Book Review | Rune by Victoria McCombs

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Title: Rune

Author: Victoria McCombs

Page Count: 399

Publication Date: April 8, 2025

Favorite Character: Rune

Least Favorite Character: Jarl Hakan

Favorite 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 old

A Fast-paced YA fantasy about one sister marked by Odin and one who will defy him.

PERHAPS WE ARE SAVAGES AFTER ALL

Rune 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.

Art from Rune (viking) | Victoria McCombs

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.

Thank you so much for reading! Drop a comment letting me know if you are interested in reading this book or if you have read it!

Spread some glitter <3

K. Florence