School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 10 Up—When her grandmother goes missing, Astrid convinces her father to make a trip back to Unden, their small Swedish hometown. Searching for her grandmother, Astrid uncovers an ancient blood oath that leads her to travel through the forbidden Tiveden Forest with the newly reawakened draugr, Soren. The farther Astrid and Soren travel, the closer they become, but Midwinter is only days away, and Astrid is running out of time to save not only her grandmother but also the whole village, as she soon discovers. Seitz's sinuous dark fantasy creates a deliciously twisted tale with rich worldbuilding. Astrid, much like the author, lives with Crohn's disease, something seamlessly and accurately woven into her character. However, there are moments that lack smooth integration within some characters' dialogue or growth. Monsterizing the unknown is a clever theme revealed as Astrid works to break the generational trauma her family invoked on Unden. The outcome has readers pondering the concepts of following tradition blindly and letting go of once loved ones. Those well acquainted with fantasy will be able to predict the revelations throughout, though this will not take away from the reading experience. An author's note, including a content warning list, precedes the novel; a pronunciation guide is available on Seitz's website. Astrid and Soren are both white. VERDICT A solid debut dark fantasy inspired by Norse myth and folklore sure to please the intricate romantasy reader.—Emily Walker

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A Swedish girl must venture into the heart of ancient legends when her beloved grandmother disappears. After Amma vanishes into the forest that’s home to the Hidden Folk, 17-year-old Astrid Skarsgård leaves Stockholm for the small village of her childhood. While searching for clues, Astrid finds a note from Amma telling her to follow the path into the Tiveden forest beyond the stave church, a place shunned by locals. Astrid’s skeptical of her grandmother’s folktales, but her disbelief is shattered when she finds a hidden cellar in Amma’s house containing a sleeping draugr, or undead creature, named Soren. After accidentally waking Soren, she learns he’s the lover of Skaga, her distant foremother who imprisoned him there. Soren wants to find Skaga and break the blood oath that’s destroying Tiveden, and together they journey into the forest, where they encounter nightmarish creatures and undead ancestors, growing closer as they face dangers. Through visions of Skaga, Astrid learns of her village’s violent history and realizes she’s a pawn in an age-old war between villagers and the Hidden Folk, forcing her to choose between love and family. Debut author Seitz intersperses passages narrated by Skaga into Astrid’s first-person account, weaving an impressive backstory deeply rooted in pagan beliefs. Astrid’s story expertly conveys her pain as she unravels her family’s secrets and her own destiny. Astrid is immunocompromised and has Crohn’s disease. A bloody love letter to Norse mythology. (author’s note with content warning and link to pronunciation guide)(Dark fantasy. 14-adult) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Astrid’s story starts simply enough: with bedtime stories from Amma, her grandmother, about gods, goddesses, and the Hidden Folk. When she and her father return to the Swedish countryside of Unden, where Astrid was born, it is to close up Amma’s house and declare her officially dead. But letters Amma left, stories she told, and the strange behavior of the village folks she left behind convince Astrid there’s something suspicious going on. She needs to venture past the old church and into the frozen wilds of Tiveden, where the Hidden Folk are said to live. While gathering supplies, she happens across a long-dead draugr demon, Soren, who believes she’s someone else: a long-dead ancestor named Skaga. Together, both searching for closure, they will trek into the Fell King’s lands and hopefully come out alive and with answers. Seitz folds elements of her own experience with chronic illness into Astrid’s recurrent worries about her Crohn’s diagnosis, and the reimagined Norse folktales and mythical creatures will appeal to fans of classic fairy tales, especially those who like the creepier side of those stories.