So I haven’t enjoyed much YA fantasy romance recently. I’ve found issues of consent and grumpy male love interests to be the main culprits.

I only mention this because Shield Maiden is a welcome relief to what is currently on the market. We have both a captivating female protagonist called Fryda and a worthy partner in Theow. However, Fryda is a princess and Theow is a slave and they cannot be together.

These star crossed lovers don’t have an easy time, but their romance blossoms despite all this – and it was wonderful to read. As such it makes the story more wholesome and ‘coming of age’ than the average YA fantasy romance.

The world building is also interesting as the legend of Beowulf is the mythological inspiration. This story focuses only on the part of the Beowulf poem that deals with the dragon, which feels quite fresh as other stories around Beowulf usually feature Grendel and Grendel’s mother.

Beowulf himself is a side character in this novel, however, we are treated to POV chapters from the dragon – which were beautifully written and intriguing – and contained some of my favourite moments from the whole novel.

Fans of YA fantasy romance will enjoy this novel and linking the story with the epic poem of Beowulf was an inspired decision by Sharon Emmerichs!

As always my reviews are always 100% honest and my own opinions. I will try to never fully spoil a plot. This particular copy I was given access to a copy to review by Netgalley. #HeadOfZeus #NetGalley #ShieldMaiden #SharonEmmerichs #BookReview #AnAdAstraBook

The epic poem of Beowulf has always been a favourite along with the legends and myths of Geats, Saxons and Vikings so when I heard of this book I was incredibly excited and was sure I would love it. Thankfully I wasn’t disappointed.

Shield Maiden follows the heroine Fryda, King Beowulf’s niece and her desire to become a shield maiden in her own right. Yet her bravery lead to a childhood accident leaving her disabled thus she believed thwarting her dream for good but as she grows she feels an uncontrollable power within herself start to rise.

As a great celebration begins under Beowulf’s reign and Fryda’s house is soon overrun with foreign kinds and chieftains. Amidst the drunken revelry a discovery is made that threatens not only Fryda’s life but her whole clan. Resolute Fryda is determined to fight for her clan no matter the cost and her powers only seem to grow but she is not the only one who feels it. Deep in a gilded lair a dragon is drawn to Fryda’s untamed power and slowly begins to awaken from their cursed sleep.

If that doesn’t get you hooked I don’t know what will. I will start though by saying that while I thoroughly enjoyed this book I do agree with some reviews that the style of writing could sometimes be viewed as young adult while most of the characters are at least in their twenties. That said it did not distract from the story for me but I can understand why it could for some. The plot itself is well conceived and does keep you hooked although I would argue it takes a little while to really get going and if you don’t have a keen interest in the time period or the Beowulf legend it may appear a slow start. That said when it does get going it picks up the pace.

With a retelling and foundation of the epic Beowulf poem there is plenty of action to be had in the novel and a bit of magic and myth as well. I personally would have liked to see a bit more of the latter but that is down to personal taste and the story does just fine without it. The characters all come to life and are generally believable. I personally loved the flip of Wiglaf being not exactly the morally sound character he is often portrayed as. Indeed it was nice to see a twist of roles between Beowulf and Wiglaf in this one.

All in all I loved this one despite what could be seen a contradictions of the character ages and writing style. We do feel transported back in the times of the gods and monsters and honestly anything that deals with Beowulf and shield maidens is going to be rated highly from me!

I learned the story of Beowulf and Grendel at school, so was fascinated by this story of a strong heroine and her uncle Beowulf. Great story, strong characters and very hard to put down once you start.

Brutal and fierce exploration of Anglo-Saxon myth and legend. Creating Fryda, Beowulf's niece and shield-maiden allows Emmerichs to play with the myths, legends and understanding of the time.

Great characterisation and a sense of instability create an atmosphere where nothing is safe and almost everyone is subject to the whims of those in power.

Fryda navigates all this with a pure heart and good intentions, and despite many power struggles and some violent scenes, she has the opportunity to shine with all the power she finds is at her command.

Loved this romp through the world of Beowulf, it brought an obscure period of history to life beautifully.

