Betsy Tobin reimagines the Norse gods and legends in Ice Land, a creative twist on the story of Freya's quest for the Brisingamen necklace.

The story is told through several points of view: a first-person narration by the goddess Freya as well as third-person perspectives following the young woman Fulla, who has a hidden past, and the irascible half-dwarf Dvalin, among others. There are also occasional interjections from the Norns, many dealing with the simmering geological kettle that is the volcano Hekla.

Much of the story revolves around the Brisingamen, a golden necklace of unusually fine workmanship crafted over several years by Dvalin and his three dwarven brothers. Freya covets the necklace and will pay nearly any price for it, although the brothers are hesitant to let it go. Later, it becomes a bartering chip in a life-or-death situation in Jotunheim, the northern land of the giants. It is also pilfered by Loki and used as leverage when Odin asks Freya for a favor.

Fulla, meanwhile, is an orphan being raised by her grandfather Hogni, who is eager to see her betrothed to an older but wealthy suitor. Fulla, on the other hand, prefers the younger, poorer Vili, who just happens to be the son of the man who slew Hogni's son.

Beneath the trappings of gods and goddesses, giants and dwarves, Tobin has written a beautiful tale of Icelandic civilization more than 1,000 years ago, when Asgard was a secret landscape that could only be reached -- not by crossing a rainbow bridge, but by traversing a hidden passage behind a massive waterfall. Where a cloak made of feathers can grant the power of flight, and a gold necklace can alter fate. Where the new Christian faith pits converts against neighbors who still hold onto their older faith. Where feuds between families could span generations but, like Romeo and Juliet, can be breached by young romance.

And where a slumbering volcano can awaken with the fury of Ragnarok. (Hekla, it should be noted, has a history of violent eruptions and was considered at the time to be a gateway to Hell itself.)

Ice Land is an imaginative book that draws inspiration from ancient Norse mythology but is uniquely its own story. I would have liked seeing more interaction between other members of the Scandinavian pantheon with the common folk of Iceland, but perhaps that would have required a separate book to do it justice. (Given that this book was published more than 15 years ago, it's probably too much to hope a sequel (or prequel) is in the works.) That said, Ice Land is an excellent stand-along novel that fans of mythology and historical fiction alike should enjoy.