The Sea Queen: A Sweeping Norse Saga of Honor and Betrayal in 9th Century Norway – Book 2 of The Half-Drowned King

The Half-Drowned King #2

by Linnea Hartsuyker

An exhilarating Viking saga filled with the rich history, romantic adventure and political intrigue that have made Diana Gabaldon’s  Outlander , George R. R. Martin’s  Game of Thrones,  as well as Phillippa Gregory’s historical fiction and Neil Gaiman’s  Norse Mythology  popular bestsellers.  Six years after The Half-Drowned King , Ragnvald Eysteinsson is now king of Sogn, but fighting battles for King Harald keeps him away from home, as he confronts treachery and navigates a political landscape that grows more dangerous the higher he rises. Ragnvald’s sister Svanhild has found the freedom and adventure she craves at the side of the rebel explorer Solvi Hunthiofsson, though not without a cost. She longs for a home where her quiet son can grow strong, and a place where she can put down roots, even as Solvi’s ambition draws him back to Norway’s battles again and keeps her divided from her brother. As a growing rebellion unites King Harald’s enemies, Ragnvald suspects that some Norse nobles are not loyal to Harald’s dream of a unified Norway. He sets a plan in motion to defeat all of his enemies, and bring his sister back to his side, while Svanhild finds herself with no easy decisions, and no choices that will leave her truly free. Their actions will hold irrevocable repercussions for the fates of those they love and for Norway itself. The Sea Queen returns to the fjords and halls of Viking-Age Scandinavia, a world of violence and prophecy, where honor is challenged by shifting alliances, and vengeance is always a threat to peace.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Audiobook, Mythology, Adult

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

I am a full time writer of historical fiction with an MFA in Creative Writing from NYU and a BS in Material Science and Engineering from Cornell University. I live and work in New Hampshire.

I am also an avid knitter, Crossfitter, traveler, and cook, and a reader of all genres of fiction and non-fiction.

Reviews

[Will Byrnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unna made a skeptical noise and tightened her arm in Svanhild’s “Every man will fail you eventually,” she said. “Look to your own future.”

…She seemed to be carved of ice and fire, not the wood and earth that made up most people.

In volume two of The Half-Drowned King trilogy, Ragnwald, (the glug-glug royal of book 1, henceforth referred to as Rags) is off engaging in battles to secure as much of Norway as possible for King Harald, and suffers a bad oopsy when he is tricked into attacking Harald’s men. Although he quickly recovers, damage is done that will inform the rest of the story. Some guy named Atli, and his armed associates, stroll into Sogn, Rags’s property, and take over. Definitely bad optics for King Harald’s right hand man to lose his own turf so easily. Of course it is tough to defend your turf when you are away so often at war.


Linnea Hartsuyker - image from her site

Svanhild, to be referred to here as Svan, is an attentive student of her husband, the raider (inspired by Loki) Solvi, and has become a fine seawoman. But their son does not share their aqueous inclinations. Svan wants to have some land on which to raise him, so off to Iceland, a place many turned to as an escape from the constant warring in Scandinavia, and the taxes imposed by new rulers. Sure, it has some issues with volcanism (don’t know if the early settlers were beset by fairies yet), but it was possible for any enterprising Viking to claim a plot of land (that was not already claimed, of course) by measuring out the turf he (or she) could walk a bovine in a set period. (Run, Elsie, run!) Domestic bliss does not ensue, as Solvi would prefer to win back his ancestral land in Norway, and is insensitive to his son’s needs. Svan is faced with some pretty serious choices, however much these crazy kids are drawn to each other. By being part of Solvi’s company, Svan is put into the position of having to make war on her brother, Rags, and a very hunky guy who has the hots for her, King Harald. What’s a budding Boadicea, a vivacious Valkyrie to do?



Complications are present everywhere, helped along by a polygamous society, assuring competition, overt and concealed, among the not-always-so-sisterly wives, for benefits (better lodging, food, clothing) for themselves and their children (a high place in the hierarchy of who will inherit the most from papa), not to mention concubines, and their rug rats. There is plenty of family feuding as well, among brothers mostly, for who deserves daddy’s approval (land, army, and throne). As one might imagine this leads to some bad decisions. And kings being kings, and princes being princes, feeling that they can do whatever they want without consequence, there are some feckless, cruel deeds committed, which, according to Newton’s laws of physics, entail opposite reactions.

