The Rot is a YA fantasy story that reads like a Norse myth. The story combines fantasy with a young adult love story in the classic hero’s quest. The protagonist is Hirka, a now-sixteen-year-old girl, who is different from everyone else she knows: she was born without a tail. As a baby she was abandoned in the snow. A kind man found and raised her. She faces the same coming-of-age ritual all teens in the country must face, but she is unable to “bind,” the critical requirement of the exam. She runs away to avoid the test, and thus begins her adventures. Evil lurks everywhere as do her many challenges.
In this, the second in the series, Hirka has been transported to contemporary Britain and learns the truth of her birth. She must decide who to trust in this new world where she doesn’t even speak the language. She teams up with Naill and Stefan—unsure she can even trust them—as she turns the loss of her true love, Rime.
The world building is stupendous. There is an interesting variation on the world of vampires here. The fictional language’s vocabulary is not so extensive you need to speak Norwegian to “get” it. The characters are unique. An enjoyable read.
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The Rot (Book 2 in The Raven Rings series) (Arctis, October 5, 2021) is available through:
You can read my review of Odin’s Child (Book 1 in The Raven Rings series) here.
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