I know I’m probably posting this review a bit early, but I wanted to post it before I forgot because I have the memory of a walnut 
lol
Book title and author: The Way of Fire and Ice: The Living Traditions of Norse Paganism by Ryan Smith
Status: Finished
My overall rating of the book: 8/10
How does this book relate to my magickal practice? I haven’t really learned too much about Norse paganism so far in my journey, so I figured it was time to read something out of my normal scope of practice.
My personal thoughts/opinions: I honestly wasn’t really sure what to expect because for some reason, whenever I’ve tried reading anything about Norse mythology/paganism in the past, it all seemed so complicated because there were so many figures with such intricate backstories and I got easily overwhelmed and never felt much of a connection to it. I admit that the same could be said for Roman and Greek mythology/paganism; however, because Greek and Roman history and mythology is emphasized more than that of the Norse peoples, hearing the complex tales of the Greek/Roman deities seemed a little less complicated. It was all about what I was used to being exposed to.
The way Ryan Smith explained the lore and certain aspects of Norse mythology was much more clear, concise, and straightforward than anything else I’ve read about it up to this point. I still need more time for the information to sink in, and I probably need a few more exposures to the Norse lore to better comprehend it, but I feel that I got a better understanding of it from The Way of Fire and Ice than I had from any other source.
As someone whose practice is rooted in mostly American folk practices at this point, I wasn’t really expecting to take away too much from this book. I was shocked with how much inspiration I got for things I can potentially adapt into my practice. The exercises provided in each chapter are more specific to what the author calls “Radical Norse Paganism” (a term that I have mixed feelings about, given the history of people twisting Norse paganism to justify hatred, bigotry, racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.), but at the same time, the exercises could be easily adapted to fit into just about any spiritual practice. This adaptability is one thing that the author pushes for. Several times throughout the book, he advocates for practicing in a way that is authentic for you, provided that you are ethical in your practice.
On the topic of any kind of exclusionary beliefs, Smith takes a very firm stance: he does not tolerate judgement or exclusion of anyone based on any factor. The only thing that he states that anyone should be excluded for is if they have racist/bigoted/sexist/homophobic/etc. beliefs, or if they continue violating the rules of the group. TLDR: His stance is that no one should be excluded for any reason, provided they are a good person.
Smith also discusses topics such as conflict resolution that are useful not only for the purposes of practicing Norse paganism, but that are also applicable to working out any conflicts that arise in daily life.
An interesting quote from the book: There are many wonderful quotes in this book! I have a hard time picking just one, so I’ll list a few that resonated deeply with me.
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“Living tradition is this way’s beating heart. It is a spiritual practice that grows and changes as times and needs require it to. We are always developing and are never chained to the dictates of holy books or anointed leaders. The ancient lore that inspires us leaves no doubt reality is not fixed and unmoving. The world as we know it has not always been and will not always exist as it currently does.” (page 5)
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“Values are a compass steering you toward the right path, not a map dictating what that path is and must always be.” (page 6)
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“Prudence and discipline are good, but there are also times when it is necessary to take risks. Ultimately, wisdom is more than knowing facts and ideas, it is the capacity to assess their worth and determine the best course of action in a given situation based on what you can and want to do.” (page 102)
All-in-all, would I recommend this book?: Yes