The Mists of Niflheim: A dark Norse historical fantasy (Gods of the Ragnarok Era Book 2)

A great continuation of the Ragnarok Era series and sequel to The Apples of Idunn, this book continues the story of Odin, Frigga, Tyr, Loki, and Sigyn and the Aesir Tribes as they travel west towards the island of Vanaheim where Odin must lead his people to challenge the Vanir who have been worshipped as Gods by the Aesir because that is the price he promised Idunn in exchange for the apples of immortality he and his chosen favorites have consumed. Some spoilers ahead: But Odin is sought by Gudrun and the NIflungar, an evil family who follow Hel and Hel wants Odin turned to her servant or dead as he seems to be "The Destroyer" prophesied about long before. The Niflungar family command trolls and re-animated dead or draugr both to attack the Aesir. Gudrun loves Odin still and wants him saved from destruction and to join her as one of the servants of Hel. Odin is recaptured by the Niflung and imprisoned again where the Raven King of the NIflung, Gjuki tortures him and brings him to the brink of death where Odin's only option to escape is to call upon evil spirits of the dead and to escape by wandering the land of the dead itself which ages him and explains why though immortal Odin has the appearance of a fifty year old silver haired man, but he stubbornly finds his way back to the world of the living although changed in even more ways and having paid a great price during his journey back. Loki and Sigyn meanwhile went on a journey to Aegir's palace in the sea to try and negotiate passage across the water for the Aesir and then to where Odin was held by the Niflungar to try and rescue him. While these three characters are absent Frigga as queen must rule and try and hold together the fracturing tribes while they are nightly besieged by trolls led by Ve, the troll king and Odin's brother. Tyr is ever more demented by the cursed rune sword Gramr, and yet the tribes need him and his sword to keep their enemies at bay. More information about Loki's mysterious past and possible true identity are revealed, as well as just how powerful he is. Sigyn takes risks to try and assist both him and Odin's people and some of her actions lead to more problems but in the end one of her risks saves Odin and everyone from the machinations of the NIflungar but earns her the wrath of Queen Grimhild. The book ends with a brief respite for the Aesir as they reach the seashore in what is now Spain and begin building boats for the sea crossing to Vanaheim but with Loki and Sigyn deep in trouble amongst the Niflung still, setting us up for book 3, The Shores of Vanaheim. Which comes out early May, so I just have to survive a week and a half or so! The Author plans three trilogies in this series total. so 9 books and I am thinking he means to cover all of Norse Mythology and some of the Volsung saga as we know it and give it this rich fictional treatment that though the elements are still supernatural and fantastical, feel like realistic and historical events that could give rise to the later myths we know. The characters are likeable and fascinating, the action is great, and the imagination displayed is phenomenal.

