Secrets of Valhalla

Secrets of Valhalla #1

by Jasmine Richards

"Readers will clamor for more, especially those who loved Rick Riordan’s Norse-themed The Sword of Summer.” --ALA Booklist

Two friends awaken a world of myth and magic in this epic middle grade fantasy perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and Anne Ursu.

It’s not every day that you find a famous weatherwoman bound by magic to a tree deep in the woods. Or discover that the weatherwoman is in fact Sunna, the Norse Goddess of the Sun, and one of the seven day guardians who keep time in order. But that’s just what happens to new friends Buzz and Mary—and it’s only the start of their adventure.

Now, as the people of Earth are forced to repeat the same Saturday over and over again, Buzz and Mary must journey to collect the Runes of Valhalla and awaken the other day guardians, before vengeful god Loki can get to them first.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Mythology, Adventure, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 19, 2016

About the author

Jasmine Richards was born in London, grew up in a library, and was the first in her family to go to university. After graduating from Oxford, and following a brief stint at New Scotland Yard, Jasmine chose a career in publishing over being the next Sherlock Holmes. Today she's a senior editor at a leading British publishing house. She now lives in Oxfordshire with her husband in an old wool mill. The Book of Wonders is her first novel and she would love to know what you think about it. Her website is www.jasminerichards.com

Reviews

[Mandy Sickle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received Secrets of Valhalla in return for an honest review from the publisher HarperCollins. Buzz and Mary find the missing weatherwoman in the woods freeing her and finding out that she’s not just the weather woman but a Norse Goddess. After the encounter with Sunna things start to get a little odd like the same Saturday replays over and over for them but something is a little off with each day after the first. The only way to fix everything is to free the day guardians by collecting all the runes and to stop Loki before it’s too late.
Buzz with the help of Mary set out to collect the runes but are quickly joined by Theo one of the boys in school who’s caused trouble for Buzz in the past. They are also joined by Buzz’s Uncle Mark who happened to have a couple of the runes that had ended up at the police station. They learn that Mark and Theo are hosts for the day guardians but without the correct rune the guardian is suppressed. They travel the different worlds searching for the runes before Loki can get them. Do they have what it takes to beat Loki or will they be too late?
I like Buzz and Mary they work well together even when you add in Theo as well as Uncle Mark. It’s been a while since I’ve read a middle grade book but the characters felt more mature than I had expected but I really like it. I felt that I was really able to connect with Buzz as well as Mary. I wasn’t sure about Theo because he started out not a nice guy but at the book progressed he redeemed himself. It’s interesting seeing how the day guardian’s took over their host bodies when the time came.
My husband happened to be looking over my shoulder while I was checking out the new books on Edelweiss when I happened to land on this one. He instantly said he wanted to read it which is code for I’ll read and it and when he has time he’ll read it too. I typically don’t read a lot of Middle grade novels because sometimes they feel very immature but this one worked out better than I expected. The concept for the day guardians with the runes is very interesting and I enjoyed reading about the Norse gods because I don’t know much about them. I also liked that it’s not so much Thor is the main god but the other’s all have an important role in the story. While I haven’t read a Rick Riordan novel I am familiar with them and would suggest Secrets of Valhalla for any fans. This is my first novel by the author but I think she did a great job creating a captivating story kids as well as adults will enjoy.

[Abigail H. Leskey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Odin: In the first place, I was on that tree for nine days, not seven. How dare this mortal reduce my noble deed!

Abigail: *coughs* This book was diverting--

Jormungand: Excuse me, but I really want to say that I am straight.

Thor: You are around the world. You are not straight.

Jormungand: *sighs*

Abigail: I liked the author's versions of the misunderstood in mythology.

Loki: So did I. It was really charming of the skald to notice that my desire to end the world isn't merely random, without incitement. And she's quite brilliant to realize that I may not have had purpose to kill Baldur. Odin impaled himself, and was fine; Mimir was decapitated, and was fine; why in the Nine Realms would Baldur die because of being shot with an arrow?

Abigail: *quickly* Recommended to mythology fans.

[Lizzie Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! At first I didn't have huigh expatations exactly but it definitely passed them! I can't believe Prof is Odin! Like wait what???? And Uncle Mark is Tyr who is evil? Wow that's sad, I feel like he deserves a better god inside of him. But oh well, now they are back to their normal selves. And literally all the gods are people Buzz mostly knows! Like Theo, the Coach, and his teacher? Like wow, that's why he's special and noticed the several Saturdays. And I'm glad he got his mother back home! The epilogue was a good closure to the book. Oh! And now we know why Theo is so hateful of Buzz, it just makes sense. And I almost forgot about this but Mary is Hel? Wow.... did not see that coming. No wonder she's so smart and in one part I felt betrayed by her because I actually like her and then she sided with Loki, and then it turned all right and I still like the character. I like that particular resolve, it was a good one. And Loki and Odin made up! Hehe yessss!That was a big spoiler! Anyway I literally fangirl on every book I read.... geez, I'm crazy lol. Well, that's the end of this review!

