It all began with Ragnarok, with the Children of the Light and the Tarnished ones battling to the death in the ice and the dark. At the end of the long battle, one Valkyrie survived, wounded, and one valraven—the steeds of the valkyrie. Because they lived, Valdyrgard was not wholly destroyed. Because the valraven was transformed in the last miracle offered to a Child of the Light, Valdyrgard was changed to a world where magic and technology worked hand in hand. 2,500 years later, Muire is in the last city on the dying planet, where the Technomancer rules what’s left of humanity. She’s caught sight of someone she has not seen since the Last Battle: Mingan the Wolf is hunting in her city.
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"Mixed feelings- good story, interesting ideas. In general I am not a fan of fantasy- fantasy can sometimes be a lazy form of science fiction where the rules are made up with no connection to reality. Nonetheless I liked the main character Muire and read the book in two days. I like books with tragic but noble characters. I liked this better than Dust which I read the next week. First read Elizabeth Bear in the great short story collection "Lovecraft Unbound". I will be reading some more of her."
— David (4 out of 5 stars)
" I really liked this book much more than I expected to. It was a bit hard starting out. The writing style is different than a lot of the book I've read recently, but once I got going, I really enjoyed everything about it. Good themes of loneliness, isolation, forgiveness and redemption, and having the courage to do more than just exist. "
— Emily, 2/16/2014" For angels, these people sure are mopey and melodramatic. "
— Christen, 2/16/2014" If your looking for fantasy NOT based on Celtic mythology this one is a nice change. The last Waelcyrge (Valkyrie) is in the end days of Valdyrgard after 2 Ragnaroks. The world is dead but for one human city and a Technomancer is sucking the essence out of even the gods to keep it alive for only the few. Its a world one can relate with as the humans have killed all other life with virus wars and other horrible weapons, making this also sic-fi but still filled with magic. "
— Joy, 1/27/2014" Bear keeps outdoing herself. Exquisite world-building. Fascinating characters.Next time I set foot in a bookstore, I'm not leaving without the next one in this series: By the Mountain Bound. "
— Robin, 12/5/2013" A stellar, if difficult read from Elizabeth Bear. In a book with no clear villain, and a hero that is sometimes difficult to root for, the lines are hard to draw. Betrayal is the word of the day. Still, in the end, E-Bear pulls off a satisfying, happy, cathartic ending. "
— Kara, 12/4/2013" An interesting take on norse mythology and Ragnarok. I liked how the protagonist was a survivor of it and that her journey to atone for it made for an interesting personal story. I found the world around her to be a bit thin but it did not detract me from the story. "
— Andre, 11/17/2013" Thoughtful and amazing. "
— Kenneth, 11/9/2013" ??? i definitely wish i could have my time back. i powered through this book, but even at the end, i have no idea what this book was about. it reminds me of this trippy, highly-symbolic, lousy-with-mythological-gods fairy tale i had to read in college -- that also flew straight over my head. "
— Jessica, 11/1/2013" After reading nothing bunch young adult books it is nice to read something with a little more bite to it. "
— Jessica, 10/27/2013" I put this book on my "fantasy" shelf, but it was harder to classify than that. It has a lot of fantasy elements, but it's also set in a future setting with a lot of technological elements as well. Great blend of mythology, magic, and science. "
— Dana, 9/22/2013" I really, really enjoyed this book. Well-written characters, interesting post-apocalyptic setting. Can't wait for the second one! "
— Lauren, 5/10/2013" This author reminds me of China Mieville - not content, but something about the characters. "
— Sherril, 10/27/2012" I loved the premise of this book, but a list of characters would have greatly improved my reading experience. (Please correct me if this feature is, in fact, included; I am reviewing after long-having returned the book to the library.) "
— Hilary, 8/13/2011" It started out slow for me, because the pacing is epic (the Beowulf/Gilgamesh kind of epic), but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. "
— Casey, 5/4/2011" A lot of great ideas, but the writing and story didn't do much for me. "
— Becky, 1/30/2011" Amazingly written. So tightly packed I'll probably have to read it three more times before I get it. "
— Jennifer, 1/21/2011" I loved the premise of this book, but a list of characters would have greatly improved my reading experience. (Please correct me if this feature is, in fact, included; I am reviewing after long-having returned the book to the library.) "
— Hilary, 1/5/2011" Good but not good enough to look for the next in the series. I did like the melding of hard science fiction with the scandinavian mythos but the writing was awkward and the characters just didn't grab me. "
— Teresa, 12/9/2010" This author reminds me of China Mieville - not content, but something about the characters. "
— Sherril, 7/12/2010" Too hard to follow, and too depressing. I couldn't finish it. "
— Bobbi, 7/10/2010Elizabeth Bear, also known as Sarah Bear Elizabeth Wishnevsky, is an American author known for her speculative fiction. Among her many awards, she is one of only five writers who have gone on to win multiple Hugo Awards for fiction after winning the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. She also won a Sturgeon Award and the Locus Award for Best First Novel. She is the author of the acclaimed Eternal Sky series. Elizabeth Bear shares a birthday with Frodo and Bilbo Baggins.
Michael Kramer is an AudioFile Earphones Award winner, a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration, and recipient of a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award. He is also an actor and director in the Washington, DC, area, where he is active in the area’s theater scene and has appeared in productions at the Shakespeare Theatre, the Kennedy Center, and Theater J.
Michael Kramer is an AudioFile Earphones Award winner, a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration, and recipient of a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award. He is also an actor and director in the Washington, DC, area, where he is active in the area’s theater scene and has appeared in productions at the Shakespeare Theatre, the Kennedy Center, and Theater J.