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Valkyrie #1
Valkyrie
Freya is dreading the start of her fourteenth year. This marks the official end of her childhood and when she takes up the full duties of a Valkyrie - an angel of death and collector of souls from humanity's battlefields. But Freya is unlike any other Valkyrie. She doesn't want to follow in the footsteps of the legends before her. As she observes humanity from her norse home on Asgard, she tries to understand what it is to be human: to share in the simple pleasures of friendship with girls her own age and laugh with boys, without the fear of causing their death with one touch. Little does she know that her dreams will soon be realized: on her first battlefield mission, Freya reaps the soul of a soldier with unfinished business that will send her to the human world on a deadly quest. And there she must battle both ordinary and extraordinary enemies to create a new VALKYRIE legend.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 2, 2013
About the author
Kate O'Hearn
37 books904 followersKate O'Hearn was born in Toronto Canada, but raised in the heart of New York City and has lived in many places throughout her life. These days, she calls the south coast of England home. She has 3 brothers, no sisters and is passionate about animals and their causes and has many animal friends. (Pets)
Over the course of her life she has had several careers before finding her real love, writing children's books. Being the only girl in family of boys, she grew up a true tom-boy and always loved books with high adventure. But one of the problems she discovered was a lack of female leads in these adventure books.
When she started to write, Kate decided to address this imbalance and now writes high fantasy adventures with strong, compassionate and adventure loving girl heroes. There are plenty of boys in the story to keep it interesting and challenging, but she believes that a girl hero can be as brave, strong and adventurous as a boy.
She insists that adventures are for everyone!
So come and enjoy a few adventures with her...
Over the course of her life she has had several careers before finding her real love, writing children's books. Being the only girl in family of boys, she grew up a true tom-boy and always loved books with high adventure. But one of the problems she discovered was a lack of female leads in these adventure books.
When she started to write, Kate decided to address this imbalance and now writes high fantasy adventures with strong, compassionate and adventure loving girl heroes. There are plenty of boys in the story to keep it interesting and challenging, but she believes that a girl hero can be as brave, strong and adventurous as a boy.
She insists that adventures are for everyone!
So come and enjoy a few adventures with her...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 275 reviews
September 2, 2014
This got stupider and stupider. The main character made illogical and dangerous decisions that constantly put other people, including the entire world, in danger for unjustifiable reasons. No body had any sensible reactions to this other than Freya's sister, who is sadly not the main character instead. The only thing that kept me going was the character of Archie and the fact that the main relationship was platonic. I feel like this is poor fan fiction of a much cooler novel that doesn't exist.
January 2, 2023
Valkyrie is a quick read that is great for middle grade readers first getting into Norse mythology!
This book was written much like the author's Pegasus series- not too complex, but enough action and a fast-paced plot to be satisfying. Though it could be dry at points, I still enjoyed this book (mostly because I'm a sucker for Valkyrie stories). The main character was a little frustrating since she didn't really listen to anyone, but she was powerful and strong, which I find admirable!
The friendships in this book were very positive, especially the relationship Freya has with her sister, Maya. I also really liked learning more about Valkyries from this story. The Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series (which I loved!) spent more time about who the Asgardians were and what Valhalla was like, whereas this book showed you what it meant to be a Valkyrie. I was awed by the legends presented about them- for example, I didn't know that you die if a Valkyrie tells you her true name, or that you get reaped if you touch their bare skin.
The ending was fulfilling to a middle-grade novel, and I'm excited to continue with this series!
~I also thought it was hilarious that the author wrote about how she was in love with Tom Hiddleston as Loki in the acknowledgements. I was like SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS😂
This book was written much like the author's Pegasus series- not too complex, but enough action and a fast-paced plot to be satisfying. Though it could be dry at points, I still enjoyed this book (mostly because I'm a sucker for Valkyrie stories). The main character was a little frustrating since she didn't really listen to anyone, but she was powerful and strong, which I find admirable!
