The Norse Queen

The Norsewomen #1

by Johanna Wittenberg

Ninth-century Norway, the dawn of the Viking age--a land shattered into thirty warring kingdoms. A woman could seize power, if she was bold enough. Daughter of a Norse king, fifteen-year-old Åsa dreams of becoming a shield-maiden. When she spurns a powerful warlord, he rains hellfire on her family, slaughtering her father and brother and taking her captive. To protect her people, Åsa must wed her father's killer. To take vengeance, she must become his queen.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Fiction, Romance, Audiobook, Medieval

320 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 11, 2020

About the author

Like her Viking forebears, Johanna Wittenberg has sailed to the far reaches of the world. She lives on a fjord in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, whom she met on a ship bound for Antarctica.

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Reviews

[Helen Hollick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Scandinavian saga. Well-written, with a significant number of strange, ancient Norse words, handled with such dexterity by the author that they are easily assimilated and barely affect the flow of the story.

What I liked most about the book was its pace – firm and steady, never deviating from the central theme. Asa, the daughter of the king of Tromoy, is invited to marry Gudrod, the king of a neighbouring settlement. Her refusal sets off a series of events that changes her life and the lives of everyone in Tromoy. Life in ninth century Norway was tough.

The various settlements carried out frequent murderous raids on each other to seize goods and capture wives and slaves. Their daily lives were heavily influenced by Odin, Freya, and the rest of the ancient Scandinavian gods, the sorceress, or Völva, having the final say in everything they did. Animals were sacrificed to appease the gods in times of stress or conflict. And faced with overwhelming odds in battle, they even resorted to human sacrifice.

The book is historical fiction, but its pages are a solid primer in Norse history of the period.

Highly recommended. There’s a sequel, too, that I hope to read.

Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good! A interesting ( sort of true) viking story. I loved how strong Asa was. She survives her grief and her husband. Olfa was weak in comparison, though he was only 16.

The only complaint I have is that I wish the author didn't keep it so clean. I just would have liked it a little grittier in violence and sex. The sex is non- existence. I don't need steam but the characters just kiss and land on the ground then it's over in the next sentence. It would have made her struggle even more believable.

Despite this small complaint, the story was entertaining. I will continue this series.

[S.D. Reeves · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

Nuanced, professionally researched, and exciting. The Norse Queen by Johanna Wittenberg is a rare triple threat to your free time.

Norse mythic novels were all the rage about fifteen years ago. These ranged in quality, so when I was approached with this title, I was at first a bit skeptical. Until I did some laymen (google) research:

“Åsa Haraldsdottir of Agder was a legendary Norwegian Viking Age queen regnant of the petty kingdom of Agder. According to sagas referencing the clan Yngling…”

Yes, the character in question existed, and after reading just a few chapters in, I was astounded at the quality. We follow Asa, the future and titular Norse Queen, in a coming-of-age adventure to recover her birthright and avenge the events that lead her to be the last remaining member of her family. Drama ensues, and we are treated to a winding mystical, sometimes even fantastical, story.

Wittenberg has navigated a difficult road in this retelling, spinning compelling drama while keeping true to the larger details. This is a historical drama. This is at times, a fantasy piece. This is a love story with plenty of action and enough rituals and historical references to make a history nerd not troll it into oblivion. Beyond this I found the author’s writing style fantastic. Touching upon my original fears, I was worried this book would end up being a bit oversimple; if I were to do a cliche faux pas and judge it by the cover. That is not the case. The descriptions are wonderful, and really help ground the plot. In addition, the characters are all well-written. Even the main antagonist is sympathetic – full of the moral grey that an unforgiving world requires.

Ahh, but nothing is ever perfect. Insanabile cacoethes scribendi. Latin, an incurable vice of writing, but it applies here (taken literally). Norse Queen follows a rhythm like most others, the old symphonic structure. The middle by this is usually the place that is softer, sweeter; it drags. This book is no exception. Also, I was not entirely convinced that two characters (the romantic aspect aforementioned) would form a believable pair. Still, given the conclusion, this is not enough to really knock the book.