Not all the bi-horned raider sorts are the same. Some trust to fate and feelz, while other players are more strategic, able to see entire chessboards instead of only single moves. This perspective leads to using people as pawns in the larger game. Does that make them bad people? Or just smart ones? Sometimes the pawns resent being used.


Faroe Islands - shot from LH’s Tumblr

Between the sundry family and military battles, the back-stabbings, the plotting, and the double-dealing, you might be reminded of Game of Thrones. One difference, though, between, this and tGot, as well as a difference between this and the prior volume in the series, is the absence of magic. Sorry, no dragons, white walkers, queens giving birth to eggs, no people or other creatures returning from the dead, et al. This is not a fantasy novel, but a historical one. The series tells of the creation of Norway, using real, historical characters, with a few made-up ones included to smooth the story-telling. The first volume dipped into the vision thing, for a bit of fantasy, based nicely in the religious beliefs of the age. This time, not so much. Although it is not entirely clear whether Harald’s mother, Ronhild, a respected healer, might not be adding a dash of witchery into her herbal potions. And Harald does still seem blessed by the gods. Hartsuyker even mentions in an interview that he was so unrelentingly successful that he became too boring to use as the main character, leading her to look elsewhere for focal points.

The first novel split its attention between the two siblings, Rags and Svan, with a preponderance of ink given to the Ragstime. This time (and the title should clue you in to this) more attention is paid to the ladies, although Hartsuyker maintains a pretty reasonable balance between the hims and hers. Hartsuyker is interested not only in how Norway came to be, but in the roles of men and women in the struggle for its creation.


Replica of a 9th century Viking ship – image from Ancient-Origins.com

She talked about this in an interview for The Qwillery:

I’m very interested in the ways that women could navigate the challenges of a pre-modern society. I wanted my women characters to be plausible for the time-period, while reflecting the fact that women are people, every bit as much as men, and would rebel, have ambitions, and struggle against their limitations. I’ve tried to represent different ways that women would deal with a violent society in which they had fewer rights than today: Hilda [Rags’s wife] goes along to get along, Ascrida [Svan and Rags’s mother] is nearly broken by what she’s endured but still tries to make choices to keep her family safe, Vigdis [Rags’s and Svan’s stepmother] uses her sexuality to further her ambitions, and Svanhild, the heroine, makes rash and idealistic choices, and then has to face the consequences.

Svan is truly Svan in a million, sustaining the independent spirit she demonstrated in volume 1, absorbing knowledge like a sponge, standing up for what she believes is right, and having the courage to make extremely difficult choices. She is referred to by both Solvi and Harald as a Sea Queen, and makes good on the title.

In the Genre Bending Interview, Hartsuyker talks about the ancient world as offering the same appeal as dystopian, post-apocalyptic tales, as the people had minimal tech, and kinetic conflict was primarily physical as opposed to technological. No drone strikes or programmed viruses in ancient Norway.


Pimngvellir, site of the ancient Icelandic Parliament – image from Icelanmdmonitor.mbl.is

Gripes are few here. I hoped for more of the fantastical element, which was more overt in the first book, but more undercover here. Being an adult male, I would have liked to have seen more of the kinetic conflict from an immediate perspective, instead of having so much of it reported after the fact. There is also the eternal problem of second books in a series. One of the great joys in reading any series is getting to know the characters as they are introduced. Once we know them, that tingle is gone. The shininess of book one is maybe a shade less sparkly the second time around, but there is certainly enough going on to keep one interested, and enough new faces and situations to add extra depth and color.


This guy might make a pretty good Solvi - image fr0m apple mania.co

On the other hand, I really enjoyed the palace intrigue and exploring the characters’ palette of thoughts and feelings about the challenges they faced. Rags’ continuing struggle to do right by his family and his king, could echo any 21st century man’s challenge in balancing work and family. The themes that permeate the novel, while well-grounded in this ancient time, resonate with life today.

