Runemarks

The village of Malbry is a dull village, occupied by dull folk who never dream, or if they do aren't gauche enough to talk about it. And then there's the exception; Maddy Smith, who talks to the Outlander One-Eye and has a blatant runemark on her palm. Many people predict that she will come to a bad end, but only one knows that the world could stand or fall - again - on her actions.

When I first read Runemarks a few years ago, it was honestly not what I'd expected from the author of Chocolat. It's a post-apocalyptic adventurer, in which the apocalypse was the Norse Ragnarok and the new world is built on the ruins of the Middle world of Midgard and the fallen Sky Citadel of Asgard.

It's a good story too, full of twists and turns and betrayals, and with a wonderfully grim and impersonal adversary in the Order, a sort of church-cum-civil service. Maddy is a likable protagonist, and the characterisations of the Norse Gods are fun and irreverent, neither throwing aside traditional descriptions nor feeling that the Aesir and Vanir need to be portrayed necessarily as perfect beings, or even good people.

Runemarks is well worth a read, and I'll be taking a look at the sequel after I finish Foxglove Summer.