Valkyrie Rising

booknook — Young Adult book reviews

Before Valkyrie Rising, I had never read a book about Norse mythology. This was the perfect book to introduce me!

Valkyrie Rising is an action-packed, snarky romance that tell the story of Ellie—a girl who kicks some serious ass! Ellie is a fantastic main character. She's very easy to relate to and develops beautifully throughout the book. She starts out as a girl longing for her independence, but she doesn't really have the strength to do anything about it. But by the end of the book, she's fiercely independent, kicking serious ass, and really takes matters into her own hands. I LOVE HER!

The romance in this book is phenomenal. Ellie and Tuck have terrific chemistry! They have some excellent show more sarcastic, playful banter that had me giggling with excitement! Their romance develops really slowly, which is awesome! No insta-love here! Tuck is made out to be a bit of a "grazer" when it comes to relationships, but we really see him change throughout the book. He's definitely a guy that will make you drool and swoon and all those other lovey-dovey verbs.

Graham is the one really annoying character in the book, but he is the kind of guy you love to hate. I don't mind hating characters in books as long as it's intended and as long as the main character hates that person too. It only drives me crazy if the main character tolerates someone else's annoying horrible behaviour and doesn't do anything about it. Graham is a really overbearing and overprotective brother who drove me completely bonkers. But Ellie really despised his behaviour and one of the purposes of the book is Ellie striving to break free of Graham and start leading her own life and making her own decisions.

Ingrid Paulson kept me engaged and loving the story from start to finish! The end of Valkyrie Rising in particular is packed with action, intensity, and super epic ass-kicking! I loved learning about the Norse mythology; it was such an easy world to fall into! Ultimately this is the story about a girl looking for independence and how one summer sets the stage for her to finally grasp it. It's definitely a coming of age story that a lot of people can relate to (despite the fantasy elements ;)).

I highly recommend this book if you want a fun, heart-warming romance, a bit of sibling rivalry, and a strong heroine who really rocks the story! show less

I enjoyed a lot of things about Valkyrie Rising. The rich and refreshing setting of Norway. The way the mythology was woven nicely into the story and the fact that it was filled with badass female warriors known as the Valkyries.

Ellie, the main character, was likeable and brave, and her brother's best friend and the love interest Tucker was my favorite because of his awesome personality and protectiveness of Ellie. All the characters were great and believable, and I loved how the romance played an important role that never once overshadowed everything else the book had to offer.

The pace and action really began to pick up at the halfway point, but the beginning was still as intriguing as the rest of the novel. Overall, I thought Valkyrie show more Rising was well done and thoroughly entertaining. show less

I'll admit that I chose Valkyrie Rising because I was looking for something a little bit different than what I had been reading. I was intrigued by the setting and definitely by the idea of the plot. The rich setting of Norway sounded like a perfect place to weave a tale. Plus I mean, Valkyries? Kick-ass female warriors? Yes please. I was ready to be wowed.

It didn't take me long to totally adore Ellie, the main character. Constantly in the shadow of her older brother, Ellie is overprotected and unsure of herself. All she really wants is for something exciting to happen. Something new. She gets her wish! When the action picks up, and the Valkyries come into play, it's hard to stop reading. I loved watching Ellie discover her true self show more and couldn't help but root for her to embrace it.

Oh, and the romance of course! I can't forget to share that. I won't spoil, but I will say that this was such a sweet build up. Slow, steady, and downright adorable. This is the type of love that grows and begs to be fulfilled. I found myself wanting to shake Ellie and let her know that the perfect guy was right in front of her if only she looked! I won't delve too far, since I want you to discover it for yourself, but it's so worth it.

The setting was perfection, the plot was evenly paced, and to be honest I read through Valkyrie Rising so quickly that I was left wishing I had another book in my hands to follow it up with. It looks like this is shaping up to be a series, and I sincerely hope so! I found a lot to love in Ingrid Paulson's writing. This was a breath of fresh Norse air, and I can't wait for more. show less

Oooh, I really enjoyed this book! And after that synopsis how could you not expect to love it? Valkyrie Rising is an action packed novel that sucked me in and kept me in Norway until I finished the book... amazing! I am so excited to tell everyone about this book...

