I'm a bit torn about this review, so I'll split this into two, try and make it a bit easier for myself.

The first element is the book itself. The world building, the characters and the plot itself, was fantastic. Some of the most beautiful descriptive wording I've read in a long time. One of those books which you find yourself being completely lost in. The character arcs and the way the story unravels is sublime. The three main characters and their respective POVs were great, and the change in tone and phrasing were so different you could really hear their separate voices. Their stories so similar but yet so different. I absolutely loved this, I really didn't want to put this down, and couldn't wait to get lost in this book again when I had to.

The second is in relation to the controversy around the representation of certain cultures. I've read a lot about this on various social media/reviews etc. and I understand how and why this has caused a lot of debate. Yes, some of the descriptions and the effective stereotypes are very clunky, the start of this is written from a very young woman's point of view. Raised in her culture and spoken from the way she has been taught to view the world. However, throughout the novel, it is, in my opinion, a starting point which leads into the theme that regardless of race/religion, everyone wants the same thing. To live in peace and to have the freedom to be who they want to be, to make their choices and to learn from each other. I took the positive message that, despite being raised with certain biased opinions and perceptions, we can work together to break down those barriers and judge people on who they are, their hearts and strength and give each other the respect to be who they want to be. In any form that takes. This is my personal opinion and take away from this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
5 stars book from me. Loved the plot and the stories in this book. Loved every single second reading it.

Black Shield Maiden by Willow Smith and Jess Hendel is a compelling fantasy novel that tells the story of Yafeu, a young Black woman who rises from her home in the Ghanaian Empire to carve a place for herself in Viking society. This powerful coming-of-age story blends Norse and Ghanaian mythology, exploring themes of power, courage, and women’s resilience in the face of adversity.

Yafeu stands out as a fierce and loyal protagonist, embodying the bravery and strength that every YA adventure novel demands. She is a character who will defend her loved ones at any cost, making her a perfect fit for a story filled with revenge, corruption, and unapologetic women. Her journey is complemented by Freydis, a Viking princess with a quieter yet equally determined spirit, who practices runecraft and seeks to do good despite her power-hungry father's ambitions. The bond between Yafeu and Freydis forms the heart of the story, leading them to challenge their common enemies.

The novel starts slowly, building a rich world and introducing well-developed characters. This careful world-building pays off, providing a solid foundation for the plot and allowing the characters to grow believably throughout the narrative. Although the book contains some potentially triggering scenes, these are handled with care, making it suitable for the older end of the YA audience.

Black Shield Maiden offers much-needed representation in the Viking genre, portraying strong female protagonists and addressing discrimination and prejudice. It’s a story that not only entertains but also empowers, making it a must-read for fans of strong heroines, Viking tales, and narratives about power.

Thank you for the chance to read and review. To be honest, this book just wasn't for me. I found it difficult to get into and it seemed poorly researched. I found it dragged in parts and it took me longer than it should've to finish it.

This is a review in two halves, the first half is a review of it as a story and the second half is a review of its intention as a political statement.

As a story it covers some very interesting ground as it is partly a tale of slaves and slavery and so many of people look at the narrow view and blame the English. Here we have Scandinavians as the slavers and the slaves are of all colours and origins; from Africa and Ireland and most everywhere in between. The story tells well the progress of the slaves and the way that they decide to deal with their slavery and how they will escape. Whilst it seems a somewhat simple story from this review, it has many layers and they are certainly worth investigating for yourself. Certainly a triumph of ingenuity over adversity and this tale demonstrates what can be achieved with vision and dedication.

As to it being a political statement that the author felt the need to make, I think that she really had no need to tub thump, letting this story stand on its own two feet would have made all of the points that were intended. Choosing to hammer some of the points so that they were not overlooked was totally unnecessary. I would posit that the folks drawn to the synopsis of the story, not the politics, would have picked up the messages without being told they were there!
I enjoyed the book as a story, rather than an overt political statement, and have book 2 on my “read when published” list.

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I kind of skipped through this book in a couple of days. Various snippets of online reviews I'd seen followed by a bit of personal research, told me this is not the sort of book I want to review. Racial prejudice and lack of basic research has no place in society today. Two stars because at least it's been modified a bit from the original text.

I love Norse mythology and I was very intrigued by the blurb of this book and it did not disappoint.

"Belief is power, daughter of mine, But it's also a choice. When you choose to believe in something, you give it power."

Black Shield Maiden is a story of perseverance, faith, and the lack of, strength and power.

I loved the FMCs.
Yafeu has received love, reassurance, and encouragement from both of her parents and as a result, is strong and aspires to be a warrior. However, she is constantly put down by her extended family and village, sold into slavery twice, and faces many struggles before she becomes who she's destined to be.

