3.5
I have to say this first: Is that cover not just the most beautifully powerful image? Everything about it is perfection.
I’ve always loved the idea of Norse mythology – I say the idea of it, because I realise that until this book I hadn’t investigated it much, except for knowing about Valkyries in passing and having a deep and abiding obsession with all the Thor movies. My obsession rears its head as I read this book because every time a concept or word is familiar my brain goes into excitement overload and I feel like all that screen time wasn’t a complete waste!
This book was a bit different to being “just” Norse Mythology; while that was it predominantly, there was also a bit of a Sci-Fi angle to it with space ships and such, but again, my Avengers-affiliated brain could totally see that happening, although it did initially take some adjustment of reading back and forth in the beginning to fully understand what I was reading and to not feel confused by it. Once I acclimatized, the plot and the flow of the action fully pulled me in.
I enjoyed Val’s character; she’s feeling clueless and a floundering a bit with all her memories wiped, and she doesn’t quite know what to do or who to trust (the more she fights the battles against her mental blocks, the more it seems like everyone is a bit questionable), but, she trusts her instincts and she’s a strong, likable and relatable character (aside from the immortal with wings bit if you’re going to get technical about it). I enjoyed the twists and turns and the fact that I was left wondering, from one page to the next, if I was right about certain people or not.
Some of the characters’ purposes and motivations are a bit up in the air for me but that’s the thing about a series: You don’t really know until it’s done. Also, there isn’t really a lot that we see in the connection between Val and Will, nothing from the past and very little in the present, and heaven knows that boy makes her work to… do… stuff (I refuse to give spoilers). I am hoping that we see more of this developing in future books.
There is still so much I need to know and so much information that I need to uncover and some questions that I still need answered along with memories that need to be remembered! While this book isn’t exactly a cliffhanger in the fact that… how much of a spoiler are you looking for?? I will say that you do end with the expectation that more must come.
It has to, because the ending for this book felt a bit sudden and didn’t feel as rounded off or resolved as I would have liked, even for one part of a whole. But as I’ve said, that’s the thing about a series; it could be that Book 2 flows seamlessly on and there aren’t supposed to be mini-endings before the actual end. I’m quite excited to see how the rest of it plays out.
If your mind is open to the possibilities of magic and other worlds and immortality and space ships then I would suggest giving this one your investment.