Really loved this one a lot. It gave me a lot of Viking vibes which I am all for. I highly recommend this to everyone.

This is a Sapphic YA adventure settled in Norse mythology. I think fans of Magnus Chase who want LGBT rep and female main characters will enjoy this story. I think it's best suited for a young YA audience, perhaps just coming out of middle grade books.

Personally, I was not a big fan of the writing style. It went from one big event to the next without much of anything in between including emotions or reactions from the characters. I also wasn't a fan of the way that everyone's hardships were compared.

However, I do think that kids who want a fast paced adventure will enjoy this book. I didn't particularly dislike it, I just thought it was very average.

I am a huge fan of books who can take myths and legends and interweave them within a story while ALSO working to take the known and…make it their own. The Valkyrie’s Daughter is one such book.

While discussing destiny vs choice, it also tells a great story of a young lady who is not destined for much of anything - until one day she is. And how she manages to make her destiny her own by bending some rules and absolutely shattering others.

It’s a classic Cinderella story, but one where the prince isn’t the savior - and isn’t wanted anyway.

Ok, so I really enjoyed the Norse mythology aspect of it and the story line that went with it. It was the characters that I couldn't take. Sigrid and Mariam, our protagonists and their feeling for one another....it was just such a good story, well written, until you get to the romance budding between these two young girls. It felt very middle schoolish and immature. all the talk about fluttering hearts etc., were just really cringe worthy in my opinion. It was super awkward and I just skipped past those parts. It made the characters lack depth and I felt no real connection to them. I will though probably try the next book because I did enjoy the mythos in the story. Perhaps the romance will mature better in the next book.

This book was really good! One of my favourite aspects was the writing. Tiana Warner manages to make you forget you are reading...which is the sign of a great book.

While this isn't my usual style of book, I still found myself engrossed in the story and following Sigrid's story.

I have quite enjoyed the current sub-genre of fantasy that uses mythology as a base, and this is a very good representative of the genre. Based on Norse mythology, this book is the story of Sigrid, a foundling who becomes a stable hand while dreaming of becoming a Valkyrie. There are some alternate interpretations of Norse mythology - for example, in this novel, Valkyries are born at birth rather than being reborn after death - but they work for the story, and the basic weave of Norse mythology is clearly evident within the setting, characters, and plotline.

Sigrid was found in the Valkyrie nursery on Vanaheim as an infant, paired with a male colt, where baby Valkyries were paired with female winged horses. Uncertain what this difference meant, the inhabitants of Vanahalla, the court where she is found, raise her as a stable hand, allowing her to train her horse while she cares for the flying horses of the junior Valkyries born around the same time. But Sigrid wants more: she wants to be a Valkyrie, not just care for them. Her chance comes when Vanahalla is attacked by the forces of Hel and a treasure is taken, and she takes the chance to travel to Helheim with her faithful horse Hestur to try to retrieve it. During her journey, Sigrid learns more about herself, and life, than she realized there was to learn - about friendship, family, and a bit of romance.

I love this premise. I love Norse mythology. I love the whole concept of Valkyries. What I was very disappointed with was the execution.

This book feels like Mean Girls with fantasy elements, but not as clever. It’s a big story with lots of history and mythology diminished to petty warriors and a hypocritical goody-goody main character with dreams and a destiny too great for the protagonist we meet.

The prose isn’t beautiful enough for the subject matter or serious enough to match the stakes we’re told exist in this world. The worldbuilding is more info dumps than action unraveling, and the action we get doesn’t feel as significant as I’m sure the author intended. I know this is YA, but it feels more juvenile even than middle grade – save for the developing romance and characters getting the hots for each other.

I tried, I tried so hard, but I just didn’t care enough to continue.

2 stars for potential.

DNF at 50%.

“The Valkyrie’s Daughter” by Tiana Warner is the perfect place to start for a young reader interested in fantasy or Norse mythology. The first book in what promises to be an adventure-filled series, readers are led on a quest by our fierce and determined heroine, Sigrid. Left alone at birth with no one but her trusted horse Hestur, Sigrid is raised to become a stable hand and cares for the Valkyrie’s winged mares. Sigrid dreams of being a Valkyrie. Each day Sigrid lives vicariously through the Valkyrie teams. She trains on her personal time with her non-winged horse in the hopes that one day she’ll be able to join the prestigious team in some capacity.


“Sigrid, you’ve been thinking of life as either being a valkyrie or not being a valkyrie. Maybe there are other options. Maybe there’s another destiny that’s perfect for you.”

Sweet
“The Valkyrie’s Daughter” is based on (the nine worlds/realms, magic and sorcery, Gods) isn’t very well known. Warner tells readers in her Author’s Note that of what we know of Viking society comes from medieval Christian historians and records kept by their opponents, which is most likely biased. Warner wrote this story with a very specific audience in mind. Knowing that it would be found by young fantasy writers, the focus isn’t too deep into the nitty gritty realistic history. Instead there are subtle details weaved through the pages to make sure the reader can follow along with the subject matter while being part of the constant action.

