A Novel (Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase) - The Valhalla Prophecy

I received a free copy of The Vahalla Prophecy from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. I've always had an interest in legends, and when I saw the title for this I really wanted to read it. It however was not what I expected, it was more action adventure, then about legends and myths. Action adventure is not something I'm really big on in books. I made myself finish the book because I received it for free, despite that it wasn't all bad.

The Vahalla Prophecy was an action packed read from start to finish. Most of the characters had a strong background in being heroic, including Eddie and Nina. In this story a Norse ruinstone is taken from a museum and Eddie and Nina are beckoned to investigate it. Then are told that the ruinstone could be the key to finding Vahalla. Vahalla where the Vikings predicted the end of the world battle would be. Now the two are racing to find whom stole the artifact before the world is doomed.

What made the novel not for me was that it was the epitome of cliches for the action genre. Even the style of writing was exactly what you'd expect, fast paced and always looking to thrill you. This in not a bad thing for most people, and it doesn't mean the book is bad, this book just isn't for me. For fans of actions and adventure, this book would be great for them.

The part on Viking culture is the main redeeming point for me. As stated before, I'm a big fan of such things. So a bit of the book was educational, and interesting. I even learned a few things I hadn't known before.

I’ve always enjoyed McDermott’s thrillers and this latest, The Valhalla Prophecy, was no exception. As usual, the action is almost non-stop, the pacing relentless. However, I’m not a big fan of flashbacks and this story relied heavily on that. At least, the author (or publisher) didn’t format those long chapters in italics, so I was glad for that. I must also note that though they were flashbacks, they still had plenty of action.

The premise was also a unique twist on the Valhalla legend. I don’t know diddly about the “true” legends so from that perspective, I couldn’t call fowl on any of his research. I had a great time and took it all at face value. It’s not like I’m going to accept his facts as historically accurate anyway. I never do in these type novels. I take all this stuff with a grain of salt and leave those that care to fret over those details. If I happen to know something is way off, I may say something but…

Anyway, I had a great time reading it though I wish the chapters and/or scenes were a bit shorter so it would’ve been easier to read during commercials. The solid third-person kept things on track with minimal to no noticeable head-hopping.

My only beef may be a setup for something further and that’s something that happened to one of the major characters at the end. I hope it doesn’t spell doom for the series. We’ll see.

Overall, a fun read and I look forward to the next one. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of The Vahalla Prophecy from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. I've always had an interest in legends, and when I saw the title for this I really wanted to read it. It however was not what I expected, it was more action adventure, then about legends and myths. Action adventure is not something I'm really big on in books. I made myself finish the book because I received it for free, despite that it wasn't all bad.

The Vahalla Prophecy was an action packed read from start to finish. Most of the characters had a strong background in being heroic, including Eddie and Nina. In this story a Norse ruinstone is taken from a museum and Eddie and Nina are beckoned to investigate it. Then are told that the ruinstone could be the key to finding Vahalla. Vahalla where the Vikings predicted the end of the world battle would be. Now the two are racing to find whom stole the artifact before the world is doomed.

What made the novel not for me was that it was the epitome of cliches for the action genre. Even the style of writing was exactly what you'd expect, fast paced and always looking to thrill you. This in not a bad thing for most people, and it doesn't mean the book is bad, this book just isn't for me. For fans of actions and adventure, this book would be great for them.

The part on Viking culture is the main redeeming point for me. As stated before, I'm a big fan of such things. So a bit of the book was educational, and interesting. I even learned a few things I hadn't known before.

I’ve always enjoyed McDermott’s thrillers and this latest, The Valhalla Prophecy, was no exception. As usual, the action is almost non-stop, the pacing relentless. However, I’m not a big fan of flashbacks and this story relied heavily on that. At least, the author (or publisher) didn’t format those long chapters in italics, so I was glad for that. I must also note that though they were flashbacks, they still had plenty of action.

The premise was also a unique twist on the Valhalla legend. I don’t know diddly about the “true” legends so from that perspective, I couldn’t call fowl on any of his research. I had a great time and took it all at face value. It’s not like I’m going to accept his facts as historically accurate anyway. I never do in these type novels. I take all this stuff with a grain of salt and leave those that care to fret over those details. If I happen to know something is way off, I may say something but…

Anyway, I had a great time reading it though I wish the chapters and/or scenes were a bit shorter so it would’ve been easier to read during commercials. The solid third-person kept things on track with minimal to no noticeable head-hopping.

My only beef may be a setup for something further and that’s something that happened to one of the major characters at the end. I hope it doesn’t spell doom for the series. We’ll see.

Overall, a fun read and I look forward to the next one. Highly recommended.

While the book was kind of interesting, it seemed that it just jumped from one impossible, dramatic escape to another. I see that this is one in a series and I kind of knew I was not going love it early on when the two main characters, Eddie and Nina were so flippant about saving the world another time. I had trouble with the idea that ancient sites with untold treasures could be found with such incredible ease. I guess I just could not suspend belief enough to really enjoy the book. Finally, there was a "twist" at the end that I saw coming hundreds of pages earlier. It is always disapointing when the twist at the end is exactly what you figured it would be. The bottom line is that this is an okay read, but nothing special. Nothing here that would get me to invest the time to read more in this series.

My Thoughts

American archaeologist Nina Wilde and her husband,ex-SAS bodyguard Eddie Chase are at it again. This time, they are trying to get to a powerful secret weapon before the bad guys can find it and use it as a weapon of mass destruction. The chase is on!

As is typical of this series, there lots of action. Nina and Eddie are such likeable characters. Both are smart, witty and dedicated to their jobs. I like how Mr. McDermott weaves Norse mythology into the fictional story line. The ending certainly has me sitting on the edge of my seat to find out what will happen to Nina and Eddie next! Just the way a good series should leave us wanting more.
Thanks to Random House-Bantam Dell, via Netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.

REVIEW: THE VALHALLA PROPHECY by Andy McDermott

A fast-moving, violence-rife, danger-filled thriller about a fascinating subject: the ancient Norse beliefs of the "end of the world": Ragnarok. The International Heritage Authority, of which series protagonists Nina Wilde and spouse Eddie Chase are essentials, is tasked to covertly investigate the theft of a priceless rhinestone from a Swedish museum's lab. With a reader's hook that is both breathtaking and horrifying, readers are propelled instantly into the plot.

I reviewed an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley for the purpose of my fair and honest review. No fees were exchanged.

Great action spy historic archeological chance story. This was book 9 in a series and from the final chapter I'm sure to look for # 10. I am not familiar with these characters but I had no trouble getting immersed in this book. Well written, a real page turner.