The Spirit World of The Gods of The Ragnarok EraThis is the beginning of a series of reviews on the Spirit World of Matt Larkin’s Gods of the Ragnarok Era.I will begin this first review with some general reader impressions of the spirit world portrayed in this series with more reviews about specific vaettir in later reviews.At the end I will also add a “what if” scenario.The phrase “Who goes there?” is taken from the great science fiction writer John W. Campbell’s short story of the same name that was made into three movies, called the “Thing” the first movie starring an up-and-coming actor at the time named James Arness, later to star in the western series Gun Smoke and a later remake staring the well-known actor Kirk Russell directed by John Carpenter. The third lesser-known movie was a prequel to the movie directed by John Carpenter and was made more recently.The story is based on an alien that infiltrates an Antarctic research station and attacks and takes over the bodies of its hosts effectively disguising itself as its victims. Its presence induces a sense of uncertainty, a feeling that is a hallmark of horror, and upon its abilities being discovered by the rest of the crew of the Antarctic station outright terror soon follows; fighting the growing threat becomes extremely difficult because of the constant insecurity and distrust this terrifying situation provokes.Interestingly when the original story was written it included 3 more chapters that John W. Campbell was instructed to edit out to make the story shorter. The missing 3 chapters were only recently found in Mr Campbell’s notes and the more complete story called “Frozen Hell” is now available on Amazon Kindle.Please note this is a classic of science fiction.But why refer to this famous science fiction story with regard to the mythic fantasy of Matt Larkin’s Gods of the Ragnarok Era?First of all, Matt Larkin has written a series that is rich in emotion, action, variety of scenes and characters that are easy, even the villains, to relate to. The reader finds themselves liking and even admiring most of the characters including some of the villains.This writer has managed to present the similar qualities of the terror and horror found in the science fiction story of John W. Campbell, a story that is famous for these qualities, but with a delightful added sense of wonder to go along with it that it not only entertains the readers, but encourages fascination as they take the journey through these volumes.It is common for stories to have a combination of horror and terror to delight and entertain the readers, but it is not common for wonder to be added to such a story to make for such an exotic mixture to stir one’s emotions as the reader immerses themselves in the story.In the later reviews on the vaettir I will go into much more detail about the wonders and variety of the world of the vaettir in Matt Larkin’s stories. But in this first review on the topic, I will restrict myself to the basic impressions’ readers gain of the vaettir as they read the early novels in the series.As the reader begins the series and continues into the increasingly intriguing volumes the reader encounters a wide array of spirits, vaettir, as they are called.These spirits, in their most basic manifestation, are invisible to the human eye, and are immaterial, but they can be sensed by those characters with the sight or characters who open themselves mentally to being detected by the spirits.The vaettir encountered are existing on the edge of the spirit world. Like looking through twilight the vaettir have difficulty perceiving humans near them with almost as much difficulty as the humans have in sensing their presence. It is as if they are dwelling in a fog and can detect the presence of humans, especially those with “the sight” but cannot see the fully material world around them.The sensation the stories often convey is the feeling of moving at night knowing some of the shadows in the night are a terrifying menace that cannot be truly seen.What happens when there is an encounter between a mortal and a vaettir on the edge of the spirit world?In most encounters the invisible vaettir attack and attempt to possess the human; they are limited to attempting to possess those with the sight, those who invite them in; whether voluntarily to use their magical abilities or those desperate and near death such as drowning or in danger from the many threats humans face in this world.The outcome depends on a contest of wills between the two, with the older and more powerful vaettir having an advantage over the terrified human victim. When the vaettir wins the contest, they take control of the body of the host.The author has a write up describing the spirits and the spirit world on his patreon site and I recommend readers go there to learn the fascinating details of the spirits and spirit world in which they dwell.Suffice to say for now there are several different types of vaettir that provoke that sense of wonder in the reader’s imagination that I wrote of earlier.From the point of view of the normal human, vaettir represent horror, terror, a sense of wonder and in addition, most importantly in a dangerous world, the potential for an edge in survival that means the difference between life and death. Scattered throughout the landscape from old human ruins, to fields, to forests, mountains, rock formations, rivers, ponds, lakes and oceans are the inhuman vaettir, waiting to claim a host for their inhuman uses.The victims of these spirits learn that Vaettir do not value the same things as do humans.If the human has the sight or for some reason invites the vaettir into them there can be a savage, but invisible, silent attack on the very control of their body. In the contest of wills often the humans lose.Such possessions would be rare, but one has to ask; How many people on the edge of death might be willing to call on a nearby vaettir for aid?Imagine someone beside you who is suddenly no longer themselves, but now, without being noticed, is suddenly something else. Not someone else but something else.Some vaettir cause a transformation in their host that is recognizable, but this does not occur in all vaettir possessions. A character in the story could work alongside, interact with, and sleep with a human body beside them that is occupied by an inhuman intelligence that, with very few exceptions, are at the very least unfriendly and often are sadistic and destructive. Many vaettir were once humans who died and became vaettir; changing their personality considerably.When they possess their victims the vaettir often manifest magical powers such as control of elemental fire or cold enabling them to strike their companions down with overwhelmingly deadly effect. The possessed victim is tormented by seeing their friends and loved ones struck down in glee by their own body and their friends and family are confronted with a loved one trapped in their own body making it difficult to impossible to strike back without harming the host.In the Gods of the Ragnarok Era the cycle of time is close to finishing its course and many civilizations have risen and fallen generating countless legions of disgruntled vaettir envious of the lives of the mortal world and hungry to experience the joys of flesh once again.With each generation that is destroyed in the Ragnorak world; with more war, magic use and catastrophe more vaettir are created to plague future generations and it is this deadly cycle that has had a decisive role in creating the world of the Gods of the Ragnarok Era.Many vaettir are generated from violence and magic from previous generations, now with a seething hatred for humans and a desire for violence. They can retain control of their victims for years causing mayhem and destruction with the victim forced to watch and experience each horror as it occurs, helpless to escape their captivity.Just like the victims in the story “Who goes there?” the humans in the Gods of the Ragnarok Era are often stalked captured, and overwhelmed when they slip and allow themselves to be taken over; their identities are taken from them and they are forced to watch the unspeakable horror done by their own hand to those