The friendships in this book were very positive, especially the relationship Freya has with her sister, Maya. I also really liked learning more about Valkyries from this story. The Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series (which I loved!) spent more time about who the Asgardians were and what Valhalla was like, whereas this book showed you what it meant to be a Valkyrie. I was awed by the legends presented about them- for example, I didn't know that you die if a Valkyrie tells you her true name, or that you get reaped if you touch their bare skin.
The ending was fulfilling to a middle-grade novel, and I'm excited to continue with this series!
~I also thought it was hilarious that the author wrote about how she was in love with Tom Hiddleston as Loki in the acknowledgements. I was like SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS😂
February 2, 2017
It was short but really good book.
July 6, 2016
If I had found the main character, a Valkyrie, a little more believable or compelling, I might have given this book a bit more slack. As it is, the book begins with a note to kids being bullied, encouraging them to tell their parents, guardians or teachers. It then tells a story where parents and authority figures are unwilling or unable to stop a kid from being bullied. The principal does show some promise, but when she wonders if the bully-in-question is "troubled" our heroine declares that he is not - he is simply evil and beyond hope. (Personally, I think any kid who believes he can take on Thor is struggling with reality, but that's just me...) The dehumanization of bullies is my biggest gripe with the book. This is "violence is the only response to violence" thinking, as opposed to encouraging compassion and empathy. Thus a 600 year-old warrior demigod uses her superpowers to kick children around on the playground. When we believe that bullies are simply evil people, we fail to recognize when we ourselves display bullying tendencies.
May 4, 2013
Valkyrie is written very much for young readers but it still resonates with the inner child in adults as it recalls moments of childhood and the turbulent years of being a teenager and trying to find our own identity as well as learning that the world isn't as innocent and nice as we thought it was.
The mythological world Kate creates for her Valkyries is rich in it's own culture with a great social structure and I am very impressed with the orginality and uniqueness she has brought to the Valkryies themselves as beings in their own right but also through to the way they do their job of collectings warriors for Odin's army.
It is a great, pacey, action packed and thrilling story which speaks about the truth of of fighting for and defending what's right such as friendship, love, family. Even when the whole world may be set against you and even if you may suffer because of it.
All is shown through the great cast of characters demonstrating some of the failings in ourselves as humans but also as part of the society we live in. Such as a drunk disappearing mother, a bully who refuses to say sorry or stop going to the extreme for the sake of cruelty, a kid who is homeless, a boy who still dreams of becoming a hair-dresser even though his home situation pulls him back. But it shows the goodness in us all like the windowcleaner who is prepared to adopt threatened children, the female lawyer prepared to take on big corrupt development firms, the police who are prepared to take on drug gangs, the friends who will risk their lives for friends.
The mythological world Kate creates for her Valkyries is rich in it's own culture with a great social structure and I am very impressed with the orginality and uniqueness she has brought to the Valkryies themselves as beings in their own right but also through to the way they do their job of collectings warriors for Odin's army.
It is a great, pacey, action packed and thrilling story which speaks about the truth of of fighting for and defending what's right such as friendship, love, family. Even when the whole world may be set against you and even if you may suffer because of it.
All is shown through the great cast of characters demonstrating some of the failings in ourselves as humans but also as part of the society we live in. Such as a drunk disappearing mother, a bully who refuses to say sorry or stop going to the extreme for the sake of cruelty, a kid who is homeless, a boy who still dreams of becoming a hair-dresser even though his home situation pulls him back. But it shows the goodness in us all like the windowcleaner who is prepared to adopt threatened children, the female lawyer prepared to take on big corrupt development firms, the police who are prepared to take on drug gangs, the friends who will risk their lives for friends.
February 13, 2017
It's hard to rate this book. If it were about any other subject than a Valkyrie, I would probably rate it a solid four. But... it's about a Valkyrie. And that's a problem for me, because I'm Asatru, one of the modern followers of the old Northern European gods. What follows can be largely summed up as "Ms. O'Hearn should have done her research better." If that's enough for you, pass on, friend.
