold på de troende.
Hvis man trænger til en genopfriskning af, hvad der nu lige skete i etteren, så kan man finde en lille opsummering på forfatterens hjemmeside.
Historien udvikler sig på kryds og tværs og der sker mange vilde ting. Det er svært at gætte sig til de nornespundne skæbner for vores kære hovedpersoner, der befinder sig i forskellige verdener😃
Forfatteren holder kortene tæt til kroppen og igen har det været utrolig svært at lægge bogen fra sig.
Der bliver virkelig leget med den nordiske mytologi og det er en fryd at læse den her fortolkning af jætter, guder, deres verdener og vores hovedpersoners tilknytning til dem. Og ikke mindst al virakkken om Harald Blåtand og det, der foregår omkring ham👏🙌
Den næste og sidste bog hedder Slaughtered Gods😬🤯
Ååh, jeg tør næsten ikke læse den! Men jeg ved jeg gør det😃❤️
Hvis man trænger til en genopfriskning af, hvad der nu lige skete i etteren, så kan man finde en lille opsummering på forfatterens hjemmeside.
Historien udvikler sig på kryds og tværs og der sker mange vilde ting. Det er svært at gætte sig til de nornespundne skæbner for vores kære hovedpersoner, der befinder sig i forskellige verdener😃
Forfatteren holder kortene tæt til kroppen og igen har det været utrolig svært at lægge bogen fra sig.
Der bliver virkelig leget med den nordiske mytologi og det er en fryd at læse den her fortolkning af jætter, guder, deres verdener og vores hovedpersoners tilknytning til dem. Og ikke mindst al virakkken om Harald Blåtand og det, der foregår omkring ham👏🙌
Den næste og sidste bog hedder Slaughtered Gods😬🤯
Ååh, jeg tør næsten ikke læse den! Men jeg ved jeg gør det😃❤️
November 23, 2022
A brilliant continuation to the first book with lore, myths, Gods, Goddesses, Giants, and the Nine Worlds taking center stage right along with our remarkably fleshed out characters. The character progression, the world-building, the twists and turns and beautiful writing all come together wonderfully to bring us a cinematic worthy masterpiece!! This was epic in every way that counts. Chef's kiss👌🔥
September 8, 2025
The last half of the book was much better than the first half. There was a lot of buildup to the battle of Ragnarok. But there were some good character developments. Einer and Siv’s intertwined story was most interesting. Also Hilda’s got better as the story progressed, but it was slow moving. Tyra was a surprise. She was an important character to Midgard and saving her village people. Hopefully she and Svend will stay together. And lastly, Ragnar’s purpose was finally revealed after all the many tortures and deaths the poor man had to endure. In many ways his character arc is the most intriguing and compelling.
If some of the story threads had moved along more quickly, this would been a five star book. But the lives of our most important characters are left in the balance at the end. And we will find out what roles they will play in the battle between gods and giants.
If some of the story threads had moved along more quickly, this would been a five star book. But the lives of our most important characters are left in the balance at the end. And we will find out what roles they will play in the battle between gods and giants.
October 23, 2021
I was granted a digital ARC from Rebellion Publishing in exchange for an honest review, thanks to Ben from The Oasis blog for organising this with Rebellion Publishing. My opinions are my own.
Shackled Fates is the second book in the Hanged God Trilogy and the sequel to Northern Wrath. I reviewed Book 1 from this series, Northern Wrath here. It is a Norse fantasy written from the point of view of multiple characters. The action starts almost immediately after the end of Northern Wrath and I have to say, I wish there had been a ‘Story so far’ section, since a lot happened in Book 1 and it’s been nearly a year since I read it. I had trouble remembering everything! I loved Northern Wrath and was concerned that Shackled Fates might not live up to it, since sequels can often be weaker than the first book in a series, but I needn’t have worried. Shackled Fates is fantastic! It is equally as full of Norse lore and legend as Northern Wrath, displaying Thilde Kold Holdt’s wealth of knowledge and research. There is also plenty of action and a wonderful depth of characterisation. I really felt for the main characters during their many trials and was rooting for them.
All of the main characters from Book 1 continue into Shackled Fates, even the dead ones, and we gradually see how their Fates are shackled together in the afterlife, tied up in the important events which eventually lead to Ragnarok. Shackled Fates is written from the perspective of multiple characters, even Odin’s ravens Hugin and Munin get a chapter from their perspective and there is also a plural perspective from the forefathers of the giants.
There are more gods and giants in this instalment of the trilogy, with not only the more famous Aesir and Vanir of Norse legend, but we also meet Ran and her daughters from the depths of the ocean:
“From the shadows of the gate that the nine sisters guarded came a woman larger than her nine daughters, with long black seaweed as hair. It trailed behind her, dragged on the sand, and disappeared into it. Unlike her daughters, she wore clothes; a dress of green seaweed sewn together at the bust. At the waist it parted into long slips of straight seaweed that showed the tops of her firm thighs.”
