Read All About It: Valhalla

This is a really interesting take on science fiction. Valhalla is dark, gritty, and dangerous, and wonderfully representative. There's LGBTQ+ characters, different nationalities, and best of all it's well researched and fun to read. It's a little dense, so it takes a bit to get through, but it's definitely worth it!

The author, Ari Bach, also has an interesting story. Best known for their tumblr account facts-i-just-made-up, Valhalla was their first published novel through Harmony Ink, an independent LGBTQ+ publisher. And wow, did they go for one hell of a debut. Help support Harmony Ink and their amazing representative fiction by visiting their site!

Set in the year 2230, Violet MacRae is our wonderfully violent protagonist, born in a time when war is basically unneeded. She emerges into adulthood, faces immediate tragedy with the murder of her parents, and signs up for the army--but even then, her violent tendencies get her in trouble. Kicked out from the only place in polite society that she had even a slight chance of fitting in, Violet returns to an empty home, and in subsequently snatched up by Valhalla.

Valhalla is a secret base that keeps the outer world in line through their unique methods, and there, Violet finds a home--and learns that she can help threaten the man who killed her parents. But, as she finds out, nothing is as simple as it seems, and her new home is far from safe.

The technology in this science fiction world is a meld of traditional and new, with people linked constantly to the internet, extreme body modifications, robotic/body combinations, and death on the regular. There's so many intricate parts of the universe that are hinted at and make you want to explore deeper into Bach's increasingly gritty universe.

The narrative itself is consistent and very well written, with an intricate plot that doesn't lose the reader in its various threads. There's a bit of adjustment to the universe, and to Violet herself, but once you get through the first chapter or so you start on your wild ride. There's some interesting creatures, including the Tikari (those robotic/body things I mentioned before are actually weapons), and walruses are a hilarious addition. I honestly love the world that Bach built for this novel, and I'm excited to read more of it! I don't think that I'm quite suited for Valhalla, but it's one of the most original umpire-figures that I've ever seen.

Violet herself is an extremely interesting character. Her emotions are written out clearly on the page, but they're difficult to empathize with--she's an interesting meld of detached emotions and vicious strength. The fact that she's LBGTQ+ is just icing on the cake, and we get the start of a strong relationship out of it, with another narrative-significant character who DOESN'T DIE. Tears of joy, readers. Tears of joy. This kind of representation is so important, and I hope you guys love this as much as I do.

With an abundance of violence, a sprinkling of walruses, and quite a few emotionally draining deaths, Valhalla is the beginning of an era. Stay tuned for my reviews of the rest of the trilogy, because I'm sure they're even more awesome than their beginning. Until then, watch out for Bach's future works!