Valhalla Paperback – August 1, 2011

I really enjoyed this book. I was a bit concerned when the main character was introduced as a self-proclaimed sixteen-year-old witch, thinking this could easily stray into romantic wish fulfillment YA territory. This is not that book. Without giving away too much, she's more of the problem than the solution.I love mythology, and I especially loved seeing some of the minor Norse characters get their own stories. Although I would have loved to see even more appearances, the human characters were just so well written that I enjoyed their scenes just as much as the gods'. The plot was fast-paced (perhaps a little too fast near the end, but it led to an epic climax where I was genuinely concerned about who would live and who would die.)Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a fun, sometimes dark, sometimes funny, sometimes scary paranormal story.

I like the concept. Norse gods roaming the modern world? Moon witch? Yes please! However, it didn't pan out for me. Beyond the minor quibbles, I have two major problems with this book:One is that it seemed very young. I don't much like teenage protagonists anyway; their problems don't interest me and their ways of dealing with things are (often appropriately) juvenile. Not my cup of tea. But stories of teenagers CAN be well-written, and I just don't feel like this one was. The author seemed as young and shallow as her main character - and the supposedly adult characters did as well.(MINOR SPOILER AHEAD) My other issue is the treatment of minor characters. Innocents were called up to do battle against their will, many were maimed and killed, and no one did more than shrug their shoulders over them. We saw nothing of their friends and family, or who they were. The gods certainly didn't care for them, and the main character saw them as nothing more than fuel for her adolescent angst. Even the ones who lived were treated poorly by the story - why should Rita feel the need to atone for things she did completely against her will and outside of her control? I'm not a fan of unfairness anyway, but unfairness treated as if it were perfectly fine is really not okay.It's possible I would have liked this book if I were 13. I liked the idea; I just couldn't get on board with the execution.

This was a good introduction to Norse gods. I'm not very familiar with them and the book did a nice job of giving me a run down on who's who.Liked the concept of the book, Norse gods trying to get by in the modern world. And how some adapt, and others not so much. The interactions between the gods and the modern day people were probably the best part.The story and the characters though, were just average. It seemed to me like I wasn't getting the full story. I'm not sure if there wasn't enough background or I just wasn't getting the full picture. Also, maybe because there were so many characters, I couldn't get attached to any of them. The cat and dog seemed to have more personality than the majority of the gods/people. Or maybe I just didn't care for the gods/people narratives that the author picked. Loki, Freya, or Fenrir's point of view may have made a better vantage point for me.

This is one of those books that you just don't want to put down because you can't wait to see what happens next. It is funny in parts, scary in others, and serious when it needs to be.This unusual story-concept involves the old Norse Gods living in the modern Pacific Northwest--where they hold down mortal jobs and encounter the same problems common to all of us. But in order to get their full powers back they need to find their sacred tree and fight an ancient evil seeking to end the world. In this they are both hindered and helped by a modern young witch.I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it highly. Valhalla

Thor and Loki both have problems with handling modern technology--though for drastically different, and sometimes humerous, reasons; Heimdal needs a nap and relationship advice; Frigga wants her husband and children to act more civilized; and everyone wants to find the new Yggdrasil.He old World Tree has died; a new one grows; and the Old Gods must find and protect it to prevent Ragnarok. Meanwhile, modern technology and a naive young witch complicate their search

I anxiously purchased this book when it was released. I own another of Jennifer's books, which was very good.Then life got busy, and I didn't get to read Valhalla until recently.Valhalla was a fun read, and difficult to put down. The character development is quite good. There are a lot of characters to keep track of! The story was compelling.Hope there's a sequel.

There are those who still hold to the old gods. It was interesting to read something mixing them into the modern world. Hail the Aesir and Vanir! And you may find that true Ragnarok still in the future.

Juggling a pantheon of characters, and lending them modern personalities as well as problems, Jennifer has created a scramble through the Pacific Northwest worthy of "Portlandia." This tale is for readers who seek more than a comic book Thor, and who know - or want to learn - a bit more about Norse mythology and legends. Can't wait for the sequel!

Well written and a storyline which was both funny, exciting and sad. Strong chAracters, well described. Written from lots of the characters perspectives so you got the whole story and not just parts of it.I enjoy the old Norse stories of Vikings and Thor and was not disappointed with this one.Also I must say the editing was not bad and a few spelling mistakes which is very rare with e-books.