There were many instances of certain characters being in the same world as the person they were desperately searching for but not finding them – which was highly frustrating and helped to increase the dramatic tension as everything moved onwards towards the inevitable. Some of the characters we had got to know in Northern Wrath turn out to be a lot more than at first meets the eye with surprise after surprise. Siv, Hilda and Tyra are far from being just a chief’s wife, a shieldmaiden and a simple girl from Ash-Hill. Their fates have many twists and turns and lots of unexpected surprises which I will not give away here! Ragnar, the former skald of Ash-Hill’s true identity was perhaps for me the most shocking:
“Ragnar could free them all; everyone imprisoned by invisible bonds sealed in blood. Only he could free them, and if their mother had been wrong, and he had even one drop of blood-given talent, he would.”
Thilde’s wonderfully descriptive prose also brings to life items from the Norse myths such as Freya’s falcon cloak, the threads of Fate woven by the three Nornir and of course Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. She describes the worlds of Asgard, Midgard, Niflheim, Svartleheim, Muspelheim and Jotunheim really well, making them each very distinct from one another, and also the Ginnungagap, referred to as The Darkness:
“A place of nothing and a place that was nowhere.”
Tyra’s visit to Ginnungagap while inside the ash tree at Ash-Hill in Northern Wrath can be smelt upon her by the Jotun giants and the Aesir and Siv urges her to trade her clothing with the aesir so that they will not notice her and pursue her. Siv always looks out for her loved ones to the detriment of her own safety. She was one of my favourite characters, along with Hilda.
I think it is fair to say that I loved Shackled Fates just as much as Northern Wrath – if not more! The ending is heart-rending, but the journey towards the end is so intriguing. The book will hook you in right from the beginning. I cannot wait for the final book in the trilogy, Slaughtered Gods.
Shackled Fates is the second book in the Hanged God Trilogy and the sequel to Northern Wrath. I reviewed Book 1 from this series, Northern Wrath here. It is a Norse fantasy written from the point of view of multiple characters. The action starts almost immediately after the end of Northern Wrath and I have to say, I wish there had been a ‘Story so far’ section, since a lot happened in Book 1 and it’s been nearly a year since I read it. I had trouble remembering everything! I loved Northern Wrath and was concerned that Shackled Fates might not live up to it, since sequels can often be weaker than the first book in a series, but I needn’t have worried. Shackled Fates is fantastic! It is equally as full of Norse lore and legend as Northern Wrath, displaying Thilde Kold Holdt’s wealth of knowledge and research. There is also plenty of action and a wonderful depth of characterisation. I really felt for the main characters during their many trials and was rooting for them.
All of the main characters from Book 1 continue into Shackled Fates, even the dead ones, and we gradually see how their Fates are shackled together in the afterlife, tied up in the important events which eventually lead to Ragnarok. Shackled Fates is written from the perspective of multiple characters, even Odin’s ravens Hugin and Munin get a chapter from their perspective and there is also a plural perspective from the forefathers of the giants.
There are more gods and giants in this instalment of the trilogy, with not only the more famous Aesir and Vanir of Norse legend, but we also meet Ran and her daughters from the depths of the ocean:
“From the shadows of the gate that the nine sisters guarded came a woman larger than her nine daughters, with long black seaweed as hair. It trailed behind her, dragged on the sand, and disappeared into it. Unlike her daughters, she wore clothes; a dress of green seaweed sewn together at the bust. At the waist it parted into long slips of straight seaweed that showed the tops of her firm thighs.”
There were many instances of certain characters being in the same world as the person they were desperately searching for but not finding them – which was highly frustrating and helped to increase the dramatic tension as everything moved onwards towards the inevitable. Some of the characters we had got to know in Northern Wrath turn out to be a lot more than at first meets the eye with surprise after surprise. Siv, Hilda and Tyra are far from being just a chief’s wife, a shieldmaiden and a simple girl from Ash-Hill. Their fates have many twists and turns and lots of unexpected surprises which I will not give away here! Ragnar, the former skald of Ash-Hill’s true identity was perhaps for me the most shocking:
“Ragnar could free them all; everyone imprisoned by invisible bonds sealed in blood. Only he could free them, and if their mother had been wrong, and he had even one drop of blood-given talent, he would.”
Thilde’s wonderfully descriptive prose also brings to life items from the Norse myths such as Freya’s falcon cloak, the threads of Fate woven by the three Nornir and of course Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. She describes the worlds of Asgard, Midgard, Niflheim, Svartleheim, Muspelheim and Jotunheim really well, making them each very distinct from one another, and also the Ginnungagap, referred to as The Darkness:
“A place of nothing and a place that was nowhere.”
Tyra’s visit to Ginnungagap while inside the ash tree at Ash-Hill in Northern Wrath can be smelt upon her by the Jotun giants and the Aesir and Siv urges her to trade her clothing with the aesir so that they will not notice her and pursue her. Siv always looks out for her loved ones to the detriment of her own safety. She was one of my favourite characters, along with Hilda.
I think it is fair to say that I loved Shackled Fates just as much as Northern Wrath – if not more! The ending is heart-rending, but the journey towards the end is so intriguing. The book will hook you in right from the beginning. I cannot wait for the final book in the trilogy, Slaughtered Gods.
