Valkyrie Rising

Viking Blood and Blade Saga, Book 5

By: Peter Gibbons

Narrated by: Paul Metcalfe

If you like Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden, Simon Scarrow, and David Gemmell, you will love this Viking adventure saga packed with battles, vengeance, blood, and gore.

878 AD, Norway. The fight to secure Harald Fairhair’s throne is over, but one last battle sends a crew of Viking Warriors on a desperate, blood-soaked quest.

Hundr, a Northman with a dog's name...a crew of battle hardened warriors...and a voyage that will determine the fate of Ragnarok itself.

The crew of the warship Seaworm sail the Whale Road across Viking Europe in search of a spear said to have been forged for Odin himself. Ragnhild, Hundr’s sword-sister and Valkyrie Priestess, must recover the mythical weapon if she is to be restored to her order. The Burned Man stands in their way, a vicious warlord bent on vengeance who will stop at nothing to kill Hundr and his old friend Einar the Brawler.

Hundr must join the war for King Alfred’s nascent Kingdom of England and venture home, to the great city of Novgorod. Can he survive brutal attacks and vicious shield wall battles in this fast paced adventure with striking characters and bloodthirsty action?

Valkyrie Rising continues the unmissable Viking historical fiction saga series which began with award-winning author Peter Gibbons' debut novel Viking Blood and Blade.

©2023 Peter Gibbons (P)2023 Peter Gibbons

Disappointing

I feel that this story is rushed always going to a theme demonstrated throughout the other four. This may have been tolerable if not for the narrator. I’m am disappointed that one found him fine to rush to get this narrated I would have preferred a wait for a decent one if none had been available

Narrator ignorance

I listened to all of the previous books and the narrator was changed for this one. My objection is not because I can’t deal with the change but rather that he, almost purposely, mangles common pronunciation of words and adopts a halting accent that sounds like a Scandanavian person who barely speaks English. What does it take to listen to do a little research and know that a letter “J” is pronounced like a “Y”? At least pronounce names consistently with the narrator of the previous books.

Good book but…..

I really enjoy this series of books. I think they’re very well written. This one however I did not care for the narrator. He kept mispronouncing words and it was kind of bothering me.
The story however it was great the characters are awesome. I just preferred the guy that read the first few books.

Just ok

The story was not as good as the rest of the series, but it was ok. The narrator was pretty bad.

Worst of the 5, but still good

SPOILER: the first and third book were completely devoted to Hundir finding Love, but it escaped him. Again, 2 whole books! Then book 5 starts out with him in love…. No story about it. No background. Just he’s in love and she loves him back. A minor detail. Geez!!! Come on man! All of us are diehard Hundir fans and you start the book like it’s no big deal, he and Sigrid are in love?! Super disappointed in that.

Otherwise though still a great book. Narrator was fine, don’t understand the complaints about that. Just the story was the weakest of the 5 books so far. A great read but lacked the usual attention to detail the other books have.

awesome

great series! 3 more to go and it is great . love this series I'm 5 books deep in a week

Great book

It’s a good book. Love the story line. Only thing that I thought wasn’t as good was the narrator. Like the original better.

Gripping Saga

Valkyrie Rising is yet another exciting addition to Peter Gibbons’ Viking saga, and it certainly does not disappoint. Hundr, the man with a dog's name, returns once again, navigating the harsh realities of Viking life alongside his loyal crew. Gibbons continues to craft a world that feels deeply rooted in Norse mythology and history, and Valkyrie Rising is no exception.

I was immediately drawn in by how Gibbons weaves historical and mythical elements together. The quest to retrieve Odin’s spear adds a thrilling new dimension to the storyline. The mix of gritty Viking battles, historical intrigue, and subtle mythical elements is exactly what keeps me coming back to this series.

However, a couple of things caught me by surprise. Hundr, who we’ve followed through many trials, suddenly begins this book in love—without much backstory or build-up, he’s deeply in love. Given how much time and effort was spent on Hundr’s personal journey in previous books, this development felt a bit rushed. For a character we’ve grown so attached to, such a monumental change could have used more depth. That said, as this isn’t a romance novel, it doesn’t significantly detract from the overall enjoyment of the story.

On the positive side, making Einar's foster son more central was a welcome surprise, adding another layer of complexity and intrigue to the tale. I was happy to see this "new" character take center stage alongside familiar faces like Einar the Brawler and Ragnhild. Gibbons truly excels at creating memorable, layered characters that leap off the page (or out of the speaker, in my case).

Regarding the narration, I understand some listeners’ concerns about the change in narrator. It did take some time to adjust to the new voice, and while the delivery wasn’t quite as sharp as in earlier books, it didn’t detract significantly from my enjoyment. The strength of the story carried me through.

In summary, Valkyrie Rising is a worthy continuation of the Viking saga. While not without its minor flaws, it remains an excellent read that fans of Viking historical fiction will appreciate. Peter Gibbons has once again proven himself a masterful storyteller, and I eagerly await what comes next.

Great story not so great reader

Loved the book, excellent addition to the series. Whyyy did they have to change to this new reader? His voices for the characters made them all sound drunk and slow and he constantly mispronounced names and words.

narrator ruined the whole series for me.

I love the series, the narrator is almost arrogant in his refusal to pronounce norse words correctly though. seriously distracting.