This book isn't terrible, but it's quite frustrating. I think the problem is that I don't believe Freya -- I don't believe in her hatred for humanity that is so swiftly turned on its head, I don't believe in the hard and fast rules of Odin's world, because nobody else seems to believe in them, either -- there's a pretty huge amount of defiance on from all levels of his dominion, so it's hard to take the dire warnings seriously. There's a whole lot more tell than show, and it undercuts both the characters and the story.

Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss. ( )

I really disliked this. From the frustrating plot to the equally frustrating characters, I did a lot of skimming. The premise of a Valkyrie who doesn't think she can do her job was so interesting, but the story very quickly/strangely moved into a crusade against bullies. And as a result, I don't think it works well as a mythology retelling or as a story about bullying.

The writing is very basic, with short sentences and simple vocabulary, so it could be a good fit for a struggling reader. But, honestly, I disliked it so much I don't think I'd recommend it when there are so many other books about similar mythology that are better. And this isn't the book's fault but OMG I WASTED TIME READING THIS WHEN I COULD HAVE BEEN READING A MILLION OTHER THINGS. I just need some good middle grade that will appeal to 6th graders, people. This decidedly didn't fit the bill and now I'm just cranky and still behind on my school visit reading. UGH. ( )

Warning there might be spoilers in this review. I loved this book so much! It really opened up Norse Mythology for me and to you folks that say there is made up stuff, the author actually says that she did that. She said she made up the Dark Searchers 'cause she couldn't find any evidence of 'Odin's Police Force'. Also she said she added in the Angels of death. I really liked how the book showed a lot of Norse Mythology. One problem I did have was that it was a little bit predictable, but over-all I just LOVED it! ( )

Cute, fun, simple. For fans of Percy Jackson, early Harry Potter, early Fablehaven. ( )

It wasn't horrible, but I wouldn't recommend it, either. The mythology is off just enough to be annoying, the main character is selfish and short-sighted, and the writing is mediocre at best. But, several of the supporting characters are endearing and it's inspired by Norse myths, so it's not quite disappointing enough to just be a one-star book. ( )