*Possible spoiler- I was really hoping the book would end with a reunion between Swietoslawa and Olav before their deaths but I was happy to see that they got to reunite in the afterlife.*

Overall, this was a great conclusion to "The Bold" duology. I love that this historical fiction novel took place in a time era that wasn't World War II and was translated from Polish. Don't get me wrong, the WWII historical fiction novels are great as well, it was just nice to read something that doesn't take place in Nazi occupied countries.

The Last Crown is the sequel to The Widow Queen. This novel picks up immediately after the first one ends. Swietoslawa has been crowned Queen of Denmark and Sweden. This novel chronicles her rise to Queen of Norway and England. It also tells how she became the Queen Mother of England.

Swietoslawa is a very fascinating character. She shines throughout the novel. She is feisty, fearsome, and strong. She is also shrewd and manipulative. She is very skilled in politics. Therefore, she wins the respect and admiration of the men around her. I found her fascinating and rooted for her as she became queen of four countries and the mother of kings. I especially love the novel’s depiction of her as a formidable queen who had lynxes as pets. Thus, Swietoslawa was one of my favorite characters, and her story was very intriguing. The novel showed her not only as a queen but the familial roles she played throughout the story as a wife, mother, sister, and aunt.

Overall, this novel is about religion, family, and love. I found the large cast of characters to be well-developed and complex. The things that I did not like about this book was I found the many battles to be very repetitive and a slog to read. I also found the middle to be a filler until the end. I also thought that due to its length, this novel was very drawn out and should have been shortened by a couple hundred pages. Still, I did enjoy the epic. There was a lot of political and courtly intrigue to keep me turning the pages. I did not know who Swietoslawa was, and her story of how she became queen of four countries was very mesmerizing! She led a very colorful life! I also had never heard of the Piast Dynasty, and it was interesting reading about their dynasty! Thus, The Widow Queen and The Last Crown was a welcome break away from the Tudors and the Plantagenets! I recommend this novel for fans of The Unbroken Line of the Moon, Shadow on the Crown, and The Forever Queen!

The Historical Novels Review, November 1, 2022:
Covering the years between 997-1018, this Viking saga continues the story begun in The Widow Queen. Świętosława of the Duchy of Poland, the widow queen, is the standout character. She now wears her second crown as Queen of Denmark, married to King Sven. Her first husband, King Eric, ruled Sweden and left her a widow. But her true love is Olav, King of Norway. Marriages are forged to create alliances, and her sister was given to Olav. Their tumultuous love story continues in this second book, and throughout is the hope Świętosława and Olav will unite.
The kings of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark are principal characters in constantly shifting alliances, and their sea battle at Øresund marks a major turning point. Other battles rage across the Nordic kingdoms, England, Germany and the Holy Roman Empire, Poland, Kiev, and Hungary to gain thrones and territories. Treachery, treason, and revenge play a role; the Vikings with their majestic ships haunt the waters, terrorizing and plundering treasure near and far; and conflicts arise with the spread of Christianity opposing the old religions. It is the women who add richness and dimension to this novel. Świętosława has learned to gain power within the confines of her world, and being a widow with royal children places her in a better position in a man’s world.
Cherezińska blends fable and fact into this novel, which will leave the reader wanting to learn more about the brave and fierce women who influenced history. For readers who don’t enjoy reading through scenes of battles, Cherezińska is able to keep the reader under her spell with characters that are nuanced, multilayered, and fully alive. It is best to have read The Widow Queen for the character development and back stories. Both novels can be overwhelming with a multitude of characters and pages, but so very worth the time invested.
Janice Ottersberg

Political history in the Middle Ages is largely male focused. Women were historically used as pawns or bargaining pieces for gaining profit for a kingdom. Though the men in //The Last Crown// by Elzbieta Cherezinska may want to think they run the show, it is ultimately the women who make the bold, albeit often hidden, moves that determine the true fate of the dynasties.
Cherezinska picks up the tale of Świętosław where she left off in the first book //The Widow Queen//. Świętosław has married Sven of Denmark instead of Olav, the man she truly loves. He in turn takes his revenge by marrying Sven’s sister Tyra, brought to him by the aid of Świętosław’s own family. These betrayals set in motion decades of troubles that will engulf both families and their descendants.
I wanted to like these novels for the simple fact that I enjoy reading about women who have been lost in history. It is no mean feat to find them whispering in the darkness of time and bring their voices forward to be heard. And for that alone, I can forgive the overcomplicated storyline and often disjointed plot. Elzbieta Cherezinska is a wonderful writer who I hope to find in translation more often.

