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A review by densorcell
The Valkyrie's Daughter by Tiana Warner
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.