Beyond a Darkened Shore by Jessica Leake (review)

Although her ability to control minds comes in handy while protecting the kingdom of Mide from the plundering Northmen, Princess Ciara is an outsider among her people, whose Christianity makes them suspicious of any hints of the supernatural or Celtic paganism. When Ciara captures a young Northman, Leif, during battle, she learns he too possesses strange powers and dreams of a great evil that threatens the world. Leake deftly weaves Celtic and Norse mythology together to create a magic-infused, dangerous world; deceitful fairies, the Morrigan, the Valkyries, and even Odin himself play major roles as Ciara and Leif strategize to fight off the jötnar, giants from the north who are utterly terrifying in their violence and grotesqueness. Unfortunately, the human players here are rather bland in comparison; neither Ciara nor Leif is particularly dimensional, and their attraction and inevitable romance feels superficial and often clichéd. Young’s Sky in the Deep, reviewed below, offers a more memorable romance forged in battle, but the mythological elements here may appeal to fans of Celtic and Norse lore.