XENO TRANSPLANT The Last Valkyrie
GENRE
ACTION ADVENTURE FANTASY SCI-FI SUSPENSE/THRILLER
Core Theme
OVERCOMING THE VILLAIN; PERSONAL JOURNEY; FIGHTING FOR GOOD
TIME PERIOD
Contemporary
COMPARABLE TITLES
THOR, THOR: THE DARK WORLD, VALHALLA RISING
CHARACTER LIST
CHELSEA: 30S. LEAD. SMART, CONFIDENT, DRIVEN, STRONG.
NINA: 50S. CHELSEA'S AUNT AND AN INTERIM CEO. STRONG MORAL CODE, INTELLIGENT, DETERMINED.
SVEA: A BUBBLY YOUNG SWEDISH WOMAN WHO CHELSEA IMMEDIATELY BEFRIENDS. SHE HELPS WITH THE VIKING PROJECT. ENERGETIC, ENDEARING, ENTHUSIASTIC.
BJORN: A SEEMINGLY PERFECT SWEDISH MAN WHO CHELSEA FEELS A DEEP CONNECTION WITH. EIR USES HIM AS A WAY TO REACH OUT TO CHELSEA. DREAMY, KIND, ENDEARING.
MICHAEL: CHELSEA'S EX. SHE ALMOST GETS BACK TOGETHER WITH HIM, BUT HE PROVES TO BE SELF-CENTERED. SELFISH, PETTY, FRUSTRATING.
STEVEN: A CEO WHO GOES MAD WITH POWER AFTER INJECTING HIMSELF WITH ANCIENT GENETIC CODE. MANIPULATIVE, POWER HUNGRY, CRUEL.
Logline
Our nurse saved her patients from secret genetic experimentation in her last adventure but learns the secret project has unleashed a Pandora's Box of super-human power. Now she's on a mission to save the world. But changes occur as she evolves into the world's first nurse super hero.
Target Audiences
Age: 13-17,18-34,35-54,55+
Target Gender: Universal
Setting
Boston, Norway, Sweden, Egyptian pyramids, Yucatan jungle
Based on a True Story
No
Publishing Details
Status: Yes: self-published
Publisher: Amazon
Year Published: 2020
Starting Description
Chelsea the protagonist and Nina her aunt the second lead character board a jet for a flight to Stockholm to excavate ancient Viking graves for DNA samples to find evidence of engineered DNA in these 1200 year old bodies as was found in the ancient Mayan Priestess in the first book.
Ending Description
Chelsea restores the life of a child accident victim with her Valkyrie healing powers bestowed upon her. She returns to her car and embraces her new found love, and realizes she has healed inside as well and can love again.
Group Specific
Information not completed
Hard Copy Available
Yes
ISBN
9798683523961
Mature Audience Themes
Information not completed
Plot - Other Elements
Meaningful Message,Twist,Happy Ending
Plot - Premise
Internal Journey/Rebirth,Quest
Main Character Details
Name: Chelsea Dahl
Age: 33
Gender: Female
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Adventurous,Confident,Decisive,Empathetic,Engaging,Faithful,Heroic,Educated,Selfless,Skillful,Romantic,Strong Moral Code
Additional Character Details
Name: Nina
Age: 58
Gender: Female
Role: Sidekick
Key Traits: Confident,Educated,Skillful,Strong Moral Code
Additional Character Details
Name: Steven
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Role: antagonist
Key Traits: Confident,Criminal,Leader,Power Hungry,Skillful,Unapologetic,Greedy,Educated,Manipulative
Additional Character Details
Name: Dr. Martinez
Age: 71
Gender: Male
Role: antagonist
Key Traits: Charming,Confident,Educated,Honorable,Leader,Selfless,Visionary,Strong Moral Code
Genre
ACTION, SUSPENSE, THRILLER, ROMANCE, DRAMA, FANTASY
Brief
A nurse and her aunt make a groundbreaking discovery that suggests ancient civilizations were making genetic edits. They discover that a doctor and a CEO are injecting ancient DNA code into people in the modern day in order to create humans with super powers and take over the world. The nurse nearly dies and her aunt injects Viking DNA into her in order to save her life. The nurse, now a powerful Valkyrie warrior, saves the world from the power-hungry CEO.
Overall Rating
GOOD
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: FAIR
Characterization: FAIR
Commerciality: GOOD
Franchise Potential: FAIR
Pace: FAIR
Premise: EXCELLENT
Structure: FAIR
Theme: GOOD
Accuracy of Book Profile
The Book Profile does generally reflect this book; however, Chelsea's transformation into a Valkyrie warrior happens so late in this book that the Profile does feel a bit misleading. This book is more about the study of genetic discovery than it is Chelsea's transformation.
