Between The Pages - Wolf of the Nordic Seas

Wolf of the Nordic Seas 

Jennifer Ivy Walker 

April 2025

Named after the Norse God of the Sea, Njörd grew up sailing, swimming, and fishing the fjords of Norway. Endowed with extraordinary senses, speed, and strength, he became known as Wolf of the Nordic Seas, leading lucrative Viking raids from the Baltic shores to the Black and Caspian Seas. When a Viking völva foretells his future through a seidr vision, Njörd learns that his fate and his mate—the siren with the sea goddess eyes—lie on the alabaster coast of Normandy in the distant Land of the White Chalk Cliffs. 

Elfi Thorfinnsdóttir is a skilled shieldmaiden who seeks vengeance against the ruthless Frankish count who killed her brother and abducted her father in an attempt to seize her clifftop castle. But rather that submit to the count’s relentless demand for her hand in marriage, Elfi allies with Richard the Fearless—the Viking Duke of Normandy— and the Danish Jarl of Ribe known as the Wolf of the Nordic Seas.

As Elfi and Njörd discover startling secrets about their respective pasts, they find that the three Norns have entwined the threads of their fates not just as political allies, but as mates destined to fulfill a divine prophecy. 

Between The Pages 

This Viking romance, set in tenth-century Normandy, is book two in the Valiant Viking series. Like the first book, the author has a master voice in placing the reader into the setting and holding your attention in the riveting storyline. The authenticity of the setting, characters, clothing, food, and language was achieved masterfully. Again, like the first book, there was repetitive text repeated many times throughout the story, but the characters in this book had me overlooking that distraction. Elfi and Njord were wonderful leading characters. Their romance was electric and sweet. The author included an enjoyable cast of elves, shape-shifting wolves, mermaids, and volvas/sorceresses. These characters enhance the storyline and drive its interest. The ending wasn’t tied up in a happy bow but left with a looming battle, making the reader anxious for book three, Falcon of the Faroe Islands. 

Rating

5 Stars

Between The Pages - Dragon of Denmark

Dragon of Denmark 

Jennifer Ivy Walker 

October 2024 

Skårde the Scourge, bastard son of the Danish king Harald Bluetooth, is a fierce Viking warlord who earned the prestigious title Dragon of Denmark through victorious battles and lucrative Viking raids. When his royal father announces that Skårde will forge a Viking alliance through an arranged marriage to the daughter of Richard the Fearless, the Dragon of Denmark considers the voyage to Normandy an infuriating banishment.

Illegitimate daughter of Richard the Fearless, the Viking Duke of Normandy, Ylva is a Druid priestess and Celtic healer with the otherworldly gift of sight. She learns that she must leave her Breton village behind and travel to Normandy, where she will marry the Viking brute that she has foreseen in a terrifying vision. 

When the Frankish king, determined to drive the Vikings from Normandy, attacks and seizes Richard’s clifftop fortress, the Dragon of Denmark must ally with Ljósálfar Light Elves, a Viking völva with powerful seiðr magic, and a vitki-- a shapeshifting sorcerer who can assume the form of a falcon--to reclaim the ducal palace. 

Between The Pages 

This Viking romance is set in tenth-century Normandy. The author captures the reader’s attention with her expert voice in the setting of this historical period with vivid descriptions and unique characters. An arranged marriage unites Skarde and Ylva but they soon discover an undeniable attraction and similar family rejection. This story has strong values on family, forgiveness, and second chances. The secondary cast of characters was equally enjoyable. The main story was interesting and moved along at a steady pace, but a lot of repetitive information distracted the read and caused paragraphs of text to be skipped. Looking forward to the next book in the Valiant Vikings series. 

Rating 

4 Stars

Between The Pages - A Celtic Yuletide Carol

A Celtic Yuletide Carol

Jennifer Ivy Walker 

November 2024 

Once a royal Breton knight, Sir Cardin is now infamously known as Basati, the Basque Wolf. Savage and sullen, he drowns his guilt in raucous taverns, accruing enormous debt and acquiring vengeful enemies. 

Ulla, widowed daughter of a Viking chieftain, is a skilled archer who lives as a recluse in a secluded woodland cottage. Rendered mute by trauma, she avoids humans, preferring the company of her wild wolf and falcon as she hunts in the Forest of Brocéliande. 

