The Unyielding

In Laurenston’s third Call of Crows urban fantasy (after The Undoing), preventing the end of the world unites two unlikely allies. Long-forgotten Norse goddess Gullveig is determined to bring about Ragnarok. To stop her, the quarreling clans of god-empowered warriors have to work together despite centuries of feuding. For pyrokinetic Crow Erin Amsel and no-nonsense Raven Steig Engstrom, this is easier said than done; he considers her “the most irritating, frustrating, rude, ridiculous woman the gods had ever placed on earth,” an assessment she’s happy to support. Nevertheless, their partnership proves effective as they track down Gullveig’s worshippers and travel across the Nine Realms to find the one weapon capable of killing their foe, battling giants and confronting gods along the way, but neither of them knows what to do about the attraction brewing between them. As usual, Laurenston’s story is outrageously bawdy, her characters are unabashedly foul-mouthed and unrestrained, and her comedic timing is on point. The blend of screwball romance, mythological mayhem, and all-out action is as enjoyable as ever, wrapping up the three-book arc in a satisfying manner. Agent: Ethan Ellenberg, Ethan Ellenberg Literary. (Apr.)