The characters were nothing short of amazing. Ellie was a great and relatable (and sarcastic) character. I enjoyed reading the story from her perspective. Also, her brother, Graham was a vivid character who learns the some valuable lessons about being a big brother. Tuck, Graham's friend, was also pretty great. Astrid, an evil valkyrie in the beginning, was also fun to read about because her personality and traits were unique and vivid. I hope we see more of all these show more characters in the second book.

Okay, Norse mythology. Kidnappings. Valkyries. What could be cooler? This novel definitely had a plot to die for. The audience will never be bored, or at least I never was, with all the end-of-your-seat action. I think I read this in half the airplane ride. (P.S This is fun to read on a plane because then you can pretend to be going to Norway!)

There were several "plots" (I may be using this term loosely.) One was about the kidnapping of young men in the Norwedgian fishing village. Another one was the war including the gods. There was the part where Ellie tries to figure out some family secrets, and what she is. And finally, there was the romance between Ellie and Tuck, plus the relationship between Ellie and Graham. All these "plots" joined together to make an awesome story!

The conclusion solves most everything and there was no cliff-hanger, which I liked. However, there is definitely room for more books in the series. And I hope the second one comes out soon! I want more gods, goddesses, valkyries, and action! What will happen next in the war of the gods?

Overall, Valkyrie Rising was an epic read. Fans of mythology, action, and romance will love whipping through the novel like I did.

4.5/5 bookcases show less

Originally posted on A Reader of Fictions.

Sometimes, it kind of seems like authors have purchased dictionaries of mythological and paranormal creatures, flipping through and arbitrarily choosing one to write about, because they know it will make them money. Actually, that's what my friend suggested when I tried to explain the plot of Valkyrie Rising to her. I'll admit that she does have a point, but, hey, I prefer some well-done variation to consistent repetition of vampires, werewolves, witches, etc.

NGL, I hardly know anything about Norse mythology. My childhood mythology obsession only stretched as far as Greek and Roman, so do not expect this review to critique the accuracy of Paulson's take on Odin and Valkyries. I can't tell you show more that. What I can tell you is that this book was just so fun, and that I loved the Valkyries. I mean, who doesn't love a group of hot girls who can destroy anyone with their physical prowess and mind powers? Sure, some of them are a little bit evil, but they're still really interesting, which is clearly the most important thing.

I completely loved the first half of this novel, before the paranormal elements really entered the scene, not that I didn't like those but they weren't my favorite part. What I loved was the dynamic between Ellie and Tuck. They have this snarky back-and-forth banter, a mutual loathing/attraction, that I find incredibly compelling. Basically, they remind me a whole lot of Benedick and Beatrice (couple name: Beatrick) from Much Ado About Nothing. Given that they are perhaps my OTP, that's seriously high praise from me. The best moments are when Ellie and Tuck really get the insults flying thick and fast.

Ellie comes across as a real teenage girl to me, awkward and rebellious and lonely and without an accurate sense of herself. Graham, Ellie's perfect older brother, basically runs her life, keeping guys from dating her, because of an uncomfortable instance one time, and making sure she sticks to curfew. Ellie resents this, but cannot find the will to act out, because she basically hero-worships Graham. Their relationship reminded me a lot of Lugh and Saba in Blood Red Road, especially in the later discovery that the younger sister turns out to be much stronger.

I bonded with Ellie almost immediately, alone at a party, unsure whether to join or to hide. She feels uncomfortable in her own skin and no longer knows if she's a social pariah because of herself or her brother. When she goes to stay with her grandmother in Norway, she arrives before her brother and Tuck. She meets a really hot guy, cuter even than Tuck and older too, Kjell, and he asks her out. She agrees to go in a fit of rebellion. Though he's gorgeous, she does not trust him one bit, and has little to no interest in him. This made me want to fistbump Ingrid Paulson for letting a heroine care more about personality than looks.

I will say, though, that aside from Tuck and Ellie who I loved, the rest of the characters did not seem particularly well-developed. I really don't have a sense of any of them as people, even Graham, which might be part of why I dislike him so much. This dovetails with my other complaint: this should be a series. The story does wrap up, but it's open-ended. So far as I know, a sequel isn't in the works, but it should be, and then we could see the other characters grow more.

