{Review + Giveaway} of Mist by Susan Krinard

Mist by Susan Krinard
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

GENRE: Urban Fantasy
THEME: Mythology, Gods, Magic
RECEIVED: Publisher
AUTHORS BLOG: Susan Krinards' Site

BLURB:

Centuries ago, all was lost in the Last Battle when the Norse gods and goddesses went to war. The elves, the giants, and the gods and goddesses themselves were all destroyed, leaving the Valkyrie Mist one of the only survivors.

Or so she thought.

When a snowy winter descends upon modern-day San Francisco in June, Mist’s quiet existence starts to feel all too familiar. In quick succession, Mist is attacked by a frost giant in a public park and runs into an elf disguised as a homeless person on the streets…and then the man Mist believed was her mortal boyfriend reveals himself to be the trickster god, Loki, alive and well after all these years.

Loki has big plans for the modern world, and he’s been hanging around Mist for access to a staff that once belonged to the great god Odin. Mist is certain of one thing: Loki must be stopped if there is to be any hope for Earth. But the fight is even bigger than she knows….

Because Loki wasn’t the only god to survive.

REVIEW:

As I’ve mentioned time and time again, I love mythology stories, I’m not sure what it is about them but the world of gods, goddess and magic always hooks me right from the start. Mist has all the goodies, but it felt more like an epic fantasy with its detailed history, somewhat long monologues and lots of action scenes.

Mist follows Mist, a Valkyrie who is one of the remaining pantheons who is now trying to live a “normal life”. Since the war of the gods has passed and she no longer feels her duty to protect the treasures that she has now hidden and given to her sisters, she has tried to move on. But after the betrayal of the one man she trusted, reveals that the gods are alive as well as Loki, who is ready to win a new war. She is guided by an Alfar (Elf), who explains the sudden appearance of frost giants in San Francisco and helps her discover herself as a Valykrie again. Together they must stop Loki; all the while finding people who can help them win a war that was never finished.

Mist is a character that is introduced in the middle of a battle; she is strong and determined to fight for her sisters and duty to her god Odin. She was entrusted to protect Odin’s spear, which helps her fight while getting her sisters to the human world of Midgard during the war. In present day, the war is long gone and Mist has started a new life. She has now hidden the spear and has tried to put the past behind her. But after she is attacked by a frost giant and found a very injured Alfar named Dainn, she realizes her duty was never finished as well as the war. Mist is a hard character to connect to; she is very headstrong and acts before she thinks. She makes some bad decisions and even though a lot has happened since gaining her new power and Loki’s return, she still doesn’t think of the bigger picture before fighting someone that was too powerful. I want to give Mist the benefit of the doubt because of her determination to right her wrongs, find her sisters and protect the world she know calls home. I’m hoping I can connect to her more in the next book.

The two male leads are very complex as well next to Mist. With Loki having been hidden among the humans and very close to Mist. I found his character the most developed and I loved to hate him. There is a whole side of him that the readers get to see come out, his secrets, his goal, the enemies he fears and Mist being stuck in the middle. Then there is Dainn an Elf and someone who not only knows about Loki but also knows many secrets about Mist, which she doesn’t even know. He’s her guide and possible love interest, but mostly someone with his own problems to deal with, while helping Mist with her magic. Both of these men really complicate Mists life; they have some major history which Krinard grasp nicely in detail. I can’t wait to learn more about Dainn because after finding out a little about his pasts, I hope that in the future books we get more in depth with what happened to him and why he did what he did.

Overall I enjoyed Krinard’s first step into Urban Fantasy, since this was the first book its heavy on the world building and not as focused as I would of liked on character development. My main issues was that at the beginning the prologue was so strong and hooked me, but the rest of the story until the end was a bit too slow and some scenes dragged on. The actions scene were my favorite parts, as the readers get to see Mists’ magic develop and hints of what is to come. Loki as in any mythology is a fantastic villain, he’s evil and knows it and enjoys it. In this story he is bad of course but also fears the unknown. He overall gave me the creeps, who I’m sure was Krinards goal. In the end I look forward to the next installment and hope that Mist and Dainn can strategies their next route to take against the evil Loki.

RECOMMENDATION:

This is an adult novel with some intense and action packed battle scenes. Fans of Jenn Bennett’s Arcadia Bell series and Keri Arthur’s Dark Angel series will enjoy Mist by Susan Krinard.

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1 paperback copy of Mist

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