Review by Booklist Review
Nineteen-year-old Juva comes from a long line of blood readers, who claim to be able to foretell the future but are actually charlatans. Wanting nothing to do with the family business, Juva hunts wolves instead. But her life is disrupted when powerful immortal beings, called the vardari, threaten the blood readers at the same time that whispers begin about the return of the devil. As a child, Juva met that devil--a being called the iron wolf--and she has lived in fear ever since. Pettersen's YA fantasy is the first in a trilogy based on Norse mythology. Written from three perspectives, the book focuses on the enigmatic vardari Nafraim, Rugen (a former lover stricken with wolfsickness), and Juva as she journeys to discovering who she is and what really happened years ago. The numerous story threads and complicated mythology come together, and the book's measured pace picks up near the halfway point. Juva is a compelling and relatable protagonist, and the world Pettersen creates will appeal to fans of vampire and werewolf lore.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In Pettersen's new series opener set in the same universe as her Raven Rings trilogy, a young wolf hunter is drawn into an ancient struggle to which her family holds the key. Born into a leading family of blood readers, Juva, 19, left home to hunt wolves rather than read blood samples and craft fake fortunes for the vulnerable, like the desperate blood users whose addiction will kill them. Hunting's a messy but vital job; wolf blood fuels the city of Náklav's magical stone gates that serve as travel gateways. Her hunting companions are Juva's chosen family now, but confused images from her father's death haunt her. Did the devil kill him? Was the devil a wolf? Why did her mother insist Juva saw nothing, then demand she tell no one? What impels Juva to sketch wolves, then burn her drawings? Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Juva, the Might, a long-banished magical force, is returning to upend the powers of the vardari, shadowy immortals like Nafraím, who supplies readers with blood and bribes Juva's blood-addicted ex-boyfriend to inform on her family. Taut and suspenseful, the intricate plot unwinds and repeatedly resets as Juva (and readers) uncover truths buried in ancient lies and traumatic memories. More human than superhero, anxious, ethical, passionate Juva's an apt heroine for hard times. The masterful worldbuilding and vivid Nordic setting populated with compelling secondary characters (most read as blond, Scandinavian analogs) are well served by the stirring prose. An immersive, darkly exhilarating read. (Fantasy. 14-adult) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
