War Of The Realms

Valkyrie #3

by Kate O'Hearn

In the world of Asgard, living among Odin, Thor and Loki are the Valkyries of legend. They are Norse goddesses who reap the fallen souls from human battlefields and have the power to cause death with just one touch.

At the end of The Runaway, Freya and the Valkyries are about to leave the human world when they learn that the Frost Giants, Fire Giants and Dark Searchers have united to declare war on the Realms. Bitfrost, the legendary rainbow bridge linking the human world to Asgard, has been closed.

With their only entry back to Asgard barred, how can the Valkyries get back to fight to protect their homeland? Loki claims he knows another, secret route but can they trust him? And even if they found a way - is there anything they can do to stop the war?

As the War of the Realms spills over into Earth, Freya and the Valkyries must find a way to save not just the Norse world but the human world as well. With everything at stake, can Freya become the Hero she was destined to be?

'Kate O'Hearn serves up a winning mix of modern adventure and classic fantasy.' Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 10, 2016

About the author

Kate O'Hearn was born in Toronto Canada, but raised in the heart of New York City and has lived in many places throughout her life. These days, she calls the south coast of England home. She has 3 brothers, no sisters and is passionate about animals and their causes and has many animal friends. (Pets)

Over the course of her life she has had several careers before finding her real love, writing children's books. Being the only girl in family of boys, she grew up a true tom-boy and always loved books with high adventure. But one of the problems she discovered was a lack of female leads in these adventure books.

When she started to write, Kate decided to address this imbalance and now writes high fantasy adventures with strong, compassionate and adventure loving girl heroes. There are plenty of boys in the story to keep it interesting and challenging, but she believes that a girl hero can be as brave, strong and adventurous as a boy.

She insists that adventures are for everyone!

So come and enjoy a few adventures with her...

Reviews

[Cat Carstairs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well. This left me an emotional mess.

I had no idea I would get so attached to this trilogy like I did; more specifically, this last book in the series. It was wild and scary and heart-wrenching, but I was living for it. It also picked up nicely from where the second one left off. For a middle grade novel, it exceeded my standards by far. I definitely recommend this trilogy for anyone looking for a fast fantasy series!!

Now, onto the SPOILERS!!!

**You've been warned! Look no further if you have not read this book!**

Where do I start? Around the middle of this book was when things really started to get crazy. I read a majority of this book all in one sitting because I simply had to know what happened to these guys.

When Freya, Archie, and Loki venture to Vanaheim and meet Quinn and Skye, I got a little frustrated. It seemed that Archie was beginning to be paired with Skye and I was like "NO! YOU BELONG WITH FREYA YOU IDIOT!" Like he did NOT call Freya beautiful like seventeen times in the first book only for him to fall in love with a Vanir girl. But as I thought about it, I realized I kinda liked it. I mean, Archie shouldn't have to be 100% devoted to Freya and only Freya, right?

Then Freya was seeing signs that Quinn was kinda into her, and I wasn't sure I was really for that either. But by the end of the book I was totally shipping them. The two different relationships were a stark reminder to me that a girl and a guy can be best friends without being romantically interested in each other.

When they all have to venture back to Midgard, or our beautiful planet Earth, and Loki "dies", I was rolling my eyes so hard I probably pulled some kind of optic nerve. If you've ever seen any of the Marvel movies, it's pretty clear that Loki never dies. I'm wholly convinced that he didn't die at the beginning of Infinity War either. After all, if he did, he wouldn't have been able to shapeshift into the rat that pulled Ant-Man out of the quantum realm...but that's besides the point.

I thoroughly enjoyed the chapters through Maya's POV. She had it as rough as Freya, and when she had to reap Sarah, I was like well, that was unexpected. I kinda figured that she would have to be reaped at some time or another considering she was married to a Dark Searcher and her daughter was a Valkyrie, though.

And who knew Muspelheim could be so CRUEL?? First, the US soldiers reaped themselves with Freya's touch just so they could follow orders and continue to the fires of the realm, and lemme tell you, I sure was not expecting that. But in Muspelheim is where Freya has to use herself as bait to distract Dirian, where she continued to have her wings sliced off. All the talk of wing-slicing in the first two books still didn't prepare me for the shock of that part. It made me admire Freya's strength and dignity all the more.

