This book wasn’t quite what I expected. While it includes some factual information, much of it is speculative about what the female Viking’s life might have been like. The synopsis even mentions that the author “imagines her life intersecting” with other historical women. The author is transparent about this speculation, but it means there’s a high chance that the content isn’t even close accurate and there is a clear feminist perspective that was applied to the "history".

I appreciate the author’s effort to “create” a life for this woman, but I found the theories lacking in factual basis. Fictional history marketed as non-fiction just isn’t my cup of tea.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for sending me an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

You can tell the author is passionate about the topic and that she wants to share it with the world. Should be required reading for history classes. Informative, engaging, and well researched

In "The Real Valkyrie," Nancy Marie Brown shatters long-held myths about the role of women in Viking society through a masterful blend of archaeology, literature, and vivid historical reimagining. Sparked by the groundbreaking 2017 discovery of a female Viking warrior's remains in Birka, Sweden, Brown weaves together evidence that Viking shieldmaidens had significantly more autonomy and martial prowess than previously assumed.
With a novelist's flair, Brown breathes life into the fascinating figure she dubs "Hervor," constructing a compelling biographical narrative around the scant facts available about this elite, high-status warrior woman. She links Hervor to larger-than-life historical figures like the formidable Queen Gunnhild and the legendary Princess Olga of Kyiv, mapping an interconnected network of powerful Viking women across trade routes spanning from Scandinavia to Byzantium.
Brown's meticulous research shines, as she systematically debunks centuries of Victorian-era biases that dismissed women's importance in the Viking Age. Deftly mining sources from sagas and poetry to laws and burials, she constructs an alternate history where shieldmaidens wielded martial skill and authority far beyond the domestic sphere.
More than just an academic exercise, "The Real Valkyrie" is an enthralling narrative that brings the Viking world viscerally alive. Brown's immersive storytelling fleshes out the mythic realm of Valkyries and Amazon-like women celebrated in Viking lore. Her literary talents elevate what could have been dense historical material into utterly engrossing reading.
An important counterweight to male-centric Viking historiography, "The Real Valkyrie" is a triumph of academic research fused with entertaining literary reconstruction. A must-read for anyone seeking to understand the true role and impact of Viking women long marginalized or erased from the historical record.

Admittedly, I was not as engrossed or fascinated with this book as many other readers. I am sure it is due to my expectations of the book. I think this book is best suited for people who already have solid historical knowledge of the Viking warrior era. I realized that I was in over my head so to speak but I did push through using other simplified sources to augment my comprehension. I listened to the audio book while I read the digital book to assist my understanding. I found it overwhelming as there was a lot of research and archeological findings discussed which seemed to cast doubt on some of the written historical literature. My knowledge is merely superficial making this a difficult read for me which has no reflection on the author. What was also challenging was that some of the book was speculative and provided the author's interpretation or opinions on areas not clearly explained by historical facts.

Of particular interest is the DNA findings by archeologists that a Viking warrior in an upper-status grave in Birka, Sweden is a woman and not a man as previously thought. The author uses science and history to link this Birka warrior to Viking trading towns. She names the warrior Hervor and explains the history which most likely led to the misconception of the gender of the warrior. It was assumed that those fallen warriors were men as no distinction was made to acknowledge that women would often dress similar to men in battle making is less likely to distinguish their gender.

My interest led me to an article on history.com by Sarah Pruitt written November 18, 2016 and updated August 4, 2023 entitled What Was Life Like for Women in the Viking Age? This helped simplify some of the history and my understanding of the research presented in the book. From my understanding, archeological findings are examined and interrupted with the historical data known at that time. Like most cultures of this time period, men and women typically held "traditional" roles and were identified by items that were found buried with their remains. Men were usually found with weapons or tolls whereas women could be found with household items, jewelry and needlework. The Scandinavian women at this time did experience an unusual amount of freedom allowing them a voice regarding arranged marriages and divorces. This is contrary to the idea of men being the "ruler" in the home but women often take over if her husband was away or died which explained why these bodies were found with keys or other symbols indicating their leadership of the home.

I will not attempt to comment further on the women mentioned as some were historical and others were mythical as they seemed to overlap in the oral histories at that time.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing me access to this digital review copy of this book. All opinions and comments in my review are expressly my own honest and unbiased view.

Really interesting book. Love Viking history and loved learning about Viking women. Learning about ancient female warriors is always fun.

Every now and then a nonfiction historical book comes along that I HAVE to read and having done so, HAVE to tell everyone I know....and plenty that I don't.....just how good it is. THE REAL VALKYRIE is such a book. No where have I seen a woman portrayed as a Valkyrie warrior. Yet this discovery proves women to be some of the fiercest warriors in history. The research Nancy Marie Brown conducted tracks their journey into some of the most dangerous territories, yet they come return to their homes, battle scarred yet ready to fight again and again. The book is exceptional. I'm a diehard fiction fan but this book held my attention as well as any of the best sellers have lately. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something a little different.

There's so much I don't know about my Viking ancestors. I've been studying when and where I can to learn.
This book was extremely helpful in taking evidence and investigating that and laying it all out for you.
I feel like I know so much more than I did before and I appreciate having had the chance to read this great book.

Thank you NetGalley and Nancy Marie Brown

A little dense to get through, but that might just be my preference for nonfiction. An interesting topic to dig into and a decent read at the very least.

In 2017, DNA tests revealed to the collective shock of many scholars that a Viking warrior in a high-status grave in Birka, Sweden was actually a woman. The Real Valkyrie weaves together archaeology, history, and literature to imagine her life and times, showing that Viking women had more power and agency than historians have imagined.

I was not aware of this finding until reading The Real Valkyrie by Nancy Marie Brown. To know that the Viking warrior that was presumed to be a male was in fact a female is one of the greatest findings to date. The author does a great job of researching the archeological finding and then sharing them with the reader. It is really amazing to know that women had the strength and the know how to become a warrior that others looked up to. You did not hear of that happening except in the movies. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am proud to be a female even more so now!


5 out of 5 stars


Thank you NetGalley as well s the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

"The Real Valkyrie" is a blending of archaeology and storytelling, saga literature and social history. When the Viking grave Bj581 in Birka, Sweden was first excavated in the 1870s, the bones of the Birka Warrior was believed to be the bones of a man because of the extensive weaponry found in the grave. It was not until the 21st century that DNA testing revealed that it was in fact the skeleton of a woman, upending much of academically agreed upon facts about the role of Viking women. While previously depictions or sagas about warrior women where dismissed as mythical "valkyries", Nancy Marie Brown is unpacking what life would have been like for a real valkyrie such as the Birka Warrior.

This book chronicles a possibly plausible story of a Viking warrior woman by conflating parts of the Hervor of the sagas with the skeleton and taking aspects of the objects found in the Birka grave to extrapolate an entire life. I have read two of Nancy Marie Brown's books previously, "Ivory Vikings" and "The Far Traveler", and this book is more speculative in nature because there is little to no actual knowledge about who the Birka Warrior was or her true story. Each chapter begins with a fictional narrative that develops Brown's "Hervor" character's story. The rest of the chapter then takes an element from that narrative to examine further historical facts through non-fiction writing. It was fascinating learning about how different objects found in the grave indicate the extensive trading that was happening in the time period between East and West and the many cultures that a Viking warrior would have encountered in their travels.

My favourite of Brown's books remains "The Far Traveler" but I would still definitely recommend this book to readers interested in the Viking era/early medieval time period, fascinating women’s stories that have been almost forgotten by time, and the intersections of archaeology and social history.

*DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley for the purposes of providing an unbiased review.*

I love books like these. Not just the fact that a myth can become actual history due to science, but hearing that a legend has finally been unearthed - a female Viking warrior who was misgendered. This book takes us on a thrilling adventure, following "Hervor," the female Viking, and where she went. In addition, the author writes about what life might have been like for a female warrior during a time when customs were much different than they are today. This book is incredibly well researched and is great for those who think the don't like nonfiction because it reads like a nonfiction book. A really incredible book.

Subject was interesting. It was the title of the book that led me to want to read it. I am researching my own family through DNA, so I found the 2017 DNA aspect as interesting. Overall, I found the book having lots of creative liberties taken.

Thank you #NetGalley, #StMartin'sPress, #NancyMarieBrown and #TheRealValkyrie for the copy for my honest review.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found this book incredibly interesting the author really kept me hooked until the end. very well written I highly recommend.

The Real Valkyrie The Hidden History of Viking Warrior Women by Nancy Marie Brown

327 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: August 31, 2021

Nonfiction, Viking, Women, Warriors, Norse

The book is divided into the following chapters.

Introduction: A Valkyrie’s Grave
Chapter 1: Hervor’s Song
Chapter 2: Gunnhild Mother-of-Kings
Chapter 3: The Town Beneath the Shining Hall
Chapter 4: Little “Hel-Skins”
Chapter 5: Queen Asa’s Revenge
Chapter 6: The Winter Nights Feast
Chapter 7: The Valkyries’ Task
Chapter 8: The Feud
Chapter 9: The Queen of Orkney
Chapter 10: The Tragedy of Brynhild
Chapter 11: Shield-Maids
Chapter 12: The Red Girl
Chapter 13: Slave Girls
Chapter 14: The Slave Route to Birka
Chapter 15: Red Earth
Chapter 16: A Birka Warrior
Chapter 17: The Kaftan
Chapter 18: The East Way
Chapter 19: At Linda’s Stone
Chapter 20: “Gerzkr” Caps
Chapter 21: Queen Olga’s Revenge
Chapter 22: Death of a Valkyrie

