I was given a copy through NetGalley.
I love Amanda Hocking's books. So I was very excited to receive an early copy of Between the Blade and the Heart. But this one just didn't have the same draw you in sort of lush magic her other series have. I'd have to give it a 3.5.
We meet Malin, a dedicated Valkyrie in training, under the supervision of her mother Marlow. Their relationship strained and complicated, Marlow isn't the warm and fuzzy type. But Malin understands the importance of the job they both will give their lived to do. Return immortals, when their time is up to the underworld, Kurnugia.
Although the world built is just as complicated and well thought out as Hocking's other worlds, this just feel as a first dive into this world that it's missing some heart.
This whole book is just sort of a pre-requisite to set up a really big event, tying everything Malin thinks she knows and understands about her world and being a Valkyrie to this big huge point. Which is revealed in the last chapter and page really.
I'm not saying not to take a chance on this new series, but if you've read her other stuff, it's not going to be comparable in feel. But I will see where Malin goes in the next one, I'm not ready to give up on this one yet.

Malin seems like a typical girl late for class, having love interest issues, and of course, mom issues but she's not. She's a Valkyrie, goes to a supernatural school, and her love interests are a girl Valkyrie and a boy Valkyrie. Her mom is known to be a bad ass and not very mom-like. The story moved at a steady pace and the characters we meet are interesting. Near the end there was a lot of scenery info all at once and it was a bit hard for me to picture. It did end on a cliffhanger and I will be picking up the next book. Received an ARC for which I voluntarily provided an honest review.

The author tries to remake Norse mythology to add several major difference. In some instances they work, in others they don't. The protagonist, nineteen year old Valkyrie-in-training Malin is somewhat likable, however her ambivalent feelings towards ex-girlfriend Quinn, sometimes one-night-stand Jude, and possibly present boyfriend Asher makes it hard for me to like Malin. I understand that she's somewhat emotionally stunted from her mother Marlow teaching her incorrectly that Valkyries can't love, but she knows this is false since she loved her mother even though she was a bad parent. The ending left enough of a cliffhanger that (though I probably won't read the rest of the series) left me somewhat interested in knowing what happens next. I also felt that the mystery of who Malin's father is should've been addressed, which might have to do with another point that should've been addressed but wasn't, why Malin didn't have all her Valkyrie strength and poison immunity when fighting the spider demon. And though we find out who sent the huge raven (not much of a shocker) we don't know why Malin was the Valkyrie singled out to help with the new fight against the demon queen.

Book: Between the Blade and the Heart
Author: Amanda Hocking
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with this ARC.

I have loved Amanda Hocking’s work for a number of years. I love the easy flow that she has with her writing and how easy it is to read her books. I love all of her characters and worlds. I have not read an Amanda Hocking book that I haven’t liked and this one is no different.

I found Between the Blade and the Heart to be a quick and pleasant read. I loved the steampunk and fantasy feel that the world had. It had almost a more northern feel to it, with all of the Norse gods and whatnot. I don’t know I could be completely missing the point here. Anyway, I loved the world. I think that this is my favourite Amanda Hocking world so far. It was dark, but in that darkness, there was a since of hope.

We have a really great cast of characters. Though these are not my favourite Amanda Hocking characters, I still found them to be rather likable. Malin is a bisexual character. I am not going to lie, I have not read a book where the main character is bisexual, so I don’t know how well Amanda did on that end. However, I did like Malin. She’s strong and loyal, but real at the same time. She is a Valkyrie, which means that she “returns” immortals, aka she kills them. She has grown up with being told that it is not okay to fall in love, which causes her to put almost a buffer between herself and those who she cares about. She has a loyal best friend. As the story goes, she also picks up a group of friends.


Now, there is a love triangle. Quinn is Malin’s ex-girlfriend and Asher is the new boyfriend. Let me just say that I found it rather difficult to pick a team, because I found them both to be really likable characters. I don’t know…I would be happy with either one of them.

Again, if you are a fan of Amanda Hocking you will love this! This book comes out January 2, 2018.

I must admit that I am a fan of Amanda Hocking, but with every new book there is this deep hope for another winner and the dreadful fear that that book will ruin your opinion on one of your favorite authors, and this is me saying have no fear because this one is a winner too. There is nothing like falling into a story and realizing when you read that final page that you are disappointed but thrilled at the same time. I mean how did it go by so fast! But there it is the ending and your hopelessly in love with a new adventure that bespelled you without even knowing it. I just can't help myself, but I found this story gripping with details and information that really brought a myth to life. I mean truly, this was something else and man did anyone see that ending coming!? I sure didn't but I loved it! I just want to read it all over again.

Supernatural books are my FAVORITE and this one did not disappoint. The cover is stunning, the author's writing is fantastic, and you will LOVE the main characters! I mostly love supernatural books because of the worlds that they describe and deliver you to. The plot will keep you flipping through the pages faster and faster and I'm already counting down till the next book!

I'm between 3 and 4 stars with this book.

Amanda Hocking is an author whose work I love to read, and this book about Valkyries with a Dystopian world full of Others seemed really cool, you know? It turns into a sort of detective story with a secret from the past coming back to haunt them all, and if not taken care of, the end of society could be destroyed.

