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Black Shield Maiden
From WILLOW and co-writer Jess Hendel comes a powerful and groundbreaking historical epic about an African warrior in the world of the Vikings.
Lore, legend, and history tell us of the Vikings: of warrior-kings on epic journeys of conquest and plunder. But the stories we know are not the only stories to tell. There is another story, one that has been lost to the mists of time: the saga of the dark queen.
That saga begins with Yafeu, a defiant yet fiercely compassionate young warrior who is stolen from her home in the flourishing Ghanaian Empire and taken as a slave to a distant kingdom in the North. There she is thrust into a strange, cold world of savage shield maidens, tyrannical rulers, and mysterious gods.
And there she also finds something unexpected: a kindred spirit. She comes to serve Freydis, a shy princess who couldn’t be more different than the confident and self-possessed Yafeu.
But they both want the same thing: to forge their own fate. Yafeu inspires Freydis to dream of a future greater than the one that the king and queen have forced upon her. And with the princess at her side, Yafeu learns to navigate this new world and grows increasingly determined to become one of the legendary shield maidens.
For Yafeu may have lost her home, but she still knows who she is, and she’s not afraid to be the flame that burns a city to the ground so a new world can rise from the ashes. She will alter the course of history—and become the revolutionary heroine of her own myth.
Lore, legend, and history tell us of the Vikings: of warrior-kings on epic journeys of conquest and plunder. But the stories we know are not the only stories to tell. There is another story, one that has been lost to the mists of time: the saga of the dark queen.
That saga begins with Yafeu, a defiant yet fiercely compassionate young warrior who is stolen from her home in the flourishing Ghanaian Empire and taken as a slave to a distant kingdom in the North. There she is thrust into a strange, cold world of savage shield maidens, tyrannical rulers, and mysterious gods.
And there she also finds something unexpected: a kindred spirit. She comes to serve Freydis, a shy princess who couldn’t be more different than the confident and self-possessed Yafeu.
But they both want the same thing: to forge their own fate. Yafeu inspires Freydis to dream of a future greater than the one that the king and queen have forced upon her. And with the princess at her side, Yafeu learns to navigate this new world and grows increasingly determined to become one of the legendary shield maidens.
For Yafeu may have lost her home, but she still knows who she is, and she’s not afraid to be the flame that burns a city to the ground so a new world can rise from the ashes. She will alter the course of history—and become the revolutionary heroine of her own myth.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 2024
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February 21, 2022⇨ Here’s the thing. When I first saw this book I was like “ok, cool. I wish the authors the best of luck”. Then, I decided to read the synopsis and I thought “this actually sounds really dope. I might even pick it up”. Although I never read books written by celebrities, seeing as this is a fantasy novel that follows “an African warrior in the world of the vikings”, I thought I might make this book the exception to my rule. An hour ago however, my cousin sends me this post that MiddleEastEye did on Instagram regarding this novel and I found myself incredibly disappointed (not only in the book itself, but in the authors as well). Why? Here’s what’s been going on:
The post shows some Twitter users responding to the a few passages of this book. Here’s a few snippets of the preview that was released a few days ago.
⇨ Alright. I read this and I was like… I’m not really sure about this. The sentence “I couldn’t believe it. Did the Muslims not feel Sogbo’s might in the rumbling of thunder, in the cracking open of the sky before the heaviest rains?” felt kind of condescending to me but I decided to continue reading anyway because I thought I might be reading too much into this.
Here’s the passage that really got me though:
⇨ Ummm I’m sorry, what? How the hell is this okay? Is this going to be another book that portrays Muslims and the Amazigh as savages?🥲 because frankly, I really don’t think I can take another one of those books. I usually love reading because it allows me to escape the disgusting prejudices that we have in real life… I don’t want to see those SAME prejudices in books too lol. When I got on Twitter and started reading other comments from other muslim readers, I realized that I wasn’t the only one who found this incredibly offensive/disgusting.
⇨ THAT SAID, as I was going through the different threads on Twitter, I saw someone repost a screenshot of the response that the Co-author (Jess Hendel) wrote:
⇨ This is not the full tweet. You can find the rest on the internet, I’m sure. Anyway, I definitely appreciate the way the author handled the criticism and if what she said is true, if the way muslims were portrayed at the beginning of this novel was done on purpose, in the hopes of showing character development in the grand scheme of things, then I guess I might let this slide and give this book a try. I only hope I don’t end up hating myself later though (especially since the term “Islamic Peoples” didn’t give me much hope tbh lmaoo).
Ugh, idk, what do you guys think about all of this?
The post shows some Twitter users responding to the a few passages of this book. Here’s a few snippets of the preview that was released a few days ago.
❝“A small domed building stands out from the houses of brick and acacia that line the edges of the market: the “mosque” for the Muslim traders.
I remember the first time I saw it—the first time I ever came to Koumbi Saleh. It was before we had settled in the village for good. I was young enough that I had to lift my hand above my head to hold Papa’s. “What is that building for?” I asked him, pointing to the gray dome.
“It’s for the Muslims,” he replied. “They worship their god inside.”
“Which god?”
