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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

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 a very enjoyable read.

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

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 Legens 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 draguar, 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 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

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!