October 26, 2021
I was granted eARC access to Shackled Fates by the publisher via NetGalley after absolutely loving the first installment, Northern Wrath. Thank you for the access! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
Shackled Fates picks up right where Northern Wrath ended, so new readers are absolutely advised to read in order. There's absolutely no back-tracking and summarizing (which I greatly appreciate as someone who reads sequels ASAP and doesn't need the reminder) so knowing what happened in the previous book is imperative to having any idea what's going on.
I do like the fact that these books are written as one long, continuous book and not as three (two, soon to be three) contained stories that form a trilogy, right down to chapter numbers that don't reset to 1 at the beginning of a new book. With that said, since I was reading digitally and didn't have a physical book in my hand to see where I was, this chapter numbering system meant I had no idea how far into the book I was at any given time. This book is only about 40 pages longer than the previous one but it really felt a lot longer, and I think that's a big part of why.
My favourite POV was once again Hilda's. She's such a unique, interesting heroin, and the fox is a big bonus! Beyond that, though, Hilda's sections of the story crossed paths with the most interesting gods, and it really felt like her journey alone was driving the plot at points while everyone else was just dealing with the fallout of her actions, for better or worse, in one way or another. I read this with a group of fellow enthusiasts on a Discord group and I know not everyone agrees on that point, some readers think the other POVs felt more independently important this time around, but I feel the opposite. Okay maybe not Siv, she's a very interesting plot driver in her own right as well. Ladies for the win?
On the topic of those interesting gods, though. Loki? Yes! Yes!!! No offence to the amazing Tom Hiddleston but THIS is Norse mythology's Loki. I have so enjoyed reading an action-packed fantasy full of accurate characters from my favourite half of my own heritage. I grew up listening to fireside stories told by Norwegian natives, some of whom would slip into Sami as they did so. I'm the one who annoys all the Marvel fans by pronouncing Thor correctly. This trilogy makes me very happy!
I also really love the attention given to the plight of proud old-ways pagan versus the new Christian wave sweeping through the Nordic region at this period. To this day, paganism vs Christianity is a huge dividing point in Scandinavian culture and among my Norwegian relatives. This period, the issues presented in these books, is where the real world divide comes from. I applaud Thilde for giving it the attention it is due. It also conveniently makes for great drama and motives in an epic trilogy full of very well-written battles.
Thank you very much to Rebellion for access to this book, to my bookish Discord friends for putting me onto this trilogy, and to the author for writing this wild ride. I can't wait for book three!
Shackled Fates picks up right where Northern Wrath ended, so new readers are absolutely advised to read in order. There's absolutely no back-tracking and summarizing (which I greatly appreciate as someone who reads sequels ASAP and doesn't need the reminder) so knowing what happened in the previous book is imperative to having any idea what's going on.
I do like the fact that these books are written as one long, continuous book and not as three (two, soon to be three) contained stories that form a trilogy, right down to chapter numbers that don't reset to 1 at the beginning of a new book. With that said, since I was reading digitally and didn't have a physical book in my hand to see where I was, this chapter numbering system meant I had no idea how far into the book I was at any given time. This book is only about 40 pages longer than the previous one but it really felt a lot longer, and I think that's a big part of why.
My favourite POV was once again Hilda's. She's such a unique, interesting heroin, and the fox is a big bonus! Beyond that, though, Hilda's sections of the story crossed paths with the most interesting gods, and it really felt like her journey alone was driving the plot at points while everyone else was just dealing with the fallout of her actions, for better or worse, in one way or another. I read this with a group of fellow enthusiasts on a Discord group and I know not everyone agrees on that point, some readers think the other POVs felt more independently important this time around, but I feel the opposite. Okay maybe not Siv, she's a very interesting plot driver in her own right as well. Ladies for the win?
On the topic of those interesting gods, though. Loki? Yes! Yes!!! No offence to the amazing Tom Hiddleston but THIS is Norse mythology's Loki. I have so enjoyed reading an action-packed fantasy full of accurate characters from my favourite half of my own heritage. I grew up listening to fireside stories told by Norwegian natives, some of whom would slip into Sami as they did so. I'm the one who annoys all the Marvel fans by pronouncing Thor correctly. This trilogy makes me very happy!
I also really love the attention given to the plight of proud old-ways pagan versus the new Christian wave sweeping through the Nordic region at this period. To this day, paganism vs Christianity is a huge dividing point in Scandinavian culture and among my Norwegian relatives. This period, the issues presented in these books, is where the real world divide comes from. I applaud Thilde for giving it the attention it is due. It also conveniently makes for great drama and motives in an epic trilogy full of very well-written battles.
Thank you very much to Rebellion for access to this book, to my bookish Discord friends for putting me onto this trilogy, and to the author for writing this wild ride. I can't wait for book three!