And the end- the final battle was amazing. Sure, there were people dying all over the place, but it was so interesting. I'm still so mad at myself that I wasn't able to piece stuff together before. MAJOR SPOILER: like the fact that Crixus was Freya's father!! It was hinted at multiple times and I still couldn't put two and two together. *smacks self* I sorta saw it coming that Freya would be able to get her wings back because Quinn "destroyed" them, but it was a happy scene nonetheless. The epilogue answered questions that even I didn't realize I'd been asking. (Heck, I'd forgotten about Azrael even though I loved him so much).

Throughout this series, I was kept completely on the edge of my seat. I never knew what was about to happen next (most of the time) and reading it became an addiction. I'm so happy that I can cross this trilogy off my TBR and call it a new favorite of mine. Also, I really want to be a Valkyrie now.

[Autumn Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a amazing close of to the series. It had a satisfying and heart warming ending. This book sits on my favourite shelf shelf. One of favourites definitely worth the money

[ElsaMakotoRenge · Rating 5 out of 5]

ETA 1/19/19 I still love this book upon rereading twice just saying:)

Original review: I had been wanting to read this book for seemingly ages. I loved the first two, and this one did not disappoint! I was worried I'd be unsatisfied with the ending, but it was great, just like the ending to the Pegasus series. (I personally prefer the Valkyrie series to Pegasus, but both are favorite fantasy series in my mind.)

Without giving away a ton of spoilers, I'll just say you'll alternately be thinking OH NO and AWESOME and AHHHHHHHH etc throughout the book. There is a revelation regarding Freya and her family that I honestly pretty much saw coming, but I was happy that my guess was correct. I also very much like that throughout the Valkyrie trilogy, Archie and Freya remain just best friends, nothing more. We see this clearly when they end up meeting Skye and Quinn.

Dirian is awful, as expected, and his fate is very satisfying. Let's just say he got his just dues thanks to Freya and Skuld.
I also like that Freya sharing goddess Freyja's name is explained. That had been minorly bugging me since book one (why did Freya, who's a valkyrie, have that name when there was a Norse goddess already of the same name?), so having an explanation that goes along with some plot points I had guessed made me happy.

I like how all of the humans on Midgard are suspicious but come to team up with Freya and her fellow Asgardians eventually. It comes across believable in my opinion, and I like that a lot.

I will also say that I like that Loki is a trickster and pretty much an annoying turd a lot of the time, but not...totally villainous/evil. He's just a mischief maker and likes causing trouble. Also, the banter between him and Archie is funny.

I 100% recommend this book to anyone looking for a good fantasy read. 5 out of 5 stars from me. I will say, do read the first two books in the Valkyrie series first, both because of spoilers and because it won't make as much sense. Kate O'Hearn writes great mythology-based fantasy in my opinion. Her Valkyrie and Pegasus series are two of my favorites.

[Elisabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well written YA does exist. This is not it.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! The first book was exciting. The second book was thrilling. Now this final and third book should come with a warning that there will be jaw-drops, heart break, stomach punches and the occasional chuckle. Sooo much happens and it truly is an epic finale that befits and honours all the adventures Freya had before the impeding danger of Ragnarok.
I really enjoyed following the adventures of not just Freya but also so many other characters.
Kate has become a master of working with Norse Mythology in all aspects and characters. She has kept the traditional essence but given it new energy and created a superb set of stories that are enjoyable for all ages from the first line to the last.
I will honestly miss this norse fantasy world and its fantastic characters.

