I was engaged from start to finish. The story was unique. I hope this is the first in a series because I'm invested and interested in this story.

***2.0 Stars***

Overall,
I think the idea is great and this book had a lot of potential, however there were quite a few things that just did not work for me here. The writing felt a bit clunky at times and there was a case of telling and not showing. There were a lot of good plot points and things in here that usually I love but there was something about it that just did not hit. Unfortunately I would not recommend this book.

This was so good I purchased a physical copy for my library. I hear there is going to be a book 2! Cant wait!

despite being billed as an "epic historical saga", it felt more confused than anything. about itself, ts internal plot, its characters...

I have seen the criticism of this book’s portrayal of Muslims but the version I read, courtesy of NetGalley, had those quotes removed and the portrayal altered. I am glad to see that, but other issues arose for me with the craft of this novel.

Yafeu and Freydis’ voices are nearly indistinguishable: when doing a multiple POV novel it’s crucial that each chapter is distinct and you know instantly whose perspective you’re inhabiting. Several times I had to go back and check to see whose voice I was supposed to be reading.

The tense changes throughout bothered me. I know this was an uncorrected advance proof, but was surprised that would have slipped through rounds of editing.

Yafeu never finds her father so that thread felt completely unresolved. It’s not that she needed to find him, but the story led you in that direction and then didn’t give me a plausible reason to believe why she wouldn’t go searching for him or for accepting she would not see him again.

Finally, the ending felt completely implausible and just lost me. SPOILERS AHEAD

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When her brothers appear at the end of the novel, I was completely thrown. Weren’t they small children when she left? I thought only a year had passed. How did they grow so much so quickly to be traders of some import on a boat to the point that she didn’t recognize them?

And also Yafeu becoming queen over Freydis? Sorry, but I just couldn’t buy it. The novel did not set that up for me in a way that I could accept it. It felt convenient rather than earned. And Freydis’ story is left completely unresolved.

Can’t say I recommend this book. It had such potential that was not met.

3.75 Stars

For starters, wow. I did not know what to expect when it came to this book simply because of what I have seen from Willow as a person. I knew it could go either very bad or pretty good and I must say it was pretty good. The fact that there was actually a story of what seemed to be self-confidence in addition to elf discovery why taking in a new world is not an easy feat especially for a novice author. I enjoyed it and all the topics touched on from different cultures to different beliefs and facing "societal norms". She delicately touches on this while ensuring the reader still feels safe and I think that's what was most important to me as a believer of Yeshua. Good job Willow. Can't wait to see what you'll do next.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. It was an intense viking story but also had friendship and romance in it. I I loved the battles they would have and they lived up to what you would think of the viking times. It was interesting to hear how all the different positions worked in that time period. From a slave to a warrior to a King/Queen. I would recommend this book if you like viking history and if you want to read about an underestimated woman who makes a name for herself.

3.75/5

I really liked this book! I did get a bit stuck about half way through the book, but did power through to the end.

The story follows Yafeu, who is captured as a slave and is to be sold in the markets of North Africa. She is rescued by raiders who then take her as her slave. She soon befriends the King's daughter, Freydis and they both bond over their struggles. Yafeu soon finds an opportunity to be free, as a Shield Maiden, and Freydis finds herself in a role she's wanted forever. But things don't end up the way they think it will.

Looking back at previous reviews compared to newer ones, it looks like the book went under some major revisions. I do think there were some loose ends that did not get addressed towards the end, but it did not take away from the ending of the story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced copy of the book in return for an honest review!

Willow Smith should really have taken more time to work with this story...nothing made sense and the reading experience was abysmal.

This book was great. The mixing or religion and talk of growing up as a woman in this time period was very refreshing and informative. The first 2/3 of the book were amazing setting up the conflict and relationships between characters. The last third of the book though felt a little rushed and things just happened a little quicker than I would have preferred. But this book was a great read and I would settle on like a 3.5 or 3.75 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with an E-ARC to review.

Reading it in one go, I found it entertaining for young adults, though not literary gold. The characters grow believably, and I appreciated how it portrays women's agency and interracial cooperation against a common enemy. Despite some heavy themes, like violence and cultural clashes, it handles them thoughtfully without being crude. Overall, don't let any initial doubts hold you back—this book captivates with its world-building, cultural diversity, and promising hints of romance and intrigue that make me hope for a sequel.

