I’ve had the opportunity to read many of Morgan’s stories over the past few years in the various anthologies she’s been published in, so I was excited to see that there was a collection of her works by themselves coming out. The anticipation was even more so when I learned it was going to be a collection of her stories based on Norse myth and culture.
Morgan has a fantastic track record of crafting stories taking place in old Scandinavia that expand the boundaries while still staying true to the spirit of the Norse. Throughout the stories in The Raven’s Table, Morgan creates tales of myth including creatures of Norse origination (“The Barrow-Maid”, “The Vulgarity of Giants”) alongside vampires (“Sven Bloodhair”), an interesting take on “The Little Mermaid” (“Njord’s Daughter”), and even strong tips of the hat to H.P. Lovecraft (“With Honey Dripping”, “Aerkheim’s Horror”). The Raven’s Table also includes many strong stories not necessarily horror-based in nature, such as “Thyf’s Tale”, “The Seven Ravens”, and “Brynja’s Beacon”.
The Raven’s Table not only illustrates Morgan’s wide knowledge of Norse myth, but also the talent to share that knowledge with the reader without having to rely on vast exposition to provide cultural back story. Also, Morgan writes stories within the story (as in “The Vulgarity of Giants” and “To Fetter the Fenris-Wolf”, to name a couple.) that are reminiscent of the Eddas, further engaging the reader into the mythic world she’s sharing. The Raven’s Table is definitely an excellent read for anyone who enjoys stories of the Norse, those who enjoy a new bend on old stories, and anyone in between.
The Raven's Table can be purchased through Word Horde and Amazon
