Sammy’s review of Viking Warrior Rebel (Viking Warriors, Book 2) by Asa Maria Bradley
Paranormal Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 04 Oct 16
Paranormal Romance. Vikings! Immortal Berserkers and Norse Mythology. I’m in! Asa Maria Bradley is also a new-to-me author. I very rarely take a chance on a new paranormal series, because I find myself disappointed. Granted, I have high expectations going in, along the lines of some of the best books written in this genre, like:The Psy/Changelings by Nalini Singh, Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward, or the incomparable Christine Feehan series. I am happy to report this book lived up to my expectations and then some. It had a feeling of Feehan’s Ghostwalkers, with a touch of Lora Leigh’s Breeds, with the added bonus of Vikings and Norse mythology that made this book its own.
Astrid Irisdotter is a warrior of Freya, also known as a Valkyrie. In the first book she meets up with her hero and they wind up sleeping together. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the pleasure of reading the first book in the series. After a quick look on my kindle, I am beyond thrilled that I bought the first book months and months ago. I will be reading it, because I really want to read about Naya and Leif. This book can be read as a standalone. Ms. Bradley put the right amount of information in the right places and I never felt lost.
Luke Holden is a former marine, now working deep undercover for the FBI. He’s also out for revenge. Luke and his twin brother were kept in captivity and given drugs to alter their DNA. These people were trying to create super soldiers. They escaped as young teens, but Luke’s brother couldn’t handle the physical or the mental torture he went through at the hands of these monsters. He took his life, and Luke is hell-bent on exacting revenge and closing these torture chambers down for good.
Astrid is sent on a task to bring back Naya’s brother so that he may attend the handfasting of Naya and Leif. When she gets to the hospital to get him out, she finds out that he left. Astrid has already let her brothers-in-arms down and she needs to get him back on her own without worrying the Queen about her brother. She checks into a fancy hotel and decides to grab something to eat. She heads off to the bar and that’s when she sees Luke from across the room. As soon as their eyes meet, you can feel the electricity in the air. The lust is so thick between them you can cut it with a knife. Luke hooks up with Astrid again, and you can see that there is some kind of bond forming between them. Luke helps Astrid out to track down Naya’s brother. While they are looking for him, they bump into these lab-created monsters that look like wolverines. The wolverines were sent down to cause havoc with the humans by Loki. The Warriors are there on behalf of Freya and Odin to keep the humans safe from Loki’s schemes.
What Astrid and Luke don’t know is that they are both keeping secrets and they are after the same thing. Astrid brings back Naya’s brother to their hidden home in the forest, and in a way to say thank you, she invites Luke to her wedding. Naya and Luke have a history as well. Naya is a hacker who did some work for Luke before she was swept off her feet by Leif. She also wants to burn down all the labs, because that’s where she was kept alongside her brother. Astrid is a bit nervous about this, because her Berserker keeps whispering to her that Luke is hers. She’s afraid that the mating mark might show up and, boy, does it ever.
The wedding takes place, Astrid has the mating mark, and now she has to explain to Luke who she is and what this mating mark means. If he rejects her, the Berserker that lives inside of her takes over and she will have to be sent back to Valhalla and be put into a deep sleep. No pressure. Luke knows a few things about Astrid’s past. When they were saving Naya’s brother, Luke was slashed by a wolverine’s claws and they were poisonous. While he was laid up in the fortress in the woods, she told Luke about her past. When they came together at the wedding, she explained who they were and what they were about. When it was Luke’s turn, he gave superficial answers and kept the important stuff close to his vest, not knowing who he can trust and trying to wrap his head around the fact that the woman he is in love with,is a 1000-year-old warrior from Valhalla.
This book is chock-filled with action. Fully fleshed out secondary characters. Great plot. The world building is interesting and plentiful. Astrid and Luke was everything I could hope for in a paranormal romance couple. I loved the fact that Astrid is kick-ass with many layers to her, considering she is more than 1000 years old. I loved Luke for not being intimidated by Astrid and how he fully understands her needs and wants, how he is not afraid to look to her for leadership when he is not in his element. They are both smart, flawed, kick-ass with great chemistry and love scenes that will fog up your kindle. A very well-written story. I can’t wait for the next book and I also can’t wait to see who is up next. Ulf is needing a bit a love after his heart was broken.
Grade:A
Summary:
Book 2 of the Viking Warriors series.
She can’t let him discover…Immortal Vikings are among us
Astrid Irisdotter is a Valkyrie-a fierce warrior fighting to protect humanity from the evil god Loki and his brutal minions. She’s on an urgent missionfor her queen when everything goes hideously sideways. Undercover agent Luke Holden arrives on the scene just in time to save her life-and put his own on the line.Luke may have saved her, but that doesn’t mean Astrid can trust him.
Tempers flare as they hide secret upon secret from each other, but Astrid’s inner warrior knows what it wants…and it will not take “no” for an answer.
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