Normally, I avoid books by celebrities as I feel they have enough celebrity without my adding to their aura. However, as the mother of a Black child who enjoys fantasy and science fiction, I read this anyway. I would rate this at 3.5 but rounded to a 4.

First of all, this is primarily a FANTASY, a story about a young Black woman who rises to become a queen and as such stands as a good role model and example, which tend to be few and far between for Black young adults. I did not find it anti-Muslim any more than I found it anti-Viking—the book describes the world pretty much as it was in back in the day (as well as now) with multiple counties practicing aggression, war, rape, against other nations and tribes and enslavement of conquered peoples. The Muslim aspect is minimal, and for the most part is deemed a good thing as the Vikings wish to collaborate with the Muslims to hold back the advancement of Christianity. The book handles discrimination and prejudice against Blacks well.

As an adult, I was able to suspend disbelief and read the entire book in one sitting. While not great literature, young adults will find it entertaining. The characters come of age and mature in a believable manner. I did like two things in particular: women were allowed their own agenda and the ability to achieve their goals, and Black and Whites were able to join together to bring down a common (White) enemy.

Caveating with: Yafeu has some very prejudicial thoughts and opinons, especially in the beginning of the book. While her prejudices against the Viking peoples is addressed and overcome, there are a few comments about the small Muslim representation that are left alone. Full context, the Muslims in the story are those who enslaved Yafeu.

Aside from that contentious point (which people far more qualified than me have addressed) I really did enjoy this book. I love a historical fiction book that is so well researched I feel like I am learning as I read. I did a lot of googling throughout this book to learn more, and I really enjoyed the amount I learned about respective mythologies and customs naturally as a part of the book!

Also Yafeu is a badass for sure, but not enough people acknowledge that she is a real b*tch too.

An unforgettable and hard to put down story of two young women, one an African slave and the other a Norse Princess near the end of the Viking Age.

4/5 stars,

this book had a rather slow start, but the build until the end was very good. It had somewhat Mulan vibes of a girl who wants to fight and engage in combat instead of staying home and doing "womanly duties."

Thank you NetGalley for the advance reader copy. This is my honest review.

"The Amazigh are dangerous on their best day. They have little regard for anyone who doesn’t worship the Muslim god—and even their own tribes are always at war with one another."
"The desert is lawless, and those who don’t travel under the protection of the Ghāna can fall prey to Amazigh thieves and slavers, often disguised as harmless merchants. Everyone has heard the stories: travelers beaten to within an inch of their lives by the Amazigh..."Is there anything further I should say or say about these passages? Assume that the two authors working on this book are attempting to demonstrate how prejudice can alter your perception. Let's pretend that's the point of these descriptions. Do you believe that is how it is done? How do we get rid of prejudice? By fortifying it? By depicting a people you know nothing about as barbaric barbarians, are you instilling dread throughout Africa?


I will not tolerate deception and defamation of my people or anyone else.
Before you decide to write about history, read it. And, while I'm not sure what the co-author meant when he said, "we did a TON of research on the early Islamic Caliphates," I'm quite sure the "research" didn't reveal that the phrase is "Muslims" rather than "other Islamic peoples."
Honestly. Could you kindly leave us alone? I don't even want to be represented in fiction, especially as ruthless murderers and cutthroats.