Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: October 9, 2012
Format: PDF, ARC
Pages: 352
Source: Author / Itching For Books Blog Tour
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Review Date: October 19, 2012
Rating: 4 bookmarks
Book Synopsis: Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there.
What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.
Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl’s unexpectedly-epic coming of age.
Be sure to see below my review – Ingrid is giving away a signed copy of Valkyrie Rising!
Release Date: October 9, 2012
Format: PDF, ARC
Pages: 352
Source: Author / Itching For Books Blog Tour
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Review Date: October 19, 2012
Rating: 4 bookmarks
Book Synopsis: Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there.
What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.
Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl’s unexpectedly-epic coming of age.
Be sure to see below my review – Ingrid is giving away a signed copy of Valkyrie Rising!
Valkryie Rising, was an enjoyable and entertaining fast read. Our heroine, Ellie, is pretty much your average teenage girl with an overbearing big brother. It's clear she yearns to get from up under Graham's thumb and spread her wings. That's exactly what happens when they all end up in Norway visiting the siblings grandmother. Tuck, Graham's best friend is along for the ride during this adventure. Early on, it's clear that there is something special about Ellie. As she starts to find out about what she is, we see that her transformation in to a Valkyrie warrior is astonishing. It's also pretty apparent that she matures pretty quickly in light of her new situation.
The Norse mythology was fun to read about. Loki, the trickster god, was a interesting addition to everything that was going on. It added another layer of story that added to the book overall. The story's villain starts out as the head Valkyrie, Astrid, and her band of boy snatching Valkyrie. As the story goes on, the villain transitions to someone else, leaving the Valkyrie's as not so bad. I'm not sure how I feel about the shift of the "bad" Valkyrie's ended up being not so bad after all. It's a little odd, but I rolled with it. I'd read a bit about Valkyrie's in other books, but I'd never heard of them having collective thinking...that was interesting twist on them.
The supporting cast was mostly made up of Kjell's Valkyrie hating friends, especially one particular girl named Margit. Those characters were useful and served their purpose. If there is a second book, it wouldn't surprise me if Kjell and Margit show up again. As for the romance story line, it was cute and age appropriate. Hence, 16 and 18 year old shouldn't be tearing each others clothes off, and they weren't in this book. It was sweet and cute. You know- longing looks here, PG kisses there.
The action was sufficient and was on pace with the rest of the book. The ending ties up most nearly all of the story-lines while still leaving room for a sequel. I'd be on board to read more about Ellie as she grows up even more.
A few of my favorite quotes from the book:
"No one has power over me unless I surrender it."
"But rid yourself of this sentimental streak soon, Elsa. It's not our style."
The Norse mythology was fun to read about. Loki, the trickster god, was a interesting addition to everything that was going on. It added another layer of story that added to the book overall. The story's villain starts out as the head Valkyrie, Astrid, and her band of boy snatching Valkyrie. As the story goes on, the villain transitions to someone else, leaving the Valkyrie's as not so bad. I'm not sure how I feel about the shift of the "bad" Valkyrie's ended up being not so bad after all. It's a little odd, but I rolled with it. I'd read a bit about Valkyrie's in other books, but I'd never heard of them having collective thinking...that was interesting twist on them.
The supporting cast was mostly made up of Kjell's Valkyrie hating friends, especially one particular girl named Margit. Those characters were useful and served their purpose. If there is a second book, it wouldn't surprise me if Kjell and Margit show up again. As for the romance story line, it was cute and age appropriate. Hence, 16 and 18 year old shouldn't be tearing each others clothes off, and they weren't in this book. It was sweet and cute. You know- longing looks here, PG kisses there.
The action was sufficient and was on pace with the rest of the book. The ending ties up most nearly all of the story-lines while still leaving room for a sequel. I'd be on board to read more about Ellie as she grows up even more.
A few of my favorite quotes from the book:
"No one has power over me unless I surrender it."
"But rid yourself of this sentimental streak soon, Elsa. It's not our style."
Author Spotlight
Ingrid Paulson lives in San Francisco with her husband and daughter and enjoys long-distance running, eavesdropping, and watching science documentaries. She has always loved books and writing short stories, but was surprised one day to discover the story she was working on wasn't so short any more. VALKYRIE RISING is Ingrid's first novel.
Ingrid's grandmother might actually be a Valkyrie; she's still waiting for her to come clean.
Official links:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ingridepaulson
Website: http://www.ingridepaulson.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/IngridPaulson
Ingrid's grandmother might actually be a Valkyrie; she's still waiting for her to come clean.
Official links:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ingridepaulson
Website: http://www.ingridepaulson.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/IngridPaulson
Get the Kindle version here:Valkyrie Rising
