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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
Fryda is desperate to be a shielf maiden of Geatland, but a terrible accident some years earlier left her with a mangled left hand and arm. Fryda works around her disability, training in martial arts with Geatland's blacksmith Bryce, who is her emotional support rather than her icy cold and dismissive father, but does her best to hide her hand from others' view.
Fryda has a twin brother, Wiglaf, who will inherit their father Weohstan's title and lands. Fryda loves her brother, who is quick to find the humour in things for her, but who has a darker, nastier side, which Fryda has never seen, unlike the servants and slaves at the fort, such as Hild and Theow, respectively.
Theow was taken as a child after a raid on his Celtish settlement by one of Fryda's father's men. His fiery red hair marks him as different, as well as his lowly status at Geatland. He and Fryda have been yearning after each other for years; they think their feelings are hidden, though Bryce and Hild are fully aware of the pair's pining.
Weohstan is a vassal of King Beowulf (yes, that guy, the murderer of Grendel and his mother). Beowulf arrives in Geatland for a celebration of his fiftyish years of rule, with other kings from neighbouring lands attending the several-days long party.
And did I mention there's a dragon, many years buried with a huge amount of gold, and a pesky fancy, magical goblet, near Geatland, and she's cursed, and furious?
So, a bunch of kings looking for advantage, rowdy, drunk soldiers, years worth of resentments, secrets and betrayals, and of course everything goes wrong, violently. There are murders and beatings, and Fryda soon finds herself imprisoned, betrayed, and mostly alone, except for a small number of people who know that though extremely privileged and naive, Fryda is a kind and generous person. Fryda quickly finds that people are picking sides, and she will not only have to deal with an betrayal of someone she loves, but also have to deal with a dragon roused from a long slumber, and intent on burning everything around her.
So, lots of great elements, but I had a slow time getting through this book. The writing veers back and forth between flowing and awkward, which meant that I sometimes felt myself pulled out of the narrative and the emotional moments didn't land.
A great source of frustration was how persistently naive Freda is. So much so that it takes much of the novel for her to wake up to the intentions of some of the people close to her. She does gradually open her eyes, but I felt it took too long to get there. The plot could have been tightened up so that she remained blind to the antagonist's actions for most of the book.
And though each of Fryda's chapters alternate with the dragon's, I never fully understood the reasons behind the dragon's curse. And I dearly wished the dragon had also had more to do in this story than just sleep for about 90% of it.
Sharon Emmerichs knows her history, and the setting had a believable, lived in feel to it. I just wish I had enjoyed this book more.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Redhook Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Fryda has a twin brother, Wiglaf, who will inherit their father Weohstan's title and lands. Fryda loves her brother, who is quick to find the humour in things for her, but who has a darker, nastier side, which Fryda has never seen, unlike the servants and slaves at the fort, such as Hild and Theow, respectively.
Theow was taken as a child after a raid on his Celtish settlement by one of Fryda's father's men. His fiery red hair marks him as different, as well as his lowly status at Geatland. He and Fryda have been yearning after each other for years; they think their feelings are hidden, though Bryce and Hild are fully aware of the pair's pining.
Weohstan is a vassal of King Beowulf (yes, that guy, the murderer of Grendel and his mother). Beowulf arrives in Geatland for a celebration of his fiftyish years of rule, with other kings from neighbouring lands attending the several-days long party.
And did I mention there's a dragon, many years buried with a huge amount of gold, and a pesky fancy, magical goblet, near Geatland, and she's cursed, and furious?
So, a bunch of kings looking for advantage, rowdy, drunk soldiers, years worth of resentments, secrets and betrayals, and of course everything goes wrong, violently. There are murders and beatings, and Fryda soon finds herself imprisoned, betrayed, and mostly alone, except for a small number of people who know that though extremely privileged and naive, Fryda is a kind and generous person. Fryda quickly finds that people are picking sides, and she will not only have to deal with an betrayal of someone she loves, but also have to deal with a dragon roused from a long slumber, and intent on burning everything around her.
So, lots of great elements, but I had a slow time getting through this book. The writing veers back and forth between flowing and awkward, which meant that I sometimes felt myself pulled out of the narrative and the emotional moments didn't land.
A great source of frustration was how persistently naive Freda is. So much so that it takes much of the novel for her to wake up to the intentions of some of the people close to her. She does gradually open her eyes, but I felt it took too long to get there. The plot could have been tightened up so that she remained blind to the antagonist's actions for most of the book.