Freydis is the opposite, a princess who seems to have it all but is ignored by her mother and despised by her father and is too afraid to stand up for herself; however, when she does...well, hell hath no fury!

Alvtir is everything Yafeu wants to be, a warrior, shield-maiden, independent, and feared by all. I believe she's a good role model despite her flaws.

The descriptions of each location, from the Ghanaian empire to the Nordic lands are very vivid and atmospheric. The fantasy elements are expertly woven into the history and culture, making them believable. Although the pacing was a bit slow at times, I believe every single bit of Yafeu's story, the songs, the myths, the lore, and the history, all added to the strength of this book.

The ending brought tears to my eyes and I cannot wait for book 2. I went into this thinking it was a standalone but I was pleasantly surprised that there will be more.

Oh man this book was terrible. I did not finish it. Every single chapter and page was painful, I assume Willow Smith mostly wrote this herself in a diary somewhere and then had the other author clean it up a bit. Not a single redeeming factor.

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.

Black Shield Maiden is a story of curses, strength, perseverence, and feminine power.

Content warnings for slavery, rape, miscarriages, and microaggressions (both racism and misogyny).

I loved this. The book follows three protagonists: Yafeu, Freydis, and Alvtir, each of them just as splendid and strong as the other.

From Yafeu's perspective, we are given the perspective of a woman who wants to be a warrior, yet is forced again and again to be subserviant and beneath others. Her arc is beautiful, and by the end of the story you really see her grow.

From Freydis's perspective, we see even more growth. She starts out as a woman set aside by all others, with no real support, until she meets Yafeu. Even her own family shuns her, and in turn she shuns others, but by the end of the book she's a force to be reckoned with.

From Alvtir's perspective, we see a woman with all the strength and skill Yafeu wants to have, yet how she's treated by the men in her life, especially her own brother, motivates her to look out for any woman she can help. By the end of the book, she's an inspiration for those around her, curse or not.

As a white person, I do not have the knowledge or personal experience to comment on the subject of race. I do believe that race is dealt with authentically here, with as much attention and detail as it addresses misogyny. In particular, religion and the nuances between the beliefs of Yafeu and Freydis are addressed, and so is the language.

My only criticism around language is in the editing of this novel with words in Soninke. Presumably because the words could not be translated, there's a couple of occasions where a word in English is italicised and is meant to fill the role of having a Soninke word there. The same use is used for actual Norse words (such as hird), but the editing here felt really off, and I wish they'd found an alternative way of 'translating' these missing words.

The fantasy and historical elements mix beautifully in this novel that coasts the line between imagined facts and plausible events.
The writing is crafted with care, giving space to the reader to discover the characters as well as the customs described within the story.
While I don't have much knowledge of either culture described (or the time period for that matter) I feel that my understanding of the people who lived then has grown through the exploration of their struggles, hopes, and reality.

Black Shield Maiden follows the story of the Dark Viking Queen - Yafeu, an African warrior taken from her homeland in Ghana by slave traders, is rescued by a group of Viking shield maidens, only to become a ‘thrall’ in their land to the Princess, Freydis. Having eventually befriended each other, Yafeu rises above her captors’ expectations of her and proves her strength, ultimately joining the shield maidens and going on to bring her comrades to glory. I won’t say much more, as I don’t want to give too much away, but it was certainly an interesting and engaging read.

The story was a little long in places and I found it was quite heavy on the “telling” rather than “showing” when providing information or backstory. However, the main jist of the premise was pretty compelling, as it’s a historical subject I’ve not really explored before, particularly from the point of view of many female characters.

I liked that Yafeu was actually strong and a fighter from the outset; it provided a bit more gravitas that there was also a reason for it, in her father training her as he might’ve her brothers. There’s a theme in YA fiction where the lead character, particularly if they’re female, start out really weak, and learn to fight and become strong over a very short period of intense training. This was slightly more interesting, and it made her journey to become the somewhat more believable.

Some of the characters lacked a bit of depth, particularly (I feel) Freydis, which was a shame, as she’s meant to be a co-lead character. It seemed more like she was merely intended to support Yafeu’s growth and was therefore a bit of a crutch to her character, which was very different from the vibe I got from the synopsis of the book. This was also true of Ingmar as the main love interest: his origins sound really intriguing, but I’d have liked for us to become aware of them more through his actions than lengthy dialogue - he was also a little bit too smitten with Yafeu from the get go. I’d have liked for them to have to work at the relationship much more than they did. The other male characters were very one note - almost all ‘bad guys’ that lacked complexity, which felt a little lazy.

I will be reading the sequel once it’s out, because I did actually like the book, despite my (hopefully not too critical) comments. In future editions, I’d like to see higher stakes, particularly for Yafeu. In this first part of the ‘saga,’ it feels like she was able to sail through quite a lot of her challenges, which again, I think affected the depth of her character.