“Every mosque is for the same god, their Supreme Creator. The Muslims call him Allah, and they do not worship any other. They say Allah is the only true god, and that he is all-powerful.” I couldn’t believe it. Did the Muslims not feel Sogbo’s might in the rumbling of thunder, in the cracking open of the sky before the heaviest rains? Did they not sense Agé’s essence coursing through the wilderness and all the animals that live within it?
I stared at the strange building and contemplated the god being worshipped inside. “He must be a very busy god,” I said to Papa. He laughed and knuckled my head.”❞
⇨ Alright. I read this and I was like… I’m not really sure about this. The sentence “I couldn’t believe it. Did the Muslims not feel Sogbo’s might in the rumbling of thunder, in the cracking open of the sky before the heaviest rains?” felt kind of condescending to me but I decided to continue reading anyway because I thought I might be reading too much into this.
Here’s the passage that really got me though:
❝ 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. Back when we traveled the desert with Papa, we took extra care to avoid crossing their path. 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, waking only to find their wagons pilfered and their bodies chained to a caravan.”❞
⇨ Ummm I’m sorry, what? How the hell is this okay? Is this going to be another book that portrays Muslims and the Amazigh as savages?🥲 because frankly, I really don’t think I can take another one of those books. I usually love reading because it allows me to escape the disgusting prejudices that we have in real life… I don’t want to see those SAME prejudices in books too lol. When I got on Twitter and started reading other comments from other muslim readers, I realized that I wasn’t the only one who found this incredibly offensive/disgusting.
⇨ THAT SAID, as I was going through the different threads on Twitter, I saw someone repost a screenshot of the response that the Co-author (Jess Hendel) wrote:
❝Without giving anything away, I can PROMISE you that prejudice, stereotyping, and ignorance about people from other cultures are issues this novel tackles directly— including prejudices about the Amazigh and other Islamic peoples. Our protagonists all START OUT harboring certain prejudices about people who are ‘Other’, but their journeys force them to interact with and learn more deeply about each other. They will confront and ultimately dismantle their own prejudices as they become more informed and more interconnected.”
⇨ This is not the full tweet. You can find the rest on the internet, I’m sure. Anyway, I definitely appreciate the way the author handled the criticism and if what she said is true, if the way muslims were portrayed at the beginning of this novel was done on purpose, in the hopes of showing character development in the grand scheme of things, then I guess I might let this slide and give this book a try. I only hope I don’t end up hating myself later though (especially since the term “Islamic Peoples” didn’t give me much hope tbh lmaoo).
Ugh, idk, what do you guys think about all of this?
February 23, 2022
Please don’t write about Muslims if the ‘Muslim rep’ is going to be stereotypical, harmful and disgusting. I believe in one God only and I don’t need anyone’s opinion on that.
May 28, 2024
This was a solid debut! I could see how this could be made into multiple books as well as a tv show/ movie. I would continue the series for sure
February 26, 2022
Seems like no Research or effort has been put prior to writing this book". To clarify Allah means god in Arabic, Islam is a monotheistic religion we believe in the same god Christian & Jews believe in . An Arab Christian or a jew will refer to god as Allah because it's simply a word that means god in the Arabic language. You have no place to speak about my people , how dare you refer to us a savages but clearly that's the white washed ideology in you.
April 5, 2022
The excerpt alone is extremely racist and Islamophobic. Our religion is one of peace but the west continues to portray Muslim people as backwards and barbaric. Muslim women, especially brown and Black Muslim are constantly harassed and judged by white westerners.
Muslim people are barely viewed as humans with a right to live in peace as it is, and this book does nothing more than spread lies about a religion that belongs to over 2 billion people.
I truly hope no one buys this racist garbage.
Muslim people are barely viewed as humans with a right to live in peace as it is, and this book does nothing more than spread lies about a religion that belongs to over 2 billion people.
I truly hope no one buys this racist garbage.
May 19, 2024
I’m not sure which version of this novel earlier reviewers read, but this book (which I received a few weeks ago as a digital ARC) does not condemn any particular religion just for the sake of doing so.
It is a coming of age about a black queen who survives horrid adversity. It is filled with violence, wrath, and Vikings. There are a number of different cultures, all with different god(s) but if you read any fantasy or dystopian literature you will find this is standard to this type of book.
Whether the characters worshiped one god or many, feared or embraced each other’s religions, that is not the primary focus. Yes, this concept moves forward the overarching theme that we can be alike amidst our differences, but there is so much more going on in the plot.
If anything, you could also be mad about race and racism, classism, or sexual abuse. The book includes a number of sensitive topics to varying degrees. However, you would then have to criticize most modern literature as so many authors address these topics. It is all culturally relevant, and the co-authors wrote beautifully; the handling of these topics is not crude.
Ultimately, I’d say: don’t let the rating scare you away. This is a fascinating novel that requires your full attention to better understand the world. If you have watched The Northmen and/or are familiar with African culture, then you may be able to catch on quicker than others.
I hope this will be a series because I am invested in the budding romance, the dark foreshadowing, and this world that was built in which we see a mix of cultures and classes coexisting in a brutal world.
