I received The Widow Queen as part of a Goodreads giveaway.

In medieval Poland, the royal family reckons with a changing world. Christianity is a growing force, converting powerful leaders from paganism. Meanwhile, military threats loom from various directions. As such, King Miesko's descendants, including the headstrong princess Swietoslawa, are sent abroad to marry well and forge a future for themselves and their people. But international events intervene, and personal happiness may be put on the back burner in the name of diplomacy as a new world begins to take shape.

This was a very good book that took me months to finish. I always enjoyed it while I was reading it, but I could put it down for months at a time and not give it a second thought. That said, I enjoyed it quite a lot--so often in medieval historical fiction, it's a western European perspective. Hearing about eastern and northern European history was a pleasant and equally rich perspective. The time period, the early medieval period, is also fascinating to me, and one that's underexplored in historical fiction. If I had one critique, is that sometimes the narrative feels a little flat and difficult to get through, which is why I think I had a rough time moving through it, especially early on as so many characters and complicated relationships were being established. All in all, though, a really good read.

A Polish Game of Thrones + a little fantasy mixed in.

I think this will be a great series, but I felt too....old or out of it to read. I've always had trouble with fantasy and this was no different. I'm sure this will be a hit with the younger audience.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I REALLY wanted to love this book. I don’t read a lot of historic fiction so maybe that is why I did not love it as much as I felt I should. I got about 50% into this book and just could not finish it. I even started it multiple times, I thought maybe I was missing something and if I just kept picking it up, I would love it again.

I am also not a big game of thrones fan- which if you are- this book is 100% for you. I felt like this was a mix of GOT and Vikings. I wanted to love it so so so much but I felt like I need some magic or something else into it. I felt very uncomfortable during the first part of this book when the kids watch their father have sex with their step mother. I also felt like the father was for sure going to kill his children and I guess I am just not into that? I think if you love history stories this is totally for you.

Just because this book is not for me, does not mean that this is not an amazing book. It truly was written beautifully and I do apricate how lovely it is. It just wasn’t a story that I enjoyed, but that does not mean it wasn’t a good book.

I really tried with this one, as I’m eager to learn about other periods of history I don’t know and to read more books in translation, but it just felt like a labor more than anything with more and more characters to keep track of with names I’d never remember no matter how I tried.

The story was good. Women trying to make their own way when they are being told not to is always a theme that draws me in. I think there were just so many characters to keep track of and so much going on that it took from the thrill of the story. I was hoping for something I could really sink into. I think that readers who enjoyed The Lost Queen will love this.

The premise of this book gave little information, but who doesn't want to see a royal fight against an arranged marriage? I felt that the main heroine was the thing that really carried this book and made me want to finish it. Her motivations and way of thinking were the highlight of this book, and while the plot was a bit underwhelming, her character grew with each chapter. Great take on royalty!

Read if you like: medieval history, Game of Thrones, strong female characters.
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This was a really fun and engaging! I loved reading about Polish history and about a strong woman from Polish history. Swietoslawa is a bold and strong character, who is used by the men in her life in order for them to gain power and prestige; but she is smart and cunning and knows how to play the game too. The book follows her adventures, as well as those connected to her, and we get to see the inner workings of medieval courts in other parts of Europe other than England.
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It was interesting to read about the tension between characters who love another but are forced to marry other people. I found the book a bit long, but this tension kept me wanting to read more! There was also a lot of plot to get through, and I think there is even going to be a second book, so still much to get through!
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CW: sexual content, violence, death of a loved one.

I reviewed this book for Historical Novels Review, the magazine of the Historical Novel Society. Per their policy, I cannot post a review online until after it is published in May 2021. I will update the review then.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor/Forge Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was interesting but also dense - there was a lot going on! It wasn't as captivating as I had hoped (though still interesting) but I am thinking some of that may be due to the translation (I would give it a little less than 4 stars, rounded up). I also felt that from the book synopsis that it was going to be solely about Swietoslawa and, while most of it did in fact revolve around her, there were many other points of views and players and sides that were part of it that I wasn't expecting. It was wonderful to read about a period of time and place that I had no idea about.

PS I hope the full published version has a pronunciation guide because I am sure I am pronouncing almost every name incorrectly!

The Widow Queen fascinated me with its promise to shed light on a previously forgotten queen. Women who exert power, who use their wiles and cunning, but who are never remembered. And with Cherezińska's dedication I was even more in love. In many ways, this project seems like a love letter to all the women forgotten by history, who history chooses to forget. For women who are used as marriage alliances, only seen for their potential heir providing services, and not given a say. They have to fight for whatever power, influence, and security they want.

