• The book is alright to a point, but there are significantly better options available

• Reads like a copy-paste of readily available online sources (like Wikipedia) rather than giving any insight

• Writer is a pop historian who is known for using prejudiced sources in his books (including this one) and works, such as Stephen Flowers and Ricardo Duchesne

  • Caveat: a lot of early Heathenry books will use Flowers as a source due to either not knowing better or not having other sources at the time. This book is not bad. Others are simply just better.

• Another okay-at-best resource with some fairly good information interspersed

• Very heavily political, to the point of taking stories from the lore and using them to prove an unrelated political point

  • Fighting Fascism? Good! Using inherently neutral lore as a political weapon? Not good!

• Attempts to create the "Way Of Fire and Ice" as a political Norse Pagan movement / revivalist branch of Norse Paganism, which is fine on its own, but confusing to those just trying to learn historically accurate (reconstructionist) Heathenry

• More eclectic in practice, but can still be learned from if you already have an understanding of the basics of Heathenry and the religious lore.

• Some incredibly questionable sourcing

• Author is anti-reconstructionist in his views on the religion

• In the author's defense, she is a Wiccan writer and that is her focus. This book works great for a Wiccan practitioner, but not to much for a Norse Heathen

• This is not an inherently bad book, but it portrays the runes in a very woo-ish light (that is, as if they are much more mysterical and mysterious than they are)

• Most of the suggested further readings come from AFA members and other bigoted sources (like Freya Aswynn)

• No cited sources

• Lafayllve is a member of the Troth, so this book is heavily supported and promoted by them (which in itself is not bad)

• Full of incorrect information that is dangerous to newcomers including:

  • Calling Ásatrú synonymous with Odinism, Theodism and tribalism. 

  • Insisting that using runes is a part of Heathenry (incorrect; anyone can use runes as they are just a writing system)

  • Calling Skinfaxi Sol / Sunna's horse (Skinfaxi is Dagr's horse)

  • Confusingly telling one to meditate by repeating "othala" under their breath

  • Misuse of the terms "Innangardh" and "Utangardh" as a part of Heathenry (incorrect; they were a part of Icelandic Law) as well as a poor explanation of them

  • It seems that the author was very inspired by Wicca, to the point of incorporating Wiccan practices into most of the rituals and meditations

• Effectively outdated in modern day (as of writing, 2025).

• Very Wiccan inspired and very woo-ish. Has a weird romanticism of... everything, honestly.

• Claimed that known racist groups weren't actually racist? (AFA, McNallen, etc)

• Gives descriptions of the gods that are not historical, including in appearance.

• Makes up a lot of information.

• Unfortunately follows the trend of neo-paganism fluff and fantasy.

• It can be a point of inspiration for personal praxis, but it isn't a good book for most people.

• Work is owned by the Asatru Folk Assembly.

• Edred Thorsson is one of the pen names of Stephen Flowers.

  • If that name isn't familiar, he's one of the biggest white supremacist names in Heathenry.

  • Part of the group trying to promote the "New Right" aspect of Heathenry.

  • Associated with Red Ice TV.

• Barely based in history, interspersed with author's personal biases.

• Also a very woo-ish book that just kinda makes shit up at will.

• Another rune book that is very Wiccan and very woo-ish.

• Starts off telling you that your first experience studying the runes needs to be in a ritual group? And then just kinda tells you how to do it in weird detail, including chanting out the names of the runes as a "practice of galdr".

• Do not unironically put, "Norse mode of consciousness," in any future academic books any of you write, please.

• Runes are broken into "study sessions" based on Paxson's idea of how you should learn them, but gives little historical detail.

• Runes are based off of Thorsson's interpretation.

• The drawings are cute, at least.

Suggested Alternatives: 

• The Wander's Hávamál
  by Jackson Crawford

  • Easier to study because of its plain English and less cryptic nature

  • Supports more academic research from Dr. Crawford

  • Cool cowboy retelling

• The Nine Noble Virtues are an oversimplification of the teachings of the Havamal, rewritten by either the Odinic Rite or Asatru Free Assembly (the predecessor to the Asatru Folk Assembly and Troth).

• The writing of these 'virtues' is much more Christian in practice than Heathen.

• These were not historically used in Heathenry. You can technically apply these in your praxis, but it would be best not to use them as the Nine Noble Virtues. Find sources within the Havamal to point back to, not this list.

• These were codified by The British Union of Fascists and National Socialists, The Odinic Rite, and the Asatru Folk Assembly, all of which are either openly National Socialists (Nazis), Fascist, or both

• As a nuance, the Troth (an inclusive Asatru group) does use these, as the Troth branched out of the Asatru Free Assembly.