And though each of Fryda's chapters alternate with the dragon's, I never fully understood the reasons behind the dragon's curse. And I dearly wished the dragon had also had more to do in this story than just sleep for about 90% of it.
Sharon Emmerichs knows her history, and the setting had a believable, lived in feel to it. I just wish I had enjoyed this book more.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Redhook Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Cool story, very original. I didn’t fully understand the allegory of the Lone Survivor and would have preferred a slightly more obvious who-is-who. The ending was too lovey-dovey and unrealistic for me, but otherwise a pleasurable read.
adventurous
fast-paced
4 stars!
No spoilers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This ARC from NetGalley was something that sounded so amazing from the start, I just had to have it and I'm honored that I was selected to read it before its new release in October. I didn't have very many memories of the original Beowulf, but that lack of knowledge didn't make this story harder for me as a reader, so don't be afraid to dive in just because its a re-telling.
I really enjoyed this book, and the way things played out in it! I'm pretty sure the entire book (not including flashbacks, obviously) was played out across 8 or 9 days for the characters, so it's fast paced and action packed. As readers, we gain new or important information in every chapter that wraps the book up in a very pretty bow at the end.
I fell in love with a lot of Sharon Emmerich's characters, though, and I'm devastated to leave them behind. Our main character is one of the strongest FMC's I've read of to date and her resilience is so inspiring to the people in her life. She was such a good person. Honestly, this entire book was just filled with good, selfless characters that were so refreshing to read about.
That doesn't mean we lacked bad characters, though. With how good Sharon writes her good guys, you'd assume her bad guys would be a little 2 dimensional in comparison, but you're far from right. Her antagonists were intentional and thoroughly made, and only a little bit predictable.
The only thing I wished for, was more. I would have loved an epilogue that showed ten years in the future, or even just ten days in the future, but I wanted more of Fryda and Theow, Bryce and Eadith, Hild and even Bjorn and Beowulf, too!
No spoilers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This ARC from NetGalley was something that sounded so amazing from the start, I just had to have it and I'm honored that I was selected to read it before its new release in October. I didn't have very many memories of the original Beowulf, but that lack of knowledge didn't make this story harder for me as a reader, so don't be afraid to dive in just because its a re-telling.
I really enjoyed this book, and the way things played out in it! I'm pretty sure the entire book (not including flashbacks, obviously) was played out across 8 or 9 days for the characters, so it's fast paced and action packed. As readers, we gain new or important information in every chapter that wraps the book up in a very pretty bow at the end.
I fell in love with a lot of Sharon Emmerich's characters, though, and I'm devastated to leave them behind. Our main character is one of the strongest FMC's I've read of to date and her resilience is so inspiring to the people in her life. She was such a good person. Honestly, this entire book was just filled with good, selfless characters that were so refreshing to read about.
That doesn't mean we lacked bad characters, though. With how good Sharon writes her good guys, you'd assume her bad guys would be a little 2 dimensional in comparison, but you're far from right. Her antagonists were intentional and thoroughly made, and only a little bit predictable.
The only thing I wished for, was more. I would have loved an epilogue that showed ten years in the future, or even just ten days in the future, but I wanted more of Fryda and Theow, Bryce and Eadith, Hild and even Bjorn and Beowulf, too!
TL;DR:
I quite enjoyed this... mostly. It was a fun enough time, but also not something that is going to stick with me long-term, I don't think. Interested for more from this author, though.
Re-Readability:
While I did have an enjoyable time reading this, I don't see myself ever re-reading it.
Writing:
I thought the writing was solid overall and I'd be interested to read more from this author in the future. We're following a 20 year old main character and it's quite easy for that to become juvenile-sounding, at the very least in the dialogue. But that wasn't the case here in my opinion. There were some nice lines of prose, too.
Characters:
Freyda was a fun main character to follow -- I liked her spirit and compassion, despite the fact that she was incredibly naive and privileged. Much of that was due to everyone around her trying to "protect" her from the less-fun parts of life and hiding the truth of certain things.
The side characters were also enjoyable over all -- Hild was my favorite. But Bryce was lovely as well, and I liked Theow as a love interest. However, I do think that their romance felt a bit "out of nowhere" since we didn't really see anything of it prior to the start of the story where they were already pining after each other. We were being told that they had this long-running angsty, forbidden thing going, but it was incredibly unspoken and didn't have any kind of actual foundation to it, it seemed.
