Valhellions

Knight Watch #2

by Tim Akers

AN AGENT OF KNIGHT WATCH, TASKED TO PROTECT HUMANITY FROM SUPERNATURAL ENEMIES, MUST GO TO HELL AND BACK TO CLEAR HIS NAME AND SAVE THE WORLD

When John Rast signed up for Knight Watch, he expected it to be all fighting dragons and rescuing maidens. You know, hero stuff. But instead he’s stuck patrolling game conventions and cosplayer competitions, looking for dangerous anachronisms and the villains who may be trying to exploit them. Fortunately, all that changes when an honest-to-goodness necromancer shows up wielding a weapon created by Nazi occultists and accompanied by some badass evil Valkyries, hell-bent on kicking off the end of the world.

John and the team will go to great lengths—even Minnesota—to find out who’s responsible for all this and foil their plans. Also, there’s a giant dog who thinks the moon is a ball. It’s epic.

About Valhellions :
"Akers' novel puts the fantasy in urban fantasy, with real-world-dwelling fantastical characters similar to Jim Butcher and ridiculous set pieces reminiscent of Terry Pratchett." -- Booklist (starred review)

About Knight's Watch :
“Buckle up and get ready for a fun ride. Tim Akers delivers an epic story about weekend ren faire warriors versus actual monsters. Best fictional use of a Volvo station wagon ever.” —Larry Correia

About Tim
“A must for all epic fantasy fans.” — Starburst

“Full of strong world building, cinematic and frequent battle scenes, high adventure, great characters, suspense, and dramatic plot shifts, this is an engaging, fast-paced entry in a popular subgenre.” — Booklist (starred review)

“Take a bit of fantasy, mix in the horror of the demonic, and put in some top-notch writing and you’ll have Akers’ latest novel.” — Hellnotes

“Fast-paced . . . an epic fantasy story with action, intrigue and a good story.” — RPG

“Delivers enough twists and surprises to keep readers fascinated . . . contains action, grittiness, magic, intrigue and well created characters.” — Rising Shadow

“An extremely well-developed secondary world.” — SF Signal

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

288 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2022

About the author

Tim Akers was born in deeply rural North Carolina, the only son of a theologian. He moved to Chicago for college, where he lives with his wife of thirteen years and their German shepherd. He splits his time between databases and fountain pens.
- PyrSF

Reviews

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this book from Baen in return for an honest review. This is the second book in a series, [Knight Watch is the first] although I have not yet read the first. Not having read the first was not much of a handicap, since enough background was provided during the course of the story. I generally don't provide plot summaries in my reviews, because those are readily available on Goodreads and / or Amazon.

This is an enjoyable romp, in a universe of D&D or RPG, built around Norse Mythology (perhaps somewhat loosely). So why 4 stars and not 5? I have never been personally into LARPing, so while fun, the set up did not totally resonate with me. The other point is that hero's wise cracking was a bit too much for me. One or too cracks about the Viking boat built from dead Viking toenails would have been enough for me, for example.

What I especially liked about Valhellions was the fact that the protagonist [John Rast] is just a regular guy, whose role in the team basically is to be beat on while his teammates provide the offense. Despite this, John ends up saving the day through perseverance and some fast thinking.

I especially enjoyed the big dog in John's domain and the Viking dog Fenris. [I'm just a dog guy].

[Roger Sandri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knight Watch is my favorite book, and Valhellions did not disappoint as the sequel. It’s ridiculously fun.

[Dale Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little did John Rast realize that his favorite pass time and obsession would become a reality that would change his whole universe. But, that's exactly what happened the day that he took down a dragon. Amazingly, it wasn't his sword fighting skills that did the deed (he was the runner up in his local LARPing and anachronistic society for three years in a row after all). He DID manage to find a rather useful vehicle that he used to put an end to the creature. Well...needs must, and soon John found himself recruited into a very elite organization. So elite, that they didn't even really exist in the "mundane" world. The Knight Watch was created in an effort to fight and control all things from the Unreal world that found their ways into a world of humans that had no idea that they even existed. And so, John and his erstwhile girlfriend Chesa Lozaro and others, answer the call when the Unreal touches the Real.

