Postcards from Valhalla

LoveReading4Kids Says

Steeped in atmosphere and myth, Danny Weston’s Postcards from Valhalla is a fabulously realised adventure for 11+year-olds. Chillingly suspenseful as the lines between reality and fantasy are blurred, it’s a completely compelling story, driven by a quest to find a missing brother, and underpinned by a sense of family.  

15-year-old Viggo is getting on with his life in Edinburgh when his mum brings bad news — his older brother Magnus has gone missing in Shetland, where he was working on a Viking settlement. Viggo’s response is understated - to begin with, at least. In Viggo’s view, Magnus was a “total weirdo”, and he’d “lost count of all the disasters that Magnus had caused.” But this time, they have more reason to worry — the boys’ father went missing in the same spot a few years ago (missing, presumed dead), so Viggo and his mum journey to Shetland.    

Soon enough, Viggo is plagued by spiralling visions of Viking ships and weird creatures. The sense of fear and escalating danger is viscerally evoked, and so too are emotions around love and loss.

Reviewed by Joanne Owen
Joanne Owen is a writer, reviewer and workshop presenter whose lifelong love of books began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
More reviews by Joanne Owen

About Postcards from Valhalla

Viggo is fifteen years old, living in Edinburgh with his mum. He has no plans for the future other than to watch the new Thor movie at his local multiplex. But one morning, he wakes to the news that his older brother, Magnus, has gone missing on Shetland. Mum has already booked tickets to go and search for him.

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