I thought the world that was created in this story was great. It really gave you a great setting and you felt like you were there at times. I also loved that the creatures were not your regular supernatural characters that you read about a lot of times. The writing also seemed to flow well. I really enjoyed the story as I usually do with Amanda's books. However, the only reason I am not giving full stars is it felt a little slow at times for me and I felt disconnected from those characters. I think I just wanted to feel a little more for them. That being said, I thought it was intriguing and I would recommend it.

t's been a long time since I've enjoyed a Hocking book so much. I think back to when I first read Trylle and now enraptured I was. This book was just about on par with my feelings of the past.

Norse mythology. Valkyries. Something I've always been interested in. And now, being taken to an entirely different level. Valkyries are to do their bidding and return the immortals to the underworld. And they always have...until one didn't. And the entire world is shifted and imbalanced. Even worse? The cause is at the hands of the one Valkyrie our heroine, Malin, trusted and believed in the most.

I really liked Malin, which seems rare these days. So many protagonists are written to come off as spoiled brats. But I will say, I think I'd have liked a bit more of an emotional pull from her. Even with the love triangle (yes, sorry, it is!) I didn't feel as if she cared one way or the other. Also, the one character NOT mentioned in the blurb seems to be the one winning that "battle," so that was also odd.

As for the story—I enjoyed it! I think it's pretty fast-paced. And of course, I really liked the crises and secrets that needed to be unraveled. The idea that not everything and everyone is what they seem really comes across. It's easy to read, flows well. Yes, there are tropes and easy guesses of the plot, but overall, I think it'd be enjoyable for anyone looking for something a bit different in the paranormal/fantasy genre.

I will definitely be reading book 2!

Between the Blade and the Heart is such an appropriate title for this heartfelt urban fantasy inspired by Valkyries. We follow Malin, who's in college and in the process of getting her Valkyrie license under the tutelage of her mother, Marlowe. As secrets come out of the woodwork, Malin must work with her ex-girlfriend and new friends to stop the end of the world as they know.

The world building here is very cool. There are monsters and beings from a few mythologies, but keeping a general focus on Norse. I loved the intro with Valkyries as almost a separate agency all on their own. Each one had their own flavor and the conflict between feelings and detachment made for great plotting. I really related to Malin, as someone who might be really bad at feelings because of her strained relationship with Marlowe. I thought this aspect was very well-handled and really sets up for Malin's growth in books to come.

One thing that threw me off was the bluntness of the descriptions. They could have been handled with some more finesse, instead of a laundry list of outfit pieces and things to look at. It made the action pieces a bit bear.

All in all, I really liked this book and if anyone is looking for a well-paced, urban mythology, look no further.

I gave up on this about a fifth of the way in. The writing is solid, just not my cup of tea..

Disclaimer: I received an eARC from netgalley.com in exchange for my review.

I've read a few Amanda Hocking books. Each one has a compelling world. Her new "Valkyrie" series is no different. Imagine a world where the supernatural, global god pantheons (in this book, it heavily relies on the Norse pantheon), and technology come alive, peacefully coexisting with their own rules and regulations. This is the world Hocking drops us into. I'm such a geek for magic and technology; Shadowrun the RPG being one of my all-time favorite game settings. So, I was pleasantly squeeing when I dove into this book.

In Between the Blade and the Heart, we're introduced to Malin, a Valkyrie-in-training. She's just come back from her latest assignment to find an intruder in her apartment. And thus, starts the quest that leads us through the rest of the story, that takes her through her city, pushing her past what she thought was the truth about her vocation, and deep into Mexico.

Hocking does a great job of building her books. The world feels real, her characters are wonderfully flawed, and they feel real wandering around their setting. This new series is fast paced, contains a great bi-love triangle (about time!), and leaves us with a cliff-hanger that I didn't see coming (too much). It also contains the cutest little pet critter I've ever read in a book (Malin, if you read this... I'd be more than happy to take care of Bowie any time).

If you like your urban fantasy with a mythical twist, some cool technology, and a bunch of kick-ass heroines, then give Between the Blade and the Heart a read. Eagerly awaiting book two!

I really enjoyed this. I do hope for a little more world building in book 2 but overall this is an amazing start to a series.
The ending left me wanting more.
Some things I expected didn't happen but could happen in the next book.

2 stars

Plot: I've only read a handful of books from Amanda Hockings; I found her journey to publishing to be inspiring, but Between the Blade and the Heart read like Hocking was resting on her laurels. The premise promised Norse mythology and paranormal intrigue, but I couldn't get into this book from page one. Hocking threw the reader in the middle of the story with little preparation for the world, I honestly thought that this was a fantasy novel, not urban fantasy. Once I got settled in the setting, I had to wade through all of the many overused tropes that are common in Young Adult novels.