The Norse Queen is a well-written and exciting tale. Wittenberg’s writing is nuanced, descriptive, and vivid. Her plotting, and storytelling is also superb. I was happy to have been given the opportunity to read this wonderful tale, and I fully believe this book has all the key ingredients of any good historical fiction and will delight fans for years to come.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tromoy, Norway. August, AD 818. Early Medieval Period. Johanna Wittenberg’s The Norse Queen is a captivating read. I read late into the night as each chapter ended, I just had to discover where the author is leading me! I have been lucky enough to have visited Sweden, Finland, and I stayed in Copenhagen, Denmark (My husband surprised me with a trip to Hamlet’s ‘castle’.) in addition to a cruise up Norway viewing fjords while continuing North into the Article Sea to ‘the top of the world’, the northern most tip of Norway. What an extraordinary trip where I began to learn a new culture. The author takes the reader much further back in time than I was unable to visit on my trip. Queen Asa was a true historical person, but details of her lifetime is almost completely non-existent except for “scant but tantalizing references in ancient accounts” and some archaeological ‘tidbits’. The author lets the reader into a settlement to experience their religion, their traditions and beliefs, their daily life, what they ate (On my trip I saw cod drying on something similar to a sawhorse.), the women’s weaving, the men’s training for battle, their means of travel and how far they they were able to go. The reader is exposed to the entire world of the early medieval Viking period through this engrossing story and its realistic characters. So well done! 4.5 stars.

[Amy Hagberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Norse Queen takes readers to ninth-century Norway, a time of fierce battles and fractured kingdoms. The protagonist, fifteen-year-old Åsa, is the daughter of a Norse king with dreams of becoming a shield-maiden. Her world shatters when she spurns a powerful warlord who then decimates her family, killing her father and brother and taking her captive. To save her people, she must marry her father’s killer and, to exact her revenge, she must rise to become his queen.

I am of Norwegian heritage and have some familiarity with the culture. The novel’s depiction of Norse culture feels authentic, reflecting meticulous research. For instance, the burial rituals are vividly described: “Far below lay her mother, buried with the baby who killed her. They lay together in the timber burial chamber, tucked into her mother’s bed made up with down-filled linen, surrounded by treasures. Åsa remembered her father performing the rites of death. In a grief-fueled killing frenzy, he’d sacrificed his favorite horses and two dogs along with mixed livestock to accompany his wife and child into the afterlife.”

However, the book loses momentum about halfway through. The battle scenes, while frequent, lacked intensity. The excessive detail sometimes feels like the author is showcasing her knowledge, which can detract from the story’s flow.

Despite these flaws, The Norse Queen offers an interesting portrayal of a young woman's struggle for power and vengeance in a brutal era. It’s a solid read for those interested in Viking history and Norse mythology.

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Q:
“A falcon is a very special blessing from the gods,” (c)
Q:
Åsa felt a pull in her chest as if part of her could soar with the bird. She knew Stormrider did not share this bond. “A falcon is not a dog,” Gunnhild had cautioned her. “If ever she returns to the wild, the tie is broken. She’ll never come back.” (c)
Q:
She remembered a song her mother taught her when she was very young, a vardlokkur, in words humans could not understand. It was a song to call the dísir, the loving spirits of the dead. (c)
Q:
She’d take her arms and armor and travel the land, finding service with another king like the shield-maidens in the sagas. (c)
Q:
“I’ve ruined everything. I have to leave home. I have to run away and take up the shield.” (c)

[The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been years since I've read any historical fiction set in the Viking era, but what a way to be welcomed back. Queen Asa is my kind of heroine - strong, resolute, loyal, and as time wears on, patient and cunning. This novel grabbed me from page one and kept me riveted. Will definitely be reading book 2.

Kindle Unlimited often surprises me with some really great reads, lol.

[Karen Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a surprising, well-written read that I was not expecting. I really love how this author was able to weave a relatively accurate history with magic and runes. With the perspective of a woman she was able to capture the atrocities of war and what would be a realistic expectation of what would happen to captured women of war and yet still made it enjoyable to read. I will be eagerly diving into the next one in the series.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started this book, I was pretty into it. However, by the halfway point, it had sort of lost me. By the time Asa had made it to Borre, the plot really slowed down to a crawl and not a lot of anything interesting happens again until the last ten percent of the book. At the end of the day, I just didn't find Asa as compelling of a main character as I normally would have liked, and I simply didn't care for Olaf so each of his chapters felt like a bit of a waste. My understanding is Queen Asa was a real queen without a lot of information left on her, so you could have easily fleshed out and expanded her tale with creativity. To that end, it felt kind of stupid to take so much attention away from her to follow her lovesick puppy around while he did barely anything of use.

I do find this book very well written and well researched, so maybe someone who's more interested in this sort of historical tale would find it more fascinating. There's mythology and mysticism added into it, but I honestly don't feel as if that enhanced the story at all. It becomes more prominent as the novel goes on, but it wasn't really a draw to keep me interested.

