The Rebels of Vanaheim: A Marvel Legends of Asgard Novel

Marvel Aconyte Novels

by Richard Lee Byers

The bold hero Heimdall returns to battle the undead and his own divided loyalties, in this rip-roaring fantasy adventure set in Marvel’s Legends of Asgard

The dead have returned.

Odin, All-Father of Asgard, dispatches the heroic warrior Heimdall and the Valkyrie Uschi to eliminate a mysterious infestation of draugr – the living dead – in the proud realm of Vanaheim. Yet his home is not as Heimdall remembers it. Anti- Asgardian sentiment is rife, and the arrival of just two warriors from Asgard to deal with the draugr threat only incenses its people further. With rebellion growing in Vanaheim, Heimdall must investigate this conspiracy and the undead, even if it pits him against his own kin, to preserve the peace of the Realm Eternal.

Genres: Marvel, Fantasy, Fiction, Comics, Superheroes

352 pages, Paperback

First published December 7, 2021

About the author

A resident of the Tampa Bay area, Richard spends much of his leisure time fencing, playing poker, shooting pool and is a frequent guest at Florida science-fiction conventions. His current projects include new novels set in the Forgotten Realms universe and the eBook post-apocalyptic superhero series The Impostor.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this sequel to The Head of Mimir, Heimdall returns to Marvel's Asgard along with his valkyrie friend Uschi. The two travel to Vanir to visit their families where they discover draugr (viking zombies) are menacing the countryside. While trying to stop the draugr, the two uncover a larger plot that threatens Asgard as well.

I like that Byers brought back a really old Marvel villain. I really enjoyed the camaraderie between Heimdall and Uschi. It was great how much of the mystical side of Asgard Byers incorporated. Loved all of the magic weapons and powers of the different characters. All in all, this was really good. These novels continue to impress.

Received a review copy from Aconyte and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

#Marvel #MarvelEnt #Aconytebooks #review

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.
For more information visit marvel.com. © 2020 MARVEL

[Milou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heimdall versus shape-shifting zombies... Of course I wanted to read this!!! The characters switch between Heimdall and Uschi (a pretty awesome Valkyrie Captain) as they try to find out how to stop the zombie curse, have family dillemas and have to prevent a war between Frey and Odin. You do not need any prior Marvel knowledge if you want to pick this one up. Actually, if you had told me this was part of Norse mythology I would have easily believed you. And the writing style feels that sense of myth as well... which is both a good thing and a bad. It is perfect for the story and really sets the atmosphere, but for me it isn't the easiest to get sucked in to. The characters also felt a bit underdeveloped because of it. The battle scenes in this were superb, but everything in between (especially the dialogue) just lacked a bit of elegance. Still an enjoyable read.

[Iris Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In short: I really loved The Rebels of Vanaheim.

It’s high-suspense and action-packed, which I expected from Marvel. But what surprised me was the in-depth characterization. To me, this lifted the book from being enjoyable to being one of my favorite books this year.

Heimdall and his friend, Valkyrie Ushi, set out to Vanaheim to visit their families—Heimdall being excited to see his parents, while Ushi is much more reluctant to reconnect. However, they soon find themselves in the middle of an infestation of draugr—the living dead. In addition, Heimdall can feel the anti-Asgardian sentiment, along with a growing rebellion. To preserve the peace of the Realm Eternal, Heimdall and Ushi need to investigate both the infestation and the conspiracy, even if it pits them against their own kin.

Story

As I said, it’s fast-paced, keeping you on your toes with some epic fighting almost from the very start. And it has a lot of action sequences throughout the book. Even though a lot of them involved fighting the draugr, they were still all different, with higher stakes each time.

That said, I can’t say the turns the story took were incredibly surprising. Of course, I didn’t anticipate exactly how the story would unfold, but from the moment some parts of the mystery was revealed, it became more or less clear how the story would end.

This didn’t really matter to me, though. The execution of the story was still great, and it read like a solid epic fantasy.

Also, I felt that adding the mystery to the story was a good choice. That way, the story wasn’t just great fighting and battles with the undead, but there were also clues and hints the reader could follow to find out what was going on.

As a fan of mystery myself, I enjoyed figuring out the riddle alongside the characters.

Characters

Speaking of which, I think the characterization in Rebels of Vanaheim was executed wonderfully.

Now, Heimdall is one of my favorite Marvel characters, so I might’ve been a bit biased on that account.

Still, I loved learning more about Heimdall, where he grew up, and what he did before he became the sentry at the rainbow bridge thingy. And the dynamic between him and Ushi was wonderful.

Heimdall, being the more compassionate and bookish one, and Ushi being the more pragmatic and level-headed of the two. I felt the story really gained a deeper level with the addition of the different familial backgrounds and relationships the two had with their parents.

Worldbuilding

In one word: amazing. It had great detail without being too much. Byers created a flourishing world with Vanaheim, disturbing monsters with the draugr, and a vast universe with his depiction of Ygdrassil and the other planets.

Conclusion

Before this book review of Rebels of Vanaheim becomes too long: it’s a wonderful read if you love some great action, a compelling mystery, some incredible characters, and amazing worldbuilding.

[And now for some additional disclaimers because it’s Marvel.]

#Marvel #MarvelEnt #Aconytebooks #review

About Marvel Entertainment Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media. For more information visit marvel.com. © 2020 MARVEL

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a mixed bag for me; I liked some of it and other parts of it I didn't like. The first two hundred pages dragged for me quite a bit; then, a ray of sunshine as the next one hundred fully grabbed my interest and was actually interesting to read. The last forty-four pages were mostly meh for me. I did like the character development of Heimdall and Uschi in the book; they had the best development out of all of the characters. I know I said the first two hundred pages dragged for me, but it was still a relatively fast read (I read it on breaks at work and actually did not read any of it for two days). Sadly, I had no issues putting the book down when duty called; at least it was easy to pick back up where I left off. I did enjoy parts of the book, though, so there is that.

There are moments of humor in the book, though, so it also had that going for it. Granted, I felt "most" of the ("best") humor was at the very end.

I liked how the author further developed the friendship between Heimdall and Uschi in this story. She is a fun character and a good foil for Heimdall; we learn more about Heimdall and his love of reading and acquiring knowledge in this book. She is more "action-oriented" in some ways, which makes her such a good foil. That, and she has good ideas and insights that Heimdall is willing to listen to and take seriously. I liked that about their relationship as well; it was not at all completely one-sided but involved some give-and-take between the two. There is also a sense of mutual respect between the two characters that I also liked. The author did a nice job building upon their prior story and making their bond even stronger. She has strengths, gifts, and talents, and Heimdall respects her enough to take her concerns seriously and listen to her.

