My to be read pile is getting a little out of control. I spent the last couple of years sort of forgetting that I could actually buy books, and did a lot of rereads instead, but starting up of this blog has reminded me that there are SO MANY books out there just waiting to be read, and as a result, it's now where pretty much all my disposable income keeps going. I've also discovered that I can get second hand books very cheaply on the internet - no idea why this never occurred to me before - and the result has been pretty disastrous for my storage space. Anyway, this is one that I've been picking up for years in Waterstones but it never quite made the cut - until I realised I could get it for about £3 second hand online and so here we are - with only limited time left before my house literally fills to the brim with books.
500 years after Ragnarök, and the old Gods are dead. Dreaming is discouraged, runes are outlawed, and the world is controlled by the Order, who cleanse humanity of anyone tainted with the chaos of magic. In her small village of Malbrey Maddy Smith has always been an outsider, feared by her community for her strange powers and the strange rune marking on her hand. But Gods don't stay dead forever. As the forces of Chaos and Order prepare for a war to end all wars, Maddy must accept her powers and travel deep into the World Below, and, with the help of the wily Trickster Loki, try and save the world from total destruction.
This was an exceptionally fun and easy read. Based around Norse mythology, and borrowing heavily from it to populate not only the cast of characters but also their personalities. Never fear though if you're not clued up on Norse mythology, you'll be grateful for the cast list, excellent maps and explanatory introduction. I don't know a whole lot about Norse mythology, but even with those bare bones and whatever information I've grudgingly picked up from the Marvel films I didn't feel at all lost when it came to characters, and I feel like all the gods acted like I would expect them to. The plot was exciting and full of devious little twists and turns - some are pretty obvious, even if you have zero Norse mythology background - like the real identity of One-Eye (come on, his name alone gives it away), others were quite surprising, even if you do have a fascination for the Vikings.
One thing I didn't really get though was the magic. The runes made sense - particular symbols having particular effects etc, and the gods having different aspects. But I didn't feel like the Word, was well explained, or the difference between the Word and regular old runes and rune magic. There is a sequel - Runelight, which hopefully clarifies this, though in all honesty, Runemarks does actually work fine as a standalone book. I was happy with the ending and how it wrapped up, and although is definitely more to be explored, particularly with how Maddy will adjust to life with the gods, and whether Chaos can be contained again, there isn't a sheer-drop cliff at the end of the book that leaves you dying to snatch up the next one immediately.
Runemarks is super fast moving, the chapters are short, and POVs switch rapidly and sometimes mid chapter. I never felt like I was playing catch up so the speed didn't bother me, but there are definitely some better POVs than others. Loki is the star, which probably goes without saying - Loki as a character has already been fleshed out for centuries as the kind of charming rogue that everyone loves. Mischievous, devious and impertinent, Harris captures him really well. Maddy is great too as a stubborn, rebellious outcast, and I love the dynamics of the Vanir together. Some of the other POVs though, were a little... meh. I had little to no interest in Nat Parson the village priest that upholds the Word and the Order in Malbrey, and Adam Scattergood, village golden boy and bully was even less inspiring. I wonder if they're get more of a role in the second book, because they just didn't seem to do much at all.
I've seen a couple of things that say that Runemarks is apparently meant to be YA, but I feel like some people will slap that label on anything with a protagonist younger than 20, even if none of the other characters are. It's certainly an easy enough read to be YA, and the themes are pretty teen (or precocious preteen that's already bored of kids books- can relate) friendly, and there's not even a drop of romance - a refreshing change for any genre, not just YA, so if you do have a pre/teen in your life that enjoys fantasy, it's a safe recommendation for them.
So, if you're in the mood for some light, fun fantasy, grab a sheepskin blanket and a horn full of mead (age restrictions apply, even if this is a YA book), and settle yourself in for some Norse saga style story telling.
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