The Unbroken Line of the Moon (Valhalla Book 1)

I loved this book so much. The characters are very well developed. I really enjoyed reading a book with strong female characters. I didn't find the plot predictable and loved not knowing what would happen next. There were a few times I thought "Why did she/he do that?" which doesn't happen to me very often. The gods showing up in this book made it magical in a very good way. I loved that they prayed to something that was there, in the book. You, as the reader, see what they see when the gods responded or replied. If there's going to be another one in this series, I will gladly buy it. My only struggle with this book was pronouncing names and places. I could've looked up all the pronunciations but I didn't and found myself fumbling through that part. That's my fault though :) Read the book!

Anyone that loves history will love this story ! Told from the girls coming of age , finding love and becoming a wife and mother ! Loving one man but being forced to marry another ! This heroine is a strong and very smart woman , she can over come all obstacles that come her way ! Cannot wait for the next book this saga is clearly not over yet !

I entered into the community in this book and found I wanted to see what happened next. Pretty violent, and graphic, but I jumped over a lot of that. Was very sad when it ended and I found I have to wait til October for book 2....I believe this was a free prime book, and it was a good selection.

I found this historical fiction book riveting. Great character development and wonderful weaving of history with fiction. The book gave me a lot to think about with respect to the emergence of Christianity and its impact on other religions that were deeply ingrained in the cultures and societies of the time. The politics and the drivers behind the politics are well represented and explained which gave me more insight to the similarity of today's culture. I highly recommend this book.

I loved all the old viking folklore and action that the author packed into the book. It was like reading an episode of the Vikings TV show, and you were never quite sure where the next betrayal would pop up to kill off a character. Look forward to reading more of her books as they are translated into English. Wish I was fluent in Norwegian to read the original copies.

To be fair, a love story wrapped in Norse fantasy is not my thing. I am interested in Norse mythology however and that was the draw. The writing is ok. The plot is ok. I suspect if violent fantasy and romance are two genres that appeal to you it will be a satisfying read. For someone who is more partial to realism and classic literature, I just could not become absorbed by this Norse fantasy romance.

Lots of great Viking lore and knowledge here, mixed with a little magic and lots of graphic Vikings doing what Vikings did. It's not for the timid or faint of heart, but a great read. The words flow beautifully for a translation. I can't wait for another in this series to be translated!

I love historical fiction of all kinds and if the writing is good, then that is all you can ask. I am odd in being a woman who thoroughly enjoys historical fiction of the Vikings era and this particular author seemed to understand how to write this era for all people. You have to expect violence in these books, but this was neither over the top nor gratuitous. Very good read overall.

Enjoyable. I have been watching Vikings on Netflix and between that show and this book I think I want to become one. It is graphic but not gratuitous - it was what I supposed life would have been like in the day - brutal and hard. I liked it enough that I pre-ordered the second edition - was all excited that it was coming out in November - 2017. Physce! I am looking forward to it.

This book gave me a whole new undertanding of the Vikings, their religion and culture. The story is infused with romance, religion, war, which makes it fast paced. Some parts are very brutal and difficult to read, but I became very invested in the characters and wanted to find out what happened. I definitely want to read the next book in this series.

I loved this book. Generally I like fantasy. Viking/Norse god stuff appeals to me too but what I like about this book in particular is how finely it treads the line between real and not real. Though the characters often have fantastic experiences that seem to reflect divine favor, it is almost *just almost* possible that they are just bold and maybe even crazy and in the face of such passion they accomplish things that would be impossible for less interesting characters. The sex sometimes gets violent though - not a problem for me but may be for others. I will say that in my opinion the violence was less Game-of-Thrones style-lets-just-throw-it-in-there and more relevant to the actual plot, but your views may differ.

Set in pre-Christian Scandinavia, the story is full of detail about the places, leaders and way of life of the people who followed the old ways, their feuds, battles, rituals and ceremonies. Just what I needed to take my mind off the mundane hamster wheel of modern life!

well done, with the exception of finding it hard to read modern day terms for ancient things but that aside; looking forward to the next book to follow. This will be a great series (?) to have ready for the colder weather about to come. If you're following the Vikings series on TV, have a bigger taste of how it was to be a part of these ancient times!

I received this book as an advanced reader copy to review. I loved it. I couldn't, wouldn't and didn't want to put it down until I had devoured every word. I will of course now have to read every word that Johanne Hilderbrant has ever written.

I enjoyed reading this tale of Vikings long past. The characters pulled the reAder into a tale of heartache, love, war, and treachery in a world long gone. Live through the Viking tale in this engrossing and well written book. I look forward to the next book in this series, finding out what happens to the various players introduced to the reader.

I loved learning about how the Scandinavian people might have worshipped their gods and the story and characters were good. But the writing felt stark, bereft of descriptive language. Not sure if it was the translation or that's just how the original writing was. I don't regret reading it but I didn't love it enough to give a higher rating.

Well written story about the vikings and their beliefs. A story that dropped the reader into fierce battles, political intrigue, and great ambition. All set when Christianity was trying to defeat viking gods. Our heroes are young, ambitious and oh so crafty. You can not help but cheer them on!

