Reviews

Started a little too slow, and finished a little too fast.

The main characters are telling the story to each other in the book, which is a perspective or format I haven't seen before, and I found it interesting.

I liked Brynhild and Gudrun's time apart - Brynhild meeting the other gods and learning about Odin's lies, and Gudrun in her tower. When they came together at the end, things felt a little rushed. I had trouble believing that the Valkyries would support her so quickly, especially after fighting against her so recently. I did like how they framed their choice not as continuing to serve Odin, but as serving the warriors of Midgard and the dead.

I expected more romance between Brynhild and Gudrun. I decided it sort of fit that there wasn't much though, since it a retelling or twisting of a myth, it makes sense that it's told similarly to a myth, which I usually lacks much romance or build up between lovers.

Emjoyable and interesting enough to read, and would recommend if you're very into this sort of fantasy. But otherwise nothing made it really stand out to me.

the_bookishmum's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5 stars

The Valkyrie by Kate Heartfield is a beautifully poetic retelling of the story of Brynhildr and Gudrun. The story reads as a conversation between two women in love as they discuss their lives before they meet again in the end. There are battles fought, lost and won. There are historical moments mentioned throughout and visceral descriptions of war and the battlefield. When we first meet the two narrators of the story, Brynhildr is an exiled Valkyrie, punished for not following Odin’s orders and Gudrun is a princess off to marry Atilla’s brother Bleda in an attempt to garner peace. ‘The Valkyrie’ is bathed in Norse mythology with Odin, Loki, Freyja and Hel appearing throughout.

There was a reflective tone to the story, as two people who are looking back at the end of it all. There were sweet moments but if the characters hadn’t been telling me in their narrative what their feelings for each other were I wouldn’t have thought for a second that they cared for each other at all.

Thank you so much to the Author, Harped Collins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. I can see that there was a lot of work and love put into the books creation.

nadiadarkstar's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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