When his mother’s dying wish calls Basati home, he finally meets the son he abandoned at birth and Ulla, the enigmatic priestess who is teaching the boy to hunt. As the holidays approach, Basati finds himself smitten with the beguiling beauty as he bonds with his once forsaken child. But past enemies plot against him, and Basati is ensnared in darkness. Can music lure the savage wolf into the light of love? 

Between The Pages 

This medieval historical romance was a charming holiday read. Told from multiple points of view, the author provided a well-plotted story with an interesting cast of characters. Cardin was a rogue on the outside but soft-hearted on the inside, and Ulla was a compelling heroine who without words spoke from her heart. Cardin’s son, Lukaz stole the story, as did Ulla’s wolf, Vill. The setting emersed the reader within the drama. Some dialogue was repetitive through different characters, stalling the read with duplicated information. Overall, this book was a heartwarming story about loss and healing, and family and friendship with unbreakable bonds. 

Rating 

4.5 Stars

Between The Pages - The Witch of the Breton Woods

The Witch of the Breton Woods
Jennifer Ivy Walker
July 2024

Traumatized by horrors witnessed during the Nazi invasion of France, a young woman retreats to the dense Breton woods where she becomes a member of the clandestine French Resistance. When she finds a critically injured American paratrooper whose plane was shot down, she shelters the wounded soldier in her secluded cottage, determined to heal him despite the enormous risk. Ostracized by villagers who have labeled her a witch, she is betrayed by an informant who reports to the Butcher-the monstrous leader of the local paramilitary organization that collaborates with the Germans. As the enemy closes in, she must elude the Gestapo while helping the Resistance reunite the American with his regiment and join the Allied Forces in the Battle of Brittany. Can true love triumph against all odds under the oppressive Third Reich?

Between The Pages
Fans of history will thoroughly enjoy this story. The author spins a fictional tale that portrays the realism of something that might have taken place. The characters are well-written, and the scenes are vivid. Some readers should take caution of details from a graphic torture scene, but it shows the horrendous cruelty that took place. The author did a wonderful of telling the story of two people finding love during a time filled with conflict and war.

Rating
5 Stars

Between The Pages - Winter Solstice in the Crystal Castle

Winter Solstice in the Crystal Castle 

Jennifer Ivy Walker 

November 2023 

Gabrielle is a flame haired, fire hearted French princess who dreams of becoming a Valkyrie warrior queen like her Viking ancestors from Normandy. Sent to Paris to learn the proper etiquette for a future French queen, she is called home to le Château de Beaufort for a forced marriage to a man she loathes when her father the king’s precarious health takes a sudden turn for the worse. 

Chivalrous, solitary knight Sir Bastien de Landuc suffers an impossible love for Gabrielle, the unattainable princess he can never have. Without a title of nobility, he is ineligible to compete in the tournament for her hand in marriage, despite his unparalleled equestrian skills and inimitable swordsmanship. 

Yet, Yuletide wishes for a wondrous winter solstice in the glorious Crystal Castle might make impossible dreams come true. 

Can the valiant knight win the coveted hand of his Viking Valkyrie? 

Between The Pages 

This medieval historical romance provides a great cast of characters, many from the author’s trilogy series, The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven. And while this book stands well on its own, being familiar with the cast is beneficial. The story was shorter than the previous books, which I enjoyed as it reduced a lot of descriptive narrative that can sometimes drag the plot and read. This book had well-developed characters, interesting plot details, and beautiful settings that kept the story at a steady pace. The visual is masterfully shown, placing you in each scene. Romance, drama, and action fill the pages and make this read enjoyable. 

Rating 

5 Stars

Between The Pages - The Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight

The Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight 

Jennifer Ivy Walker 

June 2023 

Wielding a trio of enchanted Elven weapons to battle a dark wizard and a legion of diabolical dwarves, Tristan is faced with the impossible choice between saving the woman he loves or defending his endangered kingdom. Inexplicably compelled to remain in the sacred forest where he hears the voice of her heart, the heir to the throne of Cornwall incurs the wrath and scorn of his army when he decides to hunt for his captive mate. 

