The Wolf in the Whale

by Jordanna Max Brodsky

Overview

"If you liked American Gods by Neil Gaiman or Circe by Madeline Miller, be sure to pick this one up."—Timeworn


A sweeping tale of forbidden love and warring gods, where a young Inuit shaman and a Viking warrior become unwilling allies in a war that will determine the fate of the new world.

There is a very old story, rarely told, of a wolf that runs into the ocean and becomes a whale...

Born with the soul of a hunter and the spirit of the Wolf, Omat is destined to follow in her grandfather's footsteps-invoking the spirits of the land, sea, and sky to protect her people.

But the gods have stopped listening and Omat's family is starving. Desperate to save them, Omat journeys across the icy wastes, fighting for survival with every step. When she encounters Brandr, a wounded Viking warrior, they set in motion a conflict that could shatter her world...or save it.




Also by Jordanna Max Brodsky:
The Olympus Bound series

The Immortals
Winter of the Gods
Olympus Bound

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316417150
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	01/29/2019
Pages:	560
Sales rank:	117,938
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Jordanna Max Brodsky hails from Virginia, where she made it through a science and technology high school by pretending it was a theater conservatory. She holds a degree in history and literature from Harvard University. She lives with her husband in Manhattan, where she is working on her next novel.

Editorial Reviews

"Calling fans of Diana Gabaldon and Sharon Kay Penman."—Entertainment Weekly

"An epic, sweeping tale of self-discovery....An intriguing story and a fantastic finale. It felt like a story worth telling and definitely one worth reading."—Hypable

"Truly an epic journey. Inspired by Inuit history, culture and mythology, the author has crafted an imaginative and compelling story in which human, animal and god alike struggle for survival in the stark environment of America's far north. Young shaman Omat is a memorable protagonist."—Juliet Marillier, author of the Sevenwaters series

"Brodsky takes the one surviving record of a meeting between the Norse and the Inuit and spins it into a compelling and fast-paced tale."—Kirkus

"Absolutely stunning....This epic, sprawling standalone fantasy novel should not be missed. It will be one that stays with me for quite some time."—Fantasy Book Review

"A propulsive, deeply researched glimpse into a time and place that will be familiar to few, and which proves to be as fascinating as any fictional universe."—B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog

"Brodsky's research shines through....The pages fly by in a tense narrative that manages to be both epic in scope and deeply personal."—Timeworn

From the Publisher

2018-11-13

A young Inuit shaman must battle the elements, the gods, and violent strangers in order to survive.

Omat's family is in danger. Years ago, they lost their best hunters and since then have routinely faced starvation. New children aren't being born, and they are geographically isolated at "the edge of the open sea" in what is now known as the eastern Canadian Arctic. Even though Omat is a powerful angakkuq, or shaman who is guided by animal spirits and is capable of taking their form, it is not enough to put food in the bellies of the small band. When, miraculously, another group of Inuits come upon their camp, Omat's family believes they may be the answer to their prayers. But Omat is put at risk by the new band's insistence that she live as a woman; they reject Omat's claim that she is uiluaqtaq, one who is neither woman nor man. Little does Omat know that an even more dangerous risk awaits: an encounter with Norse explorers that will change her life forever. Brodsky (Olympus Bound, 2018, etc.) displays the same meticulous research and obsession with folklore and mythology that marked her Olympus Bound trilogy, about ancient Greek deities living in modern Manhattan. This time, though, the anthropological detail offers a window into a world few readers are likely to know much about, and long passages about how to butcher a whale are engrossing. Brodsky also has a chance, however, to make some observations about gender and colonialism here, but she passes that up in too-frequent favor of a Disney Pocahontas approach, which may disappoint.

Brodsky takes the one surviving record of a meeting between the Norse and the Inuit and spins it into a compelling and fast-paced tale.

Kirkus Reviews

09/01/2018
Well regarded for her "Olympic Bound" trilogy, which puts the Greek gods in the contemporary world, Brodsky goes divine in a different way as an Inuit shaman and a Viking warrior undertake an epic trudge through the snow to counter the gods in the Arctic in 1,000 A.D. Billed as historical; clearly, Brodsky is a genre blender.

Library Journal

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