#NetGalley
It is a coming of age about a black queen who survives horrid adversity. It is filled with violence, wrath, and Vikings. There are a number of different cultures, all with different god(s) but if you read any fantasy or dystopian literature you will find this is standard to this type of book.
Whether the characters worshiped one god or many, feared or embraced each other’s religions, that is not the primary focus. Yes, this concept moves forward the overarching theme that we can be alike amidst our differences, but there is so much more going on in the plot.
If anything, you could also be mad about race and racism, classism, or sexual abuse. The book includes a number of sensitive topics to varying degrees. However, you would then have to criticize most modern literature as so many authors address these topics. It is all culturally relevant, and the co-authors wrote beautifully; the handling of these topics is not crude.
Ultimately, I’d say: don’t let the rating scare you away. This is a fascinating novel that requires your full attention to better understand the world. If you have watched The Northmen and/or are familiar with African culture, then you may be able to catch on quicker than others.
I hope this will be a series because I am invested in the budding romance, the dark foreshadowing, and this world that was built in which we see a mix of cultures and classes coexisting in a brutal world.
#NetGalley
December 10, 2023
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.
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.
I read an advanced copy provided by NetGalley.
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.
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.
I read an advanced copy provided by NetGalley.
February 26, 2022
To be "woke" and then drag the fastest growing religion AND an ethnic group, just for your "woke" book? Willow smiths book should be cancelled. I have had enough of people villianizing SWANA, asians and Muslims
April 29, 2022
It is so bad I wanna give you a zero. But that's not possible, so I give you a one
March 24, 2022
Highly ignorant depiction of the Amazigh people, clouded by western prejudices, fuelled by nepotism.
April 30, 2022
would give zero stars if i could. the book seemed to be meant to be “empowering” but used disgusting(and highly inaccurate) prejudices. if it’s historical FICTION, have the intelligence, creativity and decency to create a fictional group and religion instead of villainizing an existing culture.
May 21, 2024
Hooo boy. Ok. I got a free ARC of this at YALC from Del Rey it has not affected my opinion.
I knew literally nothing of this book before getting a copy. My first reaction was do we really need another Ghostwritten nepobaby idea? Then as I finally got to the point of reading it, I looked it up and the reviews were... Very Worrying.
They were also OLD like over a year old. The outrage was mostly centred on racist depictions of the Amazigh people and Islamophobia and most people had brought receipts.
I dithered about whether to bother to read and review it. I then noticed the book's release had been delayed by 2 years. It has been substantially edited to remove any reference to islam or the Amazigh. References are now only to Saracens and to the equality and educated people of Moorish Spain.
The characters and settings are interesting enough but Yafeu has big "not like the other girls energy" and even the more feminine Freydis eventually picks up a sword and fights as a shield maiden. Shield Maidens are epic and very very cool but Willow in her "author's" note (we all know the words on that page are Jess Hendel's - Willow just supervised her to stick to the idea) states she had created gender fluid characters who have both masculine and feminine characteristics. I saw no evidence of this. I saw Women empowered to make choices and take power for themselves as women have been since 2nd wave Feminism. I saw zero gender fluidity and only the briefest acknowledgement of one queer couple.
I was able to read it to the end very easily in a day but it wasn't gripping. The ARC came in at just over 450 pages but I suspect the formatting has a lot to do with that but I found I didn't really care about any of the characters, the "big deaths" had no emotional impact. There was no passion in this book even the one mildly spicy scene was flat. And there's at least 3 sexual assaults on page so be aware.
This book might be Willow's baby but she didn't pour her heart and soul into it unlike if she'd sat at the computer and agonised over it and you can feel it. To her this is just another project.
If this book had come from anyone else it could have been brilliant, but ghost written stories are always lacking and it shows. The space this book will take on the market could have gone to a first time black author who had dreamed of it for years and fought for it. Instead we got this.
2.5 stars
2.5
I knew literally nothing of this book before getting a copy. My first reaction was do we really need another Ghostwritten nepobaby idea? Then as I finally got to the point of reading it, I looked it up and the reviews were... Very Worrying.
They were also OLD like over a year old. The outrage was mostly centred on racist depictions of the Amazigh people and Islamophobia and most people had brought receipts.
I dithered about whether to bother to read and review it. I then noticed the book's release had been delayed by 2 years. It has been substantially edited to remove any reference to islam or the Amazigh. References are now only to Saracens and to the equality and educated people of Moorish Spain.
The characters and settings are interesting enough but Yafeu has big "not like the other girls energy" and even the more feminine Freydis eventually picks up a sword and fights as a shield maiden. Shield Maidens are epic and very very cool but Willow in her "author's" note (we all know the words on that page are Jess Hendel's - Willow just supervised her to stick to the idea) states she had created gender fluid characters who have both masculine and feminine characteristics. I saw no evidence of this. I saw Women empowered to make choices and take power for themselves as women have been since 2nd wave Feminism. I saw zero gender fluidity and only the briefest acknowledgement of one queer couple.
