Welcome to And the Heavens Burn, 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. And Vafthrudnir, high 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.

Everything you’ll hear is based on my interpretation of the two main source materials of Norse mythology – 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; that story is now complete. Dark Grows the Sun, the second book in this series, is about half that. I will begin publishing the chapter by chapter narration of DGtS in October 2024.