Today, though, the totally unexpected happens and John and his friends are called to fight a Necromancer whose single touch with a blade can kill and bring those who die into his army of undead zombies. To complicate things, the new guy also seems to have his own squadron of Valkyries at his beck and call who are just as determined as he is to resurrect the undead of the past and create a "new" world of their own.

Most new books, when they reach my front porch and then find their way into my substantial TBR pile, must wait their time in the rotation until they percolate to the top. A few though...very few...become immediate "I gotta read this!" books and keep calling to me until I open that cover and begin the journey. Tim Akers KNIGHT WATCH books are most definitely one of those.

Akers continues his amazingly fun and entertaining journey through the universe of the KNIGHT WATCH with this, the second book in the series - VALHELLIONS. In case you're wondering the origin of the word, Akers has taken the maidens of the battlefields who seek out and bring heroic souls to Valhalla, and turned them upside down as they side with a villain whose only goal, apparently, is to create as many undead as possible to bring his world to fruition.

Akers heroes from his first book are here: John the Warder, Chesa the Elf Queen Archer, Tembo the ancient Mage, Matthew the Sainted Healer, and Bethany the Shadow Assassin. Joining the team... much to the seemingly jealous resentment of his main hero...is Gregory Chastain de Beuregard d'Haute - Warrior and true Paladin (and Chesa's apparent new eye candy).

Akers blends the world of contemporary blind to Unreality humans, with his heroes of classic epic fantasy, and mixes in a substantial amount of dry wit and sarcastic humor that strikes the exact right tone as he pits his creations up against villains of the most evil sort.

Oh...and don't miss the Volleyball scene...you'll laugh so hard your head will roll off!!!

Can't wait for more in this world.

[Michael Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again we join John Rast and his band of heroes as they work to save our world from the mythical creatures that share it, but that we just don't notice. Going from the patrolling renaissance fairs and cosplay conventions to Valhalla (or it is Minnesota?) they will encounter necromancers, Valkyries and hordes of undead nazis in their quest to prevent Ragnarok.

John is still the 'new guy' on the team, who seems to get by more on luck than skill. Rather than the heroic knight, his role is the warden - protecting the more vulnerable members of the team while allowing them use their abilities to take down the monsters they encounter. He never seems to get the proper credit for anything he does (including killing a dragon). His former girlfriend Chesa, on the other hand, has easily slipped into the role of an elvish ranger princess. Part of his role would appear to be comic relief, or simply the 'everyman' that the reader can identify with, so even though he saves the day multiple times, he still never quite seems to be accepted as the major part of the team that he is.

Much like the first novel, this one is full of great lines and humorous situations, while still giving a sense of menace and threat as the danger increases. I found myself chuckling from the first page onward (much to my wife's chagrin as I insisted on quoting lines to her while she was stuck in the airplane seat next to me, unable to get away).

The book does a good job of starting to growing some of the other characters as well, in a very natural way that fills in major parts of their backstory with their lives in the mundane world (while still leaving others to explore later). These pieces flowed naturally, seeming to be an effortless part of the story (which in itself shows how much effort actually goes into the writing of the book).

The descriptions and characterizations give a very cinematic feel to the story, and it would make for a great streaming series.

Much more than just a mash up of men in black and cosplay, you actually start to care about the characters, And like many great books, this leaves you both satisfied and wanting more.

Overall a fun and exciting ride with plenty of laughs and excitement along the way. I truly am looking forward to the next installment of this series.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knight Watch books:
★★★★ — 4/5
★★★★★ — 4.75/5
★★★★★ — 4.5/5


Urban fantasy often thrives when the ordinary world cracks open just enough to let something impossible slip through. In the entire Knight Watch saga, Tim Akers plays precisely along that seam, stitching together the modern world and the strange corners of myth that might be hiding just out of sight. The result is a story that balances playful imagination with familiar genre beats. It may lean on some well-traveled tropes, but it also carries the kind of straightforward storytelling energy that reminds many readers why they fell in love with adventure fiction in the first place. The premise itself is delightfully simple. John Rast, a college student and enthusiastic live-action role-playing combatant, returns home for the summer before his final year of school. His immediate concern is hardly cosmic destiny. He simply wants to compete at the local renaissance faire where his LARP group stages elaborate mock battles. For John, the hobby represents community, imagination, and the small thrill of stepping briefly into a heroic identity.

That harmless game becomes something far stranger during a routine duel. His opponent, a costumed participant known as Kracek the Hosier, abruptly stops playing by the rules of reality. In the middle of their staged combat, Kracek transforms into a genuine fire-breathing serpent. Suddenly John is no longer pretending to fight a dragon. He is staring at one. Akers handles this moment with a kind of comedic practicality that defines the book’s tone. Rather than meeting the creature with heroic swordplay, John abandons his prop weapons entirely and solves the problem with something far less mythic: his mother’s station wagon. The solution is absurd, sudden, and strangely fitting. The scene sets the tone for a world where ancient powers and everyday tools collide in unexpected ways.

John’s victory attracts the attention of the Knight Watch, a secretive organization tasked with monitoring supernatural threats hidden within the modern world. They recruit him into their ranks, introducing him to a network of agents who track mythological entities the way intelligence agencies track political threats. What began as a college student’s summer hobby quickly becomes something resembling a full-time battle against creatures pulled straight from legend. But triumph rarely arrives without consequences. Kracek’s death awakens the wrath of his widow, a powerful being known as the Storm Goddess. Her desire for vengeance pushes the story forward with escalating danger, threatening not only John but the ordinary life he had hoped to return to when summer ended.

In its structure, the novel clearly aims to capture some of the cultural enthusiasm that stories like Ready Player One generated for gaming culture. Akers attempts something similar with live-action role-playing, drawing from the camaraderie, theatricality, and imagination that fuel LARP communities. Yet the novels don't completely reinvent the chosen-hero framework it relies upon. Familiar patterns appear throughout the narrative: the reluctant recruit, the powerful hidden enemy, the gradual realization that the protagonist may hold a unique role in a much larger conflict. For readers seeking constant innovation, these elements may feel predictable. The pacing will occasionally slow as the story moves through recognizable character arcs or pauses for villainous speeches that lean into theatrical charms of those who love such things. An approach for the book that I for one appreciates for the pleasures of straightforward adventure rather than judging it solely by how radically it reshapes a genre or some big idea.

Because at its best, Knight Watch captures something that many modern fantasy stories sometimes overlook: the pure enjoyment of the ride. Akers writes in a direct, uncluttered style. His prose rarely disappears into elaborate description or philosophical detours. Instead it moves with clarity, allowing the characters and situations to carry the story’s weight. Those characters are where the novel finds much of its charm. John Rast begins as an ordinary enthusiast whose knowledge of fantasy comes from games and imagination rather than battlefield experience. Watching him step into a world where those fantasies suddenly matter gives the narrative its emotional hook. He is not the polished hero of epic legend. He is someone learning, often awkwardly, how to face dangers he once only pretended to fight.

The supporting cast within the Knight Watch adds additional color. Their mixture of competence, humor, and hidden knowledge evokes the spirit of ensemble adventure stories where the group dynamic becomes as important as the central conflict. In that sense the novel often recalls the tone of the television series Warehouse 13, where bizarre supernatural threats are handled not only with expertise but with personality and camaraderie. That comparison highlights an important aspect of the book’s appeal. Like Warehouse 13, the story relies on characters who feel capable but still human. They are not distant legends. They argue, improvise, and occasionally stumble while confronting the strange artifacts and creatures that invade their world. The emotional accessibility of that kind of ensemble makes the adventure feel welcoming rather than intimidating.

For readers who spend a great deal of time with darker or more introspective fantasy, a books like the Knight Watch books can feel like stepping into lighter air. There is still danger. There are still emotional stakes. Yet the atmosphere carries a sense of playfulness that echoes the imaginative games at the story’s beginning. It reminds us that fantasy is not always about decoding elaborate mythologies or tracing tragic destinies. Sometimes it is about the simple joy of imagining what might happen if dragons appeared in the parking lot outside a renaissance fair. That joy is worth protecting. Many readers arrive at fantasy through stories that ignite curiosity rather than through dense literary ambition. A novel like this reconnects with those early reasons for reading: the excitement of adventure, the comfort of characters worth cheering for, and the quiet satisfaction of turning pages simply because the story is fun.

In that sense, Tim Akers succeeds in something that can be just as valuable as innovation. He creates a narrative that invites readers to relax into the experience. The blend of modern life, hidden magic, and enthusiastic heroism may follow recognizable patterns, but it does so with enough sincerity and energy to remind us why those patterns endure. For anyone who enjoys urban fantasy, secret organizations battling supernatural threats, or the kind of ensemble storytelling that made Warehouse 13 such a beloved piece of science fiction television, the Knight Watch books offer a lively escape. It holds true to the joy in the genre’s foundations, but it also embraces the tropes with enthusiasm. And sometimes that enthusiasm is exactly what keeps the love of reading alive.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable take on modern fantasy with very witty banter.

[Christopher Gerrib · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the previous book in the series and enjoyed it, so I pre-ordered this one. I'm glad I did.

John Rast, the narrator and protagonist, is your typical 20-something Renfair geek. Or he was until he killed a dragon in the previous book. Then he got a job working for Knight Watch, an organization that works to keep the various magical realms separate from our mundane existence. His then-girlfriend, now ex-girlfriend, also joined.

Now in Book 2, John is on the job, which in this case is walking the halls of a local indoor Renfair which was bathed in "the visible funk of body odor shimmering under the fluorescent lights." They are looking for a real magic user prowling among the wannabes. Alas, they find him, and action ensues.

The novel is a quick read, and full of snark. Tim Akers, the author, is writing of his tribe and his humor runs throughout. I'm not usually a fantasy fan, but this is found enjoyable.

[Henry Lazarus · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Rast was a gamer who joined Knight Watch (paper) after killing a dragon that manifested into the real world and then saving the world from his best friend. Sometimes his job takes i\him to conventions where evil can manifest. This time he finds a zombie-creating sword and Valkyries determined to bring on Ragnarok. These Valhellions (paper from Baen) send him from Valhalla and back, erasing even his magical abilities. Lots of fun and properly silly.

[Oliver Bogert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting blend of characters.

This felt alot like the old D&D cartoon from the 80's. Great blend of comedy and action. Not sure if I agree with some of the mythos bending but the author made the realm his own and I respect that. I would recommend it to fans of RPG's and those open to new takes on Norse mythology.

[Ian Hecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent follow-up novel. Butcher meets Pratchett is probably the best description for this.

[Daniel Woodward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ragnarok how it can be

This book pulls all the stops in showing how even the end of the world can be shown in a different light.

[Christoph Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knight Watch war wieder mal sehr witzig. Es nimmt sich nicht zu ernst, und es gibt viel Action und einiges an Mystery.

[Colin Letch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Valhellions improves upon its predecessor in several ways, while still lacking in others. Very mild spoilers to follow.

Improvements:
*sidelining some characters allows the reader to dive deeper into others, particularly John and Chessa.
*the range of female character traits grows somewhat
*John matures a lot over the course of the text
*more depth is added to the world of the Knight Watch
*the plot is exciting, fast-paced, with great action scenes

Room for Improvement
*the female characters still fall into stereotypes, albeit a healthier range of stereotypes
*the prose isn a bit lackluster
*despite the growth and maturity, John still isn’t very likeable

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another exciting adventure with John and Chesa of Knight Watch! This time with Valkyries! Saving the world with steel and sarcasm. This series is great fun, with plenty of fantasy action and intrigue all the way through. I love it!