The first thing that jumped out at me is the name of the Valkyrie PoV character -- Freya. This name is taken from the lore, but misapplied. Freya is a Goddess, not a Valkyrie, and certainly not the youngest and most uncertain of Valkyries. Indeed, she receives half the valiant dead, and Odin gets the other half... and Freya chooses first. Freya's mother's name, in the book, is Eir. Eir is one of the figures in Northern lore that we know little about, because of the Christian conquests in the eleventh century, and the zealous destruction they wreaked. What we do know seems to indicate that Eir was either a guardian spirit skilled in healing, or a goddess of healing. It seems fairly certain that she was not, herself, a Valkyrie.
Ms. O'Hearn assigns names to the Valkyries more or less at random, which is a shame, because there is a list of Valkyries in various places in the primary source material, and none of those names show up in the book. I, for one, would have found it much more satisfying to read of Sigrun, Herja, or even Hjörþrimul rather than "Gwen."
The most egregious lack of research, however, is when Ms O'Hearn maintains that mead is bitter. That it can taste funny, I do not dispute -- it is fermented, and can have the bite of alcohol, particularly if it is one of the varieties such as sack (also found extensively in Shakespeare, btw) which is high in alcohol content. But... mead is fermented honey. It is sweet, not bitter. And if Ms. O'Hearn had bothered to have just one glass, she would have known this.
The first thing that jumped out at me is the name of the Valkyrie PoV character -- Freya. This name is taken from the lore, but misapplied. Freya is a Goddess, not a Valkyrie, and certainly not the youngest and most uncertain of Valkyries. Indeed, she receives half the valiant dead, and Odin gets the other half... and Freya chooses first. Freya's mother's name, in the book, is Eir. Eir is one of the figures in Northern lore that we know little about, because of the Christian conquests in the eleventh century, and the zealous destruction they wreaked. What we do know seems to indicate that Eir was either a guardian spirit skilled in healing, or a goddess of healing. It seems fairly certain that she was not, herself, a Valkyrie.
Ms. O'Hearn assigns names to the Valkyries more or less at random, which is a shame, because there is a list of Valkyries in various places in the primary source material, and none of those names show up in the book. I, for one, would have found it much more satisfying to read of Sigrun, Herja, or even Hjörþrimul rather than "Gwen."
The most egregious lack of research, however, is when Ms O'Hearn maintains that mead is bitter. That it can taste funny, I do not dispute -- it is fermented, and can have the bite of alcohol, particularly if it is one of the varieties such as sack (also found extensively in Shakespeare, btw) which is high in alcohol content. But... mead is fermented honey. It is sweet, not bitter. And if Ms. O'Hearn had bothered to have just one glass, she would have known this.
April 30, 2016
I suspected that Ms. O’Hearn had been watching some movies. Thor was blond, and had a red cape. Loki had dark hair. In the afterword—aye, she had been.
Thor fanfiction/ Norse Mythology, with Angels of Death.
Asgardians, Midgardians, Angels of Death and a raven: Freya no.
Freya the Valkyrie: Freya yes.
The Angels of Death are neat. Picture Middle Earth Elves with warm smiles and wings.
Baldur is not well portrayed; he should be princely, good, and important, not just a drunken brother Thor has.
Thor is a lot like Thor in the Marvel movies; I quite liked him.
Odin has red hair and is a monologist.
Loki is a lot like Loki in the movies, but less sad—or at least he doesn’t act as sad. He aid Freya the Valkyrie in peregrinating to Midgard, and we’re meant to believe that he forethought to betray her the whole time. But actually he gives her several warnings to come back (including a lovely one in which he pretends to be a substitute teacher, Mr. Jotunn, and makes an Asgardian stink bomb), and doesn’t actually betray her until she THREATENS TO BETRAY HIM and says she’d like to hit him.
Thor fanfiction/ Norse Mythology, with Angels of Death.
Asgardians, Midgardians, Angels of Death and a raven: Freya no.
Freya the Valkyrie: Freya yes.
The Angels of Death are neat. Picture Middle Earth Elves with warm smiles and wings.
Baldur is not well portrayed; he should be princely, good, and important, not just a drunken brother Thor has.
Thor is a lot like Thor in the Marvel movies; I quite liked him.
Odin has red hair and is a monologist.