Sadly, this was a bit too much "modern YA in a historical setting" for me. The main character was TOO recognisably a feisty modern woman, which simply didn't ring true for the period - she's contemporaneous with the end of Beowulf's reign. Being highborn and being in love with a slave... it just doesn't ring true, without any struggles around identity and so on that I think would actually have been the case. She was all too willing to ignore the importance of family, despite acknowledging the horrors of exile, for "love". While I often love a good bit of exposition and description, there was just a bit too much of that here, too - I found myself skipping a LOT of the book.

Not for me. I genuinely think it will find an audience, though, and I'm really glad for that - I suspect this will hit the right buttons for the right people, which would be great.

After attempting to read this book several times and failing each and every time, I am officially giving up. This just isn't for me. I can't get into the story and I can't find it in myself to care about the characters.

to begin with, i would like to thank both netgalley and Head of Zeus for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

i was familiar with the tale of beowulf as i had studied it very early on in high school and loved it so much. i love the idea that writers can look back into different aspects of mythology and create their own story. the references to the original tale were lovely and i adored the use of archaic language at times. however, i did feel as though it took a little while to get into the plot and i found that i still had no clue what was happening when i was more than a quarter into the book.

i love the elements of forbidden love and how the main character has to go into a journey of self belief. the twin brother made me think of the dynamic with Taryn and Jude in The Cruel Prince. also, i would just like to mention that there is a DRAGON! that makes any book fantastic.

i also loved to see the disability representation in this book. but, i am not going to lie, i was a little bit thrown by the just of the word cr*pple. i have a disability myself and would not refer to myself as that, just like how Fryda never called herself that in the book, but it still surprised me to see this in here. i understand that it was used by the villains to make them seem more evil, but, personally, i think another word should have been used. For example, villains wouldn't use a racial slur to prove that they were bad.

I would just like to thank Sharon Emmerichs for allowing me to read (and for writing) this book.

I enjoyed this book a lot.

The story was slow to start but I didn’t feel bored at all. The characters were all quite engaging and endearing. I especially liked Beowulf. He was a great addition.

The plot has so many different elements: Fryda’s relationship with her father, her brother, her wanting to be a warrior, her injury, social class, the romance, the plot and intrigue, as well as the dragon. I do feel like there were too many things going on at once in some ways. I feel some plot aspects lost their full potential by being overshadowed by the others. This is especially true of Fryda’s desire to be a warrior, which is the title of the book as well. If the story has been adjusted to focus on a few aspects in more detail perhaps it would have been a good move in my opinion.

I did like the characters a lot and thought they were well written. I loved the romance between Theow and Fryda. It was so sweet and I was rooting for them.

Overall, a fun YA novel. While this isn’t my typical age category I had a great time with this book.

I really enjoyed this book. A Norse mythology/historical fiction novel with a strong, female lead (putting her naivety to one side), I enjoyed the individual characters and the plot build up.. There is a mix of family feuding, intrigue, friendship and love and, of course, a dragon who I couldn’t help but fall for.

I recommend this book!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. The character were not really acting their age and felt like I was really a YA novel. And considering there were 5 PoV characters it was exhausting.

The world building was lacking and from a Norse retelling you'd think there would be more Norse myths but nothing.

The premise sounded so good but unfortunately it didn't make it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for providing this ARC.

I have found this review quite tricky to write today, this novel just felt to me that there was something missing. The whole way through I felt like I was waiting for the actual novel to begin. This may have been because the blurb makes the dragon seem like quite a prominent part of the plot, and she only appears in the last 20% or so. Maybe I was reading impatiently waiting for the dragon, so this left me feeling a bit disappointed. The novel has politics, drama, romance, battles and a dragon, and yet I just wasn’t gripped by the novel at all.