It was weird; it almost felt like two or three stories combined into one story. And I am not talking about how it starts out with Hogun the Grim telling a young Asgardian girl, Gunhild, a story about Heimdall with a "moral lesson" to it. It felt like there were "abrupt transitions" to the story. We go from Vanir and the (temporary) plague of draugr to Nidavellir and problems the Clan of Blackhammer dwarves are having. From there, we return to Asgard and the resolution of the story. It was like we had "plot point/mystery #1" that had to be resolved before we could move on to "plot point/mystery #2". Even though Heimdall and Uschi found clues that pointed to the Blackhammer clan being involved (or perhaps it was merely an assumption of Heimdall's based on the style and techniques used to forge the rune swords? I don't remember), it still felt like a poor (sloppy?) transition to get them from Vanaheim to Nidavellir.

This is the second time some kind of zombies are used in the Legends of Asgard series, and I do not care for it one bit. Part of it I am sure is that I am not a "zombie fan", anyway, and I think better stories can be told than ones about dead warriors coming back to life to terrorize the community. I don't know how to explain it, but I remember feeling like, "Zombies?!? Again?!?" when their identity is revealed (so to speak) and how letdown I felt about it. And, no, I did not read the back of the book when I started reading it, lol. Otherwise I would not have been so surprised and let down when these "new" zombies were introduced. Granted, I might also never have read the book to begin with. I suppose some of that stems from how Thor never really faced that many zombies (undead) in the comics (that I remember), so it just seems strange that two of the four LoA books have zombies play such a strong part in them. And it feels like there was another Marvel novel I read recently that focused on zombies, but I do not remember which one it would have been. Ah, well.

Speaking of the back of the book - Heimdall and Uschi are said to have been dispatched by Odin to eliminate the mysterious infestation of draugr afflicting Vahaheim, and yet this turns out to be false. Heimdall and Uschi are taking a vacation to return home and visit their families and were not sent on a mission by Odin to protect Vanaheim. Not only that, but Heimdall and Uschi, in all honesty, really were not "the best equipped" to fight this infestation (even though things turned out all right in the end) and one would have thought that Odin would have sent others who were better equipped to fight this infestation if it was truly the mission described (or, at the very least, have sent more personnel with the Warrior and the Valkyrie even if Odin's intent was for Heimdall and Uschi to learn various lessons about about themselves and each other, about working as a team and solving problems put before them that are out of their comfort zone(s)). And a bit of picked nit, but the two only journey between three Realms and not across all Nine Realms.

It's weird, too, how Odin is described as "All-Seeing" in times in the comics and yet he truly is not "All-Seeing" as he would like people to think he is. Otherwise, he should have known about the Lurking Unknown having come to Asgard and the problems this alien entity was wreaking in the various domains/realms. At least, that is how I feel. I think if the author had included some byplay between Frigga and Odin at the end about how things worked out as Odin expected them to even if not quite according to Odin's "plan" and how he had some kind of "backup" in place in case Heimdall and Uschi failed in their appointed mission, then it might have done more to bolster the claims of Odin being "All-Seeing."

I think the biggest weakness of the book is when Heimdall uses the Gjallarhorn. I realize that Vanaheim is technically Lord Fey's realm and Fey could probably hinder some of the horn's impacts when used there, but once Heimdall and Uschi returned to Asgard at the end and Heimdall began blowing his horn, I do not believe that Odin of all Asgardians would fail to hear it blowing. It is not like Heimdall gently exhales through the horn; he blows through it multiple times against ensorcelled Vanir soldiers and the Lurking Unknown. He uses it to not just blast his opponents off their feet but multiple feet back as well. He uses it to try and take down Lord Fey's magical golden boar. He uses it against the Lurking Unknown. Are we really expected to believe that Odin would remain ignorant of the ruckus being raised in his own realm? That the very horn that is supposed to be able to be heard across all Nine Realms when it is used could not be heard by Odin or any other Asgardian while Heimdall was using it to fight for his very life and using it to destroy the golden boar as well as the extra-dimensional invader in Asgard?

There are some moments that I did like in the book. I loved that Heimdall went through as many two-handed broadswords as he did before being given what I assume is his current sword from the Blackhammer swordsmith - Hofund. That was a crazy-cool weapon! It could cut deep merely because it was made of Uru and impossible to destroy; however, it could also cut as deeply as its wielder wished it to cut. It could project energy blasts in the form of blue flames, and the energy blast it could project could equal the energy of the heart of a star. Pretty freaking cool! I also liked that the sword was meant for "a true God of Asgard" and that Heimdall was able to wield it and use it like he did. That was pretty cool, too.

I also liked that Nishant, master swordsmith of the Blackhammer clan, was able to restore the power and enchantment of Brightblade to its former glory. That was a pretty cool moment, too, and I loved how "simple" it was to restore the blade's glory, showing how much of a master this dwarf truly was. A fun moment in the book and I am glad the author had Heimdall take the time to make sure his friend's blade was restored to its former glory.

I really enjoyed Heimdall and Uschi's time with the Blackhammer Clan. That was the best part of the book in my opinion. It was more of a mystery to be solved, and they gained strong allies by the time their sojourn was over and they found out where they needed to go to confront the purple giant from Uschi's dream(s). I liked how the two of them interacted with the dwarves, I enjoyed reading how this clan lived and interacted in their underground domain/kingdom; I enjoyed learning more about Nidavellir in general. They were a fun clan to read and learn about. The name Blackhammer, though - for some reason I kept thinking of Dark Horse Comics' Black Hammer series (even though I have never read any of the issues) and it made me wonder if this dwarf clan was some kind of homage to the series. Probably not, but it did make me wonder. Granted, the name of the clan could also refer to their ability to cast runes and spells of protection into their weapons, I suppose. In any case, it was fun to learn more about this particular dwarf clan and their skills and abilities (even if it was a somber moment because of the number of dwarves who had died from cave-ins and such).

As much as it annoyed me that no other Asgardian appeared to help in the fight against the Lurking Unknown, I still enjoyed the fact that Uschi and Heimdall were able to overcome their abject terror and defeat the creature. I assumed incorrectly that the creature's strength was derived from fear. After finishing the book and thinking about it further, I would say that the creature's strength derives from intense fear or terror or some kind of strong emotion that stems from fear. It cannot be "just" fear alone as Heimdall admits to having some fear and trepidation at some point after the tide has turned against the creature and yet it continues to lose its strength. So it has to gain its strength from intensely strong fear-based emotions and not just "run-0f-the-mill" fear. So that was pretty cool, too, how the author wrote this creature and how it gained and lost its strength.

