Valhalla

Valhalla by Alan Robert Clark is an interesting historical fiction featuring the formidable and memorable Mary of Teck. Queen Consort of the UK and British Dominions with George V, she is most remembered as the grandmother to the current Queen Elizabeth II.

This book tells the fictional story of Queen Mary and the trials, tribulations, and successes that occurred during her engagement of Prince Albert, his sudden death, her then marriage to the future King George V, and her life thereafter.

I have read several great biographies of Mary if Teck, so I knew quite a bit about her life. It is sad to see that a lot of people do not know too much about this fabulous, strong, sometimes distant, and sometimes misunderstood woman. There is so much more to her then one realizes. A rock, a strength, undaunted, and a source of wisdom is what I see when I read about her. To survive, flourish, succeed, and overcome all that she did is nothing short of impressive. She really seemed to bloom and come into her own after George V died. She is a fascinating woman and it is always great to read anything about her.

Obviously, the author took some liberties in some things to try to fit the subject matter into the narrative, however overall I was able to appreciate the story told. This is a companion book to the author’s previous work, The Prince of Mirrors, but I was easily able to read this as a stand-alone.

4/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Fairlight Books for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR account (link below) immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

There is more and more royal fiction being published now, but this is quite different- it has a significant amount of weight behind it. May of Teck and Georgie (George V and Mary) are often passed over for their grandparents/parents and children, because their reign was stable rather than exciting. However, I could not put this book. Queen Mary always seems quite impervious, looking back, but the May that we meet and get to know is a very real and complex woman. Consorts are rarely given as much attention as their ruling spouse, but I am thrilled that Mary is front and centre.

Clark does fill in May's private thoughts, and the interactions between May and George, but it fits well with what we know. It is an imagined but realistic telling of the beginning of their relationship, and it feels quite different from the public image we saw in later in years. However, that public image wasn't the most exciting- this certainly gives us a more human and relatable story!

Also, he includes a wonderful biography. It has the standard Queen Mary biography from Hennessy Pope and Vickers' book on that biography, but many more. This is a perfect book for anyone interested in The Crown, and the British royal family in general!

Queen Mary has a reputation of a dutiful but dull woman. This novel breaths new life into Mary, I enjoyed every page. The amount of detail is extraordinary! I loved Mary from the first page to the last, now I will be looking forward to more books from this author.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Fairlight Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. Valhalla is the story of May of Teck (later Queen Mary), Queen Elizabeth II's paternal grandmother. The story is told primarily from May's perspective in her youth, from her teenage years in Florence through her turbulent marriage to King George V. It is a coming of age story about which I knew next to nothing!

Alan Robert Clark does a masterful job of storytelling. It is so easy to identify with May, a strong woman who is surrounded by strong women throughout her life. She must find her place in a world not yet ready for powerful women, and it is not an easy adjustment for her. The pacing of the story is excellent, and while it is technically historical fiction, it feels like we are given access to the secret life of The Firm.

I flew through this book and did not want it to end! I found myself reading up about May even after I had put the book down each evening. If you love reading about the British royal family and are interested in reading about someone who is not as well known, this is the story for you.

Loving books on royal history, this book did not disappoint.
May of Teck is intelligent, interesting and the only daughter of a noble family who was chosen to marry Prince Eddy. With increasing pressure from her family and abiding by the wishes of Queen Victoria she agrees to enter into this arranged marriage. As the couple are learning to love one another and a true relationship unfolds, Prince Eddy contracts and dies from influenza. With his death, May learns that she is to marry (much to her chagrin) his brother George instead.
Blending fact and fiction we walk with the future Queen Mary as she evolves and learns about her life of royal obligation and duty. This is in so many ways a coming of age story. One of compromise, one of hope and fear.
Not knowing very much about Queen Mary, the author did a superb job in giving the reader the opportunity to look behind the icey gaze to find a woman of commitment and compassion.
Highly recommended with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review.

Queen Mary has always come across as a formidable figure - upright, rigidly duty-bound, cold and unyielding. Because of this image, I have always wondered about her - is anybody quite so rigid in real life? Where is the real woman? What is she like? While reading, I felt compelled to look up images of her at various stages of her life. Elizabeth II’s resemblance to her is marked - as is her attitude to the role that life has called her to play. I always very much enjoy books about real people in history and this one hit the spot. The insight into the young May, her early life, friends and interests, then her marriage ( after the disappointment of losing her first intended) gave a good theory of how she developed into the woman she became. My heart went out to her. I also liked the hint at the end that this rigidity and devotion to duty was the very reason that Edward VIII opted for the happiness of a marriage to the woman he chose. A very enlightening book and a must for fans of history told in the form of a novel. 5 stars from me. Many thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

So I'm a huge historical fiction/non-fiction lover, so the whole premise of the book was so exciting to me. Queen Mary was a woman whom experienced so much hardship and tragedy in life, so I was SO pleased for this book and hear more about her.

Please note, while "Valhalla" covers a real historical story and person, there is fact and fiction mixed in. Just wanted to ensure that was clear here.

Overall, I was really impressed with this book. It can be really hard for authors to create a work that includes a real historical character, and blend fact and fiction together where it's well balanced. This was perfectly woven by the author - I was really impressed and had to start researching more about Queen Mary just because the book left me so intrigued and wanting to know more. Highly recommend this book, especially for lovers of historical fiction!

Thank you for Netgalley and Fairlight Books for providing me an ARC.