I don’t think it’s possible to write a book that doesn’t comment on social issues. Novels express the values of the writer whether we want them to or not. The characters in [this trilogy] deal with issues of their time, but even these are expressions of timeless questions: how do we balance freedom and security, what do we look for in our leaders, how far will we go for justice or vengeance? I’ve tried to show both the rewards and costs of different ways of answering those questions.

Not to mention eternal themes of love and passion, which figure large here. Be sure to stay away from Wikipedia or Viking history sites if you want to keep the conclusion of it all from spoiling your enjoyment of these novels. They are based on actual history. But if you can manage that, you are in for a treat. The Sea Queen is a worthy successor to The Half-Drowned King, and an intriguing bridge to the final book in the series, The Golden Wolf, due out Summer 2019. Hop aboard. You will enjoy the ride, and take off that silly hat.


Review posted – August 17, 2018

Publication date – August 14, 2018

=============================EXTRA STUFF

Links to the author’s personal, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter pages

Items of interest
----- The Qwillery -– Tuesday, August 1, 2017
----- Fantasy Literature - Linnea Hartsuyker: Five Surprising Things I learned about Vikings
-----Bookpage`
-----Genre Bending - video – about 10 minutes
-----The Harper Book Queen included a look at this book in her TBR Tuesdays FB live broadcast from 8/14/18 - it's the first book covered

[Amy Imogene Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5. stars

Vikings, Norse origin stories, swashbuckling sea epics, intrigue, betrayal, love, hate, brotherhood, suspense, surprises, death. And a dash of women's oppression/agency to make your emotions extra confused. The Sea Queen is such a large concept I don't even know how to break it down.

Plot: ★★★★★
Pacing: ★★ and ★★★★
Sense of time and place: ★★ 1/2
Character growth: ★★★★★

The Sea Queen is the second book in the Half-Drowned King trilogy, which is set in a historically-grounded ancient Norway where factions of kingdoms are all vying for power—and one man is fated to unite or doom them all. Enter the most interesting and fantasy epic-esque historical fiction novel that I have ever read.

This series is something special. Following multiple POVs at the heart of this multi-year epic story, it's occasionally hard to keep everyone's plot line straight. Maybe it's because Norse names are so hard to pronounce and remember. Or because so many of the character arcs are more convoluted than fantasies. Who knows. Either way, The Sea Queen takes the political maneuverings of its characters to the next level.

However, be prepared for some pretty significant time jumps. With the amount of action The Sea Queen has, I was expecting all of the 400+ pages to fall within the same chunk of time. Nope. Wrong. This isn't an exact number, but the entire novel spans what feels like almost 10 years. And it jumps from year to year randomly—for example, a character finds out she's pregnant at the end of one chapter, and then the next page she's had her baby several months ago. But then, there will be three chapters in a row where the action is happening back to back. Excuse me, but what?

What I liked:
Ragnavald's complicated viewpoints on honor and loyalty, Solvi's deviousness, Svanhild's sense of strength—even if I wanted to shake her at times, and the lush worldbuilding. Oh, and the very last chapter of Svanhild's sea epic battle and exchange with Solvi was one of the best scenes I've read in a long time. How cruel of the author to give that to us at the very end of the novel...

What I really struggled with:
The random jumps in time (see above). Also, as a woman reading this in 2019, WOW was it hard to go back to this time period and watch the role of women in this novel. Svanhild's storyline broke my HEART, and I kept wanting to reach into the story and shake the woman and tell her to do something—anything—to push back on these terrible ideas of womanhood and coerced sexual situations. It's a testament to this story's epic world building and emotional range that I continued to read, as this topic is one that usually leaves me with an automatic DNF.