It is funny - I thought the creature's name was familiar but did not recognize it from Thor #136 until after I looked it up to find out the creature's significance. Then I was, "Oh, yeah! Now I remember!" So kudos to the author for not only bringing this creature back from Thor's "early history" but also giving the story on how it came to be in Odin's "service" (as the comment about how Odin might be able to use the creature to test young Asgardian warriors at some point in the future really got my attention and actually did make me briefly think of somebody being tested but I had forgotten who it was). It is always fun when the authors tie events from the comics into the books, somehow, to better tie the novels in with the comics. Always a hard thing to do, but always fun when the author successfully pulls it off.

I had forgotten that Aesheim was supposedly the realm that existed where Midgard now stands. I also forgot that Odin murdered all of its inhabitants and razed the realm to the ground before starting over and recreating a new group/branch of humans (as explained in the Fear Itself storyline that introduced Cul as Odin's brother to Marvel comics). I read most of that series but do not remember the tale of Aesheim; granted, that event was over eleven years ago, so perhaps I can be forgiven for not remembering every aspect of what occurred. Still, though, I think this description of what Odin did and what he is capable of does jibe with how he is presented in the comics, how one can never truly know how he will react or respond to "bad news" or something with which he disagrees. It also gives a bit deeper insight into Odin and how jealously he guards his power as well as how justified one's fears might be that he would overreact and slaughter another group of sentient beings if he believed them to be a threat to his power and his throne.

Another "thing" the author did that I really liked was Frigga sitting with Odin to pass judgment on the Lurking Unknown, the Vanir, the Blackhammer clan, and his two Thanes. That is not something I remember happening in the comics very often, and Odin was often rude and disrespectful to Frigga when she was present (from what I remember). I am sure part of the reason why she was present was because she was from Vanaheim as well. I liked that she spoke up and reminded Odin of his actions the helped push him to being more merciful in this book than he might have been in the comics. She reminded Odin of how Odin had risen up in rebellion against Cul's rule because he believed Cul to be mad and cruel. If the Vanir believed this to now be true of Odin, how could he condemn them for taking the same actions he had taken against his own brother? That, and with Frigga being Vanir, it made it easier for Odin to pardon the Vanir for plotting to rebel against Odin. Then the dwarves - she reminded Odin that an unnecessary war would be raged with Nidavellir if he lashed out against this clan that might spread across the Realms, and he also mused that such a war would prevent him from being able to obtain an other wondrous weapon should the need arise. He did expect bargain prices from them in the future, which Lord Maarav (the lord of the clan) agreed to providing. It was nice to see Odin being merciful instead of a pompous, hypocritical prig.

I did enjoy the "byplay" between Odin and Heimdall as Odin chastised his thanes for not reporting immediately to Asgard to report the insurrection and coming war. Heimdall riposted nicely with "What insurrection? What war? What rebellion? Why would I have come before you and wasted your time with reports of something that did not happen and will never occur?" Odin's warning was well-deserved all the same, as he pointed out that this was the second time that Heimdall had defied his lord and master's wishes and orders and it had benefitted Asgard in the end; however, if he continued to show this streak of independence, he had better be right each time he went down this path lest the consequences be severe indeed.

I also liked how the author incorporated the rune swords into the story. They were like a Trojan horse; they were the only weapons that could truly kill the undead tormenting Vanaheim, but they also poisoned the minds of the users and made them believe that Odin was an evil, angry god who hated the Vanir and wanted to go on punishing them and killing them for no good reason. The rune swords poisoned their minds and hearts with lies and fear, instilling thoughts of insurrection and warfare the likes of which would devastate the two Realms and leave the other seven open to invasion, defeat, and destruction at the hands of the Lurking Unknown. They were also a nice touch to the story, to be honest, because of the dual roles they played.

And the humor? As I said, I felt most of it was more towards the end of the book. When Heimdall and Uschi return to Asgard to find the Lurking Unknown, they have to face an advanced squad of Vanir ordered by the creature to stop them. Heimdall reminds Uschi that the Vanir are ensorcelled and to avoid killing them if possible and unless no other alternative is available. She retorts with a "let's not make this too easy of a task for ourselves, shall we?!" which I found funny.

I also found it funny how Frigga was able to gently sway Odin from being a vengeful being filled with wrath with her comments to him about prior decisions he had made. It was well-written, how the two of them interacted with each other, but I also found it funny and refreshing. Especially with the "lead-up" to this moment when Heimdall and Uschi discuss how Odin has overreacted in the past to transgressions and how he might respond to reports of Vanaheim plotting an insurrection and the Blackhammer clan being coerced into supporting this insurrection.

There were some snarky comments between Heimdall and Uschi that were also funny to me, such as the end where Heimdall talks about how his friends are occasionally more clever than he is and help him solve various problems; Uschi overhears him and proclaims she is this friend who is more clever than Heimdall and he just admitted it. He responds with an "I said "occasionally more clever than me." It was a funny moment.

I think the "funniest" moment had to be the end of the book, though. We return to Hogun and Gunhild, and she asks him what was the lesson he was trying to teach her. Heimdall's lesson that his insights and ideas were not always the wisest whereas Uschi learned that love within families can transcend even the most bitter quarrels, but none of these lessons applied to Gunhild's problems. When he asks her what she thinks she learned, she says she learned if she knew how to beat up the older boy who is the "leader" of their group of friends, she could become the new leader of the group and keep them from doing something both dangerous and wrong without being seen as a "tattletale" and bereft of honor. Maybe not necessarily the lesson her parents would have wanted her to learn, but still amusing how Hogun handled it nonetheless as the story ends with him teaching her how to fight somebody bigger and stronger than herself (I still think she'll get the crap kicked out of her if she does go up against this older, bigger, stronger boy, but that will be a story for another time).

