In the historical fantasy The Weaver and the Witch Queen, Genevieve Gornichec (The Witch's Heart) brilliantly strikes a balance between past realities and present sensibilities. Gornichec, without apologizing for or altering the sometimes-harsh realities of Old Norse culture, creates a richly layered world with strong characters and a complex society in this feminist and queer historical fantasy.
Gunnhild escapes her cruel mother at age 12, leaving her blood-sworn sisters, Oddny and Signy, not knowing if Gunnhild is dead or alive. She spends the next 12 years training to become a witch and a seeress, returning to her home only when she witnesses a witch-aided attack on her friends' home. After Signy is taken captive to be sold as a thrall (slave), Gunnhild and Oddny each set out on a quest to rescue her. Along the way, both women fall in love, come close to death several times, and learn more about themselves and their world than they ever expected.
The novel draws on Gornichec's academic background in Norse history, legend, and mythology, but its strength is in the individual characters and the intimate picture it paints of social and political realities that affect the personal. The dialogue is natural to a contemporary ear, making the characters familiar despite the unfamiliarity of their world. Even in epic battle scenes--of which there are quite a few--the focus remains on characters' emotions and relationships. Filled with sea voyages, political intrigue, surprise betrayals, and tender love, this historical fantasy will thrill readers and capture their hearts. --Dainy Bernstein, postdoc in children's literature, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign