GENRE: Paranormal Historical
Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Haldor
Falk, fierce warrior and powerful vitki blessed by the Goddess Freyja with the
extraordinary ability to transform into a falcon, has been charged with forging
Skjöld, grandson of King Harald Bluetooth, into a rugged warlord in the wild
north of Norway.
With his acolyte’s
training now complete, Haldor intends to return to the Viking stronghold of
Normandy. But when a vision reveals an imminent attack on a dwarf guarding a
hidden treasure trove in a secret cave, Haldor and Skjöld gain Dwarven-forged
weapons and an unexpected, invaluable ally.
Úlvhild, a völva of
formidable seiðr magic and Haldor’s lover of nearly twenty winters, foresees
that the Dökkálfar Dark Elves will strike to prevent the fulfillment of a
prophecy. When the Norns unveil the terrible price of her fate, Úlvhild must
confront a crimson-eyed witch to save her beloved falcon and ensure that the
prophesied Son of the Dragon fulfills his destined path.
Falcon of the Faroe
Islands is the sweeping, epic conclusion to the award-winning Valiant Vikings
trilogy set in tenth century Normandy.
A sizzling blend of
historical fiction, paranormal fantasy, Norse mythology, and steamy Viking
romance!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
Tattoos in bluish black covered his rugged face, corded
neck, and sinewy forearms. For the past two weeks, Skjöld had undergone the
transformative ritual of fasting, isolation, and pain, as the images were
carved into his skin. Blackened with ash, bone, and blood, each symbol embodied
Skjöld’s ancestral heritage and Sámi spiritual power.
On his scarred, bearded face, a trio of droplets beneath his
left eye marked the Veil of Vision with which Skjöld would attempt to wield the
otherworldly gift of sight through water that he had inherited from his mother
Ylva, his grandmother Lova, and his great-grandmother Sprota, a trinity of
gifted Celtic priestesses from Bretagne in northwestern Francia.
An enormous dark blue dragon—emblem of Skjöld’s heritage as
the prophesied son of the Dragon of Denmark and the Celtic priestess mother
with otherworldly sight through water—covered his left shoulder and coiled
around his thick neck. The fanged maw of the mammoth serpentine beast displayed
a trio of Nordic runes. Uruz, for
strength; Tiwaz, for honor and valor; and Dagaz, for the transformation of
Skjöld the Viking warrior into a Sámi spirit sorcerer with second sight through
water.
Upon Skjöld’s sculpted forearms flowed long, fluid patterns
of the Nordic rune Laguz, the Norse symbol for water, representing his Viking
heritage. Amidst the river of runes,
Celtic triple spirals— symbolic of the trio of female ancestors who had passed
their otherworldly gift of sight to Skjöld— covered his burnished skin, bronzed
by the strong summer sun. Beneath the waves of runes and spirals were a trio of
eyes beneath the water, evoking the Áhkká—the ancestral spirits and deities who
would grant Skjöld the ability to wield his gift of sight through water.
After two weeks of isolation, fasting, pushing his body to
the physical limits of pain and endurance, Skjöld would now face his final
test—to enter the spirit world of water and wield his inherited gift to see
beyond the human realm.
The rhythmic beat of Jaskka’s drum and the cadence of his
slow, deep chant called Haldor’s attention back to the spirit leader of the
Láhpi tribe. Haldor rose to his feet in solemn silence and strode toward
Skjöld, who waited at the edge of the assembled tribe gathered around the fire.
A contradictory blend of courage and fear blazed in his
fierce blue gaze.
Haldor led his
acolyte toward the frosty shore of the starlit fjord where the long, narrow
boat that he and Skjöld had skillfully crafted from pine was waiting upon the
smooth white sand. As part of Skjöld’s preparation for tonight’s ritual, the
two of them had felled the tall tree, hollowing and smoothing the sturdy wood.
Skjöld himself had shaped the vessel for tonight’s voyage to the spirit world
by carving soft curves along the sides, like the protective waves of the sacred
fjord. He’d etched Sámi sigils, Celtic symbols, and Nordic runes into the hewn
wood, carving a mermaid at the prow, to symbolize his female ancestors—the
Áhkká—guiding him on the monumental spiritual journey.
As Haldor now helped Skjöld into the vessel, he glimpsed the
mermaid shimmering in the moonlight. Her long, flowing hair and slender arms
blended with the curved waves along the sides of the vessel. Intricate Celtic spirals and the Nordic rune
Laguz wrapped around her limbs and elaborate tailfin, connecting her to the
essence of the fjord and to Skjöld’s heritage as a spirit walker into the
sacred realm of water.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Jennifer Ivy Walker is an award-winning author of medieval Celtic, Nordic, and paranormal romance, as well as contemporary romance, historical fantasy, and WWII romantic suspense.
A
former high school teacher and college professor of French with an MA in French
literature, her novels encompass a love for French language, literature,
history, and culture, including Celtic myths and legends, Norse mythology,
Viking sagas, and Nordic lore.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferIvyWalker
List
of Books by Jennifer Ivy Walker
The
Wild Rose and the Sea Raven
The
Lady of the Mirrored Lake
The
Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight
Winter
Solstice in the Crystal Castle
A Celtic Yuletide Carol
The Witch of the Breton Woods
Flames
of Flamenco
Amour
in Avignon
Dragon of Denmark
Wolf of the Nordic Seas
Falcon of the Faroe Islands
***********************************
My review:
3.75 stars
“Falcon of the Faroe Islands” by Jennifer Ivy Walker is the
third book in the ‘Valiant Vikings’ series and features Haldor, who has been given
the ability to shapeshift into a falcon, Skjöld, the male he has been tasked
with mentoring, and respective females each becomes entwined with.
This lush adult historical paranormal Viking romance creatively
portrays the struggles for supremacy by those who would rule that part of the
world. The author paints very vivid word portraits of the society and its
intersection with the gods that take interest in their actions and rule. I was
drawn into the intrigues and harsh lifestyle and impressed with the depth of
research that obviously went into the descriptions, but they became a bit
repetitious after a while, and I definitely became convinced that juniper
berries were used for everything! There is an odd cadence to some of the
sentences for me, so it interfered with the flow of the story, and at first, I thought
that Skjöld was the main character, not his mentor. The fantastical creatures
that participate in the vicious struggles gave this story a unique twist, and I
did enjoy the blend of paranormal and history, so I think fans of this genre
will appreciate the care that went into the crafting of this story.
A copy of this story was provided for review