Not the worst historical novel I've read, but not really my cup of tea.

[claudia reads it all · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Norse Queen is inspired by the real like Queen Åsa Haraldsdottir of Agder, and she is brought to life as she navigates grief and revenge when she turns down a proposal from King Gudrød the Hunter and then he comes back and kills everyone - and forces her to marry him.
Åsa copes with the guilt of knowing it was her decision to turn down Gudrød that ended with her family dying, and finds an ally in Gudrød's son Olaf.
The struggle to live in such a situation brings out the best in Åsa, who has gone from the beloved young daughter of a king to a young mother and queen, who must make choices not only for herself, but for her son Halfdan - and is married to the person she hates the most in the world.
I enjoyed being immersed in the world of the Viking Age kingdoms, the characters were well rounded and believable and the story, although based on the historical record, is engaging and compelling.

[Mary Yarde · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The daughter of this house has a proud destiny in the web of fate.”

The Norse Queen is fast-paced adventure loosely based on legendary Viking Queen Åsa of Tromøy who lived in the 9th century. We delve into a world of warriors and strong women who meet their fate head-on, and a light touch of magic that adds to the storytelling part of this engrossing novel.

Fifteen-year-old Åsa dreams of becoming a shield-maiden. Living in the small kingdom of Tromøy, on Norway’s southern tip, she grows up with a relative degree of freedom and responsibility. Following her mother’s death in childbirth, she is now the lady of the settlement, welcoming visitors and ensuring the household is run smoothly, especially when her father, King Harald, is away. But in her free time, she loves to best her brother, Gyrd, in play swordfights. Trained by old Jarl Borg, a longterm fighting companion of her father, she revels in honing her skills, like a true warrior.

When handsome young Olaf – the son of Harald’s former friend but now enemy, Gudrød of Borre – visits Tromøy, she is instantly smitten. Her head full of romantic dreams, she is horrified when the true nature of Olaf’s visit is revealed: she is invited to wed not Olaf, but his old father, Gudrød. Angrily, she refuses the offer, as is her right, and Olaf is sent back to Borre, empty-handed. But little does she know the chain of events her reaction has caused.

The arrival of the völva Heid, a highly respected wise-woman and shaman, in Olaf’s wake doesn’t change Åsa’s intentions, and eventually, even the healer leaves, frustrated, her parting words a soon-to-be-fulfilled warning.

Back in Borre, Olaf faces his father’s wrath. Despite his growing feelings for Åsa, yet keen to impress his harsh father, his failure sees Gudrød leave him behind when he raises his followers, including Olaf’s half-brother, Hrolf, and travels by sea to attack Tromøy.

When Gudrød kills Åsa’s father and brother in face-to-face combat, his incredible Serkland sword cutting through their weapons like cheese, her fate is sealed. Her people dead or fleeing, she is taken to Borre and locked up by Heid in the bower, safely out of Gudrød’s clutches, whilst awaiting the auspicious date of her wedding. When she manages to escape only days before, it is Olaf who rescues her from danger. Yet even a night of frantic love-making does not stop him from taking her back to Borre.

But an unexpected surprise awaits Åsa on her wedding night…

“But I will have my revenge.”

Åsa is a brave young girl growing up with dreams of being a shield-maiden. Yet fate has conspired against her. From the tranquil, peaceful setting in Tromøy, where she enjoyed the respect and indulgence of her people, her enforced journey to Borre to wed her father’s murderer is a steep learning curve for her. But she is also aware that these things happened all across the Viking realms (for there were many small kingdoms and earldoms). Daughters are meant to wed for political gain, to seal deals. But in her head, she is quite content to stay as her father’s host, the lady of Tromøy. When she is suddenly torn from this warm embrace of safety and security, her mind is set. She knows her life is not safe, but she is more concerned about the people left behind who – with the harvest and food stores burnt by Gudrød’s men – face starvation. This is one of her prime motivators for her escape, even though she knows, deep down, that Gudrød would chase her and wreak his revenge.

It’s great to see a strong female character in Åsa, who, after her teenage bubble of happiness is burst, is aware of her position as daughter of a king, although fate can change swiftly. Gudrød still seeks to sacrifice her even after their wedding, but aided by the völva Heid, she realizes that there are greater forces at work, forces she can use to her advantage. Heid keeps her safe, but for how long?