I will not be reading or reviewing this title. Sorry to request it without researching it a bit more.
It will not let me submit without a star rating so I have chosen 5 stars.

This story was fascinating. I loved the premise and found the story itself felt realistic. The authors did a great job of putting the reader in the shoes of the characters. The character development was excellent as well.

Engaging and very exciting - tons of battle. Great character development of central characters, some of secondary characters were well developed as well. Worth watching to see what else Willow Smith/Jess Hendel puts out.

This is an interesting novel about a shield maiden, and the struggles that go along with her family. It is a dual point of view, which I found interesting.

I received this book in exchange fora fair review from NetGalley.

I was so skeptical about this book. I’m so glad that the book was stopped and re-edited because the reviews from years ago was so alarming. I did not care for this friendship. Personally I do off the book at 60%. I believe that this book is for someone it personally is not for me. I do not recommend And idea of even putting something offensive even if it was taken out should had no place even getting that far. We’re reviewers were able to review and no sensitivity read was done.

Let me just say, I really wanted to like this books. A Black woman overcoming trauma to become a Viking sounds exactly like something k would want to read. Unfortunately, I was let down by the execution of this book.

This book reads like it was written by a new author. At just under 500 pages, I felt overwhelmed by the amount of descriptions and ‘telling’ the authors did. There would be moments of action that would be interrupted by descriptions and world building, that when the action came back I just did not care what was happening.

This book had so much potential and could have been done so much better if it was cut down and if there was more ‘showing.’

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I asked for an arc, I only read the little summary. I didn't know the authors or history of the book. When I saw, I considered dropping the book but I read it through. I found almost no mention of Islamic nations or cultures. I think there is just a little vague paragraph now. If the author's views have changed, that's another thing. Either way, because the past controversy wasn't present in the book, I will not add it to my review. There are several other reviews mentioning this, it is easy to find more information.

I think the romance and pacing of the book was very well done. I don't like love at first sight or lust at first sight, which is becoming more common in fantasy romance or romancy. I was glad to see a more tentative and shy love bloom. The pacing of the romance as well as the balance between action and reaction was well done. I felt like no event was really glossed over or squished together with another. I didn't ever feel a lull in the plot. Though, the start of the book, maybe first 30%, had the plot lead the characters rather than characters controlling the plot, which I prefer more. The ending was satisfactory, but the last chapter felt like it was missing one last scene. The ending was so abrupt, I thought the file must have been cut off.

This book might have been mislabeled as a fantasy. This book definitely leans more on fantasy realism, if it could be called fantasy at all. There were little magic or otherworldly forces that couldn't be explained by lies or tricks. It was unclear if the seer was communicating with the gods and if the main character could truly sense life. I do love when the authors play with what is real and what is fake in a world, but this book is definitely more focused on showing realistic-style events and cultures.

Black Shield Maiden caught my attention immediately. I love a story with a strong female lead, and you saw Yafeu strength from the beginning. Yafeu is taken from her homeland and ends up in a kingdom in the North. There she has to learn the ways of a new country, one that is not like her own and she the only person of color. She ends up being a servant for princess Freydis who is nothing but a pawn for her father the king. I love the relationship that grows between the two ladies. In the beginning Freydis has no backbone let's call it what it is lol but she learns from Yafeu. She sees how strong she is and starts to gain strength of her own and in that their friendship grows. Even with that Yafeu destiny and wants are still to be a warrior, to be a part of the shield maiden with Freydis aunt Alvtir. She gets her chance after showing her warrior spirit and finally becomes a part of the shield maidens. As the story comes to a crashing end each womens strength is tested, Yafeu, Freydis, and Alvtir. Let me just say my heart broke for Alvtir after learning her story. My heart broke for all three women each carrying their own burdens. This was a wonderful debut and I'm looking forward to the sequel hopefully. I'd love to know what adventure awaits Yafeu and Freydis especially after the ending.

Ehh. It wasn’t great. 1. I thought it was way too long even though it was only 490 pages. The story was so slow!! 2. Most of the characters are pretty insufferable. I absolutely loathed the way Yafeu started acting towards the end. I felt so sad for Freydis!
Some of the descriptions felt unbelievably juvenile and it seemed like the author spent more time telling than showing. But at the same time the book was bogged down with excessive descriptions of things that didn’t matter.

I did enjoy the different perspectives from strong female characters however I don’t think the authors note at the beginning about gender fluidity was achieved. I wouldn’t have finished this had it not been an ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Ray for a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review!