Loki is a lot like Loki in the movies, but less sad—or at least he doesn’t act as sad. He aid Freya the Valkyrie in peregrinating to Midgard, and we’re meant to believe that he forethought to betray her the whole time. But actually he gives her several warnings to come back (including a lovely one in which he pretends to be a substitute teacher, Mr. Jotunn, and makes an Asgardian stink bomb), and doesn’t actually betray her until she THREATENS TO BETRAY HIM and says she’d like to hit him.
February 24, 2019
This book was pretty good, but I was totally surprised by the ending. Not quite sure what will happen in the next book... But looking forward to checking it out! I recommend Valkyrie, and I will probably recommend the rest of the series as well. (Still like Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard better though 😊) #LoveNorseMythology!!
December 19, 2014
I should be reading Pegasus series but I could not help myself buying this modern mythology. Moreover this is based on Norse mythology.
Freya definitely becomes my favorite heroine who defies following the same rules and destiny that has been settled eons ago. Unlike any the Valkeryies, Freya is restless and she feels so alone no wonder she felt out of place. Then she goes to the Midgard- Earth on the present day there she learns more than her books. Still that is not all what interests me this series. It's all about bullies where we see everyday of our lives- mean people picking on the weak. Freya who only wanted to help a soldier's family, one of the souls she reaped on her mission, also disguised herself as a human to help the weak to stand up and defend for ourselves. Then she meets and befriended humans through her journey as she finds different from her studies yet she still harbors her disliking specific humans with dark deeds.
Reading this book is remarkable yet at the same time I could not help wondering who Freya's father is.
Despite I finished reading the first adventure of Freya and I still have three more books to read on Pegasus, I look forward reading further adventure for this series.
Freya definitely becomes my favorite heroine who defies following the same rules and destiny that has been settled eons ago. Unlike any the Valkeryies, Freya is restless and she feels so alone no wonder she felt out of place. Then she goes to the Midgard- Earth on the present day there she learns more than her books. Still that is not all what interests me this series. It's all about bullies where we see everyday of our lives- mean people picking on the weak. Freya who only wanted to help a soldier's family, one of the souls she reaped on her mission, also disguised herself as a human to help the weak to stand up and defend for ourselves. Then she meets and befriended humans through her journey as she finds different from her studies yet she still harbors her disliking specific humans with dark deeds.
Reading this book is remarkable yet at the same time I could not help wondering who Freya's father is.
Despite I finished reading the first adventure of Freya and I still have three more books to read on Pegasus, I look forward reading further adventure for this series.
January 30, 2016
Livro emprestado por uma das minhas alunas mais novas, Valquíria é a história de Freya, a mais nova das Valquírias, segadoras de almas, que completa 14 anos e deve começar a sua função, coisa que lhe desagrada. Na sua primeira missão de recolha de uma alma, promete ajudar a família sobrevivente, por isso, desce à Terra, apesar do castigo que pode receber. Aí encontra uma série de miúdos vítimas de bullying e ajuda-os enquanto ajuda a família de Tyrone. Consegue percebe que os humanos não são apenas guerreiros ou violentos, mas combate o mal quando ele lhe aparece. Ajuda os miúdos perseguidos a tornarem-se mais confiantes e unidos. No entanto, sabe que o seu castigo poderá chegar a qualquer momento...
É um livro que se dirige a um público juvenil e que destaca os valores essenciais a esta idade (e a todas...): o companheirismo, a amizade, o amor da família, mesmo que não seja a de raiz, ajudar o próximo, etc. Simples de ler, alia os conhecimentos da mitologia nórdica (estão lá todos os deuses, com Loki a fazer das suas) a um possível dia a dia de um adolescente comum.
É um livro que se dirige a um público juvenil e que destaca os valores essenciais a esta idade (e a todas...): o companheirismo, a amizade, o amor da família, mesmo que não seja a de raiz, ajudar o próximo, etc. Simples de ler, alia os conhecimentos da mitologia nórdica (estão lá todos os deuses, com Loki a fazer das suas) a um possível dia a dia de um adolescente comum.
