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Queenmaker #1
Runes and Red Sails
Dive into the thrilling first novel in the new fantasy adventure epic, the Queenmaker series! Welcome to Heimgard!
Aelfhild always tried to keep her world small. She served the future queen; she did her duty. She kept quiet. But the world had other plans.
When the assassins came for her mistress, there was only one choice: run. Swept into a world of longships and bloodthirsty raiders, of sky-splitting storms and heaving seas, of old gods and treachery, Aelfhild has to find her footing—and fast. She’ll tangle with scheming lords and stand alongside stoic shieldmaidens. She’ll raise a mug with drunken warrior-poets and set sail for unknown lands with a crew of restless misfits. It’s going to take all the strength and courage she can muster. And more than a little luck.
Surviving in the world of Heimgard is one thing, but keeping the true heir to the throne alive long enough to see the crown?
That’s another matter altogether.
Runes and Red Sails is the first installment of the Queenmaker series, a roaring fantasy adventure set in a world inspired by Norse and Old English mythology.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 21, 2017
6 people are currently reading
715 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 19, 2019
I won this as a first-reads on Goodreads.com and I must admit, I loved it. I had no doubt that I would. I love all things nautical, all things Viking and all things Scandinavian. Did you say this is part one of a series? You can count me along for the ride. Just like a Viking with his mead at the dinner table, give me more, I say!
June 28, 2018
4 1/2 stars—love a book with clever and strong women as well as some unexpected twists! Can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
October 3, 2018
Diving into a world of royaly kings and warriors it starts off very sad with the death of King Osred of Earnfold. The king didn't deicide on which child would be the next king or Queen of Earnfold. His son Osric was casted out once Ceolwen came to the knoweladge of his birth.
After the kings Death with the processional out to the graveyard where the king will lay. Osric approched Aelfhild and tried to get her on his side to be the next King of the land meanwhile Ceolwen has no idea this is going on unil ceolwen and her mistress reach Norholt.!!! Once they arrived at norholt Eorl jumped up from the table were the warriors were eating and drinking from as drunk as Eorl was he came over huggedhis cousin and annouced to eat and drink in the name of the king's name Osred but Ceolwen declined and retired but Aelfhild stayed and ate cause of the many days she had gone without eating. Meanwhile she was on a gulit trip but gathered enough courage to go tell Ceolwen what really did happen and she did it wasn't as bad as Aelfhild had thought it might be. The next day they go out to the market it was Aelfhild's idea to get Coelwen's mind off of things little did they know that Aelfhild was gonna see something out of line a hooded man not once but twice!!! Later when they got back to the Great hall in Norholt Aelfhild process to tell Erol what she saw which get him thinking they are in grave danger and starting plotting up a plan or too!!! After going to one kingdom to the next to seek help from Ceolwen's relatives there was more challenges and new dangers they had to face as a group on this lengthy journey but once they reached the old lands Coelwen dies and to your surprisement it was Aelfhild who was chosen by the Gods!!!
After the kings Death with the processional out to the graveyard where the king will lay. Osric approched Aelfhild and tried to get her on his side to be the next King of the land meanwhile Ceolwen has no idea this is going on unil ceolwen and her mistress reach Norholt.!!! Once they arrived at norholt Eorl jumped up from the table were the warriors were eating and drinking from as drunk as Eorl was he came over huggedhis cousin and annouced to eat and drink in the name of the king's name Osred but Ceolwen declined and retired but Aelfhild stayed and ate cause of the many days she had gone without eating. Meanwhile she was on a gulit trip but gathered enough courage to go tell Ceolwen what really did happen and she did it wasn't as bad as Aelfhild had thought it might be. The next day they go out to the market it was Aelfhild's idea to get Coelwen's mind off of things little did they know that Aelfhild was gonna see something out of line a hooded man not once but twice!!! Later when they got back to the Great hall in Norholt Aelfhild process to tell Erol what she saw which get him thinking they are in grave danger and starting plotting up a plan or too!!! After going to one kingdom to the next to seek help from Ceolwen's relatives there was more challenges and new dangers they had to face as a group on this lengthy journey but once they reached the old lands Coelwen dies and to your surprisement it was Aelfhild who was chosen by the Gods!!!
