I just finished another great book! The Son of Nine Sisters by Karen P. Foster is a page turner and it kept my interest until the very end.
The main character is Stacy. She lives in New York where she has a boring job, a horrible boss, and no real purpose to her life. Suddenly, she starts having dreams about the Norse gods. Unlike me and the rest of you Iceland, Viking, and Norse enthusiasts, Stacy had zero knowledge about Norse mythology.
In her dreams, Stacy becomes the Norse god, Heimdall. He is the son of nine sisters - each one a giantess. The Nine Mothers of Heimdallur are written about in the famous Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson. This important compilation was written in Iceland about the early 13th century. Our knowledge of Scandinavian mythology comes from the Prose Edda, Poetic Edda, Heimskringla, and other sources. Karen does a great job tying the ancient myths to her modern-day novel.
Heimdall is a god of peace and watches over Asgard (the realm of the gods - heaven) from the gate at the Bífröst Bridge (Æsir's Rainbow Bridge) which links Ásgard (heaven) and Midgard (Earth).
Heimdall can see one hundred leagues around him at night or day. (1 league is the distance a person can walk in about one hour or about five km) . His hearing is so good that he can hear grass grow and can hear the wool grow on a sheep.
The real-life, modern-day, stagnant world of Stacy and the exciting dream-world where she is the Norse god, Heimdall, become intertwined. The author, Karen, does a great job keeping the story-line interesting and enjoyable flipping back-and-forth between dreams and reality.
While reading this fictional story, the old Norse gods come alive for the reader in a fun and unique way. Even if you know nothing about Norse mythology, you will enjoy this book.
I highly recommend The Son of Nine Sisters. Thank you very much, Karen. I cannot wait for the sequel!