October 20, 2021
Well, if this just doesn't take the series to a whole new level!! Everything that was so wonderful about Northern Wrath is expanded upon and fleshed out in this installment of the series. Everyone's future was thrown into chaos at the end of book one and if you thought you knew where things were going then hold on because events go in all different, unexpected directions. I don't want to spoil anything so all I will say is that the fantastic glimpses of the gods that were there in Northern Wrath are paid off in spades here. Odin, Loki, and Freya are all portrayed as such real people with flaws and plans within plans that it adds so much to the story and all the interactions the characters have with them. The rest of our characters lives continue to deal with upheaval and revelations and that ending just left me questioning how any of this is going to work out for my favorites. I continue to love Einer, Tyra, Hilda, Buntrugg and Ragnar and eagerly await the next book to find out their fates!! Go get this epic fantasy series, you will not be disappointed!!
Thanks to Rebellion and Netgalley for the ARC.
Thanks to Rebellion and Netgalley for the ARC.
November 24, 2021
Holdt set an impossible precedent with Northern Wrath: A giant epic Viking fantasy with over 600 pages that I couldn't help tearing through, a full cast of interesting and complex characters, a thought-provoking take on the Norse pantheon (especially in book two), and no shortage of blood, guts, and glory.
Shackled Fates was considerably slower by comparison, as we moved away from the short and brutal lives of mortals and more into the realms of gods and other non-humans, as we plucked or snipped or burned the threads that had been so carefully strung up in book one, and as we put poor Hilda through hell. Again.
We don't get nearly as many bloody battles as we had in book one. Indeed, we get one. Instead it's mostly scheming and talks of fate and drawing lines in the sand between sides at Ragnarok (which is imminent!). And, of course, torturing Hilda. Because that's a must.
I cannot wait for book three and all of the answers and promises of bloody battles. And hopefully happiness or at least fulfillment for Hilda.
{Thank you Solaris for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
Shackled Fates was considerably slower by comparison, as we moved away from the short and brutal lives of mortals and more into the realms of gods and other non-humans, as we plucked or snipped or burned the threads that had been so carefully strung up in book one, and as we put poor Hilda through hell. Again.
We don't get nearly as many bloody battles as we had in book one. Indeed, we get one. Instead it's mostly scheming and talks of fate and drawing lines in the sand between sides at Ragnarok (which is imminent!). And, of course, torturing Hilda. Because that's a must.
I cannot wait for book three and all of the answers and promises of bloody battles. And hopefully happiness or at least fulfillment for Hilda.
{Thank you Solaris for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
December 26, 2022
Northern Wrath was such an excellent debut that it set the bar high for this sequel, a challenge, when second books already bear more pressure, but Shackled Fates rose to the challenge and set the bar even higher. I enjoyed the first book a lot, but I loved the second and I think that is because the focus shifted away from the historical elements – although they were just as strong and present and beautifully realised as in book one, and instead dove more deeply into Norse lore and mythology which I adore, and I especially love seeing the different interpretations and approaches taken in fantasy. Here, it shone, and you can feel the author’s breadth and depth of knowledge and research, but also her love for the world and culture, shine through in how the story is written and told.
However, I have to admit that as much as it was the lore, and the travels through the various worlds that really captured me in this book. One of my favourite aspects was actually on the historical side, and that was the exploration of how Christianity was sweeping in, and the challenges and threat that brought. It’s something I’ve not often seen, and often there is such a focus on the bloody, violent Vikings in popular depictions, whereas here we get to see that faith and those bringing it into Norse lands as antagonists and see the impact that had on the world and the characters, and Holdt captures that so well.
Returning to the increased focus on lore and mythology, we see the world that Holdt had crafted for us in the first book expand considerably, as Midgard is now just one of the worlds that we are invited to explore. And that’s just how it feels, as though we are stepping into those of the nine worlds that she opened for us along with the characters and sinking into the experience with them. Holdt has a talent for description that really brings the world and the story to life, weaving it around us and the characters alike, and it was so easy to imagine the worlds as we roamed through them and learned more of the gods, giants and people who lived and moved through them, and got to see mythology made real.
The Gods themselves, and the mythology around them were brought to life with a strong foundation of research, but with the flair that comes from the author’s own love of this lore and creativity. It made them vividly real, not just in the world but as characters in their own right. I also loved that this wasn’t limited to the more well-known deities like Odin and Freya, but also dove into other aspects of Norse mythology that I was less familiar with, and one of my favourites was Ran and her daughters.
“From the shadows of the gate that the nine sisters guarded came a woman larger than her nine daughters, with long black seaweed as hair. It trailed behind her, dragged on the sand, and disappeared into it. Unlike her daughters, she wore clothes; a dress of green seaweed sewn together at the bust. At the waist it parted into long slips of straight seaweed that showed the tops of her firm thighs.”
As much as the worldbuilding and lore, and Holdt’s marvellous prose is what stole the show for me, this is an incredibly character driven story too. There were a lot of POVs in the first book too, and even though the author had really brought each one to life and woven their thread beautifully into the tapestry that was the whole story, there was the odd one that I felt less of a connection with. That was not the case here. There are many points of view in Shackled Fates, and there is such variety as we have the main characters who have continued (in one form of another) from the previous book, to non-human and mythological perspectives. It could be confusing, but Holdt not only balances all these threads beautifully, but each thread is both entirely unique, while resonating with those around it, bringing them all together (or not) and creating a story that vibrates with life and tension as we get to see all the different parts moving, and how they intersect or could.