“The gods created the valkyries to maintain balance and peace in the nine worlds, and that purpose called to her more than anything. She wanted to travel with them through the upper and middle worlds, to provide help in emergencies, and to fight and defend innocent lives from the evils of the lower realms. She wanted the reverence that came with being a guardian, a protector, a valued member of the best warriors in the cosmos. Most of all, in her heart, being a valkyrie was her destiny.”

Salty
Reviews should be honest, so I’ll share that while I loved the adventure and quest that Sigrid, Mariam and Fisk are on, there were also parts of the story that caused me some stress. A young reader most likely wouldn’t be bothered by the below but as an adult, I was irked by the following:

The title doesn’t really seem appropriate. Unless this is foreshadowing for a future book, I feel it’s misleading. Sigrid’s birth rite and family history are a HUGE plot point, and the title should reflect as much.
The underlying romance felt flimsy. The pairing was to me felt unrealistic. Sigrid killed Mariam’s mare in the beginning of the story, but then uses Mariam to help her follow what she believes is her destiny and they fall in love along the way? Maybe my cynical heart imagined that Mariam would turn on Sigrid at the first opportunity to spite her.
The timeline of events once Sigrid meets Elina. Without giving too much away, the timing felt very off. Fantasy should get a little detailed and in-depth, and the plot points during that time were rushed and then drawn out in the wrong places.
All things considered, “The Valkyrie’s Daughter” is a good place to start for a fantasy novel. I hope that with the next installment, Warner keeps the level of adventure at the current high pace, but takes the time to build out the world a little deeper and structure the plot points slightly more dramatically to keep readers on their toes.

I finished the book right on time and I'm so glad that I did! From the beginning I was hooked, I instantly fell in love with Mariam and Hestur. The story included great lessons for people of all ages, and I can easily see this book being a hit.

I was slightly disappointed that there were characters who were mentioned but never appeared. I also wanted more content about Sigrid and Sleipnir's relationship. But overall, I enjoyed this book immensely and I will be recommending it to my patrons.

"The Valkyrie's Daughter has all of the elements of a superhero story. Sigrid's life may seem frustrating but deep below the surface there is a bad ass Valkyrie clawing to get out. The setting for the story takes her to the gates of Hel and back where she is beset with demands and guilt as she searches for answers to questions she doesn't even know she has. Add the spice of love and attraction and you have an adventure story that shines with Sigrid's ability to fight her way through challenges, just like a Valkyrie.

I honestly ran out of time for reading this book. It is still on my TBR list but at this time I am trying to finish up a few other books on my shelf. I may pick this up at a later date.

This book had a great premise but slightly fell through with the plot and the fleshing out of the main characters. The side characters felt more natural and were more interesting to read about than Sigrid.

As someone born and raised in Norway, I'm always looking for good Norse mythology retellings, but, again, this fell short. The world-building hinges a lot on already acquired knowledge, which seems counterintuitive to the main demographic. This results in a world that feels flimsy and struggles to advocate for and explain itself.

I want to first thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this e-arc for review. Please know there are spoilers within this review.

I really wanted to like this book. I really did. Usually even with a hard-to-read book, I can get it finished in a month or so. It's been 3 months, and this book really would make me lose interest after every chapter I read.

This book follows 16 year old Sigrid, a stable girl working for the Valkyries in Vanaheim, and longs to be one of them. When Vanaheim is attacked and the Eye of Hnitbjorg is stolen, and she sees a vision of herself riding Sleipnir, the mythical 8 legged stallion and leading the valkyries in war. Along the way, Sigrid meets Mariam who was once a Valkyrie, helping her enemy, but they both embark on a journey to save Vanaheim, but really, it was more for Sigrid to fulfill the vision she saw.

This book is very YA, and I'd actually even categorize it as Independent Read (9-12 yrs). It has some hints of a Sapphic love story, and that's a great introductory for any young reader who is learning to process feelings towards the same gender. However, my issues with this book have nothing to do with the Sapphic theme as I actually appreciated how that was written.

What I liked:
- I loved the secondary characters way more than the main character. Mariam is kind and troubled but with a big heart. Fisk is misunderstood yet funny and a good friend. Hestur, Sigrid's horse, became a favorite simply for his loyalty.
- The Sapphic interest between Sigrid and Mariam is sweet. Sweeter from Mariam's side in my opinion as I favored her more as a character.

What I disliked:
- Sigrid seemed to make a lot of decisions for personal gain until the end when she realizes that what she thought was her destiny was the wrong choice, and that is when she made the choice to help her friends.
- The relationship between Sigrid and her mother felt a little too rushed and out of place. There was no scene addressing the feelings and emotions of her absence in her life, and rather it jumps into trusting her right away and acting normally for a while until Sigrid finds out the truth.
- The writing style really took me out of the story. It felt dry and I had a hard time connecting with the characters during their turmoil or distress. Even the characters I liked, I felt no fear or sorrow. The action scenes were the same. They also felt rushed and it was difficult for me to envision them in my head.
- The author says this is a Norse Mythology retelling, but this is a very loose one. It would have been better if this was written as it being inspired by it, since the book struggles between explaining to its audience the mythological background and building the world for the reader. Especially for a younger audience, this would be difficult.