[Truman32 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Half-Drowned King viking trilogy has been compared to the Game of Thrones books and in some ways this is understandable. Both consist of a series of assembled pages of mushed wood fibers bound with heavy covers and spines. Both are rectangular in dimension and portable. And both make top-grade spider crushers if you happen to stumble across a particularly aggressive arachnid scurrying across the kitchen floor. Yet in other ways this is unfair. Game of Thrones is such an established, popular series that these comparisons can lead to disappointment, frustration, and (according to Web M.D.) even oozing boils. It reminds me of a past experience of mine, from back in high school. I was at the big Rydell dance with Cha Cha, but I could not stop comparing her to the girl I already really liked – Sandy Olsson, this sweet Australian girl I met over the summer break. Sandy was great and I was smitten with her from when I first saved her life (she had a cramp and nearly drowned). But in her own way, Cha Cha was great too. She was sultry, a great dancer, and, unbeknownst to many a leading philanthropist: tirelessly working to replenish Bluefin Tuna populations in northern Atlantic waters, purchasing school supplies for needy students unfairly cursed with red-hair (the silent gingers), and even donating a kidney to famed actor Ed Asner. Even my good pals Kenickie and Rizzo agreed that I should have valued Cha Cha on her own merits, rather then comparing her to some blonde angel who resembled the stunning Olivia Newton John. And the same should be said for the Half-Drowned King series. Leave Game of Thrones out of it.

The Sea Queen is the second book here and it moves just as fast (with the same thrills, chills, and Norwegian mayhem) as the first one. Author Linnea Hartsuyker brings the characters to life in such vibrancy you can practically smell the pickled herring and hear the screams of agony as battle-axes sunder limbs and phalanges. Our hero Ragnvald is waging war for King Harald as his sister, Svanhild sails the turbulent seas with his greatest enemy, Solvi Hunthiofsson. But these situations are bound to change. As any educated reader of Hägar the Horrible knows, Vikings are a proud people and they get their noses bent out of joint easily. This means before you can shout, “Valhalla, I am coming!” there will be many betrayals, double-crosses, and unadulterated skullduggery. The plot is sharper than the tapered points atop a horned helmet and the pages run by quicker than Adrian Peterson charging towards the end zone at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. The Sea Queen is a worthy sequel to a fine series that even Odin, ruler of Asgard, would give two hearty thumbs up.

[Sergio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nella “Regina del Mare”, secondo volume della saga di Linnea Hartsuyker che narra le vicende che portarono nel X secolo all’unificazione della Norvegia sotto un unico re, Harald I Bellachioma, proseguono gli scontri che Harald e il suo più prezioso alleato Ragnwald intraprendono contro tutti coloro che non vogliono accettarlo come unico Re di Norvegia e che dunque gli fanno guerra e tra questi primeggiano Solm il pirata, già marito di Swanhild, sorella di Ragnwald, e re Hakon che, a lungo andare tradisce l’alleanza con Harald passando nel numero degli avversari. Ma buona parte del racconto di questo volume è incentrato sia sulla vendetta scatenata dai figli di Re Hakon che non accettano le decisioni di Re Harald di ricomporre amichevolmente una faida che sulle avventure di Hilda, sorella di Ragnwald, donna dalle grandi capacità marinare e umane.

Come nel primo volume della saga, la lettura è scorrevole e piacevole ma per essere una saga di guerra, di battaglie e duelli, la descrizione delle azioni guerresche è ridotta al minimo mentre i dialoghi, anche quelli ininfluenti e superflui ai fini del racconto, abbondano e a volte stancano per la loro lunghezza e inutilità. Nel complesso una bella lettura su un argomento molto interessante e poco conosciuto ai più, ma nel campo dei romanzi storici medievali ci sono scrittori come Cornwell, Iggulden, Follett, Rutherfurd, che sono una spanna al di sopra della pur volenterosa scrittrice americana.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sea Queen is the 2nd book in this trilogy. This book takes place 6 years after the Half Drowned King. We find Svanhild is married to Solvi Hunthiofason, her brother King Ragnvald’s arch enemy. Ragnvald is fighting battles for King Harold, who wants to rule all of Norway. There is much conflict between Ragnvald and Solvi and King Harold.
This series was inspired from “The Saga of Harold Harfagr”. It is very well written and researched but I seemed to enjoy the 1st book better.
I was very confused with the cast of characters and had to look back to the character list in the front of the book. This book centers of Svanhild’s character and her life with Solvi. It is full of drama and heartbreak. I am very vested in this story and can not wait to read the conclusion.

[Karyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book of this trilogy was a fine Viking adventure, with fortunes changing with the wind and tides. The smell of the sea and the whirling Nordic sky are a welcome backdrop to life here in parched Florida, and I look forward to reading the final book.

My rating is 4.5.

[Melliane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mon avis en Français

My English review

J’avais passé un bon moment avec le premier tome de la série et si j’avais oublié pas mal l’histoire le temps de la sortie du tome 2, je suis revenue dans l’univers avec plaisir. Il m’a fallu quelques chapitres pour resituer les faits, mais j’étais ravie de retrouver les personnages et de voir la suite de leurs aventures.

Solvi, Ragnvald, Svanhild sont de retour, et nous replongeons dans leur histoire, et bien sûr dans cette guerre qui les oppose. Même s’ils pensaient avoir un peu de répit, les choses changent rapidement et leur montre que le repos n’est pas pour eux. Mais en plus de ça, Solvi et Svanhild vont devoir gérer leurs propres problèmes pour essayer de faire avancer leur famille. Pourtant, les choses sont loin d’être simples. Et Ragnvald ? Eh bien, il va se rendre compte que les choses ne sont pas aussi blanches ou noires comme il le pensait et il devra faire des choix difficiles quand tout le monde essaie de le manipuler.

C’était un roman vraiment prenant une fois de plus et j’ai beaucoup aimé voir ce qui se passait pour chacun des personnages. La vie n’est pas simple et les dangers sont à chaque coin de route, mais ils devront tous avancer et prendre des décisions. J’étais triste pour Svanhild qui subit plus que tous les autres dans ce second tome, mais je suis vraiment curieuse de voir ce qu’il va se passer pour elle à présent.

Oui, une histoire très intéressante, complexe et qui nous garde en haleine jusqu’à la fin !

[Gary K Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sea Queen is the second of Linnea Hartsuyker’s Half-Drowned King trilogy (I’ve also seen it listed as The Golden Wolf Saga). If you are reading this I’m hoping you read the first book (The Half-Drowned King). If you haven’t, there are some minor spoilers ahead regarding the first book.

This book picks up 6 years after the first. The war theater has expanded. Many kings who have refused to bend the knee have fled to either Iceland, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, Denmark, as well as Ireland and Scotland. Solvi and Svanhild have a chiild. Svanhild has learned much from Solvi about how to master the sea. Ragnvald has multiple children as well with his wife Hilda... and ummmm his stepmother Vigdis. Awkward. King Harald has grown from a boy king controlled by his uncle (Guthorm) into more of his own man.

Harald has pretty much the same attitude as in the first book in that he is convinced by prophecy (from his mom) that he is destined to be king of all Norway and cannot lose. Ragnvald of course has to bail him out of many not-so-well-thought-out situations. Of course Ragnvald’s judgement isn’t much better as he feels that his destiny - or Wyrd - is driven to help Harald become king. This goes back to his vision of Harald as a Golden Wolf from a near death experience (the half-drowned part) in the first book. (Also backed up by Harold’s mom - haha) This of course leads Ragnvald into some decisions that he later regrets and despite their strong friendship - his loyalty fractures a bit and he starts to doubt his Golden Wolf.

Many characters from the first book are back - Hakon (and his sons), Ragnvald’s step brother Sigurd, Gerta, as well as the aforementioned Vigdis. Many of whom had much bigger and consequential parts to play. There are new characters as well - Atli who becomes a new thorn in Ragnvald’s side, King’s Eirick and Rane of Sweden.

As with the first book there are several atrocities that play out, but to me anyway I think “Yeah that sounds about right for this time period”. There also seems to be a considerable amount of personal clout tied to those that keep their oaths. You can burn people alive, mutilate them, murder, rape, and so on... and that’s not nearly as big of deal as someone that is considered an “Oathbreaker”.

There was a lot of adventuring and exploring into the fjords which I liked and was glad they added that detail in. I have always thought the fjords are amazing geographic features (Slartibartfast DID win an award for those!). Inspired... I even looked into possible (later) cruise offerings to perhaps see them in person someday.