[Lucy Ranney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plot was pretty good, but we learn next to nothing about Skye or Quinn. Just in the last 50 pages O’Hearn decided to give Frey’s a love interest. When I found out that Archie and Freya weren’t going to get together in the end, I was upset but they could’ve just not had love interests. It just really bothered me. Honestly I feel like she could’ve gone a different direction with Archie and Freya but she didn’t. Also couple of spelling errors. Dwarves is spelled dwarfs

[Abigail Levine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valkyrie: War of the Realms by Kate O'Hearn is the third book in this fantasy trilogy. Have you ever wondered what life would be like in a diverse world? All nine realms has had one question stuck in their minds for days now: How will Ragnarok possibly be kept from happening? Ragnarok-the war of all the nine realms including Earth-has been on the verge of arriving to Asgard, and slowly making its way to all the other realms. Freya, a well trained reaper of souls who claims Asgard as her homeland, has the weight of Ragnarok on her shoulders. Forced to leave Asgard and find shelter elsewhere, the young Valkyrie has now decided to gather her friend Archie-a reaped human soldier- to escape and make a plan to stop Ragnarok. However, she will also have to travel with her brother, Kai, and Loki, the trickster god. With unfortunate events now holding her back, her trust for Loki is slowly decreasing. With new allies willing to help her fight for the safety of the realms, Freya now discovers the truth of how Ragnarok must be stopped, and who is in her way to stop it. Will Freya be able to keep her loved ones safe and be worthy enough to stop whoever is behind Ragnarok? I rate this book a 10 out of 10 for the attention-capturing affairs that never come to a stop in this book, and the unexpected turns this book will take.
If you like mythology and strong characters, you will like Valkyrie: War if the Realms by Kate O'Hearn.

[Elephants · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the thrilling conclusion to the Valkyrie trilogy was great.
I didn’t like it a lot. It was great but no more than that. WHAT happened to sylt the reaping mare? Was my question that came in my head from start to finish.
There was no mention of sylt at all. That was what confused me greatly.
However it was certainly a page turner. And Freya was a incredibly strong Character. I do not think Quinnarous was needed in this book first he was being bossy and cruel towards Archie and Freya next he was treating them like a good friend.
Anyway.. Freya And The Valkyries are trapped in Midgard , as the war amongst the realms begins. Dirian is the villain of this conclusion. When her family are taken away to an army camp to get the army to help them defeate the frost and fire giants, Freya, her beloved raven Orus and Archie are forced to travel to Vanaheim to get there they must travel through the roots of Yggdraisl once reaching their destination they meet two Vanir wishing to help them journey to Midgard to kill frost and fire giants who are also responsible for the war. Then they must travel to Muspellhem where Dirian is awaiting to battle with Freya . Who will win the war? Will the realms live. Will the realms be taken over by Dirian and the fire and frost giants.

I felt this was a really epic conclusion . But I did not really like the chapters in Maya’s perspective and I was confused about what had happened to Sylt.

[Kathy Filardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

great conclusion to the trilogy!

One of the things that truly had me liking this book out of all three of them was that O'Hearn did not make Loki the Trickster into Loki the Villain. She shows that Loki cares for his family--and Freya is in a way his family--and will fight to defend his home and family from anyone who attacks them. Loki is the catalyst to help Freya begin her journey to save the realms and that to me is very fitting. I loved the journey to Vanaheim and everything which followed.

Loki's battle with the Frost Giants was epic and so was Freya's with Dyran. The resolution was well done and something I could live with especially because even those who died were reborn in a sense. I will say that Archie continually harping on Loki made me want to punch him out, but maybe that was the point.

Would like to see a sequel soon.

[Tiah Varner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its so good! Just a little sad because there are two deaths of close relation to Freya. 8/10

[Mark Buxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is the day of Ragnorok finally here? Will all of the realms be destroyed when the frost and fire giants unite with the Dark Elves, dwarfs, and trolls to attack Asgard? I feel helpless here in Midgard where the humans live, since Odin closed the bridge leading to home. The giants will surely win the war due to their superior size and strength, but I have an idea that might work. The giants are not known for getting along, so maybe there's a way to fracture their unity. Loki agrees with my idea and says we need to get assistance from the people of Vanaheim. They've hated Odin and Asgard for centuries, but Loki thinks their powerful magic can sway the balance of power in our favor. However, Loki is called a trickster for good reason, so can he be trusted? What if he's leading me into a trap?

