Welcome to my stop on the FFBC Blog Tour for The Weight of a Soul by Elizabeth Tammi! I am so excited to share with you my thoughts on this lovely book, and a chance to win a copy of your own!
The Weight of a Soul by Elizabeth Tammi Published by Flux on December 3, 2019
Pages: 320
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley
When Lena's younger sister Fressa is found dead, their whole Viking clan mourns—but it is Lena alone who never recovers. Fressa is the sister that should've lived, and Lena cannot rest until she knows exactly what killed Fressa and why—and how to bring her back. She strikes a dark deal with Hela, the Norse goddess of death, and begins a new double life to save her sister.
But as Lena gets closer to bringing Fressa back, she dredges up dangerous discoveries about her own family, and finds herself in the middle of a devastating plan to spur Ragnarök –a deadly chain of events leading to total world destruction.
Still, with her sister's life in the balance, Lena is willing to risk it all. She's willing to kill. How far will she go before the darkness consumes her?
I gotta say, the reviews for this one so far do not do it justice. I found The Weight of a Soul to be beautiful, heartwrenching, and full of love. And so, we shall discuss!
What I Enjoyed:
This book is quite literally about the worth of a soul, and how far you’re willing to go to save those you love. That is the question Lena must answer when her sister Fressa dies- of reasons no one can discern. Lena and Fressa have always been close, this much is clear from the start of the story. Lena can barely muster the strength to go on, yet her clan (and her parents, the leaders) want her to marry her sister’s beloved and Lena’s own dear friend, Amal. Lena cannot bear to lose her sister, nor can she stand to marry her betrothed, so she’s bound and determined to bring Fressa back. And this is where the Norse mythology comes in!
I’ll go ahead and admit it- I am a complete novice in Norse mythology (and most mythology if we’re being honest). The author did a phenomenal job in introducing me to the world while still providing a cohesive plot and characters I grew to truly care about. I’ll get into this more later, but I feel like I learned so very much about Norse mythology. And not just the facts, but the feelings behind it as well.
Ultimately, the book is incredibly morally gray. Would you or I make the same choices Lena make? Can you really place a price tag on a soul? It’s these questions that really made me think throughout the book, and even after I was finished. And if you know me, you know that’s kind of my fave.
Not Bad Stuff, But “Worth Mentioning” Stuff:
While I really enjoyed the mythology, it was a darn good thing I read this on my Kindle and was able to look up stuff. There were a lot of people/places/things that I simply had never heard of. Upon looking them up, I was good to go, and frankly I personally love learning new stuff (especially in a book like this). But you know, just take it into consideration is what I’m saying. I will also say that I did predict a kind of big thing, but it didn’t really lessen the impact, either.
Bottom Line: A beautifully told story about loss, love, and hope in an historical and mythological Norse setting.
About Elizabeth Tammi
Elizabeth Tammi was born in California and grew up in Florida, but is currently double-majoring in Creative Writing and Journalism as an undergraduate at Mercer University in Georgia. When she’s not writing, you can probably find Elizabeth at work for her university’s newspaper and literary magazine. Her other interests include traveling, caffeinated beverages, and mythology. You can find Elizabeth online on Tumblr at (annabethisterrified), Twitter at (@ElizabethTammi), Instagram at (elizabeth_tammi), and at elizabethtammi.com.
Win (1) of (5) finished copies of THE WEIGHT OF A SOUL by Elizabeth Tammi (INT)
I haven’t heard of this one, but that cover is gorgeous! I love morally gray books. I’m definitely going to be checking this one out!
Aw yay, I hope you love it!!
I’m not a huge fan of mythology but I do enjoy it.
Do you ever read a physical book then tap on the word to try to get the definition? Just me? lol
Karen @ For What It’s worth
Oh my goodness YES I swore I was the only fool who did this and I am SO glad it isn’t just me ?
That is why I love reading on my kindle. I am always looking stuff up. You have been having a great run of books lately. I actually like mythology. I am better versed Roman mythology (for all my years of Latin), but Norse is super interesting to me as well.
It’s so true! Most of the time I think about getting my phone out to search but I never do, so Kindle pretty much always wins in this regard!
You used the term “Heart wrenching” and that is a automatic read for me!
I’m a fiend for viking themed reads, I completely blame my husband and all the documentaries I’ve sat through. It’s not something you come across in YA very often so when I see one like Weight of a Soul, I’m automatically adding it to my wishlist. It sounds like it helped knowing a little about Norse mythology before hand but nothing that readers probably couldn’t Google if they were unsure. I love the mythology and can’t wait to grab a copy. Beautiful review Shannon, really enjoyed it!
I’m really glad you brought this to my attention. LOVE Norse mythology, and took a class in college on the Vikings!
I hadn’t heard of this, but it sounds really interesting. I edited a YA series once that was based (loosely) on Norse mythology, so maybe I’d actually understand some of the references. 🙂
It sounds fascinating and I have added it to my tbr.
The story sounds very interesting and would be a great read for those who like emotional reads. Thanks for sharing.
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