I would probably rate it 2.7 - 2.5 because of how much the undead (zombies) being in this book bugged me. I felt they slowed the story down and were distracting. I felt the story really picked up with the Blackhammer Clan, and that was by far the best part of the book for me. The final part of the book was a bit slower to me as I felt the fights with the advance party of Vanir was merely a holding action that was slightly unnecessary for the overall story and ending of the book itself. On the one hand, it makes sense the Lurking Unknown would have called some to Asgard to either stop or kill the two Asgardian Thanes, but it still felt like it slowed the story down as a prelude to the "Final Event" - the battle between the two Asgardians and the extra-dimensional entity. However, the middle portion of the book was a lot of fun, and the last two chapters of the book were well-written, so I will bump it up to 3 stars (especially as I did like it more than 2 stars would imply). The book's only saving grace(s) for me involved the Blackhammer clan and the court room scene at the end. I may never read the book again, but I am glad that I read it at least one time.

[Martin Maenza · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dead have returned.

Odin, All-Father of Asgard, dispatches the heroic warrior Heimdall and the Valkyrie Uschi to eliminate a mysterious infestation of draugr – the living dead – in the proud realm of Vanaheim. Yet his home is not as Heimdall remembers it. Anti- Asgardian sentiment is rife, and the arrival of just two warriors from Asgard to deal with the draugr threat only incenses its people further. With rebellion growing in Vanaheim, Heimdall must investigate this conspiracy and the undead, even if it pits him against his own kin, to preserve the peace of the Realm Eternal.

In The Rebels of Vanaheim, author Richard Lee Byers brings his vast experience in horror and fantasy to the Marvel Legends of Asgard series by Aconyte books. He mixes those elements very well and ties it all into the Norse mythology that Stan Lee first developed for the classic Thor comics. I was very pleased to be able to read an advance copy of this novel which will be published in December of 2021.

The inclusion of draugr, dwarves and named swords of power makes for a classic fantasy tale filled with adventure and high-stakes. Byers shines in this regard, and what he presented here makes me interested in seeking out more of his work. Another high point of the book, for me, was the framing sequence that allows for this story from Heimdall's past to be told. I would really like to see Byers give us more of this prologue/epilogue as it was told with an interesting dynamic and a touch of humor.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.

For more information visit marvel.com. © 2020 MARVEL

[Siobhain]

Review: The Revels of Vanaheim A Marvel Legends of Asgard Novel by Richard Lee Byers

I want to start by saying thank you to Netgalley and the wonderful folks at Aconyte for giving me access to this E-ARC and to Richard Lee Byers for creating another fantastic Legends of Asgard novel focusing on Heimdall! The Legend of Vanaheim is a sequel to Byers equally brilliant The Head of Mimir which was published in 2020 and the second Aconyte title I read! A master of weaving Marvel canon with Norse mythology and a healthy dose of fantasy and topped off with a touch of science fiction Byers creates a gripping, fast-paced and action-packed tale.

As with all my E-Arc reviews I will avoid major spoilers. We see Heimdall return once more to the battlefield but not everything is straightforward. The Dead have returned. In his wisdom Odin, All-Father of Asgard, sends Heimdall and the Valkyrie Uschi to eliminate the mysterious draugr (the living dead) infestation in Vanaheim. The Draugr are not the only thing plaguing Heimdall’s homeworld as the duo quickly discover. Anti-Asgardian Sentiment is rife, and the fact that the all-knowing All-Father sends just two warriors, no matter their skill and feats, from the realm of Asgard only adds a nearly deadly fuel to the flame. It falls to Heimdall and Uschi to investigate not only the undead but this growing conspiracy even if it risks pitting them against their own kin to preserve peace in the Realm Eternal.

What can I say, Byers hits it out of the park with this second book in the Legends of Asgard series featuring Heimdall. I will confess I have become a bit obsessed with Aconyte’s growing line up. It ticks all my boxes of gripping stories, geeky goodness and often highlighting and giving voice to characters from the tie in universes that sometimes get overlooked. Couple this with their fantastic authors and the wonderful, genuine and natural inclusivity you find within the pages it’s hard NOT to like them. If you said I am a bit of a fangirl, you would be absolutely right! All that in mind I have to confess that Norse Mythology and literature as well as the Asgardian Tales of Marvel are one of my biggest passions so much so the basis of a lot of my university work featured this if not focusing on Marlowe and Shakespeare! Since seeing the old cartoons of The Mighty Thor on the weekends to being read and later reading The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings things with touches or hints to the rich mythos have always been close to my heart. When I saw The Head of Mimir I knew I had to give it a read when the baddy turned out to be, in part at least, my all time favourite villainess in Marvel I knew I found something fantastic.

When I learned Byers was coming back to the world of Asgard I knew it would be good, I just wasn’t aware how good. The storytelling is brilliant, the narrative is interwoven with several threads that could easily all have been a singular plot on their own but each is weaved so expertly and subtly together that you find yourself learning the connections with the characters. You never can truly guess what is going on, who is bad and who isn’t and it keeps you hooked. Due to personal reasons I had to finish this book in three separate sittings with a bit of a gap between each one. I was, however, always thinking to myself, I wonder what will happen next – A sign of a truly good book. I was able to pick up and remember where I left off because the story had me hooked and stuck with me. I am actually doing a sneaky re-read of both The Head of Mimir and then this title now that things have settled down.

On top of the wonderful plot the actual writing is fabulous, a wonderful mixture of vivid and slightly ghastly descriptions of Draugr paired with epic fight scenes on top. To say I was slightly in awe of Byres skill is a true understatement. The characterization as well is fantastic – each character comes to life in their own way. Their mixture of positive and negative traits displayed for all to see, something highly appreciated when dealing with ‘Gods’ and characters of myth. The characters aren’t one dimensional, it’s not clear cut if this character is evil, this character is good. Byers manages to show that even these god-like beings have a plethora of flaws. Flaws that are not always overcome but we see the characters develop and work on them including factors that people face in everyday life such as rifts in family. At the end of that, other than the main villain, even characters I disliked, purely on their personality and actions but definitely not the writing, I came to like or at least respect. Another sign of a good author.

One other thing I adore and feel the need to mention is the framing of the tale. Without too many spoilers both The Head of Mimir and The Rebels of Vanaheim start with another warrior of Asgard using the tale to either help pass time or encourage some sort of growth, often in the younger generation. While it may seem a little detail I found this nod to the old oral tradition and the idea of tales of battles and feats being told or passed down generations such a fantastic touch. It always makes me smile and frames the actual story so well. It also, if you are a bit of a nerd like me, makes you feel like you have been listening as well. A nice little bonus.

