The Lifeblood of Ill-Fated Women

Nordic mythology comes to life in Breaux’s meandering novel. In the midst of an attack on the Scandinavian village of Birka, Astrid, a warrior princess, wakes up to find herself inexplicably in a new location with no memory of how she got there. When former soldier Warren and his merchant brother Hammond find Astrid near death, they take her to their humble town of Grømstad. A stranger in a strange land with the life she knows relegated to history, Astrid struggles to solve the mystery of her missing time while fighting to defend Grømstad from a bandit army. She also deals with the unexpected and not entirely wanted feelings she’s developing for Warren. Breaux’s action sequences are visceral and immersive but the plot jumps around before it finally gets somewhere. When a familiar face appears with a shocking revelation, Astrid finds herself caught in the middle of a war between old Nordic gods and powerful demons. However, once the primary plot thread is revealed, it’s resolved before it truly gets off the ground. Breaux (One Smoking Hot Fairy Tail) has written an enjoyable story filled with highly entertaining action and characters, though one that leaves the reader wondering, “What’s the point?” (BookLife)