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Available
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Publication
Gollancz (2016), 528 pages
Description
Maddy Smith, who bears the mysterious mark of a rune on her hand, learns that she is destined to join the gods of Norse mythology and play a role in the fate of the world.
User reviews
LibraryThing member phoebesmum
We're all familiar with the author who lives in denial of their genre writing ("It doesn't have spaceships in, so it can't be science fiction!"). Joanne Harris is somewhat the opposite; for years she's been slyly slipping fantastic elements into her otherwise resolutely mainstream fiction and
My one criticism is that the young female protagonist, Maddy, who is initially the novel's main POV character, finds herself more and more squeezed out as more and more characters are introduced – in particular Loki, against whom nobody stands a chance – and appears rather colourless compared to the Norse pantheon. But then, I suppose … anyone would.
Highly recommended.
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getting away with it. Here she goes for all-out fantasy, and it's a sad reflection on the publishing world today that in order to do so she's had to have it marketed as YA. This is a lovely book: a joyous, irreverent romp through Norse legend, full of verve, humour, action, adventure, and the most dangerously charming Loki you're ever likely to meet. At almost 500 pages it initially looks daunting, but Ms Harris's timing is impeccable: the action is divided into bite-sized chunks, and every section ends with a punch that makes you want to keep on reading.My one criticism is that the young female protagonist, Maddy, who is initially the novel's main POV character, finds herself more and more squeezed out as more and more characters are introduced – in particular Loki, against whom nobody stands a chance – and appears rather colourless compared to the Norse pantheon. But then, I suppose … anyone would.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member DubaiReader
Too much like Lord of the Rings.
Joanne Harris is one of my favourite authors and I've read nearly everything she's written, but I would have to admit that I hope this diversion into fantasy does not mean the end of books such as Chocolat and Gentlemen and Players.
Runemarks started well and there
I felt that Ms Harris was trying to create something along the lines of Lord of the Rings and while this book would probably tranlate well into film and has set itself up for a sequel, I shall be waiting, hopefully for a return to the old style.
Joanne Harris is one of my favourite authors and I've read nearly everything she's written, but I would have to admit that I hope this diversion into fantasy does not mean the end of books such as Chocolat and Gentlemen and Players.
Runemarks started well and there
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was a lot of subtle humour and irony, but it got more and more weird and confusing as the story progressed and I ended up not caring who won, I just wanted to move on to my next read. The end felt rushed and just too far fetched after a novel that had taken so much trouble to set everything up neatly and remain true to itself.I felt that Ms Harris was trying to create something along the lines of Lord of the Rings and while this book would probably tranlate well into film and has set itself up for a sequel, I shall be waiting, hopefully for a return to the old style.
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LibraryThing member heathersblue
I really enjoyed the idea behind this as well as all the characters and how they came together. It was not, however, an idea that could make it that many pages before I wanted to be reading something else.
LibraryThing member thorswitch
The book sounded interesting, but it just couldn't hold my attention. I ended up giving up on it after only a few chapters.
LibraryThing member Eruntane
This is a good story, but it compares unfavourably to Joanne Harris's adult fiction. The beautiul subtlety that characterises her style has largely been lost, leaving a book that has plenty of action, but which lacks interest. The middle section is a bit too long, too convoluted and too slow
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moving, and I found myself wishing I could just get to the end and move on to another book. Also, her personal views on religion come across rather strongly, which could be construed as a little inappropriate in a children's book, although maybe I'm just a bit over sensitive on this one because I disagree with her. Show Less
LibraryThing member knielsen83
This book was a great mix of greek mythology, adventure, and some serious religious fanaticism. A long book, but a very fast-paced action packed book. A must read for those loving anything to do with greek mythology and fantasy.
LibraryThing member SamanthaMarie
A young adult novel featuring characters and settings from various mythologies. Maddy Smith starts out helping her friend One-eye, and ends up fighting to keep the balance between Order and Chaos. Fast paced with lots of action.
