Fehu

A girl's prophecy-driven journey through the landscape of Norse mythology continues in this sequel to 2023'sAnsuz, translated from Danish. Clairvoyant Anna's giant wolf, Monster, reappears from the gods' world on the verge of death, bearing a dire warning. The ruler of Hrafnheim, Ragnara, has captured Anna's sister, Serén, and intends to capture Anna, too, because of the prophecy linking Anna's blood to Ragnara's downfall. Rather than wait for the danger to find her, Anna makes her way to Hrafnheim through an ill-fated deal, is captured upon her arrival, and escapes with a soldier named Rorik. Anna embarks on an epic quest, experiences violent visions of death, and navigates an important case of mistaken identity to rescue Serén from her sacrificial fate before Ragnarök begins. The expansive worldbuilding and intricate web of coinciding storylines are fairly smoothly plotted with few expository sections, although the story feels overlong and confusing at times. Those interested in the myriad Norse mythological details woven throughout will be satisfied, and the glossary of people, places, and things is extremely helpful. But even though the central mysteries are compelling, the individual characters are rather flat and read more like adults than teens. The story is weakened by some troubling content around questions of consent in a sexual relationship, the presentation of a transgender character, and a reference to "normal skin color." Most characters present white. A complex mythological adventure that suffers from its length and shallow characterization. (translator's note)(Fantasy. 14-adult) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.