Draw of Story
The research in this book is incredibly impressive. The writing is smart and it feels scientifically accurate. The premise itself is also so fascinating. This is a nice new take on the superhero genre.
Possible Drawbacks
The first half of the book mostly consists of Nina and Chelsea telling each other things. There's not a lot of action, and it would benefit this book to show more frequently, instead of just telling. Adding more action, whether it's in real time or through flashbacks, would make this book more engaging. Once Chelsea is injected with the Viking DNA though, the pace really picks up and the book becomes a lot more exciting.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY RELIES A LITTLE BIT ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
The original take on the creation of a superhero is the hook for this movie. The fact that this movie would star two strong and nuanced female characters is also a great hook. Overall though, it's the research and smart writing that makes this project stand out.
Fanbase Potential
If this project were to lean into the superhero elements, it could have a huge fanbase. People are always hungry for new superheroes, and the idea of a Valkyrie nurse is such a smart and fun idea.
Awards Potential
Because this project feels more like a summer blockbuster, it probably wouldn't have Awards potential.
Envisioned Budget
LARGE BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
THOR, THOR: THE DARK WORLD, VALHALLA RISING
What’s New About the Story
The superhero backstory in this story is incredibly original. All of the research heavy information about genetic information is original as well. Chelsea's character and her troubles with love don't feel particularly unique though. Adding a few more specific personality quirks to Chelsea could help her feel more original overall.
Lead Characters
Chelsea and Nina are interesting in how intelligent, driven, and morally impressive they are. These women have clear, strong opinions of right and wrong. It's also lovely to see how much they care about each other.
Uniqueness of Story
The premise of this story is absolutely a rare gem. The current draft could be strengthened with better pacing though. Because the first half of the book is so much slower than the second half, it's difficult to call it a rare gem.
Possible Formats
Film: Studio, Indie, Streaming TV Series: Limited Run / Mini-Series, Streaming
Analyst Recommendation
CONSIDER
Justification
The premise alone makes this a story worth considering. The ending is also inspiring and really quite gripping. The research in this book is very impressive, and the writing is smart and interesting.
Brief
When a nurse and her aunt make a groundbreaking genetic discovery, they also learn that they have to stop a doctor and a power-hungry CEO from abusing the discovery and taking over the world. To save her life, the aunt injects her niece with Viking DNA, essentially turning her into a superhero who must use her powers to save the world.
What We Liked
This story features an amazing premise. It provides a fresh new take on the superhero genre and features two strong leading female characters. The writing is smart and incredibly well researched, and the ending is inspiring and leaves the door open for future additions to the story.
Film: This book has a satisfying beginning, middle, and end, making it the perfect project for a film adaptation. It's easy to imagine an A-list actor wanting to portray Chelsea. The big-budget potential of this project would also be ideal for a fun summer blockbuster.
TV: The world introduced in this book is exciting and full of interesting characters. There are plenty of potential stories to tell, which means this would be a wonderful world for a TV show to explore. Chelsea's powers have only just developed by the end of this book, and there's no question that they're engaging enough to lead a TV show.
Key points:
1. Great premise.
2. Well researched story.
3. Endearing female protagonists.
4. Exciting action scenes.
5. New twist on the superhero genre.
Synopsis
When a nurse and her aunt make a groundbreaking genetic discovery, they must stop others from using it to gain power and take over the world. In order to survive, the nurse must be injected with the DNA of a Valkyrie warrior, making her the last Valkyrie in the world, and perhaps the only person who can save it.
Readers meet Chelsea on a flight to Stockholm. A registered nurse, she’s gotten four days worth of shifts covered. That’s four days to save the world. Beside Chelsea on the plane is her Aunt Nina, the CEO of Boston Genetics. During the flight, Chelsea recalls the time she spent in pursuit of Enrique Martinez, a transplant doctor, and his patients, through the Yucatan jungle. She recalls being imprisoned by police in Cancun and being in danger, but her aunt snaps her out of the memory.
Chelsea explains the current situation with the CMUMC project to her aunt. The project goal was initially to enable pig kidneys to be used for humans; that goal has changed now, but Chelsea doesn’t tell her aunt yet. The former CEO, Steven, was so enamored with the project that Nina had to be made interim CEO. After liking Martinez’s relevant research, he was hired to be a part of the CMUMC project. Editing the pig’s DNA worked and technically, the pig kidneys began to resemble human kidneys rather than animal. Chelsea tells Nina that there is more to this story though. Though Martinez looks only 30, he’s really more than 70 years old. He conducts archaeological digs, and all of this has to do with why Steven has disappeared.