There were moments for example where characters were so close to finding what or who they were seeking, only to miss them, which added to the tension. And we get to see the characters becoming more than we had realised in the first book, secrets and strengths being revealed as the story unfolded.
And I say unfolded, because the Fates play a strong role in this story. Each character is playing their part in an already woven tapestry, and yet while we can feel that element pulsing throughout the story, there is very much a feeling that each character still has choices to make, different paths to follow even if there is an end already written for them. And Shackled Fates is also a story about change, from shifting beliefs – whether in the characters’ own gods to the new faith sweeping in, to moving on from the past and accepting what the future holds. To more personal changes, as the characters learned who and what they were, and what it was they needed to survive in this world they found themselves in.
Shackled Fates had a hard act to follow it, and in my opinion, it surpassed Northern Wrath. Holdt had already established herself as a natural storyteller, but this book has taken everything that was great about her debut and lifted it to another level. There is no middle book syndrome here – helped as well by the fact that the chapters just carry on straight from the first book ended, including with the numbers; establishing this book as part of a whole. A wonderful whole that is going from strength to strength. An absolutely stellar addition to The Hanged God Trilogy, and it has set up the finale on an epic scale. If you haven’t already given this Norse series a go, then what are you waiting for?
I think it is fair to say that I loved Shackled Fates just as much as Northern Wrath – if not more! The ending is heart-rending, but the journey towards the end is so intriguing. The book will hook you in right from the beginning. I cannot wait for the final book in the trilogy, Slaughtered Gods.
However, I have to admit that as much as it was the lore, and the travels through the various worlds that really captured me in this book. One of my favourite aspects was actually on the historical side, and that was the exploration of how Christianity was sweeping in, and the challenges and threat that brought. It’s something I’ve not often seen, and often there is such a focus on the bloody, violent Vikings in popular depictions, whereas here we get to see that faith and those bringing it into Norse lands as antagonists and see the impact that had on the world and the characters, and Holdt captures that so well.
Returning to the increased focus on lore and mythology, we see the world that Holdt had crafted for us in the first book expand considerably, as Midgard is now just one of the worlds that we are invited to explore. And that’s just how it feels, as though we are stepping into those of the nine worlds that she opened for us along with the characters and sinking into the experience with them. Holdt has a talent for description that really brings the world and the story to life, weaving it around us and the characters alike, and it was so easy to imagine the worlds as we roamed through them and learned more of the gods, giants and people who lived and moved through them, and got to see mythology made real.
The Gods themselves, and the mythology around them were brought to life with a strong foundation of research, but with the flair that comes from the author’s own love of this lore and creativity. It made them vividly real, not just in the world but as characters in their own right. I also loved that this wasn’t limited to the more well-known deities like Odin and Freya, but also dove into other aspects of Norse mythology that I was less familiar with, and one of my favourites was Ran and her daughters.
“From the shadows of the gate that the nine sisters guarded came a woman larger than her nine daughters, with long black seaweed as hair. It trailed behind her, dragged on the sand, and disappeared into it. Unlike her daughters, she wore clothes; a dress of green seaweed sewn together at the bust. At the waist it parted into long slips of straight seaweed that showed the tops of her firm thighs.”
As much as the worldbuilding and lore, and Holdt’s marvellous prose is what stole the show for me, this is an incredibly character driven story too. There were a lot of POVs in the first book too, and even though the author had really brought each one to life and woven their thread beautifully into the tapestry that was the whole story, there was the odd one that I felt less of a connection with. That was not the case here. There are many points of view in Shackled Fates, and there is such variety as we have the main characters who have continued (in one form of another) from the previous book, to non-human and mythological perspectives. It could be confusing, but Holdt not only balances all these threads beautifully, but each thread is both entirely unique, while resonating with those around it, bringing them all together (or not) and creating a story that vibrates with life and tension as we get to see all the different parts moving, and how they intersect or could.
There were moments for example where characters were so close to finding what or who they were seeking, only to miss them, which added to the tension. And we get to see the characters becoming more than we had realised in the first book, secrets and strengths being revealed as the story unfolded.
And I say unfolded, because the Fates play a strong role in this story. Each character is playing their part in an already woven tapestry, and yet while we can feel that element pulsing throughout the story, there is very much a feeling that each character still has choices to make, different paths to follow even if there is an end already written for them. And Shackled Fates is also a story about change, from shifting beliefs – whether in the characters’ own gods to the new faith sweeping in, to moving on from the past and accepting what the future holds. To more personal changes, as the characters learned who and what they were, and what it was they needed to survive in this world they found themselves in.
Shackled Fates had a hard act to follow it, and in my opinion, it surpassed Northern Wrath. Holdt had already established herself as a natural storyteller, but this book has taken everything that was great about her debut and lifted it to another level. There is no middle book syndrome here – helped as well by the fact that the chapters just carry on straight from the first book ended, including with the numbers; establishing this book as part of a whole. A wonderful whole that is going from strength to strength. An absolutely stellar addition to The Hanged God Trilogy, and it has set up the finale on an epic scale. If you haven’t already given this Norse series a go, then what are you waiting for?