If you don’t mind it being a slightly simplistic book, the general writing is actually really good. I read it fairly quickly, and in the latter chapters, didn’t want to put it down.

3.5/5 stars.

I was given an advanced copy of this book on Netgalley.

When I read the premise of Black Shield Maiden, I was intrigued by the mix of an African warrior among the culture and world of the Vikings. The concept of these two vastly different cultures mixing together had me curious, and I wasn't disappointed.

Our main character is a young African princess, Yafeu who finds herself taken from all she's known and facing a life either as a slave or dead until she unwittingly encounters a group of Vikings as they pillage fresh shores. This meeting will change everything.

I loved how Yafeu's strength and internal fire are felt from the page, and she truly comes to life as the book goes on. She's a warrior in many ways from the way she's raised, to her refusal to not give in when all is lost and I was firmly in her corner willing her on - I love that kind of writing when a fictional character feels so real that you can't help but look for them. Her journey is written so well from what is familiar and home for her in the Ghanaian empire to the cold and unknown lands of Norway, etc, that the Vikings call home. From her clansmen who she's known all her life, and the humidity that is again written so well, to the cold, and terrifying North the world building is done brilliantly and I was hooked from page one.

The fantasy aspects are woven skillfully into what is known from history and the tales of Old. There is legends and lore told between Yafae and Freydis, whom she serves for a period of time as a somewhat lady's maid and eventual friend which are fascinating and the reader will undoubtedly feel as though they're sitting at the fireside with the two women.

I do need to acknowledge that there is darkness in the book, as both cultures at the time were focused on war, aggression, the claiming of people as slaves, and of pillaging, etc. It doesn't glorify it, but Yafae's journey of self-discovery, etcetera, stems from being snatched and sold as a slave. Freydis's own journey, albeit not physical, is again one that begins from having no control over her own life. Slavery is a central part of Yafae's life at various moments, and whilst the practice is indeed shameful, it is prevalent to Black Shield Maiden. For many, life was cruel, but it was especially cruel to women even if people such as the now infamous Shield Maidens make being a woman in Viking culture be free of the controls of their sex. (Thank you, Vikings, for that romanticisation of the culture).

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.

Thank you to the authors and publisher for the opportunity to read Black Shield Maiden, in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed the book, I thought it was gripping, action packed and very emotional.

Black Shield Maiden unfolds as a gripping Norse saga, weaving the tale of Yafeu, torn from Africa by slavers and thrust into the intricate dynamics of a Viking community. The narrative revolves around her involvement in a political chess game alongside Freydis, a formidable Viking princess. This debut novel is a collaborative effort between artist and activist Willow Smith and writer Jess Hendel.

While the novel marks a solid debut, it does have some issues. The first quarter of the book deals with the world-building which didn't keep my attention after a while and I wanted to get on with the action. The narrative gains momentum further into the book, but I'm just not sure the premise and world felt believable - my disbelief wasn't fully suspended.

Despite this, there is plenty of gore, romance, axe-wielding action that fans of series like Vikings would eagerly embrace.

Black Shield Maiden is a Norse saga, with Yafeu taken in slavers from Africa and sold to a Viking community. There she becomes part of a political game involving Freydis, a Viking princess. It’s the debut novel of artist and activist Willow Smith, with assistance from writer Jess Hendel.

It’s a solid debut, but it also suffers from quite a few issues. Firstly, the actual premise takes up the first quarter of the book and that could have been edited more sharply. The narrative only builds momentum in the second. There is also the odd anachronism here, particularly in terms The Viking’s would and wouldn’t use. Again, that should have been picked up.

Once you get that past that, you can enjoy the gory thrills, romance and axe work we all love. Fans of series such as Vikings (cited in the introduction by Smith) or The Last Kingdom will already be forming a shield wall at bookshops. It’s a book that deals in the visceral thrill; and also one that is immune to criticism - a sequel is already in the offing. It’s released on May 7th and I thank Random House for a preview copy.

Well after reading the introduction to this I thought I was set for a wokefest and everything being politically correct and I'd be unlikely to read this for long.

I'm very pleased to be totally wrong. It was a very good tale of a young girl growing through her traumas.

Well written and with believable characters, I'd certainly like to see what happens next.

This is a coming of age story set in the Viking era about two young women- one an African Slave who rises to become a warrior and the other a Norse Princess.
It started quite slow with a lot of description and world building however this typical in a lot of fantasy books and it did help with my understanding.

I loved the defying of gender norms and I felt the characters were really strong and well developed by the end of the story.

I was provided with an advance reader copy on Net Galley.