Given the title of the book I was kind of expecting Svanhild to go all Linda Hamilton (referencing that character’s change of personality between Terminators’ I & II). She’s still as tough and defiant as ever, but the story still seems to split pretty evenly between her and Ragnvald. I took a star off again because I found the writing to be kind of dry... lacking much humor... and quite often not digging too deeply into the personal feelings of the characters as much as I would have liked.

Overall a good continuation of a fun adventure story. I’m moving on to the third in the series “The Golden Wolf”

[Lekeisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much of what I loved about The Half-Drowned King is repeated in this sequel, only much more enhanced. I've always loved Svanhild's character, but she has grown even more here. Her ambitions are much appreciated because if there is one good thing that comes from history, it is that women are determined not to be walked over. While Ragnvald is fighting his own battles concerning Harald, Svanhild is fighting an even bigger battle. It's no spoiler that she is a mother now, but she wants more for them. Solvi is a Viking to his core, and he and Svanhild butt heads more often than not. While Viking men are hard, Svanhild proves that women can be just as fierce.

I absolutely love how much more of this Viking-era that Hartsuyker reimagined. It is filled with politics and war, which is an exhilarating combination when reading historical fiction. If you appreciate thorough research - which is evident in this Viking saga - then I highly recommend this trilogy. I can't wait for the final book!

[Stephen Richter · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you do if your genealogy goes all the way back to a King? You write a trilogy about the King. In this case it is the first King of Norway. In the second book of this series, Linnea uses her Brother and Sister POVs to continue the tale of King Harald's united Norway. Ragnvald and Svanhild are the characters used to retell the story . Story flows nicely around battles and political intrigues.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

1) The Half-Drowned King ★★★☆☆

"She seemed to be carved of ice and fire, not the wood and earth that made up most people."

I feel pretty much the same about this book as I did about the first novel of this trilogy. I absolutely love the amazing historical part the author put so much dedication into. She deserves a lot of praise for this, because it's not easy. The plot follow the end of The Half-Drowned King of course, so we have our two siblings, Ragnvald and Svanhild, each fighting their own battles.

Now, my issue with the first book was that I didn't feel much for the characters. While I'm still not in love with this series, I did like Svanhild and I felt more invested in her arc in this second novel. It's not that I don't care about Ragnvald, and his character is very well-written in both books (if you read my review for the first novel, you also know that I love siblings relationships and it was also well done). But I honestly don't feel much invested in his character. I can't relate to him and feel for him, which once again was my main issue with the first book. In this one, I felt more for Svanhild and she's definitely my favorite character.

However, while I like this series, it's still a three stars ratings because there's something missing for me to love it. I still recommend to everyone who has an interest in Vikings Era (maybe that's also why I don't feel that much invested?), historical fiction done with a lot of research and good writing to give a chance to those books who seem underrated to me despite the personal rating I gave. I truly believe more people would love those books if they read it.

[Kim McGee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ragnvald the half-drowned king is still fighting battles to keep his kingdom and fight for Harald who will be the King of all Norway. This powerful sequel to THE HALF-DROWNED KING features more tough Viking women - none more fierce than Svanhild, dubbed the Sea Queen. While most women were passed from family to family for political alliances or survival, Svanhild knew better than most men how to play to win. She was a superior sea captain and understood the politics better than most men. Linnea Hartsuyker takes the old Norse legends and breathes new life into them with these remarkable characters. Her research is first rate and she creates a very believable picture of what the Vikings were like - all the drama, politics and violence. This is the book to read if you have never missed an episode of VIKINGS or love the family drama of GAME OF THRONES. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

[Shane Findlay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I preferred the first volume in this series. Although this sequel was a pretty decent read. If a bit flat and anticlimactic. The author did extensive research while compiling this story. Which I really appreciate when reading historical fiction.

[Kiran · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The next Game of Thrones' is thrown about a lot in the fantasy world but few books actually deserve it. This one does. Imagine Game of Thrones set in Viking-era Scandinavia and you get this series. Political intrigue, fierce action and Norse mythology all come together for truly epic fantasy. I couldn't imagine a book more specifically written to tick off every single one of my boxes if I tried.

