I was very excited to read this book after I read the synopsis and saw the cover. This would be a book that I would see in a store and buy simply for the pretty cover and intriguing synopsis. The storyline is great and the concept behind the book leads you into a story that starts great and somehow declines, picks up again, then declines again. It seemed to be a rollercoaster of events that were just put together in some semblance of order and at times felt slightly disjointed. The characters are somewhat relatable but not fully developed. The world building could have been a bit more detailed. I did feel that the ending was left open to either a sequel, trilogy, or series. I would read a second or third to simply follow along to see how far it could go.

Thanks to Entangled Teen and the author for this NetGalley eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This started off really strong and I loved the depiction of the Norse worlds. The main character, Sigrid, is likeable and I always have a soft spot for any F/F book. However, I just found that as it went on, the stakes were never high enough - I never felt truly scared for the characters or needing to know what happened next. Three stars for me is still a good rating, and that’s because there were lots of things I liked about this, but I think I’ve learned for myself that I need to stay away from YA. If you love YA fantasy and YA queer stories I would 100% recommend this!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

This was pretty good! Sometimes the pacing felt off and a little rushed, but I liked the characters and the mythology. I would recommend giving this a try!

This was a fantastic read, I would sell it to teens as Rick Riordan style mythology meets The Scorpio Races with a kick butt female heroine and LGBTQIA representation. This is perfect for those who want a more grownup or teen option after years of reading Percy Jackson. I can’t wait for more of this series.

The Valkyrie's Daughter
by Tiana Warner
Fantasy Mythology
Middle School
NetGalley ARC

Sigrid is an orphan. As an infant, mysteriously appeared alongside the infant Valkyries, but instead of a winged mare at her crib, a plain horse slept at her feet. If she hadn't been in that nursery, she and her horse would've been considered common, but she was granted the life of a stable hand, there to care for the winged mares of the Valkyries. But her dream was to fly as one of them and protect her lands, and all of the nine realms.

During an attack on her home, Vanaheim, Sigrid touches a seer's stone and sees not the future she imagined, atop of a winged mare, but riding Odin's mythical stallion.

Not a bad story, but it was slow, I had to force myself to read it. It's written in a simple form. Simple words and descriptions, though not bad. The foreshadowing took a lot away from a build-up of action and suspense. Basically, it was as if I read the last few chapters after the first three and then went back to read the rest of the book. I knew what was going to happen so all that was left for the story was what happened to get there.

The characters were developed, though not all of them well. The dark elf Fin(?) seemed to be the only character not completed. Even though he was important to the story, the lack of his development made it feel as if he wasn't important at all, only there in passing. But maybe that's for the next book.

This is the first book of a series, but probably not one I'll continue.

2 Stars

This is the first book I have read by Tiana Warner, but It definatly will not be the last. I read this in one sitting, the story was excellent and I did not want it to end. The detail description of the surroundings and the journey the girls went on, was very descriptive and you could imagine being there alongside them. The explanation of their different backgrounds and how each were left feeling, is great for a certain age of readers also. A thoroughly enjoyable book and highly recommended. I received an early copy of this book, for my unbiased review.

The Valkyrie’s Daughter is an imaginative, fun fantasy story loosely inspired by Norse mythology, with a side of sapphic romance.

Sigrid is a stablehand with a regular horse who longs to be a valkyrie, a female warrior with a winged mare. When she’s caught up in an ambush, she sees a vision of her own destiny: riding past the gates of Hel to retrieve a powerful amulet. To get there, she has to befriend Mariam, an enemy valkyrie.

Although this one is classed by the publisher as Teen/Young Adult, it read quite young to me. I’d put it on the lower age range of YA or maybe even Middle Grade. At first, I found it hard to get into for this reason — it was a bit too straightforward and simply written to draw me in — but once I put myself in the mind of myself as a horse-crazy girl at age 13, I enjoyed The Valkyrie’s Daughter SO very much.

The romance between Sigrid and Mariam is very sweet and well-earned, and I loved the friendships and character growth in this one. The different mythical worlds are fun to experience, and Warner propels the reader between well-plotted action scenes. Warner obviously loves horses and knows a lot about their personalities and care.