Heid, the wise-woman, is another strong female character. She is highly respected amongst Viking communities. Her visions feared by ordinary men and leaders, influencing important political decisions. Her high rank is obvious from the beginning. Of indeterminate age and crippled, we learn very little about her background, until near the end, when an intriguing link to her past is revealed. Like Åsa, I remained uncertain about Heid’s true intensions, which are cleverly weaved into the plot. Heid and her apprentices keep Åsa safe – for the moment, but the völva has her own agenda.

Meanwhile, Olaf – whilst fantasizing about Åsa – still wants to impress his father, showing that he is a worthy heir. When Gudrød goes on campaign to reclaim the ancient ‘Shining Hall’ of his ancestors from the Danes, Olaf joins proudly, but when he is separated from his host during battle, and attacked, it becomes clear to him that his half-brother, Hrolf, has sinister plans for him. Olaf’s long, enforced, journey east is one of self-discovery and revelation. He has come into his own, and dreams of returning home with riches beyond his father’s dreams. At a market in Bolghar, he sets eyes on wootz, a metal used to create Gudrød’s miraculous sword and which the king has always wanted to use to arm his huskarlar – his followers. Finally back in Borre, Olaf revels in his father’s gratitude on his return with the precious gifts.

To me, Olaf is the weakest character in the story. Not weak in terms of the author’s writing, but by his own indecisiveness and eager-to-please attitude towards his father. He grew up bullied by Hrolf, laughed at by Gudrød. A boy desperate for his father’s approval. Not of harsh warrior material like Gudrød or Hrolf, Olaf has struggled all his life to gain his father’s respect. This affects all his actions, and at times I wanted to shake him for not accepting what an ogre his father really is. By the end of the novel, I still don’t trust him.

Ulf is one of the captured people from Tromøy, a true friend to Åsa. A smith, he is a quiet character who keeps his head down and gets on with the work Gudrød assigns to him in the smithy, much to the annoyance of the resident smith, Arne, who would rather see Ulf dead. And Ulf knows that his life hangs in the balance, until he can forge a sword made of wootz steel. With the precious metal finally in his hands, he must act swiftly to secure his survival – and that of Åsa.

“I must learn all I can, and protect the innocents.”

Johanna Wittenberg conveys the way of life in southern Norway beautifully. The landscapes are vivid, with all their magnificence and dangers. She recreates the seasons well, and shows us how precarious life was when stocks are destroyed or shared by force. Both at home in Tromøy as well as in Borre, Åsa’s life becomes a routine that sees her deal with the relevant duties, especially during the seasonal festivals – Jøl, and the spring, summer and autumn equinoxes, all very important to Viking life with their rituals to appease the gods to grant them a successful harvest or to keep them safe and fed during the harsh winters. The rituals form part of the visual narrative, which evoked in me a sense of wonderful, old-fashioned storytelling. Whilst the author doesn’t spare some gory details, she does this with the respect the Vikings would have accorded to the animals they slaughtered.

The smallest details bring the setting and the characters to life. Ms Wittenberg dispenses with clichés so often found in novels featuring Vikings, but instead draws on her excellent, clearly in-depth, research in creating a world full of challenges and dangers, but also beauty, joy and glimpses of happy times. Even the tiny touch of magic feels natural in the overall context of the ancient Viking communities.

The Norse Queen by Johanna Wittenberg is a wonderful novel, a saga about the challenges a young woman faces to finally fulfil her destiny. With flesh-and-blood characters, a vibrant setting, and a fast pace throughout, it really pulls you into the Viking past. Although there are two sequels, The Norse Queen can easily be read as a standalone novel as all loose strands are neatly tied up at the end. But I’ll just have to get the sequels to see what happens next.

A highly recommended read!

Review by Cathie Dunn.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this for my bookclub. I never would have picked this on my own and was honestly dreading reading it but to my surprise I got really into it! Action filled, well written, and very interesting to read about a period of time I’ve never explored (the viking era). If you’re debating reading this, I think it’s worth it!

[clark w burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

I was surprised by the details of the culture and customs that the author seamlessly blended into an outstanding narrative. Even though the story line was predictable. It is the first book in a series. Hopefully surprised await as the series unfolds. I recommend this to anyone interested in the culture and a female heroine.

[Vassa]

dnf'd @ 10% all this is just very unexciting to me

[Amelia Workman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for book club and it surprised me! It’s something I wouldn’t have picked up myself, but found myself enjoying it more than I would’ve thought. I loved the characters and the writing was fantastic. Was a fun read!

