The Valhalla Prophecy

The description of this book was enticing. Valhalla, a prophesy, runestones,covert agents, mercenaries, racing to the ends of the earth, good guys vs. bad guys, etc. Sounded like a book with potential for a great escape read. One of the more interesting aspects of this book is that the Americans are actually the bad guys in this book which tends to be rare for this genre (and that aspect didn’t bother me – I actually thought it was somewhat refreshing). Sadly, this is the only positive comment I can make. The plot had a lot of potential but the writing style is very poor and the prose is littered with cliches. And no, I am not an English teacher or major. The “Englishman said” or “Yorkshireman said” gets tiring after a while – the author does not have a good sense of proportion around this. The major problem for me with this book was the necessity of repeatedly suspending disbelief. For example, the plot revolves around a deadly liquid called eitr that is boiling and contained within the earth. A small splash on the skin means a death sentence but breathing the vapors is harmless. Seriously? An antidote has been developed that will neutralize this eitr (apparently this is not a stoichiometric interaction since a relatively small amount of the antidote will render the eitr inactive regardless of the enormous eitr volume compared to the antidote. Furthermore, no serious attempt is made to explain how this antidote can possibly work in the first place). The eitr forms crystals that look like serpents. Fine, but the crystals get stronger with heat and weaker with the cold? Should be the other way around. Like the vapors, humans can touch the eitr crystals with no consequences! Again, hard to believe. The final battle in the novel has a cruise missile being launched by the Russians to destroy the access to the eitr. There is so much ridiculousness in this part of the novel that I won’t even bother trying to capture it. I had to laugh when the “Englishman” saves the day by screaming on the radio for the Russians to stop the cruise missile. “Abortski” Really? And why would the Russians suddenly listen to him when they previously ignored the Russian commander who told them not to send the cruise missile in the first place? And, if thats not enough, would Russia ever seriously risk nuclear war to nuke Canada? There is so much of this type of ridiculousness that it made it difficult for me to focus and enjoy the plot.

I have not read any other books by this author but I really hated his writing style. I like reading this genre so the book did keep my interest, but just barely. It is the type of book that you keep reading because you think it just has to get better at some point. Unfortunately, at the end of the novel, I regretted my decision to read the whole thing. Very unsatisfying. I don’t recommend reading unless you have absolutely nothing else to read.

Gave this book to my uncle as a gift for Christmas, and then he loaned it to me when finished and all I have to say is that it sure makes for one wild ride! Book combines both grand adventure and plenty of thrills as it bounces back and forth between present day and eight years ago as the past catches up with Eddie Chase and his wife, Nina, in their hunt for a mythological Viking relic. Not only did I love the characters, the chase scenes, and the incredible stunts, but having the historical background included as well made for a highly entertaining read much in the “Indiana Jones” fashion I enjoyed years ago. Book finishes in a cliffhanger (leaving me wanting to read more), but because this was my first exposure to the series and given other reviewers having mentioned books 1-8 are even more action-oriented it looks like I’ve got a lot of catching up to do. Great books I look forward to reading more of in the future! (And, hey, Uncle Bill, you know that book you loaned me, might you also have the first of the series?…)

It’s been a long while since the last Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase story and it was well worth the wait. This is one of the better stories of this series that has come out. It has a lot of history as usual that is in her story and a great deal of feelings put into it. I highly recommend reading this book especially if you love their exploits, because if you have read this series this is by far the best one yet since the series started. The next one should be just as great as this one because of what happens towards the end of the story which goes to show you that everyone has flaws somewhere in you and how we go on to learn to live with them and appreciate life’s finer things. Can’t wait for the next one to come out next March now and have already pre-order it. I hope you greatly enjoy reading this book and would highly recommend it to you.

Excellent book! I learned so much about Viking history, Valhalla, and the book consistently moved. Highly recommend it if you are an action-adventure junkie and like reading Matt Reilly, James Rollins, or Clive Cussler style books. And I really like that his lead character is a female with a cocky British husband who is with her all the way. Well worth the money!

Just finished THE VALHALLA PROPHECY (The Valhalla Prophecy: A Novel (Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase)). This is the 9th in Andy McDermott’s archaeology based series featuring Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase. While it is a good story, it does not come up to the standard of the previous books. Maybe it is the switching between present day events and those of eight years ago. Some times that works, but not always. There are a lot of twists and turns, and the action, as always, comes at break-neck speed, sometimes with mind-boggling intensity. Overall, not a bad story, just not as good as the previous ones. This one rates about 3.5 stars.

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