isabyrne 's review for:

Shield Maiden by Sharon Emmerichs

4.0

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

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 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.