"Valkyrie" was an interesting read because I didn't know a lot about Viking women going in so it was interesting to learn more about their lives, but something about the books writing and structure just didn't work for me. I felt like there were some unnecessary repetitions and some of the sections on mythological creatures didn't really add anything to the subject matter.

If you know your Norse mythology, you are already aware that Valkyries are supernatural beings who determined life or death in battle. They spared some, and guided the weapons that killed others. In this way, Viking warriors would not have died in vain, or survived by chance. Valkyries thus determined their fate, their destinies completely out of their own hands.

Through her extensive research then, the author shows just how important women actually were in medieval Iceland, showcasing a multitude of instances where real flesh-and-blood women wielded great power in various roles on top of also controlling the destinies of warriors in the supernatural world.

I was so excited to get a copy of this text, but in the end found myself a bit on the disappointed side. On the surface it looks like something I would love, and I so wanted to love it. The biggest issue for me remains that I much preferred when the author cited archaeological evidence as the basis for her conclusions. I don't mean to dismiss the various Sagas and the entirety of Norse mythology, but they will not give a complete and accurate picture and I feel the author at times relied more on those than the tangible evidence. Both are necessary, but I would have liked it to be more even in how each were addressed and incorporated into the text. There were definitely times I had to skim when it came to those Saga/mythology sections as the book went on.

In the end, my opinion is just that, opinion. There are plenty who will enjoy this incredibly detailed examination of the Sagas especially. The author has clearly spent much time in analysis of her subject and knows quite well what she is talking about. This informative text proves it.

Recommended for those with an interest in Vikings and the Sagas especially.

Johanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir provides a well researched scholarly but accessible text on the lives of women in ancient Viking society. The author draws her knowledge from the Sagas and archeological finds and expertly gives the reader a vivid vision of life from birth to death. Covering all aspects of status Friðriksdóttir also includes transgender societal norms and expectations. A fascinating read for fans of Norse mythology, Viking culture and Neil Gaiman fiction.

*eARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley

It somehow seemed fitting that while I was reading Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman, I was offered an Advance Review Copy of this. It almost seemed like fate. Perhaps the Norns were at work!

This is an impressively scholarly treatise about a fascinating topic. The author begins with the same mythological sources that Gaiman's tales are based on: the Elder (or Poetic) Edda and the Younger (or Prose) Edda. She draws from them what they have to tell us about the way the writers viewed the women of the viking age, via their portrayal of Valkyries and goddesses. Later, she mines the sagas and the archaeological evidence to give a picture of the position and lives of women of various social strata.

Much of this is necessarily speculation, as we have no writings from the point of view of the women themselves, but it's thorough and intelligent speculation.

Parts of this book were definitely 5-star, but I've dropped the rating to 4 simply because there is a lot of repetition, which made some sections a bit hard to get through. But overall, it's excellent, and I recommend it to anyone interested in this topic.

‘The Women of the Viking World’

This book examines the roles that women played in the Viking world. Ms Friðriksdóttir writes about Valkyries: the female supernatural beings that have the power to choose who lives and dies on the battlefield. Viking myths about Valkyries seek to make the pain and suffering of war worthwhile. In these myths, death is not futile, it is divine destiny.

But who were the women of the Viking world? What were their roles, and how can we learn more about them?

‘This book will introduce readers to the diverse and fascinating texts recorded in medieval Iceland. A culture able to imagine women in all kinds of role carrying power, not just in this world, but as we have already seen, as pulling the strings in the otherworld as well.’

Ms Friðriksdóttir draws on historical and archaeological evidence to shed light on the different roles women might have played. There was more to the ‘Viking Age’ than battle and plunder. I enjoyed reading about the different sagas and the different archaeological finds, about the diversity of life. Ms Friðriksdóttir writes a history of women, with chapters reflecting different stages of life. There are six chapters (as well as an introduction and an epilogue):

1. Infancy and Childhood
2. Between Two Worlds: Teenage Girls
3. Adulthood
4. Pregnancy and Childbirth
5. Widows
6. Old Age and Death

And, for those who want more, there is an extensive bibliography and several illustrations.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in women’s history, as well as anyone with an interest in the ‘Viking Age’.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

This was a well-written, carefully researched book on the role of women during the Viking Age. Whether supernatural Valkyrie or goddess, human wife or crone, women played as essential role in ensuring a successful society- although what we may think of when we hear 'Viking Age' is only men in battle. Through close examinations of ancient sagas, archaeological finds, and more, Jóhanna Katrin Fridriksdóttir weaves a fascinating history of women, from birth to death, and the various roles the would have (or might have) played in Viking society. Despite the clearly scholarly research done, the book is written in a way that the average person can access it- understandable and not in an overly scholarly manner. A book I would recommend to any history lover, those fascinated with Viking history, or women's history in society.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This insightful and authoritative work will make an excellent companion to Judith Jensch's "Women in the Viking Age" and Jenny Jochens' "Women in Old Norse Society: A Portrait". The author makes extensive use of the mythology, archaeology and sagas to provide a valuable look at how women were perceived in Viking society.

It was a fascinating and informative read that made me discover new things about the women in the Viking world and made me think.
It's well researched, well written and it's an engrossing read.
An excellent book highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.