Scan barcode
densorcell's review
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
It’s a fairly comfortable/familiar story but with Norse mythology as the basis of the sapphic fantasy.
I liked a lot of the descriptions for the characters, lore, etc. It’s not just “here’s info” (eg the character has a braid); it’s “here’s why this info is important” (eg long hair protects her from the sun while horseback riding and braiding it on the left side frees her fighting arm). Or they’ll interweave character motivations with historical/mythological lore. The balance that was struck between explaining the book’s own lore and the mythological lore was also near-perfect.
I only have a few complaints. The “oh no, I can’t finish the job! But WAIT, here come my friends to save the day” might’ve been used one too many times. A character’s response to an insult felt inaccurate but wasn’t recognized as such. Minor things like that.
I liked a lot of the descriptions for the characters, lore, etc. It’s not just “here’s info” (eg the character has a braid); it’s “here’s why this info is important” (eg long hair protects her from the sun while horseback riding and braiding it on the left side frees her fighting arm). Or they’ll interweave character motivations with historical/mythological lore. The balance that was struck between explaining the book’s own lore and the mythological lore was also near-perfect.
I only have a few complaints. The “oh no, I can’t finish the job! But WAIT, here come my friends to save the day” might’ve been used one too many times. A character’s response to an insult felt inaccurate but wasn’t recognized as such. Minor things like that.
wretched10's review
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I really enjoyed the plot and I found the story to follow very well! The characters were likable and witty the only thing I found a little lacking was the dialogue. At times I got a little bit of the ick and it wasn’t awful just a bit awkward. It was entertaining enough. The relationship between the two ladies felt a little rushed and inorganic however I liked their banter. I would have liked the characters to have been more developed also.
exeterplcb's review
4.0
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Valkyrie’a Daughter by Tiana Warner explores the story of Sigrid, a female stable hand, who yearns to join the esteemed Valkyries. She is bullied by the junior Valkyries, girls her same age, for her inability to become a warrior due to her bond with a Midgard (Earth) horse instead of a typical winged horse. She finds some friendship amongst the other stable hands, but she secretly trains with her horse to prove her worthiness. One day, everything changes when the kingdom is attacked by other Valkyries, dire wolves and Night Elves. Sigrid rushes to battle, attempting to stop an enemy Valkyrie who attacked the kingdom’s seer for a precious stone that grants visions of the future. In the fight, Sigrid receives a vision of herself leading the Valkyries on the legendary Sleipnir, Orin’s eight-legged horse. Fueled by hopes of a great future, she slips away in the middle of the night to follow the Valkyrie who stole the stone. She is soon captured by another band of Night Elves, but finds the Valkyrie, named Miriam, also captured though without the stone. They form a tense alliance to escape the Night Elves along with a smaller, bullied Night Elf, named Fisk. The three escape and make their way towards Hel, where the stone is being held by its queen, past a series of dangerous obstacles. Their bond grows, but upon their arrival, Sigrid realizes she was misled to Miriam’s true intentions. The queen of Hel actually sought her for her connection with Sleipnir and ability to utilize his power to travel the nine worlds, with which she hopes to overthrow the king of Vanaheim, Sigrid’s home. She then is forced to confront the prospect of her destiny or carve her own.
The book followed a fairly expected plot, though the relationships between Sigrid and her horse as well as between her and Miriam were enjoyable. The romance was a slow burn that had an enjoyable, though not immediately obvious, conclusion. It was not the point of the book, which I really appreciated. The battles were well-described and exciting. The author did a great job making the mythology understandable and relevant to the plot. She did not excessively world-build for the sake of it. She even adapted certain elements to suit the story in a way that made sense with her version of the world. A fun read-alike for fans of Rick Riordan, Norse Mythology and Cemetery Boys by Aidan Thomas.
