Welcome to And the Heavens Burn (AtHB), a narrated fantasy series based on Norse mythology that’s written and read by me, Matt Bishop.
Kinsmen Die is the first book in my series. It retells and adapts some of the major events in Norse mythology through the lens of six main characters:
- Odin, the Alfather and his wife, Frigg, the Almother. Together, they rule over the Aesir city of Gladhseim.
- Vidar Odinsson, jarl of the district of Vithi.
- Hodr Odinsson, the blind son of Odin and Frigg.
- Loki, son of Farbauti and Laufey.
- Vafthrudnir, chief shaman of the Jotunn, the ancient enemies of the Aesir.
In Kinsmen Die, Frigg, Almother of Gladsheim, fears that her son Baldr, afflicted by a strange malady, is dying – which should be impossible since Frigg used ancient magics to make her son immune to all harm. As Baldr’s condition worsens, Frigg summons her husband Odin, Alfather and master of magics, back from his wanderings. On the eve of Odin’s return, however, the Jotunn attack an Aesir town thus breaking the forty-year peace between Aesir and Jotunn.
These events initiate a search for answers. Odin sends his son Vidar to learn how and why the Jotunn attacked. Through mystical and mundane means, Odin strives to figure out what affliction ails Baldr. Frigg learns of a witch’s plot against herself.
Meanwhile, Loki agrees to help the Jotunn in their renewed war against the Aesir. Their plans help further his own plan of revenge against Odin and everything he holds dear. But, Loki must tread carefully. If he is exposed then he loses all hope of freeing his three children and avenging his dead wife.
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Everything you’ll hear is based on my interpretation of the two main source materials – the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, along with a stack of books that discuss the myths … and another stack of academic articles that do the same.
Kinsmen Die has 93 chapters — and that story is now complete. Please note that this trailer replaces the original trailer and that over the last 18 months of recording and publishing I’ve made some format changes.
The most substantial is this: I’d intended to create recap and commentary episodes every 5 chapters or so. I stopped doing that because it grew burdensome. Instead, I added that commentary at the end of almost every episode. I’ve left those original episodes in the feed for those listeners who are interested.
I’ve also renamed the series from Kinsmen Die to And the Heavens Burn. Since I just made that change now, each intro to the podcast episodes…since everything is already recorded and published…won’t reflect that change. I hope you won’t find that jarring.
I made that change b/c I will publish the narration of the second book in this series, Dark Grows the Sun, in this same feed. That series will begin in October 2024.
I will leave you with verses 77 and 78 from the Havamal, the Sayings of the High One, Odin — Alfather, Sigfather, Valfather, the Terrible Walker, Blaze Eye and Evil Doer, Masked One and the Lord of the Dead, the Hanged One, the Slain God, the Spear God and Wand Wielder, the Raven God, the Battle Wolf, and perhaps above all, the Mad One, the Frenzied, Furious God.
77. Cattle die, and kinsmen die,
And so one dies one's self;
But a noble name will never die,
If good renown one gets.
78. Cattle die, and kinsmen die,
And so one dies one's self;
One thing now that never dies,
The fame of a dead man's deeds.
Thanks for listening & I hope you enjoy the book!
5 mins