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A review by betwixt_the_pages
Valhalla by Ari Bach
3.0
I was asked to review this by sharkchunks.tumblr.com
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A Harmony Ink Press Young Adult Title
Violet MacRae is one of the aimless millions crowding northern Scotland. In the year 2330, where war is obsolete and only brilliant minds are valued, she emerges into adulthood with more brawn than brains and a propensity for violence. People dismiss her as a relic, but world peace is more fragile than they know.
In Valhalla, a clandestine base hidden in an icy ravine, Violet connects with a group of outcasts just like her. There, she learns the skills she needs to keep the world safe from genetically enhanced criminals and traitors who threaten the first friends she’s ever known. She also meets Wulfgar Kray, a genius gang leader who knows her better than she knows herself and who would conquer the world to capture her.
Branded from childhood as a useless barbarian, Violet is about to learn the world needs her exactly as she is.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: Detailed world-building; fascinating characters with unique flaws; fast-paced story (after about the 50% mark); awesome concept, weapons, and plot; romance plays little part in character arcs or decisions
When Violet's parents are murdered by the Orange Gang, she finds herself on her own with no idea of what to do next or where to turn for help. All she knows is: she feels nothing.
Soon after, she learns of a military branch seeking recruits and she signs up, knowing that earlier childhood test scores reveal a penchant for violence and gore that might otherwise be unacceptable in other occupations. It doesn't last; she is kicked out just before graduating for just this.
When the Orange Gang tracks her back down at her home just after returning to the "real" world, Violet lets her instincts lead the way: she kills the men, including one of the brothers that helped to murder her parents. When she is approached by a group calling themselves Valhalla, she knows it might be one of her only ways out; she has a target on her back, and without help is just as good as dead. As she makes her first friends and begins discovering how to care for others, she also begins to learn secrets about herself. But at what cost is this information...and where will it lead her in the future?
I have to be honest: I found the first half of this book almost boring to read. There is so much information being dumped, it was hard at times to focus on a lot of it and I found myself wanting to skip ahead. Also, the writing style is a bit wonky--it's written in future tense a lot of the time, instead of the past or present as I'm used to, and I found myself getting confused about the timeline (when you constantly have sentences saying things like "she would do" or "later, she'd," it's hard to keep track). A lot of information was also relayed in dialogue-form, with little to no action between the text blocks.
While in a way this is smart of the writer—it eliminates the need for more than one focused perspective or other unusual means of getting information across (as Violet, while smart, knows next to nothing about the world she's been pulled into), it happens in such a small amount of time with little action between that I found myself getting bored.
That being said, the second half of this novel made the tedious first half worth it, as the information dumps level out and more action (and character growth!) ensues. Where the first half bored me almost to tears, the second half finally established a connection with the characters I was desperately searching for and let me take a step back and actually SEE the world being described. The writing style also became easier to follow; now, instead of focusing on how best to relay pertinent world or backstory information via long, breathless dialogue blocks, Ari Bach could take the time to paint the world itself.
The character growth in the second half are exemplary—my frustration and annoyance with Violet fell away into first a begrudging respect...and then a sense of admiration. She was no longer a cold-hearted girl with a penchant for blood and violence, but a well-rounded and flawed heroine.
The world building, while tedious at times, is also awe-inspiring. Ari Bach put a lot of thought into crafting this new (yet still almost the same?) world; instead of starting over from scratch, this world seems to be just a more scientifically-modified, futuristic version. While we don't get much description of scenery (it's set in Scotland) I don't feel I missed it too much; the action and detailing of the fights and the new weapons (insects that attach to ports in people's chests!) left little need for readers to know exactly how the ground looked or the air smelled.
Last noteworthy thing: Walruses. I don't think I need to say anything more.
Overall, I highly enjoyed reading this book and will probably be picking up the second book in the future. I'd recommend this to readers who love sci fi or action/adventure novels with only a hint of romance (and no mention of it being a distraction or a justification for a characters' actions!) This was a great read!