All in all, I'd say it was a good attempt, but shortly after the beginning of the book, my interest kept faltering, and that's very rare to happen with me. As of now, I have no interest in reading the next book, as the ending also didn't leave me wanting to know what happens next.

Characters: 3/5
Plot: 2/5
World building: 2/5
Overall: 2.5/5 and will give a very generous 3.

Originally didn’t give feedback because I DNF, but it’s hurting my feedback ratio, so I will say the world and main character were interesting, but I didn’t care enough to continue on because of where the story was going. I also never rate books I DNF but this makes me.

This book helped me get through a bad depressive episode and big book slump. I mean, c’mon, SAPHIC VALKYRIES??? How could I NOT be completely engaged in this book!

The Valkyrie’s Daughter is the story of orphan stable hand Sigrid, who desperately wants to be a Valkyrie. She was born almost a valkyrie, but instead of a winged horse, her companion is Hestur, a common Midgaurd horse. Sigrid wants to prove herself to the general and will do whatever it takes.

The beginning and middle of the book was great! I was invested in the world building, I enjoyed Sigrid and Mariam (Fisk was just ok to me, sorry guys). I liked the perilous journey the girls took, I liked the mythology, it was such a great book— until we got to Helheim. <spoiler> I didn’t like the battle sequences, and often felt frustrated because I wasn’t sure how everything could be solved without anyone dying. But nobody died… and Sigrid just. Returned home with the junior valkyries and… that was it. Sigrid built a secret stable for Slepneir and is just going to hide him in the woods forever. Like, GIRL, go TRAVEL, See the WORLD, you’re FREE!!!!!! </spoiler>

I hated the last 4-5 chapters but overall, I loved the book. I’m probably going to buy a physical copy of it soon.
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC!

Overall, I enjoyed this book, I'm a fan of Norse Mythology and this delivered. I liked Sigrid and her journey and her group of friends. But I also found it to be really predictable and that was a little disappointing.
If you like Norse Mythology, definitely check it out. And as a bonus, the budding romance is pretty cute too.

Wow I really feel like this book and I have been through a lot! A whole title change and everything?! I really loved the adventure and I LOVE anything based on mythology, though I was pleased that this one was based on norse mythology alternatively to greek mythology like everything else. This was a great story and a lot of fun!

This plot was slow and predictable, scenes that could have been further developed weren't where others dragged on longer than they needed to. I did not finish the book.

I was pleased very pleased with this book, it was fast-paced and entertaining. The story although not groundbreaking and the writing being very simple still kept me engaged. The characters were likable and I was all in on the slow burn, enemies to lovers, sapphic romance. It was a total underdog story, and I loved Sigrid’s growth throughout, what really stuck with me, was that although you are not in the worst situation doesn't mean you can't aspire for more, ask for respect, a chance, and go for your dreams. Another bonus point is having an animal companion with a smidge of personality, I loved the bond that Hestur and Sigrid shared. The world was interesting to explore but I wanted to see a little more. It was somewhat of an open ending, with a few questions unanswered and new questions arising. Overall, it was an action-packed book, with a fascinating world, especially if you are into Nose mythology. Would definitely recommend this and I'm kind of hoping for a sequel to tie up loose ends.

the valkyrie’s daughter is a gripping tale about sigrid, who wants nothing more than to become a valkyrie. unfortunately a vision of the future leads her down a twisted path where she discovers things about herself that complicate things. through this journey, sigrid makes friends and enemies, all while trying to save her hometown.

sigrid is a strong main character. she’s complex and loveable. she’s had an unfortunate upbringing but is headstrong and determined. over the course of the book, we’re introduced to hestur (her beloved horse), mariam and fisk. each are likeable in their own way. i have a particular soft spot for hestur. he may be a horse, but he’s full of spirit!

the research that went into this book are outstanding. as a lover of norse mythology and history, i really appreciated the lengths tiana warner went for the sake of accuracy. i particularly enjoyed how she followed the correct naming system (-dottir for so-and-so’s-daughter). real mythology has been changed to suit the novel, but this is a fictional retelling rather than a scientific article.

i particularly loved the sapphic romance that came into play later in the novel. i didn’t realise this was a LGBT+ inclusive book, and got excited when things came to fruition! (if you’re keen on tropes, you’ll love the enemies to lovers in this one!)

the plot is non stop from start to end. (nothing i love more in a book than that!!). we’re barely given time to reflect when we’ve been thrown into another intense battle. i absolutely loved the use of strong women as the valkyrie’s are fearless warriors.

all in all, this is easily one of the best books i’ve read this month. i can’t wait to read the next book and see where things go next!