February 5, 2018
I do not give a lot of books 5 stars , but this one simply blew me away. The story itself is brilliant and set out wonderfully. I have read the second and third book and they are the best. I never thought the story would go the way it did , especially in the third book when she finds love. This is my favorite book and will be for a very long time if not forever. Please read it for yourself so you can share the experience. If you don't really like this one then check out her Pegasus seires that is also amazing. This author is awesome and I hope you like her books too.
March 1, 2021
A cute story with some fun, updated takes on Norse mythology. DEFINITELY geared towards younger readers. However, that doesn't justify some of the logical leaps here, which are oftentimes more fantastical than Valhalla or the Asgardians themselves. Additionally, the story introduces concepts and themes that it doesn't fully interrogate, complicating the main message even for younger readers. The takeaway from Archie's story is... really odd, to say the least, and VERY dark for an otherwise fluffy piece. Very trope-y, without exploring ideas in or beyond the clichés.
February 12, 2018
This book is the most FRUSTRATING thing I've ever read. First off, Freya is the Goddess of love, but in this book, she's a MORTAL VALKYRIE. Instead of being the most honored goddess that rules over half of the dead, she's a hot-headed mortal who's the "Youngest and most impulsive" of the Valkyries. THE AUTHOR SHOULD HAVE DONE HER RESEARCH! The story itself is TERRIBLE! Would a middle schooler really kill another student? This is the worst book I've ever read in my life!
April 19, 2018
As I am Danish I know about Norse mythology a lot and I find it very interesting. I appreciate that more authors write about it since it isn't that well known other than Thor and Loki in the Avengers movies - but there's so much more richness to be found! This story did great in that regard but Freya was slightly unlikeable. I do have hope she will be more likeable in the next books.
February 2, 2019
I just could not get into the book and I was really hoping it would be good after having read some of the Pegasus Series. Instead all I got was one angtsy teenage-like 600 yr old demigod girl. Although I will say that I did like Thor and Orus. The plotline sounded amazing and Freya was set up to look and act like a awesome, not your average character. I got none of it.
February 28, 2021
I read this book a few weeks ago and now that I have gathered my thoughts I think its time for me to say them out loud. Kate O'Hearn is an amazing author. However, I have a few complaints about this book. First, the main character Freya is so stubborn like she did not want to go back even though it put everyone around her in danger. And the fact she made the same mistakes throughout the book just made me really not like her. Second, the bully. Yes I acknowledge that the acknowledgement in the beginning of the book says its for kids who got bullied, HOWEVER, the bully in this book literally wants to murder people (I don't know about you but this in my opinion feels a little bit extra in a kids book) Third (and the most irritating one) THE SAME REACURRING PLOT LINE. Okay, the first time Freya saved someone it was exciting and I really wondered "ooohh what's gonna happen next??!!" and made me eager to find out what was going to happen next. But then the same plot kept happening all over again to the point where I wasn't really at all excited about what was going to happen next. Overall this book was not my cup of tea.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2019
Meh. It was Okay is a good reflection on this one. The characters seemingly felt flat. I had moments of liking some of the main characters, but that didn't seem to last long. The story did not feel like a real world. It was superficial, and sometimes that can be fun. There were moments of fun, but not enough to just make it a fun read. The ending had the only moment I was intrigued by, ALMOST enough of an intrigue to warrant a look at the sequel. I bought this one in a bargain section of a Booksamillion, I am glad a did. I would be curious about it if I didn't read it. I am also glad I didn't spend a lot of money on it. If I found the sequel in a similar situation I dont think I would buy it, but I might flip through at the store to see where it went. If I never find it, no loss.
It has some nuggets of fun. I didn't stop mid-way. I just don't think I would recommend it to someone else. .
It has some nuggets of fun. I didn't stop mid-way. I just don't think I would recommend it to someone else. .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2016
I like the writing style. Though Freya would rush into things even when her advisor/Raven Orus would tell her not to even humans that were technically younger in years would tell her not to do the stuff she did. And she was very immature and acted younger than she was I mean 600 years old you would expect her to be a little less rash and influence my her crazy emotions. I get this is a middle grade book but really I think she's even rash to people this book targets to. I enjoyed reading the book but Freya just frustrated me for most of the book. Only giving it three stars because I liked the writing and the other characters but she is the main character so it did ruin it a little for me.