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A Harmony Ink Press Young Adult Title
Violet MacRae is one of the aimless millions crowding northern Scotland. In the year 2330, where war is obsolete and only brilliant minds are valued, she emerges into adulthood with more brawn than brains and a propensity for violence. People dismiss her as a relic, but world peace is more fragile than they know.
In Valhalla, a clandestine base hidden in an icy ravine, Violet connects with a group of outcasts just like her. There, she learns the skills she needs to keep the world safe from genetically enhanced criminals and traitors who threaten the first friends she’s ever known. She also meets Wulfgar Kray, a genius gang leader who knows her better than she knows herself and who would conquer the world to capture her.
Branded from childhood as a useless barbarian, Violet is about to learn the world needs her exactly as she is.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: Detailed world-building; fascinating characters with unique flaws; fast-paced story (after about the 50% mark); awesome concept, weapons, and plot; romance plays little part in character arcs or decisions
When Violet's parents are murdered by the Orange Gang, she finds herself on her own with no idea of what to do next or where to turn for help. All she knows is: she feels nothing.
Soon after, she learns of a military branch seeking recruits and she signs up, knowing that earlier childhood test scores reveal a penchant for violence and gore that might otherwise be unacceptable in other occupations. It doesn't last; she is kicked out just before graduating for just this.
When the Orange Gang tracks her back down at her home just after returning to the "real" world, Violet lets her instincts lead the way: she kills the men, including one of the brothers that helped to murder her parents. When she is approached by a group calling themselves Valhalla, she knows it might be one of her only ways out; she has a target on her back, and without help is just as good as dead. As she makes her first friends and begins discovering how to care for others, she also begins to learn secrets about herself. But at what cost is this information...and where will it lead her in the future?
I have to be honest: I found the first half of this book almost boring to read. There is so much information being dumped, it was hard at times to focus on a lot of it and I found myself wanting to skip ahead. Also, the writing style is a bit wonky--it's written in future tense a lot of the time, instead of the past or present as I'm used to, and I found myself getting confused about the timeline (when you constantly have sentences saying things like "she would do" or "later, she'd," it's hard to keep track). A lot of information was also relayed in dialogue-form, with little to no action between the text blocks.
While in a way this is smart of the writer—it eliminates the need for more than one focused perspective or other unusual means of getting information across (as Violet, while smart, knows next to nothing about the world she's been pulled into), it happens in such a small amount of time with little action between that I found myself getting bored.
That being said, the second half of this novel made the tedious first half worth it, as the information dumps level out and more action (and character growth!) ensues. Where the first half bored me almost to tears, the second half finally established a connection with the characters I was desperately searching for and let me take a step back and actually SEE the world being described. The writing style also became easier to follow; now, instead of focusing on how best to relay pertinent world or backstory information via long, breathless dialogue blocks, Ari Bach could take the time to paint the world itself.
The character growth in the second half are exemplary—my frustration and annoyance with Violet fell away into first a begrudging respect...and then a sense of admiration. She was no longer a cold-hearted girl with a penchant for blood and violence, but a well-rounded and flawed heroine.
The world building, while tedious at times, is also awe-inspiring. Ari Bach put a lot of thought into crafting this new (yet still almost the same?) world; instead of starting over from scratch, this world seems to be just a more scientifically-modified, futuristic version. While we don't get much description of scenery (it's set in Scotland) I don't feel I missed it too much; the action and detailing of the fights and the new weapons (insects that attach to ports in people's chests!) left little need for readers to know exactly how the ground looked or the air smelled.
Last noteworthy thing: Walruses. I don't think I need to say anything more.
Overall, I highly enjoyed reading this book and will probably be picking up the second book in the future. I'd recommend this to readers who love sci fi or action/adventure novels with only a hint of romance (and no mention of it being a distraction or a justification for a characters' actions!) This was a great read!