I think it is fair to say that I loved Shackled Fates just as much as Northern Wrath – if not more! The ending is heart-rending, but the journey towards the end is so intriguing. The book will hook you in right from the beginning. I cannot wait for the final book in the trilogy, Slaughtered Gods.
April 11, 2024
I remain shocked that The Hanged God trilogy isn't more widely known about and discussed. It's such a good time! My sole criticism for this book is that I think it could have been maybe 50-100 pages shorter; eliminating a few chapters that featured repetitive topics would have taken care of that, I think. That said, I just love it. The characters are amazing - especially the women - and the overarching mystery of what is going on with various plot threads keeps the story wildly entertaining throughout. I have only a very limited idea about how things will end - because it is a Viking story, after all - but how we will get there, and what the fallout will be, I have no idea.
And I couldn't be more excited for that. I said it after Northern Wrath, and I'll say it again now: this will definitely be a trilogy I recommend to other readers going forward.
And I couldn't be more excited for that. I said it after Northern Wrath, and I'll say it again now: this will definitely be a trilogy I recommend to other readers going forward.
April 1, 2025
What a sequel to what's becoming one of my favorite series. Shackled Fates picks up right where Northern Wrath left off and it didn't slow down one bit. I'm going to say I enjoyed this even more than Northern Wrath and I freaking loved it! The series continues to blend Norse mythology with historical fiction but yet still feels like a fantasy book and not something you've read before. I'm addicted to this story, the characters, and the overall world that's been built here. I highly recommend this series and can't wait to jump into the third and final book Slaughtered Gods immediately! Such an under-hyped series that deserves more love!
August 25, 2022
It has been a while since I read the first instalment in the Hanged God Trilogy but I was soon able to re-immerse myself in this Norse inspired fantasy series.
If you enjoyed the Faithful and the Fallen series by John Gywnne or the Godblind Trilogy by Anna Stephens then you will enjoy this series.
Again the things that worked for me were the multiple POV narrative, short chapters and excellent pacing so the action moves along with little or no filler.
Because this book deals with the afterlife characters may die but they are not lost from the story. Which is a relief because my favourite character dies halfway through this book.
The author has packed so much into this world and I am looking forward to the final book which is due for release later this year. It will be interesting to see if they can tie all the storylines together successfully.
If you enjoyed the Faithful and the Fallen series by John Gywnne or the Godblind Trilogy by Anna Stephens then you will enjoy this series.
Again the things that worked for me were the multiple POV narrative, short chapters and excellent pacing so the action moves along with little or no filler.
Because this book deals with the afterlife characters may die but they are not lost from the story. Which is a relief because my favourite character dies halfway through this book.
The author has packed so much into this world and I am looking forward to the final book which is due for release later this year. It will be interesting to see if they can tie all the storylines together successfully.
February 1, 2022
3.5 Stars. Once again it works building where this series shines and it’s even more evident here as we expand into many of the nine realms complete with all the Gods, Giants ect.
The plot is fast and action packed with a few breathers complete with many short chapters. Some answered have been answered but many more have been created but it works as long as they get wrapped up in book 3, definitely a book you could have a few theories for which is great.
Once again it’s characterisation where the story falls down. I will say it is improved from book 1 so the trajectory is good and there nothing awful here but simply average compared to many other aspects which are much better. If this continues to improve I’m certain book 3 will be great and round off a very enjoyable trilogy.
The plot is fast and action packed with a few breathers complete with many short chapters. Some answered have been answered but many more have been created but it works as long as they get wrapped up in book 3, definitely a book you could have a few theories for which is great.
Once again it’s characterisation where the story falls down. I will say it is improved from book 1 so the trajectory is good and there nothing awful here but simply average compared to many other aspects which are much better. If this continues to improve I’m certain book 3 will be great and round off a very enjoyable trilogy.
June 12, 2024
3.5*
an improvement from the first, still had some parts of the story that didn't seem necessary
an improvement from the first, still had some parts of the story that didn't seem necessary
December 28, 2021
Firstly I would like to thank Rebellion Publishing for sending me an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
WOW! How good does this book look alongside Northern Wrath?! I can't stop looking at them both on my bookshelf! I was so excited to carry on the story, mainly to find out what was going to happen to Hilda, and would she be found by Einer.
With Ragnarok looming, what roles would the Gods play, and what was the scheming Loki planning?!
I cannot fault the world building or characters in this book. We follow on directly from Northern Wrath, following POV's of the main characters, many of who are now searching the nine realms for each other. As we travel through these realms, including Asgard and Valhalla, we meet many of the Norse Gods, Freya, Frigg, Thor, but the highlight was definitely spending time in glorious Valhalla with Odin!
Each of the Nine Realms are beautifully written, Thilde manages to perfectly set each scene so I really can imagine that I am there. And her knowledge of the Norse Gods and their roles in mythology is outstanding. Anyone interested in Norse myths should definitely read this book!