I was able to read it to the end very easily in a day but it wasn't gripping. The ARC came in at just over 450 pages but I suspect the formatting has a lot to do with that but I found I didn't really care about any of the characters, the "big deaths" had no emotional impact. There was no passion in this book even the one mildly spicy scene was flat. And there's at least 3 sexual assaults on page so be aware.
This book might be Willow's baby but she didn't pour her heart and soul into it unlike if she'd sat at the computer and agonised over it and you can feel it. To her this is just another project.
If this book had come from anyone else it could have been brilliant, but ghost written stories are always lacking and it shows. The space this book will take on the market could have gone to a first time black author who had dreamed of it for years and fought for it. Instead we got this.
2.5 stars
2.5
April 22, 2022
If I could give this book 0 stars, I would.
As an Amazigh person myself, I can say that she hasn’t done her research at all. This book is just filled with tons and tons of prejudices.
As an Amazigh person myself, I can say that she hasn’t done her research at all. This book is just filled with tons and tons of prejudices.
March 24, 2022
Disgustingly racist and islamophobic. Who in the right mind can write this. The fact that this has 2 authors, and not one of them saw something wrong with this and decided to publish this trash, baffles me
May 19, 2024
I loved this book. Reading all the comments makes me feel so sad that people want to make this a bashing of the culture when it is not this at all. If anyone listened to Willows interview about this book, she has been researching the times of the Vikings for 6 years and this story is based on a black Viking. Do you historical research of how things were back then during the times of the Vikings. It is the perspective of a black African women stripped from her family to be enalaved and is saved by the Vikings.
Really good book, very well written.
Really good book, very well written.
May 31, 2024
I thought this was a good read. I’ve read quite a few reviews talking about Islam bashing, I didn’t get that at all, they mostly speak of African gods, Nordic gods, and Christianity, and not in a way that’s judgy, but just in reference to how they relate to the characters individual background and the story. Overall I definitely enjoyed the story.
April 15, 2024
I received an ARC of this novel for free via Goodreads giveaway. This has not affected my final review.
CW: violence, slavery, kidnapping, confinement, sexual violence, sexism, infertility, still birth, pregnancy, child death, death, religious bigotry
Actual rating: 1.5 stars
Conceptually, a story about a Viking and an African warrior becoming friends is super interesting! But I find the execution to be lackluster and I found myself wondering at some of the historical representations of characters and cultural events. I did not become particularly attached to any of the characters and couldn't always keep it straight between the three narrators.
At less than 500 pages, this book had no right to feel as long as it did. But it was such a slog for me to get through! By about the 60% mark I found myself skimming to the end. It did pick up my attention again around the last 40 or so pages but by then it was too late. There's also a little "this story picks up again in the sequel!" tease on the last page of my ARC but I was like, "Absolutely not." So I don't think these authors will be ones I revisit any time soon.
If I wasn't so opposed to DNFing ARCs unless they're really not working for me, I would have DNFed before page 200.
As a side note: the original publication of this book was pushed back by nearly two years due to representations of some Muslim cultures of North Africa that were found to be Islamophobic. While I believe most of the passages in question have been removed, the overall reviews of this book still published on Goodreads do show record of this. The original passage is still available online on Gizmodo. As this is an ARC, I am unable to quote for specifics.
CW: violence, slavery, kidnapping, confinement, sexual violence, sexism, infertility, still birth, pregnancy, child death, death, religious bigotry
Actual rating: 1.5 stars
Conceptually, a story about a Viking and an African warrior becoming friends is super interesting! But I find the execution to be lackluster and I found myself wondering at some of the historical representations of characters and cultural events. I did not become particularly attached to any of the characters and couldn't always keep it straight between the three narrators.
At less than 500 pages, this book had no right to feel as long as it did. But it was such a slog for me to get through! By about the 60% mark I found myself skimming to the end. It did pick up my attention again around the last 40 or so pages but by then it was too late. There's also a little "this story picks up again in the sequel!" tease on the last page of my ARC but I was like, "Absolutely not." So I don't think these authors will be ones I revisit any time soon.
If I wasn't so opposed to DNFing ARCs unless they're really not working for me, I would have DNFed before page 200.
As a side note: the original publication of this book was pushed back by nearly two years due to representations of some Muslim cultures of North Africa that were found to be Islamophobic. While I believe most of the passages in question have been removed, the overall reviews of this book still published on Goodreads do show record of this. The original passage is still available online on Gizmodo. As this is an ARC, I am unable to quote for specifics.
March 29, 2024
I'm not a big blurb reader, although I did of course read this one a while before I started reading it. I love Norse mythology and knew it was going to have a lot of Norse in there, but I didn't realise it would also have such a big focus on Yafeu's religion and I loved that so much! Being agnostic myself, I do love learning about other religions, especially old ones and more obscure ones (or at least less well-known in the Western world).
I was a little apprehensive about how long the book was because long books do scare me a little bit, and there were some times where I did think it seemed a little bit slow but actually having now finished I do think it needed all of those pages to get across everything it needed to say. Missing out any of those bits of the story would definitely detract from the book.
