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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
3.5 stars
I’m a sucker for a weapon wielding female warrior tale, a historical story that puts women at the forefront. However, while this book definitely has its strong points, there were just a few elements that didn’t work for me.
I’ll start with the positive and that’s the main character Fryda. At the start of this story Fryda, in a bid to prove herself strong enough to be Shield Maiden and impress her cold father, goes out hunting alone and becomes injured in an earthquake. This earthquake in fact is to do with a dragon cursed beneath her and we later learn that some of that dragon’s power channels into Fryda. But I’m getting ahead of myself, during the earthquake Fryda’s hand becomes trapped and badly injured and for the rest of this book Fryda has limited use in this hand.
The beauty in this book lies in how disability is portrayed. Fryda experiences shame and she spends a lot of the book hiding her hand, set crooked when it healed, out of fear of how people treat her. However as the book goes on Fryda learns to accept herself for how she is, the book doesn’t cure Fryda, she’s a strong character who lives with her ailment alongside people who doubt her. Alongside this you also have Theow the slave who as a child was burned and has scars to show for it. Both these characters deal with ptsd and body issues from their scars and yet they nourish and reassure each other and it’s beautiful in that sense.
That said, the love story between Fryda and Theow is sweet enough but almost too sweet. These are both 2 characters with their own pain and trauma who help strengthen each other. Theow is a slave, Fryda the regents daughter, and on paper this should be a positive relationship with clear lines on consent, support and unity against the odds. The problem is though that Theow is just that, nice, too nice in fact, he’d die for Fryda, he risks himself constantly for Fryda, all he thinks about essentially is Fryda, he doesn’t feel like he exists on the page beyond her shadow.
In terms of other supporting characters, again they are likeable enough, they’re just not developed enough, Bryce lives on the edge of the camp like he lives on the edge of this book, Hild has potential also but she’s just there.
The plot is a little slow and yet also, somehow overwritten. You’ve got the issue of the attacks on Weohstan’s family, the betrayal, the battle, the scheming and the questions of inheritance. But then you’ve got this quite unnecessary dragon plot with Beowulf, a plot which is only fuelled by vague (and confusing) very brief chapters from the pov of the dragon Fyrdraca which don’t give you enough to either know or fear/hate this apparent threat the book is heading towards. Both plots, alongside an additional romance which takes up as much time if not more, is a little frustrating.
The villains in the scheming story are painfully obvious to the point everyone around them has got to be stupid to miss it. Like I said, the dragon isn’t built up enough to be feared and these sections are confusing in their tone. Had one story been committed to and dealt with properly I think this would have been more enjoyable.
Wiglaf is a ridiculous character, his jealousy, rage and cruelty is dastardly in its proportion for a character that freely walks unchallenged around characters who can’t see it. His narrative is bizarre, he wants to protect Fryda, his twin sister, he feels left out when she doesn’t need him, and yet you get whiplash after whiplash spending time with his thoughts. Maybe he’s meant to be complex but it just reads contradictory and inconsistent.
The writing style too is a little confusing, is this YA? Based on the amount of romance and the way the characters aged in their 20’s talk like teenagers. At one point the word “ar*ehole” is used, another time “c*nt” is used, all while set within a Nordic myth setting. It’s a little out of place.
At face level this isn’t a bad book in fact it is enjoyable. It’s just a little disjointed, a little underdeveloped and a little predictable. That said, it does still have good disability representation and a strong feminist character with some quality action scenes.
Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review
I’m a sucker for a weapon wielding female warrior tale, a historical story that puts women at the forefront. However, while this book definitely has its strong points, there were just a few elements that didn’t work for me.
I’ll start with the positive and that’s the main character Fryda. At the start of this story Fryda, in a bid to prove herself strong enough to be Shield Maiden and impress her cold father, goes out hunting alone and becomes injured in an earthquake. This earthquake in fact is to do with a dragon cursed beneath her and we later learn that some of that dragon’s power channels into Fryda. But I’m getting ahead of myself, during the earthquake Fryda’s hand becomes trapped and badly injured and for the rest of this book Fryda has limited use in this hand.
The beauty in this book lies in how disability is portrayed. Fryda experiences shame and she spends a lot of the book hiding her hand, set crooked when it healed, out of fear of how people treat her. However as the book goes on Fryda learns to accept herself for how she is, the book doesn’t cure Fryda, she’s a strong character who lives with her ailment alongside people who doubt her. Alongside this you also have Theow the slave who as a child was burned and has scars to show for it. Both these characters deal with ptsd and body issues from their scars and yet they nourish and reassure each other and it’s beautiful in that sense.