I liked that a lot of unfamiliar myths were in here, though personally it took em out a few times because I had to know about the demons or creatures she was interacting with. I did love her friends, and the people she met along the way of her journey. A few things lagged for me, and the ending left me a little wanting, but I thought it was an overall pretty good book.

Between the Blade and the Heart (Valkyrie # 1) by Amanda Hocking is full of Norse mythology, romance and action. Malin is a Valkyrie in training who learns something her mother did, had tragic consequences and now is working to rectify this. In this new universe Hocking created, mortals and immortals live side-by-side and it’s interesting to see how each type of being interacts with others and how that influences their beliefs.

What I liked about Malin is the fact that you see her strength and how she is honing her craft. Another awesome thing about Malin is that she is a bisexual character. It’s not something that you see in books often and she was torn between woman and man. It got a little repetitive, her wishy-washy nature but it was neat to see.

What I didn’t like, was you were just thrust into that world and expected to know what was going on. Yes, as you read on you learn more but I still feel like I may have been missing a lot of information. Like was there a prequel I didn’t know about? Then there were characters that I did not get the purpose of them being written for a brief moment and then forgotten until they need a place for Bowie.

Anyways, I do want to know more. When the next book in the series comes out I will buy and read it. Would I recommend it? If you need a fast read and like Hocking’s other series I say go for it!

The editing wasn't there, which I understand for an ARC. I needed more world building for a fantasy story of this size. I don't see this standing out in the current market. There wasn't a strong enough hook to get me past the gorgeous cover.

*I received a free ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This was a rather quick and pleasant read.

The story takes place in an alternate world where humans and immortals (demons, ogres, vampires etc.) co-exist. And there exists another group, the Valkyries, who were chosen by the gods to play grim reaper to the immortals.

The book puts into question the idea of destiny or pre-determined fate versus our free will to choose. If one decision can change the course of history, is that because it was always meant to happen or because that very action went against the greater plan? Thus altering its course. A rather interesting question really. And one that we continue to question from beginning to end.

When Amanda was an indie author I remember buying her books like crazy and devouring them. I loved them all and just couldn't get enough. And as much as I loved her writing, for some reason, her past couple of releases have been good, but I haven't felt that frenzied loved for them or her characters like I once did.

Maybe it is me and my tastes have changed or maybe her writing has, either way, as much as I wanted to love this and connect with it, I just didn't. That doesn't mean it was a bad read because it wasn't, in fact I loved the Norse mythology attached to it, it was interesting and something different which was nice but again, with as much as I liked a lot of it, a lot of it also didn't resonate with me. Doesn't mean I will stop trying this author or reading her, maybe I just need to set my expectations on a different level than they once were.

Having said all of that though, I do think a lot of readers, old and new, will like this and enjoy it because it really is a good story overall.

I absolutely love Amanda Hocking as an author so when this ARC came up I had to read it. I almost passed when I read the reviews but I am so glad that I did not, this book was so interesting and great. I loved all the mythical beings in this book and the story of Malin; how she questioned herself until she realized she was someone important in the scheme of things. Thank you NetGalley and Amanda Hocking for allowing me to read the ARC and write a honest review.

Maybe it was me on this one, but I just thought it was all right. I love love love the Kanin Chronicles and the Trylle series by Amanda Hocking. I also read Freeks earlier this year that had a cool oddity vibe. My main problem here was that i just could not get invested in the story. The writing is well done, and I could visualize all of Hocking's descriptions. The story itself even has some cool aspects, but I just wanted a little more from the lead character. I still want to see what the next book has to offer!

Amanda Hocking is one of my favorite authors. I love reading her series. I remember when Trylle and The Hollows series first came out and was reading them when she was trying to get her name out there and I am so glad she has become what she did. Her writing is fun and fast paced and her words really connect with the reader, at least me.

This book was excellent. Like, honest to goodness fantastic. The main character, Malin, is so easy to connect to and easy to love. And to follow her on this path of confusion and betrayal, along with a path of love (not cheesy or unbareable at all) and fighting for what is right, you really fall into her shoes as if you are in the story and I think that is one of Amanda Hocking's superpower.

Thank you netgalley for an honest review.

I received this ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. So thank you netgalley and publishers.
Let me start off by saying I LOVE Amanda hocking ♡ I've read so many of her books and absolutely adore them! She is definitely one of my favorite authors ever, so when I seen this book I knew I had to have it!  I mean it's amanda hocking and Norse mythology, Can it get any better?!?!?
This book is like Game of Thrones meets Blade runner.
The sypnosis is as follows " as one of Odin's Valkyries, Malin's greatest responsibility is to slay immortals and return them to the underworld. But when she unearths a secret that could unravel the balance of all she knows, Malin must decide where her loyalties lie and if helping the blue-eyed boy Asher enact his revenge is worth the risk—to the world and her heart." This is such a good, action packed, fun, quirky, and quick read, but no surprise there! Amanda did a Wonderful job in recreating a world in Norse mythology. I just absolutely adore her work and can't wait until she comes out with more books! If I see her name, it's automatically on my to be read list! And I will be buying a physical copy when it comes out!