About the book:
Postcards from Valhalla is a YA fantasy cum ghost story set in the Shetland Islands. It centres around Viggo, whose father went missing in Shetland in pursuit of all things Norse mythological. When Viggo’s elder brother Magnus goes missing in the same area, their mother insists on hunting for him and in taking Viggo along. From the moment they set off, Viggo has visions of armed warriors, mythical creatures, and Viking longships. They also can’t shake off Leon, a strange man they met on the ferry, who seems to turn up wherever they go.
When Viggo finds out that his brother has got mixed up with businessman Zack Strode – who has an interest in the Neolithic period – and Leon tells him the story of another person to have gone missing on the same island, Viggo finds himself dragged into a mystery where the lines between fantasy and reality are blurred. Can he find his brother – and learn what happened to his Dad – before Magnus gets into real trouble?
Three things I enjoyed about the story:
- I enjoyed reading a story that draws on the Viking history of Shetland. The Vikings ruled Shetland and Orkney for some 600 years and Viggo and his mother follow in their footsteps by visiting different historical sites. The history is tied up nicely with the plot so it never feels as if the author is information-dumping – in fact, the story builds up as Viggo travels from one part of historical Shetland to another.
- It isn’t immediately clear who is the antagonist. This allows the reader time to come up with their own theories about different people’s motives.
- The story crosses genres. The contemporary issue of the super-rich holding too much power meets Norse mythology. Viggo is also confronted by a ghost early on in his stay on the islands. This makes the story an interesting mix-bag and gives it wide appeal among fans of different audiences.
- Postcards from Valhalla by Danny Weston is available now from UCLan Publishing. RRP. £8.99