I honestly have to say I am in love with this title. Once I finish my re-read of The Head of Mimir I’m going to finally get around to review that one as well. Bryers has once again delved into the source materials and come out with something that is truly spectacular. A story about facing your fears, finding yourself including your weaknesses and patching up things that may not always be as broken as they seem. On top of this we have epic fights, vivid world building and a gripping story. A complete must read for a fan of Marvel’s Asgardians, Norse Mythology or just a good Fantasy story with a sprinkling of Sci-fi. Basically, just read it! You will not be disappointed!

The ebook of this title will be available worldwide on December the 7th 2021 with the US paperback following the 21st December 2021. For the UK the revised release date is the 17th February 2022 but it most definitely will be worth the wait and I already have it on preorder! So don’t delay and do the same. Some of the places you can get your hands the ebook include Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Indigo. For the paperbacks there is Amazon (including but not limited to US, Canada, Germany, Italy and the UK), as well as Barnes and Nobel, Indiebound, Waterstones, Blackwells and the Book Depository among others.

Aconyte Books are the novel division of Asmodee Entertainment. Asmodee Entertainment is based in an amazing building in Nottingham, England. The Star Brewery opened in 1852, producing beer for Shipstones until 1991.

Richard Lee Byers is the author of fifty horror and fantasy novels including This Sword for Higher, Marvel Legends of Asgard and Forgotten Realms among others. He also has written many short stories, scripted a graphic novel and contributed content on tabletop and electronic games. A resident of the Tampa Bay area, he’s an RPG enthusiast and a frequent program participant at Florida conventions, Dragon Con and Gen Con.

About Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.
For more information visit marvel.com. © 2021 MARVEL

[Danny Frankland · Rating 4 out of 5]

“And I suppose I know how we do that. By poking our noses into places we aren’t supposed to go and asking questions no one wants to answer.”

(ARC received in exchange for honest review at www.netgalley.com)

‘The Rebels of Vanaheim’ is the latest entry in Marvel’s ongoing ‘Legends of Asgard’ series. Richard Lee Byers takes the reins in his second outing, having written the first instalment, ‘The Head of Mimir’, before stepping aside for C.L. Werner’s sequel, ‘The Sword of Surtur’. Byers was a superb choice to introduce the series, his previous work on the ‘Forgotten Realms Series’ standing him in good stead to write equally exciting tales under Marvel’s banner. Our story follows the hero Heimdall and his close friend, the Valkyrie Uschi, on what they intended to be a quick trip home to Vanaheim to see their folks. Alas, when the dead walk and their families seem curiously preoccupied with whispered secrets, Heimdall and Uschi find themselves caught up in the seed of a rebellion nobody knew was coming. However, a series of prophetic dreams and the appearance of ominous, rune-laden swords suggests that there may be more to the story than anyone could have imagined…

Media franchise novelisations can be a bit hit and miss. For instance, some knock it out of the park, like Eric S. Nylund’s astounding take on the Halo series in ‘The Fall of Reach’, whilst others are just plain insulting. Thankfully, ‘The Rebels of Vanaheim’ is an absolute highlight, working just as well on its own as it does with the Marvel Universe at its back. It’s immediately clear that Byers is an excellent writer, striking a fine balance between humanising his characters and packing scenes with the drama and action we expect from the comics and movies. Heimdall and Uschi are both well realised and therefore rather endearing, though Heimdall’s tendency to rely on his own thoughts and disregard his companion’s advice is clearly a point of contention for Uschi. While she’s determined to uncover the truth of what’s happening in Vanaheim, she’s all too often placated and ignored by Heimdall, who frustrates in his insistence on single-mindedly pursuing surface-level leads and disregarding underlying oddities we see become central to the narrative. This becomes ever more apparent as the story progresses as an underlying tension between the two, before Byers rewards readers in the final third as Heimdall realises he must acknowledge his flaws and change. It’s small snippets of character growth like this that really lend gravity to the story, and Byers’ world-building is an immaculately dressed stage on which he can play out these more thoughtful scenes. With this in mind, Byers leans much more heavily into Fantasy and Mythology than some of the Sci-Fi found in other corners of the Marvel Universe, and as a result his depictions of Vanaheim and Nidavellir are gorgeous, both rich with detail and teeming with life. In addition, Byers maintains a tight pace that keeps his writing snappy and his story moving, which is especially impressive given the breadth of content he covers.

That’s not to say that ‘The Rebels of Vanaheim’ is entirely flawless, however. Although I largely enjoyed the fluidity and cadence of Byers’ prose, I found his sentences ran on a little too long occasionally, which made certain paragraphs less comprehensible than I’m sure he intended. Some of the language he uses is a little unusual, too, with a slant towards the over-complicated that has much the same result as his run-on sentences. Regardless, these issues crop up infrequently enough as not to pose too much of an issue. My primary issue was Byers’ choice to frame his narrative as a story within a story, namely the story of an adult telling the tale to a child, long after the events supposedly occurred. We only briefly see these characters at the beginning and end of the novel, and I couldn’t help but feel that the story concluded nicely without the prologue, which felt saccharine sweet and fairytale-like when it started harping on about lessons learned. These chapters are vastly different in tone to everything else on offer and feel rather jarring, to such a degree that I’m still not entirely sure what their purpose was. That being said, they have no impact at all on the meat of the novel and you can safely ignore them, making them only trivially detrimental to the book.

In conclusion, ‘The Rebels of Vanaheim’ is a fantastic literary take on Marvel’s Asgard, and further, it’s an excellent novel on its own. Byers’ experience in fantasy really shows here, his structure holding everything together and allowing him to show off a little with some well-earned sentiment, a well-realised world and a story that twists and turns without feeling overly cliché or too improbable to invest in. I strongly recommend you give this a look if you’re already a Marvel fan of Marvel, but I’d also suggest that Fantasy fans in general give it a chance - it just might surprise you.

“Her sorrow was like a lump of lead in her chest. Along with it was a feeling of unreality.”

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.

For more information visit marvel.com. © 2020 MARVEL

#Marvel #MarvelEnt #Aconytebooks #review

[Amy Walker - Trans-Scribe Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aconyte Books have been producing some wonderful Marvel novels, featuring characters from across the comics universe. and whilst these books have been nothing less than amazing some of the best have easily been the Marvel Legends of Asgard line, which are set within the nine realms and follow characters from the Thor series. What makes these books so good is that they're set long before the comics, and focus on the early days of the gods and heroes that we know, allowing the authors to explore them in ways we don't often get.

The first book in this series was The Head of Mimir, which followed Heimdall and his sister Sif as they travelled into Frost Giant territory to save Asgard; and revealed how Heimdall received his unique powers of perception. Now we get to catch up with Heimdall once again as Richard Lee Byers continues to chart his journey from solider to god of Asgard.

The story begins with Heimdall and his friend, the valkyrie Uschi, being granted leave from Asgard and returning to their home realm of Vanaheim to visit family and relax for a bit. Upon arriving at Heimdall's family home, however, they're surprised to find a strange atmosphere hanging over the land. They soon learn that this is due to a series of attacks from darugr, fierce, deadly undead creatures that have a host of strange powers. Volunteering their help, the two young warriors help to quell the next draugr attack; thinking that the threat has been defeated.

When Uschi travels to her own parents home, meeting a frosty reception from her father thanks to old grudges, she begins to suspect that there may be more going on in Vanaheim than first appears, especially when the god Frey arrives offering swords capable of killing the undead. Meanwhile, Heimdall is shocked to discover that the draugr threat hasn't been stopped, and must help his people fight back against creatures much stronger and more monstrous than he ever thought possible. With the undead threatening everyone in Vanaheim, will Heimdall and Uschi be able to investigate into the bigger mystery at play before it's too late to save everyone?

The books in the Marvel Legends of Asgard series have felt like big, fantasy stories, tales from myth and legend having come to life. And whilst that's definitely true with The Rebels of Vanaheim this book is something more too. This is a horror story. The draugr in this book are absolutely terrifying. Before this, my main experience with these creatures was a handful of myths that I'd read over the years, and as creatures that I have killed in their thousands in Skyrim, and whilst some of those myths and stories were creepy I'd never really felt afraid of these things. That definitely changed reading this book.

The draugr aren't just zombies, there's nothing average about the creatures that Byers has thrown at our heroes. These things have powers and abilities that make them incredibly deadly; as well as adding to the horror of never knowing where they are our where they could attack from. For starters, they're hard to kill, and even warriors like Heimdall seem to have great difficulty putting these things down. Some of them even begin missing limbs or their head, and their wounds quickly close up after you attack them. If that wasn't scary enough, their victims can become infected, becoming more of the creatures. But we're not just talking about zombie bites, just having a draugr looking at you with their horrific gaze can infect you, slowly changing you into one of them. Add on to this their abilities to move through water, shape-shift into other creatures or people, and their ability to move through walls and appear whenever they want, they might be some of the most frightening monsters I've seen employed in this series yet.

The scenes where our heroes and the warriors of Vanaheim are stalking through dark hallways, searching for the creatures that are making their way from room to room attacking people are incredibly tense. The moments where they're waiting for an attack to come, knowing that their weapons can do little to hurt these things are some that have definitely stuck with me, and make for a frightening read at times. Horror rarely gets used in the superhero genre, at least outside of characters that are heavily connected with horror such as Blade or Ghost Rider, so seeing scary moments like this in a setting where we're not used to seeing them make them hit so much harder.

But the book isn't all about draugr and horror, as there's a lot more going on than is first revealed. There are things that happen, especially during the second half of the book, that really test Heimdall and Uschi in a way completely different than just fighting monsters. The book has a lot of character development for the two of them, and tests their connections to their families and their oaths to Asgard, forcing them to have to question what matters most to them. Thanks to the family connections, of Heimdall and Uschi literally having to go home and interact with their parents, this is one of the books in the series that has the most personal stakes too.

There's a lot I'd love to be able to talk about from this book, but thanks to a central mystery filled with twists and turns and startling revelations I'm not sure I really can say much without giving too much away. What I will say is that this was easily the best entry in the series so far. It was packed with action, horror, character focus, and had a central plot that kept me invested throughout. I got the sense from the end that there's still a lot more room for Richard Lee Byers to tell stories about Heimdall in the future and continue his journey to becoming the god we know him as; and I really hope that that's the case, as I can't wait to see what the character gets to do next.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rebels of Vanaheim is the latest Marvel Legends of Asgard novel, and I am incredibly excited to get a chance to read it. I love the Asgardians and thus will happily read any story Marvel is willing to give me.

The dead never really stays dead in the Marvel universe. That is how it frequently feels, at any rate. Especially now, as the dead find their way back into other realms. Odin has assigned Heimdall and the Valkyrie to get to the core of this problem. Ideally, while dealing with the horde of zombies, that is.

To do so, the two must travel to Vanaheim. Yet things are not as they expected. This is surprising, given the knowledge and history of our two heroes. There shouldn't be any surprises in store for them...and yet...

Marvel fans unite! The latest Marvel Legends of Asgard novel is here, and I am living for it! The Rebels of Vanaheim brings forth two of my favorite Asgardians, Heimdall, and the Valkyrie. Seriously, I don't think they could have picked a better pair for this story or in general.

Okay, the idea of seeing these two battle zombies together is pretty appealing, I'm not going to lie. So I'm probably a little bit biased when I say that I enjoyed this book. It is full of action, a bit of chaos, and a lot of zombies. In short, it's the perfect dead/undead Marvel novel.

The Rebels of Vanaheim is made all the better by giving readers a chance to actually get to know our heroes. There's Heimdall, who I will never complain about learning more of. And then there's the Valkyrie, aka Ushi. In this novel, she's the Valkyrie Captain, and I absolutely adore her. It was refreshing to take a moment and see some character development before throwing them back into the fray.

Now that I'm done reading The Rebels of Vanaheim, I can't help but find myself hoping that we'll see another novel focused on this pair once again. I know that the odds aren't great – there are so many Marvel heroes, and they all deserve a moment in the spotlight, but I can't help but hang onto that hope.

Thanks to Aconyte and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

DISCLAIMER:

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.
For more information visit marvel.com. © 2020 MARVEL

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Michael Botterill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been provided with an advance copy of the new Legends of Asgard book The Rebels of Vanaheim by Richard Lee Byers, published by Aconyte Books, so here is the honest review I promised in exchange for the book.

So here is an important disclaimer which is always important to put out there first. I have a casual work contact with Asmodee to demonstrate board games for them in stores and at conventions. Asmodee being the parent company of Aconyte the publisher.

I am going to try my best to not let that cloud my judgement in this review, but I accept that subconsciously it might.

Also I won’t lie, I have looked at other reviews to see what others think, so there may be some influences from them in this book review. If I am going to quote them, I will attribute them. But if I forget to, or something is highly influenced by them, and you think I ought to attribute someone, let me know so that I can.

What is Marvel
Look at this point I would bore you with a bit of background to the game/universe, but lets not, you all know the Marvel Universe, if you don’t have you been living under a rock!

