Two daughters who don’t quite behave as their communities believe they ought to forge new futures with paths paved with bloodied sacrifices in Black Shield Maiden by Willow Smith and Jess Hendel.
Taught how to hunt, fight, and forge weapons by her father before he left to explore distant lands, Yafeu is seen by those in her village as rather odd but that still doesn’t stop her from being taken from her home and separated from her mother and brothers by slavers and transported across the Sahara and sold. Rescued from a brutal fate by a trio of women warriors led by Alvtir, Yafeu travels to a distant kingdom in the North where she bides her time waiting for Alvtir’s approval to join the ranks of the legendary shield maidens by serving as the handmaiden to Freydis, the softly spoken princess awaiting her politically strategic marriage, though she dreams of a happy one, and/or the survival of one of her brothers past birth. As Freydis hopes to become friends with Yafeu like her mother is with her own handmaiden, Yafeu initially brushes her off but comes to recognize that they may be able to help one another, and, in fact, their fates and survival, as well as that of many others, might just depend upon them working together to build a future bigger and brighter than they might have ever individually imagined.
Weaving together the stories of young women who are vastly different from one another yet are similar in not fitting with the expectations that others have for them, a narrative of survival and defying the odds for a chance of hope is presented; with focus centering on harrowing, formative experiences and the resulting character growth of Yafeu and Freydis primarily, as well as some for Alvtir, the narrative uses the myths from their respective homes to connect them and it’s through Yafeu that they come to recognize there’s some similarities to them and the various gods they pray to, taking the vast world they’ve already traversed and shrinking it even further in a way that’s familiar for readers, especially those of mythology. There are some strong and distinct characters, such as Yafeu and Alvtir, depicted throughout the story, but there are many others who are more one-dimensional or cliched, leaving them as less than memorable or feeling rather interchangeable, which is a shame as the cultures shown have rich histories to pull inspiration from. Though feeling rather disjointed and slow initially as the story jumped between Yafeu and Freydis’s perspectives, once they were both in the same location it smoothed out and became more cohesive, quickly picking up speed as events snowballed to an incredibly eventful culmination before resolving into a pivotal moment that sets the scene for more to come.
Overall, I’d give it a 3 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not huge on fantasy, I chose this ARC simply because of Willow Smith, while this did not entince me to read more fanatsy it was not bad. This book while slow to start had a solid finish. The ending left a decent set up for a sequel but it wasnt moving enough for me to see it through another book.

Overall I thought this book was interesting. It took me some time to get into it and I felt the main character fell a little flat for me. She felt very hollowed out. Also she very quickly accepts her circumstances, despite being taken from
her home and everything she knew.

The concept for this book was great but the execution was full of racism and targeted hatred of Muslim people. I won't be recommending this to anyone.

Black Shield Maiden follows Yafeu, a warrior girl who is stolen from her people to become a thrall in the North during the time of the Vikings. As Yafeu forms alliances and accidentally shows off her warrior abilities, she is drawn into a complicated web of politics. In the North, she meets Freydis, a princess who is determined to try and forge her own fate. When Freydis is forced into an arranged marriage by her father, Yafeu and Freydis must decide how far they will go to control their own destinies.

Black Shield Maiden is an action-packed and rich fantasy. Yafeu is a character who it is impossible not to root for and she undergoes many challenges during her time in the North. There is a wide range of interesting characters and I enjoyed learning more about the shield maidens. Freydis and Yafeu have a complex relationship especially because of the power dynamic between them. As the story goes on, they form a strong bond. I’m curious if there will be a sequel and hope the story continues!

Readers who enjoy epic Viking fantasies, engaging characters, and fast-paced adventure should check this book out.

Thank you to Willow Smith, Jess Hendel, Del Rey, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of thos book. The story is very slow to begin with but picks up halfway through and is actually worth the read. It's a beautiful tale and we'll written. Not typically what I would read normally but well worth it.

Yafeu, an African, has always felt different from her villagers. When her village is destroyed and she is forced into slavery, she must dig deep into her inner strength to survive. As she was taken to the slave auction, a group of Vikings raided the village. Mesmerized by the women warriors, Yafeu willingly joined with the Vikings. However, once they landed, she was once again enslaved.

It is hard to give this book a broad enough description to capture the book’s nuances. Well crafted, this book blended two worlds and cultures in a fascinating way. The characters were multidimensional and well crafted. They showed growth and expansion throughout the book. I would love to read a sequel. This is definitely an author I will be watching!

I was given this ARC by NetGalley and DelRey. I requested based on the cover and little blurb.
The plot is a good idea and story.
But the racism and portray of Muslims…. Yikes. Nope. I’m good.

This is quite a saga. There's A mix of cultures and beliefs. Well written, the reader can feel fear, excitement, terror. It definitely allows the imagination to expand on what being taken as a slave would feel like. Having Scandinavian heritage, I appreciated ( mostly) the Vikings. Well done

This book had me going through an emotional ringer. It was sweeping, intimate, emotionally draining, but in the best way possible. I devoured the book and couldn't put it down.

This tale is a formidable addition to the stories that celebrate the indomitable human spirit.

It is a saga that honors the past while boldly venturing into uncharted territory. For those who are captivated by historical fiction with a twist, 'Black Shield Maiden' is a journey well worth taking. It's a tale that reminds us that even when lost to the mists of time, some stories will blaze forth, as bright and fierce as a flame rekindled from ashes.

The beginning of the book is sheer poetry of thoughts put into words. You can viscerally feel it as if you are on the plain crouched next to the hunter and continues onward with this magic. A young woman from Africa grabbed by slavers then snatched by Nordic raiders vikingin somewhere on the coast of further north. It does portray the period better in that there was a strong Nordic culture before the raiding which came up with the name viking but they were trading with Rus/Balkans & further east before that. Like many, the perception is somewhat wrong over emphasis of women fighting being looked at negatively imo. Shield maidens were honored once they proved their mettle. They were dedicate to an handmaidens of Freyja. Like Seidr, the loops & training were beyond hard & you had to have the talent & ability, a strong calling and personality. This books period of time is right before son of Half-Dan Harold Finehair has bullied all the jarls into coming close to being king of Norway. It is an exciting window into an epic fantasy based on some Nordic history saga with added ideas & peoples.

Thanks to the publisher for making this title available to me.for early reading!

It was an interesting premise and an unexpected Mashup of cultures, but I struggled a bit with how the story was executed. It felt rushed in some parts and too slow in others. I did find the friendship between Yafue and Freydis interesting. But then was baffled by how Yafue related to Alvtir.... And so much SA peppered through the book - implied as well as explicit. I understand that's the reality of enslavement but it felt like there were so many other challenges that could have been touched on beyond just that

They did a decent setup for a sequel, but I don't know that I am invested enough personally in the story to see it through.

I enjoyed reading this book. The short direct sentences brought a unique voice to the characters that made them feel like contemporary heroes in a Viking setting. I loved how intertwined the characters beliefs about their gods were within their daily tasks and choices. I loved how Yafeu and Freydis recognized each other's gods and stories in their own beliefs.

I love how Yafeu does not apologize or become a victim no matter what is thrown at her. And I loved how Freydis learns to believe in herself by watching Yafeu.

/* spoiler alert */
I was disappointed that Freydis gives up her throne so easily. This seemed out of character as being a queen was what she believed was her destiny. I expected a conflict about the throne between Yafeu and Freydis to become the conflict of the second novel in this series.
Ingmar seemed flat. I didn’t understand why he was so smitten with Yafeu.
I loved the painted wolf spirit guide for Yafeu.

I liked the juxtaposition between Ghana/Wagadu and Agder/Skiringssal (in modern-day Norway) and I liked the various similarities and differences between beliefs, leadership structure, social structure, etc. that Freydis and Yafeu discuss. I enjoyed the ending, especially because we finally learn Yafeu’s real name. However, not enough time had elapsed in the story for some of the characters to be old enough to participate in the event which ends the story.

Early in the story, Yafeu’s skills as a blacksmith are highlighted. However, after she is captured and taken to the Viking settlement (Skiringssal), her skills as a blacksmith are rarely mentioned or utilized, which I found disappointing. I would have liked to see her blacksmith skills play a role in the value she brings to her new community, and even her ascension to the unexpected position of power she eventually obtains. That being said, there was plenty of excitement and adventure, and I enjoyed the transformation in Yafeu and how she impacted the other characters.

2 stars

I had really high hopes for this, and I wanted to live it so much. But it’s a big fat no from me.
It feels quite insulting to a large group of people (and after reading other reviews I see I’m not alone in thinking this).

I honestly speed read most of it so I could give an honest review. I do not recommend.

This was, frankly, terrible. Poorly written and clearly poorly researched. I want this off of my kindle now, please. Do not recommend.

Black Shield Maiden is interesting mix of cultures. The main character is an African girl who has been trained as a smith by her father. The other main character is a Viking princess.

The story of these young women and their quest for purpose in their lives is an interesting story.

I don’t really know what I was expecting but this turned out to be a really enjoyable read. I hope willow publishes more in the future.

I really enjoyed the idea of adding African warriors in the Viking time-period. It had a great concept overall and was wonderfully done for the genre. I thought the historical elements worked well together with the scifi elements. The characters were what I was hoping for and glad I got to read this.