Valley of the Vikings by Liz Kessler is a thrilling and magical adventure that blends mythology, friendship, and environmental themes into a story that will captivate readers of all ages. With its vivid world-building, engaging characters, and high-stakes plot, this book is a perfect choice for fans of fantasy and adventure.

The story begins with a dramatic clash between Neptune, the god of the sea, and Thor, the god of the sky, whose battle disrupts the balance of the world. Lightning strikes, curses fly, and towering waves swallow a Viking longship and its crew into a watery valley, taking with it the secret of the magical blue crystals. A thousand years later, the discovery of a mysterious bangle with a blue crystal sets off a chain of events that will change the fate of the world.

Enter Emily, a unique protagonist who is half-human and half-mermaid. When she stumbles upon the bangle, she unknowingly unlocks a mystery that has lain dormant for centuries. With the help of her human and mer-friends, Emily embarks on a quest to uncover the truth about the blue crystal and the danger it poses to the world. The team must race against time to persuade the powerful but notoriously selfish gods of sea and sky to make peace before disaster strikes.

One of the standout features of Valley of the Vikings is its imaginative and richly detailed world-building. Kessler seamlessly blends elements of Norse mythology with her own creative twists, creating a setting that feels both familiar and fresh. The underwater world of the merfolk, the stormy realm of the gods, and the mysterious valley of the Vikings are vividly described, immersing readers in a world of magic and wonder.

Emily is a compelling and relatable protagonist, whose dual heritage adds depth to her character. Her courage, curiosity, and determination make her a hero worth rooting for, and her relationships with her friends—both human and mer—are heart-warming and authentic. The supporting cast is equally well-drawn, with each character bringing their own strengths and quirks to the team.

The plot is fast-paced and full of twists and turns, keeping readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The stakes are high, and the tension builds steadily as Emily and her friends face one challenge after another. The themes of friendship, teamwork, and the importance of balance and harmony are woven throughout the narrative, adding depth and resonance to the story.

Thematically, Valley of the Vikings explores the consequences of greed and the power of cooperation. The conflict between Neptune and Thor serves as a metaphor for the broader struggles between different forces in the world, and Emily’s quest to bring about peace highlights the importance of understanding and compromise. These themes are handled with a light touch, making them accessible to younger readers while still offering food for thought for older audiences.

If there is a minor critique, it is that some of the secondary characters could have been further developed to make their arcs more impactful. However, this is a small quibble in an otherwise well-crafted and engaging novel.

Valley of the Vikings is a must-read for fans of fantasy and adventure. Liz Kessler has created a story that is as exciting as it is thought-provoking, offering readers a chance to lose themselves in a world of magic, mystery, and wonder.

A thrilling and imaginative adventure, Valley of the Vikings is a story that will captivate readers with its rich world-building, engaging characters, and high-stakes plot and serves very well as a starting point to inspire creative writing in the classroom!

As a teenager, I read some of the original Emily Windsnap books (most memorable being Castle in the Mist, I adored that book), so having the chance to read an ARC of Valley of the Vikings filled me with absolute joy. It's been a few years, so I remembered the main cast - Emily, Shona, Aaron. Not sure if I remember Mandy or if she was in a later book, it's been over a decade!

As I understand it, this is a capstone to the original series, featuring a more mature Emily than I remember, in her endeavours to save the world from an underwater volcano that would essentially wipe out civilisation as we know it. Her main antagonist is, once again, King Neptune, and I very much enjoyed seeing Emily's view of him change from one of fear to one of disgust. There's an underlying current (ha) to this book of growing up and learning to think critically of authority figures, which is important to the youth of today. There is also a very strong anti-war message to this novel, which I whole-heartedly appreciate. It is shown very clearly as something caused by the greed of men who think that they are more powerful than they actually are, and the sheer devastation it causes to people. Emily's entire speech towards the end of the book gave me absolute chills.

In terms of the characters, I feel like you'd have to have read the original series to know what they're like because in this novel they felt a little...flat? Of the four child protagonists, they all speak the same way and I noticed that there is very little in the way of physicality to SHOW their character. In fact, of all the characters in the book, the most interesting were Mr Beeston and Millie - everyone else just struck me as very bland this time around. Actually, Rolf was a strong contender for my favourite side character in this book - he had a very different take on optimism to the others, and I appreciated the different ways in which the group of characters he is involved in were reacting to the story.

It's been a hot while since I read the earlier books, and it was interesting to me that Emily and Aaron had broken up but remained friends. I really liked this, as it showed a maturity to them both as people, however this was undermined by the odd comment from Emily that drew attention to it, particularly one moment at the end about them holding hands. I do, on the one hand, understand why it would cross her mind and to be fair, it really is only mentioned once or twice. On the other, I don't know why it needed bring up again at the very end of the book?

Speaking of characters, let's talk about THOR. The fact that he and Neptune are from completely different mythologies is not addressed even once, which I find hilarious and actually kind of love. I also loved the little cameo of Loki and actually had to put the book down for a moment because I got so excited seeing their name. I obviously understand why Thor is only in the last third or so of the book, however it might have been nice to see him earlier on, if only in a flashback.

This was a quick read, relatively simple to follow, and a nice end point for anyone who was a fan of the Emily Windsnap books as a child/teenager, or for any child currently reading them!

Tl;dr: Quick read, strong messages, characters felt a little flat for most of the book, would still recommend for fans new and old. 4 stars.