The novel is inspired by the tales of Beowulf and Norse Mythology. I really like Norse mythology and especially fantasy novels, so I was very excited to read this one. I was hoping to find a new favourite! Sadly this didn’t quite happen for me, I felt that the novel was actually trying to be too many things at once, and so it fell flat.
There seemed to be both too many and not enough characters in the novel. We seemed to keep getting introduced to more and more people that we were supposed to care for, but none of them were fleshed out enough for me to actually get to know them. As a result I didn’t really feel anything for the characters and I felt very removed from any jeopardy that they faced in the novel.

Fryda is the main character of the novel, and despite apparently being 20, she reads very young. Almost YA character young, which felt jarring to me. She seems so young and naive, which I just ended up really frustrated by. She seems too happy to let things just happen to her in the novel, and considering she is supposed to be the strong and brave main character, who is chosen by the dragon, this also didn’t really work for me. The romantic feelings she felt were also pretty meh, there wasn’t much to warm my heart, it was a bland and lacklustre romance.

I think another place where the book could have been better was the layout of the world. The novel is geographically focussed on a very very small area, which makes the novel feel quite small and constricted. Hopefully if there are following books we get the chance to explore the world further in follow up books, because despite the small area I really liked the setting and the world-building overall. I also enjoyed he hinting at magic throughout the novel, but definitely would’ve liked more. There is definitely the groundwork of a good fantasy world here.

Overall I thought this novel was ok. I liked it enough to read the whole novel, but I was a little disappointed. The plot was a bit slow, it took too long to really get going. The novel promised dragons and didn’t deliver the dragon until wayyyy too late, which is always sad! If you like Norse mythology based fantasy novels this one is not the worst, but I was expecting more.

I have mixed feelings about this book! I liked it but at the same time it didn't attract and capture me that much!

The plot is very interesting and engaging but the realization has me a little disappointed!
Fryda is the daughter of the chief, and twin sister to his heir: an enviable position to many. The only issue is all she wants to be is a Shield Maiden. But due to an accident when she was in her early teens, Fryda doesn't have the use of her left hand. Not that she let's that stop her, as she trains in secret and poses as the perfect lady of the house by night for her aging Father. Oh, and let's not forget that her Uncle is none other than legendary hero, king Beowolf.

I loved the protagonist and also the writing style, while some magical elements and the curse was not very clear! I really enjoyed the connection with the myth of Beowulf, one of my favorites of ancient English literature.

The cover is simply stunning!

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for providing this ARC.

Shield Maiden was a slow starter for me. I didn't really get into it until about a third of the way through but, when I did start to get invested, I *really* got invested! This book follows Fryda, daughter of a well respected chieftain and family friend of the famous King Beowulf, who desperately wants to become a shield maiden and prove herself to her father. After an awful accident as a teenager, Fryda is left disabled and thinks that her dreams have been shattered. However, as romance begins to bloom between Fryda and one if her father's slaves, and a dragon starts to wake in a nearby cave, an unexplainable power rises within Fryda, making her wonder if her dreams of glory are not so far out of reach after all.

Now, like I said, this book has a very slow start. Nothing really happens for the first 100 or so pages. Every other chapter was written from the dragon's pov, with a totally different writing style to the rest of the book, and this totally took me out of the story, making me want to put the book down every time I saw the italic text. The author had given a bunch of back story and world building that I knew was going to be important to the plot later but felt that it had been dragged out for far too long. I actually had to step away from reading for a few days because I really wasn't feeling the slowness. When I came back to the book, however, I started to absolutely fly through it! I ended up reading the last 70% all in one day. I don't know if I was just in the wrong headspace when I started reading or if the last two thirds really are just way more engaging than the first third. Whatever the reason, I could not put the book down! The politics finally started to pick up, the romance between Fryda and Theow was so wholesome and pure, and the found family vibes between Fryda, Theow, Bryce and Hild were simply immaculate! One thing that I thought this author wrote particularly well were the battle scenes! I honestly felt like I was watching a movie and found myself having to look away from the book numerous times becuase the tension was so palpable! I loved seeing Fryda and Theow fighting alongside each other, each of them trusting the other to look after themselves, while also knowing that they had each other's backs if they needed the help. The way that the "villain" of the story was written was also very well done. I wouldn't call them morally grey, because it's very clear that they've been morally corrupt for a long time, but getting to read their pov and seeing the motivations behind everything they do was a really interesting addition. The relationship that this person has with the other main characters and the impact that the betrayal has on them just added even more layers to an already emotionally deep story.

