Rune

I am honestly not an Odin and the gods loving person. But I loved this book. I loved the drama, the romance, and the action. I was only sad about how quickly the story wrapped up. It was almost in a blink of an eye. Would've liked it drawn out a bit longer.. that said this book was a clean read, no swearing, and I would rate it between pg and pg-13.

As a huge fan of Norse mythology I ATE THIS BOOK UP!! From the first chapter I was hooked and quite literally could not put this book down! I really enjoyed our main character Rune and seeing her journey unfold was quite the wild ride. I really loved the concept of the story and could picture everything so beautifully and clearly. Although I did guess some of the plot twists of the story I still felt myself on the edge of my seat excited to see what happens next.I think this story worked really well as a standalone but I grew to love the two main characters so much I would have loved to see what they do next. For me personally, I also wanted a little more at the end of the story with the gods finding out the truth of everything and to see the villain get some justice for his betrayal and lies, but the ending was still a sweet one. Overall, this was an amazing story and one that I will read again in the future!

Absolutely buy this fabulous book by Victoria McCombs. Once you start reading you won't want to put it down!

Rune has always been seen as cursed, overshadowed by her sister who’s considered blessed by Odin. After a painful betrayal, she’s kidnapped and taken to Asgard—where a man claiming to be her uncle tells her she’s a goddess. Desperate to return home, she strikes a deal with her arranged fiancé: fake their love for two months, then he’ll take her back to Danmark.This story blends Norse mythology with heartfelt emotion, mystery, and the beloved fake engagement trope. Rune’s journey of self-discovery is powerful, and I truly felt for her—she’s tough, kind, and more forgiving than expected, even after all she’s endured. The romance was slow-building and satisfying, and the found-family aspect added warmth to the story.A captivating read with heart, myth, and romance—I highly recommend it!

The story is beyond captivating. Truly a must read for anyone looking for a story where romance meets adventure. A good read for young adults as well.

StatisticsTitle: RuneAuthor: Victoria McCombsPage Count: 399Publication Date: April 8, 2025Favorite Character: RuneLeast Favorite Character: Jarl HakanFavorite Quote: “I love his drive, his passion, and the way her cares for his friends. I love that he’s fierce enough to fight and soft enough to paint. And I love the way he says my name.”Formatting: Beautiful, stunning, perfection.Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⚔🍁⚔🍁⚔🍁⚔🍁⚔Deals with the gods of oldA Fast-paced YA fantasy about one sister marked by Odin and one who will defy him.PERHAPS WE ARE SAVAGES AFTER ALLRune wants only one thing from the gods: the heart of a boy who already claims to love her. She wants it enough that she's willing to make a deal with a god to keep it.The deal is simple: the heart of the boy, and in return, Rune will make this god revered among the clan.Then, out of nowhere, the boy proposes to Rune's sister instead.In her anger, she renounces the gods. But the gods have plans of their own. They snatch Rune from earth and throw her in Asgard, claiming her as their lost goddess and drowning her in a world of dangerous power. It's clear a god is pulling the strings here, but Rune can't guess who, or what her role is in their games. Desperate, she strikes a second deal with a god-one who might be as broken and twisted as she, and quite possibly more capable of breaking her heart than anyone. As her Viking past finds a way into Asgard, it's clear that someone's heart will be slaughtered. She can only hope to be long gone before it all crashes down.A standalone fantasy for lovers of Norse mythology, and fake engagement trope, shields and axes, or poison in teacups.⚔🍁⚔🍁⚔Rune was one of my most anticipated releases of this year, as a lover of Percy Jackson, Mortal Queens, and The Sword of Summer, I had high expectations for this novel.It didn’t disappoint.'Deals with the gods are dangerous things…'Let’s talk about Rune. As a character she is very well developed, having hopes and dreams as well as dark thoughts and feelings deep down under her Viking skin. Her skill with the axe and fighting is admirable and written very realistic - which I adored. However, something that I found heartwarming and heartbreaking was her relationship with her sister Tova.You see Tova was blessed by Odin, she is pretty and strong. A perfect girl. Whereas Rune has scars, and asthma, she isn’t blessed by Odin and struggles with the way people always look down on her. Despite her bravery and strength, she is always overlooked. It hurt to read about how their relationship fractured, as a boy created a gouge between them.However, even after Rune is swept away to Asgard her loyalty still lies with Tova, as she does everything she can help her and find her way back to her. Back home.'Mortal hearts are fragile things.'Both Rune’s home village and Asgard were written beautifully. I could practically feel the dirt under my fingernails, the surf swishing around my ankles, the hard wood of the axe in my hand. The way Victoria writes descriptions is simply magical. For example, look at this – yes look because it doesn’t feel like you are sitting reading this.'The trees had been in a golden blaze for a month, so the mountain range more closely resembled a burning fire than anything, until the hues of amber and marigold gave way to the fjord below. At our backs, the sun dropped behind the sparkling sea…'Absorb that for a moment, that is just the tip of the gorgeousness of her writing style. To be honest one day I WISH to write settings like this, to draw people into my world as Victoria has drawn me into hers. I love that she uses other things to describe the simple turning of the leaves. Like fire, and the word hues. I don’t see that word a lot in writing.Then we get our first look at Asgard, a place beyond the word pretty, you could even call it otherworldly. And some of the word combinations are so clever.Bitter consciousness.Buttery light.Savage mortal.It is lyrical and wonderful, immersing to read in a way that is hard to find in current-day literature. The book sucked me in and didn’t let me go until I closed the last page and staired at the cover (a beautiful cover by the way) and I still haven’t stopped thinking about it.'The land of the gods was not made for mortals to wander.'The fighting was brilliant as well; in fact it was written in a way I am wondering if Victoria trained with an axe just so she could write those moments. Every move was right on, every word perfectly placed. As someone who must have a realistic fight scene to enjoy it, I adored Rune’s.Also, the fact that she called her knife ‘darling’That made me laugh so hard. I also enjoyed the fact that every person had a different way of fighting; some were smaller so therefore, faster others became bigger using their strength to their advantage. Each fighting style was unique, and I ate it up.'Together we fight. to live or die.'That is a wrap on my review, but I want to thank Victoria for taking the time to write this book, and not just write it but share it with the world.I hope to one day touch people with my writing as you have touched me with yours.

Just finished this book this morning and I loved the overall story. Rune is such a strong willed character that has a heart of gold for her family specifically her sister. I really enjoyed the blend of Norse mythology and vikings in this ya fantasy. Victoria is an autobuy author for me and each of her stories just pulls me in.While Rune is strong willed she also struggles with her self worth and how her family and tribe has treated her over the years. Once she is with the gods she starts to believe in herself and question where she really belongs. Lots of clues throughout the book for the ending which I caught on to but I loved it anyways.I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.