Unfortunately that's not me... I personally fell in love with Northern Wrath due to the bloody battles with a hint of mythology and fantasy. This book is a lot heavier on the mythology, with only one fight. We spend almost the entire book in the Nine Realms with the Gods, and our Characters trying to find each other, and trying to make sense of what had happened and what's going to happen.
But although this made for a much slower paced book, its clearly done on purpose to set the characters on their journey into book 3.....which surely has to be Ragnarok?!!
3.5/5
WOW! How good does this book look alongside Northern Wrath?! I can't stop looking at them both on my bookshelf! I was so excited to carry on the story, mainly to find out what was going to happen to Hilda, and would she be found by Einer.
With Ragnarok looming, what roles would the Gods play, and what was the scheming Loki planning?!
I cannot fault the world building or characters in this book. We follow on directly from Northern Wrath, following POV's of the main characters, many of who are now searching the nine realms for each other. As we travel through these realms, including Asgard and Valhalla, we meet many of the Norse Gods, Freya, Frigg, Thor, but the highlight was definitely spending time in glorious Valhalla with Odin!
Each of the Nine Realms are beautifully written, Thilde manages to perfectly set each scene so I really can imagine that I am there. And her knowledge of the Norse Gods and their roles in mythology is outstanding. Anyone interested in Norse myths should definitely read this book!
Unfortunately that's not me... I personally fell in love with Northern Wrath due to the bloody battles with a hint of mythology and fantasy. This book is a lot heavier on the mythology, with only one fight. We spend almost the entire book in the Nine Realms with the Gods, and our Characters trying to find each other, and trying to make sense of what had happened and what's going to happen.
But although this made for a much slower paced book, its clearly done on purpose to set the characters on their journey into book 3.....which surely has to be Ragnarok?!!
3.5/5
October 18, 2021
M.B.S. I feel if this second volume had a synopsis it would have definitely affected the my rating.
December 10, 2022
“Life is a higher price than death.”
(5) ★★★★★
La cultura nórdica es algo que me fascina consumir. Desde música, cine, a literatura. Y no es sorpresa que la trilogía de The Hanged God esté convirtiéndose en una de mis favoritas.
Shackled Fates es la segunda parte y debo decir que esperaba encontrar un poco más de paz. Tal vez a los personajes en situaciones más cotidianas o momentos más mundanos, pero encontré caos, traición, dioses ambiciosos, frustración, llanto y más caos.
Es un libro en el que la historia toma un giro completamente inesperado. Ya no nos encontramos en un lugar terrenal, un lugar donde no es desconocido, sino en la tierra donde los dioses y la guerra es una misma. El hilo de la trama, los sucesos que cerraron la primera parte, toman rienda hasta deshacerse en un conflicto caótico que es crudo y hasta frustrante de leer. No les puedo negar que provocó lágrimas. Y temo por el cierre de esta increíble historia.
Destaco muchísimo la caracterización de los personajes. Es lo que más aprecio del libro. El crecimiento que tienen es fascinante de leer y cómo se entrelazan sus vidas, cómo se desenvuelven hasta llegar a un mismo lugar. El reencuentro, el dolor y la muerte se vuelven algo intenso y sólido de presenciar. Es simplemente increíble.
Sé que insisto en esta trilogía hasta el cansancio, pero lo hago porque es una obra maestra. Aún me queda leer el último libro, pero ya les digo que vale la pena. Cada palabra lo vale.
(5) ★★★★★
La cultura nórdica es algo que me fascina consumir. Desde música, cine, a literatura. Y no es sorpresa que la trilogía de The Hanged God esté convirtiéndose en una de mis favoritas.
Shackled Fates es la segunda parte y debo decir que esperaba encontrar un poco más de paz. Tal vez a los personajes en situaciones más cotidianas o momentos más mundanos, pero encontré caos, traición, dioses ambiciosos, frustración, llanto y más caos.
Es un libro en el que la historia toma un giro completamente inesperado. Ya no nos encontramos en un lugar terrenal, un lugar donde no es desconocido, sino en la tierra donde los dioses y la guerra es una misma. El hilo de la trama, los sucesos que cerraron la primera parte, toman rienda hasta deshacerse en un conflicto caótico que es crudo y hasta frustrante de leer. No les puedo negar que provocó lágrimas. Y temo por el cierre de esta increíble historia.
Destaco muchísimo la caracterización de los personajes. Es lo que más aprecio del libro. El crecimiento que tienen es fascinante de leer y cómo se entrelazan sus vidas, cómo se desenvuelven hasta llegar a un mismo lugar. El reencuentro, el dolor y la muerte se vuelven algo intenso y sólido de presenciar. Es simplemente increíble.
Sé que insisto en esta trilogía hasta el cansancio, pero lo hago porque es una obra maestra. Aún me queda leer el último libro, pero ya les digo que vale la pena. Cada palabra lo vale.
June 9, 2024
Shackled Fates
As soon as I finished Northern Wrath I just knew I had to jump straight into Shackled Fates.
Shackled Fates is book 2 in The Hanged God trilogy by Thilde Kold Holdt
As we saw in Northern Wrath, Shackled Fates has a high POV count.
