Belladonna meets Norse mythology in this gorgeous dark fantasy debut that follows a teen who accidentally awakens an imprisoned draugr and must follow him into a deadly magical forest to rescue her grandmother.
Never go beyond the stave church.
Within Tiveden Forest, bloodthirsty monsters known as draugr lurk behind every tree, and secrets run through the soil like twisted roots. When her grandmother vanishes into the forest, Astrid wonât let Crohnâs disease get in the way of finding her. But in searching for her lost loved one, Astrid soon uncovers an even greater mystery:
A conflict thatâs haunted her village and family for generations.
An ancient blood oath her ancestor made to protect them.
A deadly draugr imprisoned for centuriesâŠwho Astrid accidentally awakens.
Newly revived, Soren first mistakes Astrid for her ancestor, his ex-lover turned enemy. Astrid canât tell if he would rather kill her or kiss her. But Soren knows the forest better than anyone, and Astrid quickly realizes that sheâll need his help to rescue her grandmother.
The deeper they venture into Tiveden, the closer Astrid gets to the cold, alluring Soren and the truth behind her grandmotherâs disappearance. To save her home, a dark ritual must be performed before Midwinterâand only Astrid can fulfill her ancestorâs blood oathâŠor break it.
That is, if Sorenâor the forestâdoesnât break Astrid first.