Characters: It was obvious from the start that Valkyrie-in-training Malin did not have a healthy relationship with her mother and while I'm usually interested to learn about fractured family dynamics, Malin's attitude turned me off almost immediately. She was written to be rough around the edges but I nothing about Malin made her a sympathetic character. She also juggled two love interests that seemed unnecessary.

Worldbuilding: As I mentioned earlier, I thought that this was an epic fantasy instead of set in present day with paranormal influence. I do appreciate that Hocking brought urban fantasy back to the young adult category, but this world was missing so much; I'm not even sure I know what country this took place in.

Short N Sweet: While the writing may have held my attention a few years ago, The Blade and the Heart had one too many cliches that I couldn't overlook.

Between the Blade and the Heart by Amanda Hocking
Series: Valkyrie Book 1
Publisher: Wednesday Books

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Wednesday Books for the ebook ARC of Between the Blade and the Heart by Amanda Hocking in exchange for an honest review.

Valkyries only have one great responsibility. That is to return immortals to the afterlife by slaying them.
As a Valkyrie, Malin has always known that the balance of the world rests on her ability to carry out orders. When Malin discovers that her mother has spared the life of an immortal who was destined to die, her world is thrown into chaos.
Malin is now wondering if her mother is not who she thought she was. She also meets a gorgeous blue eyed guy named Asher, who needs her help slaying the immortal who destroyed his family.
The balance of the world is now at stake.

I give this book a rating of 5 stars and I highly recommend reading it. It was well written and flowed very easily. I really liked the characters. As soon as I saw this book on NetGalley, I had to read it. I really like the cover of the book too, which also made me want to read it. I always find Amanda Hocking books a great read and I am never disappointed in any of them. She is one of my favourite authors. I can not wait to read Book 2 of the Valkyrie series.

I gave this book 4 stars. It’s an incredible start to a series and I have no doubt it’ll bloom into an even better series.

This is the only realistic love triangle I have ever read about and probably the only one I will ever read about in the future. We have a bisexual protagonist who can’t decide between her bombshell ex-girlfriend and a sweet sexy new guy in her life. It wasn’t as dramatic as you may think, I honestly had such a good time reading about it. If you’ve been following my blog then you know how much I hate love triangles. This is the first time that I haven’t absolutely detested one and that’s huge for me, therefore this book can do no wrong.

I’m loving this influx of books based on Norse Mythology. A few years ago I had maybe one series centered around Valkyrie and now there are so many and I love it. Valkyrie are something I personally have always found incredibly intriguing so any book about them is guaranteed to have me reading.

I’m slightly confused about the setting. It wasn’t exactly clear is the story was set in our world with a secret underworld, or if it was our world but everyone was open about being supernatural, or if it was complete fantasy.

Our protagonist is a bit emotionally stunted which seems to cause quite a few problems in her life. This all ties back to her mother. I personally hated her mother, she was awful. Malin however, feels a bond towards her mother despite her mother barely being just that, a mother. It bothered me that Malin cared so much about her mother when her mother obviously didn’t care at all about her. It’s understandable since that is her mother, but it’s still really annoying.

I’ve read this author's writing before and this is so completely different from what I’ve read that I was a bit surprised that it was even the same author. This is in no way a bad thing, just an observation.

Overall, I would highly suggest this book to those who love upper YA and fantasy novels. It was in short, epic.

So, Valkyries huh. This is an awesome concept. I've always been a big fan of Norse mythology. My husband is Norwegian and it turns out, I have some Norwegian in me too. Its in my blood.

This book started off promising. It felt like it had a mortal instruments kind of vibe. All the paranormal creatures and things to really pull you into this interesting world. Things moved fast though. All of a sudden, there was a strange man that broke into the main characters house. The scuffle, there are words exchanged, then he hands her his card. Its seemed like a lot of situations were just placed there to move the story along, and they didn't seem very plausible.

The story was interesting and I'm lad I read it, but there were somethings that could have been situated better.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Amanda Hocking is an author I've had a lot of trouble getting into. I'm not completely sure why, but it never seems to catch my attention for long periods of time! It may be the style of writing, or maybe my mind just automatically assumes, but this book didn't hold my attention much either. I didn't downright hate it - I just couldn't get into it. Nevertheless, this book will be on my mind whenver somebody wants a book based on mythology that isn't Greek or Roman. At least there is that!

Between the Blade and the Heart is a story about nineteen year-old Malin who is training to be a Valkyrie. In the first book of the series Malin is coming to terms with finding out that what she was raised to believe about Valkyries may not be as it seems. This was a quick read for me. I loved the mythology aspect of the story and thought some of the characters were interesting, but the overall story and Malin's behavior were predictable at times. It's a good book but it just fell somewhat flat for me and I found myself skimming more than reading towards the end.

This book is PERFECT FOR FANS of nordse mythology, kick ass female characters, and a little bit of LOVE!