I loved both Yafeu and Freydis! Both excellent characters, very different lives and very different people but both so strong in their own way and it was excellent to read from both their POVs and see the others' POV of them. The side characters were perfectly infuriating as they were meant to be. There was one though who I did spend a lot of the book disliking before finding out that actually, they really were a great person, but I won't say who.
The ending was a lovely ending, and especially the very end. A small cliffhanger very for book 2, but not the kind of annoying cliffhanger that leaves you with unanswered questions, just the kind of cliffhanger that hints at what will be coming in the next book which I'm excited to read.
I was a little apprehensive about how long the book was because long books do scare me a little bit, and there were some times where I did think it seemed a little bit slow but actually having now finished I do think it needed all of those pages to get across everything it needed to say. Missing out any of those bits of the story would definitely detract from the book.
I loved both Yafeu and Freydis! Both excellent characters, very different lives and very different people but both so strong in their own way and it was excellent to read from both their POVs and see the others' POV of them. The side characters were perfectly infuriating as they were meant to be. There was one though who I did spend a lot of the book disliking before finding out that actually, they really were a great person, but I won't say who.
The ending was a lovely ending, and especially the very end. A small cliffhanger very for book 2, but not the kind of annoying cliffhanger that leaves you with unanswered questions, just the kind of cliffhanger that hints at what will be coming in the next book which I'm excited to read.
July 19, 2024
The plot was good overall but slow...at times I couldn't follow the plot development, characters, and switching POV. I felt some things could have been made more clear. I just wasn't pulled into the story as I hoped. I did like the outcome, however. 3.5 ⭐️
April 30, 2024
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.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
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.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
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.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 11, 2024
THRALLS.THRALLS.THRALLS.
I had been following the release of this book for quite some time. I recall the controversy that has lead to the low scoring of this book as well.
Despite these factors, and my recent dilemmas with new age Afro-Futurism writers inability to go beyond the shackles I purchased this novel and even attended the book talk with Willow Smith and Tomi Adeyemi.
The book talk did not provide much insight into the real story of the book, more walking around some of the themes covered and the convergence of cultural backgrounds. It is in some ways a retelling. Willow stated in different words, wanting to imagine what would occur if when cultures met they chose togetherness, rather than othering in violence.
All those factors involved, the book still fell short in so many ways. How many times did the main character have to be enslaved?????
40 Pages in she’s a slave, then to be freed from slavery, to become a slave again ( excuse me a THRALL), then becomes a slave (THRALL...) again to the Princess of this Nordic country.
If I were to look pass our inability to exist beyond the shackles, because the things I love to engage with in Afro-Futurism is a reimagining that does not need to include the confines and restrictions of our modern society, I would have to look towards one of the other central component of the book combating sexism.
Willow states wanting to craft a story of warriors and not being able to see Black women characters presented in a multitude of lights so she wanted to create that change. The Black woman main character is a slave for most of the book, when she is not a slave, she is fetishized “black elf”, and then at the very end the last HURRAH she is a queen. WOW.
The other women to look to in this book, a woman leader who is truly just a figurehead being used by her tyrannical King of a brother, who faces scorn and ridicule and ostracization the majority of the book. Who also placed the main character into THRALLHOOD (slavery) two times over.
The other women are either slaves or truly just used as items for the male gain. Our briefly mentioned as warriors. Who do not get any real airtime till the very end. When our main character leads them to achieving their goals.
It is an interesting weaving of Nordic and West African Spirituality. Sure. But even the Nordic and West African lore included is so subpar, that why did they even intermingle in the first place.
We can imagine further than shackles, and that is not to say that book is not enjoyable, despite the word THRALL being on every page and the constant suffering of our Black woman main character. It is ironic that the book talk included a fellow Black woman writer who did the same thing lovely, amazing concepts, but sadly we can’t help ourselves but to include slavery.
I had been following the release of this book for quite some time. I recall the controversy that has lead to the low scoring of this book as well.
Despite these factors, and my recent dilemmas with new age Afro-Futurism writers inability to go beyond the shackles I purchased this novel and even attended the book talk with Willow Smith and Tomi Adeyemi.
The book talk did not provide much insight into the real story of the book, more walking around some of the themes covered and the convergence of cultural backgrounds. It is in some ways a retelling. Willow stated in different words, wanting to imagine what would occur if when cultures met they chose togetherness, rather than othering in violence.
All those factors involved, the book still fell short in so many ways. How many times did the main character have to be enslaved?????
40 Pages in she’s a slave, then to be freed from slavery, to become a slave again ( excuse me a THRALL), then becomes a slave (THRALL...) again to the Princess of this Nordic country.
If I were to look pass our inability to exist beyond the shackles, because the things I love to engage with in Afro-Futurism is a reimagining that does not need to include the confines and restrictions of our modern society, I would have to look towards one of the other central component of the book combating sexism.
Willow states wanting to craft a story of warriors and not being able to see Black women characters presented in a multitude of lights so she wanted to create that change. The Black woman main character is a slave for most of the book, when she is not a slave, she is fetishized “black elf”, and then at the very end the last HURRAH she is a queen. WOW.
