Castanedaesque - Rated 
This book is not disimilar in certain respects to Castaneda- Journey to Ixtlan.
Written in the early 80's Coelho was a Magus, having been previously a successful popstar using blackmagic chants in his records!
The Coelho of this book may not be so endearing as in other works, but it is an honest and frank account of a younger version of the man who is revered today. Clearly he had quite a degree of egoism. His meeting with Valhalla, a brash seemingly all knowing Mystic, roaming the Mojave desert with an all girl gang of bikers seems incongruous with spiritual enlightenment, is due to an intense search for his Angel. He is on a spiritual quest 'J' has sent him on.
I think that the Coelho of this book egotististical,but this is a reflection of a particular stage of his life. He is striving, seeking and despite his spiritual search still materialistic. He must see the Angel in 40 days. It is something to obtain. Needless to say his conclusions at the end are quite different.
The Desert Roaming Angel preachers are hard to believe as being real, but apparently they were real life characters, bohemians forever on the move. They are also typically Western in their faults. Spiritual striving and egoism go incongruently hand in hand in this book. Whether this be Paulo, Valhalla or Gene , the 20 something Mystic who he first meets in the Mojave. This is Hippy Mysticism with the New Age and Bikes thrown in.
This is an honest show of the real man, and his relationship with his wife and his craft. Later works are very much more inspiring.
To find your Angel?
Break a pact, accept forgiveness and make a bet.
An ego at war... - Rated 
I do usually enjoy Coelho's books and often take something inspiring away from them however, with The Valkyries I am not too sure. Coelho tells the story of his spiritual journey and experiences gained travelling through the desert. Throughout the journey we witness Coelho fighting his inner demons and working towards spiritual enlightenment and self development. We are also introduced to his wife Chris who accompanies Coelho and, in her own way, faces her own inner struggles and spiritual enlightenment.
Throughout the book I found myself sympathising with Chris, becoming annoyed at her husband and following her journey more closely. On some occasions I become frustrated with Coehlo, his sense of importance and, more often, self indulgence. But, having said this, I believe this is what Coehlo wanted to portray and what was involved in his journey of battling against the ego and inner demons.
Coehlo's books often bring spiritual messages that can be inspiring and insightful. However, I feel The Valkyries has nothing further to add except maybe the possiblity of seeing Coehlo stripped bare and laying out his vulnerabilities for all to see which is quite a difficult and admirable thing to do
Stunning read - Rated 
This was a wonderfully deep read which really opened my eyes to exploring my full potential. Coelho's writing style is very accessible but draws you very much into his world with his frank literary styling. A revolutionary read.
The search for angels in the desolate desert - Rated
This was the second of Paulo's books that I have read I loved it and couldn't put it down..I was gripped from the beginning as he and his wife were driving around in suburban America when suddenly they find the majestic mojave desert. I found the narritive wonderful and Coelho describes the desert heat, and cold and strange towns and stranger people and bizzare and life threatening experiences they had, of course including spiritual experiences without which Coelho's work would not seem complete. It is written in a very 'human' way as the author was frequently irritated and annoyed as well as awe inspired in this book and it is a easy to read account of a 40 day adventure.
A review of The Valkyries by Paulo Coelho - Rated
I found Paulo Coelho's The Valkyries a bit of an enigma. I suspect the author at least partly intended it to be so. In a nutshell, the author seeks to discover new aspects of his psyche, to develop new angles on his existing skills. After a consultation with his mentor, he and his wife set off for a jaunt in the Mojave Desert to find what it is that they seek. Our author is in engaged in a quest, a search for his personal Angel. The reader, I am sure, will be convinced from the start that she accompanied him throughout.
They wander off in full sun one day, take their clothes off (for some reason) and have to be rescued by Gene, who has seen it all before. He reassures the travellers that they will find their valkyries. And they do. They turn out to be a band of leather-clad women on motorbikes, ladies who have profound mystic powers which they practise amidst their regular partying.
I was a bit perplexed by the narrator who claimed to have trained as an engineer in one breath and then discussed the existence of the universe in terms of ancient Greek elements. I suspect that the high performance motorbikes relied on a rather more complex analysis of matter. But honing the skills of a magus apparently requires the application of ancient knowledge, no matter how wrong, whatever the context. And sure enough the revelations come flooding in and lives are duly transformed. I have just a suspicion that there is something in the observation that no matter what one does with reality, spirituality is necessarily a personal experience, its significance purely internal, even when shared with others.
The Valkyries has all the Paulo Coelho elements. There are short scenes presented in a variety of literary shorthand. The text is suffused with magic, religiosity and self-realisation set in an earthly medium. It's a quick and easy read but ultimately a satisfying one, even for someone like myself, who cannot suspend belief long enough to share in the book's experiences.
But Paulo Coelho is a magus and a magician of the highest order. He has sold over 90 million books and, as a writer myself, I will read more of his books in the hope that I might discover his magus touch, his waft of a wand that will reveal his secret. Even without sympathy for the detail, it's a lovely, rhythmic read.
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