jeudi 28 avril 2011

Review of Valhalla, young adult fiction by Jen Willis

Bewitching tale for young (and not so young) adults.

This one is seriously great fun!

Valhalla, by Jen Willis

In this hugely entertaining fantasy tale, Jen Willis presents a magical and bewitching brew of a well intentioned teenage witch; displaced Viking gods forced by loss of power to work in the human realm as strip club doormen and photocopier repair men; heroic gay biker gangs and an epic battle to save the world.

The novel is perfect for the young adult market, for those who grew up on the tales of Harry Potter and who are now hungry for something a little different, but equally compelling and magical. Ms Willis’s writing is exceptional, fluent and engaging, managing to weave a fantasy world that really fires the reader’s imagination and makes the impossible seem believable. A healthy dose of humour runs throughout the book, and this is never more successful than in the bizarre but brilliant concept of the great gods of Viking mythology sending text messages on their mobile phones, or the murderous Beserker warriors gaining strength to fight by devouring huge supplies of pizzas, cheesey puffs and burgers.

Beyond this, the author clearly knows her mythological stuff, and has created the story and its characters through meticulous research. Most impressive.

If there are young adults you want to treat to something special, give them a copy. Better still, whatever your age, treat yourself to one too. I haven’t had such fun reading for ages, and am still finding it hard to drag myself out of this magical world and back to the mundane one in which I live.

1 commentaire:

  1. Joanna:

    Thanks for taking the time to review my ebook and for posting your thoughts. I'm so glad you enjoyed the read! I'm working on two more ebooks that I hope to release this summer -- "Witches Brew," set in Richmond, VA; and "Iduna's Apples," volume 2 in the "Valhalla" series.

    Thank you again for such a lovely review -- cheers!

    -- Jennifer

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