April 25, 2018
First of all, I want to note that this is a self-published book. These are always risky for me to invest in because the quality of spelling, grammar, and punctuation is not always up to my picky standards. Self-published books that I have read or attempted to read are also very poor quality sometimes, since there may have been no editor involved to help clean up the writing. Now, with that being said...
This book went way above and beyond my expectations. There were no glaring errors in the writing that distracted me from the story. And the story itself was great! There was no awkward, heavy, clunky dialogue or massive info dump or unbelievable characters.
I really, really enjoyed this book. The story drew me in quickly. I cared about the characters. The plot was engaging. There was enough action, intrigue, danger, and mystery to keep me flipping through the (virtual) pages; but there was enough dialogue, world-building, and character development to keep me intellectually and emotionally invested in the characters and what happened to them. The ending was a surprise in one aspect, but completely expected in another. There is some foreshadowing to give you a hint of what is to be revealed, and yet there are a couple very unexpected twists near the end that shocked me. I will definitely read the next book in this series!
This book went way above and beyond my expectations. There were no glaring errors in the writing that distracted me from the story. And the story itself was great! There was no awkward, heavy, clunky dialogue or massive info dump or unbelievable characters.
I really, really enjoyed this book. The story drew me in quickly. I cared about the characters. The plot was engaging. There was enough action, intrigue, danger, and mystery to keep me flipping through the (virtual) pages; but there was enough dialogue, world-building, and character development to keep me intellectually and emotionally invested in the characters and what happened to them. The ending was a surprise in one aspect, but completely expected in another. There is some foreshadowing to give you a hint of what is to be revealed, and yet there are a couple very unexpected twists near the end that shocked me. I will definitely read the next book in this series!
July 29, 2018
Runes and Red Sails very aptly begins the start to what could be an epic fantasy series. It houses a strong cast of characters, vivid settings and an intriguing story.
I was leaning on giving it a three out of five, but the ending bumped it up.
Now that I know what is possible, I desperately want to see more of the fantastical in the series to follow. I suspect we will. Had we seen more of the draugr, and other fantastical elements earlier, I think I would've finished it much quicker. As it is, my biggest gripe with this tale is how long it took me to read it (considering its short length).
But the ending not only made up for the slog in the middle, but also peaked my anticipation for books two and beyond.
I received this book for free through Goodreads Firstreads.
I was leaning on giving it a three out of five, but the ending bumped it up.
Now that I know what is possible, I desperately want to see more of the fantastical in the series to follow. I suspect we will. Had we seen more of the draugr, and other fantastical elements earlier, I think I would've finished it much quicker. As it is, my biggest gripe with this tale is how long it took me to read it (considering its short length).
But the ending not only made up for the slog in the middle, but also peaked my anticipation for books two and beyond.
I received this book for free through Goodreads Firstreads.
February 26, 2021
Rollicking adventure. Set in a fantasy Viking world, the author has used a lot of actual Viking rites and customs to make the world feel authentic. Aelfhild is the servant to Ceolwen, heir to a dying king. When her illegitimate brother tries to kill them and usurps the throne, they barely escape and head out to find aid to regain the crown.
Aelfhild is the practical one, more adventurous and willing to try new things. It's fun to watch her evolve as they travel and she realizes that her lot doesn't always have to be as a servant. There are a lot of ups and downs in their quest, and Aelfhild is the stalwart one. I really liked her character.
The author has done a great job in keeping the story moving. I can't wait to find out what happens next.
Aelfhild is the practical one, more adventurous and willing to try new things. It's fun to watch her evolve as they travel and she realizes that her lot doesn't always have to be as a servant. There are a lot of ups and downs in their quest, and Aelfhild is the stalwart one. I really liked her character.
The author has done a great job in keeping the story moving. I can't wait to find out what happens next.
April 23, 2021
3.5 Stars
5 stars for the plot
2 stars for the characters, well mostly the main character
Most of the characters on the surface were very interesting and diverse! But I couldn't really connect with them, it is the weak point of this book. The main characters thoughts almost seem robotic in their lack of depth, though the author did try, and with practice I'm sure will get the hang of it. the lack of thoughts for herself and only serving in the beginning seemed a little to unrealistic, I don't think most people are that selfless in their thoughts.
Even though I could guess the ending pretty early on, the story was very interesting and took lots of fun turns. The journey it's self is the reward with this story.
I think I'll try the next book and see how it goes!
5 stars for the plot
2 stars for the characters, well mostly the main character
Most of the characters on the surface were very interesting and diverse! But I couldn't really connect with them, it is the weak point of this book. The main characters thoughts almost seem robotic in their lack of depth, though the author did try, and with practice I'm sure will get the hang of it. the lack of thoughts for herself and only serving in the beginning seemed a little to unrealistic, I don't think most people are that selfless in their thoughts.
Even though I could guess the ending pretty early on, the story was very interesting and took lots of fun turns. The journey it's self is the reward with this story.
I think I'll try the next book and see how it goes!
April 27, 2019
Actually a pretty good debut book. There were some slow parts but nothing onerous. Only reason it took me so long to read was that I just wasn't in the mood for the genre. I was a bit surprised by the ending. Not the what but by the how. Probably shouldn't have been. If you like Norse type fantasy, give it a try. There's a better than 70% chance I'll read the next book.... whenever it's due out.... if I remember! Such a long TBR list!
June 13, 2019
Wonderfully written Nordic inspired story. I love all things related to Vikings and their way of life. This book definitely piqued my interest and kept me engaged from start to finish. I loved the rich imagery, as well as how the author created his own world. I also really enjoyed the unexpected betrayals. Overall, a great read! I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy via Hidden Gems.
December 19, 2020
Leaves you wanting part two
I love Vikings and I love Runes! Easy choice really!
The world the author creates is interesting, with just enough history and fiction to stay believable.
The people of power leave you with a little distaste, as in the real world, and the main characters are described enough to allow your imagination some elbow room!
I enjoyed this book throughout, no lagging, no fillers, just story! That's how I like it!
On to the next one soon I think!
I love Vikings and I love Runes! Easy choice really!
The world the author creates is interesting, with just enough history and fiction to stay believable.
The people of power leave you with a little distaste, as in the real world, and the main characters are described enough to allow your imagination some elbow room!
I enjoyed this book throughout, no lagging, no fillers, just story! That's how I like it!
On to the next one soon I think!
March 11, 2018
Great start to a new series
This book was hard to put down. I love ancient history and I love how he adapted Norse stories and lifestyle to his own world. Thank you for a delightful read!
This book was hard to put down. I love ancient history and I love how he adapted Norse stories and lifestyle to his own world. Thank you for a delightful read!
April 20, 2018
i received a kindle cpy of this book for free from goodreads,
loved it. just a fun adventure story with a twist ending which left me wanting to read he next installment. female charaters ae at the heart of the story and I found this refreshing too.
loved it. just a fun adventure story with a twist ending which left me wanting to read he next installment. female charaters ae at the heart of the story and I found this refreshing too.
March 19, 2018
I won a free copy of this box so thank you Mr. Levisay!! This book was great, a strong heroine that you can like. I'm excited about book 2 and can't wait to continue with this series!!
April 13, 2018
The book started a bit slow, but ended well and used the Norse setting and people believably.
January 2, 2019
We are proud to announce that RUNES AND RED SAILS (Queenmaker Book 1) by Ander Levisay is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells readers that this book is well worth their time and money!
June 21, 2019
This is the first book I have ever given five stars. Even though it started a little slow for my taste, the time spent getting through the first few chapters paid off big time. By the halfway point, I didn’t want to put it down, but the more I read, the more afraid I was that it would end. Not many books do that to me. This storyline was well done, the characters believable and likeable (especially Embla), and the ending was exactly like I wanted it to be. Okay, maybe the thing with Ceolwen was a little extreme, but it was still good. The book was also well written and edited, with the exception of a few minor mistakes. This is the kind of quality book that I, as an Indie writer, like to see. Well done.
November 7, 2020
Great book with a strong female protagonist venturing out into unknown lands and seas. It’s a fascinating fictional world with characters battling against other regions, Mother Nature, as well as their own fears and doubts. I'm glad this is the first in a series as I can't wait for the next one to come out and the tale to continue!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews