Postcards from Valhalla

by Danny Weston

Viggo is fifteen years old, living in Edinburgh with his mum. He has no plans for the future other than to watch the new Thor movie at his local multiplex. But one morning, he wakes to the news that his older brother, Magnus, has gone missing on Shetland. Mum has already booked tickets to go and search for him. There’s good reason to be worried. Five years ago, Viggo’s dad, Jonathan, went ‘off grid’ in the same location and disappeared. He is now ‘missing presumed dead.’ Viggo has no option but to go to Shetland with Mum - but from the moment they set off, he’s troubled by strange visions: images of armed warriors, mythical creatures and Viking longships. And then they encounter Leon, a mysterious wandering musician who attaches himself to them and proves impossible to shake off. Once on Shetland, the search for Magnus begins in earnest and Viggo’s troubling visions start to intensify. Soon he is finding it difficult to separate fact from fantasy… and who knows what terrors lie in wait for him deep beneath the ground?

256 pages, Paperback

Published November 2, 2023

Reviews

[Scarlet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Postcards from Valhalla is about a 15 year old boy named Viggo. His father passed away when he was 10 after he went off grid. The same location his brother Magnus has now gone missing. While he wants to go see the new Thor movie with his friends his mother already bought tickets to Shetland to find his brother Magnus. On the way they get to meet a strange passenger who doesnt seem to want to leave their side and who has strange stories about himself that do not always add up. But that is not the only strange thing happening as they are at Shetland as Viggo gets visions about vikings who used to live in Shetland.

This was such a strange but intrigueging read. I could not put it down. I kept telling my friends, its strange, i dont get it but i kept going, i kept wanting answers and boy oh boy did we get the answers. The book is packed with some Norse Mythology and if you got the knowledge on that it is fun to read it and you will absolutely remember things.

Normally i dont really read these kind of books as im normally a romantasy reader and there is a very minimum to no romance in this book. I honestly didnt mind it at all. It was surprisingly good and the ending was kind of what i thought but also not really.

I really loved the writing style, it was paced up right with not too many details on things! At same time you get to know a bit about Edinburgh and Shetland and it makes me itch to go back and not just visit Edinburgh but Shetland too😂

Overall absolutely worth the read if you like Norse Mythology!

[Katerina Karavapori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, I found Viggo very likable and I could really appreciate how he was going back and forth between the resentment of having to put his social life on hold to go and look for him (as he doesn't truly believe he's in trouble) and his concern actually growing as the story unfolds. equally, his relationship with his mother and the frustration at her decision making at times as well as his suspicion towards Leon, he definitely comes across as the only sane person at times. But his mother is driven by the trauma of his father disappearing five years ago and I really felt for her, left alone to raise to teenage boys, not knowing what happened to her husband and now potentially the same thing happening to her eldest son.
I like the overarching idea that family is family and, no matter how infuriating or annoying we find them at times, we still love them and look out for them, I hope this comes through and resonates with younger audiences as well. The Viking historical elements that runs through the book are very interesting and I found the Shetland description very realistic and satisfying as a reader.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this review copy, all opinions are my own.

[Andrew McBride · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cracking YA yarn by Danny Weston, who also writes as Philip Caveney. Viggo Ryan is a 15-year-old boy still traumatised by the disappearance of his father 5 years earlier. Dad went missing while excavating Viking ruins in the Shetland Island off the north coast of Scotland. Now his brother Magnus has vanished in the same location. Viggo’s mother decides to go to Shetland and find both lost family members, taking Viggo with her. Along the way they’re joined by Leon, a so-called ‘travelling musician’ who is definitely more than he seems. In Shetland they encounter a tech-billionaire with an interest in Viking history, particularly in a mysterious cave under a mysterious tree. Viggo tries to cling to his normal adolescent concerns but finds himself increasingly plagued by dreams and hallucinations not only of his lost brother and father but of figures from Viking legend and mythology. It all comes to a climax in the cave under the tree… For me the joy of this tale is in the telling. Caveney/Weston always writes a rattling good yarn, but his writing is on particularly good form here, witty, conversational, suspenseful and exciting when it needs to be. And always galloping along at a rollicking pace that entertains the reader throughout. Highly recommended.

[Hannah Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is by FAR my favourite book on the YTF shortlist! I didn’t have any expectations really and I think that helped but the combination of a witty protagonist, great dialogue, enigmatic characters and just the constant not-knowing what was going on made this book so engrossing. I read it in two sittings and absolutely devoured it. I desperately wanted to give it 5 stars but there were some elements of the story that, when resolved, deserved a little more of a proper explanation. But I definitely know who I’ll be recommending this to and can now read everything else he has written!

[Mari · Rating 3 out of 5]

sort of an easy read that i liked alright.

i was maybe a little disappointed but maybe this book is meant for people who aren't that into actual vikings and their history. (yggdrasil in shetland of all places?)

what i did like was the little qr codes to little video snippets to the actual places on shetland and other little details to the stories. it showed how time and research went into the book and how it is really meant for readers.

also leon was a wild character that i disliked, liked, disliked and liked again. a rollercoaster.

[Rose Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cracking YTF read! As a Librarian, I cannot vote, and it's too late anyway, but I wanted to let my students read it first. What a brilliant story, and fabulous twists and turns. Who is Leon, and why does he keep turning up and following Viggo and his mum on their search for Viggo's brother? What is going on in Shetland? All will be revealed....

[Rachel C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is getting four stars for being a pretty solid adventure story with bonus points for the norse mythology and for being apealing to all from year 5/6 up (unless very sensitive as there is one particulr death instance and some mild threat).
The pacing is a bit slow and it doesn conclude the way it could, so a bit of a mild read, but I enjoyed it and liked the characters, writing and premis.

[Emma Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet another book I struggled with in the beginning…but it grew on me as I kept reading. Interesting story, loved the bits about Norse Mythology and History and the QR Codes with the extra content were really fun! again a solid read for me and I‘m glad I picked it up and gave it a try!

[Leanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

didn't enjoy this as much as I'd hoped, found myself skimming the last 2/3 of the book to get it finished