LibraryThing member SunnySD
Maddy Smith is marked, and not in a good way - at least not according to her fellow villagers. The young teen bears a runemark on her hand, a sign of "Witches Ruin", which results in her being blamed for everything from the milk souring to an excessive amount of rain. Maddy's mark does have power,
Weaving a tapestry of Norse mythology with adventure, goblins, and magic, this is a good read - albeit a bit dense. Some knowledge of the mythology cycle in question is very helpful.
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and as her friend old One Eye tells her, she is special. Very special indeed - Maddy is fated for great things. Of course, like all those who live in interesting times, first she has to survive them!Weaving a tapestry of Norse mythology with adventure, goblins, and magic, this is a good read - albeit a bit dense. Some knowledge of the mythology cycle in question is very helpful.
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LibraryThing member liberlibri
Enjoyable read for fantasy fans- particularly those who like mythology. The book moves right along, but I found myself not as engaged with the protagonist as I would like. The charm of Chocolat was hoped for but not found. I'm interested to hear reactions from teens reading her for the first time.
LibraryThing member DubaiReader
Marginally better as an audiobook.
I read this book in 2009 and wrote the review below. Having now listened to the book in audio form I haven't greatly changed my opinion. It was marginally better, with the narrator (Sile Bermingham) creating some excellent voices for the characters, but I still
Earlier review:
Joanne Harris is one of my favourite authors and I've read nearly everything she's written, but I would have to admit that I hope this diversion into fantasy does not mean the end of books such as Chocolat and Gentlemen and Players.
Runemarks started well and there was a lot of subtle humour and irony, but it got more and more weird and confusing as the story progressed and I ended up not caring who won, I just wanted to move on to my next read. The end felt rushed and just too far fetched after a novel that had taken so much trouble to set everything up neatly and remain true to itself.
I felt that Ms Harris was trying to create something along the lines of Lord of the Rings and while this book would probably tranlate well into film and has set itself up for a sequel, I shall be waiting, hopefully for a return to the old style.
I read this book in 2009 and wrote the review below. Having now listened to the book in audio form I haven't greatly changed my opinion. It was marginally better, with the narrator (Sile Bermingham) creating some excellent voices for the characters, but I still
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found the details of all the runes tedious and the need to go through what each of the Sleepers was doing at any one time, annoyingly excessive.Earlier review:
Joanne Harris is one of my favourite authors and I've read nearly everything she's written, but I would have to admit that I hope this diversion into fantasy does not mean the end of books such as Chocolat and Gentlemen and Players.
Runemarks started well and there was a lot of subtle humour and irony, but it got more and more weird and confusing as the story progressed and I ended up not caring who won, I just wanted to move on to my next read. The end felt rushed and just too far fetched after a novel that had taken so much trouble to set everything up neatly and remain true to itself.
I felt that Ms Harris was trying to create something along the lines of Lord of the Rings and while this book would probably tranlate well into film and has set itself up for a sequel, I shall be waiting, hopefully for a return to the old style.
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LibraryThing member Shimmin
A decent enough story, I thought. It's a fantasy based on Norse myth (obviously), about Order, Chaos, gods, runes, people and worlds. I'm not too sure about the end - to my mind in the last 50 pages or so it frequently wasn't that clear what was happening, and I have a sneaking suspicious Harris
The book's 500 pages long, which I'm not convinced is necessary either, and I felt like it gradually lost the slight humour of the early chapters. I'd have liked more development for Maddy, the protagonist, and maybe a bit more spark: she's a pleasant enough character, and she learns some stuff over the course of the book but doesn't really change much, just do things. Right from the start she basically exists only in the plot, without any real connection to her town or family. Other characters showed signs of being interesting, but it felt a little bit crowded, like there wasn't enough room for any of them to develop properly. The gods were basically stuck with their classical descriptions, without much room for exploration or for any concerns other than godly ones.