around them.But there is another group at risk. For those humans with the will, hopefully assisted with skill in magic, there is an option is to bind a vaettir to themselves; gaining the vaettir’s experience and skill and often the benefits of their magic.Very quickly a person inferior in battle skills could be transformed into a deadly opponent.But Matt Larkin writes stories that do not offer the characters a free and easy ride to success and security. There a price to pay for powers gained in this way!There is a good reason not everyone in the Gods of the Ragnarok Era rushes to find their own vaettir. The more the bound vaettir are used the more likely they are to take over their host.Just as frequent use of methamphetamine will induce psychosis and physical deterioration, the increasing use of their bound vaettir powers increases the risks of being possessed by their very resentful servant, who usually plans to extract a terrible revenge on the friends and family of their master once they are freed from their bondage.So imagine a clan of northerners in the Gods of the Ragnarok Era who depend on numerous and powerful vaettir bound to their warriors and sorcerers to grant them a decisive battlefield advantage.At first few could stand against them, but with time losses would accumulate not only from the blades of their enemies, but when the masters lost control of their bound vaettir and the possessed turned on their clansmen; visiting physical and magical violence with inhuman savage glee, extracting a price in revenge in both souls and flesh.A once mighty clan could become a furtive shadow of itself in a single season, the survivors surrounded by their slain and maimed relatives.Not unlike the fate of the Niflunger clan.As I noted earlier, a distinctive quality of the novels is the characters have no easy choices. This is an integrity the author maintains in his writing throughout the series.Just as there have been few easy choices for humanity throughout its history; in the series the Gods of the Ragnarok Era there are no easy choices for humanity either. So, no matter how fantastic the stories are; the stories are at the same time very human, with a feeling of real people struggling to contend and survive in a grim world where mercy and good fortune are in short supply with violent death being a close neighbor.What if:In my reviews I like to ask a what if question(s).What could have changed the situation between the humans and vaettir in a plausible manner?What if some humans had discovered a better way to control their bonded vaettir?First how could that happen? This question has a reasonable answer.The more the vaettir’s powers are used, the more dependent the host is on the vaettir’s powers and the more the vaettir comes to understand the emotional weakness of its host that it can exploit. Ultimately the human often loses this contest, sometimes immediately when attacked or slowly if the vaettir is bound to the human as a servant.If humans could be prepared to bind vaettir and maintain the powerful endurance of will needed to maintain control it would be a change to the landscape to the world of the Gods of the Ragnarok Era.How would this affect the world? If a higher percentage of humans had been able to bind themselves to vaettir and maintain control and use their powers these performance enhanced spirit-humans with their varieties of magic would have dominated the battlefield.The Niflunger was very serious, cunning, powerful and seeking every edge available to enable victory. Not like the lazy Vanir or the clueless Aesir, this clas was skilled in magic use, alchemy, herbalism but was hovering on the brink of extinction and desperate for an edge to win. r.What if the Niflunger clan discovered something that enabled them to bind and control vaettir better? If Grimhild discovered something that could do this and the timing of the discovery matched the timing of Idun’s visit to the Aesir with her basket of apples of immorality the actions of the Niflunger would have changed.As the Aesir were preparing their journey to Vanaheim it is likely Grimhild would have turned her attention away from Odin and the journey of the Aesir while she studied this new, potentially revolutionary discovery.She likely would have exerted little to no effort to stop Odin and the Aesir’s movement, as they made their long difficult trek to attack Vanaheim.Better to conserve her few forces until they were improved rather than squander them trying to capture Odin or harass the battle hardened Aesir.Gundrum, Grimhild’s daughter, would have never met Odin as her mother would have had her assist her in studying this herb and how to use it best to control the vaettir bonded to members of the clan.Hel’s desires would have to wait for a time.Grimhild would not have ignored the Aesir, but with new demands on her time, she would have spent less effort trying to stop the Aesir and kill Odin and put much more effort in researching this tool to learn how to better control the vaettir. Grimhild was basically careful and conservative in her research, more so after being possessed by Skadi in the past, and Grimhild always strove for every advantage to strengthen the Niflunger.Niflunger attacks on the Aesir and Odin and his interests were for the most part covert and stealthy as the Niflunger were so few they could not take heavy losses and have any hope of surviving as a clan.She would have likely increased the spying on the Aesir. After the Aesir’s successful battle with and defeat of the Vanir and taking over Vanaheim, with the Apples of Immortality fully under Aesir control, Grimhild would have recognized the growing ascendency of the new Asgard and after extensive spying and building up the numbers and providing training for her vaettir-enhanced human warriors she would have made careful plans to attack Asgard to destroy or at least cripple it’s growing power.Magically enhanced Niflunger warriors would not have likely had the advantages of strength, endurance and wound recovery that the Apples of Immortality would have given the Aesir, but there would have been more of them and they would have been stealthier and armed with a wide variety of magical powers.The Niflunger would have had time to gather information on the Aesir weaknesses and as the newly named Asgard was being built from the ruins of Vanaheim. Grimhild’s spies would lay the ground work for a powerful campaign against Asgard.Their chances would have been even better if they had better control of the terrifying Fenris Wolf and the extremely dangerous vaettir Skadi.These two vaettir could be game changers.In the series the Aesir were lucky to have defeated these two.A combined attack involving, Fenris Wolf, the enhanced Niflunger clan and their allies working under Skadi’s guidance, the Aesir, even with the advantages of battle-hardened warriors, some immortal, and led by many experienced leaders such as Odin, Tyr and Vili would have had the struggle of their lives. The Niflunger might not have been able to take Asgard, but it would have been a costly struggle for the AesirWhat could this tool to better control vaettir be? There is an herb called Rhodiola Rosea. Rhodiola is an herb that grows in the cold, mountainous regions of Europe and Asia. Its roots are considered adaptogens, meaning they help your body adapt to stress when consumed.If it worked it would be just the kind of secret weapon a cunning and proud Niflunger Queen, skilled in herbalism and alchemy, would eagerly to use to rebuild the fortunes of her clan and challenge the Aesir for control of the future. The Aesir would be at a disadvantage until they discovered and could interrupt this new source of Niflunger power and magic.The outcome?Maybe an eighteen to twenty-four book series instead of twelve.But that is my “What If.”If Matt Larkin’s Odin read this review, I suspect he would break into a cold sweat and mutter to himself about how the Niflunger were bad enough was it was, without this added weapon, and he would soon drink himself to an unsettled stupor with lots of mead.And if you haven’t read the books please do.Once you read them you won’t soon forget them; and you will understand why Odin would feel this way.

