The Warrior and Her Divine by Gabriella Dennany

“I make you feel a certain way,” she whispered, “And it frightens you.”

Thank you so much to Tales & Teacups and Gabriella Dennany for letting me read this ARC!

Synopsis:

The Warrior and Her Divine centers around Astrid the Asgardian, a simple mortal caught in a world of ancient Nordic gods and goddesses. Her homeland has been taken by the very deities she worships, and her purpose is tested when she fails in front of her godly companions. When Odin commands her group to steal the powerful hammer Mjolnir from Svartalfheim, their unity shatters. Burdened by a forbidden love for Thor and a connection to Loki, Astrid grapples with her mortality and the allure of divine power. To fulfill her destiny, she must navigate treacherous realms and confront the darkness within herself.

My thoughts:

I love Norse mythology and really enjoyed Dennany’s depiction of it in The Warrior and Her Divine! We are made aware of many gods and goddesses, such as Thor, Loki, Sigyn, and Freyr, and are introduced to important characters and items through Kennings (figurative, two-worded phrases used to describe something), most notably ‘All-Father’ and ‘Swordslayer’.

This one was pretty short and a quick read. It’s well-paced and had lots of action to keep you engaged and invested in the narrative. I particularly liked Astrid as the FMC. She starts off unsure of herself and where she stands with her beliefs, but by the end is fully confident in who and what she believes in.

Thor is an interesting character in this story. Although he’s a hero in Norse Mythology and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Dennany depicts him here as a villain, and who leans heavily on his temperament, violence, and aggressiveness to get his way. I will say however, that this came off a little uncomfortable at times, especially with the way he treats Astrid (the relationship is emotionally toxic), but it was refreshing to perceive him in a different light than how we normally do.

Overall, The Warrior and Her Divine is a 4-star read and one to look out for if you like Norse Mythology or crave something different!

These are the tropes you’ll be able to find in this book:
✨ Forbidden romance
✨ Touch her and die
✨ Platonic love story
✨ Love triangle
✨ Messy morally grey FMC
✨ Morally black MMC
✨ Mortal vs divine

The Warrior and Her Divine is a standalone prequel to ‘The Halls of Valhalla’ series and is released on July 14th, 2025. Stay updated with Dennany’s other works by checking out her website here and her Instagram page.