Her verdant magic greatly enhanced by the mystical Morgane la Fée, Issylte must summon a coalition of Naiad nymphs and celestial fairies to destroy a nascent evil as she fights to reclaim her rightful crown. 

When the Black Widow Queen unites with a malignant menace and a ghost from Tristan’s haunted past, the Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight must ally with a triad of shapeshifting warrior tribes to defeat a Viking Trident and defend their trinity of Celtic kingdoms. 

Interwoven fates. Otherworldly mates. Destiny awaits. 

Between The Pages

The final book in The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven Trilogy provided an action-packed and happy ending to the series. While the storyline had many ups and downs for Tristan and Issylte, their love prevailed. With the help of their assortment of friends, which included warriors, elves, dragons, mermaids, and more, they conquer evil. The author did a great job plotting an interesting story that has well-developed characters and visual settings. Well over three hundred pages, this is a long book. It has some repetitive details and multiple points of view. The overall story is engaging and ends the series with a satisfying conclusion, neatly wrapping up the forthcoming future of the cast members. 

 Rating

4 Stars

Between The Pages - The Lady of the Mirrored Lake

The Lady of the Mirrored Lake 

Jennifer Ivy Walker 

January 2023 

Hunted by the Black Widow Queen, Issylte--a healer with the verdant magic of the forest--must flee Avalon with the two finest knights in the Celtic realm, both wrongly accused of treason. The trio travels to Bretagne, where Issylte heals a critically injured wolf and obtains fiercely loyal, shapeshifting allies. 

In mystical Brocéliande, Issylte becomes a warrior priestess of the Tribe of Dana and otherworldly mate of the Blue Knight of Cornwall, discovering with Tristan a passion that transcends all bounds. When she becomes the Lady of the Mirrored Lake, sworn to defend the sacred waters of the Goddess, Issylte must undertake a perilous quest to discover what priceless object lies hidden in its murky depths. 

As a nascent evil emerges in a fetid cave, Issylte and Tristan must face a diabolical trio that threatens their lives, their love, and their kingdoms. 

Enchanted. Enflamed. Entwined. Can their passion and power prevail? 

Between The Pages 

This is the second book in The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven series and begins where the first book ended. While I enjoyed the first book, this story held more interest for me because the plot highlighted more of the relationship between Issylte and Tristan who are the stars. Their connection is powerful and unwavering. Several interesting aspects propel this story, especially when Issylte is gifted new powers and the ceremonial bond between her and Tristan. There is a huge cast of characters, so I recommend starting with book one to become familiar with some of the names. Filled with magic, evil, fairies, wizards, and plenty of knights and princesses, this book is long but has a well-developed plot, which ends with an imminent battle to take place in the third installment. 

Rating 

5 Stars

Between The Pages - The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven

The Wild Rose of the Sea Raven 

Jennifer Ivy Walker 

September 2022

In this dark fairy tale adaptation of a medieval French legend, Issylte must flee the wicked queen, finding shelter with a fairy witch who teaches her the verdant magic of the forest. Fate leads her to the otherworldly realm of the Lady of the Lake and the Elves of Avalon, where she must choose between her life as a healer or fight to save her ravaged kingdom. 

Tristan of Lyonesse is a Knight of the Round Table who must overcome the horrors of his past and defend his king or lose everything. When he becomes a warrior of the Tribe of Dana, a gift of Druidic magic might hold the key he seeks. 

Haunted and hunted. Entwined by fate. Can their passion and power prevail? 

Between The Pages 

This medieval, Viking, historical adventure mixes a bit of Cinderella, Snow White, and fairies. The author quickly captivates the reader into magical forests and strong warriors. For the most part, the book tells the tale of a few stories from the voices of Issylte, Tristan, as well as the wicked stepmother. You’ll follow Issylte’s and Tristan’s journey, waiting anxiously for them to finally meet. Ms. Walker has a solid descriptive voice that places you into the forest as though you were walking along side the characters, seeing the view as they do. Though I was tad disappointed the story is a happy-for-now than a happy-ever-after, the plot line is well-developed. The ending leaves you wanting more and looking forward to the next book in the series where you’ll revisit characters you’ve grown to like, as well as hoping for the demise of the characters you dislike. 

Rating 

4.5 Stars