SUMMARY:
When the fate of the
world is at stake
Loyalties will be tested
Game of Thrones meets Blade Runner in this commanding new YA fantasy inspired by Norse Mythology from New York Times bestselling author Amanda Hocking.
As one of Odin's Valkyries, Malin's greatest responsibility is to slay immortals and return them to the underworld. But when she unearths a secret that could unravel the balance of all she knows, Malin along with her best friend and her ex-girlfriend must decide where their loyalties lie. And if helping the blue-eyed boy Asher enact his revenge is worth the risk—to the world and her heart.
Loyalties will be tested
Game of Thrones meets Blade Runner in this commanding new YA fantasy inspired by Norse Mythology from New York Times bestselling author Amanda Hocking.
As one of Odin's Valkyries, Malin's greatest responsibility is to slay immortals and return them to the underworld. But when she unearths a secret that could unravel the balance of all she knows, Malin along with her best friend and her ex-girlfriend must decide where their loyalties lie. And if helping the blue-eyed boy Asher enact his revenge is worth the risk—to the world and her heart.
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Excerpt:
ONE
The air reeked of fermented fish and rotten fruit, thanks
to the overflowing dumpster from the restaurant behind us. The polluted alley
felt narrow and claustrophobic, sandwiched between skyscrapers.
In the city, it was never
quiet or peaceful, even at three in the morning. There were more than thirty
million humans and supernatural beings coexisting, living on top of each other.
It was the only life I’d ever really known, but the noise of the congestion
grated on me tonight.
My eyes were locked on the
flickering neon lights of the gambling parlor across the street. The u in
Shibuya had gone out, so the sign flashed SHIB YA at me.
The sword sheathed at my
side felt heavy, and my body felt restless and electric. I couldn’t keep from
fidgeting and cracked my knuckles.
“He’ll be here soon,” my
mother, Marlow, assured me. She leaned back against the brick wall beside me,
casually eating large jackfruit seeds from a brown paper sack. Always bring a
snack on a stakeout was one of her first lessons, but I was far too nervous and
excited to eat.
The thick cowl of her frayed
black sweater had been pulled up like a hood, covering her cropped blond hair
from the icy mist that fell on us. Her tall leather boots only went to her
calf, thanks to her long legs. Her style tended to be monochromatic—black on
black on black—aside from the shock of dark red lipstick.
My mother was only a few
years shy of her fiftieth birthday, with almost thirty years of experience
working as a Valkyrie, and she was still as strong and vital as ever. On her
hip, her sword Mördare glowed a dull red through its sheath.
The sword of the Valkyries
was one that appeared as if it had been broken in half—its blade only a foot
long before stopping at a sharp angle. Mördare’s blade was several thousand
years old, forged in fires to look like red glass that would glow when the time
was nigh.
My sword was called Sigrún,
a present on my eighteenth birthday from Marlow. It was a bit shorter than
Mördare, with a thicker blade, so it appeared stubby and fat. The handle was
black utilitarian, a replacement that my mom had had custom-made from an army
supply store, to match her own.
The ancient blade appeared
almost black, but as it grew closer to its target, it would glow a vibrant
purple. For the past hour that we’d been waiting on our stakeout, Sigrún had
been glowing dully on my hip.
The mist grew heavier,
soaking my long black hair. I kept the left side of my head shaved, parting my
hair over to the right, and my scalp should’ve been freezing from the cold, but
I didn’t feel it. I didn’t feel anything.
It had begun—the instinct of
the Valkyrie, pushing aside my humanity to become a weapon. When the Valkyrie
in me took over, I was little more than a scythe for the Grim Reaper of the
gods.
“He’s coming,” Marlow said
behind me, but I already knew.
The world fell into
hyperfocus, and I could see every droplet of rain as it splashed toward the
ground. Every sound echoed through me, from the bird flapping its wings a block
away, to the club door as it groaned open.
Eleazar Bélanger stumbled
out, his heavy feet clomping in the puddles. He was chubby and short, barely
over four feet tall, and he would’ve appeared to be an average middle-aged man
if it wasn’t for the two knobby horns that stuck out on either side of his
forehead. Graying tufts of black hair stuck out from under a bright red cap,
and as he walked ahead, he had a noticeable limp favoring his right leg.
