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The Odin Inheritance
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Expected 20 Jul 05Ariana Trevelyan, Cambridge mathematics student and deft mechanical tinkerer, thinks keeping her parents in the dark about her position as a navigator on an amateur airship is the wisest course of action. She can’t admit to them she throws darts in pubs on the weekends to raise money for her airship habit, for Heaven’s sake!
When a nasty German fellow tries to abduct her from a Cambridge library and her delightfully cryptic Great Aunt Miranda discovers her airship secret… her life becomes even more complicated. As Ariana finds herself on the run from mechanically Enhanced ruffians and surrounded by people with magical powers, she discovers that there’s far more to her dead-eye aim than she initially thought. Now an evil man wants Ariana in his power to wreak havoc on the world – can she escape his clutches without losing her life?
When a nasty German fellow tries to abduct her from a Cambridge library and her delightfully cryptic Great Aunt Miranda discovers her airship secret… her life becomes even more complicated. As Ariana finds herself on the run from mechanically Enhanced ruffians and surrounded by people with magical powers, she discovers that there’s far more to her dead-eye aim than she initially thought. Now an evil man wants Ariana in his power to wreak havoc on the world – can she escape his clutches without losing her life?
504 pages, Paperback
First published July 20, 2015
210 people want to read
About the author
Victoria L. Scott
7 books6 followersVictoria L. Scott teaches Social Studies, Latin, Steampunk Studies and Quilting to middle schoolers at a private school in Southeastern Michigan. She has studied Shakespeare in England and at the Folger Shakespeare Library; communicated extensively in spoken Latin at Latin Language immersion camps in Kentucky, Michigan and Massachusetts; and studied Roman History and Archaeology in Rome and environs as a student of the American Academy in Rome. She is an avid quilter and Steampunker who enjoys Doctor Who, walking her dog Red ‘the Wonder Husky’, and writing.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 19, 2015
Full disclosure: I got a free copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review. Yep.
I admit it: I'm in a reading rut. The books I read span quite a few genres and I'm not as married to one set of authors as I used to be. Still, there are books that I simply don't read, not for any disdain for the genre or author but just because it never crosses my mind to read them.
Fantasy books rank high on this haven't-read-much list. I have read some, but they're few and far between and most were read many years ago. My memories of each are so dusty and old that I can't say they're useful when reviewing/comparing new fantasy books.
With that in mind, feel free to take what I'm about to say with a few teaspoons of salt.
Simply put, The Odin Inheritance was amazing. It's possible I read it with lower-than-usual expectations because there were very few reviews on GR when I entered its contest and--if I'm being honest--I probably expect indie authors to put out work that is not quite as polished as their more famous brethren. That last bit is completely undeserved. Ms. Scott has proven to me that the indies can put out work that rivals the celebs.
The story's pacing was great, the twists and turns well-timed, the setting and action inventive...even the length of the book (just under 500 pages) felt right. Everything with the story just seemed to work, even the parts near the end which I won't talk about because SPOILERS. I will say I found the smoky, steamy setting to be handled in a refreshing, unique manner that may or may not have been pulled more from Norse mythology than Ms. Scott's cortex. I can't say which, but I welcomed the "new" spin on things. Nice job.
I especially liked the steampunk setting. I've never followed steampunk closely but from afar everything I've seen has interested me. Stephen King's Dark Tower books are about as close to steampunk as I've gotten, and they're more cowboypunk than steampunk. Still, I like it, and I look forward to getting more of it as the Odin * books that follow this one are published. (More airships! Bring em!)
All that said, I have to explain the missing star in my review. This star is missing with many books from indie authors, and it's one that saddens me because it's so easy to get back.
First up: the obligatory typos and misspellings. I'm guessing a mistaken find/replace caused all instances of "ms." to be changed to "Ms." so words at the ends of sentences that conclude with "ms" would look funky. Example (not pulled from the book, just an example from my head): "They needed to hash out the terMs." That "Ms." typo popped up a number of times, and each time it was distracting. Also, "toot sweet" is actually French and spelled "tout suite." This could have been a visual gag, but it popped up in dialog so I'm guessing it's a misspelling.
