Legends of Orkney #2: Kalifus Rising by Alane Adams

My name is Keely, and all of Orkney is under attack from Catriona and the Volgrim Witches. I had a vision of Sam fighting against us, side by side with them and their army of huge, hairy creatures. I have faith in my friend Sam, but I must complete my quest to prevent the vision from coming true. I must trek through the mountains of ice giants and then face an eight-legged creature to retrieve the Moon Pearl. Drinking water from Mimir's well allowed me to see visions of the future, but it seems to have changed me in other ways. My hair turned white, and I feel magic growing inside me. What is happening? Odin declared Howie the protector of Skara Brae, but he is definitely not a warrior hero. I hope the city is still standing when I return.

I did not read the first book and really felt like I was missing some background information. Namely, how/why did Sam and his friends leave earth and travel to this fantasy world? (I have since read the first one and had my questions answered) The book involves Norse mythology, as Sam is a descendant of Odin and a witch, and Loki pops up in the later pages. I enjoyed Sam's internal conflict, as he battled with feelings of loyalty and abandonment toward his friends. The blood of Odin was fighting to keep his witch blood from taking over, but the temptation of power was overwhelming. Kalifus is Sam's witch name. With Sam captured, Keely seemed to be the glue keeping the other friends together in the plot even though they had separate quests. It's always nice to see females in leadership roles and becoming heroes. Kalifus Rising is an exciting adventure of good versus evil. I accessed this book through Net Galley.