Valkyrie

I like the way McKenna shows how women can hold their own in combat situations, but also doesn't shy away from showing the emotional impact of soldiering in a war zone.

While Cat is a complex character, the villian, Major Louise Lane, is pure elegant venom - I hope she returns to fight another day.

This is the first book that I've ordered from Hard Shell Word Factory (via Amazon.com) and I was impressed by the fast delivery. It's a nice, solid edition - longer than McKenna's usual books, such as Morgan's Mercenaries, but this gives her the chance to develop the characters in depth and she keeps up the pace right to the end. A very good read!


One you MUST to read!   December 8, 2000
 11 out of 12 found this review helpful

I've been reading Lindsay McKenna since 1985, when a friend of mine gave me a copy of CAPTIVE OF FATE. I've loved every novel that has come since from her, as have so many of her legion of fans. But if you think you've seen all that Ms. McKenna has to offer, then you have another think coming. That means you haven't read VALKYRIE yet. With VALKYRIE, we meet Ms. McKenna at her unbridled best. In the new e-book/print on demand format, she leaps all previous barriers and gives us a novel that is complex, gritty, earthy, and strong, yet touched with the starlight of love and passion. There are no easy paths in this novel, no actions that do not have consequences, no choices made that do not affect everyone involved. This makes this novel the most true to life, gripping, can't-put-it-down book that Ms. McKenna has written yet in her long career. Both the primary and secondary characters are completely fleshed out, their emotions real and honest (and not always tidy). The weight of their choices, their loves, and their battle for truth reach deep into a reader's heart. I loved the main hero and heroine, Cat Fremont and Jim Boland. Their story moved me deeply. In this longer format, Ms. McKenna builds a rich, deep love story within a story of war, suffering and loss that made me believe in their love, and made it all the sweeter when they overcame their obstacles. If you've loved Morgan's Mercenaries and her military romances, then you must read VALKYRIE. It's a book that you will remember and reflect on, long after you've finished reading it. FIVE STARS


A COMBAT CONVERT   December 5, 2000
 14 out of 15 found this review helpful

Lindsey McKenna has produced a fine work focusing on the role of women in combat and the related political situation. It is a good read! McKenna pointedly steers the reader to the tough political question of women in the military and their equal roles in almost all areas.

The reader is forced to deal with real and rhetorical political questions and is easily drawn into the military world of Corporal Cathy Fremont and Captain Jim Boland.

This is not your mother's romance novel, however a powerful romantic situation is key to the story. Guys from the Korea and Vietnam era can relate to the military situation. Actual combat is referenced and while combat grit might have strengthend the substance, it would have gotten in the way of a powerful story.

McKenna has captured the intrigue of Washington, DC and the military chain of command. Neither is left unscathed and that is another strength of the book.

VALKYRIE continues the the author's efforts of giving traditional romance readers something more to think about and brings male readers into a line of books usually left for the female reader of traditional romance books.

Action - the military at war - sex - romance - political intrigue - this book has it all. It is a good read with a satisfying end, that we can hope is but a beginning.