Shield Maiden expands on the Beowulf myth from a feminist perspective. With great disability representation with the main character of Fryda, the niece of King Beowulf, the story rewrites the last part of the myth, where the king defeats the dragon. While I did not enjoy the writing style, I think this is a great book for anyone looking for a Beowulf retelling.

This book had a lot of potential for me, but I'm afraid I didn't connect as much as I hoped I would with the flow/plot of the story. I think the mythology/magical/dragon sedments intertwined were distracting, and I would have loved if hte story stayed focused on Fryda. I really liked Fryda's portions of the novel, and her personal/political/intimate struggles in the village of her home. The setting was great, but I wish the story had had a little more scope.

Shield Maiden follows Fryda, a teen who dreams of being a shield maiden despite an injury that has left her with a not-fully functional hand. This has really great aspects to it - a dragon, a power we don't quite understand, a love affair. It had me intrigued. Nothing however really stuck with me. This book is too adult to be young adult, but too young adult to be considered adult. I really enjoyed the characters, particularly Fryda, and I enjoyed how the author allowed us into the minds of numerous characters along the way. The story was interesting as well. I don't know what it was that prevented me from fully connecting with this. I think it was a book I enjoyed but not one I will often think back to, nor will it come to mind when recommending to others. Regardless, I enjoyed the ride.

Thank you to Redhook Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Shield Maiden by Sharon Emmerichs is a debut fantasy reimagining of Beowulf featuring a heroine with a disability. The audiobook version is narrated by Victoria Fox.

Though the daughter of a lord, Fryda has longed to become a shield maiden, in part to follow in her uncle Beowulf's footsteps. Assuming her dream was shattered after an accident in her teens, at age twenty she has started to feel an uncontrollable power rising within herself. And deep below, buried in her gilded lair, the last dragon is drawn to Fryda's untamed power and begins to wake from a long and cursed sleep.

In college I studied Beowulf a few times, including memorizing the opening stanza. Thanks in part to that, Beowulf has a fond place in my heart. Shield Maiden focuses on the very end of the epic poem, during the 50th year of King Beowulf's reign.

Emmerichs did a great job with this reimagining! I inhaled the audiobook within 24 hours. The narrator, Victoria Fox, does a pretty great job here. There were a few character voices that sounded a bit similar to me, but overall I greatly enjoyed the listen. And take a look at this cover, it's GORGEOUS and has so much detail. I love it.

As someone who likes history, and studied this time period in college, I really enjoyed the detail in these pages. There is a lot of description of the buildings, clothing, and oral storytelling of the Geats.

Overall I did like the prose, but the plot was a little meandering. There were some scenes that felt like jump cuts from where we were just before. Fryda is also a bit too naïve. The point-of-view shifts around a lot as well; I typically prefer either full chapters of one POV, or less jumping around.

There's a good amount of diversity here. Fryda does not have full use of one of her hands, after falling into a chasm during an earthquake when she was thirteen. Her childhood friend, Theow, is coded as suffering from PTSD when he smells smoke he is not expecting. Fryda's best friend Hild is a black indentured servant whose people initially hailed from Romans in sub-Saharan Africa.

I'd recommend this one to anyone who has a fondness to Beowulf, or who liked books like Grendel by John Gardener or Claire North's Songs of Penelope series.

CW: violence, gore, drug and alcohol abuse, assault, sexual harassment

Enjoyed the fantasy retelling of Beowulf from a female perspective. Fryda is a gutsy and strong FMC and I enjoyed reading her story. Definitely recommend if you're a fan of fantasy books with a great story and strong character development.

Shield Maiden is a reimagining of the last half of the epic poem, Beowulf, that follows the female lead, Fryda. This would be a great read for anyone who likes Viking-era narratives, mythology retellings, and strong female characters.

I will start by saying that it took me a little bit to get into the book. It started off strong with the events of the earthquake, but after that it slowed down a little too much for me. But I wanted to push through because I remember being intrigued by the poem when we studied it in English class. And I am so glad I continued reading! The story picked up again quickly and I was enthralled until the bitter end.

