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The Shapeshifter's Daughter

A powerful reimagining of the Norse myth of Hel of the underworld

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The Shapeshifter's Daughter

By: Sally Magnusson
Narrated by: Karen Traynor
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About this listen

 ***A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK 2025***
'Perfect to read whilst curled up by the fire demanding people bring you hot tea and biscuits to dunk' Sara Cox, Radio 2 Book Club
'One of the most imaginative and ambitious books I have read all year' Scotsman
'Magical in every sense' Saga Magazine
'A heart-rending opus on love, death and change' Herald

Nothing, on earth or below it, freezes faster than the worthless heart.

Before she was a hideous monster, the queen of the underworld was simply Hel. But cast as a girl out of lofty Asgard, realm of the gods, by Odin the Allfather, Hel's fate as the terrible goddess of death is sealed. Half beauty, half crone, she has reigned for aeons in the starless darkness of Niflheim, grimly welcoming the most pitiful of death's travellers to her ice-locked prison. Until one day a memory shifts, and she is forced to seek out the sun in Midgard, where humans have made their home.

Faced with a terminal cancer diagnosis, Helen Firth makes the impulsive decision to return to Orkney after forty years to make peace with her past. Under the wintering solstice sun, she reconnects with the ungainly but affable Thorfinn Coffin, who helps her address the real reason she has returned to the islands: to die.

As Helen draws closer to death and ever closer to Thorfinn, Hel in turn is intrigued by Helen. She, too, has a past to confront and a lesson to learn: that perhaps who she believes herself to be isn't who she really is.

A powerful reimagining of the Norse myth of Hel, The Shapeshifter's Daughter celebrates the joy of reclaiming our stories. Contemporary Dragons & Mythical Creatures Fantasy Historical Norse Heartfelt

Critic reviews

Magnusson is superb at evoking a landscape rich in history and prehistory, although the novel's greatest strength is her feminist interpretation of Norse mythology in a story that centres equally on Hel and Helen, both of whom are daughters wounded by "fathers whom they still, in the last winter of their own lives, struggles to forgive".
Burdened with a grim prognosis, librarian Helen Firth returns to live her last days in her native OrkneySteeped in folklore, home to stone circles, selkies and sea sorcerers, it provides the backdrop for a stirring novel about finding love in the darkest hour, as the gods of Norse Myth, Odin, Thor and a surprisingly endearing Hel loom up in the narrative. Magical in every sense.
A heart-rending opus on love, death and change . . . captivatingly written, Magnusson has grand ambitions, mashing together a tragic romance, a god's exploration of what it means to be human and a cosmic scheme to outwit the mighty Odin, but by interlacing her plotlines with threads of healing, reconciliation and taking control of one's destiny she's fashioned it into a powerful emotional journey.
One of the most imaginative and ambitious books I have read all year... gives the Norse myths a feminist tweak somewhat akin to Madeleine Miller and Pat Barker's reimagining of the Odyssey
An exciting read for anyone interested in Norse mythology and drawn to the fantastical. Magnusson should be praised for her exquisite world-building
All stars
Most relevant
Loved the explanation of norse sagas making characters come to life.
Didn't like that the narrator pronounced the Orkney chambered cairn (Maeshowe) Mae-show instead of Maes-howe!

loved the story but mispronunciation a tad irritating

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A complex, and at times very moving, book. Some of the earlier chapters may be somewhat confusing to a reader or listener unfamiliar with Norse mythology, but the early sections of the book certainly repay close attention (and perhaps re-reading or re-listening if necessary!) and they also prepare us for the later story of Helen, Thorfinn et al, and of Hel. Of particular interest (in a book which is full of interest) is the attempt at analysis of aspects of Norse mythology, which may sometimes seem baffling, but which on closer contemplation, are an ancient attempt to give insight into some of the vagaries and tragedies of the human condition — as well as being stories / sagas in their own right.
Enjoyment of the listening experience was however unfortunately somewhat spoiled by mispronunciations by the reader of a few ordinary words, not to mention the unsuccessful attempt to give some of the characters some sort of English (as opposed to Scots) accent. These drawbacks could have been overlooked, but what really totally ruins some of the most important parts of the audiobook is the mispronunciation of Maeshowe ; whatever our ancestors called the site, it wasn’t ‘May-show’! And ‘May-show’ is certainly not how the name of this much celebrated site is pronounced nowadays. Would it be possible for modern technology to correct this glaring and very upsetting error?

A multi-faceted work of literature, but, unfortunately, a flawed audio production.

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A very sympathetic look at life and loss. The story cleverly manipulates the reader’s emotions, juxtaposing moments of pain with hilarity. It’s such a masterful depiction of waiting for an expected death, and such a positive reflection on life.

Unexpectedly beautiful

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