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly what you want in a middle grade book. Action, adventure, academics.

[Erin]

Whoo! One book off the to-read list. And I read it in less than a week, something I haven't done in a while.
Exciting, with a charming premise, I did enjoy this. It was a nice change from Mere Christianity; I could read it to relax.
The one thing I would say that covers most of my critique is that it seemed too easy in some parts, both the writer and for the characters. For the author, it was too easy simply beacuse she used "easy" methods of getting the readers to feel what she wanted them to. For example (this isn't a spoiler; it happens in the first chapter), when we first meet Buzz, we immediately learn both that he's being bullied, and that his mother is missing. Pretty "easy" way to win the sympathy of the audience. Some of the twists were also fairly guess-able.
I don't think "easy for the characters" has to be explained.
Just one other criticism. It's very clear that the author want us to view Mary as "smart", so she writes that Mary knows a ton of random facts. I just thought it was a one-dimensional way to express "smart." Intelligent people don't necessarily know so much information.
Ok, I'm a harsh reviewer. But besides those things, I did like this. Just that kind of book that makes me happy.

[Anya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story about the Roman and Norse gods featuring a brilliant girl and steadfast boy. I liked that our pair failed sometimes and had to try again and it was fun learning about where the names of the days came from. Also great to see a girl with dark skin and tight braids as a main character!

[Teresa]

*e-Arc provided by Edelweiss*

[Billie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know why exactly, but it just didn't work for me. There are, in my opinion, better middle grade series about Norse mythology out there.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good, easy, fast read. I enjoyed the introduction to Norse mythology. Well-written, good pacing, and I love that it's a standalone book! Not too many of those being written nowadays.

[Lexie · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a 3.5, but I appreciate the use of Norse mythology here.

[Mr. Holt · Rating 4 out of 5]

While at first I enjoyed Jasmine Richards' take on the myth stories that most authors have overdone for years, by the middle of the book, the storyline read like all of the other novels in this genre. Sure, I was interested in the story and the characters seemed relatable, but this book felt almost exactly like the Rick Riordan series. Kids who find out that they have special mythological powers go on a quest to save the world from the evil gods and goddesses. There was certainly plenty of action and I did like how the author strayed away from the typical sarcastic humor of heavy situations that Riordan uses in his novels on the same topic. If you like action-packed stories based on mythology, then you are sure to love this first book in the series.

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buzz is unsure whether or not to befriend new girl Mary, but he has little choice when the worlds suddenly becomes trap in a Saturday loop, caused by a conflict of the Norse gods that will take the duo on a wild adventure to awaken the sleeping deities from within the townsfolk! Richards is sure to keep young readers enthralled with this magical journey full of twists and charm. Can Buzz find the strength to help Mary save the world from Loki and his terrifying beasts?

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. As a fan of Rick Riordan's books, this book was perfect. The characters and plot are well developed, but things seem to happen at lightening speed. This is a great high interest read and I think middle school kids will love it. I am looking forward to reading the next book.

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful magical book which included some Norse mythology which I did not know much about. Really like the relationships in the book between friends and between father and son.
The book had a great pace and interesting, lovely characters. Perfect children's book. I cannot recommend enough!

[West Hartford Children's Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this middle grade fantasy, two friends awaken a world of myth and magic. Filled with Norse and Roman mythology, vengerful gods. a kidnapped weatherwoman, dragons, and Friday the 13th. There's not a dull moment in this book; easy, fast, action-packed. Definitely for fans of Rick Riordan,

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buzz and Mary stumble into a mythological world when they encounter a trapped Goddesses int he forest near their home. It sets them off on a quest to find sleeping Gods and Goddesses, battle other Gods and try to save the human race who are endlessly repeating the same day. Upper Elementary.

[Amra Isaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good. I love the twist on Norse mythology that was in this book. I did feel like the whole plot was a little rushed and it could have been a little spaced out. Overall this book was good.

[Thistle · Rating 2 out of 5]

"It's not a bug, it's a feature!" The main characters (13 years old) talked like adults. That was the high point of the book for me. The story (two teens have to collect magical relics and wake the gods to save the world from Loki) just never hooked me. DNF about a third of the way in.

[Jill CD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually I will give this a 3.5 rating. Those that love adventure and mythology will enjoy this book. It was entertaining but Riordan's writing has tainted me.