The most distracting bit about the book's interior, though, was its interior design. Three things in particular need to be pointed out, and I sincerely hope Ms. Scott considers changing these in future editions and in the two volumes that follow this one:
1) Sans-serif typefaces should not be used for body copy. Those little serifs in letters actually help guide the eye from letter to letter, so even if serif typefaces seem boring, they're essential for long-distance reading. Garamond, Caslon, Baskerville...many classic typefaces exist that were made for body copy, and any would be better than the sans-serif typeface in this book. This change should be made even if only to make the typeface match the steampunk setting, which is more closely aligned to the Victorian era than the modern/post-modern era of sans-serif typefaces.
2) Single blank lines between paragraphs generally signal a change in scene within a chapter. If the scene isn't changing, paragraphs should be made distinct by their first-line indentation only.
3) Generous margins give peoples' fat thumbs a place to hold the book open and they keep type from getting too close to the gutter (where the pages curve into the binding). With large trade-paperback and hardcover books, there's a lot of page real estate to make this possible so it should be doable.
Note that none of these things killed the story for me. One star was docked because it took a while to see past these distractions (I have a graphic design background so it's possible I notice these things more than the average reader). Still, all are worth considering. Robert Bringhurst's Elements of Typographic Style is a good book to review to learn about book design and typeface selection. If one is serious about producing a high-quality book, I think it's essential to at least skim it.
Okay, nobody's read this far so I'll stop here. I loved this book, people, seriously. Overlook the design if design bugs you and read this.
I admit it: I'm in a reading rut. The books I read span quite a few genres and I'm not as married to one set of authors as I used to be. Still, there are books that I simply don't read, not for any disdain for the genre or author but just because it never crosses my mind to read them.
Fantasy books rank high on this haven't-read-much list. I have read some, but they're few and far between and most were read many years ago. My memories of each are so dusty and old that I can't say they're useful when reviewing/comparing new fantasy books.
With that in mind, feel free to take what I'm about to say with a few teaspoons of salt.
Simply put, The Odin Inheritance was amazing. It's possible I read it with lower-than-usual expectations because there were very few reviews on GR when I entered its contest and--if I'm being honest--I probably expect indie authors to put out work that is not quite as polished as their more famous brethren. That last bit is completely undeserved. Ms. Scott has proven to me that the indies can put out work that rivals the celebs.
The story's pacing was great, the twists and turns well-timed, the setting and action inventive...even the length of the book (just under 500 pages) felt right. Everything with the story just seemed to work, even the parts near the end which I won't talk about because SPOILERS. I will say I found the smoky, steamy setting to be handled in a refreshing, unique manner that may or may not have been pulled more from Norse mythology than Ms. Scott's cortex. I can't say which, but I welcomed the "new" spin on things. Nice job.
I especially liked the steampunk setting. I've never followed steampunk closely but from afar everything I've seen has interested me. Stephen King's Dark Tower books are about as close to steampunk as I've gotten, and they're more cowboypunk than steampunk. Still, I like it, and I look forward to getting more of it as the Odin * books that follow this one are published. (More airships! Bring em!)
All that said, I have to explain the missing star in my review. This star is missing with many books from indie authors, and it's one that saddens me because it's so easy to get back.
First up: the obligatory typos and misspellings. I'm guessing a mistaken find/replace caused all instances of "ms." to be changed to "Ms." so words at the ends of sentences that conclude with "ms" would look funky. Example (not pulled from the book, just an example from my head): "They needed to hash out the terMs." That "Ms." typo popped up a number of times, and each time it was distracting. Also, "toot sweet" is actually French and spelled "tout suite." This could have been a visual gag, but it popped up in dialog so I'm guessing it's a misspelling.