August 21, 2020
Damn, i liked this more than i thought i would. Freya and Archie espesially captured my heart and ofcourse the annoying raven, Orus. haha. I teared up a bit as well and laughed lots. Loki is still hella annoying, but that`s Loki. Though i feel he has much mischief up his sleeve.
September 3, 2020
Not my cup of tea
I guess I'm spoiled by thor and think valkyries should be bad ass and this MC was not.
I guess I'm spoiled by thor and think valkyries should be bad ass and this MC was not.
March 21, 2022
*sighs*
I read the synopsis and was so excited to read this, then at the start of the book, the author put a note at the start that basically said to tell someone if you're being bullied, then going on saying she was bullied in school as well. Anyway, so you'd think that's just the author's note at the start, right? Nope. The WHOLE book was about a Valkyrie (Freya) coming to earth, saving this kid from a bully, becoming his friend, THEN THE REST OF THE BOOK IS HER HELPING THE KIDS BEING BULLIED!!! I think if you’re going to write a book about bullying…don’t make it fantasy or Greek Mythology. No offense, though! I would have liked it better just keeping the note there, than the book being about a Valkyrie going to earth, but doing something other than…helping kids being bullied.
I absolutely LOVED the writing! It was just fast pace enough that I was hooked, but not too fast (though in my opinion there’s no such thing as too fast paced books). But the dialogue…wow..definitely not things kids would say. Not curse words or anything. I don’t remember the exact lines..but boy did I cringe a lot.
I also found maybe four or five grammar mistakes..
I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that the next book is…actually about Greek Mythology..
I read the synopsis and was so excited to read this, then at the start of the book, the author put a note at the start that basically said to tell someone if you're being bullied, then going on saying she was bullied in school as well. Anyway, so you'd think that's just the author's note at the start, right? Nope. The WHOLE book was about a Valkyrie (Freya) coming to earth, saving this kid from a bully, becoming his friend, THEN THE REST OF THE BOOK IS HER HELPING THE KIDS BEING BULLIED!!! I think if you’re going to write a book about bullying…don’t make it fantasy or Greek Mythology. No offense, though! I would have liked it better just keeping the note there, than the book being about a Valkyrie going to earth, but doing something other than…helping kids being bullied.
I absolutely LOVED the writing! It was just fast pace enough that I was hooked, but not too fast (though in my opinion there’s no such thing as too fast paced books). But the dialogue…wow..definitely not things kids would say. Not curse words or anything. I don’t remember the exact lines..but boy did I cringe a lot.
I also found maybe four or five grammar mistakes..
I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that the next book is…actually about Greek Mythology..
January 26, 2023
Kate O’Hearn was one of my favorite authors when I was in early middle school. I read most of her books, but had never heard about this one until my church bestie loaned it to me.
The story was intriguing, but the writing was obviously meant for younger kids. Things moved too quickly, but at the same time not quickly enough. I like the characters, but they didn’t have enough depth.
The story was intriguing, but the writing was obviously meant for younger kids. Things moved too quickly, but at the same time not quickly enough. I like the characters, but they didn’t have enough depth.
February 23, 2020
This book was very exciting and I was hooked until the very end. I loved the character development of Freya and her sister maya who learn to develop to the human world throughout the book. I did think that we could have got more out of the ending and the part where Archie goes to Asgard but overall it was a great read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2021
Read this book with my 6th grade class. They loved it and I loved it. It was an excellent adventure book and perfect for this age range.
Trigger Warning: Violence and mention of alcohol abuse.
Trigger Warning: Violence and mention of alcohol abuse.
August 4, 2021
3.5 stars.
Really great read, didn’t take too long so that was great. Hope to see it on some more people’s shelves!
Really great read, didn’t take too long so that was great. Hope to see it on some more people’s shelves!
January 15, 2023
I found this book at a book sale conducted by my local Friends of the Library group. It sounded interesting. And it is interesting, for most of the story. The author has a solid grasp on motivating emotion and develops it well. It is a pity that this doesn't carry into the final act.