Valkyrie Rising is just a heck of a lot of fun, with the added bonus of a unique setting in small town Norway. I loved reading it and will be keeping an eye on Paulson's career from here on out. show less

4.5 Stars. This book took a little while to suck me in, but when it did I discovered a really intriguing storyline and wonderful characters. Paulson takes a few chapters to set up this story, but once Ellie gets to Norway things start to pick up and they continue to get more interesting once Graham and his best friend Tuck arrive.

Ellie was a likeable character. She was sweet, but toughens up and learns to stand up for herself as the book goes on. I loved the dynamic of Ellie and the boys around her. Other than her grandmother and the Valkyries all the other main characters are guys. Seeing Graham, Tucker and Kjell all being territorial over her was entertaining. I also liked Tucker a lot. He pushed Ellie’s buttons and could be a bit show more of a bad influence, but he was also a loyal friend and on the inside a really sweet guy.

Tucker’s jealousy was cute, and I liked his relationship with Ellie. She’s his best friend’s sister and they’ve spent a lot of time together growing up. Now that they’re older they realize they have feelings for one another, but to act on them would mean changing and potentially destroying the way things have been since they were kids.

Ellie has always lived in her big brother’s shadow. His overprotective ways have labeled her as “Graham’s little sister” and all she wants is to be able to make her own decisions. I think what this book is really about is Ellie growing up and becoming her own person. When she visits her grandmother, who lives in Norway, we see her wanting to do her own thing, but she has a hard time talking to her brother about this. Graham tends to just assume what she wants and isn’t a very good listener.

After Ellie and Graham get in a fight the plot really picks up, and Ellie is thrown into a dangerous situation that she has to deal with without the help or guidance of her brother or grandmother. There’s a lot more to Ellie than just being Graham’s little sister and she discovers some of these things and has to learn how to deal with them in a short period of time.

I liked the twist on Norse mythology in this book. There were some familiar faces, like Loki and Odin, but the storyline felt completely new to me. One thing that I was disappointed in with this book was that we never got to see Valhalla. We hear a little bit about it, but the characters never actually make it there.

Also I felt like the fight scene at the end was too easy. There were families fighting against their sons, it just felt like it should have been more emotional. But, instead it ended peacefully and without any casualties and then the whole town’s memories were wiped as if it never happened. I would have liked that scene to have been a little more meaningful.

I did like the little bit of drama at the end with wondering if Tuck was under the same spell as Kjell, and the scene with Tuck and Ellie on the roof made me smile.

Overall this book had nice imagery, an interesting plot and well developed characters. It was descriptive, but in a way that was fun and whimsical. It was a really fun read.

Read more by Lauryn April at http://laurynapril.blogspot.com/ show less

I was thrilled when I found out I was getting the chance to read Ingrid Paulson's debut, Valkyrie Rising, and Ms. Paulson did not fail to reel me into the story. With Norse mythology not being used as much in contemporary literature, it was refreshing and exciting to see just what was in store. While the figures of Odin and Loki do play a role in the book, it is the strength and bond of the warrior women known as Valkyries that is the main focus, especially regarding Ellie's journey.

Ellie took a bit of warming up to in the beginning of the story, mostly because I did feel sorry for her having to stand in the massive shadow of Graham, her older brother. I don't have siblings, so I can't really relate to that idea, but it was good to see show more that Ellie was indeed wanting to get out of that overbearing shadow. When she gets the chance to go out with an older boy while visiting her grandmother, Hilda, in Norway, I wasn't surprised when she just went for it. Then again, that might have also been the rebellious part of her rearing itself that she is strong enough to take care of herself without the need of Graham.

Following the incidents of young men being taken by the Valkyries, Ellie showed remarkable growth and strength, especially after Hilda revealed the truth behind her background. While Ellie also showed the rashness of youth, she also was able to overcome that with the help of both trust in her grandmother and from her brother's best friend, Tuck. I have to admit, Tucker was a bit of an enigma for me, and I could totally understand why Ellie would be confused by his erratic behavior. When one is teased and on the bring of being bullied and then shown gentle attention, it's easy to get mixed signals. Luckily, Ellie could handle herself in any given situation.

I really enjoyed reading Valkyrie Rising though the pace was a bit on the slow side within the first few chapters. It did pick up once Ellie was in Norway and definitely following the kidnappings. I think readers who enjoy mythology or just kick-butt heroines would enjoy Ms. Paulson's take on the Valkyrie myth. This is one I'll definitely want to get for my library. show less