Wiglaf is now on my list of most-hated characters ever. What a sniveling little creep ass punk ass.
Plot:
I didn't necessarily love the addition of the (very short) dragon pov chapters. I get what the author was going for, adding to the lore and what-not, but I honestly don't think it was needed. All we needed to know about the dragon is that it was trapped there by that cup and had to have that cup . I think that information could have easily been relayed to us with another song/poem/story told by a human character. We got several of those, so just popping in one quick one talking about the mysterious cup & the dragon that was defeated, blah blah blah, would have done that.
I think the reader could have deduced all the other stuff with more subtle hints -- the connection between Fryda & the dragon & all of that.
The final scenes with the battle and all of that didn't do much for me, either.
Themes:
Loss. Grief. Family bonds. Found family. Inner strength and bravery. Good v. evil.
Memorable Quotes:
"His pain was so great, so open, she could step right into it. She'd known, then, that he would somehow be her undoing."
"Theow stood there, feeling like a star thrown from its seat in the sky, having stepped over the edge of a moment that would change his life forever."
I quite enjoyed this... mostly. It was a fun enough time, but also not something that is going to stick with me long-term, I don't think. Interested for more from this author, though.
Re-Readability:
While I did have an enjoyable time reading this, I don't see myself ever re-reading it.
Writing:
I thought the writing was solid overall and I'd be interested to read more from this author in the future. We're following a 20 year old main character and it's quite easy for that to become juvenile-sounding, at the very least in the dialogue. But that wasn't the case here in my opinion. There were some nice lines of prose, too.
Characters:
Freyda was a fun main character to follow -- I liked her spirit and compassion, despite the fact that she was incredibly naive and privileged. Much of that was due to everyone around her trying to "protect" her from the less-fun parts of life and hiding the truth of certain things.
The side characters were also enjoyable over all -- Hild was my favorite. But Bryce was lovely as well, and I liked Theow as a love interest. However, I do think that their romance felt a bit "out of nowhere" since we didn't really see anything of it prior to the start of the story where they were already pining after each other. We were being told that they had this long-running angsty, forbidden thing going, but it was incredibly unspoken and didn't have any kind of actual foundation to it, it seemed.
Wiglaf is now on my list of most-hated characters ever. What a sniveling little creep ass punk ass.
Plot:
I didn't necessarily love the addition of the (very short) dragon pov chapters. I get what the author was going for, adding to the lore and what-not, but I honestly don't think it was needed. All we needed to know about the dragon is that
I think the reader could have deduced all the other stuff with more subtle hints -- the connection between Fryda & the dragon & all of that.
The final scenes with the battle and all of that didn't do much for me, either.
Themes:
Loss. Grief. Family bonds. Found family. Inner strength and bravery. Good v. evil.
Memorable Quotes:
"His pain was so great, so open, she could step right into it. She'd known, then, that he would somehow be her undoing."
"Theow stood there, feeling like a star thrown from its seat in the sky, having stepped over the edge of a moment that would change his life forever."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Sexual assault, Slavery
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation
Edit: I've gone back and forth on this review since last year (I know, I have angst over inconsequential things) but I feel compelled to put this back at 5 stars because I can't stop thinking about it and I would recommend it for the 18+ crowd. Definitely going to buy a copy for my shelves.
I honestly thought this was a really good spin on the legend of Beowulf! Rather than being the main hero, he is part of the supporting cast who makes the other heroes possible. I loved Fryda, the young woman who wants to be a shield maiden, and the young slave Theowyn who loves her and fights for her. There’s a traditional romantic sensibility in this story alongside the empowerment plot, and I thought both were handled well. The side characters were all interesting and well-written (Bryce and Hild are the best); yes, even the villain was compelling– I loathed him with every fiber of my being (nothing morally grey about this one, he was just evil). I was caught up in the adventure, the political intrigue, the myths, the DRAGON, and the hunt for freedom. Honestly, speaking as a parent and somewhat conservative person, I would say, with the exception of one c— word and a brief sex scene, this story would hit about right for the 18-25 crowd.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. “Shield Maiden” comes out Oct 3rd!
I honestly thought this was a really good spin on the legend of Beowulf! Rather than being the main hero, he is part of the supporting cast who makes the other heroes possible. I loved Fryda, the young woman who wants to be a shield maiden, and the young slave Theowyn who loves her and fights for her. There’s a traditional romantic sensibility in this story alongside the empowerment plot, and I thought both were handled well. The side characters were all interesting and well-written (Bryce and Hild are the best); yes, even the villain was compelling– I loathed him with every fiber of my being (nothing morally grey about this one, he was just evil). I was caught up in the adventure, the political intrigue, the myths, the DRAGON, and the hunt for freedom. Honestly, speaking as a parent and somewhat conservative person, I would say, with the exception of one c— word and a brief sex scene, this story would hit about right for the 18-25 crowd.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. “Shield Maiden” comes out Oct 3rd!
Didn’t hold my attention but that was due to me and not the book. I plan to borrow it again at some point.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This reshaped tale of adventure turns the second half of the epic of Beowulf into something for the battle-hardy, love-sick daughters.
3.4 for this fast read, with ample adventure, new romance, a social vibe, and a driving plot. The characters lacked the depth so expertly injected into the original cast and I wanted more from these people—they had potential, but never managed to quite win my soul and earn my agony. I know this setting well, but I feel the author relied too heavily on what we might already know of the Nordic setting of Beowulf, giving limited time and creativity to its development. However, the novel was worth the time it took to read with a well-crafted plot and plenty of alternate storylines that deviated from the original to keep me hooked.
An entertaining reboot of the old familiar.
I liked it!
3.4 for this fast read, with ample adventure, new romance, a social vibe, and a driving plot. The characters lacked the depth so expertly injected into the original cast and I wanted more from these people—they had potential, but never managed to quite win my soul and earn my agony. I know this setting well, but I feel the author relied too heavily on what we might already know of the Nordic setting of Beowulf, giving limited time and creativity to its development. However, the novel was worth the time it took to read with a well-crafted plot and plenty of alternate storylines that deviated from the original to keep me hooked.
An entertaining reboot of the old familiar.
I liked it!
A retelling of the final battle of Beowulf, against a dragon, and what leads up to it. This is told from the point of view of a young woman, on of his relatives. The writing is good but the story is very, very standard. There's nothing to hold my interest.
“Shield Maiden” is an excellent fantasy/mythological debut by Sharon Emmerichs, a Viking-esque story from the perspective of a young woman as she navigates her patriarchal society as a woman and crippled from a childhood accident. This story is a reimagined Beowulf decades after his feats, as experienced by Fryda.
Fryda dreams of being a Shield Maiden, though her hand is mangled and her father mostly ignores her and treats her as incapable of becoming a shield maiden or leader. Fryda’s twin brother, Wiglaf, though has a very different upbringing, which leads to most of the conflict within the story. When King Beowulf (lovingly known as Uncle Beowulf) comes to her settlement to celebrate his reign, along with numerous foreign lords and chieftains, Wiglaf takes drastic and disturbing measures in an attempt to guarantee his succession. However, there are other powers at play including long lost heroes, magic come to life, and an ancient and well rested dragon. Fryda’s story also includes her friends and love interest, Theow.
This story is a fantastic debut, and light enough to enjoy in a couple sittings - though the start may be slow moving for some. The book really picks up around 40 percent into it and keeps moving from there. I enjoyed this book and it was exactly what I wanted at the time - fantasy, mythology, not terribly heavy, but also addressing important topics and themes. Some of the themes explored include family, enslavement, patriarchy and equality. I will absolutely read additional books by Sharonda Emmerichs, if she continues to write and publish.
Fryda dreams of being a Shield Maiden, though her hand is mangled and her father mostly ignores her and treats her as incapable of becoming a shield maiden or leader. Fryda’s twin brother, Wiglaf, though has a very different upbringing, which leads to most of the conflict within the story. When King Beowulf (lovingly known as Uncle Beowulf) comes to her settlement to celebrate his reign, along with numerous foreign lords and chieftains, Wiglaf takes drastic and disturbing measures in an attempt to guarantee his succession. However, there are other powers at play including long lost heroes, magic come to life, and an ancient and well rested dragon. Fryda’s story also includes her friends and love interest, Theow.
This story is a fantastic debut, and light enough to enjoy in a couple sittings - though the start may be slow moving for some. The book really picks up around 40 percent into it and keeps moving from there. I enjoyed this book and it was exactly what I wanted at the time - fantasy, mythology, not terribly heavy, but also addressing important topics and themes. Some of the themes explored include family, enslavement, patriarchy and equality. I will absolutely read additional books by Sharonda Emmerichs, if she continues to write and publish.