Black Shield Maiden

De: Willow Smith, Jess Hendel

Narrado por: Willow Smith

Duración: 14 h y 23 m

Resumen del Editor

From Willow Smith and Jess Hendel comes a powerful and groundbreaking historical saga about an African warrior in the world of the Vikings.

“Intimate, tender, and fiercely epic.”—Tomi Adeyemi, author of Children of Blood and Bone

Lore, legend, and history tell us of the Vikings: 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.

This saga begins with Yafeu, a defiant yet fiercely compassionate young warrior who is stolen from her home in the flourishing Ghānaian empire and taken 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 from 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—to fight not only for her freedom but for the freedom of others.

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.

©2022 WILLOW and Jess Hendel (P)2022 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Intimate, tender, and fiercely epic . . . With Black Shield Maiden, Willow Smith and Jess Hendel pull the reader into a rich adventure filled with detailed prose and poignant symbolism. You quickly become endeared with the character of Yafeu and her plight as a young woman in a vicious world. With her first foray into literature, Smith proves there is no limit to her boundless imagination and explosive creativity.”—Tomi Adeyemi, author of Children of Blood and Bone

The story held my interest all the way through.

I liked the blending of two cultures and how the lead character fought and rose from her station.

Happy I kept reading

It started slow for me and I almost gave up. I’m happy I kept listening. I’m looking forward to a book two?

Kept my interest 😌

I enjoyed the book too my surprise, it was my go-to listen driving to work.

The detailed and how well developed the characters are

I think I listened to this book at least 2 and a 1/2 times and it's amazingly great. It's so Willow and the co-author are amazing story. Tellers, just great. This is what such a great and realistic. I said that this was realistic in the way that it could definitely happen in today's world. We didn't know it takes place back. In I don't know 16 1500s. Such a great job

I love when WE dare to imagine... ***Spoiler Alert (I think)***

I love when Black Girls do fantasy! You know when it plays like a movie in your head as the author reads its gonna be gooooood. What a powerful and epic read (listen ha)....so refreshing. This book let my mind vibrate high with possibilities of non traditional black charaters.. I dont know much about Viking history but a Black Viking Queen is hella sexy! Willow is not the first to introduce other possibilities into the black reading space but Im happy she has contributed to it. I'm excitedly awaiting her continued talents in her next book! Maybe a deep dive into Aunty Alvtir's true story.

Bravo!

I enjoyed the story, the merging of mythologies. I also really liked that this was not trauma based. It was a very strong well told female led story. Willows voice was beautiful and fit well to the story. I hope there is a part two

A good first foray into writing for willow smith

Finished willow Smith's black shield maiden. I'd give the book a 7.5 out of 10. The other 2.5 points are just preference. It's a good book, but it's not a style I think I would have normally chosen and it didn't wow me like some others I've read before of a similar genre. It's definitely well researched if not a bit idealistic but it's fiction and we love the black woman winning at the end. I think my biggest issue is that it somehow doesn't feel complete to me as if she knew the book needed to end but she didn't quite know how or where to end it which is understandable. Overall I think it's a very solid first book and very true to who we know willow to be as a person.

Riveting

This story had me captivated from beginning to end. There was so much powerful and inspiring subtext to unpack and apply to life. I loved this production. I’m in awe of the way these 2 young writers integrated such universal wisdom throughout the content. I sure hope there is a sequel!

Excellent story and reading!!

From the very beginning, “Black Shield Maiden” had me completely hooked. The vivid storytelling made me feel every moment of pain, horror, joy, and everything in between. The characters are compelling, and the plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat. I absolutely love this story and am eagerly anticipating what I hope will be a thrilling sequel. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves immersive and powerful narratives.

Wowwww..Lil Willow..

I love this story and written so very well.. I’m sure your parents are very very proud of you…this only speaks to your natural talent. Looking forward to readying more from you. Congratulations!