Quite a lot of things in the book happen according to plots or prophecies, which is appropriate for mythological stories, but sometimes they felt rather more like improbably coincidences to me, without enough motivation for people to actually act as they were supposed to. There was a bit of Tom Holtianism to the plot too, which I'm not sure was really appropriate. So overall, okay, but I wouldn't necessarily read another one.
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didn't worry too much about things when she was having worlds collapse into each other. She was maybe thinking more about her plot, but the setting cosmology is important in fantasy and I like it clear. The book's 500 pages long, which I'm not convinced is necessary either, and I felt like it gradually lost the slight humour of the early chapters. I'd have liked more development for Maddy, the protagonist, and maybe a bit more spark: she's a pleasant enough character, and she learns some stuff over the course of the book but doesn't really change much, just do things. Right from the start she basically exists only in the plot, without any real connection to her town or family. Other characters showed signs of being interesting, but it felt a little bit crowded, like there wasn't enough room for any of them to develop properly. The gods were basically stuck with their classical descriptions, without much room for exploration or for any concerns other than godly ones.
Quite a lot of things in the book happen according to plots or prophecies, which is appropriate for mythological stories, but sometimes they felt rather more like improbably coincidences to me, without enough motivation for people to actually act as they were supposed to. There was a bit of Tom Holtianism to the plot too, which I'm not sure was really appropriate. So overall, okay, but I wouldn't necessarily read another one.
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LibraryThing member DebbieMcCauley
Sullen Maddy Smith was born with a rusty-coloured runemark on her hand which is viewed by the rest of the villagers as a symbol of the old gods and definitely cause for suspicion. Her only friend is One-Eye, an outlander who passes through the village once a year and teaches Maddy how to control
After dealing with some goblin thieves who raid a cellar, Maddy is drawn into the World Below and a group of Norse Gods which include the prankster Loki. Maddy's quest is to find the Whisperer which is buried deep under One Horse Hill. She learns that it's five hundred years since Ragnarok happened and Asgard fell, and that One-Eye is actually Odin. The world is now ruled by the Order, which is like the inquisition in many ways. They seek to eradicate rune-magic and magical creatures.
I finished this book as I quite like Norse Mythology, but I thought it could have had a much heavier edit - something just didn't quite work!
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her magic. After dealing with some goblin thieves who raid a cellar, Maddy is drawn into the World Below and a group of Norse Gods which include the prankster Loki. Maddy's quest is to find the Whisperer which is buried deep under One Horse Hill. She learns that it's five hundred years since Ragnarok happened and Asgard fell, and that One-Eye is actually Odin. The world is now ruled by the Order, which is like the inquisition in many ways. They seek to eradicate rune-magic and magical creatures.
I finished this book as I quite like Norse Mythology, but I thought it could have had a much heavier edit - something just didn't quite work!
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LibraryThing member periwinklejane
What's with all the gods lately? Between Neil Gaimann, Anne Ursu, and JoAnne Harris, I'm gonna learn my mythology. This is not a bad thing.
I could have gotten along with about 100 few pages, but I enjoyed most of the book ... it was just too long for my attention span. I love Ms. Harris' dry wit
I could have gotten along with about 100 few pages, but I enjoyed most of the book ... it was just too long for my attention span. I love Ms. Harris' dry wit
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though. Show Less
LibraryThing member romsfuulynn
I skipped though to the end, but at about half way I finally decided that while it had nifty bits (a post Ragnorak world with a "Nameless" god like entity and a religious structure of inquisitor types).
The magic structure of a runemagic with magicworkers being born with runes is interesting and
My biggest problem was headhopping (must have been 50 POVs although it was in third) and spending a lot of time in a multitude of POV characters I either actively disliked or didn't care about. The goblins were too "cutesy" dumb for my taste. Even Maddy and One-eye (revelation of who he was not what you'd call a surprise) didn't engage my interest. Nor did the "rogue/trickster" who might have pulled me in to either like or hate.
I might try something else from this author because the ideas were interesting and so was the plot, but this triggered the eight deadly words.