We have our main characters Einer, Hilda and Siv, but we also get many more chapters from some of the side characters from book 1, Finn, Ragner and even Hugin & Munin (Odin’s Ravens).
What I did like in this book was more page count to some important players like Buntrugg.
In this book we really get to know a lot more about Buntrugg, Thilde really brings his personality out in his chapters. I absolutely loved Buntrugg story arc in this book, I’m really interested to see where his individual arc will lead.
Actually I’m really into every characters arc but some characters like Buntrugg and Siv have a higher priority for me personally.
The scale of this story just grew and grew with every pages a turned. As we get introduced to more characters namely the god and goddesses, this just adds another layer of growth to this ever expanding story.
As we progress through this book we start to understand that some of the supposed “good guys” are not as we would come to expect.
The statement, never meet your hero comes to mind here.
I guess you could argue everyone has a little grey in them but within this story Thilde has masterfully given a host of characters morally grey personalities.
It’s difficult to know who is good and who is bad. I guess I will find this out in book 3 (fingers crossed)
As we saw in Northern Wrath the action in this book was just as bloody and brutal. The battle on Ida’s plain was an example of the superb detail Thilde puts into the action scenes in her book.
In Northern Wrath we spend most of our time in Migard, the attention in This book switches to Asgard.
The world building in this book is just as good if not better than book 1. I just loved getting to know more about the other worlds and how they’re all connected.
The final quarter of this book wow wow wow. It was just so epic and intense with so many twist and turns.
This ending has me so pumped to jump straight into the final book of this wonderful series - Slaughtered Gods
Rating 9/10 ⭐️
As soon as I finished Northern Wrath I just knew I had to jump straight into Shackled Fates.
Shackled Fates is book 2 in The Hanged God trilogy by Thilde Kold Holdt
As we saw in Northern Wrath, Shackled Fates has a high POV count.
We have our main characters Einer, Hilda and Siv, but we also get many more chapters from some of the side characters from book 1, Finn, Ragner and even Hugin & Munin (Odin’s Ravens).
What I did like in this book was more page count to some important players like Buntrugg.
In this book we really get to know a lot more about Buntrugg, Thilde really brings his personality out in his chapters. I absolutely loved Buntrugg story arc in this book, I’m really interested to see where his individual arc will lead.
Actually I’m really into every characters arc but some characters like Buntrugg and Siv have a higher priority for me personally.
The scale of this story just grew and grew with every pages a turned. As we get introduced to more characters namely the god and goddesses, this just adds another layer of growth to this ever expanding story.
As we progress through this book we start to understand that some of the supposed “good guys” are not as we would come to expect.
The statement, never meet your hero comes to mind here.
I guess you could argue everyone has a little grey in them but within this story Thilde has masterfully given a host of characters morally grey personalities.
It’s difficult to know who is good and who is bad. I guess I will find this out in book 3 (fingers crossed)
As we saw in Northern Wrath the action in this book was just as bloody and brutal. The battle on Ida’s plain was an example of the superb detail Thilde puts into the action scenes in her book.
In Northern Wrath we spend most of our time in Migard, the attention in This book switches to Asgard.
The world building in this book is just as good if not better than book 1. I just loved getting to know more about the other worlds and how they’re all connected.
The final quarter of this book wow wow wow. It was just so epic and intense with so many twist and turns.
This ending has me so pumped to jump straight into the final book of this wonderful series - Slaughtered Gods
Rating 9/10 ⭐️
March 31, 2024
It is definitely refreshing reading Nordic Fantasy actually written by someone with a Nordic background. It is always interesting reading this style of Fantasy even as a somewhat imperfect speaker of a Nordic language (I speak some Norwegian, but am not close to calling myself fluent). I can often feel things being slightly off when the books are written by someone not properly immersed in the culture. Thilde, being a Dane, obviously does not have this issue. She has obviously been immersed into Norse myth from Norse cultural touchpoint and it really tells in her writing. The Hanged Gods books are a kind of love letter to Norse myth.
In Shackled Fates we move away from Midgard and out into the rest of Nine Realms of Norse myth. We get to see the Gods and the Giants and other characters of myth. Most importantly we get to meet the Norns, the Norse fates, and see how they have been bound by Odin.
We start up pretty much right where the first book ended with Hilda in a strange half life with her Fylgjur taking her place in the living world, Siv trying to run plots with the King of the Danes, Einer somehow surviving his berzerker rage.
In many ways, Siv's plot is the central and key one to this middle book as it is her fate and her relationship with the Allfather that drives the plot along.
This is Norse Fantasy done right and I am here for it.
In Shackled Fates we move away from Midgard and out into the rest of Nine Realms of Norse myth. We get to see the Gods and the Giants and other characters of myth. Most importantly we get to meet the Norns, the Norse fates, and see how they have been bound by Odin.
We start up pretty much right where the first book ended with Hilda in a strange half life with her Fylgjur taking her place in the living world, Siv trying to run plots with the King of the Danes, Einer somehow surviving his berzerker rage.
In many ways, Siv's plot is the central and key one to this middle book as it is her fate and her relationship with the Allfather that drives the plot along.
This is Norse Fantasy done right and I am here for it.
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