First let me say that you don't have to read the first book in order to read this one but I would highly recommend it. I am so grateful that this series was picked up for U.S. publication. I probably would never have given any thought to these historic figures otherwise.

This series is more than just a loose biography of Swietoslawa. It provides a thoroughly researched and comprehensive overview of the evolution of the monarchies of Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and England. There was plenty of planning, scheming, conniving, deception, and manipulation. There was also honor, duty, devotion, commitment, and love. Cherezinska didn't just provide players on a field. She gave readers characters that were full of depth and emotion. The reason you keep going with this book is because you truly want to know what happens to them. While the historic record doesn't always provide the details behind why decisions were made, Cherezinska writes with plausibility. Although the book doesn't strictly stick to a female point of view it does a great job at highlighting the influence women have had behind the crown for centuries.

I received an early copy of this title via NetGalley.

I was thrilled to see this novel in the Netgallery postings after reading Elzbieta Cherezinska’s first translated book, The Widow Queen. I very much appreciate historical fiction novels that take the time and effort to do the background research to educate the readers on locations and time periods less well known. There are plenty of novels focused on Tudor English history, the French revolution etc but few available to non- Europeans on the history of other countries, especially Poland. The author educates the reader on the history of this region as well as Russia, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Additionally, we learn about the Viking influence on these areas and England. The novel focuses on the life of Swietoslawa yet spends ample time showing us the view points of other key historical figures who influenced her at the time. The author develops the main characters vividly where you have a sense of each of their personalities drawing you into the novel.

This novel incorporated such an extended time period and so many characters were introduced that I wish more time was spent explaining further the historical background when introducing new individuals into the plot. This novel certainly had me checking a map, looking up country emblems and researching names stimulating me to learn more and further my interest in this area. It would have been helpful to have several maps, family trees and character lists in the beginning of the novel to refer to as I was reading . Overall, would highly recommend and will be eagerly awaiting this author’s next translated novel.

After finishing The Widow Queen last year, I was anxiously waiting for an announcement of the release date for the English translation of the second novel in Elżbieta Cherezińska’s duology, The Last Crown. Every few weeks I checked NetGalley to see if a preview copy had shown up so I could be one of the first to request it. Since reading The Widow Queen, I had looked at the histories of a few of the historic figures to get a sense of the general timeline of events and to note where the gaps were, where Cherezińska was using more or less artistic license. And finally, about a month or so ago, it showed up with a release date in the fall and I was able to secure a preview copy. As with The Widow Queen, I found myself quickly swept up in the characters, their relationships, and the ways they fought (often with each other) to shape their world.

Betrayal abounds as The Last Crown picks up right where The Widow Queen left off. Olav, jealous over Świętosława having married Sven of Denmark instead of him, gets a degree of revenge by marrying Sven’s sister, Tyra, incurring the wrath of both. But Olav had help from Świętosława’s own family in making the arrangements. Sven bides his time, plotting a war against Olav while Świętosława’s wrath cools and she remembers her feelings for Olav. When Sven declares his intentions for defeating Olav once and for all, Świętosława is ready with plans of her own. The overlapping betrayals set in motion rifts that will last for decades as a new generation grows up and learns the machinations of conquering and ruling ever-growing empires.

Religion and the spreading of Christianity runs through both novels because it was a time period when Christianity was really beginning to replace older faiths – and replace it by force in a lot of cases. Because there is so much betrayal in the beginning pages of this novel, vengeance and forgiveness battle throughout the novel as well. And since so many of the events unfold at the highest levels of power, there is also an element of performance added to the mix that sometimes undermines the Christian teachings and ideals the characters aspire to (to varying degrees). The performance of believing itself proves expedient to some while the faith of others is more genuine (and might be the deadlier for it). While most of the main characters are royal on some level, the figures of the church prove just as powerful and are as frustrating as foes as other rulers. The whole novel speaks with incredible and poignant subtlety about the relationship between power and faith.

If there is another force that shows up repeatedly as a force that shapes the world, it is the power of stories. For anyone who might not have read The Widow Queen first, many of its relevant points are brought up and recounted through the characters of the bards. Plenty of attention is paid to the ways that their versions of events spread and impact expectations. It’s made clear early on that the way the story gets told is almost as important as winning (in some cases, it actually becomes more important). Through the course of the novel, it becomes clear that beyond managing people in the moment, Świętosława’s true gift (one that her brother largely shares) is her ability to see the threads of the narrative and weave effectively them to her purposes.

Though this duology is all that appears to have been slated for translation into English initially, I’m hopeful that some of Elżbieta Cherezińska’s other works might get translated in the coming years. In the meantime, I’ll continue to work on improving my Polish.

The Last Crown will be available on September 6, 2022.