The magic structure of a runemagic with magicworkers being born with runes is interesting and
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well done and I really liked the Norse myth as a background structure.My biggest problem was headhopping (must have been 50 POVs although it was in third) and spending a lot of time in a multitude of POV characters I either actively disliked or didn't care about. The goblins were too "cutesy" dumb for my taste. Even Maddy and One-eye (revelation of who he was not what you'd call a surprise) didn't engage my interest. Nor did the "rogue/trickster" who might have pulled me in to either like or hate.
I might try something else from this author because the ideas were interesting and so was the plot, but this triggered the eight deadly words.
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LibraryThing member Crewman_Number_6
I liked the premise of this book, but it did not hold my attention to the end, in fact, I glossed through much of the time spent in the land of dreams/chaos. It felt like fluff to make the book longer, describing every rock, shadow, and stream of mist was annoying. However, I did think the book had
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promise and I enjoyed the characters based on norse mythology. Show Less
LibraryThing member sageness
The only copy of this I could find is the audiobook, and the narrator has the single most annoying voice I've heard in ages. It might be fine for a different kind of novel, but the lisp and the nasal fingernails-on-a-chalkboard vocal tone are serving the story BADLY.
edit: The world building was
I'm still completely annoyed at the narrator for not distinguishing enough between voices and for making several of the voices overly childish. I'm still baffled by why various characters were given American, English, and Irish accents...with the young protagonist sounding American and most of the villains sounding English. Never mind that members of the same family were given wildly different accents. I ended up speeding up the player to minimize the lisp...but the reading distracted enormously from the book itself.
By contrast, a good audiobook reading can improve a book, as was the case with the first Skulduggery Pleasant novel. It's a good kids' novel, but the reading (except for the stupid musical interludes, gah) was awesome.
edit: The world building was
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really great, and it was a cool riff on Norse gods and an interesting sort of dungeon crawl of a novel. But there were way too many minor characters I couldn't tell apart, and keeping track of the various factions who mostly wanted the same thing was impossible.I'm still completely annoyed at the narrator for not distinguishing enough between voices and for making several of the voices overly childish. I'm still baffled by why various characters were given American, English, and Irish accents...with the young protagonist sounding American and most of the villains sounding English. Never mind that members of the same family were given wildly different accents. I ended up speeding up the player to minimize the lisp...but the reading distracted enormously from the book itself.
By contrast, a good audiobook reading can improve a book, as was the case with the first Skulduggery Pleasant novel. It's a good kids' novel, but the reading (except for the stupid musical interludes, gah) was awesome.
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LibraryThing member Mothwing
4.5 stars, really. What a wild, unpredictable ride! The characters were fun, though I didn't really far for those not Maddy, Loki, Skadi or Hel.
I didn't like Maddy's relationship with her believed biological faster, it seemed too distant to be entirely realistic to me. I'm also not too find about
I didn't like Maddy's relationship with her believed biological faster, it seemed too distant to be entirely realistic to me. I'm also not too find about
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the axe someone seems to have tho grind with Christianity. Show Less
LibraryThing member LaneLiterati
Quite an epic read. Very detailed with the addition of Norse mythology and a Tolkien-like essence. A bit of slow going but enjoyable. Recommended for those who can't get enough of mythology and want a quest based adventure.
LibraryThing member nordie
This is a story of Loki and Odin, old gods and magic, folk and the nameless.
Maddy, 14 years old and always considered by her small community as being *different*, becomes friends with One-Eye. He teaches her small pieces of magic, but one day she gets pulled into a much wider world, where the old
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gods prove to be real and she finds out why she feels the way she does.Forget that this is a Joanne Harris book - if you're expecting another Chocolat, you will be sorely disappointed. Read it for what it is though - a fantasy book by a decent author - and it can help.
I enjoyed reading it. There is the odd bit of humour, the gods are very human like on occasion - pettiness and base human emotions included. In two minds about the Folk, and think they were a little two dimensional, but then again, they were mainly secondary characters.
