Melanie Karsak is one of my favorite authors so when I saw that she had ARCs available for her newest release, Heart of a Valkyrie, I immediately applied for one. Luckily, I was chosen and I’m so glad because this book was excellent. I didn’t expect anything less, though, because I always love Karsak’s work. If you’d like to read my reviews for some of her other books, you can check them out here. As for this book, as much as I’d love to spoil every detail, this review will be spoiler free.

I like to give a heat level rating for all books with romance. If you’re curious about my rating system, you can check it out here.

Synopsis:

Born hearing the call of Valkyries.
Dreaming of distant shores.
Torn between the past and the future.
Destined to become a legend.

Iceland, 976—Freydis Eiriksdottir, born to a völva mother and berserker father, lives a quiet life on her remote farmstead in Iceland. Busy dreaming of the sea and haunted by the loss of her mother, she has no idea what the Norns have in store for her. When her father, Eirik the Red, marries the daughter of a powerful chieftain, the course of Freydis’s life changes forever.

Deciding that Freydis would be better off with the gothar, Eirik sends his only daughter to serve the Norse gods. Freydis learns the ancient ways and discovers that her world is endangered—a rising new religion threatens to reshape everything.

Amidst the uncertainty, a distant land beckons Freydis. However, as Freydis forms a close bond with Brien, an Irish thrall, she confronts the harsh realities of their world.

My Thoughts:

• Rating- 
• Heat Level- 

I find books that I rate five stars to be the hardest to review, especially when I’m trying to keep things spoiler free. I truly loved everything about Heart of a Valkyrie. It is book one in The Vinland to Valhalla series, but I’m unsure how many books there will ultimately be. I’m hoping for at least three because I’m in love with this lush Viking world where the Norse gods and goddesses reign supreme.

Even though I’ve read a ton of historical fiction and fantasy, somehow I had never read anything Viking inspired, until this book. I really didn’t know what to expect, other than Karsak’s typical quality of writing, but it exceeded my expectations regardless. I have always enjoyed the way Karsak writes fantasy and romance but now I can say that I love her historical fiction just as much.

I truly enjoyed the characters in this book. They aren’t all likable but they are all intriguing. Freydis is an especially strong character. She is able to hear directly from the Valkyries and the gods but at the same time, she’s a normal girl growing into a woman. I particularly loved the romance aspect and my heart was BROKEN at the ending. It’s definitely a cliff hanger and I desperately need the second book.

Final Thoughts:

Melanie Karsak has secured her place as a must read author for me. She has written many other books in the Viking world and I do plan to read those this year. If you’re looking for a well written Norse historical fantasy, I can’t recommend this one enough. I’d love to know if this book sounds interesting to you! Thanks for reading and have a great day!