Centuries ago, the legend of the Nibelung gave birth to the most powerful figures of Germanic myth - half warriors, half gods, these superhuman characters inspired awe in all who heard of their strength and their magic. In Sigfrid and Brunahild, the most dramatic union was created: their force, invincible; their passion, unequaled. But even these timeless heroes were once youths themselves, children born to rival kings. In The Wolf and the Raven, Diana L. Paxson captures the early years of their legend, skillfully placing her mythical characters amid the very real turbulent scenery of fifth-century Europe, a land ravaged by tribal warfare. From birth, their remarkable fate seems certain: Brunahild enters the world a Hun princess and the niece of Attila; Sigfrid, though brought up in the royal house of King Alb, descends actually from a greater line of demigods, a race who can change their shape at will. But at an early age, both children are taken from their noble families to be prepared for their destined paths: While Sigfrid becomes a smith's apprentice in training to be a warrior, Brunahild is raised by a group of witches called the Walkyriun and is instructed in the ways of sorcery. But both children reveal greater powers than their elders ever imagined. As they grow and learn of their special magic and strength, Brunahild and Sigfrid distance themselves even further from their jealous teachers, whom they have now surpassed, and are drawn closer to each other as the chosen future teachers of their Germanic peoples. They alone can save each other from death; they alone are united in perfect love and heroic glory. Diana Paxson's retelling of the early part of the famous myth, repopularized a century ago by Wagner's Ring Cycle, is an epic portrait of a violent yet passionate era in European history. Her masterful portrayal of brilliance and magic, of greed and lust, of envy and love, creates powerful images of the lives of the Germanic peoples amid the ruins o