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Book Review: Valkyrie Rising – Ingrid Paulson

Valkyrie Rising
Author: Ingrid Paulson
Series: Valkyrie #1
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy
Publisher: HarperTeen
My Rating:

Summary:

Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there.
What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie – and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck – to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.
Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl’s unexpectedly-epic coming of age.

 
First Sentence: Half the school came to Graham’s eighteenth birthday party.

My Review:

What caught my attention was the beautiful mysterious cover (the mountains! The guy’s hidden face! That fog!) and the word “valkyrie.” I had no knowledge of Norse mythology so I had absolutely no clue what a valkyrie was, but was eager to find out since it sounded so awesome. After reading Valkyrie Rising, I wanted to do tons more research on them because, let’s face it, they are indeed fascinating.

One thing I’ve noticed while reading Valkyrie Rising was that the story dragged a bit. I think it’s because Ingrid Paulson includes the tiniest details in her long paragraphs. The real action also started on the bottom of page 37, and with Valkyrie Rising‘s tiny font, many people won’t get that far into the book before they give up on it.

I never met any guys in books that charmed me, flattered me, and stole my heart in less than three chapters, until I read about Tuck Halloway. He’s witty, fun, charming, cocky, and most of all, loyal. Where can you find a real life guy like that? (If you know, take me there asap.) If Tuck wasn’t in the book, I’ll be liking Valkyrie Rising a lot less. He brings sunshine into the book. (Cheesy, I know, so sue me.)

The one thing I had a problem with in Valkyrie Rising was Tuck’s missing parents. (It may not seem to be a big deal until you get to the part where his secret was revealed.) How does it make sense that Tuck’s parents let him hang out with Ellie and Graham, especially since his parents have opposite viewpoints, to put it generally to avoid major spoilers. I was expecting more of a hardship when Ellie and Tuck got back home, but to my surprise, everything was just fine, like his secret was never revealed in the first place.

I wish we see more of Ellie’s grandmother, Hilda. At the end of the book, Hilda is still this mysterious woman that we readers don’t really know about. What is she like? How does she think? What are her true goals?

I feel that Valkyrie Rising will be just perfect as a standalone, but since it’s written to be a part of a series, I’ll read the next book just to see why Ingrid Paulson felt that there is a need for Valkyrie Rising to be written as a part of a series. Oh, and if there is indeed going to be a next book, Margit better be in it. She kicks ass.

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-Kelly

Posted by Kelly on 12-21-12 · 13 Comments
Categories: 2012 book, book review Tagged: 4 star

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Stacking the Shelves [12] »

Speak Your Mind

  1. theprettygoodgatsby says

    12-22-12 at 12:43 PM

    I’ve had this book for a while and really want to read it, but I have so many other books that keep getting in the way. I’m SO glad it’s though! ..although the fact that readers might not make it 37 pages in worries me.

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      12-22-12 at 12:55 PM

      I was close to giving up on it in the beginning while reading it because it was just normal sibling drama, but it gets a lot better later on, I promise! (:

      Reply
  2. Gisele says

    1-18-13 at 2:24 PM

    :O I have my copy of Valkyrie Rising sitting on my shelf, and I haven’t had the chance to read it :( Thanks for the heads up about page 37, LOL! I have never read a book about mythology so this is really exciting!

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      8-19-13 at 8:56 PM

      I think you’ll like this one Gisele! It’s fun and unique and I just love Tuck. :D<3
      Kelly recently posted…Clear Your Shelf Giveaway HopMy Profile

      Reply
  3. Ashley Rogers says

    3-04-13 at 10:35 AM

    I love Norse Mythology! I think this sounds like an awesome book! I am really excited to get out there and find it. I have always found the Valkyries to be intriguing! Thank you for sharing this awesome review. I hope that the rest of the series is just as great.

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      8-19-13 at 8:58 PM

      You’ll love this one Ashley!
      Valkyrie Rising is sadly just a standalone. D:
      Kelly recently posted…Clear Your Shelf Giveaway HopMy Profile

      Reply
  4. Cali W. says

    8-19-13 at 3:36 PM

    Great review! I have heard great and bad things about this book, but I think I would read it because I like Mythology.

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      8-19-13 at 9:02 PM

      I hope you’ll like this one Cali! I absolutely ADORED Valkyrie Rising. <3
      Kelly recently posted…Clear Your Shelf Giveaway HopMy Profile

      Reply
  5. Ashleigh Swerdfeger says

    10-27-13 at 6:47 AM

    Interesting! I love mythology too :) So it sounds very exciting.
    Ashleigh Swerdfeger recently posted…MiscarriageMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      11-26-13 at 9:03 PM

      If you love mythology books, you’ll love this one Ashleigh! (:
      Kelly recently posted…Top Ten Bookish Things I Am Thankful ForMy Profile

      Reply
  6. Hillary R. says

    11-23-13 at 9:51 PM

    So this is another book series I’m definitely behind on. And people have been talking about it almost all year. I like the concept of this story though which must have been what caught my attention in the first place. I hope I get to read this one soon someday because if I’m correct there is only one more book due for this series and that comes out next year. It would definitely be awesome to binge read the whole series though. And you’re 4 out of 5 rating doesn’t hurt either :D

    Reply
  7. Ashfa says

    12-03-13 at 8:34 AM

    I thought Valkyrie Rising fell a bit flat as it progressed. It was great the first few chapters and it sort of dulled after that. But I agree Tuck is so drool-worthy!!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Top Ten Books From My Teen Years That I Would Love To Revisit says:
    3-24-15 at 10:55 PM

    […] Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson: I was kind of the black sheep with Valkyrie Rising as not many people loved it as much as I did when I first read it about two years ago. I’m […]

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