“Urd found a way. I’ll find a way too. I’ll find you. And I’ll bring you the truth about the rot.”
Hirka could tell he believed it. She didn’t. But still she let the thought warm her.
She called to Kuro. “Kuro! Hreidr!” The word came so naturally that it was as if she’d never used another word for “home.” The raven circled them a couple of times. Then he flew between two of the stones and disappeared.
Reluctantly, Hirka pried herself from Rime’s embrace. “Follow the ravens,” she said with a shrug. Rime didn’t reply. She put her bag on and passed between the stones.
The space between worlds enveloped her.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It’s all or nothing, they say, so I hereby stomp all over that by only mentioning some of the people who deserve thanks for making the Raven Rings trilogy a reality. I’ll skip right past Kim and Mom because obviously I couldn’t have done it without them.
Consultants
Alexander K. Lykke: language consultant, Old Norse guru, fantasy enthusiast, and font of ideas.
Maja S. Megård: my dear friend and the only one who was allowed to read and comment as I wrote.
Karen Forberg: brilliant editor and the first person to tell me it’s a good book.
Terje Røstum: colleague and kick-ass web developer at Kantega.
Emma Josefin Johansson and Stian Andreassen: developers at the amazing Gnist Design.
Knut Ellingsen: geologist with knowledge of all things stone.
Tom Haller: probably the only professional ravener in Norway.
Lars Myhren Holand: the photographer who made me look clever.
Øyvind Skogmo: merciless final-round proofreader.
Writing a book is often difficult when you have a full-time job, unless you’re lucky enough to have the best job in the world. I happen to be that lucky. Thank you to all my wonderful colleagues at Kantega, and in particular Marit Collin, the best boss in the world. I want to be like her when I grow up.
Gyldendal is a warm and wonderful publisher that welcomed me with open arms. My most heartfelt thanks to everyone there, especially my amazing editors, Marianne Koch Knudsen and Bente Lothe Orheim. They’ve made both me and the book better.
To Fuglen, Supreme Roastworks, and Java, the best coffee shops in Oslo, and their absurdly lovely staff. To Outland, the store where I found myself. To Michael Parchment, who taught me what I’m capable of. To the lovely people at Fabelprosaikerne, and everyone who gushed about the advance copy. You’re the best. To everyone who reads, writes, blogs, and tweets about books. To everyone I follow, and everyone who follows me. To fellow author Tonje Tornes, because two heads are better than one! To all the friends and acquaintances that encouraged me, particularly my old comic and role-playing buddies (Look, Endre! Hirka’s come to life!).
Finally: a very special thank-you to the man who opened the gateways to other worlds for me, and who will probably never understand how much that means. Thank you, my dear Ketil Holden.
CHARACTERS
Damayanti
a dancer
Eirik Viljarsón
chieftain of Ravnhov
Hirka
the tailless girl
Hlosnian
a stone carver and stone whisperer
Gesa An-Elderin
Rime’s mother
Kaisa of Glimmeråsen
Sylja’s mother
Kolgrim
Elveroa’s village bully
Kuro
a raven
Launhug
a Kolkagga
Lindri
a teahouse owner
Ramoja
a ravener; Vetle’s mother
Rime An-Elderin
heir to the An-Elderin seat on the Council
the Seer
a god
Slabba
a merchant; Urd’s lackey
Svarteld
Rime’s master
Sylja of Glimmeråsen
the wealthiest girl in Elveroa
Tein
a son of Ravnhov
Thorrald
Hirka’s father
Tyrinn
a prisoner in Eisvaldr
Urd Vanfarinn
an aspiring councillor
Vetle
a simple boy in Elveroa
COUNCILLORS
Eir Kobb
Miane Fell
Freid Vangard
Noldhe Saurpassarid
Garm Darkdaggar
Saulhe Jakinnin
Ilume An-Elderin
Sigra Kleiv
Jarladin An-Sarin
Spurn Vanfarinn
Leivlugn Taid
Tyrme Jekense
PLACES
the Alldjup
a gorge with the River Stryfe running through it
Blindból
a forbidden mountain range
Bromfjell
a mountain near Ravnhov
the Catgut
a main street in Mannfalla
Eisvaldr
a walled city within Mannfalla; the home of the Council and the Seer
Elveroa
a small village
Foggard
the region where Elveroa is located
Gardfjella
a mountain range
Glimmeråsen
the largest and most prosperous farm in Elveroa
Hrafnfell
a mountain range
Mannfalla
the biggest city in Ym, where the Rite occurs every year
mother’s bosom
the dome in Eisvaldr that houses the Council Chamber
the Ora
a river running through Mannfalla
Ravnhov
an independent settlement in the region of Foggard
the Rite Hall
a large ceremonial hall, located directly beneath the Council Chamber
Sigdskau
a forest near Ulvheim in which there is a stone circle
the Stryfe
a river in Foggard
Ulvheim
a town in the north
Vargtind
a mountain in Elveroa, with ruins at its peak
Ym
a land in the known world
CONCEPTS
binding
the act of using or drawing upon the Might
the blind
an ancient people feared throughout Ym and believed by many to be mythical. Synonymous with deadborn, nábyrn, the nameless, the first, and the songless.
