The Inheritance of Scars
Written by: Crystal Seitz
Margaret K. McElderry Books
2024
A thrilling enemies-to-lovers fantasy layered in Norse Mythology, Inheritance of Scars is addictive from beginning to end.
I’ve got a say, I love Norse Mythology. I’m not as well versed in it as I am in Greek Mythology, but Seitz builds a world and pulls you into the dark forest of Tiveden and the monsters that lurk there.
Strong Characters
What’s really remarkable is the characters. Astrid has Crohn’s disease, which affects her everyday life. This is not an easy illness, but it’s one she has learned to live with.
When her grandmother goes missing, her father reluctantly goes back home to settle matters once she is legally declared dead. However, Astrid, illness aside, decides to venture into the forest. But after exploring the house while gathering supplies, she discovers and awakens Soren, cursed by her ancestor and bound to Astrid by an ancient blood oath.
Together, they venture deep into the forest, agreeing to help the other.
My favorite part of the novel was Astrid. She is an incredible character who takes her Crohn’s disease seriously but doesn’t let it define her. Her grandmother is missing, and despite her illness, which can be debilitating at times, she packs a bag. She is ready to go into this dark forest and look for her grandmother.
Astrid has no idea how long she is going to be gone; she has no idea in what state she is going to find her grandmother, but she is not letting that stop her. Even when she has to stop and take care of herself, Soren is by her side, even in the face of monsters she thought only existed in fairytales. She holds her ground and rises to the occasion.
Soren is my favorite type of character, dark and brooding, with a heart of goal. He reminded me of Cloud from FFVII, and I absolutely love Cloud. He loves Astrid’s ancestor, but he falls in love with Astrid because of who she is not and for who she is. And I loved that about their dynamic. They began as disgruntled accomplices who grew to care for one another, and then the romance came.
It unraveled naturally, and as the tensions and pacing intensified, you became invested in their romance and happy ending.
Atmosphere
Seitz also did a fantastic job with the atmosphere. There is much to be said about Seitz’s scene structure and how she layers Norse folklore into the story to draw the reader in.
The atmosphere is haunting, and Seitz brings to life the monsters from folklore, and she does it in a way that strays away from info dumping. We learn more about the curse of the forest and how it is tied to the pact Astrid’s ancestor made. We’re learning a little bit about mythology. Still, the sinister sense perfectly makes you see every detail, branch, and shadow.
It has the perfect amount of horror to create this haunting feel without losing the paranormal fantasy.
Final Thoughts
I absolutely loved Inheritance of Scars. It is a perfect introduction to Norse mythology for those interested in dipping their feet into the subject, but also great for those who like a little horror, romance, and fantasy.
Norse Myths and Forbidden Love | Inheritance of Scars Review
A thrilling enemies-to-lovers fantasy layered in Norse Mythology, Inheritance of Scars is addictive from beginning to end.
Cynthia Ayala
Cynthia Ayala-Bujnicki majored in Writing and Publishing from Emerson College. Editor-in-chief of Cyn's Workshop, she loves to read and write while tending to her pepper plants. She currently lives in South Florida with her husband, two kids Dante and Selene and two furbabies Mr. J the Kitten who Thinks He's Batman (yes, that is his full name) and Nyx.