You should read the previous two books in the trilogy first. Freya is the main character and youngest of all the Valkyries. She's not a character who follows the rules, so her actions are sometimes unpredictable, but always entertaining. It's okay to question Loki's actions due to his past antics that got Freya into trouble, but Freya still sees something good in him. The majority of the plot deals with the war against Dirian and his Dark Searchers and his Fire and Frost Giant allies. Dirian and Freya have a combative history that began back in the first book, so it's predictable that they'll face off in the series climax. The cast of characters is full of people exhibiting honor and a willingness to sacrifice themselves. This includes humans who have been portrayed as relatively weak characters throughout the series. The author includes plenty of twists and surprises that keep the plot exciting and entertaining. Even Freya and her sister Maya discover they possess hidden powers they didn't know existed. The Vanir add magic to the story, and their feud with Odin and Asgard creates another potential conflict. Overall, I enjoyed the series and highly recommend it for your reading pleasure, especially if you enjoy Norse mythology.

[Autumn Fleming · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were only really two things I disliked about this book. One, seeing "dwarves" written as "dwarfs" just gets on my nerves. I know it can be written either way but it really annoys me. Two, I would have liked the ending to be a bit more tragic and realistic (realistic?? This book is fantasy!! Yes, I know that. Shut up, I'm not the biggest fan of sappy, happy endings). I would have preferred if Kai and Orus remained dead and if Freya had never gotten her wings reattached. I mean, a happy ending made total sense since throughout this entire series Freya has felt as if a part of her were missing and the only way she would ever feel whole was if her whole family was known to her and alive (well, I mean, technically her father, Crixus, and Archie were dead but you know...). Other than those two things, I thought that the book was really good. I loved how efficiently the history and mythology was explained. I liked how even the supporting characters who were not always in the story had a distinct personality all of their own. Up until the very end, I really liked how Freya was without a romantic interest and I would have liked to get to know Quinn a little more but those are little things that don't really bother me too much. All in all, it was a really good book.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, we get to see a greater breadth of the nine realms, which gives the book a little bit of a nature exploration vibe. It was fun to read the descriptions of these different places, imagining them even greater detail, and reading about how the characters adapt to these environments. I'd certainly be interested to watch a nature documentary about the nine realms.

The environment are only a small part of it though. Of course, with this type of book, it's pretty clear what the eventual outcome of the war will be, but it's about the journey and not the destination. The book introduces some new characters who bring unique abilities and style. The book also gives many of the characters from the previous book a chance to shine more. Of special mention here is Orus, who actually ends up playing a much bigger role than I would have thought.

Overall, I found the ending to be nice, believable, and having a good sense of closure. It wasn't too rushed or abrupt.

[Abigail Dyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been such a good book one of my favorites I could not put it down I really enjoyed the action and sometimes heartbreaking seen's it made you think about things in a whole new way and now I think about the soldiers and people that fight for our country I also loved that Freya was willing to risk her life just to save others like how Odin had punished her but she gave her life for him and Kai was also so amazing when he had heard about Dirain cutting Freyas wings off he got furious and did every thing in his power to kill him Loki also changed he used to be a trouble maker but now he cares deeply for Freya The author described everything so well that it was like a movie playing in my head and starting crying when I finished the last book in the series i would definitely recommend this book to every buddy

[Kahlea Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 So I already made a quick review for the pegasus series, and I read this series around the same time. 12-14. And just like that series I would say 12-14 is the best time to read these books. Because you probably won't like them as much when you're older. however, I'm sure that if I read them again (for the third time) then I would still love them. Maybe not as much, but I'd definitely still enjoy them. (I'm 16 now) and especially if you love Rick Riordans books, then I DEFINITELY RECCOMEND you read these two series. 5⭐️ for both. And I really would love to see this series get more hype and to have more people know about it. Because I never hear anyone talk about it, but it's so good! So give it a try!

[Karen Upper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this final instalment to the trilogy took awhile, it was well worth the wait ... to be re-united with Freya, Archie, Loki !!

This is a fast paced, riveting tale of heroes of Norse mythology intertwined with the secrets of ancient legends. Destruction of all realms must be halted and the cost of sacrifice comes at a great price!