blindcraft
the feared and forbidden way in which the blind use the Might
blue blood
someone, usually from a powerful, well-established family, who is a skilled binder
child of Odin
someone from another world, born without a tail, who cannot bind the Might. Synonymous with Embla’s kin, child of Embla, Odin’s kin, embling, and menskr.
the Council
the twelve individuals who interpret the word of the Seer and govern all of Ym, also known as Insringin
jarl
leader of a town or community
Kolkagga
the Council’s assassins
the Might
a powerful current of energy that flows through the world, which ymlings can draw upon for strength
the Rite
a coming-of-age ceremony during which young people are given the Seer’s blessing and protection
the rot
a disease believed to be carried by children of Odin. Also a derogatory term used to refer to them.
Slokna
where the dead go to rest
unearthed
unable to use or draw upon the Might; mightless
ymlings
people from the land of Ym; those born with tails and the ability to bind the Might. Synonymous with Ym’s kin.
© Julie Loen
Siri Pettersen made her sensational debut in 2013 with the Norwegian pub
lication of Odin’s Child, the first book in The Raven Rings trilogy, which has earned numerous awards and nominations at home and abroad. Siri has a background as a designer and comics creator. Her roots are in Finnsnes and Trondheim, but she now lives in Oslo, where you’re likely to find her in a coffee shop. According to fellow writers, her superpower is “mega motivation”—the ability to inspire other creative souls. Visit her at SiriPettersen.com, or follow her on Twitter or Instagram @SiriPettersen.
Siân Mackie is a translator of Scandinavian literature into English. She was born in Scotland and has an MA in Scandinavian Studies and an MSc in Literary Translation as a Creative Practice from the University of Edinburgh. She has translated a wide range of works, from young adult and children’s literature—including Bjarne Reuter’s Elise and the Second-hand Dog, which was nominated for the 2019 Carnegie Medal—to thrillers and nonfiction. She lives in Southampton on the south coast of England.
Paul Russell Garrett translates from Norwegian and Danish, with drama holding a particular interest for him. He has translated a dozen plays and has a further ten published translations to his name, including Lars Mytting’s The Sixteen Trees of the Somme, long-listed for the International Dublin Literary Award, and a pair of novels by Christina Hesselholdt, Companions and Vivian. Originally from Vancouver, Paul is based in east London.
Siân and Paul have previously collaborated on a translation of A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, which was commissioned by Foreign Affairs theater company and performed in 2015 in east London. They hope their shared passion for bringing Norwegian literature to English-speaking audiences will continue in future collaborations, and they are currently translating the next two books in the Raven Rings series.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents
are from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. This translation has been published with the financial support of NORLA, Norwegian Literature Abroad.
W1-Media, Inc.
Imprint Arctis
Stamford, CT, USA
Copyright © 2021 by W1-Media Inc. for this edition
Text copyright © 2013 by Siri Pettersen by Agreement with Grand Agency
Odinsbarn first published in Norway by Gyldendal, 2013
First English-language edition published by W1-Media Inc./Arctis, 2021
Author website at www.siripettersen.com
The Library of Congress Control Number is available.
English translation copyright © Siân Mackie and Paul Russell Garrett, 2020
Cover design copyright © Siri Pettersen
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher and copyright owner.
ISBN 978-1-64690-600-0
www.arctis-books.com
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