The most distracting bit about the book's interior, though, was its interior design. Three things in particular need to be pointed out, and I sincerely hope Ms. Scott considers changing these in future editions and in the two volumes that follow this one:
1) Sans-serif typefaces should not be used for body copy. Those little serifs in letters actually help guide the eye from letter to letter, so even if serif typefaces seem boring, they're essential for long-distance reading. Garamond, Caslon, Baskerville...many classic typefaces exist that were made for body copy, and any would be better than the sans-serif typeface in this book. This change should be made even if only to make the typeface match the steampunk setting, which is more closely aligned to the Victorian era than the modern/post-modern era of sans-serif typefaces.
2) Single blank lines between paragraphs generally signal a change in scene within a chapter. If the scene isn't changing, paragraphs should be made distinct by their first-line indentation only.
3) Generous margins give peoples' fat thumbs a place to hold the book open and they keep type from getting too close to the gutter (where the pages curve into the binding). With large trade-paperback and hardcover books, there's a lot of page real estate to make this possible so it should be doable.
Note that none of these things killed the story for me. One star was docked because it took a while to see past these distractions (I have a graphic design background so it's possible I notice these things more than the average reader). Still, all are worth considering. Robert Bringhurst's Elements of Typographic Style is a good book to review to learn about book design and typeface selection. If one is serious about producing a high-quality book, I think it's essential to at least skim it.
Okay, nobody's read this far so I'll stop here. I loved this book, people, seriously. Overlook the design if design bugs you and read this.
August 22, 2015
I love how the author incorporates gods and mythologies from all different cultures and time periods! This is a fun, young adult book that grabs the reader's attention from chapter one.
December 3, 2017
I liked it. Three stars.
The Odin Inheritance was a bit long, a bit "off" with respect to British culture (it would have helped to have a British-specific proof reader) but it was a lovely diversion with an intriguing magic system. The villains were over the top without any clear motive or desires beyond grabbing the heroine for their cause and exploiting the handicapped. (Magic is divided basically into "the good guys" and "the bad guys", all based on old cross-cultural myths.)
Still, points for bringing in some very obscure mythology with cool powers and a nice steampunk aesthetic. It actually may have worked better as two books: one about the girl inventor and another about the old gods. The heroine was a little too too, and just when I thought I was in for "girl genius does steam" story, the whole "girl apparently has superpowers" thing took away from that.
I liked it but I don't know if I liked it enough to continue with #2.
The Odin Inheritance was a bit long, a bit "off" with respect to British culture (it would have helped to have a British-specific proof reader) but it was a lovely diversion with an intriguing magic system. The villains were over the top without any clear motive or desires beyond grabbing the heroine for their cause and exploiting the handicapped. (Magic is divided basically into "the good guys" and "the bad guys", all based on old cross-cultural myths.)
Still, points for bringing in some very obscure mythology with cool powers and a nice steampunk aesthetic. It actually may have worked better as two books: one about the girl inventor and another about the old gods. The heroine was a little too too, and just when I thought I was in for "girl genius does steam" story, the whole "girl apparently has superpowers" thing took away from that.
I liked it but I don't know if I liked it enough to continue with #2.
August 23, 2019
The Odin Inheritance is a lengthy book at 500 pages. Though long, I read the book quickly. The characters are sufficiently detailed to feel real, the ideas are fresh, and the action passages come to life in the reader’s hands. The Odin Inheritance is a fun, engaging novel, especially in the latter three-quarters of the book, and is worthy of space on any steampunk-lover’s bookshelf.
Full review: https://jimdorantales.com/2019/08/23/...
Full review: https://jimdorantales.com/2019/08/23/...
January 13, 2018
Free book on Goodreads. I think this is the first steampunk book I have ever read. It got a little much for me with the gods and everything, but I did enjoy it. I'm not sure if this was normal for steampunk to involve gods and magic.
July 3, 2017
Rating: 5
I won a copy of this book for an honest review. This will never effect how I like or rate a book.
This book was awesome!
Plain and simple.
It felt like everything that I could want and everything I didn't even know I wanted wrapped up in one book.
Great characters, a new and interesting story that felt like a breath of fresh air, and just overall a fun new world to immerse myself into.
A few things were predictable but then there were other things that I don't think anyone could of seen coming with just how crazy and surprising they were.