At times, the moral of the story and the lessons Sigrid learns are spelled out a bit too obviously, which is part of what makes this book feel young to me. But I enjoyed the time I spent in Sigrid’s world and look forward to a sequel.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for my review copy of this book.

3.5 stars rounded up.
Norse mythology and sapphics? Yes, please!
The Valkyrie's Daughter is a beautifully woven story featuring characters with big dreams, animal companions and action-packed journeys.
I enjoyed following Sigrid's journey and witnessing her personal growth over the course of the story. Her bond with Hestur was beautiful, and I found the slowburn romance very sweet.
I was less fond of the dialogue, which at times felt much too modern for a novel set in a Norse world (some elements of worldbuilding also contributed to that feeling).
While I loved the characters, their development often felt rushed and unsatisfactory, giving the impression that they weren't fully fleshed out.
The ending was satisfactory and wrapped up the story well.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review

Instead of being paired with a winged horse at birth like the other valkyries, Sigrid showed up in the nursery with a plain brown horse from Midgard and no parents to claim her. While her history may bar her from joining the valkyries, it hasn’t stopped her from training in secret. When her home is attacked, Sigrid sees an opportunity to finally prove herself.

This is a fast-paced, action-packed story perfect for readers who love YA, Norse-inspired fantasy, and non-explicit romance. Warner does a great job of capturing sweet but classically awkward teenage first love. The writing is accessible and even though this is a big book, it will fly by.

Thank you to Tiana Warner, Entangled Teen, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings: violence, animal cruelty

I should start this by saying I didn't realise this was YA when I requested it so my expectations were way off from the get go. While the writing was good, I am most definitely not the target audience for this book as it leaned towards the lower age range of YA, perhaps even upper Middle Grade. I would easily recommend this to my much younger self as it was a decent read plus I really liked how inclusive it was and the mythology elements to the story. It wasn't for me however I am giving this four stars as I really think a younger audience would enjoy this book immensel.y.

Buckle up and get ready to charge into a adventurous Sapphic valkyries and Norse Mythology novel filled with descriptive landscapes, enchanting fantasy elements and fierce badass Valkyries.

This book is perfect for you if you enjoy any of the following:
📍Norse Mythology
📍Valkyries
📍Queer MC
📍Underdog story
📍Enemies-to-lovers
📍Animal companions
📍Slow burn romance

We follow Sigrid, an orphan and stable hand who with everything in her wants to become a great Valkyrie. Without a horse her dream seems less likely every day, until one day the Eye reveals to her a vision of who she is to become, hope is sparked and she sets out to fulfill everything she was shown. With a threatening attack on Vanaheim that results in Sigrid killing a mere of an enemy valkyrie. This enemy, Mirriam is tasked to bring Sigrid to Helheim after the incident and Sigrid accompanies her while setting out to fulfill the vision she was given.

The story gave me a lot of Percy Jackson elements which I loved, I also enjoyed the immense growth Sigrid went through as a character. Mirriam was an absolute compassionate sweetheart, and I love the contrast between her and Sigrid and yet how well they fit together. I am also a sucker for a slow burn so this was right up my alley. It was jam packed with beautiful descriptive scenery and adventures and I can honestly say there wasn’t a moment I was bored.
I think my favorite part of the book was Sigrid’s relationship with her horse Hestur and the beautiful bond they shared.


Overall it was a good book, I think I might have enjoyed it more if it wasn’t YA, but as an adult reader I still found it enjoyable enough.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this ARC.

A Sapphic YA fantasy as described by the author's promotional materials, this book lives up to the claims. There is an awareness if the pitfalls of the tropes used which I appreciated. What the book lacks in refinement, it provides with the Norse mythology references. It's an enjoyable read.

Thank you, Entangled: Teen, for allowing me to read The Valkyrie's Daughter early!

This Norse-mythology-infused sapphic fantasy was definitely a thrilling reading experience, action- and emotion-packed, I loved seeing Sigrid's development and her blossoming feelings for the treacherous Valkyrie Mariam. I will undoubtedly recommend this to students.