A roller coaster of action and emotions that will captivate a reader from beginning to end.

Highly recommended for readers of series by Rick Riordan & Kelly Armstrong & Melissa Marr’s trilogy, Blackwell Pages

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 five stars

[RebekahD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Freya is a strong and powerful character, even when she is beaten and bloodied, she still fights. Dirian broke her ribs and she still fought to protect Odin and Asgard. The ideas and plots throughout this book kept me intrigued on what would unfold next. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good fantasy novel. Even though at the beginning of the series I hoped she and Archie would be together, I’m glad they are best friends. I’m glad that she doesn’t have to feel obligated to be in a relationship with him because he bares her mark.

[InkyRayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read!

Wow, I loved the second book (I started there by accident 😂), but this third novel blew it out of the solar system...it was fascinating! The storyline was so very exciting and i coudnt put it down, so i devoured it in one night! Am now off to get the Pegasus series (as soon as I sleep bit 😁), I have no doubt it will be just as awesome! To the author, thank you for bringing back my love of mythology...I had gotten somewhat bored of it a long while ago, but not anymore! X

[Patrick Howie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this series as a whole, but I felt that this book had the weakest writing. Some of the plot points felt recycled to me, but the acknowledgments do say that the author lost a close brother and nearly lost another whole writing the book. It’s understandable thy the author didn’t have the mental energy to come up with more unique ways to advance the story. Who would in that situation? The final conclusions work, but it didn’t stand up to the first two books in my opinion.

[Gabby T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love the final ending but I did wish that Kate o'hearn added a bit more romantic themes between Quinn and Freya, Archie and Skye. I love the idea of the Aesir and the Vanir. I love how Maya was able to put everyone under a spell. I loved it when Loki changed into a dragon or a Fire giant. Can't wait to see what I read next.😍🥰😎😉😍☺️😀🤠😃🤣😜

[Velvet Grimaude · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very satisfying conclusion to an enjoyable trilogy. This book does a great job at painting the beautiful verdant landscapes of Vanaheim, to the infernal, colourful hellscapes of Muspellheim. Tensions are kept high, and the stakes are raised even higher, crashing into a very very fantastic showdown.

9.5/10 Would recommend.

[Gillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What an ending to this amazing series. These books are spectacular, and I can not think of a better ending than this one. It was perfectly heart-wrenching and exciting and beautiful. Wow. Amazing, fantastic, stupendous. I can't think of a better word than perfect.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book series. This is a reread for me from 2018, and I remember it to be some much better. Although I will always love this book, I feel like the authors other series, Pegasus, had a lot more thought in it, but Pegasus did have 3 more books in it.

[Sarah Book Dragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was okay. the first book was way better though. In the second and third books, the author does so many weird twists (Freya's relatives) poping up, everything just seems very unbelievable. Although the book did have some touching moments (Loki and Freya reunited + Freya and her grandmother+ sister reunited + Freya and her dad reunited + the soldiers letting themselves be reaped).

[Sephy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well for being the last book it held up well, the many incredible high stakes along the way which led up to a somewhat underwhelming fight at the end was a bit disappointing, but hey it had a happy ending and I can't argue with that. It left me feeling satisfied.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay a lot of words that weren't necessary in the explanations that were given. Too much building up to what was actually going on for my taste. Main story was actually interesting. But was probably my fault for a juvenile fiction book lol

[Lexi Crosby · Rating 5 out of 5]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. I love this series so much I don't want it to be over. Also, shout out to Kate O'Hearn for actually giving this series an epilogue unlike Pegasus. I love Norse Mythology so much oh my goodness gracious

[Lena Hull · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. At times, it was a little hard to follow, because there was a lot going on. All in all, though, it was a pretty exciting conclusion to the trilogy. I appreciated the happy ending, especially Freya defeating Dirian, and also getting her wings back.

[Karry Lum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her wing is cut off

[Neve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is truly the best book I have ever read. I love the plot and how it ends. I can not type enough things to express how good this book is. I just have one word for it : Amazing!