The Legends of Asgard novels specially focus on the Norse mythology influenced Asgard with characters like Thor, Odin and Loki.

The Story
This story focuses on Heimdall and Uschi, a captain of the Valkyries that we met in Richards previous book, The Head of Mirmir, and they are going on a lovely holiday to their home realm of Vanaheim, a sister realm of Asgard run by god of the harvest Frey.

But in amongst some family drama, they come up against a curse of shape shifting draugr. But when a family member falls under the curse, there is a race against time to deal with the zombie menace, but the crisis of the undead is just one aspect of a greater conspiracy.

The story is frankly, excellent, and the best thing is, that if it didn’t have Marvel on the cover, you could have easily thought that this was a fantasy novel set in the world of the Nordic gods.

There is a mystery running throughout the story linked to the miraculous draugr rune swords provided to the Vanir from the forges of the dwarves.

Conclusion
Like his last book, this is presented as a fable told to a young girl to help her navigate a life problem, which I think is really good as it helps set it up as a tale from Asgards past.

Its a highly enjoyable read, I devoured it in two sittings and just really loved the story, as I said, its strength is how much it draws on Norse myths and swirls it round with the existing Marvel lore.

In the hands of a less skilled author, it could be meh, but Richard has taken this and turned it into a fantastic tale that I just could not put down.

5 out of 5 stars!

[Adrian Montanez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me spin you a tale. A tale filled with brave warriors, arrogant gods, estranged families, treacherous schemes, and the walking dead.

Heimdall and the Valkyrie Uschi return home to the proud realm of Vanaheim. only to discover a mysterious infestation of draugr – the living dead. They quickly begin searching for a way to dispatch all these draugr and bring back peace to their homeworld. Yet their home is not as they remember it. Anti- Asgardian sentiment is rife, and the arrival of two warriors from Asgard unknowing of the situation that affects their home only stokes the fire. Does the All-Father not care for its subjects? Did he not promise to protect them in exchange for their loyalty? To provide aid should they ask for it? Why send only two aesir instead of a legion? Why send soldiers instead of Gods? It's these thoughts coupled with the draugr threat that incenses the Vanir people further. With rebellion growing in Vanaheim, Heimdall and Uschi must investigate this conspiracy and find a way to rid their homeland of the undead, even if it pits them against their own kin. All in order to preserve the peace of the Realm Eternal.

It’s high-suspense and action-packed, which I expected from Marvel. But I believe that the best element in this book is the in-depth characterization that Richard Lee Byers was able to bring out. The story is frankly, excellent, and the most interesting thing is, that if this book didn’t have Marvel on the cover, you could have easily thought that this was a fantasy novel set in the world of the Nordic gods. I now have to pick up the other two installments in the series, it's that good.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aconyte Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars out of 5

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.

For more information visit marvel.com. © 2023 MARVEL

#Marvel #MarvelEnt #Aconytebooks #review.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Rebels of Vanaheim is an exciting prose adventure featuring Heimdall and Valkyrie Uschi imagined by Richard Lee Byers. Released 21st Dec 2021 by Aconyte Books, it's 352 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a prose adventure. It's not a comic, although it is part of the canonical Legends of Asgard. It's action driven, with well defined characters who are believable and nuanced. The pace is often frenetic and Heimdall and Uschi are drive pillar to post trying to battle shape-shifting really nasty undead draugr and uncover the reasons behind the anti-Asgardian feeling in Vanaheim.

The battle action scenes are creatively described and coordinated. It was easy for me to imagine the fight scenes in my head whilst I was reading. I really enjoyed the mechanics of the story being told as a story inside a story, rendering the epilogue humorous and effective.

This is a good story, well told. Although it works perfectly well as a standalone, readers who prefer to read series in order should be aware that this novel is a sequel to The Head of Mimir by the same author (published 2020).

Four stars. Wall-to-wall action and epic fantasy.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Kid Ferrous · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Heimdall and his companion, the Valkyrie Captain Uschi, return to his homeland of Vanaheim, they are shocked to find it in the grip of an infestation of draugr - hideous, undead creatures. But not everyone is welcoming of their presence or offers of help, making Heimdall’s task even harder, and he soon finds himself at odds with his own people. However, the threat of the draugr becomes even greater than Heimdall could have imagined. And are the draugr even the real enemy?
“The Rebels of Vanaheim” by Richard Lee Byers is the fourth novel in the “Marvel: Legends of Asgard” series and follows on from the author’s previous novel “The Head of Mimir”. Just as in that book, the story is set in a time long before Heimdall became the guardian of the Bifrost, and once again the story is related in flashback by a member of the Warriors Three, in this case Hogun, reluctantly taking on the role of babysitter and telling the tale to a young girl.
The descriptions of the draugr are deliciously gory and squirm-inducing, and their power is vividly brought to life by Byers. The story isn’t all relentless action and gore, although there is plenty of that and it is visceral and exciting, but there is also intrigue and mystery as Heimdall and Uschi discover that they aren’t being told absolutely everything about what is going on. When they discover the truth, they realise the threat goes far beyond mere draugr.
Heimdall and Uschi have a solid relationship based on friendship and mutual respect and as lead characters the reader couldn’t ask for more. The supporting cast of characters is diverse, from gods to dwarves, and the main players feel well-rounded and interesting with realistic motivation.
Following on from Byers’ earlier book in the series, the story mentions previous events and they have a bearing on the narrative, specifically regarding Heimdall’s abilities, but the book is still readable as a standalone novel. And readable it certainly is - pacy and breathtaking at times and thought-provoking at others. It has well-rounded characters and vivid scene-setting, with plenty of sorcery and magical weapons to satisfy fans, and a nail-biting climax. Richard Byers writes in dense, fluid language which demands close attention but which never bores, and it is always a joy to escape into the world that he has created. “The Rebels of Vanaheim” is a worthy follow-up to “The Head of Mimir“ and I can’t wait for the next one!
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I received an advanced reading copy of this book in return for an honest review.
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© MARVEL 2021
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[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

#Marvel #MarvelEnt #Aconytebooks #review

I cannot get enough of these "Legends of Asgard" books! As I've come to expect from this series, "The Rebels of Vanaheim" is written brilliantly, has all the "Asgard atmosphere" that I've started to crave, has an exceptional plot, and (obviously!) superb characters. If you're looking to get "lost" in a book, then these are the books you need - and why not start with this one?

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.