This book begins with the uncovering of a Viking warrior’s grave. The warrior was buried with arrows, a bow, game pieces, and two horses. It was assumed the warrior was male until DNA testing proved the skeleton to be female. This is the strongest evidence of warrior women. The author provides thoroughly documented information. It is hard to dispute the information and I found the book not only informative but educational. I was surprised to learn they traveled to Bagdad and parts of Asia for trading. Also, it was interesting to learn about their participation in the slave trade. This is a must read for anyone interested in Norse history, Valkyries, or women’s’ studies.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with a complementary copy of this book. In an attempt to show the reader what the life of a female Viking warrior would be, the author takes a very unique approach of attempting to re-create the life of a set female Viking bones found in a grave by using factual or using the history, narratives, songs, poems, etc. from that time period.

I really enjoyed learning more about the female Viking life, and while some attempted to limit thier importance/story to children and the home, in reality, they were warriors and leaders. It’s a shame that we will never really know the true story of the woman whose bones the author attempts to bring life to, but I appreciate the unique way she brought life, so to speak, all of these women who have been to some extent forgotten or written out of history.

This one was an eye opening read. As this author has readers questioning what we know about Viking women. And what influences our view of them. That the modern view we have that most likely comes from a period of time after the Viking age. And it is more than likely wrong. That those graves that archeologist and anthropologist thought were slightly smaller male warriors because they were buried with weapons might have actually been woman. New evidence shows that while many Viking women were the home makers they were women that did indeed go into battle. I learned a lot from this book.

This was a fantastic book by one of my favorite literary nonfiction authors. I’ve read and loved three of Brown’s previous books and this may be my favorite yet. Brown reveals a revolutionary reinterpretation of the archaeological record of various sites affiliated with the Viking Era in Northern Europe and beyond. Her reasonable and insightful examination of the physical evidence, stripped from the patriarchal bias historically applied to this area of scholarship, is truly eye-opening and frankly, refreshing. Nancy Marie Brown is definitely going to be an auto-buy author for me from now on.

Five stars.

For a little deeper read try “The Real Valkyrie: The Hidden History of Viking Warrior Women,” by Nancy Marie Brown (St. Martin’s Press).
In the 1800s, a Viking burial site was discovered in Birka, Sweden. It had a Viking ship, weapons, horses and riding accessories and archaeologists classified it as the burial of a man (since there were weapons). Then, of course, there was no such thing as DNA testing.
In 2017, scientists decided to do a DNA study of the bones and were shocked to discover that the skeleton was that of a female. Brown discusses what life must have been like at that time for this warrior woman.
Using real stories and details from Viking times, Brown makes up a possible life story for the woman. Much was learned from the burial site.
It’s a combination of nonfiction and fiction that would interest any history lover.

I picked up and put down this book a lot over the last year. I had it marked as DNF, but I decided to give a physical copy a try to see if that would help me get through it....it did--only because I was determined to finish this book.

I was excited when I received the e-galley of this book through NetGalley and the publisher (thank you), and prepared to dive in and offer my honest review, but after the first two chapters, I kept hitting a wall. Brown's analysis of the previously found skeleton (found in the 1800s) that was determined to be female in 2017 does offer a lot of insight into how archelogy works and has changed through the years. It also further solidified my belief that studying history still has many avenues and opportunities for clarification, exploration, and understanding of the past. Brown's work examines with a new lens what life could have really been like for Norse women aside from keeping house and raising children. I really wanted to love this book, but...

I have a problem when so much of the rest of the work is "what if" or "probable-based on imagination and hope" information. I can appreciate the research, the authority of Brown, and the fact that the writing style is engaging and full of information, but I kept reminding myself that so much of this much be taken with a grain of salt--because more needs to be researched, IMO.
I do look forward to what will come next as historians and archeologists continue to find more anomalies and reexamine what we think we know, and this book did pique my interest in that area.

I am glad I finished the book and would like to that NetGalley and the publisher for the original dARC I received of this work in exchange for my honest review.

I was really excited for this book because it was about female Vikings! As a fan of the Vikings tv show, I was interested to see what Ii de was like for a female warrior. However, this biography seemed to rely mostly on imagination than facts. The book proved that there is very little information on female Vikings. I didn’t really like that this was compared to Stacy Schiff’s biography of Cleopatra. Stacy Schiff stuck to facts and very rarely made assumptions without evidence. This book was mostly conjecture. It would have been more enjoyable had there been a historical novel instead. This is because it bordered on historical fiction rather than facts. Thus, this was not a very scholarly work and mostly relied on conjecture to fill this book. If this book mostly focused on facts, it would have been much shorter less than fifty pages. Still, I recommend this for fans of Vikings. However, for someone who wants to read about a group of female warriors, the book The Amazons is more superior read.