The Valkyrie by Kate Heartfield (HarperCollins UK)

Brynhild is a Valkyrie, tasked with carrying dead warriors off to the heroes' paradise of Valhalla. She is punished when she defies her father, Wotan, the king of the gods. He strips her of her immortality and sends her to Midgard, where people live. Gudrun is a princess of Burgundy, a daughter of the Rhine and a witch, and a prize for an invading king – a king whose brother Attila has other plans. There is also Sigurd, the hero and a warrior with a sword that kills mythical monsters.

Their fates have become inextricably linked. The reader is left wondering who is the true hero and who is just a man who wants to be remembered as a hero.

The story of the Nibelungen Rings is told in a unique way here, which adds to its allure. The novel is written as a dialogue between Brynhild and Gudrun, each with their own distinct voice, and the tension between them is palpable.

A good Norse mythology-related read.

3,5/5