That said, the love story between Fryda and Theow is sweet enough but almost too sweet. These are both 2 characters with their own pain and trauma who help strengthen each other. Theow is a slave, Fryda the regents daughter, and on paper this should be a positive relationship with clear lines on consent, support and unity against the odds. The problem is though that Theow is just that, nice, too nice in fact, he’d die for Fryda, he risks himself constantly for Fryda, all he thinks about essentially is Fryda, he doesn’t feel like he exists on the page beyond her shadow.
In terms of other supporting characters, again they are likeable enough, they’re just not developed enough, Bryce lives on the edge of the camp like he lives on the edge of this book, Hild has potential also but she’s just there.
The plot is a little slow and yet also, somehow overwritten. You’ve got the issue of the attacks on Weohstan’s family, the betrayal, the battle, the scheming and the questions of inheritance. But then you’ve got this quite unnecessary dragon plot with Beowulf, a plot which is only fuelled by vague (and confusing) very brief chapters from the pov of the dragon Fyrdraca which don’t give you enough to either know or fear/hate this apparent threat the book is heading towards. Both plots, alongside an additional romance which takes up as much time if not more, is a little frustrating.
The villains in the scheming story are painfully obvious to the point everyone around them has got to be stupid to miss it. Like I said, the dragon isn’t built up enough to be feared and these sections are confusing in their tone. Had one story been committed to and dealt with properly I think this would have been more enjoyable.
Wiglaf is a ridiculous character, his jealousy, rage and cruelty is dastardly in its proportion for a character that freely walks unchallenged around characters who can’t see it. His narrative is bizarre, he wants to protect Fryda, his twin sister, he feels left out when she doesn’t need him, and yet you get whiplash after whiplash spending time with his thoughts. Maybe he’s meant to be complex but it just reads contradictory and inconsistent.
The writing style too is a little confusing, is this YA? Based on the amount of romance and the way the characters aged in their 20’s talk like teenagers. At one point the word “ar*ehole” is used, another time “c*nt” is used, all while set within a Nordic myth setting. It’s a little out of place.
At face level this isn’t a bad book in fact it is enjoyable. It’s just a little disjointed, a little underdeveloped and a little predictable. That said, it does still have good disability representation and a strong feminist character with some quality action scenes.
Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review
I don't typically leave reviews but this book just irked me enough to review. I know it's fantasy and a retelling of part of the Beowulf poem, but the second I read that the story was set in the 900s, I knew I was going to have a hard time with this book.
I picked it up because I love Beowulf. I've read and studied the poem in the original Old English. And I think that's part of the reason I struggled so much with this. It took a lot of liberties with Beowulf that I just couldn't get behind. Which, to each their own, I guess. That doesn't necessarily make it bad, but it did impact my review.
It's entirely predictable. At no point was I surprised by anything that happened. Dialogue and actions were cliche. I've never read about so many hairpins springing loose from hair being ruffled. The characters are boring. Beowulf and Bryce are essentially the same character personality-wise. Fryda is extremely naive while somehow still beloved by everyone. She doesn't think about the consequences of her actions and how they could really impact Theow and Hild negatively.
On top of that, it felt choppy. I would go back to reread passages, thinking I missed something, only to find that I didn't miss anything, the author just failed to disclose it. Fryda being attacked in her room? Oh yeah, everyone had been drugged the night before, and Fryda mentions after the fact that she had felt off. No mention of this prior to Theow coming to recuse her. I think this can be attributed to the various POVs. Sometimes it would switch POV within the chapter. It was hard to keep track of whose viewpoint we were reading from.
And the dragon. The only real thing that ties this story to Beowulf besides character names. We get vague clips of the dragon's story throughout the book, none of which really make any sense or add to the story, imo. And then the dragon is barely there for the ending. It really felt like the dragon was crammed in there because it needed to be according to the original poem, not because it added anything to the story. The real drama is between Frida and Wiglaf; the dragon feels like it was just tacked-on because it had to be.
This story could be told without Beowulf. It's so separate from the Beowulf poem that you could change characters' names and it could be its own fantasy novel. It still has some major flaws regardless, so my one-star review would probably still stand.
I picked it up because I love Beowulf. I've read and studied the poem in the original Old English. And I think that's part of the reason I struggled so much with this. It took a lot of liberties with Beowulf that I just couldn't get behind. Which, to each their own, I guess. That doesn't necessarily make it bad, but it did impact my review.
It's entirely predictable. At no point was I surprised by anything that happened. Dialogue and actions were cliche. I've never read about so many hairpins springing loose from hair being ruffled. The characters are boring. Beowulf and Bryce are essentially the same character personality-wise. Fryda is extremely naive while somehow still beloved by everyone. She doesn't think about the consequences of her actions and how they could really impact Theow and Hild negatively.
