Valkyrie Rising was one of those lovely books you spot on the shelf at the library and read the back, decide it looks decent enough, and check out. It was one that I wasn't sure I would bother reading, but checked out of the library anyway because it had mythology in it and I am quite the sucker for mythology. Admittedly, almost all of my "expertise" is in Greek mythology; I have almost no knowledge of Norse mythology. Still, I added it to the stack of books I always leave the library with and took it home with me.
When I did crack open Valkyrie Rising, I couldn't have been more surprised by how much I loved it. If I hadn't started reading so late at night, I could have easily read the entire volume in one sitting. (And not because the book is short- it's a hefty 345 pages.) I was hooked and had to force myself to go to bed so I would stop falling asleep with my face on the pages. Still, I woke up and finished it off in a matter of hours.
In Valkyrie Rising, we meet Ellie, a girl from California with an overprotective big brother, Graham, and some deep roots in Norway. Summer has finally arrived, which means Ellie and her brother will be headed to Norway to visit their grandmother for a few weeks. And Graham's infuriating best friend, Tuck, will also be coming along for the ride.
However, when Ellie arrives, she isn't greeted with the usual hospitality and friendliness the small town of Oslo. Instead, she's regarded with suspicion and even her fair share of violence. Reports of the disappearance of young, strong boys has been enough to scare the townspeople into hostility, especially because, for some reason, her grandmother is the prim suspect- and least in the eyes of the public.
It isn't long before Ellie is also being accused to being a Valkyrie, one of those mythical beings whom people believe are snatching up their boys. As much as she wants to deny it, when she saves a friend from being taken by the Valkyries, she sees them for herself and they call her one of them. Even as they say it, she can feel the tug within her, the call to join them.
Yet when Graham is taken next, Ellie knows she'll do anything to save him, even if it means taking down the Valkyries and losing her life in the process. Tuck joins her, eager to save his best friend and keep Ellie safe; but, considering who they're up against, they might as well be running toward death itself.
Like I mentioned above, I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed this book. Ellie is a great heroine who experiences her fair share of self-doubt, yet is too focused on saving the people she cares about to let it conquer her. She's strong and fierce, yet profoundly human, and I love that. Tuck is wonderfully protective, even knowing that Ellie could easily take him out, and perfectly comedic. His comments had me laughing out loud more than once.
The Norse mythology peppered throughout the novel was deeply interesting and definitely pushed me into wanting to learn more about it, and the story itself was fast-paced and left me wanting more. I think this is the first time I've read a stand-alone novel and wanted to bang my head against a desk when I realized there would be no sequel.
Oh well, I suppose I'll just have to be happy with what I was given. After all, at least I'll have plenty of opportunities to reread it.
Rating: ★★★★★
Then Tuck stepped right into the middle of that mess, shielding me completely. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He shoved the ringleader in the chest. While Tuck definitely had a temper, it always came out sideways through jokes. It took me a second to recognize the look on his face as absolute fury. "I don't know what happens in this hick town, but where I'm from, we don't push girls around." He knocked the boy back one more time, driving his point home.
"She's not a girl," Margit said, glaring at me with so much hatred that it almost hurt. "Filthy Valkyrie."
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