The other women to look to in this book, a woman leader who is truly just a figurehead being used by her tyrannical King of a brother, who faces scorn and ridicule and ostracization the majority of the book. Who also placed the main character into THRALLHOOD (slavery) two times over.
The other women are either slaves or truly just used as items for the male gain. Our briefly mentioned as warriors. Who do not get any real airtime till the very end. When our main character leads them to achieving their goals.
It is an interesting weaving of Nordic and West African Spirituality. Sure. But even the Nordic and West African lore included is so subpar, that why did they even intermingle in the first place.
We can imagine further than shackles, and that is not to say that book is not enjoyable, despite the word THRALL being on every page and the constant suffering of our Black woman main character. It is ironic that the book talk included a fellow Black woman writer who did the same thing lovely, amazing concepts, but sadly we can’t help ourselves but to include slavery.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2024
Here��s my interpretation of the synopsis: two girls one a slave (Yafeu) one a princess (Freydis) scorned by life trying to find a way and a purpose and oh yeah Alvtir.
I’m really confused as to why through the synopsis, descriptions of the book by the authors during press tour, etc. they only mentioned the two perspectives. But then every time Alvtir’s perspective came I realized why… because it was UNNECESSARY!
This book was world building on world building on world building. And it really ruined it for me because it got really muddled. At one point Yafeu (which isn’t the main characters name she uses her fathers name) is stolen from her home and I was so confused when she was “saved” by Alvtir because I didn’t realize she was the kings sister which is Freydis Dad. And that the land they were on wasn’t where the king was it was another territory they were raiding. It was unclear for about 20 chapters.
Alvtir’s perspective was excessive and didn’t deliver anything to the plot it could have easily just been conversation in the other two perspectives. I mean honestly the only character I wanted to focus on was Yafeu cause she’s LITERALLY THE MAIN CHARACTER!! I feel they were trying to show growth for the other two characters but honestly they could have been separate books.
The relationship development between the three perspectives the main character imo being Yafeu felt so rushed. Alvtir’s “saves” her, doesn’t really save her, screws her over and then all of a sudden they are BFFS??? And then Freydis and Yafeu are just BFFS off rip????
Even the whole idea of Yafeu being DESPERATE to be a Viking but never having any positive interactions with any of them and not even understanding the history because they come from different cultures. It’s like the author didn’t know want to give too much info on Vikings and honestly the lack of held it back.
I just feel like this was rushed. There was supposed to be Black Shield Maidens and Vikings and it honestly lacked that. I just feel like this book needed a lot of work which sucks because this was the re-work after the whole debacle. I did finish the book and honestly nothing about it made me interested in reading a possible second book.
I’m really confused as to why through the synopsis, descriptions of the book by the authors during press tour, etc. they only mentioned the two perspectives. But then every time Alvtir’s perspective came I realized why… because it was UNNECESSARY!
This book was world building on world building on world building. And it really ruined it for me because it got really muddled. At one point Yafeu (which isn’t the main characters name she uses her fathers name) is stolen from her home and I was so confused when she was “saved” by Alvtir because I didn’t realize she was the kings sister which is Freydis Dad. And that the land they were on wasn’t where the king was it was another territory they were raiding. It was unclear for about 20 chapters.
Alvtir’s perspective was excessive and didn’t deliver anything to the plot it could have easily just been conversation in the other two perspectives. I mean honestly the only character I wanted to focus on was Yafeu cause she’s LITERALLY THE MAIN CHARACTER!! I feel they were trying to show growth for the other two characters but honestly they could have been separate books.
The relationship development between the three perspectives the main character imo being Yafeu felt so rushed. Alvtir’s “saves” her, doesn’t really save her, screws her over and then all of a sudden they are BFFS??? And then Freydis and Yafeu are just BFFS off rip????
Even the whole idea of Yafeu being DESPERATE to be a Viking but never having any positive interactions with any of them and not even understanding the history because they come from different cultures. It’s like the author didn’t know want to give too much info on Vikings and honestly the lack of held it back.
I just feel like this was rushed. There was supposed to be Black Shield Maidens and Vikings and it honestly lacked that. I just feel like this book needed a lot of work which sucks because this was the re-work after the whole debacle. I did finish the book and honestly nothing about it made me interested in reading a possible second book.
January 11, 2024
For the most part i really enjoyed this journey into Norse Fantasy with a Black protagonist because of course it was something id never seen done before. Written by a co author alongside Willow Smith, i was intrigued when seeing this on #Netgalley so immediately made the request.
Going in i knew there would be struggle/slave narrative but due to the historic setting, i had no real issue with this and actually liked how delicately it was handled from the point of our heroine being taken from her village in Africa (modern day Ghana) to a viking town in what i believe is Norway, and how she navigates the change from freedom to captivity.
There is a dual POV with the princess of said viking town and i enjoyed meeting Freydis and understandin the longhouse politics through her eyes as a woman in the traditional role and then in the heroine’s role as a non traditional one.
What made me not love this weirdly enough is that it felt too neat and HEA. Vikings were brutal and while there is a surface layer of what they got up to, it all felt too immature to be a true Viking outing as Ive seen in the tv show Vikings and The Last Kingdom etc which i adore.