First,
This story has good emotional torque. What I mean by that is that it is very much driven by character emotion and the decisions they make based on those emotions. It is very clear that running away from home is an objectively bad idea that could lead to a lot of trouble, but it makes sense why Freya would do this, nonetheless. The loneliness she feels, the disconnection from other valkyries, and how long this has been going on (centuries), are well-established, and so the compulsion that Freya feels to leave Asgard and then stay on Midgard are understandable, even relatable.
The author unscores this with Orus, Freya's raven advisor. He is basically a flying lampshade hanging, constantly pointing out the ill-considered nature of Freya's actions and pointing out their consequences, such as defying the Angels of Death, risking Odin's wrath, or exposing her true identity to humanity. If she sees someone in trouble, then she will help them, and if she makes a promise, then she will keep it. Other considerations are irrelevant. Orus's role makes clear the fact that Freya is not stupid, she just has an extreme case of Honor Before Reason.
Although I do wonder how she was going to explain the whole "cut her hair short and dyed it crimson red" thing to her mother when she returned.
Second,
This story is like a reverse Isekai. Seriously, it is. We have a de-facto teenager who feels unhappy, out-of-place, lonely and listless in her home world. Then she runs away to a different world, (different realm) entirely. Suddenly, everything gets better for her. She makes friends. She gets to be "special", both in terms of being this beautiful, popular, transfer student with a raven "service animal", and also as a superhero. She finds fullfillment she never had before. The only box that isn't checked is a harem of love interests, but she does create this group of people who admire her platonically, because she improves their lives through confidence-building self-defense and group solidarity.
Seriously, the majority of the book is how much better Freya's life becomes when she leaves for another world. That is the Isekai genre in a nutshell. She just happens to be a supernatural creature entering a mundane world instead of the opposite.
To be clear, this is NOT a mark against the story. I actually found it fun.
Third,
The final act has a lot of trouble. Until now, everything has been guided by character motivations. It all makes sense as constructed, a natural outcome of character actions. Even Loki's seemingly contradictory actions make sense if you assume that he is doing all this For the Evulz / It Amused Me. Then we get to the final act and everything crumbles.
I don't want to go through every little plothole, because there are too many to list. I will just say that JP transforms from a legit character to a plot device to prop up the climax that the author wanted to write. It's not even necessary for him to be in that last scene. If he were to vanish in his prior scene, or the one before that, then the story could still proceed more or les as written but with fewer plotholes.
This problem-riddled third act is the main reason for the grade. If, at the very least, there was an explanation for Loki's actions, then I would consider a higher grade. As it is, Loki feels like JP, not a real character but a plot prop.
The author resolves everything well enough in the falling action. It feels like the resolution is held together with duct tape, but it is sufficient.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "Valkyrie" by Katie O'Hearn, a C+
First,
This story has good emotional torque. What I mean by that is that it is very much driven by character emotion and the decisions they make based on those emotions. It is very clear that running away from home is an objectively bad idea that could lead to a lot of trouble, but it makes sense why Freya would do this, nonetheless. The loneliness she feels, the disconnection from other valkyries, and how long this has been going on (centuries), are well-established, and so the compulsion that Freya feels to leave Asgard and then stay on Midgard are understandable, even relatable.
The author unscores this with Orus, Freya's raven advisor. He is basically a flying lampshade hanging, constantly pointing out the ill-considered nature of Freya's actions and pointing out their consequences, such as defying the Angels of Death, risking Odin's wrath, or exposing her true identity to humanity. If she sees someone in trouble, then she will help them, and if she makes a promise, then she will keep it. Other considerations are irrelevant. Orus's role makes clear the fact that Freya is not stupid, she just has an extreme case of Honor Before Reason.
Although I do wonder how she was going to explain the whole "cut her hair short and dyed it crimson red" thing to her mother when she returned.