For more information visit marvel[dot]com. © 2021 MARVEL

[Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Wow once again another stunning story from Aconyte publishing. This excellent Marvel novel was packed full of action, atmosphere and tension creating a page turning book. The author did an amazing job in writing this edge of your seat read, that I just couldn't put down. The characters were brilliant, we really got to know them and were willing them to succeed. But will they that is for you the reader to find out. The story-line was epic, with some brilliant twists and turns and a fantastic air of mystery. I loved every single minute of this book. It was so close to full marks. I especially loved the section where we get to meet the mining dwarfs and how they find the answers to solve the mystery. I just can't wait to read more books by this author and publishers as they never seem to disappoint me. Always creating the most amazing books to read.
I can't thank both the author and publishing team enough for creating such an epic fantasy action story that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

[Kanea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was definitely written for the Asgardian perspective, and that is what makes it great and lousy. Depending on how you feel about Agard and Odin in the Marvel Universe is going to factor heavily on whether you like this book or not. Heimdall is a solid character but he lacks a genuine 'the Odds are against him feeling' that say other characters like Drizzt, Conan the Barbarian or Elric of Melnibone pull off far better. Heimdall doesn't feel so much as lucky but as priveledged. His companion Uschi in the story is far more interesting and in some places steals the show but what the real problem is is this: the Realms feel unbalanced and if you sympathize with the frost giants or dwarves more your going to constantly be aware that your reading a book from the top down. Heimdall's loyalty to Odin especially when it feels like Odins wrath is the worst to be feared, feels utterly misplaced. Then again the draugr aren't too good, so I say read this book if you want more of a knowledge of the Thor Universe like a history book, enjoy the ride, but don't expect too much.

[Christopher Owens]

A Legends of Asgard novel

I received an advance reader copy of this book from Aconyte Books via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

When Heimdall and Uschi the Valkyrie return to their home realm of Vanaheim, they discover that it is under attack by draugr, zombie-like creatures that are manifesting unusual powers. In the course of battling against the invaders, the pair of warriors discover something even more sinister at work trying to sow the seeds of civil war between the realms of Vanir and Asgard.


At this point, Heimdall is still just a captain of warriors and not the Norse god he eventually becomes. In this book readers see him go a long way on his journey there. Those who may have read Rick Riordan’s Magnus Chase series will recognize the god Frey and his magical Sword of Destiny. I gave The Rebels of Vanaheim five stars. While the pacing is slow at times, it provides a ton of battle action while also expanding the Asgardian world even more.

[Troy-David Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are several things I like about this book.
The use of Heimdall as a main character was excellent, especially away from his typical post as Watchman of Bifrost.
I enjoyed his Valkyrie companion Uschi, and her family drama sub-plot was interesting.
There was a good deal of action, and the feeling that this story is in fact part of the greater world of Marvel’s Asgard. The use of Draugr, from actual Norse legends was interesting as well.
I liked that mainstays Thor, Sif, the Warriors Three, and Baldar were not used and that there were valid reasons for that. No “Deus Ex” quite literally, here.
Good use of Odin at the end, also good use of Frey, the Vanir God of the Harvest, and his enchanted items. Marvel comics didn’t really make great or wxtensive use of Frey ( perhaps choosing to make use of Fandral as a substitute?).
This book was truly an excellent read.

[Ilona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Rebels of Vanaheim by Richard Lee Byers. I've voluntarily read and reviewed this copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In The Rebels of Vanaheim we learn more about Heimdall and Uschi's family and background. We visited Vanaheim and discover that their troubles are only just beginning. The Rebels of Vanaheim is a well-written fantasy story immersed in the lore of Marvel and Norse mythology. The threat and mystery surrounding the threat are build up really well which makes for an interesting read. Compared to the Head of Mimir, I kinda missed the banter that was previously between Heimdall and Sif. But the friendship between Heimdall and Uschi is also much appreciated. I enjoyed the unexpected turn of events and how the story was resolved.

I can't wait to read more Legends of Asgard novels!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Aconyte books for a review copy of this novel.

Heimdall is a character I love from the MCU, so I was excited to read this novel centering around him. Of course this isn’t the MCU, but it’s still full of familiar character and new ones as well.

This book follows Heimdall and his friend Uschi, a Valkyrie, as they work to figure out the plot against Asgard. We get to see flying horses, dwarves, and magic.

It’s a fun story set in a Marvel place that’s rich with Lore and steeped in the real life mythology. Definitely a good read for anyone who is a fan of either Marvel or Norse Mythology.

[luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher, Aconyte Books vía Netgalley for providing this ebook in exchange for an honest review !!

The Rebels of Vanaheim is an epic adventure in the ancient lands of the Vanir.
This story takes Heimdall on an adventure in his homeworld, solving the mysteries of a creepy curse that beings the dead back, a batch of magical swords that make their weilders have strange dreams and the possibily of a second war between the Vanir and the Aesir. With the company of his best friend Uschi, a valkyrie with family and personal issues of her own, they fight zombie like creatures, conspiracies against their life and a giant evil from another World.
I personally found it very interesting, a little heavy sometimes, but no doubt very action packed and with all the cool norse mythology elements over all.
A very cool origin story for Heimdall and full of magic.
Highly recommended for Marvel and Norse Mythology fans !



About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.

For more information visit marvel.com. © 2020 MARVEL

#Marvel #MarvelEnt #Aconytebooks #review

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story, it had a lot of complexities that I was not expecting. I am really excited to read the previous book and the Serpent of the Dead by
Anna Stephens and the rest of the books set in this world. Richard brings his usualy blend of fantasy and horror to craft an excellent story with interesting and relatable characters.

[Zainab Shalaby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't realize what the book was about before I picked it up. It's about zombies and mythology. I am a fan of neither. This book is heavy on the descriptions. The writing is immersive. The suspense is almost immediate. I couldn't finish it though.

[Andrew Clem · Rating 4 out of 5]

The vacations are never easy in varnie. So Hemdle and ushi never take vacation. Zombie, witches and Winged horses Oh my!!! Swords, dwarfs and a Harvest God who wants to invade Asgard? All sponsored by demon who wants you to be scared, and you will. Loved it.

[Lexi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not even a mention of Loki, and the lack of Sif lowered my rating of this book from the first one this author wrote. Also, I felt Uschi worked better as a supporting character than a co-lead. Still, overall, another fun adventure across the Nine Realms.

[Shane Findlay · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

[Jordan Meuse · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last 40 pages make the book worth it