Book Spotlight: Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson

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.
From goodreads. com

Valkyrie Rising starts off with a party. Here we meet Ellie, the main character, along with her brother Graham and his best friend Tucker. Ellie lives her life in the shadow of her brother. She’s coddled and protected from the world and she hates it. When she is sent to Norway to visit her grandmother, she takes it as a chance to have a few days away from Graham and his ways. Little does she know, you should be careful what you wish for. Graham arrives, and he brings Tucker with him. Then, the real adventure begins. 

I loved the premise of this book the moment I read it. Girl power all the way, right? Ellie is the main character here, she’s the girl who is desperate to be her own person only to discover she is actually a Valkyrie (as far as being your own person as you can be). To be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about Ellie. As a main character, she wasn’t my favorite. Especially in the fact that she was supposed to be this kick butt of a character. The times I loved her the most? When she was with Tucker. He seemed to bring out the best in her, versus the little girl whiny that she put off in the beginning. 

Ah, Tucker! Seriously, for me, the whole book is on this character. He was my absolute favorite. Sure, parts of him and his relationship with Ellie were predictable, but still. He’s definitely swoon worthy! I mean, who doesn’t want a guy who will push you to be the best part of yourself and risk his life to save yours. Did I mention he was gorgeous? And his sarcastic banter with Ellie was hilarious. Right? The deal people. My point exactly. 

The secondary characters introduces to the story were interesting enough, but didn’t shout excitement like I wanted them to. It was a bit fun seeing grandma kick butt tho. I did enjoy the different aspects of the mythology brought out, even though I wish there were more of it throughout the story. I’m interested to see where Ingrid takes the characters next, because the ending wasn’t your typical ending. Overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to see what happens next. Valkyrie Rising comes out October 9th, 2012! Love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading, 

Valia