Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
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:
No
Overall I liked this book quite a bit. I found it very well written, the character work to be affective, and super enjoyable to read. The relationships between the characters are compelling and complex - I came for the Beowulf retelling but stayed for the romance and character bonds. This is really a story about friendship, more than anything. It ended up having everything that I was hoping that The Weaver and the Witch Queen would have, so that was a nice surprise - if you liked the aforementioned book I believe you would like this one.
There are also some great mysteries in it, and I really appreciated the way that it tackles disability and injury from all angles. I like that this feels like a story that is being told from multiple perspectives, and really enjoyed the interjections from the dragon, which are poignant and well written. I also appreciated the ways that the environments are described which made the setting feel immersive.
However, while I understand that it was to keep in line with the large battle in the original myth, I found that the plot and the romance peaked quite early (at 35 %), with really quick pacing at the start, and after this there wasn't as much driving me forward to pique my curiosity. Moreover, I found the ending to be a bit fast. I would have wanted to see more justice done to Wiglaf and what his response to it would be.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
There are some parts of this book I absolutely loved and some parts that annoyed me.
First, the good. I have to applaud the disability representation and how she focused on the mental and social aspects of having a disability. The trauma and physical limitations actually play into the story. It's not just something there to say "hey I'm inclusive". I also found the side characters interesting - the antagonist being one of the most fascinating to me. The fight scenes were extremely vivid and captivating.
Which brings me to the meh. Outside of the battle scenes, I did not get the same visuals and I found the world building kind of bland. While I appreciate that the main character having flaws (that aren't her disability), it got really annoying really quick. At one point she'd be the strong independent heroine, the next she would be so clueless and naive to the point it is infuriating. And at the same time all of the other characters are talking about how she "is too clever for her own good". It just felt very inconsistent.
Overall, not my favorite but not bad. Definitely good if you're looking for something with good disability representation.
First, the good. I have to applaud the disability representation and how she focused on the mental and social aspects of having a disability. The trauma and physical limitations actually play into the story. It's not just something there to say "hey I'm inclusive". I also found the side characters interesting - the antagonist being one of the most fascinating to me. The fight scenes were extremely vivid and captivating.
Which brings me to the meh. Outside of the battle scenes, I did not get the same visuals and I found the world building kind of bland. While I appreciate that the main character having flaws (that aren't her disability), it got really annoying really quick. At one point she'd be the strong independent heroine, the next she would be so clueless and naive to the point it is infuriating. And at the same time all of the other characters are talking about how she "is too clever for her own good". It just felt very inconsistent.
Overall, not my favorite but not bad. Definitely good if you're looking for something with good disability representation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I haven't read too much Norse mythology, so it was really fun to experience a new kind of ancient tale. Shield Maiden is a really fun read, with lots of strong selling points, but it was sold as something that it doesn't live up to.
Based on the title and the blurb I went into this expecting a story about shield maidens, full of battles and adventure. Whilst there was a battle at the end of the book, the vast majority read more like a romantasy, and it wasn't really what I was after. The main character also didn't really live up to the title of the book. She came across more as simpering, saintly do gooder.
Even if the protagonist did get on my nerves a bit, I did really enjoy the cast of characters and the clever dynamics between them. The plot was also really engaging, and I'm definitely going to be looking up the original story that it took inspiration from.
I opted for the audiobook, and I'm glad I did as the narrator did a really good job. My only note on that would be that I found the choice to do an array of British accents to be a bit jarring considering the setting of the story.
Overall, Shield Maiden was a bit of a mixed bag. I think it's a great story, but it's been marketed as something that it isn't. If you want a norse mythology retelling which is heavy on the romance more so than the lore, then this is a really fun read.
Based on the title and the blurb I went into this expecting a story about shield maidens, full of battles and adventure. Whilst there was a battle at the end of the book, the vast majority read more like a romantasy, and it wasn't really what I was after. The main character also didn't really live up to the title of the book. She came across more as simpering, saintly do gooder.
Even if the protagonist did get on my nerves a bit, I did really enjoy the cast of characters and the clever dynamics between them. The plot was also really engaging, and I'm definitely going to be looking up the original story that it took inspiration from.
I opted for the audiobook, and I'm glad I did as the narrator did a really good job. My only note on that would be that I found the choice to do an array of British accents to be a bit jarring considering the setting of the story.
Overall, Shield Maiden was a bit of a mixed bag. I think it's a great story, but it's been marketed as something that it isn't. If you want a norse mythology retelling which is heavy on the romance more so than the lore, then this is a really fun read.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I’m stuck between 3 or 4 stars, but I feel like I have to go with three. In the beginning, it was only the romance and side characters keeping me going. I didn’t like the main character and truthfully found her annoying, but as the story went on and she grew into herself, I began to love her. The ending, ugh made the entire first half worth it. I will forever have a special place in my heart for Theow as he went through so much but still came out on top. Greatly enjoyed the second half. The first half I felt was all background which is what I think made it boring for me, but the last 100 pages made it all worth it!
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes