A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.
Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.
Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.
Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.
Final Thoughts
The action, the swoon-worthy romance, the characters- everything just hit right with this one.
The story is surrounded by Viking/Norse Mythology and unique magic system that just blended so well together. I could not put this book down, and rightfully so because it is my favorite romantasy read so far this year. The cliffhanger left me wanting more and counting down the months until the next book is released.
If you’re into a a story about a shield maiden learning her fate and finding herself in her powers, with a side a spice and banter- then I definitely recommend you picking this book up immediately.
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️