I have received this advanced copy in return for an honest review. .Once again, author Matt Larkin expands his Mythic Legends Chronicles by delivering the second volume in the Ragnarok Era - THE MISTS OF NIFLHEIM. Carrying on immediately from the end of the first book in this series, the author immerses us once more in the universe of the ancient Norse Gods. Odin, now having achieved Godhood, must unite the Aesir tribes in a battle to end the Fimbulwinter and bring Spring back to a world that has known only Ice and Snow for as long as any mortal can remember. Standing in his way are a legion of monsters and undead led by an ancient dying civilization. The battle to survive and save his people and the world is the driving theme of this story.This is NOT your father's Norse mythology. Larkin has combined both the Scandinavian Eddas and the Germanic tales of Sigurd to produce a world and people that will pull you in and leave you on the edge of your seat as he weaves a tale of valor, honor, deceit, lust, loss, and joy while driving you towards the ultimate battle.If you love tales of legends and myths, this book will surely entertain you and keep you wanting more.

Matt Larkin has written a phenomenal series. It is a retelling of the vast collection of Norse myths in a way that is realistic enough to imagine it could have even happened for real. To achieve this while at the same time staying true to the original stories themselves is a balancing act that can only be achieved by a brilliant writer. The Mists of Nilfheim throws light of the history of the Nibelungen and their dealing with the Norse Gods in a way that makes one understand the later myths of Sigurd and Brynhild in a unique way.

Enjoyed the first book , so bought this and found it another entertaining read; Fast pace and humerous.Going to buy and read the third book now it's been released.

An excellent interpretation of Norse mythology that attempts to take into context all of the various myths and create a compelling and intriguing story out of them. Very original, and very well done!

I have to say I loved this book! I can't wait to continue on into the next book! Hope it's out soon!