The Valkyrie’a Daughter by Tiana Warner explores the story of Sigrid, a female stable hand, who yearns to join the esteemed Valkyries. She is bullied by the junior Valkyries, girls her same age, for her inability to become a warrior due to her bond with a Midgard (Earth) horse instead of a typical winged horse. She finds some friendship amongst the other stable hands, but she secretly trains with her horse to prove her worthiness. One day, everything changes when the kingdom is attacked by other Valkyries, dire wolves and Night Elves. Sigrid rushes to battle, attempting to stop an enemy Valkyrie who attacked the kingdom’s seer for a precious stone that grants visions of the future. In the fight, Sigrid receives a vision of herself leading the Valkyries on the legendary Sleipnir, Orin’s eight-legged horse. Fueled by hopes of a great future, she slips away in the middle of the night to follow the Valkyrie who stole the stone. She is soon captured by another band of Night Elves, but finds the Valkyrie, named Miriam, also captured though without the stone. They form a tense alliance to escape the Night Elves along with a smaller, bullied Night Elf, named Fisk. The three escape and make their way towards Hel, where the stone is being held by its queen, past a series of dangerous obstacles. Their bond grows, but upon their arrival, Sigrid realizes she was misled to Miriam’s true intentions. The queen of Hel actually sought her for her connection with Sleipnir and ability to utilize his power to travel the nine worlds, with which she hopes to overthrow the king of Vanaheim, Sigrid’s home. She then is forced to confront the prospect of her destiny or carve her own.
The book followed a fairly expected plot, though the relationships between Sigrid and her horse as well as between her and Miriam were enjoyable. The romance was a slow burn that had an enjoyable, though not immediately obvious, conclusion. It was not the point of the book, which I really appreciated. The battles were well-described and exciting. The author did a great job making the mythology understandable and relevant to the plot. She did not excessively world-build for the sake of it. She even adapted certain elements to suit the story in a way that made sense with her version of the world. A fun read-alike for fans of Rick Riordan, Norse Mythology and Cemetery Boys by Aidan Thomas.
kaeliwolf's review against another edition
5.0
This is very much the mood I needed to read right now. It reminds me of A Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young in the writing style.
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
4.0
4/5
Loved this book so much! The mythology was a perfect background for this plot. I loved the story and the trails the main character had to face. The ending of the book was great. I have to say this is a first time in a while where I enjoyed a book being a standalone and not wanting it there to be a sequel.
Loved this book so much! The mythology was a perfect background for this plot. I loved the story and the trails the main character had to face. The ending of the book was great. I have to say this is a first time in a while where I enjoyed a book being a standalone and not wanting it there to be a sequel.
misfitmoxie's review
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
exectutive_unicornzz's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
particlesreads's review
4.0
This was a really cute book.
I enjoyed reading it, stayed up late during my week to read it and finish it this year, and I really did enjoy it. If I had been 16 and I had read this a lot of things would have made sense to me, and I would have really enjoyed reading about this character, her lovely love interest (yay sapphic women!), but I did feel that as an adult it really was written as YA Fantasy.
Will say, liked the main character, loved the norse mythology, warrior women, loved the inclusion of horses (you don't always see that, so loved that as well) and the fact that despite being the underdog, our main character didn't necessarily turn into a bitter person but stayed very upbeat in the face of adversity.
Will also say that you can tell that our main character is a teenager, with how stubborn she is at times, but I didn't really mind that because I feel like it gave her a certain charm as well!
I enjoyed reading it, stayed up late during my week to read it and finish it this year, and I really did enjoy it. If I had been 16 and I had read this a lot of things would have made sense to me, and I would have really enjoyed reading about this character, her lovely love interest (yay sapphic women!), but I did feel that as an adult it really was written as YA Fantasy.
Will say, liked the main character, loved the norse mythology, warrior women, loved the inclusion of horses (you don't always see that, so loved that as well) and the fact that despite being the underdog, our main character didn't necessarily turn into a bitter person but stayed very upbeat in the face of adversity.
Will also say that you can tell that our main character is a teenager, with how stubborn she is at times, but I didn't really mind that because I feel like it gave her a certain charm as well!