Second,
This story is like a reverse Isekai. Seriously, it is. We have a de-facto teenager who feels unhappy, out-of-place, lonely and listless in her home world. Then she runs away to a different world, (different realm) entirely. Suddenly, everything gets better for her. She makes friends. She gets to be "special", both in terms of being this beautiful, popular, transfer student with a raven "service animal", and also as a superhero. She finds fullfillment she never had before. The only box that isn't checked is a harem of love interests, but she does create this group of people who admire her platonically, because she improves their lives through confidence-building self-defense and group solidarity.
Seriously, the majority of the book is how much better Freya's life becomes when she leaves for another world. That is the Isekai genre in a nutshell. She just happens to be a supernatural creature entering a mundane world instead of the opposite.
To be clear, this is NOT a mark against the story. I actually found it fun.
Third,
The final act has a lot of trouble. Until now, everything has been guided by character motivations. It all makes sense as constructed, a natural outcome of character actions. Even Loki's seemingly contradictory actions make sense if you assume that he is doing all this For the Evulz / It Amused Me. Then we get to the final act and everything crumbles.
I don't want to go through every little plothole, because there are too many to list. I will just say that JP transforms from a legit character to a plot device to prop up the climax that the author wanted to write. It's not even necessary for him to be in that last scene. If he were to vanish in his prior scene, or the one before that, then the story could still proceed more or les as written but with fewer plotholes.
This problem-riddled third act is the main reason for the grade. If, at the very least, there was an explanation for Loki's actions, then I would consider a higher grade. As it is, Loki feels like JP, not a real character but a plot prop.
The author resolves everything well enough in the falling action. It feels like the resolution is held together with duct tape, but it is sufficient.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "Valkyrie" by Katie O'Hearn, a C+
December 7, 2020
as a young avid reader I saw this book and decided to give it a try, it looked interesting and the synopsis sounded good but when I started it I noticed that the main character was irrational and a bit immature and her concept of bullies is rather harsh calling them pure evil. As I kept reading the story kept getting darker and darker. This book has great potential but I feel the character is not the best role model for young children as violence is not the best way to respond to bullying. I had to stop near the end because of something selfish the character did without another characters knowing. I find it important to a good story for the character to make good choices and this being a middle grade book, a good role model for others. I am fine with a character making mistakes and not being the wisest during the beginning but the character did not seem to progress at all and she was still making very irrational choices by the end of the book.
July 22, 2017
From a young person's standpoint this was a really great book. From my standpoint, it is still a really good read. It has several characters, the main one being the rebellious Valkyrie, but the other main being a human. Together, they made changes in a world where divine intervention is sorely needed.
There were gaps in the story, and a less than accurate depiction of the Norse universe, but that was acceptable in a story written for the younger set.
I did feel the book celebrated too well and rewarded the deliberate disobedience of the
Valkyrie, while also forcing her to adhere to her racial standards. That was where it fell down, but otherwise decent, although I don't plan to pick up the sequel. It just didn't draw me in that much.
There were gaps in the story, and a less than accurate depiction of the Norse universe, but that was acceptable in a story written for the younger set.
I did feel the book celebrated too well and rewarded the deliberate disobedience of the
Valkyrie, while also forcing her to adhere to her racial standards. That was where it fell down, but otherwise decent, although I don't plan to pick up the sequel. It just didn't draw me in that much.
May 10, 2018
Really like beauty of this book.… I also really love Kate O’Hearn and her magical style. I also liked the development of the characters. But our main character was kind of stubborn as a mule. She would not do anything! Even when her life was on the line! Seriously she had so many chances to just do the right thing and not be so selfish, for example how she endangered everyone around her by staying, including her sister and her so-called best friends. She was like an Ariel like Valkrie where she wanted to be part of the humans world but King Triton had a drag her butt back to the sea. I really like the incorporation of gods and goddesses… And myths and all that stuff. So I will just focus on the things I like in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2015
This book isn't terrible, but it's quite frustrating. I think the problem is that I don't believe Freya -- I don't believe in her hatred for humanity that is so swiftly turned on its head, I don't believe in the hard and fast rules of Odin's world, because nobody else seems to believe in them, either -- there's a pretty huge amount of defiance on from all levels of his dominion, so it's hard to take the dire warnings seriously. There's a whole lot more tell than show, and it undercuts both the characters and the story.
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.
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