Scan barcode
A review by exeterplcb
The Valkyrie's Daughter by Tiana Warner
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.