He was a Trasgu, a
troublemaking goblin, and his appearance belied the strength and cunning that
lurked within him. He was over three hundred years old, and today would be the
day he died.
I waited in the shadows of
the alley for him to cross the street. A coughing fit caused him to double
over, and he braced himself against the brick wall.
I approached him
quietly—this all went easier when they didn’t have time to prepare. He took off
his hat to use it to wipe the snot from his nose, and when he looked up at me,
his green eyes flashed with understanding.
“It’s you,” Eleazar said in
a weak, craggy voice. We’d never met, and I doubt he’d ever seen me before, but
he recognized me, the way they all did when their time was up.
“Eleazar Bélanger, you have
been chosen to die,” I said, reciting my script, the words automatic and cold
on my lips. “It is my duty to return you to the darkness from whence you came.”
“No, wait!” He held up his
pudgy hands at me. “I have money. I can pay you. We can work this out.”
“This is not my decision to
make,” I said as I pulled the sword from my sheath.
His eyes widened as he realized
I couldn’t be bargained with. For a moment I thought he might just accept his
fate, but they rarely did. He bowed his head and ran at me like a goat. He was
stronger than he looked and caused me to stumble back a step, but he didn’t
have anywhere to go.
My mother stood blocking the
mouth of the alley, in case I needed her. Eleazar tried to run toward the other
end, but his leg slowed him, and I easily overtook him. Using the handle of my
sword, I cracked him on the back of the skull, and he fell to the ground on his
knees.
Sigrún glowed brightly, with
light shining out from it and causing the air to glow purple around us. Eleazar
mumbled a prayer to the Vanir gods. I held the sword with both hands, and I
struck it across his neck, decapitating him.
And then, finally, the
electricity that had filled my body, making my muscles quiver and my bones
ache, left me, and I breathed in deeply. The corpse of an immortal goblin lay
in a puddle at my feet, and I felt nothing but relief.
“It was a good return,” my
mother said, and put her hand on my shoulder. “You did well, Malin.”
My Review:
Malin and her mom Marlow are Valkyries. Their job is to kill
immortals that have been chosen to die. Valkyries don’t give any thought to the
fact of if they are doing what is right taking another life. They are just full
filling orders given to them by the gods from generation to generation.
Malin was raised by a mother that was very cold and always
told her that Valkyries couldn’t love and never showed Malin any love or warmth
growing up. Marlow was also Malin’s mentor training her to be a Valkyrie.
Malin learns that her mother allowed one of her marks to
live which put the world in chaos and started it on a downhill collision. In
order to try and save the world from being destroyed Malin with the help of a
few friends has set a course to finding the person that her mother failed to
kill and end his life sending to him to the underworld where he belongs.
Malin’s little group of friends consist of her best friend
Oona whom she has been friends with since grade school who probably knows her
better than anyone. Oona is a Sorceress. Oona is better at casting spells than
Malin. Malin sweet talks Oona into doing her spell work for her.
Then we have the mortal Asher who is also the son of a
Valkyrie who like Malin is out for revenge against this immortal so therefore
he wants to be in on the hunt for this guy. Malin and Asher strike up a
relationship of sorts. Malin really cares for Asher but has a hard time with
her feelings because her mother told her that she wasn’t capable of loving.
Next on the list is Quinn also a Valkyrie and Malin’s
ex-girlfriend. Malin cares for Quinn but different than she cares for Asher.
Asher wants to pull her into his arms and keep her safe. But Quinn wants to
throw her against the wall and have her way with her. Malin needs or wants both
things but can she have both Quinn and Asher?
Between the Blade and the Heart is filled with lots and lots
for action and myths, monsters and very powerful gods. Amanda Hocking is a brilliant
author who knows how to spin a story that will keep you turning the pages. Come
join Malin, Oona, Asher and Quinn on their journey to save the world from the
monsters.
AUTHOR BIO:
Amanda
Hocking is the author of over twenty young adult novels, including the New York Times bestselling Trylle Trilogy and Kanin Chronicles. Her love of pop culture and all things paranormal
influence her writing. She spends her time in Minnesota, taking care of her
menagerie of pets and working on her next book.
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