This book was a fun, easy read and I liked it quite a bit. I would definitely like to read other books by this author. The only piece I'd like to mention is at times the pacing felt a little off, but the writing was still well done.

I am a big fan of Norse Mythology, so I was very excited by the premise of this book!

I give the premise of this book 4 or 5 stars. I love that the focus was on Sigrid trying to figure out who she was and where she belonged. She has big dreams and yearns for more, and by the end realizes she's right where she's supposed to be. I also loved the idea of Sigrid and Mariam together. Unfortunately, the writing just didn't execute the story as well as I had hoped it would.

The book has so much going for it--Valkyries, visions, Norse mythology brought to life! But it felt as if the author went very surface level with everything. The battle scenes were very repetitive, and everything that happened on the journey felt very convenient and didn't give me any surprises as a reader.

Sigrid and Mariam's relationship didn't feel fully flushed out to me, though I love a good enemies-to-lovers trope. I would have liked to see the author dig more into most of the characters so the reader really felt involved with them and their stories.

While it may not be for me, I appreciate what the author was trying to do and the representation this story offers.

First off, a big thank you to both the Author and NetGalley for allowing me first access to this incredible story.

This book was soo good. As someone who loves anything to do with Norse Mythology and Vikings, this was right up my alley. The story begins with Sigrid, a stable hand, who is the lost amongst the world of high-flying Valkyries, with only her Midgard horse- Hesture, she finds herself stuck in a life she knows she's better than. In this life, she's bullied, and held down by bother her peers and superiors. It's not until her home is attacked and a precious artifact is taken that we get to follow s Sigrid as she goes on an epic journey to not only retrieve the stolen stone, but unveil the truth of her past while finding both love and friendship along the way. I plan to purchase this once it becomes published, I found it appropriate for YA and older adults alike.

"The Valkyrie's Daughter" by Tiana Warner is the story of Sigurd an orphan in Vanaheim who wishes to join the Valkyrie's but faces many obstacles.

I would give "The Valkyrie's Daughter" by Tiana Warner a 3-star review because, 1; I love Sigurd 2; the main character reminds me a lot of one of my favorite video game characters 3; I love the action and Norse concepts of the book but 4; something about this book just didn't get along with me.

All I had going on in my head while reading this book was The Pirates of the Caribbean theme song, and it was a wildly good time. The first 20% of the book was a bit chewy and little bit hard to get into, but the story begins to flow super amazingly especially when Sigrid means Elina. Also this story was so gay!! Wish I had this back in my little questioning days. By the end I was sprinting through pages because I was so invested. Book 2 now plz!!

3.5 stars! (coming out May 3, 2022!!!)

**Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

~PETITION! Please change the cover back to the original blue one with the woman warrior on it! It looked so awesome and unique. Unfortunately, the current yellow cover is not one I would pick up :(

Pros
+ SAPPHIC MYTHOLOGICAL HORSE GIRL ENERGY
+ Canadian author
+ LGBT+ rep: lesbian
+ themes: Norse mythology, valkyrie legend, horse girls, proving your worth, loyalty, bravery, strength, destiny/fate vs. choice
+ Sigrid: a highly-skilled equestrian who is one of the valkyrie stable hands
+ plot: Something important is stolen away to Helheim (Hel) and Sigrid must team up with the thief, Mariam, on the journey to recover it and fulfill her destiny.

Neutral
/ This is shelved as YA, which IS appropriate. However, many YA novels these days are skewed older in themes/writing style. This is NOT the case with this book. If anything, I'd say the writing is lower YA, nearer to middle grade almost. (It probably isn't appropriate for middle grade since it has battle scenes.)

Cons
- The breadcrumbing in here is as subtle as a hammer. But, again, that might fit the lower-YA target audience better than a 31yo lady (me).
- The character relationships are VERY dramatic, in a near-hyperbolic way. Again, can't tell if I would have loved that when I was 13 or not... it's been a while.
- The battle in Hel essentially happens 3 times, in the exact same way... It felt a bit repetitive and I wished it had been executed differently.

TW: child abandonment, animal cruelty, animal death, death, bullying

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. Over the past couple months I keep picking it up but I just can't keep myself interested. The start was very slow which some people enjoy I sadly am no one of those.