Chelsea reveals that the hospital was conducting human trials with the pig kidneys before they were supposed to, and the patients didn’t just do well… They did too well. They showed record healing and recovery times. But no one is sure how they’re doing now, because they returned to Mexico, along with Dr. Martinez, and dropped off the radar. The final piece of this puzzle is the fact that Martinez found the genetic sequence he used for this discovery in a 1200-year-old body found during a 2015 Mayan excavation. And now, Nina and Chelsea are headed to Stockholm to collect samples from a Viking body. If the genetic markings match, it’ll be proof that the Mayan body was no anomaly. Chelsea also reveals the reason they need to do this now: the doctor plans to use his discovery to restore the Mayan Empire to its former glory. Martinez believes he’s stumbled upon the genetic Fountain of Youth. It’s why he looks so young, and it’s why Steven has gone to Mexico.
Chelsea and Nina arrive in Stockholm and travel to the Viking dig. While there, Chelsea strikes up a friendship with Svea, a tour guide who happens to look a lot like Chelsea. She spends time with Svea’s friends. Svea and Chelsea do genetic swabs to see if they share any distant ancestry. Chelsea also tells Svea about her studies and wants her on the team, as she’s a quick study with great ideas.
With genetic details from the Viking on hand, Nina and Chelsea leave Stockholm and head home. They realize that there’s a chance they may need to inject the Viking DNA into their own, just as Martinez did with the Mayan DNA, but they’re hopeful that Martinez won’t actually have to be stopped. On their way to Mexico, they watch a news report about new Mexican senators who are finding success. They have odd, pointed heads, which Chelsea and Nina recognize as a Mayan feature. They believe the senators may be patients of Martinez. Chelsea also tells Nina that there is even more she hasn’t told her, and she alludes to the fact that the superhuman genetics might also be capable of superpowers such as mind control.
Finally home, Nina goes to Boston and Chelsea goes to her home in rural Princeton. Her neighbor, Liz, who’d been watching Chelsea’s pets, casually mentions that her ex-husband, Michael, dropped by. Their relationship had ended because after years, he still wasn’t ready for a family. Chelsea isn’t sure why he came by, but she’s secretly hopeful he may have changed his mind. Chelsea returns to work and when she gets home, she finds roses and a note from Michael indicating that he does want to try again.
In Boston, Nina receives the lab results from the Viking body. It does indeed contain the same genetic markings as the Mayan body. She calls Chelsea and they decide to test their own DNA to see if it responds well to the genetic changes. They fly to Sweden, where Chelsea and Svea reconnect, and Chelsea and Nina discover that their DNA seems to be interacting well with the changes.
Meanwhile, in Mexico, the Mayan politicians continue gaining power. Chelsea flies to Cancun to check in on the patients and determine whether or not they’ve actually gotten superpowers. She also texts Michael and the plan to meet up when she returns home. At the Mayan Research Center, Chelsea learns that Martinez is traveling, but most of what she sees in Mexico doesn’t trouble her. It seems as if Martinez just wants to better the Mayan community. Still, Chelsea has inklings that the Mayan politics could have mind control powers. She and Nina decide to leave the situation alone for now, and Chelsea goes home to Boston.
At home, Chelsea researches and discovers the idea of Mayan Sky Gods in her translations. She wonders if these Sky Gods have something to do with the genetic markings. Nina and Chelsea meet up, discuss the current situation, and talk on the phone to Aapo, one of the Mayans who was given an injection to be able to project and contact the Sky Gods of old. Aapo says the injection worked wonders for him, but Steven, whose genetics were not compatible with the genetic edits, didn’t respond so well. His mind isn’t right anymore. Aapo says that soon the Mayans will be able to call the Sky Gods back to Earth, and they will restore order to the world.
Chelsea and Nina agree to start the Viking project again. They will start human trials, and they’ll use Svea as a way to find volunteers. They also plan to look into ancient Egypt genomes to see if they contain traces of genetic edits as well.
Chelsea and Nina travel to Sweden to get the process of securing volunteers started, and then they head to Cairo to do a little digging into their next question. Chelsea explores Cairo and tracks down a mummy with an elongated head that interests her. Chelsea manages to sneak into the Queen’s Chamber, where she overhears suspicious men plotting to inject DNA from the mummies into “volunteers.” While trying to escape without being seen, Chelsea falls and hits her head. When she wakes up, a local boy named Ali agrees to help Chelsea in exchange for money.
