The Valkyrie's Daughter

Helheim Prophecy, Book 1

By: Tiana Warner

Narrated by: Suzy Jackson

For as long as Sigrid could remember, she’s wanted to become a mighty, fearless valkyrie. But without a winged mare, she’s a mere stable hand, left wondering who her parents were and why she’s so different. So when the Eye shows her a vision where she's leading a valkyrie charge on the legendary eight-legged horse Sleipnir, she grabs the possibility of this greater destiny with both hands, refusing to let go.

Too bad that the only one who can help her get there is Mariam, an enemy valkyrie who begrudgingly agrees to lead her to Helheim but who certainly can’t be trusted—even if she does make Sigrid more than a little flustered. As they cross the nine worlds, battling night elves, riding sea serpents, and hurtling into fire to learn the truth about Sigrid’s birthright, an unexpected but powerful bond forms. As her feelings for Mariam deepen into something fiery and undeniable, Fate has other plans for Sigrid. What happens when the one thing you think you were meant to do might end the nine worlds?

©2022 Tiana Warner (P)2022 Recorded Books

Norse mythology rewritten but in a good way!

My first experience with Tiana Warner was Fan to Forever, a wish-fulfillment book that may not qualify as "good" but is fun just makes me happy. To see something with more meat intrigued me and I'm so glad I read this series and I eagerly await the next book.

Yes, this is a young adult story with a teenage protagonist, Sigrid is 16. Yes, she's incredibly indecisive. Yes, her indecisiveness can be vexing. May I reiterate: she's 16. She has her first crush and isn't quite sure how to act or what to do about it. She wants more out of her life, knowing she's destined for greatness and doubts herself along the way. She falls for obvious traps in the hopes of fulfilling childhood wishes of a loving family. She's devastated when she realizes it's all a lie. She gets exactly what she wants and then backtracks, wanting none of it. She's 16.

Warner captures the insanity of being 16 within a story as equally tumultuous. The only grounding for Sigrid is the loyalty of Hestur, her beloved gelding (Hestur is the bestest boy and deserves all the apples); Fisk, a dark elf ally; and Mariam, her enemy-turned-ally-turned-crush.

Fantastic story, easy to relisten to, and worth the time.

The start of an epic trilogy

The Valkyrie's Daughter begins where many coming of age stories do, with a young woman who is dissatisfied with her life and thirsting for more. However, this common feeling quickly becomes anything but common as valkyries, elves, and hell hounds all get caught up in the fight for power within the realms. The protagonist quickly finds herself significantly deeper in the thick of the action than she might have expected and paired with quite an eclectic assortment of companions.
The warrior woman theme takes on a more realistic view, less Xena and Amazons, and more fear and bravery. Much as the author did in her Ice Massacre mermaid series (which I highly recommend), she portrayed a youthful warrior fighting for a greater cause but feeling quite realistic – a woman the reader can relate to and a trope-breaking, gender-unlocking, good role model for young women and teens.

The plot is initially deceptively simple, quickly becoming more complex and less linear. The characters are drawn out with personality and backstory, each having unique and interesting quirks. The masked character is my favorite side character, being unique and amusing. The action and pacing are pretty consistent, but the story is more focused on the existential experience of the characters than the action.

LGBTQIA+ representation (including transgender) is a major theme but not overly dwelled upon. Rather, LGBTQIA+ characters are just part of society and not singled out for this aspect. The book is very female-centric, with male characters, either background or secondary. There are also a refreshing number of older women characters (another group who often don't find enough representation). Tropes are not significant. Violence is suitable for a teenager, with plenty of action but little in the way of gore or adult themes.
Tiana Warner has begun yet another quality epic!

Side Note: I'd highly recommend the Mermaids of Eriana Kwai, a trilogy from the same author. Anyone who enjoys The Valkyrie's Daughter should enjoy the mermaid trilogy, too.

An enthralling tale

I enjoyed the twists, turns, and suspense of this tail. Great world building and story telling.

Lost me sometimes

Good concept, though it struggled to hold my attention at times. I usually prefer adult novels, but one of my favorite series is YA (when women were warriors). I fell asleep at some of the more “action packed” parts.

A thrilling mis(fit)adventure

I absolutely loved this band of misfits and all of their adventures. I'm a huge mythology fan and the valkyries are some of my all-time favorites. When I heard there was a lesbian romance book about valkyries, I picked it up immediately, and I was not disappointed in any way. I loved the twists and turns the story took, the danger, the heroism, the loss, the devastation, the love... This book was so great and I absolutely cannot wait to start the second one.