This book is I believe my first 5 star of the year ! It could have easily gotten muddled and complicated with the political landscape and the characters but it was so well written. The author did an amazing job at sucking me into the history and the time period. I am all for a fearless badass woman MC and this book delivers. I devoured this book and am left sitting here impatiently waiting for book two. I need more!

This is a story that I really wanted to like. It takes place in a historical time and place that I am unfamiliar with, which may have contributed to my overall feelings of confusion, especially at the beginning. Many characters were introduced quickly, and I had a hard time keeping everyone straight. Again, had I been more familiar with the history, this likely wouldn't have been such an issue.

The story itself, although interesting, is a little slow moving. The writing, although beautiful at times, focuses on so many small details that it can be difficult to continue.

Overall this is a story that I may revisit in the future, when I have a little more grasp on some of the finer historical details. For those who are familiar with them, this is a wonderful, although slow moving, story. I will be recommending this to some of my Polish relatives, as I believe they will thoroughly enjoy it.

The title and blurb about this book are a bit misleading as the focus is not truly on the queen but on the men vying for power. However this book was a fascinating read. In essence, the book provides the early history of four countries: Poland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. The Polish Duke Mieszko uses all of the assets available to him to strengthen and expand his country's boundaries and his influence on others. He marries a former nun and converts his country to Christianity. His three daughters Astrid, Gerta, and Swietoslawa are married off to forge new alliances. The favorite since birth, Swietoslawa forges her own destiny within the confines of the choices that are made for her. Swietoslawa, the Bold One, was filled with intellect, passion, and shrewdness. Her marriages made her the mother of two dynasties.
For those readers who are not familiar with the history that this book explores, the beginning chapters may seem overwhelming. There are a LOT of characters introduced early on and it sometimes isn't clear who is from where and how everything is connected. There are constant struggles for political power and religious supremacy. The author made sure to balance the harshness of war with the joys of love. The three daughters exemplify the different strengths woman had and how they were key figures in political maneuvering. It is a dense read but an enjoyable one.
I've included the following information to assist readers in the early chapters.
Eric Segersall-Sweden
Swen Forkbeard-Denmark
Olaf Tryggvason-Norway

I've never been a fan of multiple perspectives in a story, as all the switching between character viewpoints makes it difficult to keep track of the storyline and to have an objective view of the action. Perhaps my biggest problem was the characters: there were too many of them to keep track of (especially since I'm not used to the names) and none of them were particularly interesting. I really wanted to like this, as I loved the description of a Polish queen who wanted to rule in her own right rather than marry and have her husband get all the power. Unfortunately, I found the characters boring and the plot a little slow. Maybe something got lost in translation?

This was a beautifully written story, full of rich information. It came across as more of a nonfiction written in narrative than historical fiction. I felt the story was a bit slow to develop and the title seemed a bit misleading. The story covered much, much more than The Widow Queen’s story, with loads of background information. I did enjoy this book, although I don’t know if I would pick up the sequel. I would still suggest this to anyone who enjoys history and nonfiction, but perhaps not to the regular historical fiction crowd.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
A mysterious and mystical story that puts one in mind of a old folk tale. The writing is good and really evokes the Poland of yesteryear.
A good read.

Well developed characters. An epic saga over land and sea. A historical fiction of how daughters and sisters were used as pawns to join kingdoms’ and how such a ‘bold one’ adapts to her less than ideal circumstances and leverages all of her cunning to protect her children and her people.
Looking forward to the sequel.

I approached this book because of my Polish roots. I expected so much from it. So much more! I believe the plot and idea was well presented, but perhaps the translation of this book damaged the reading here?
I did not finish the book, not because I did not like it, but because I will read it in original language written - Polish.
Then I can truly reward this book with 5 stars!

This book is about the Polish Piast Dynasty. I'd highly recommend this to those who like their historical fiction full of political intrigue and plotting. Duke Mieszko wants to expand the borders and is ruthless about it, even when it comes to his own family. His plotting feels like a gave of chess. The setting felt accurate and it is clear the author did their research. The characters felt like they fit the time period instead of feeling too modern. The multiple points of view the story is from gave each character time to shine and develop their motivations.

Off the top of my head I can't think of another historical I've read that takes place in Poland, and that alone made this one stand out for me. This is great for those who are interested in Poland's history or want to know more. However, all the historical info loaded into this book did make for a slow read at times and felt denser than it needed to be. This is very much a story where you need to connect to the characters from the start to get into the book.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Great to see a diverse historical fiction! The Polish roots drew me to this title. While the story was interesting, the writing was difficult to get through. Multiple POV were difficult to follow and the pacing was a bit slow. It's not a fast or easy read. Appears to be well researched and info laden. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review.