Chelsea manages to get back to the airport, with the newfound knowledge of the plans to inject Egyptian DNA. She heads back to Stockholm and fills Nina in on what she’s learned. In Sweden, the Viking project is coming together nicely with the addition of the volunteers Svea found.
Chelsea plans to go home, but first she goes to Senja to see her great grandparents and unwind after her ordeal. During her visit, a family friend shows her to a potential new Viking dig site. Runes she uncovers contain an ominous message, and Chelsea passes out in the snow. In the hospital, doctors struggle to help Chelsea and her health continues to worsen. They believe her body triggered an immune response to a very old organism that was revealed by the melting of the snow. It’s a medical anomaly.
To save her life, Nina gives Chelsea the Viking DNA injection. Chelsea’s health improves rapidly, though Nina feels guilty because she believes Chelsea would have been okay without the injection. As Chelsea prepares to leave the hospital, she meets an attractive nurse named Bjorn who she makes an immediate connection with, but when she looks for him later, he’s nowhere to be found.
Chelsea goes home to rest and recover. While there, she spends time with Michael, but she can’t stop thinking about Bjorn. Chelsea finds new strange masses on her back. Michael, afraid she could have cancer, insists she get checked out before they move forward with getting back together. Nina takes a look and realizes that the masses are calcium deposits, and they’ll likely spread into Chelsea’s bones and make her stronger, like a Viking. Chelsea decides she’s done with Michael for good, and Nina tells her to look up Bjorn.
Chelsea and Bjorn connect and he comes to visit her in Boston for a week. It’s a magical, perfect trip. Chelsea is in love with Bjorn. After he leaves, Chelsea receives a call from Aapo. He tells her that the Mayans need her help. Their original fears were true: Martinez and Steven crave power and plan to call the Sky Gods to earth. If they do, there’s no telling what could happen to the Mayans, and to all of humanity.
Chelsea tells Nina these developments and receives the bad news that Steven is back at the company, and Nina has been bumped down to VP. Also, Steven has ended the Viking Project. He must have known they planned to use it to combat the Mayans.
Furious, Chelsea travels to Mexico to talk to Dr. Martinez herself. When she gets in a room with him, she’s shocked to see Steven there, and he’s warped the entire situation and made it sound as if Chelsea and Nina were looking to dominate the world with the Viking Project. Unsure how to respond, Chelsea flees.
Aapo tells her to run into the jungle and that he’ll meet her there when it’s safe. Chelsea gets lost though, and she struggles with dehydration. Just as Chelsea is fading, a healing Valkyrie named Eir appears to her and offers Chelsea the power to both live and to be a demi-god, if she accepts it. Eir also tells Chelsea that she is actually Bjorn, and she only projected a male image to Chelsea to appeal to her. Odin commanded Eir to look after Chelsea, like a guardian angel. Chelsea learns that she was actually injected with Valkyrie wings, and that the calcium deposits on her back are wings. With her powers, Chelsea has the power to save others from death as long as she does it just after death. Her position as a nurse seems even more impactful now.
Chelsea flies to the lab and confronts Steven, who is mad with power. She appeals to the Mayans and to Dr. Martinez personally after saving a patient in cardiac arrest. Martinez admits that Steven has been corrupted and that he no longer has the best interest of the Mayans in his heart.
Chelsea thinks she’s safe to go home, but Nina tells her that things aren't looking promising in Egypt. She fears Steven is initiating a DNA injection program there. Chelsea flies to Cairo to check it out. She meets up with Ali, the same boy who helped her before, and he points her in the right direction.
Together Chelsea and Ali break into the base and work together to save poor victims there. Chelsea is tricked into entering the base with Steven. At first, he claims he’s there for the same reason as her, but it becomes clear he’s lying. He plans to kill Chelsea and experiment with her blood and wings.
Ali rescues Chelsea just in time, and they leave after successfully shutting down the project. Steven crashes his helicopter, and it’s unclear whether or not he could have survived. Back home, Nina tells Chelsea that Steven is missing, so Nina has become the interim CEO again. The Viking project is back in full force. Chelsea isn’t fully honest with the truth about her powers, but Nina has a hunch about them.
At a conference where Chelsea reveals her powers, she receives that wonderful news that Bjorn is a real person and not just a projection from Eir. Chelsea is overjoyed, as she had missed Bjorn terribly. They embrace.
In the final moments of the story, Chelsea and Bjorn witness a child get hit by a car. Chelsea saves the child, and all is well.