One of my favourite themes in fantasy is the idea of fate and seeing how characters confront, accept or struggle with their fate. In a fascinating deviation from the norm, the protagonist, Ragnvald, isn't destined to be the Chosen One, he's destined to help the Chosen One unify Norway even if it costs him everything. His sister Svanhild is the other protagonist, the titular Sea Queen, and is a perfect example of how you write a powerful, flawed female character who truly feels feminist despite the limitations of women in that era but in a realistic way.

Full disclosure, I love Norse mythology and Scandinavian history so this was right up my alley but even if you don't, this would still be an absolutely riveting fantasy read.

[A. L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4. A good, solid story. I’m enjoying learning part of the Nordic history I’d never learned before.

[Kristin Ames · Rating 2 out of 5]

*audio book*

2.5 Stars

I'm not sure if I'll continue this trilogy or not. I liked the Half-Drowned King, though I found the pacing to be a little slow and while this one continued on with the tad-too slow pacing, it lost that bit extra that made the first book so enjoyable.

I think the problem was all the characters were less likable, with the exception of Svanhild. Ragnvald had too little freedom in this novel as he was relegated to King Harald's war servant. King Harald lost that boy arrogance from the first novel that made him kind of fun and charming. Now he just seemed like a pompous, selfish ass and Solvi, oh man don't get me started.

In book one, Solvi right out the gate makes a bad move, but the reasoning behind the move gets explained and his character gets so flushed out that by the end of the novel I came to adore him, as well as his relationship with Svanhild. Then comes along The Sea Queen and for what seems like no reason at all, Solvi turns into a complete douche, which wrecked everything he rebuilt in the first novel and completely trashed his character. I felt like Hartsuyker turned Solvi into this douche in order to create a plot device to re-position Svanhild, however, it rang untrue to Solvi's character.

The ending brought a little of the goodness back for me, but I fear it was not enough to save this novel because for large chunks of the book I found myself daydreaming and unless Svanhild was present, I didn't care about my lack of inattention.

I'll have to wait and see how the third book gets reviewed before I agree to finish this one out.

Happy reading!

[Maja · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I said in my review for the prior book, this sort of thing isn't my usual style at all, but it shares a lot of qualities with the sort of sprawling epic fantasy I tend to really enjoy, so I'm ultimately so very here for it. The plot is dense but never moves too quickly; the characters are engaging, compelling, and complexly intertwined in super delightful ways. The writing is gorgeous, and the worldbuilding (if you can call it that in historical fiction??) is so intricate and lovely. I really, really enjoyed this, just as much as the first one if not more!

I loved checking in with all of the characters I loved so much, and seeing how much has changed, how the relationships and connections have shifted and keep shifting. The stakes feel so much higher, as does my investment; I love how much Svanhild, especially, has grown and matured, and how much of a badass she remains in pretty much every capacity. The world feels so much bigger, here, both in scope of the characters (so many POVs!) and the story itself. I really, really enjoyed it, and am so glad this series is continuing.

Biggest complaint about it, though -- even though a great deal of it is more enjoyable to me than book one! -- is the giant time skip between the books (and the smaller one mid-book!!), which is mentioned in the summary here but WITHIN THE NARRATIVE DOES NOT GET EXPLAINED AT ALL!! At least give me an aside at the start or something, Linnea, what the fuck!! It confused me SO INTENSELY at the beginning, and it took me a long time to try to gauge just how much time must have passed, and it just... threw me all off, in a series that's already so dense, with such difficulty keeping track of both plot and characters. No need to make it so much worse for no reason when it could all be cleared up SO BRIEFLY!! You shouldn't expect that readers are definitely going to see the summary and be prepared (especially since I think the inside jacket flap doesn't spell the length of the skip out like this one does??), and things in this series are already complicated enough without adding meta complications to the pot!!

[Rowena Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I persevered with this one primarily because I had already got it out of the library and it seemed a shame to return it without giving it a chance, and I am glad I did, because it was a stronger book than the first one in the series.

I would still say that the characters and plot are weaker than the setting and detail, but they are more balanced this time, as though the author has settled more into the narrative. There was certainly a lot more depth to the plot than in the first book, and Svanhild has come into her own as a character and while still not as vivid and relatable as I would like from a main character it is a definite improvement, although Ragnvald remains a character that I struggled to really feel invested in.

An improvement to be sure, and I have to say that I do admire the author’s dedication to detail and the world-building, but I don’t think I will be going any further with this series.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Come è difficile parlare di questa incredibile saga, più vicina agli epic fantasy che a un romanzo storico, secondo me!Linnea, dopo un inizio un po incerto, riprende le redini della storia e ci regala un'avventura pazzesca, fatta per lo più di riflessioni e strategie, ma che ci porta a conoscere intimamente i personaggi!Tutti i pezzi sono pronti sulla scacchiera per la grande battaglia finale...Quello che amo di più di questa saga è quanto i personaggi sono umani, non c'è idealizzazione!!!Anche Ragnvald il Saggio sbaglia e si umilia, Solvi fa una cappellata dietro l'altra e Harald si mostra debole e crudele...Insomma non vedo l'ora esca il terzo volume!!!

[Laure · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! Heartbreaking! Magnifiscent!
This outdo by far the previous volume and I can but marvel at the intricate story, the depth of the characters and their ambitions crossing what they want. I feel like I know them better and Svanhild owned the show throughout the book like a true sea queen! Ragnvald seems to have become a complicated man instead of a boy and I got to say I squealed when reading about Rolli and any of Ragnvald's sons, knowing what they would become next.
This was a wonderful wonderful book!

[Bett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this second part of Hartsuyker's trilogy of Viking [circa 9th C] life even more than the first, maybe because it focused more on the sister sibling, Svanhild, than her warrior brother. Svanhild is quite an adventurer herself but also had to learn how to navigate/negotiate/manipulate with the men around her for her very survival, not to mention success. It's an engaging world, easy to get lost in while reading; if you're like me you'll start speaking like a medieval Viking if you're not careful!

[IsagelCharles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book! My one quibble with The Half-drowned King, the first book in this trilogy, was that it dragged a little in places; The Sea Queen most definitely does not. I was deeply engaged through every turn in the fate of all the many characters and their complex relationships with one another, their loves and loyalties and betrayals. As the title indicates, this is first and foremost Svanhild’s book, and I absolutely love her. Can’t wait to see what Hartsuyker has in store for the final part of the series!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping second book in this series—focuses more on Svanhild and really rounds her out as a heroine in her own right. Very feminist but still in the heirarchy of the time. Also sheds more depth to the other characters introduced in the first book. Enjoyed this book quite a bit! Unsure where the next book will head to—this seemed to me to be a great ending, but I will definitely read the third (and I believe last) in the series to see how it ends for Harald and Norway.

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read overall. There were some areas where I felt the book dragged a bit. I

I set this one down several times and kept coming back to it. There was a lot of promise here.

I have told myself that I am going to go back and read the first book and then read this one again. I think it would make a bit more sense, and tie some things together that I felt were not super clear in this book.

Overall, a good read, and one that I think many will enjoy.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good installment in this series. This one, as is pretty typical for a second book in a trilogy, has a LOT of moving parts and pieces and people...but Ragvnald and Svanhild are still the main focus of the plot, and that makes it worthwhile in the parts that drag a bit, because they're such engaging characters.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book two of this addictive and hard to put down Norse historical fiction. Svanhild is definitely becoming an all-time fave literary character for me. Compelling multi-character story about the battle for the unification and throne of Norway. Game of what now?

[Megan K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good!!!!!! I had so much fun with this and can’t wait to read the final book in the trilogy.

Books like this make me happy I’m trying to branch out a bit more and read other genres besides sci-fi/fantasy.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Didn't get anything done the past 2 days because I just had to keep reading! Highly recommend. It's the 2nd book in a projected trilogy so read the 1st one before this one.

[Sydney Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than the first. The characters and world grow with more and more complications.

[Monica Hills · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one better than the 1st novel. There are aspects to these books that really draw me in and then at other times it is just too wordy. I get lost in all of the characters. I will read the 3rd when it comes out because I do want to know what happens. Plus I don’t get a chance to read many books about the 9th century that often.