Of Woven Fates

by Megan Formanek

A world bound by fate and kin, entangled by the guile of men.

Svealand 877 CE
Married off by her mother, Astrid finds herself trapped in a life of domesticity, far from the freedom she once knew. Confined to her husband’s settlement, she faces his resentful son, who seeks to usurp authority, and the looming inheritance dispute that overshadows Astrid’s future.
Astrid must navigate the treacherous waters of her new reality, contending with the fate the Norns have spun.
With her husband’s health failing, Astrid faces a crucial challenge: can she find a way to influence the inheritance and secure her future, or will she be left vulnerable to forces beyond her control?
Fans of adventurous Viking stories will be captivated by Of Woven Fates. Immerse yourself in the Viking Trading Lands series, a dramatic Viking historical adventure inspired by archaeological evidence.

Genres: Historical Fiction

108 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 29, 2024

About the author

Megan was raised on the stormy Illawarra coast where thunder often raged. One may be forgiven for believing the ‘old gods’ had favoured Australia with the wild hunt on those dark nights.

At university she majored in history, sparking her obsession with the so-called 'dark ages' and a desire to discover their long forgotten secrets. After graduation she travelled extensively and lived, first in South Korea, and later in Italy and the UK. It was during the dark, and seemingly endless nights of the South Korean winters that she finally allowed her characters to wreak havoc on the page.
Megan's interest in the Vikings is rooted in archaeological finds surfacing in 2015 and later, showing that they were far more than the 'smash-and-grab' opportunists that they have long been portrayed as. It was the desire to learn more about the world in which these 7th century (and onwards) Scandinavian's lived and the lives they lead that began to weave into Megan's imagination.
Her current works, the Viking Trading Lands series, brings to life the little known exploits of the Vikings who went East and created a new stronghold. Individuals that were not only hungry for adventure but also ready to challenge the notion of what a Viking could be.
When she is not writing she is drinking copious amounts of excellent coffee, reading history books and cooking meals from historical texts. You will find her exploring libraries and museums, and in front of her sewing machine constructing vintage inspired clothing.

www.meganformanek.com

Reviews

[caitys.booknook · Rating 3 out of 5]

2024:
This was an easy to read, quick, historical fiction novella.
Written as an introduction to The Viking Trading Lands series.
The story was conveyed well and depicted the land and the times appropriately.
The historical aspect of the story was consistent with how life would have been like for men and women during the Viking time.
Some parts came across as slow and repetitive (mostly regarding Harald) but leant an air of authenticity to the story re: the conflict of Father's and their Heirs.
I'm definitely interested to read more and see where Astrid's journeys take her.

[Erin Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of Woven Fates by Megan Formanek is a wonderful telling of a young Viking girls coming of age between the years 877- 879. Astrid is unhappily married off at age sixteen to a wealthy but much older farmer whose wife has died. Her life becomes somewhat easier but her main role is to become a comfort for her older husband and to run the household, with an emphasis on weaving the cloth the household needs for their clothing needs. Auden has two sons from his former marriage. Harald the belligerent, arrogant and abusive heir to the family lands, and kind Gorm, the second son who has a way with the local farmers and inhabitants of the settlement. Astrid must find her place in this newish family of hers and learn to hold her tongue when Harald is around. As Astrid matures she begins to appreciate Auden for his kindness to her, even though she yearns for her freedom. Viking life is not easy and the author shows the reader what medieval Viking life was like in great detail. I found this fascinating, the human drama along with the historical fiction completely kept my interest and I'm anxiously awaiting the second installment of the series 'Oath Undo Me'. This story reminded me a bit of one of my favorite historical fiction books of all time Kristin Lavransdater by Sigrid Undset which followed the life of a young girl during the 14th century in Norway. Definitely up my alley. Thank you to Book Sirens for a chance to read the first installment of this fascinating series 'The Viking Trading land Series'.
Highly recommended. 5 solid stars.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Bo-Maree Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of Woven Fates by Megan Formanek is the prequel to her Viking Land Series and is a quick, easy read that appropriately conveys the life of men and woment in Viking times.

Married off at sixteen to a much older man, Astrid's life is not what she thought it would be and she must learn to find her place in this new life she finds herself thrust into.

This beautifully paced story will hook you from the first chapter with its mixture of history and drama.

You can see the time and effort that went into researching the period and the customs of Viking life such as arranged marriages and the line of succession within families. The accuracy of the information and the passion of the author for the subject draws the reader into the story giving them a feel of what life was like back then.

If this is just the introduction to Astrid's story, I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the series.

[Wandering Bear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another new-to-me author, this book is a prequel to her Viking Trading Lands series.

I do love me a good Viking story and while this was a quick and easy read, I do feel like the story dragged unnecessarily in certain areas, particularly surrounding scenes regarding Harald. There was also repetition regarding him, which got tiring after a while.

However, the rest of the story felt well paced and showed a relatively good understanding of what life would have been like during the Viking era, especially in relation to women of arranged marriages. At times I actually felt Astrid's emotions come through the page at me.

I will be looking at reading the rest of the series as I want to see how things turn out for Astrid in the end.

3.25 stars

Tropes: Historical Romance, Arranged marriage, Viking Era, Age gap

Triggers: Arranged marriage, sickness

[Rowan Ashland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, fun read.

Of Woven Fates tells the story of Astrid, a young Viking woman in 8th Century Sweden. Forced into an arranged marriage that she does not want, she must learn to cope with the demands of her new husband, and the conniving of his eldest son.

This was an engaging read that kept my attention through the entire book. This book is a prequel, but I went into it without having read the previous novels and I found that I was able to connect with the characters, especially Astrid in her new, unhappy life.

The author clearly did their research into the daily life of Viking-age Sweden. The little details bring the setting to life in an evocative way. I recommend reading this book if you like Vikings, history, or strong women.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[kayla Buis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had me hooked in the first chapter and unable to put it down until I finished!!

I really liked how the story line was paced, I'm invested in finding out what happens next!

Lucky for me I haven't read any of the series yet so I was yearning for the next books as soon as I read the last sentence! They've been put straight into my wish list

Viking vibes and a strong minded FMC. Even though she's thrust into an arranged marriage I found myself caring for her new husband!!

[Harlee Triffett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this fairly quickly.
This was my first book by Megan that I have read and I am definitely going to delve into this series. I enjoy historical fiction and enjoyed learning about vikings and what life would have been like for them.
Looking forward to how this series develops.
Thanks for the opportunity to read this.

[Kay Tarson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy learning about history and geography via historical fiction, here’s a great series written by a qualified historian. Total of 4 books, I’m on the third one. A female warrior thinks she wants to go a-Viking but plans change. The town she ends up living in (now Russia) blends many cultures in a respectful fashion. Highly recommend.

[Katrina Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in an afternoon. Very well written found it hard to put down. Awesome descriptions of characters place events. Really places the reader into the story. I felt like I was actually there. Can't wait for book 4 in the series. Not my usual genre but I am hooked now.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good short read and good understand of what life would of been like in the Viking era for women that are in arranged marriages.
Also the tell tale of how the father and his heirs lived.

Would love to find out more of the story.

[Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arc read.

Quick read, historical fiction. super easy to get into. Laid the foundation really well for the series.
Excited to get into it.

[Hanna Belle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great introduction book for a Viking series, I look forward to reading the series.

I received a copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Naiomi Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick Novella read about Vikings. Historical romance which has been set up well for future books.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this book in one day. Interesting main characters and story setting. I will need to get straight on to the next book in the series now…Highly recommend.

[Ken Fredette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read a previous book to this prequel Of Woven Fates so I won't tell you anything going to happen in the future. Read this story and you will be read for the other stories to come. I new I was reading a prequel when she mentions Sven. Astrid at 16 years was to marry an old man of 55 years, named Auden. She didn't want to but Auden was a very pleasant man to live with. He had two living sons, called Harald and Gorm, of the two Gorm was living at home and Harald was out becoming a viking. You can read about how they both reacted to their fathers wishes, until he died. It left me with different feelings than the other book but you can see the comfort that Astrid had in her life. It's an interesting read that brings you something from Astrid's past. I would ask that you consider reading this book.