#also i've heard from norse mythology buffs that the lore is great too

[zhoras-bitch]

I really miss Path of the Valkyrie and Alexandra's writing in general. It sucks so hard that she won't be able to continue her work at RC. I think her writing was getting better and better over time, and while Path of the Valkyrie has some highs and lows, I was fully expecting her next project to be a total banger.

The LIs are probably my favourite aspect of her writing -- in that regard it reminds me a little of Theodora. Just the range of archetypes is impressive, and somehow they are all handed so well. Sagr's romance is a beautiful angsty slowburn which reveals the tender, caring, but deeply wounded man behind a rough exterior. Ullr's path is comforting, like coming back home. Andvari is the soft-spoken pocket-sized bf who is going to treat you like a princess and you can carry him in your arms. Thor is like a force of nature, wild and a little terrifying, and he has an absolutely fascinating set of morals that makes him actually feel kind of non-human. And Loki's path is just something else. You think you have this chaotic trickster all figured out, and the next episode he flips everything on its head.

And I also just want to shout out the female LIs in particular. Nowadays, RC is moving in a better direction in terms of making stories with more diverse casts (books like Heart of Trespia, Hell and High Water, The One, Vying for Versallies, Elite Tag in particular come to mind). But back when Path of the Valkyrie first came out, it was unfortunately the norm across RC stories to treat wlw paths as an after-though (there were occasional wins for the wlws, but it was kind of barren overall). And in contrast Liod and Vanadis paths felt like such a breath of fresh air. I mean Liod is still one of the few masc female LIs on the app. And Vanadis has such a compelling character arc about finding her voice and standing up to those who wronged her after a lifetime of objectification and neglect. They both have their roles in the bigger story and their romances feel just as genuine and authentic as the men's, rather than a side hookup.

I hope they can find a writer who will love those characters as much as Alexandra clearly did, so Path of the Valkyrie can get the ending it deserves. But even then, it's still going to be bittersweet.