So for me, good story, good characters but just a little too tame but I would love for this to get in front of more people so definitely give it a go if you want to try something different.
Thank you to @netgalley @randomhouse @cornerstone and @delrey for the ebook. All opinions are my own.
Going in i knew there would be struggle/slave narrative but due to the historic setting, i had no real issue with this and actually liked how delicately it was handled from the point of our heroine being taken from her village in Africa (modern day Ghana) to a viking town in what i believe is Norway, and how she navigates the change from freedom to captivity.
There is a dual POV with the princess of said viking town and i enjoyed meeting Freydis and understandin the longhouse politics through her eyes as a woman in the traditional role and then in the heroine’s role as a non traditional one.
What made me not love this weirdly enough is that it felt too neat and HEA. Vikings were brutal and while there is a surface layer of what they got up to, it all felt too immature to be a true Viking outing as Ive seen in the tv show Vikings and The Last Kingdom etc which i adore.
So for me, good story, good characters but just a little too tame but I would love for this to get in front of more people so definitely give it a go if you want to try something different.
Thank you to @netgalley @randomhouse @cornerstone and @delrey for the ebook. All opinions are my own.
February 22, 2022
f**k no
November 27, 2022
What a shame on you! Ignorantly Write about a Tribe and religion that she knows NOTHING about!!
Horrible book, will be use to light a fire!
Horrible book, will be use to light a fire!
July 2, 2024
Really loved how Willow incorporated African fantasy with the Viking world! Will definitely read again. This being her debut novel, it was such a captivating read.
May 24, 2024
I really enjoyed this book! It wasn’t as graphic as I thought it would have been considering it’s about Vikings, but it is YA. I also enjoyed the lore of both cultures represented.
This was an amazing read for me up until the ending. Everything was wrapped up nicely, but let’s add another 20 or so pages of underwhelming story line. I could have done without it, but I understand it’s setting up the storyline for a sequel…maybe? It just seems like it could have been done with a little more care and creativity.
This was an amazing read for me up until the ending. Everything was wrapped up nicely, but let’s add another 20 or so pages of underwhelming story line. I could have done without it, but I understand it’s setting up the storyline for a sequel…maybe? It just seems like it could have been done with a little more care and creativity.
May 9, 2024
I really love Viking stories, so when I read the synopsis for this book, I was hooked. Yafeu is a young woman who is taken from her village in the Ghanaian Empire by slavers and ends up on a Viking shield maiden's ship headed North. Yafeu's father had taught her to fight, so she was enthralled with the idea of a woman warrior. Unfortunately, Yafeu ends up as a thrall when they reach modern-day Norway. Her warrior spirit shines through, though, and she is placed as the handmaid to Princess Freydis and later becomes a shield maiden herself. Of course, this is all a total culture shock for Yafeu as she begins to learn the language, customs, and gods of the North. It was interesting how, at first, it all seemed so strange, but by learning more, she began to see more similarities between her gods and the Viking gods and between herself and Freydis.
This book did start out a bit slow, but I couldn't put it down towards the end! If you like fantasy with strong female leads, check out Black Shield Maiden. I'm hoping for a sequel! Thank you to Netgalley, Random House, Willow Smith, and Jess Hendel for the opportunity to read an ARC of this epic tale.
This book did start out a bit slow, but I couldn't put it down towards the end! If you like fantasy with strong female leads, check out Black Shield Maiden. I'm hoping for a sequel! Thank you to Netgalley, Random House, Willow Smith, and Jess Hendel for the opportunity to read an ARC of this epic tale.
June 2, 2024
This book feels like it was trying really hard to have a message, but never actually said anything.
This book has a kind of complicated history behind it in terms of questionable choices in its representation (negative towards the Muslim community). From what I was able to glean, it was rewritten enough to remove that aspect. But I also think it's important to note that it happened because it made me far more cautious when reading it.
This is overall a story of resilience and cultural intersection. However, despite its ambitious premise, the execution leaves much to be desired.
The book centers on a woman named Yafeu, who is stolen into slavery and eventually becomes a thrall in the unfamiliar world of the Vikings. Yafeu’s fierce character is juxtaposed with Freydis, a shy Viking princess who just kind of... accepts everything that happens to her without complaint. Their developing friendship and mutual desire to shape their own destinies form the emotional core of the novel. Yafeu's perspective is refreshing and offers a glimpse into a story that history books might have neglected. The dynamic between Yafeu and Freydis has the potential for rich character development and exploration of cultural intersections.
However, the execution falls short in several areas. The book struggles with pacing and engagement, often feeling tedious and meandering. The narrative is bogged down by trying to convey significant messages in an insubtle manner that neither fully commits to these themes nor delivers them effectively. The treatment of misogyny across societies feels heavy-handed and somewhat anachronistic, especially considering the relative freedoms historically afforded to Viking women. Again, we do not know much about Vikings, but the intensity of it in their culture specifically felt out of place.
