The Twisted Tree

Shaking Off the Slump: Finding Chills and Thrills with The Twisted Tree

I have been in such a slump, and it’s only the second month of the year—but you know what? I got this. To shake things up, I joined a readathon with a goal to dive into award winners. Thank you, Kindle Unlimited, for helping me find this gem!

The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge is a moody, atmospheric read that blends Norse mythology with a chilling ghost story. The story follows Martha, a girl who gains an eerie ability to sense emotions by touching clothing after a traumatic accident. When she travels to Norway to visit her grandmother, she stumbles into a world filled with secrets, spirits, and an ancient curse.

Burge does a fantastic job of setting the scene. The icy, isolated Norwegian landscape is so vivid, I felt the chill in my bones. The infusion of Norse mythology is refreshing and adds a layer of intrigue that kept me turning the pages. The story’s blend of supernatural elements with a coming-of-age twist worked well, and I found myself genuinely invested in Martha’s journey.

However, while the book had some solid strengths, it didn’t fully pull me out of my slump. The pacing wavered at times, and certain plot points felt a bit rushed, especially toward the end. I also wanted a deeper dive into some of the supporting characters, who often felt like missed opportunities.

Overall, The Twisted Tree is an enjoyable read with a unique premise and a beautifully eerie setting. It might not have completely snapped me out of my reading funk, but it was a worthy pick for my readathon. If you’re in the mood for a story with mythological twists and a good dose of suspense, this one might just hit the spot.

☆ really dug the general vibes and atmosphere
☆ enjoyed the norwegian setting and learning bits and pieces about the language and culture
☆ huge stig fan, personally
✗ was not a fan of the romance in this, i wish it was a platonic relationship
✗ there were a few insensitive moments but nothing too extreme (as far as im aware)
✗ pacing was a tiny bit too slow for me but im being nitpicky
✗ “girls who are different” 🚩 
— i think this book would be great for people who are nostalgic for pjo, sadly that isn't me
— was not a fan of the audiobook narrator
— unsure if i'll try book two
— also can somebody PLEASE tell me what it mean when “[character]'s face darkens” like what exactly does that look like!

Review originally posted on Geeky Galaxy.

I finished The Twisted Tree in 2 hours. 9:30pm to 11:30pm and still got to sleep at a regular hour! The Twisted Tree is short, or at least shorter than the normal book I read, at 180 pages. It's 180 pages of exploring Racehl Burge's weaving of Norse Mythology with a sprinkling of horror, and it's a marvelous read. There were moments where the tension was palpable; the terror felt by the characters leaked off the page and infiltrated the dark room around me. I looked up and imagined a ghostly, dead face staring back at me. One thing is for sure, Rachel knew how to draw the reader in and make them experience the things that may be lurking in the dark.

The Inspiration from Norse Myth

Everything about this book is very Nordic. From the setting, to the character's names and the use of Norse Mythology throughout. Your familiarity with Norse Myth would lead you to either figuring things out reasonably quickly, from the one-eyed main character to the tree, or if you're not familiar at all, Rachel will slowly teach you some basics as you're drawn into the mystery surrounding the tree and the darkness that seems to follow Martha around.

Without spoiling it, I did enjoy this take on some classic Norse myth such as Odin hanging from Yggdrasil and the Norns and how they influence the lives of everyone, but specifically the characters in the story.

This is the first fantasy book I've read inspired by Norse myth. Before now, I've been familiar with it, just out of an interest in general for various mythologies and I've played games that are loosely based around the myths, from Skyrim to Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. The Twisted Tree has made me want to seek out more, and I know the sequel, The Crooked Mask, was out last week and I've also got The Witch's Heart on my radar for release later in the year.

Martha, Stig and Mormor

Martha, Stig and Mormor are the characters most heavily featuring in the book and they all had their own unique character and voices. Stig and Mormor especially stood out as characters; with Stig having a lot of hidden history and Mormor being dead but still being very key to everything. Martha is the one character, unfortunately, that felt just a little flatter than the rest. I feel like there was greater opportunity for growth with Martha; more opportunity to explore her beyond being blind in one eye and the ability that seemed to have been granted from it. I hope there's more to come from her as a character in the next book.

The Crooked Mask

The Crooked Mask is book 2! If you're interested in joining me for a readalong with The Tandem Collective on Instagram, check out my IG page @geekylorraine and keep an eye on my feed and stories as I share my thoughts and feelings reading the next book featuring Martha and her fascinating abilities!

“No one can tell the story of you, but you. Some people are gifted with a gilded tongue. They will tell you who you are with such conviction that you may actually believe them, but this is a reflection, not the truth, for the story of you is not yet written.”

Dit verhaal leest als een mix tussen een Noorse thriller en een mythologisch fantasy.
Het bevat enkele griezelige en duistere elementen, gedrenkt in folklore en Noorse mythen. Echter was het niet zo boeiend en huiveringwekkend als gedacht. Vaak was het eerder verwarrend en vreemd.
Bepaalde delen voelden onderontwikkeld, wat denk ik ook de reden was waarom ik mij weinig betrokken voelde bij de personages, hun gevoelens en hun acties.

Al bij al een boek met een goede setting en intrigerende plot, dat gebaat zou zijn geweest bij iets meer uitwerking.

A nice, short read. Love how the motives of Norse mythology are intertwined with the story. I wanted to see the truth, the real reason why Stig ran away from home, though. I get that the author wanted an open ending, but to me that pat is kinda unfinished.

I picked up The Twisted Tree because it was a) cheap, b) fairly short and c) set in Norway. It sounded interesting and the cover art helped a little too. I was intrigued how the setting would interact with the story and to that point I hadn't read much set in Scandinavia. I admit points a & b appealed because I felt I was falling behind on my Reading Challenge and needed a bump; nevertheless I ended up enjoying the book more than I expected.

We follow a young teen, Martha, who has had an accident leaving her blind in one eye and with some facial scarring. Not only that, she has begun to sense things whenever she touches others' clothes: feelings, memories & intent. Her accident happened at her Grandmother's cabin in northern Norway, when falling out of a big tree that her Grandmother tends to, and she hasn't been back since. After writing her Grandmother a host of un-replied letters asking about her new found sense, she travels to the cabin my herself.

What she finds when she gets to the cabin isn't what she was hoping for. She meets Stig, a teenage boy who has also run away from home, and together they face some terrible monsters - both real and metaphorical - before Martha has to truly embrace her new ‘condition' in order to save their lives.

This is a well-written supernatural tale that anyone with even a passing interest in Norse mythology should pick up. It isn't quite ‘horror' and it isn't quite ‘coming of age' but the book does have elements of both. It deals with a line of women who have a shared heritage to protect and what might happen if the chain through the generations is broken. It also looks at the repairing of mother-daughter relationships and, in particular, where the child is guiding the adult through a complicated situation.

The character building by Burge is very good and the story is well-paced and engaging. It is a quick read at 180 pages and still a perfectly formed story that left me wondering where these characters would end up next.