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LibraryThing member jennybeast
Maddy Smith has a rune on her arm – a mark that makes her suspicious to the ordered world around her – mark of magic and of chaos, mark of intelligence and dream. She falls into an adventure with figures that bear a strange resemblance to the elder Norse gods, though Ragnarok is long past and
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the new world has no place for them. Humourous and exciting, I couldn’t put it down. Show Less
LibraryThing member littleoracle
Really enjoyed this one, even more so the further I got into it. Nice worldbuilding based on Norse mythology with a little different twist on everything.
Despite being the main character, Maddy felt a bit like a side player to Loki's antics and schemes. He probably should have been on the cover
Despite being the main character, Maddy felt a bit like a side player to Loki's antics and schemes. He probably should have been on the cover
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along with her, rather than the goblin. Show Less
LibraryThing member Auntie-Nanuuq
Excellent story... Gods & Goddesses come to life to once again fight the evil they fought 500 years prior.
Maddy, outcast of her village w/ the Rune of Ash Tree, taught by Odin, in hand w/ Loki helps fight the Whisperer, the one who would conquer the world & become the one most powerful god;
527 pages of intense reading, that I had to take a rest from for hours at a time....
I am cutting off 1 ★ because I found the book to be overly long, in places tedious, and lacking where I wanted to know more.
For some reason the title says: #1. I'm satisfied with the ending of this and have no desire to read another.
Maddy, outcast of her village w/ the Rune of Ash Tree, taught by Odin, in hand w/ Loki helps fight the Whisperer, the one who would conquer the world & become the one most powerful god;
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destroying all others....527 pages of intense reading, that I had to take a rest from for hours at a time....
I am cutting off 1 ★ because I found the book to be overly long, in places tedious, and lacking where I wanted to know more.
For some reason the title says: #1. I'm satisfied with the ending of this and have no desire to read another.
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LibraryThing member shadrachanki
I listened to the audiobook version of this novel, and once I got used to a few vocal quirks on the part of the narrator it was quite enjoyable. Sile Bermingham gives all the characters more or less distinct voices, and she's a steady reader.
The story was enjoyable, but I think certain aspects
The story was enjoyable, but I think certain aspects
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would have been easier to follow had I been holding a paper copy of the book. There's a lot of crossing and double-crossing going on amongst the characters, and it would have been nice to be able to flip back and forth to check things. Show Less
LibraryThing member Debra_Armbruster
Very enjoyable read!
I am a Joanne Harris fan, but I had not know about _Runemarks_ until I happened to be helping to inventory the YA Fantasy section of the library. A great story for Middle/High School readers - although I would have enjoyed hearing my father read this to me when I was younger as
I am a Joanne Harris fan, but I had not know about _Runemarks_ until I happened to be helping to inventory the YA Fantasy section of the library. A great story for Middle/High School readers - although I would have enjoyed hearing my father read this to me when I was younger as
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well. Show Less
LibraryThing member jshillingford
I really enjoyed Harris’ “Gospel of Loki,” which I learned after finishing was a prequel to Runemarks. Gospel retold the familiar Norse myths from Loki’s point of view; Runemarks is the story of what happened after Ragnarok.
Five hundred years have passed since the twilight of the gods.
I loved the originality of this tale. Moving beyond the Norse myths allows Harris free rein with all the familiar characters. Many of the gods still exist, but are far less powerful due to what happened at Ragnarok. Maddy, though, has a lot of power - and everyone seems to want it. Once Maddy encounters Loki, the plot begins to unfold at a steady pace and there is more action and more mystery. The reveal of the Sleepers, wondering which side Loki is on (always his own, right?!) and just who Maddy is all make for a great tale. I especially liked how Harris explains how Loki and Odin are still around in the wake of Ragnarok. It was creative, but also well in keeping with the spirit of the original myths.
Though the story was compelling, there are some problems. The first third of the book is very slow. A lot of time was spent introducing Maddy and her village, and then still more time establishing the quasi-religious “Order.” There was too much tell, and not enough show. Maddy’s innocence provides a nice counterpoint to the cynical gods, but also frequently drags the story down whenever the POV reverts to her. She has no idea what’s going on most of the time, which got to be frustrating.
