Shield Maiden

By: Sharon Emmerichs

Narrated by: Victoria Fox

Both epic and intimate, Shield Maiden is the brilliantly imagined retelling of Beowulf from the perspective of a fierce young woman reclaiming her power.

Fryda has grown up hearing tales of her uncle, King Beowulf, and his spectacular defeat of the monstrous Grendel. Her one desire is to become a shield maiden in her own right, but a terrible accident during her childhood has thwarted this dream. Yet still, somehow, she feels an uncontrollable power begin to rise within herself.

The last thing Fryda wants is to be forced into a political marriage, especially as her heart belongs to her lifelong friend, Theow. However, as foreign kings and chieftains descend upon her home to celebrate Beowulf's fifty years as the king of Geatland, the partnership begins to seem inevitable.

That is, until, amidst the lavish gifts and drunken revelry, a discovery is made that threatens the safety of Fryda's entire clan—and her own life. Incensed by this betrayal, Fryda resolves to fight for her people no matter the cost. As a queen should. As a shield maiden would.

And as the perilous situation worsens, Fryda's powers seem only to grow stronger. But she is not the only one to feel the effects of her new-found battle-magic. For, buried deep in her gilded lair, a dragon is drawn to Fryda's untamed power, and is slowly awakening from a long, cursed sleep...

©2023 Sharon Emmerichs (P)2023 Redhook

Critic reviews

"A rousing and romantic mythological fantasy that boasts a heroine with a generous spirit, an unshakable will and a dragon's fury."—H. M. Long, author of the Hall of Smoke series

"Casts a superb spell...Shimmering with detail, with a propulsive plot to match."—D. K. Fields, author of the Tales of Fenest series

"Fantastic fun...An entrancing story of power and peril, presenting a side to the sagas we have never seen before."—Ian Green, author of The Gauntlet and the Fist Beneath

Not terribly interesting

Bland, one-dimensional characters and boring storyline. This book never hooked me; I didn’t care about the characters or what happened to them. It wasn’t a bad story, just average.

Couldn’t put it down

So often these types of books with a female protagonist fall into the same trap of the weak female who finds the strength to defeat evil or come into their own because of some stronger male character. The women in these books are so 2 dimensional, usually crippled by the trappings of their socialization and place in society, and often outshone by what should be the less important male characters. I did not find that with this book. The complexities and dualities of the characters were interesting, and I even felt a great amount of pity for the dragon. Really well done and I will read more from this author!