Additionally, the choice of multiple POVs dilutes the narrative rather than enriching it. The little-used third POV still feels extraneous, adding little to the overall story and detracting from the more compelling arc of Yafeu. Freya’s inclusion as a primary character seems underdeveloped, making her role appear more as a plot device than a fully realized character.
This attempts to carve out a unique space within the historical epic genre, but it falls short of its potential for me. The ambitious blending of cultures and the promise of strong female characters are commendable, but the issues I had certainly hindered my overall experience.
Thanks to Netgalley for the copy. This review is my honest opinion and is voluntary.
This book has a kind of complicated history behind it in terms of questionable choices in its representation (negative towards the Muslim community). From what I was able to glean, it was rewritten enough to remove that aspect. But I also think it's important to note that it happened because it made me far more cautious when reading it.
This is overall a story of resilience and cultural intersection. However, despite its ambitious premise, the execution leaves much to be desired.
The book centers on a woman named Yafeu, who is stolen into slavery and eventually becomes a thrall in the unfamiliar world of the Vikings. Yafeu’s fierce character is juxtaposed with Freydis, a shy Viking princess who just kind of... accepts everything that happens to her without complaint. Their developing friendship and mutual desire to shape their own destinies form the emotional core of the novel. Yafeu's perspective is refreshing and offers a glimpse into a story that history books might have neglected. The dynamic between Yafeu and Freydis has the potential for rich character development and exploration of cultural intersections.
However, the execution falls short in several areas. The book struggles with pacing and engagement, often feeling tedious and meandering. The narrative is bogged down by trying to convey significant messages in an insubtle manner that neither fully commits to these themes nor delivers them effectively. The treatment of misogyny across societies feels heavy-handed and somewhat anachronistic, especially considering the relative freedoms historically afforded to Viking women. Again, we do not know much about Vikings, but the intensity of it in their culture specifically felt out of place.
Additionally, the choice of multiple POVs dilutes the narrative rather than enriching it. The little-used third POV still feels extraneous, adding little to the overall story and detracting from the more compelling arc of Yafeu. Freya’s inclusion as a primary character seems underdeveloped, making her role appear more as a plot device than a fully realized character.
This attempts to carve out a unique space within the historical epic genre, but it falls short of its potential for me. The ambitious blending of cultures and the promise of strong female characters are commendable, but the issues I had certainly hindered my overall experience.
Thanks to Netgalley for the copy. This review is my honest opinion and is voluntary.
May 7, 2024
I must preface this review by saying this: I am reviewing the book as published and as I read it -- not any excerpts, PR campaigns, and other online commentary about the novel pre-publication. The reason I need to say this is because when I first received my ARC of Black Shield Maiden, its average Goodreads rating was 2.46. That is one of the lowest ratings I have ever seen, and this is before the novel's publication date! To market the novel and generate interest, Penguin Random House released an excerpt from the novel about a year ago. The excerpt included a scene disparaging Muslim people and casting them as violent slave traders. At this point, a number of people took to the web to drag the novel and authors. Seeing the problem, the authors and publishers quickly backtracked, recalling the excerpt and editing the text. The controversial and harmful excerpt is not included in the final text. Whew, I'm glad we got that out of the way.
I was actually really excited to read this novel. Willow Smith said she was a big fan of the show Vikings and wondered to herself if the Vikings we know and love had ever encountered a Black person before. It is a fascinating concept and I love how it came to fruition throughout the novel. The lead character, Yafeu, finds herself captured by slavers in Ghana and through a long and arduous journey, ends up as a thrall in a Viking village.
Yafeu is a warrior and struggles to identify a place for her ambitions and desires according the world's definition of femininity. She comes to be the handmaiden for the village princess Freydis. Their relationship is without a doubt the best part of the novel. They open one another's eyes and develop a beautiful friendship that shows there is no "wrong way" to be a woman.
Much of the novel required a suspension of disbelief. It was a bit over the top and silly at times, but it was still a fun story and a unique clash of cultures.
Happy publication day to Black Shield Maiden! I am happy to have received an ARC of the novel in a Goodreads Giveaway.
Overall: Enjoyable, endearing, and heartfelt, I am a Viking bro after all. 3.5 stars
I was actually really excited to read this novel. Willow Smith said she was a big fan of the show Vikings and wondered to herself if the Vikings we know and love had ever encountered a Black person before. It is a fascinating concept and I love how it came to fruition throughout the novel. The lead character, Yafeu, finds herself captured by slavers in Ghana and through a long and arduous journey, ends up as a thrall in a Viking village.
Yafeu is a warrior and struggles to identify a place for her ambitions and desires according the world's definition of femininity. She comes to be the handmaiden for the village princess Freydis. Their relationship is without a doubt the best part of the novel. They open one another's eyes and develop a beautiful friendship that shows there is no "wrong way" to be a woman.
Much of the novel required a suspension of disbelief. It was a bit over the top and silly at times, but it was still a fun story and a unique clash of cultures.
Happy publication day to Black Shield Maiden! I am happy to have received an ARC of the novel in a Goodreads Giveaway.
Overall: Enjoyable, endearing, and heartfelt, I am a Viking bro after all. 3.5 stars
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