The lives of Jófríður and her people are controlled by the seasons. They spend the summer in Fellsskógur forest, the autumn in Húsavík, and in winter, when the wintervores come down from the highlands, the only way to stay safe is to retreat out on to the ice of Lake Mývatn. Dangers lurk at every step, but life goes on - until Jófríður's life is turned upside down. Not only does she have to choose between her beloved childhood friend and a handsome newcomer, but when her father falls ill the well-being of her people suddenly rests on her shoulders.

RIME is an adventurous coming-of-age story about love and destiny in a different kind of Iceland, where humans share the land with giant animals and the struggle to stay alive is unrelenting.

Awards and nominations

• Nominated for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2023.

• Nominated for the Icelandic Literature Prize 2023.

• Awarded the Icelandic Bookseller’s Prize 2023

Reviews

"Rime is a fantasy that takes place in a familiar yet different Iceland and is a story about nature, people, love and the never-certain fate. In an ingenious and sensitive way, Hildur Knútsdóttir tells the story of Jófríðar, a teenage girl who copes with the challenges of adolescence as well as having to shoulder an unbearably heavy responsibility when the future of her people suddenly rests on her shoulders. Hrím is a fast paced and sometimes frightening novel that is impossible to put down."
- Review of the jury of the Women‘s Prize for Fiction

"A well-written and fascinating coming-of-age story about hardships, courage, love and self-confidence in a world that is so close to ours yet so far away. The author creates a very believable world and manages to keep the reader excited from beginning to end."
- Review of the jury of the Icelandic Literature Prize

"Rime is an ambitious and exciting account of life in a colder and harsher Iceland. The characterization is particularly strong and the protagonist's development is in the forefront."
- Rebekka Sif Stefánsdóttir / Lestrarklefinn.is

"It is very important for the Icelandic literary landscape to have ambitious writers like Hildur Knútsdóttir, who has once again published an excellent book for young people."
- Snædís Björnsdóttir / Morgunblaðið

"Rich an believable world building is one of the basic prerequisites of good fantasy, and in this book Hildur Knútsdóttir certainly succeeds in creating a memorable world."
- Brynhildur Björnsdóttir / Heimildin