Three people come together: Brynhild, an exiled Valkyrie stripped of her flight and exiled from Valhalla by a capricious Odin, Sigurd, a man looking for his heroic destiny, and Gudrun, a princess of Burgundy, who is looking for a way to protect her land from the invader Attila the Hun, who also happens to have a dragon he can call on. None of these people is ordinary, and their different abilities and skills prove to be critical in dispatching threats and fighting off a conqueror.

Author Kate Heartfield brings her trove of research to bear on this Norse myth-inspired story set in a far past, where magic is alive in the world, and gods and otherworldly beings still walk the land.

A grieving and in pain Brynhild is used by Sigurd to prop up his name after they jointly kill a poisonous lindworm. She is later tricked by him, and is pulled into Gudrun's life. Gudrun uses her sense and honesty to win Brynhild to her cause, with Brynhild training warriors and Gudrun using her magic to strengthen her land. Along the way, Brynhild and Gudrun develop deep feelings for each other, and Sigurd proves to be a terrific warrior but a vain man jealous of his reputation.

There are a number of things that made this story compelling: Gudrun's wielding of magic, Brynhild's prowess, the conflicts amongst the characters, the political maneuvering necessary to win against the conqueror, and the exposure of petty games between the gods. Though the middle slowed down a little too much for my liking, I liked Brynhild and Gudrun immensely, and their developing relationship kept me reading to the end of this enjoyable novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and to HarperCollins Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Valkyrie tells the love story of Brynhild, a Valkyrie who has fallen in exile, and Gudrun, a young princess whose people are facing Attila’s hoard.

Okay, I wanted to like this book. I love Norse mythology and am all about strong female characters and Odin and Loki’s antics. But this book was a miss for me.

First, I will highlight the pieces I did enjoy. I loved the first third of the novel. It was full of adventure and the mythology I was hoping for. It also throws you into some war scenes that are very dramatic and exciting. I loved all of this. I also enjoyed the bond between Brynhild and Sigurd. Their banter was great, and they were a fantastic team.

I also love a story focused on a strong female character, in this case, Brynhild. I’m all about promoting female characters in fantasy, which often depicts the male as the hero. There are godly antics woven through that are a lot of fun, and the battle scenes are riveting.

Unfortunately, those pieces didn’t counter the parts that weren’t great. Once Brynhild and Gudrun meet, the story starts weakening. The decision to write as if the lovers were speaking to each other led to a lot of explaining feelings rather than showing them. This left me feeling as if the relationship came out of nowhere and didn’t make sense. It was pretty disappointing. I felt significantly removed from the book once they were together.

When they were separated, I became much more interested in the book again! It’s unfortunate because the plot description ticks all the boxes for me. I’m sure there are readers out there who will love this book; I just wanted to provide my honest opinions.

Disclaimer: I have not been able to finish the book because of reading preferences and opinions on the book are completely subject to change,

From the very beginning, this story felt like it was being told as a cautionary tale. It felt like it came right from the pages of an old tome, so it felt very mythical and magical, adding to the air of mystery surrounding the Valkyrie's story. We are given pieces of Valhalla in the comparisons to the real world and you are dragged into the deep end of the Valkyrie figuring out the life of exile.

Overall, I really liked the direction of the story, however, it felt very much like reading a classic like Gatsby, which is something I don't normally gravitate towards. So, it was very hard for me to get through it.

I'm not a big fan of fantasy/mythology so it takes a lot for a book of this type to really impress me, and unfortunately this was just average. It was very eventful yet very oddly paced - the leadup to big events was painstakingly slow, and then the event itself very rushed. I also found the romance really odd - they meet, don't like each other, then suddenly are in love, and we don't know why. We're told that this is some great love, yet we're given nothing we can understand or connect with in terms of why these people fall in love.

My ARC review of The Valkyrie by Kate Heartfield for NetGalley.

This was an engaging and unique retelling of fallen Valkyrie Brunhilda's story, based on features taken from The Ring of the Nibelung, Völsunga Saga, and Poetic Edda. Told in two POVs, the novel was a fresh take on old legends and I enjoyed the intersection of the 5th-century powers of Rome, Huns, and Burgundians, and the rising tension between old Norse beliefs and the rise of Christianity. The historical details woven throughout the narrative made the world of the story come alive and, while I did find it a bit slow in parts, there is plenty of action in the form of quests and battles. The relationship between Brunhilda and Gudrun (Kriemhild) added a modern twist to the story. I'd recommend this book to those who enjoy modern retellings of myths and legends.

The Valkyrie is a sweeping, lyrical historical fiction/Norse myth inspired story about Brynhild, a fallen Valkyrie banished to Earth for opposing Odin, Gudrun, a princess of Burgundy and their love for one another. The author faithfully weaves in inspiration and research from the Prose Edda, the Völsunga saga and the Song of the Nibelungs as well as Germanic history from this time. The historical components in this novel are quite heavy, but if you enjoy this type of content this book will be for you! Personally I was hoping for more myth elements (they do appear in the second half of the book where we spend some time with the Gods) I was just hoping for more, but It is otherwise a great retelling of the original story while updating it with contemporary perspectives.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.