Northern Wrath

Holdt wows in her Norse mythology–inspired debut, a gritty epic fantasy that kicks off her Hanged God trilogy. Ragnar Erikson works to safeguard the traditions of the gods from the rising tide of Christianity. For Erikson, death is not the end; he dies several times over throughout the novel, each time encountering the deities Loki and Odin. In a particularly unsettling experience with Odin, Erikson discovers that he possesses the frightening power to influence the god’s actions, a power that may change the fate of the nine worlds and bring about the apocalypse. As he struggles with the implications of this ability, his daughter, Hilda, is off on an electrifying adventure of her own. After her village is betrayed to southern Christians by its two-faced priest, Hilda is one of the few survivors of the attack, dodging numerous perils with the aid of an animal spirit. Her struggles become more harrowing after an encounter with a demon robs her of her sight. Holdt doesn’t stint on the bloodshed as she expertly juggles multiple plotlines, keeping the pages of this doorstopper flying. Fans of Elizabeth Bear’s Edda of Burdens series will be especially enthralled. Agent: Jamie Cowen, the Ampersand Agency (U.K.). (Oct.)