Despite the slow start and a few niggles here and there, I ended up absolutely loving Sharon Emmerichs debut novel! The characters were well fleshed out and the action was fast-paced and engaging! The story of King Beowulf is not one I'm overly familiar with but this was not an issue as I was completely immersed in the world created in this book. I will definitely be wanting to add a physical copy of Shield Maiden to my shelves when it comes out next month!

I was beyond enthralled by this tale of a young princess tragically injured and forced to give up her dreams of becoming a Shield Maiden. Based heavily on old poetry about Beowulf the author wields a story of forbidden love, treachery and self belief. I perhaps wasn’t convinced by everything and it’s the relationship between father and daughter that stymies me here but the selfish twin brother with everything at his feet certainly made me want to keep turning the pages. Which brings me nicely to the Dragon whose woefully sad presence permeates as the story unfolds. A wonderful and heroic young heroine and a tale of growth and realisation.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

It has been a long time since I have read a book this far back in history and it was grrat to go back. This was a fabuluos story that brought the times, surroundings and people who lived there to life. There was lots of deering dpo and gentle parts which paint a true picture of the life and times. Thank you for transporting me to another time and place, I enjoyed the ride.

Sadly this book wasn't for me.
I found it really slow and struggled to like the characters.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly didn't live up to what I wanted it to be, but still perfectly enjoyable! A refreshing difference to a lot of the myth retellings cropping up at the moment. Well written and a lot of potential but didn't quite grip me enough

Thank you Head of Zeus and Netgalley for the arc of Shield Maiden by Sharon Emmerichs in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Shield Maiden is a story inspired by the epic poem Beowulf, a poem that tells of his epic victories, including the defeat of the monster Grendel. Whilst it has been a very long time that I read Beowulf, I was drawn to this book and was delighted to find his Emmerichs has transitioned it to encompass a girl disabled in a childhood accident and to challenge misogyny and slavery.

Fryda, is the daughter of Weohstan, widowed clan chief who cannot show love to the daughter who so closely resembles his late wife; twin sister to Wiglaf, who expects to inherit his father’s position despite his tendency for drinking and lewdness; and niece to the mighty King Beowulf who requires no explanation. All Fryda wants is to as become a Shield Maiden, a recognised and strong warrior who protects her family and community but, her dreams are crushed following her accident.

This book starts strongly, toning the inequality and struggles of slaves to a YA audience and us packed like a dragon’s treasure hoard full of myth, legend and lore. The author weaves the ancient stories into text, putting Fryda at the heart of the story.

Plus, there’s a dragon…did I mention the dragon??? If you are looking for a YA read that delivers historically accurate world building, myth, legend, love, plots, betrayal and more, you need to pick up this book!

A fast-paced and addictive interpretation of one of the stories in the Beowulf saga. I did not want to put this book down. The storytelling is beautiful, and I loved the tender love story woven into the adventure plot. It's made me want to read more about Beowulf too; I hope the author will dip back into the world in another book.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this title, in exchange for this honest review.

This book started out incredibly strong, but then it slowly started going downhill. The pacing felt off, a character, who I previously found incredibly sympathetic, turned evil with no buildup whatsoever. I suppose certain scenes were supposed to be buildup, but these only made the character in question seem more realistic and perhaps pragmatic, than the incredibly naive main character. Honestly, she was a naive idiot who only got worse. At first she was incredibly enjoyable, but around halfway through I wanted to shake her. Despite growing up around slaves as their supposed friend (and lover), she displays zero knowledge of what their situation is actually like and never once acknowledges that she has an inherent power over them, both as a free woman and as the daughter of their owner. All we got was the bare minimum,, her acknowledging that they’re people and granting them freedom at the end.

The dragon was incredibly though and Beowulf was funny. But overall this was a letdown, since I was very excited for this and expected it to be a five star got the first couple of chapters.