The way that Sharon Emmerichs intertwined the characters that we know form the poem with characters she created was wonderful. I loved that she gave names and back stories to small characters that was only briefly mentioned in the poem, making them key players in the narrative. I think her choice to change the roles of other well-known characters in order for Fryda to have a story was done well.

Overall, I thought Shield Maiden to be a creative and well written book. Not only was it a unique choice of story amidst the many Greek retellings that are being published, but it was a well executed adaptation, staying true to the epic poem while creating new voices.

*thank you Redhook Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you NetGalley and publisher. I haven’t enjoy such an epic tale for a while. This was a refreshing read and take on Beowulf’s legend. We get to see another side of his tale. We meet Fryda, a favorite of Beowulf’s, and watch her go through her trials to become the woman she has always dreamt to be. We also meet Theow, who helps Fryda, becomes the man he is destined to become and gets the freedom he dreamt of.

Loved it! I don’t know why this hasn’t been hyped more. I really enjoyed the characters and character building. There’s disability rep and Vikings. Women and self empowerment. Easily 4 stars.

Thank you to Redhook Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I can’t wait to read more from Sharon Emmerich.

Wow just wow. I went into this book expecting a tale about a Shield Maiden but this is so much more than that. I love that this book has a disability representation with the main character Fryda having a disfigured hand, and seeing her overcome her hardships (and still be treated as an equal she isnt looked down upon for being disabled she is treated like a capable person which she is!!) I am a sucker for a good mythology based book (most are told about the Greek gods so its cool getting some Norse based books out Woden would be proud!) Also did I mention this book has dragons, betrayal, war, romance. Did I add our male love interest to my list of book boyfriends.. yes yes I did. Trigger warnings include disfigurment, self harm, murder, and war themes. This is not a complete list of warnings these are just a few that i noticed

Personally, this had too many POV's. I enjoyed the mythology and the writing was well done, but there wasn't enough plot. Also, while I enjoy romance in my fantasy, I may just be too old to enjoy YA fantasy. At no fault of the novel.

I really enjoyed this book. I hope the author continues to write more books in the future. I can't wait to see what this author releases in the future.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for the advance copy!

Fryda wants to be a shield maiden more than anything, but a nearly fatal accident puts this dream on hold, maybe forever. When King Beowulf visits the burh, however, a series of events begins to unfold that may lead Fryda to her wish after all.

Shield Maiden is a beautifully told story about family, duty, honour, and, yes, even dragons. As a power wakes within Fryda, so does a dragon begin to wake below the earth.

Fryda is a wonderfully layered main character with a clear point of view. She leads a cast of equally nuanced and well-developed characters, a large group that manages not to let anyone slip between the cracks.

The pace of the book was quite slow until about the halfway mark, but Emmerichs’ writing paints a beautiful picture as you move through it. Weaving the history and legend with a new perspective, Shield Maiden carefully treads the line between a retelling and a work of pure fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

3.5/5 stars

I'll start by saying - Sharon Emmerichs is an excellent writer and clearly has a deep passion for her subject matter. Her understanding and devotion shone through beautifully throughout the story in the care she gave to descriptions and emotions, characters and events. It was easy to get lost in her writing and picture clearly the story in your mind - she's a truly great storyteller.

As for the story itself, I enjoyed it! I didn't know much about Beowulf before going into this book but it didn't hurt my reading experience at all. Fryda was a great main character, though her complete ignorance to her brother's true nature and inability to see the status difference between her and her best friends was infuriating on more than one occasion. But, her constant drive to improve her knowledge and her refusal to give up regardless of circumstance was fun and inspiring.

I did think this book suffered a bit from pacing - while I did very much enjoy it, it felt longer than it really needed to be - or at least that there were parts that dragged more than I would have liked. Also, the dragon POV....I was really excited for it in the beginning but it never really felt relevant other than as a comparison for the obvious threat vs the real threat, and as a connection point to the original Beowulf story. I wanted it to be a bigger part, more relevant somehow....it was cool but may have contributed to some of the drag.

Overall I would absolutely read another book by Sharon Emmerichs and I do recommend this one to anyone that loves historical fiction and fantasy!

