Sword of a Valkyrie (The Vinland to Valhalla Saga #2) by Melanie Karsak: A Book Review

Sword of a Valkyrie (The Vinland to Valhalla Saga #2)

Author: Melanie Karsak

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Publisher: Clockpunk Press

Release Date: March 13, 2025

Pages: 400

Source: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

Born hearing the call of Valkyries.

Dreaming of distant shores.

Torn between the past and the future.

Destined to become a legend.

Iceland, 985—

When Eirik the Red sailed from Iceland to journey west, everyone knew he was mad. Everyone knew Jörmungandr would swallow him and his crew whole. Everyone lost faith in him, including his wife, who turned to her Christian friends for solace.

Everyone gave up on Eirik the Red, except his daughter.

When Eirik went west, so did Brien, the man Freydis loved. But Freydis knew her father’s determination to be rich and famous was stronger than any unknown threat from distant waters. So, she began her long wait for her father—and her love.

But the Norns are cunning, and Frigga would have her vengeance.

An unexpected twist of chance leads Freydis down a path she never could have imagined. Will she be able to endure as she waits to learn of Brien’s fate?

Readers will relish this sweeping Viking saga that chronicles the life of Freydis Eiriksdottir. Dive into The Vinland to Valhalla Saga, a thrilling Viking historical fantasy series by New York Times bestselling author Melanie Karsak.

My Review: Sword of a Valkyrie is the sequel to Heart of a Valkyrie. It tells the story of Freydis Eiriksdottir, who was the sister of Leif Erikson. Sword of a Valkyrie immediately picks up where the first novel in the series ended. When her father, Erik the Red, returns without her love, Brien, Freydis wants to travel west to find him. However, Freydis encounters many challenges that prevent her from embarking on her journey. Can Freydis ever travel west to find her love?

I liked how Freydis grew into a confident priestess by the end of the first book. Therefore, I was eager to see her journey. Freydis has grown into a strong heroine. She was very strong in her beliefs and faith. She was also very determined to make her own choices. There were a few of her decisions that I did not agree with. I thought that at times that she was self-centered and reckless at times. Nevertheless, I loved her character growth, and I cannot wait to see how she will evolve in the next novel.

Overall, this book is about choices, lost love, and religion. I found all the characters to be very well-written. They seemed very complex, deeply flawed, and realistic. I loved how the author wove Norse mythology into Freydis’s story! I did think that there were some drawn out scenes that felt unnecessary in the novel. Nevertheless, Sword of a Valkyrie was an entertaining novel that kept me on the edge of my seat reading! I loved the ending, and I cannot wait to find out what happens to Freydis in the next book! I wish it came out right now! Therefore, Sword of a Valkyrie is a solid addition to The Vinland to Valhalla Saga! I recommend this for fans of K. S. Barton, A. E. Rayne, and Marissa Campbell!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki: A Book Review

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The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) by Lucinda Riley: A Book Review

The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) Author: Lucinda Riley Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Publisher: Atria Release Date: 2015 Pages: 463 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis: Maia D’Apliese and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, “Atlantis”—a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva—having been told that their beloved father, who adopted them all as babies, has died. Each of them is handed a tantalizing clue to her true heritage—a clue which takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Once there, she begins to put together the pieces of her story and its beginnings. Eighty years earlier in Rio’s Belle Epoque of the 1920s, Izabela Bonifacio’s father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into the aristocracy. Meanwhile, architect Heitor da Silva Costa is devising plans for an enormous statue, to be called Christ the Redeemer, and will soon travel to Paris to find the right sculptor to ...

Interview with Melanie Dickerson

Today, I have the honor to host Melanie Dickerson, who is not only the author of The Healer’s Apprentice , but also of her latest novel, The Captive Maiden . She is a young adult author that spins classic fairy tales into a historical and Christian perspective. I have all of her books. I am still in the process of finishing her series, but the books that I have read, I love them. I even went to her book signing to get her to sign my copy of The Healer’s Apprentice . This interview gives readers a good insight to her writing and style of her novels. I would like to thank Mrs. Dickerson for her time and cooperation with the interview and generosity to give my readers a book giveaway. 1. Can we learn from fairytales, and why do they appeal to you? Fairy tales have amazing themes, and I think we can learn from them. Most of them have some sort of moral or takeaway, a lesson we can learn. I like them, but it's hard to say what it is about them that ap...

History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

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