Norse Chronicles (2) - Arctic Dawn by Karissa Laurel
The second part of the series: Arctic Dawn (not translated, German review). I read the 332 pages in English, originally published 2016.
Solina's idea to stay hidden and away from everyone and everything she's ever known blows up in her face. Back with Thorin, Val and Baldur, she vows to kill her predator and free Skyla... But this is proving much more difficult than she thinks. Especially when her closest allies are attacked and she has to realise that there are far more people willing to kill her... or use her as bait to get to Thorin. And all the while, the spy is directly in her midst...
First: Why isn't there a third part already? Why don't we know when this third part will come out? I want to read on!!!
To the characters. I like Solina. She's a hell of a kickass, even though some of her reactions were... well, let's say original. Like when she told the Allfather more or less he's stupid and should do what she says. Or when she made Thorin promise she'd be his first and only priority from now on. Or when he tells her he'd do whatever she asks for and she tells him to get her Skoll's head on a silver platter. That's... that's not really in the heroine's etiquette, now, is it? But I like it because this behaviour... well, it fits to her. She's just that pragmatic and strategical.
Her changing relationship towards Thorin is well done. I'm sorry for him. He was so afraid for her when she vanished, and then, over two months later, she contacts him more or less like nothing has happened. She's really something, that's for sure. But I like how the two of them work it out, how they manage to respect one another and to give the other... well, more room for error, in a way. I love the scene in which Solina's honest about her taking her anger out at him because he seems to be strong enough to take it. And she's right, in a way.
I also like how Thorin shows a more vulnerable side of him. Like after the warehouses. This was so cute, how he looks at her and she herself is feeling all warm and dizzy. What I like best about this scene is that it's so... well, so uncommon for the characters to be so open. Thorin's always so in control, not showing his feelings, nothing. You only get slight nudges of what he really thinks and feels. Solina isn't any more open towards him. Even when she realises that the one she feels most save with is Thorin, that he's the only one besides Skyla she trusts – unconditionally – she never lets herself see him as anything but... well, a big, bulky god who's good at pushing her buttons. I like how she lets down her guard piece by piece, against her will. And how she always grunts that he should get back to being an idiot because otherwise she might begin to like him. And how piece by piece, she looses her fight: first when she tells him she trusts him more than anyone else, then the scene with the hammer, the desert, the dreams, and, when he disappears... and after. Especially when she goes all formal on him (I love that scene!). Even when she is repelled by what he did in the past, she still trusts him. This is... well, this is just really really nice. The two of them fit well. They both like to lash out and can take hits, they respect each other... and they both have an extremely vulnerable side, are loyal and courageous.
It's funny that Solina criticises Baldur for walking into a trap for Nina and then does the same to get her friends out of there. That she's far more altruistic than she lets anyone believe.
By the way “They went on ahead while I had to pee”? Seriously, she fell for it?! I've had my suspicions about him, but after that statement, it was so obvious that something was up! Even though I must admit, I didn't get the connection to the one with the sword... or the one between the birds and the persons in question.
Now, to Skyla. Her family's messed up. Besides, why weren't her real grandparents' names written in her first pedigree (and why do you English use the same word for an enumeration of ancestors and a certain kind of dogfood?!)? However. I like her. She's something for sure, and the Valkyries are in good, capable hands if they trust her. I like the Valkyries, even Tori.
But her boyfriend... good Grace, he's creepy.
By the way: Poor Solina! The people who don't want to kill her to start Ragnarök want to kill her to a) stop it or b) piss Thorin off. That sucks.
To continue with the characters. I've often talked about Baldur and Nina. I'm so sorry for the both of them. Baldur really has a horrifying past, and now Nina... That's just terrible! Aaand she's creepy. I like how Solina basically tells Baldur not to worry about her and get Nina to safety – at her own expense. Like I said, she's far more caring and everything than she wants to admit. It's... well, fascinating.
What I liked best about this book are the surprises. Usually, there's a certain code in the stylistic devices through which you can anticipate what's about to happen next. Who's the bad guy, who's the good, etc. But here, this code doesn't work. When you have a certain amount of space dedicated to the description of a plan of an event, there's a 99,9% chance that the plan will fail and everything goes to Hell(en). But here, you sometimes have the 00,1% - but it's not the general rule either. This means that there are lots of surprises in here.
In brief:
All in all, this book was tense through its many surprises, had good ideas, characters and content.
Prequel