Review: Valkyrie

Valkyrie by Kate O'Hearn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am surprised positively about this book. I bought it because I always liked Nordic mythology and now that Tom HIddleston and Marvel are involved in it, I have hunger for more. The first two or three chapters weren't as good as I expected, but I pushed and kept on reading and I liked it.
The story does not center on mythology, but uses and relies on the reader's knowledge of them to keep the actions going. This is a story of self discovery, acceptance and fraternal love. It verses about the last Valkyrie to be born and devoted to Odin's service whose name is Freya. She loves to fly with her black wings, which make her different from the rest of the Valkyries. In her first reap, she reapes a man who decides not to stay in Valhalla but to continue ascending but makes Freya promise that she 'll keep an eye on his family. Freya is then tricked by Loki to pass Heimdall and use the bifröst to reach Midgard. Freya dislike humans because they just kill and have no good on them, but soon she finds good in Midgard and starts saving lifes as well as feeling complete. She learns how beauty can be seen in this world and stands up for the weak, identified by the Geek Squad (Yes, I think there is a story of bullying behind this). However, Odin learns (thanks to Loki) what Freya has done and is ready to punish her. Then... there are also Angels of Death leaded by Azriel who take the lifes of those remaining dying people. Thor appears and he is good, but he has not much relevance in here... Loki appears several times and Odin is named constantly, but the story is about Freya, how she saves Archie and changes Tamika and Uniik's future with her actions that come from the heart. Freya's sister Maya plays an important role too as well as Freya's raven companion Orus.
I do want to read more about the story and how does she manage the life as a simple Asgardian citizen and not a Valkyrie at the end and that surprises me. The story is imperfect as well as the storytelling, but I found it hard to put it down until the very end.
I like that Loki that is truly a trickster and silvertongued, I liked this compassionate Thor and Azrael was a supresive and fabulous addition to the story of the Valkyrie with black wings who died her hair red and came to Midgard to find herself.

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