Nevertheless, I found the book to be an excellent reimagining of Norse mythology. Maddy travels with Loki to Hel, The Netherworld and into Dream itself. All the familiar gods and monsters are mentioned, or appear and the ending was downright gripping. There is some resolution, but the conclusion obviously leads into the sequel.
Five hundred years have passed since the twilight of the gods.
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Order and Chaos are poised to clash once again and at the heart of the conflict is a young girl. Maddy is unusual, with a strange ruinmark and an unsettling ability see fair folk. This makes her invaluable for chasing goblins out of food cellars, but also makes her an unwanted outcast in the village. She finds solace in the twice yearly visits from her only friend, old One-Eye. When The Order sends an Examiner to her village, Maddy gets swept up in an adventure that leads down below where she’ll encounter The Trickster, awaken The Sleepers and hear prophecy from The Whisperer. I loved the originality of this tale. Moving beyond the Norse myths allows Harris free rein with all the familiar characters. Many of the gods still exist, but are far less powerful due to what happened at Ragnarok. Maddy, though, has a lot of power - and everyone seems to want it. Once Maddy encounters Loki, the plot begins to unfold at a steady pace and there is more action and more mystery. The reveal of the Sleepers, wondering which side Loki is on (always his own, right?!) and just who Maddy is all make for a great tale. I especially liked how Harris explains how Loki and Odin are still around in the wake of Ragnarok. It was creative, but also well in keeping with the spirit of the original myths.
Though the story was compelling, there are some problems. The first third of the book is very slow. A lot of time was spent introducing Maddy and her village, and then still more time establishing the quasi-religious “Order.” There was too much tell, and not enough show. Maddy’s innocence provides a nice counterpoint to the cynical gods, but also frequently drags the story down whenever the POV reverts to her. She has no idea what’s going on most of the time, which got to be frustrating.
Nevertheless, I found the book to be an excellent reimagining of Norse mythology. Maddy travels with Loki to Hel, The Netherworld and into Dream itself. All the familiar gods and monsters are mentioned, or appear and the ending was downright gripping. There is some resolution, but the conclusion obviously leads into the sequel.
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Subjects
Awards
BCCB Blue Ribbon Book (2008)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2007-08-02
Physical description
528 p.; 6.22 inches
ISBN
1473217040 / 9781473217041
Local notes
Duplicate. Matching cover.
It's been five hundred years since the end of the world and society has rebuilt itself anew. The old Norse gods are no longer revered. Their tales have been banned. Magic is outlawed, and a new religion - the Order - has taken its place. In a remote valley in the north, fourteen-year-old Maddy Smith is shunned for the ruinmark on her hand - a sign associated with the Bad Old Days. But what the villagers don't know is that Maddy has skills. According to One-Eye, the secretive Outlander who is Maddy's only real friend, her ruinmark - or runemark, as he calls it - is a sign of Chaos blood, magical powers and gods know what else... Now, as the Order moves further north, threatening all the Worlds with conquest and Cleansing, Maddy must finally learn the truth to some unanswered questions about herself, her parentage, and her powers.
It's been five hundred years since the end of the world and society has rebuilt itself anew. The old Norse gods are no longer revered. Their tales have been banned. Magic is outlawed, and a new religion - the Order - has taken its place. In a remote valley in the north, fourteen-year-old Maddy Smith is shunned for the ruinmark on her hand - a sign associated with the Bad Old Days. But what the villagers don't know is that Maddy has skills. According to One-Eye, the secretive Outlander who is Maddy's only real friend, her ruinmark - or runemark, as he calls it - is a sign of Chaos blood, magical powers and gods know what else... Now, as the Order moves further north, threatening all the Worlds with conquest and Cleansing, Maddy must finally learn the truth to some unanswered questions about herself, her parentage, and her powers.
Other editions
Runemarks by Joanne Harris (Hardcover)