On top of that, it felt choppy. I would go back to reread passages, thinking I missed something, only to find that I didn't miss anything, the author just failed to disclose it. Fryda being attacked in her room? Oh yeah, everyone had been drugged the night before, and Fryda mentions after the fact that she had felt off. No mention of this prior to Theow coming to recuse her. I think this can be attributed to the various POVs. Sometimes it would switch POV within the chapter. It was hard to keep track of whose viewpoint we were reading from.
And the dragon. The only real thing that ties this story to Beowulf besides character names. We get vague clips of the dragon's story throughout the book, none of which really make any sense or add to the story, imo. And then the dragon is barely there for the ending. It really felt like the dragon was crammed in there because it needed to be according to the original poem, not because it added anything to the story. The real drama is between Frida and Wiglaf; the dragon feels like it was just tacked-on because it had to be.
This story could be told without Beowulf. It's so separate from the Beowulf poem that you could change characters' names and it could be its own fantasy novel. It still has some major flaws regardless, so my one-star review would probably still stand.
This was a decent story. I wanted more action with a title like Shield Maiden, but the first half of the book was incredibly slow. It did pick up after the halfway mark and I enjoyed it a lot more. I don’t remember much about the original Beowulf story but I don’t think that’s absolutely necessary to enjoy this reimagining of part of his story. This tale however, is centered on a young woman who finds her power and has to fight for her home and those she loves. There is a bit of a love story and some magic woven throughout as well. I didn’t connect emotionally with the characters though.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was fantastic. I received access to the audiobook thanks to Net Galley and Hachette Audio in exchange for my honest review.
Merged review:
This was a decent story. I wanted more action with a title like Shield Maiden, but the first half of the book was incredibly slow. It did pick up after the halfway mark and I enjoyed it a lot more. I don’t remember much about the original Beowulf story but I don’t think that’s absolutely necessary to enjoy this reimagining of part of his story. This tale however, is centered on a young woman who finds her power and has to fight for her home and those she loves. There is a bit of a love story and some magic woven throughout as well. I didn’t connect emotionally with the characters though.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was fantastic. I received access to the audiobook thanks to Net Galley and Hachette Audio in exchange for my honest review.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was fantastic. I received access to the audiobook thanks to Net Galley and Hachette Audio in exchange for my honest review.
Merged review:
This was a decent story. I wanted more action with a title like Shield Maiden, but the first half of the book was incredibly slow. It did pick up after the halfway mark and I enjoyed it a lot more. I don’t remember much about the original Beowulf story but I don’t think that’s absolutely necessary to enjoy this reimagining of part of his story. This tale however, is centered on a young woman who finds her power and has to fight for her home and those she loves. There is a bit of a love story and some magic woven throughout as well. I didn’t connect emotionally with the characters though.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was fantastic. I received access to the audiobook thanks to Net Galley and Hachette Audio in exchange for my honest review.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is one of those books that I think is better listened to than read (having done both, I am obviously the foremost authority on the matter
This is one of those books that I think is better listened to than read (having done both, I am obviously the foremost authority on the matter
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wish I enjoyed this book more. It was well written but felt a bit boring and lackluster. It felt a bit like the author was trying to impose modern cultural sensibilities in a culture where that doesn't really fit in. I usually don't like when authors take this route for historical books because the whole point of mythologies is that they are a commentary of society at the time they are being told/recorded. Changing it and giving it a more modern spin sometimes can remove the context of the actual story being told. The pacing was also really slow and the plot doesnt pick up until the last quarter of the book.
For example, I was waiting for there to be more commentary on the power imbalance between Fryda and Theow in a way that ties into the historical context of the time period a bit better. Theow is very obviously aware of his slave status but Fryda is ignorant of it in such a way it comes across as childishly naive. Same with Hild, even though Hild was an indentured servant.
The chapters with the dragon I found to be confusing and weird, maybe it's because I haven't read Beowulf and dont know the significance of the dragon. The majority of the dragon sections had her stirring and thinking, and then just going back to sleep. It was very repetitive. I also didn't like that there wasn't any resolution with Theow and his history. He should've at least been able to return to his homeland to just get closure, or Fryda should've encouraged him.
For example, I was waiting for there to be more commentary on the power imbalance between Fryda and Theow in a way that ties into the historical context of the time period a bit better. Theow is very obviously aware of his slave status but Fryda is ignorant of it in such a way it comes across as childishly naive. Same with Hild, even though Hild was an indentured servant.
The chapters with the dragon I found to be confusing and weird, maybe it's because I haven't read Beowulf and dont know the significance of the dragon. The majority of the dragon sections had her stirring and thinking, and then just going back to sleep. It was very repetitive. I also didn't like that there wasn't any resolution with Theow and his history. He should've at least been able to return to his homeland to just get closure, or Fryda should've encouraged him.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes