Ragnarok is about to be unleashed on to the world and there's only one person who can stop it and that's Erin Amsel. Wait! That can't be right. She's a total dick and likes to start trouble so she's more likely to light the world on fire than save it...literally. One of her gifts is fire. She can withstand it to a degree and she can throw flames from her hands. She's been chosen for all these reasons to go into the Nine Worlds to save the world.

Stieg is a Raven, a follower of Odin, who has been ordered to follow Erin to see what she is up to because the Ravens know she's up to something. Stieg is not happy about his assignment. He cannot stand Erin Amsel who plays games with people just to mess with their heads. She stabbed him in the leg before during a battle because he got in her way. Ugh! But he follows her anyway and ends up helping her when she gets herself into deep doo doo.

Erin is a Crow, a follower of Skuld, but unlike the other clans who are part of the Nine Clans who follow Norse gods, Crows aren't from Viking blood. In fact, most of them descend from Viking slaves. They weren't raised to fight for their god. No, they are women who are given a choice just after their brutal deaths to get a second life if they follow Skuld. Then they get wings and fight at night for Skuld.

Usually, I don't like women like Erin but the author had me falling in love with her because she was just so crazy and most of the people she messes with deserve it.

I am really into the ongoing storyline of this series. Gullveig, a minor goddess I had never heard of before, is trying to start Ragnarok for some reason that I must have missed while reading this. She has the help of Hel, Loki's daughter, who has loaned Gullveig the use of her Carrion who are disgusting winged creatures who are not only strong but have rotting flesh that can rot a human’s flesh too. Ew!

Erin has to go into the Nine Worlds to find a Surtr’s Sword which is guarded by Nidhogg, the dragon, because it may be the only thing that can kill Gullveig.

I have to admit that I am getting tired of the Gullveig angle to this story but, at the same time, I was wondering how the story would progress if they defeated Gullveig? What other Big Bad Ugly would replace her? Nidhogg? An Elf? Maybe even Hel? I, of course, can't tell you who the next Baddy is but it did surprise me.

Now, I can't wait to read the next book. ( )

***DNF @85%***

I tried. I really did but there is only so much she-(insert fantastical creature) I can take.

And then the name calling... look I'm the first one to admit I have a not safe for children vocabulary, so when even my eyes begin to twitch at another women calling another women whore/slut of some other very gender specific name... it's bad.

And then the notion that people with dark(er) skin equals slaves. Stop. Just stop. Tthroughout history they had their own history that didn't evolve slavery. Also vikings didn't hold only darker skinned slaves. That doesn't even make sense! (To be fairish the origin story of the crows was like 3 books ago. But it still bugged me in this book) Seriously the historical inaccuracies drive me nuts. Next thing I will read is that vikings helmets had horns.

And maybe I could over that... if centuries later the gods and every other person who encounters the crows didn't keep calling them slaves LIKE IT IS A BAD THING. Seriously you would think the murdering whole villages would be a bigger thing but noooo let's focus on the one thing that doesn't matter anymore and wasn't even their fault to begin with.

So I'm done. And I'm really bothered by this because I loved the other series by this author. Sure they also had irritating things but I loved the other things (humor and convincing romance) more. To me that is missing in this series. Because for the life of me I couldn't remember who Stieg was when I began reading and kept forgetting why he was even in this story. ( )

Listened to Audio. Stieg is a Raven and Erin is a Crow. While very funny, these two just seem to bump into each other and hang out for most of the first have of the book. Outrageous and neurotic characters gives lots of laughs even if the love story seems secondary. Very torn on rating this story, if I wasn't expecting a love story I'd rate it higher but I think that part of the story just didn't work for me. Huge disconnect, however the action and adventure were pure entertainment.
( )

I love this series! Very cleverly done indeed!! Fresh, different and full of action...highly recommend! ( )

fun & fast ( )