Beowulf was always my favorite classic literature piece, so seeing this retelling with a female angle was an immediate request from me. It surpassed all of my hopes! This was such a great story. I loved the main character’s strength and determination against the overbearing men in her life. The secondary role we see Beowulf in was also a joy, I loved how loving and funny he was mad to be. Overall this is an empowering, entertaining story that will have you yelling at characters in frustration and overjoyed by their triumphs.

I liked this book. I did read Beowulf in high school and college so I am familiar with it, but I feel like one does not need to be in order to enjoy the story. I am not disabled myself but I thought the representation was done pretty well. I did not mid the use of a different language. I thought i added to the atmosphere of the story when Old English was used and I could usually work out the meaning of the word from the context if one was not already given. I like the characters and thought their motivations were sound. I am not really sure sure how the magic worked but thought it was cool nonetheless. I liked how this was the story of one of Beowulfs adventures told through a nameless character from the original story. It had some moment that I didn't love and some parts of the plot were really slow, but it was more about the characters than the plot. I liked this book though and if you like the Beowulf story I think you would enjoy this.
4 STARS!

The pacing was slow for me and I didn't find myself scrambling to pick the book up again after setting it aside. However, the author is very knowledgeable about the Beowulf story and set up the world-building and character relationships nicely. Although the mc is in her 20's, this does really well as a YA introduction and reinterpretation of Beowulf.

I haven't been much of a YA reader lately, but I love anything relating to shield maidens. I loved Beowulf in high school and in college, so I decided to give this read a shot.
This one was mixed for me. It was really slow getting started, and then when it did, there was so much happening I felt a little lost and it fell flat for me. Maybe it just wasn't for me, it wasn't a bad story, I just didn't love it.

Before you ask: Yes, this is a kissing book. It also has a brave maiden, true friends, lecherous royals, malicious intentions, a king of legend, a dragon with a treasure, a curse, magic, battle scenes, betrayal, and true love.

I’m surprised this wasn’t marketed as a YA book, because it definitely could’ve found a great niche in that market. Our FMC, Fryda, is the daughter of her clan’s chieftain and kin to King Beowulf. Even though she is about twenty and should have been married by the time the book starts in earnest, she remains unmarried because seven years prior to the present-day events of the book she fell into a chasm in the earth and mangled one of her hands, which caused her intended to break off their engagement. She’s been deemed unmarriageable ever since. Not that she really wants to be married off, considering she holds a deep affection for one of the clan’s slaves, Theow, a Celt who was stolen from his homeland as a child.

This is Sharon Emmerichs’ debut novel, and as debuts go it was a terrific effort. The characters may be tried-and-true formulaic, but they are vibrant and have flaws and vulnerabilities. There are surprises hidden in some of the characters, both good and bad. Emmerichs’ definitely did her due diligence in the research department, even if some liberties have been taken with linguistics for the time period (I’m not an expert on 6th century Sweden demographics, though). To this day there is academic debate as to whether or not Beowulf originated as an oral tradition with pagan roots, a tale written by Christians, or if the truth is a happy medium. Emmerichs’ seems content to go with the happy medium route and not to try to deviate and for the purposes of Shield Maiden that seems to fit just fine.

The book really is enjoyable, with multiple POVs (but not so many that you go dizzy with them). The pacing is nice and brisk without any filler material. The only true downfall to this book, in my opinion, is that it’s rather shallow. It’s so fast-paced and determined not to be slow that none of the emotions invoked by the book have time to settle in and be processed by either the reader or the characters before all of a sudden we’re off to do something else. As a result, the highs don’t get to shimmer as much and the lows don’t get to sink so much. You don’t get a chance to feel any of it.

It is an enjoyable read though, especially for the YA set. I liked it a lot.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Coming of Age/Epic Fantasy/Fairy Tale/Folklore/Historical Fantasy/Mythological Retelling

i loved this book! especially how i just studied Beowulf and it was ironically also a theme in this book. i really enjoyed this take on historical fiction as well as mythology! I will be recommending! thank you so much for the arc!

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.