If I had any true gripes about the book it would only be that I would of liked to spend more time on the Bosch. I really would of liked more time on the airship with the lovable crew.
There was also a part around the middle where there just seemed to be constant running around that seemed a bit pointless. The only thing I can think is that it was given so we could spend more time with Ariana and her mother, but I felt it could of been handled a little better.
Other than that I'm very proud of the author for not trying to shoe horn in a romance. With everything else that was going on it just would of felt forced so I'm glad that in the end while there might have been a bit of attraction going between Ariana and Andrew it stayed as just that. If it develops more in later books I wont mind, if not I'll be just as happy since truthfully Andrew was the only character that I felt was a little bland. I was just glad that there was no instant romance and that things felt natural between the two of them.
I had a hard time putting this book down and I definitely can't wait till the sequel comes out. Loved it.
I'd recommend it to those that have a love of fiction, Fantasy, and definitely Steampunk.
I won a copy of this book for an honest review. This will never effect how I like or rate a book.
This book was awesome!
Plain and simple.
It felt like everything that I could want and everything I didn't even know I wanted wrapped up in one book.
Great characters, a new and interesting story that felt like a breath of fresh air, and just overall a fun new world to immerse myself into.
A few things were predictable but then there were other things that I don't think anyone could of seen coming with just how crazy and surprising they were.
If I had any true gripes about the book it would only be that I would of liked to spend more time on the Bosch. I really would of liked more time on the airship with the lovable crew.
There was also a part around the middle where there just seemed to be constant running around that seemed a bit pointless. The only thing I can think is that it was given so we could spend more time with Ariana and her mother, but I felt it could of been handled a little better.
Other than that I'm very proud of the author for not trying to shoe horn in a romance. With everything else that was going on it just would of felt forced so I'm glad that in the end while there might have been a bit of attraction going between Ariana and Andrew it stayed as just that. If it develops more in later books I wont mind, if not I'll be just as happy since truthfully Andrew was the only character that I felt was a little bland. I was just glad that there was no instant romance and that things felt natural between the two of them.
I had a hard time putting this book down and I definitely can't wait till the sequel comes out. Loved it.
I'd recommend it to those that have a love of fiction, Fantasy, and definitely Steampunk.
January 5, 2016
Ariana Grace Trevelyan (narrator, Cambridge, mathematics student, randgrior, aka Little One) is quite skilled at hiding her other life from her parents.
Her Great Aunt Miranda soon learns of Ariana’s secret.
Where will the journey aboard the Bosch, take Ariana & her friends?
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written fantasy book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a large set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great fantasy movie, animated cartoon, or mini TV series. Not sure what age group this is for defiantly HS. To be continued. I would have loved to have seen pictures. Again not my normal read but I truly liked it. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Gray Wolf Publishing LLC.: Autographed; paperback book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Her Great Aunt Miranda soon learns of Ariana’s secret.
Where will the journey aboard the Bosch, take Ariana & her friends?
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written fantasy book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a large set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great fantasy movie, animated cartoon, or mini TV series. Not sure what age group this is for defiantly HS. To be continued. I would have loved to have seen pictures. Again not my normal read but I truly liked it. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Gray Wolf Publishing LLC.: Autographed; paperback book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
January 23, 2016
Great read
This book, like the Harry Potter series, leaves the reader to his own imagination. It is suspenseful, action packed and very enjoyable. I look forward to the next installment.
This book, like the Harry Potter series, leaves the reader to his own imagination. It is suspenseful, action packed and very enjoyable. I look forward to the next installment.
April 15, 2016
Extremely clever storyline and well written. I was thoroughly entertained. Thank you, Victoria!
Extremely clever storyline and well written. I was thoroughly entertained. Thank you, Victoria! I now anxiously await the rest of the series...
Extremely clever storyline and well written. I was thoroughly entertained. Thank you, Victoria! I now anxiously await the rest of the series...
April 3, 2016
FANTASTIC! I absolutely loved everything about this book. Won courtesy of Goodreads.com
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews