A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.
Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.
Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.
Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is an immersive fantasy setting which has deeprooted elements of Viking age cultural references and a bold depiction of the Norse Gods too. The heroine of the story, Freya, is a remarkably fierce yet flawed character, and her special ability granted by a Norse goddess (one I'm not entirely sure if they are authentic or not) is wonderfully explored in the narrative as both curse and blessing. To add to this complexity, her ability was prophesied and linked to the future king of Skaaland (think Denmark). Thus she becomes a target for one who seeks power and fame under the guise of bettering his homeland, whereas others wish to eliminate Freya to prevent such a ruler coming to be. This overshadowing makes me think of Joan of Arc, another remarkable women from history who's brave actions were portrayed as being led by God in order to help powerful men change the fate of one country, alas she was fatally betrayed - and betrayal and secrecy is ever present in this tale. From the secret Freya herself keeps, to the secrets about her divine heritage from her Mother, to the secret love Freya is consumed by for her enforced protector, the son of the man who controls her life and all those she cares for. Perhaps the biggest secret of all is when Freya learns that there is a traitor amongst the people closest to her - the discovery of that truth will change everything for everyone.
If you like fantasy, romance with some hot sauce, Norse Gods meddling in the fates of humans akin to their Greek counterparts, danger and of course Vikings and Norse Mythology - then you will like this.
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