This book read a little younger than I've been used to these past few years, but it was an enjoyable ride! Hocking writes a great blend of fantasy and mythology for the young reader.

I was really excited for this one. I’d read Amanda Hocking’s Freeks and enjoyed it, but Between the Blade and the Heart just sort of… didn’t work for me.

Like, look at that description. That sounds awesome! A girl who can kill immortals? How cool is that? I’m choosing to ignore that tropey gorgeous new guy competing with the main character’s ex romance sub-plot. That had nothing to do with the fact that I had to DNF this one.

I like Hocking’s writing in Freeks. It was punctual and flowed well. But something about Between the Blade and the Heart‘s writing just felt so damn boring that I couldn’t get back the 15% mark.

I’m not sure what it was. It was an interesting premise and a cool world, a little sci-fi, a little urban fantasy, and I liked the idea of it.

But liking the idea of something isn’t the same as liking the actual thing itself.

I was bored and annoyed with Malin, I didn’t care what happened to her and I just wasn’t connecting to the story. Not to mention how often I found myself rolling my eyes at every single page.

I couldn’t connect to the story; it happens. This one wasn’t for me.

Review to come at end of dec with cross posted link

Pulling together characters both familiar and horrifying, the plot races ahead in this world ruled by gods. Valkyries are compelled to kill (or “return”) immortal beings under the instructions of social order, blind duty, and population control, but what happens when one Valkyrie refuses her call? When one immortal slips free from his fate, will that be the first piece pulled from a precarious house of cards?

BETWEEN THE BLADE AND THE HEART is a mash-up of fantasy, mythology, and paranormal genres and it spins together a gripping tale full of action, romance, and deadly conspiracies. Definitely check this one out if you’re into complex worlds, terrifying monsters, myths, and powerful beings, and a protagonist who is fierce.
-pooled ink

One thing can always be said about Amanda Hocking’s writing, it always flows along, the dialogue is spot on, relaxed and natural feeling, as if the characters were right there, feeling exactly what you are feeling.

This time out, we are treated to Norse Mythology and specifically, Valkyries, those amazing women warriors, trained for battle, to carry out the biddings of the gods, to return immortals to the underworld when it is their time, no exceptions. To fail in their duties would cause catastrophic consequences. Welcome to Malin’s world, a world of strict rules, duty and no time for emotional connections, at least Malin was always told by her cold mother that Valkyries couldn’t love, but is Malin discovering that isn’t quite true? Will Malin also discover that the one Valkyrie she thought would never fail at her duty had done just that and now it was up to her to right the wrong that had been done so long ago? Was that one indiscretion really a “wrong” to begin with? A Valkyrie’s duty is to deliver those chosen for death, not to question if it is wrong or right, not to judge for themselves…but one Valkyrie did just that, and the fallout has truly been horrendous.

The balance of the world now lay at Malin’s feet as she prepares to make things right with a ragtag group of friends, an old lover, a possible new lover and one powerful immortal who doesn’t want to go to the underworld.

BETWEEN THE BLADE AND THE HEART by Amanda Hocking is fast-paced tale of a young Valkyrie-in-training who discovers her mother and mentor may not be the person she thought she was and the fallout has become a web of tangled lies, lives and loves that could all be gone in an instant. Easy reading, not overly deep, but definitely entertaining!

I received an ARC edition from Wednesday Books/St Martin's Press in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Series: Valkyrie (Book 1)
Publisher: Wednesday Books (January 2, 2018)
ISBN-10: 1250084792
ISBN-13: 978-1250084798
Genre: Fantasy | YA
Paperback: 336 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

2.5*
It's been a couple years since I read something by Amanda Hocking, I've read two of her other series in the past, and I've heard great things about some of her other books. When I read the premise for this book I was super intrigued by it, I was so happy when I received an e-arc of this, but I think I was disappointed by this book.
There writing was fine, and there was great world building in this story but I feel like the story itself fell a little flat for me. I don't feel like there really was anything new with this one, I feel like I can read many other books that were more interesting and also includes similar content. This was a quick read and I do feel that this was decently paced, and I followed along well enough, I also was really a fan of this story putting into question of pre-determined fate versus free choice, and if one choice can alter an entire course of events.
There was somewhat of a love triangle which I feel was completely unnecessary, I feel like the relationship between Malin & Quinn didn't need to be something that took place in the present and could have stayed in the past. Other than that I think that the relationship between Malin and Asher was great, and the characters were overall pretty solid. I don't think that this is a book series for me, I don't know if I will continue it, that's based on personal preference but I'm not closed off to giving it another shot in the future.

I won't say much because this is a book that I think will be 100% your own personal opinion. I had a hard time really connecting to the book. While the writing was interesting and the concept was cool I found myself not really liking anyone, which made it difficult for me to read. I definitely think it's more of a me problem than a problem with the book, and I honestly hope that others read it and love it