Valkyrie

Gr 5–9—O'Hearn sets her newest fantasy among the Valkyries of Norse mythology—the eternally beautiful winged women who routinely visit the battlefields of Midgard (Earth) in order to "reap" the souls of the bravest warriors and take them to Asgard. There, the great god Odin honors them as heroes, allowing them to live a life of feasting, dancing, and fighting in Valhalla—his "Great Heavenly Hall for the Heroic Dead." As this story begins, Freya, youngest and last of the Valkyries, is about to participate in her First Day Ceremony and her first reaping of a warrior on the battlefield. But proud and awed as she is by the pomp of the ceremony, she swears the Valkyrie oath reluctantly, uncertain of her capability to perform her assigned tasks. Freya's first reaping is Tyrone, a soldier whose concern for his endangered family in Chicago is so great that she promises to try to help them. On her illicit journey to Midgard seeking Tyrone's daughters, some very special teens and adults give her heightened respect for modern humanity. Featured characters are given sufficient depth and personality. Contemporary issues—gangs and neighborhood safety, bullying and self-protection, seniors raising grandkids—are addressed.