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Having grown up hearing tales of her uncle, the great King Beowulf, Fryda's one desire is to become a shield maiden in her own right. Yet a terrible childhood accident has left Fryda disabled - thus, she believes, thwarting her dream of becoming a warrior-woman for good. But still, somehow, she feels an uncontrollable power begin to rise within herself. Meanwhile, a great celebration of Beowulf's reign is underway, and Fryda's house is soon overrun with foreign kings and chieftains. Amidst the drunken revelry, a discovery is made that threatens the safety of Fryda's entire clan - and her own life. Enraged, Fryda resolves to fight for her people, no matter the cost... and all the while, her powers seem only to grow stronger. But she is not the only one to feel its effects. For, buried deep in her gilded lair, a dragon is drawn to Fryda's untamed power, and is slowly awakening from a long, cursed sleep...
Publication Year: 2023
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Mixed Feelings Audiobook.
I received an advance copy of the audiobook shortly after its release. Anticipating a blend of elements I typically enjoy in literature, I eagerly dove into it. Nevertheless, my experience turned out to be a mixed bag. Having studied Beowulf during my college years, I found both the content and analysis engaging. With a penchant for Norse mythology and a growing interest in historical fiction, this book seemed like a promising prospect. However, it attempted to incorporate numerous themes simultaneously, resulting in a lackluster execution.
The narrative encompassed elements such as political intrigue, the presence of a dragon, familial conflicts, romantic entanglements, the trope of the chosen one, and a perplexing curse, which failed to captivate my interest. Geographically confined to a relatively small setting, I yearned for a more expansive exploration of the world, its daily life, and customs. Additionally, the ensemble of characters felt limited in scope. Wiglaf stood out to me due to my intense dislike for him. Despite my aversion, I found his perspective surprisingly well-executed, providing a glimpse into his twisted psyche. However, I struggled to connect with the remaining characters. Fryda's naivety and obliviousness to the pervasive abuses around her, despite her proximity to a servant and a slave, proved to be a difficult aspect to witness. Theow's characterization left me indifferent, while Beowulf's only redeeming quality seemed to be his sense of humor.
The plot took an excruciatingly long time to gain momentum, failing to instill a sense of investment in the storyline until well past the halfway mark. While the story eventually picked up pace towards the end, the prolonged buildup with multiple plotlines left much to be desired. Surprisingly, this particular book might have benefited from a more extensive exploration, as it lacked substantial depth. Despite my reservations, I must commend Victoria Fox for her exceptional narration, which was a highlight of the experience.
If you possess a fervent enthusiasm for Beowulf or the depicted time period, you might find it worth exploring. I remain curious to hear other perspectives on this work. For further details, please follow the link below or visit your preferred book retailer.
0I have not read such a piece of overly glorified, self-serving, Mary Sue self-insert, garbage in SUCH a long time. If I had even a MODICUM of self respect, I would have DNFed by page 100. But alas, I hate myself, so here we are.
FMC is so painfully Mary Sue; so naive but SO SMART according to literally everyone else. She so cool, and loved by everyone (oh but her literally family loves her in abusive/obsessive ways, because what heroine could possible have a stable family life??!?!?!), and probably costs a shit-ton of money to keep her since she's losing jewelled hairpins every three paragraphs. The only way to make her SO RELATABLE is to give her an OBVIOUS handicap, so lol make her lose the use of one hand!!! DOESN'T STOP HER ANYWAY.
MMC is just. . . idk; someone has a redhead fetish and I will leave it at that.
Romance? You mean trauma-bond.
But the prose is wonky as fuck, randomly placed paragraphs that go on for a full page describing scenery/rooms/areas - in the middle of actions scenes, even!! - to idk, show off how much author knows about history/anthropology of the era; the dragon montage mini chapters; the fact that the dragon is literally referred to as she/her and by her FULL NAME IN FRYDA'S AND BEOWULF'S POV CHAPTERS LIKE HOW DO THESE BITCHES KNOW A DRAGONS GENDER AND NAME FROM A GLANCE?
I need a stiff drink. Thank you for coming.
0The book is told from the perspective of all of the characters involved and we see glimpses into their mindset, this did get a little confusing at times with each jump in perspective, as there are quite a few characters to keep track of. I loved Fryda, the main character, and her relationship with Theow. I enjoyed the exploration of what family means. She has so much strength despite being incredibly naive at times, she has a broken hand that she cannot use as the bones were not set right but this does not stop her from learning to fight. The way the author deals with and describes the effects of trauma really brought these characters to life.
Beowulf is one of the first written English epic poems and was originally told in the oral tradition before being written down. Stories change over time and I loved the way that the author of Shield Maiden played with that idea, changing who the villains were and who were the heroes. Showing that even the heroes the poets sing of cannot always live up to their reputation.
I do have an issue with the ending but at least it is a happy one, if it had remained true to the ending of the source material I think I would have thrown the book across the room.
The Wiglaf of this book deserves nothing!
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