Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Sword of the White Horse Paperback – April 26, 2022

Excellent

Assassins Creed: Valhalla: Sword Of The White Horse By Elsa Sjunneson, is s media tie-in novel based on Ubisoft’s Assassin Creed video game franchise.Set in 878 AD, The story follows Niamh a celtic warrior witch from Women of the Mist as she tracks down the sword of Excalibur, which has been stolen from Stonehenge by the Viking Eivor. Niamh infiltrates a secret group known as the Hidden Ones on her mission and discovers a secret war in Mercia and the rival fractions all seek to take control of Excalibur. Niamh must decide whether she should return the sword to her people or her new allies.The world of Assassin's Creed Valhalla is already incredibly rich and the addition of Niamh and the Ladies of the Lake made Viking England so much more enjoyable. I loved the connections between the game (with appearances from the characters of Valhalla and Ravensthorpe) and watching characters interact in another medium. It was enjoyable to explore the world of the Assassins vs Templars from an outsider's perspective in an era that was so turbulent already. Niamh and her relationship with her religion was a huge part of this story and I loved the way she learned to move past the understandable ideas of the new people coming to England.Despite the inclusion of several characters from the game, the book focuses on a brand new character, Niamh. Author Elsa Sjunneson does a great job at putting the reader into Niamh's head throughout the book, and she quickly becomes a very complex and conflicted character. Her people mean everything to her, her position as a warrior witch is one she holds with pride. She takes care in her duties, and is willing to put her life on the line. However, as the book progresses she begins to gain a different outlook on things, thanks in part to the relationships she begins to form with those she'd have once considered her enemies. She starts to wonder if there could be more peaceful solutions, if she and her people could change their relationships with the outside world going forward. These thoughts put her in opposition to what she's been ordered to do, and over the course of the book we see how this all weighs on her as she tries to find the perfect solution.Niamh was enjoyable to spend time with, and I found her to be a character that had a lot more to her than first appeared. Initially set up as a hardened warrior, we see that she has a deep caring to her. She will go out of her way to help oppressed people, especially women. She tried to use her skills to help and heal where she can. And despite her occupation, there are several times where she avoids killing, even though that'd be her best solution. I'd have liked to have spent more time with the character, to really get to see more of her in more complex situations, as I felt she was a character that could go on to be a very interesting figure; especially with how the book ends.The novel also manages to fit a lot of interesting locations in too, and sees Niamh travelling all over 9th century Great Britain. From London, to Hadrians Wall, to Ravensthorpe, and even White Horse Hill, our heroine spends a great deal of her time going from place to place in order to complete her mission. This does in some way make me think of the Assassin's Creed games, and how you have to travel all over the map, going from your home base to mission locations and back again over and over; and it was kind of neat that the author managed to get this gaming feel into the novel.All in all, Whether you're a fan of the game looking to experience more of the ever expanding Assassin's Creed universe, or a complete newcomer who was attracted by how the story sounded, this is a book that anyone can pick up and enjoy. It's got some great characters, some wonderful world building, and some tense action sequences that are sure to keep folks entertained. Here's hoping we get more from Niamh and her story in the future.

The Sword of the White Horse is another Assassin's Creed novel that I really enjoyed. This is an original saga set in the world of Assassin's Creed Valhalla and we have a Celtic warrior defending her people from Viking raiders and infiltrating an ancient sect to save her homeland.As always I loved the world building and I really enjoyed the writing style as well as the storyline. The author does a great job combining history with mythology and the Assassin's Creed world. The book is a page turner and it's adventurous and at the same time dark.I highly recommend it if you are a fan of the games but also if you like Norse Mythology inspired books.