I reallllly wanted to like this book. I love Viking/Norse history and myth. The author just tries to hard and the book comes off sluggish and heavy handed. I kept trying to force myself to read more, but I finally just gave up, which is not normal for me. I am glad this book was free or else I'd be mad I'd wasted my money on it.

This is a very adult and authentically captivating book. The voice of the author, who is Swedish, is strong and matter-of-fact. She conveys
the Viking philosophy of life and death expertly. If you are a fan of the History Channel's VIKING program you will like this book. This is not
a typical piece of romantic fiction.

This book has vivid action and enduring characters.... it's full of magic and mystery.. I could not predict what was going to happen. I loved the Norse mythology and setting descriptions.. I will try to read more books in the series. It is an adult book.

Overall a good read. The exploration by the author of the conflict between existing religions and Christianity is quite interesting. However, when the heroine and the hero finally have the chance for the narrative o bring them together, the book ends. Perhaps there is a sequel and I am not knowledgeable of it :).

The book was a little tough getting started, reminded me a lot of the beginning of Harry Potter. The names were all strange, hard to pronounce, you don't recognize the country's or tribes. But turned out the book was well written and I didn't want it to end. It says book 1 so I'm gonna look for book 2.

An epic beginning to a trilogy richly written with Norse folklore, religion, and history. I couldn't put it down! Its definitely more fantasy than historical fiction, but in the same tradition as the tales of King Arthur. It moves quickly, has a lot of action, intrigue, and myth. I will look forward to the English translation of the other two books, but I also think this story stands well on its own.

Content Warnings:
Gory violence, Rape, Incest, Child Prostitution, and a strongly anti-Christian/Catholic (but really more anti-colonization) historical perspective.

The book was a little tough getting started, reminded me a lot of the beginning of Harry Potter. The names were all strange, hard to pronounce, you don't recognize the country's or tribes. But turned out the book was well written and I didn't want it to end. It says book 1 so I'm gonna look for book 2.

An epic beginning to a trilogy richly written with Norse folklore, religion, and history. I couldn't put it down! Its definitely more fantasy than historical fiction, but in the same tradition as the tales of King Arthur. It moves quickly, has a lot of action, intrigue, and myth. I will look forward to the English translation of the other two books, but I also think this story stands well on its own.

Content Warnings:
Gory violence, Rape, Incest, Child Prostitution, and a strongly anti-Christian/Catholic (but really more anti-colonization) historical perspective.

This is great historical novel about Vikings which is a theme that's always fascinated me. I enjoy the Viking tv series & it was cool to read this & Google facts along the way. Aside from all that though this is a great adventure with ancient mythology, mysticism, valkaries & witches. I can't wait to read the next one.

Entertaining read, detailed norse gods tied to the story. I was a bit confused on what was religious fervor, supernatural experiences or mental problems, but if you can just let go and enjoy the story its pretty good stuff. I had to stop being so analytical, once I did I enjoyed the book.

Admittedly, I have always been fascinated by Viking stories and history. So, I bit on the free download. Overall, I found the book to be a fun read, and I am looking forward to the next book to see what happens to the main characters.

Unlike other reviewers, I didn't find the violence or sex in the book overly gratuitous or violent, given the context of the story. But, if somewhat graphic descriptions of either of these subjects is not your thing...you may want to either pass on the book...or just skip through them.

This was an amazing book! Unlike other reviews that I'd read prior to reading this about sexual content and violence, I don't think it was too much. I think it fit the book exactly as it should have. Although it was quite tragic at times I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and learning the history of the culture

This is a beautifully written story telling of life, family, honor, faith and love. The story of a young girl born into a line of women descended from a god she becomes of woman of strength, honor and faith worthy of her lineage.

Loved this book, hope there is another book in the works can't wait to find out what happens next.
Vikings, God's, Goddesses, and romance.
Great characters, solid story, I really enjoyed it all.
Cheers

The book was pretty exciting with plots and subplots. However it was hard to root for the hero and heroine because of his desires (to get what he wants) and her lies all in the name of her religion. Many parts were quite brutal as well.

A beautiful tale woven around the life of a Nordic princess, married off to save her people. The rich mythology and intricate politics of the time lend a captivating background to this world of war, terror, and love.

I don't so much mind graphic descriptions of evil acts if they serve some literary purpose but this just seems to be "shock the Christians for publicity". The author seems to be hung up in this and wasn't getting around to telling a story so I just moved on.

This book was an easy read and quite enjoyable. The characters were well developed and the plot flowed smoothly. There were several twists and surprises that kept your attention to the end. I look forward to reading more by this author.

This book was an exciting read. So much always going on. The only reason I left off one star was because I thought the romance could have been explored more and I really had problems keeping up with the terminology and the names.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting a look into the lives of ancient Scandinavians. Reading how their spiritual beliefs were practiced and the faith that was foremost in Sigrid's personal journey moved me. I hope more of Ms. Hildebrandt's work is translated into English!

It has a strong female character that comes into her adulthood and sets the stage for that unresolved love that she finds along the way. It is set in the early Norse lands, in those times when those believing in the old gods and their ways battle the new religion of Christianity. It is fierce,feudal and a fascinating book to read.