[Linda C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great mix of typical teen angst, mythology, and fantasy...told with an underlying thread of the importance of family relationships and friends.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Norse/Greek mythology book! Reminds me of Percy Jackson

[Chloe Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing! It is sort of a cross between Magnus Chase and the Kane Chronicles.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Near-drowning incident
Kidnapping & captivity
Disappearance of a parent
Attempted animal murder (wolf0

[Angie Titus · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I finished this book on Friday the 13th, which amused me. (Those who have read the book will know why.) This was a cute and enjoyable middle grade adventure through mythology.

[Shelly Bergman]

dnf

[Amy Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

book

love this book so much definitely recommend to people who like mythology i didn’t even know i like it until i read this

[Madeline J. Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really, really wanted to like this book. But...It just didn't. make. sense.
Everything happened so quickly, the pacing was really weird. As soon as we reached one place/setting, and we finished processing what was happening there, we were in another, different place. We never got a chance to really explore the different gods and goddesses realms. Which is really a bummer because THEY WERE SO COOL AND CREATIVE. I wanted to spend soooo much more time at them than we actually did. (Albeit, there were some...stranger places...like the 'Cloud' where the god of the sky lives, who was eaten by this giant data worm and has been stuck there for...who knows how long...and then our main character gets eaten, and then...he gains all of the knowledge of the world? Which. Makes no sense at all, but we can roll with that, sure, why not.
The characters were...meh. Buzz (which is short for Buzzard, of course) was a fairly good main character. His motivations were relatable, and he was pretty funny. Nothing very exciting or unique about him. Mary was pretty cool, she had a funny personality, but was a bit flat. Also, this book takes place in the UK. So all of the characters have British accents (except for Mary, she's an American exchange student), which I thought was kind of cool.
This will probably sound weird coming from me, but I actually liked the parts that took place at the school. I thought it was just really funny and realistic and I kinda wish more had taken place there because it was such a well-written setting.
The ending...It wasn't bad, but it wasn't this epic, climactic battle. There was a twist, which I usually like, but this one, I just didn't really care about. In the end, it's revealed that Loki is not the man in the chair, but actually just the underling of another god, Tyr, who was actually the bad guy the whole time woooow I dunno. It fell kinda flat for me.
Overall, the beginning of this book was good, it had a great setup, interesting story, the plot was taking an interesting direction...and then the middle was just...crazy. Stuff was happening so fast and with little to no explanation before moving on to the next scene and...it was really disconcerting. By the time it was the end, I just wanted to know the outcome, not really caring very much about the characters involved. It's really sad, because this book sounded so. so. good. And I LOVED The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards SO MUCH. I guess I was just hoping this one would be as good.
Also, little side note...it's not even exclusively Norse gods. It's a mix of Roman, Greek, a whole bunch of other mythologies. I was kind of disappointed by that, it kinda ruined my suspension of disbelief. And despite the blurb, LOKI IS HARDLY IN THIS BOOK. AND I AM NOT A FAN.
3/5.

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buzz's family is falling apart. His mother disappeared months ago and his father is too immersed in his work to notice what is happening. Things take a definite turn for the strange when Buzz and his new friend Mary discover a women who had also been missing tied to a silver tree with a rope of blue fire in the woods near his house. Just before she is dragged underground by the dragon Nidhogg, they learn that her body has been taken over by the Norse goddess Sunna. Loki has come back to Earth and is now chasing down the six Day Guardians in order to take control. Buzz and Mary set off on a quest to find the Runes of Valhalla and return them to the Day Guardians in order to keep time flowing the way it should. In exciting adventure in Norse Mythology, with a smattering of Roman Mythology as well. Recommended for grades 4 & up.

[Carmen Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced enjoyable read featuring Norse (and a sprinkling of Roman) mythology.

Buzz has never had a good Friday the 13th., even with his advanced preparations, this time was no different. Friday, however, is no match for the craziness of a never-ending Saturday the 14th! Repeating over and over due to Loki's escape and subsequent capture of the goddess Sunna, it's up to Buzz and his new friend Mary to save the day.

It's an lovely afternoon read with all plot complications conveniently tied-up at the end with a nice, shiny bow. While some plot-twists could be seen coming, there are some wonderful turns and mis-directions that make for an enjoyable read. Language and pacing makes it an excellent book for young readers who enjoy a bit of adventure and mythology.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is a fast paced, action packed, suspenseful, fun, roller coaster with amazing characters. From the moment my daughter and I picked this novel up there wasn't a dull moment. My daughter didn't fight me to read it either. It's one of the best middle grade novel full of fun with real Norse mythology thrown in. It's definitely an awesome book for middle graders, young adults, and those who're young at heart, and enjoy a novel that doesn't have a dull moment, and makes you feel like you're right there experiencing everything right along side the characters!!!!!