[Carrie Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

My wonderful husband bought the entire series for me for Yule. He has such great taste! I was completely enamored with this book from beginning to end and read it all as quickly as I could. I love how the story ends but also continues. I can't wait to read book 2!
Some of my favorite things include the use of historical and Norse pagan words, rituals, and worldviews. It is well written and fantastical but still manages to keep credibility and immerses the reader in the world of Viking Norway. Recommend 100%!

[Daniel J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

Read it in two days and couldn’t stop. Very well researched and great, believable characters. Will read the whole trilogy!

[Eunice M. Arias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read It in less than a week not too many details where you get lost. Captivating story will definitely be reading the series!

[Karisa Sortor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! It took me too long to read it though or else I’d jump head first into the next books in the series. I’m going to wait a week and start the second book :) I love all things pagan and so much about the character Asa hits close to home. I wish I was her! She’s having the kind of experiences I’d love to have if I had an alternate life.

[Lashanti Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book started off great but then slowly started to disappoint me. I was hoping for a more bolder/graphic approach. The vengeance that was taken took forever to happen, essentially the entire book, and then when it happens it was rushed and anticlimactic. I also think the very few and far between actions scenes there were, were poorly done. They were also agonizingly short. Like we wait the whole book for this moment just for it to be over in half a page.

This is historical fiction and there is not a lot of surviving information on Queen Asa. That leaves room for an abundance of creativity. I feel like that wasn’t fully taken advantage of. In the authors note the author told us the information left behind doesn’t present the Queen as heroic, but the author said it made more sense to paint her in a heroic combatant light. Yes I would agree to that, but I don’t feel like the heroic combatant depiction was successfully done. Asa was rather boring and not bold at all. There wasn’t enough anger and hatred considering what happened to her. Also the last thing on a woman’s mind in her position is laying down and pining after the son of the man who put you in this position you so called hate. That budding romance contradicted a lot of the hostile feelings she was supposedly supposed to be feeling.

Also if this is her story then why are we following Olaf at times? I thought that was a random unnecessary tangent. Also a character such as his isn’t realistic to me. Asa is a threat to him after his father death and they both have claims to his father’s land… I find it hard to believe any Viking with a reputation at stake is going to meekly roll over and agree to share those lands. Heck and even if by some mystery a man at the time agreed to do that, their men would not be down with that and would rebel against it. That was clearly done so the romance that I’m assuming is going to blossom in the next books take off. With that being said I don’t really care for the route the novel is taking and don’t know if I’ll read the other books.

The mystical/magical side story that was unfolding seemed interesting enough, but once again, it wasn’t fully unpacked. Sure it played a role in the battle in the end I guess(really could’ve been done without it)… but it was used anticlimactically. Like I said, started off strong but fell short. The romance the author placed in the story didn’t fit in my option and gave the book a different tone than it would’ve had without it. It didn’t give strong, powerful, independent woman like synopsis insinuated.

[Sophia McGonigal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was quite gripping at times but also had its lulls. There were a lot of characters to remember but it was action packed and made me want to keep reading.
I felt so bad for Åsa. She had to endure watching her father and brother be killed and be married to the person who killed them but she was able to hold her own and kept her head. What made her an even more endearing character was the age she is in this book. Åsa is only 15 and was able to endure what she did with the grace of someone double her age. I did enjoy the fact that she dreamed of being a shield maiden and even though she was going through a great deal of difficulty, didn't let it stop her from working towards that. She didn't become a shield maiden in the sense that she went on to fight a ton of battles but there were definitely a couple that she fought in.
I will admit that there were times throughout this book when there was repetition and I was tempted to skip over those parts but I figured they were important to the story so I didn't. I'm also glad that Åsa's child was not conceived by the man who murdered her father and brother. I somewhat understood also why Olaf would bring her back to his father when she tried to escape but I was very much hoping they would just go back to Treme.
I thought all the characters interacted with each other in such a way that you felt bad for some but definitely didn't like others. I liked Olaf but didn't like his brother; I like Ulf the Smith but didn't like the other Smith so on and so forth. I also liked that Wittenberg seemed to do quite a lot of research so you felt like you were experiencing the story right along with the characters. It made it feel more real and certainly, in my opinion, a better book because it really did feel life like.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books with brave, strong female leads, good fight scenes, intrigue, betrayal, books with and about vikings and fast paced stories. I'm looking forward to continuing the series

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Viking novel loosely based on the life of Asa, a Norse shield- maiden of the ninth century AD, is overladen with details of the lifestyle and customs of the day, at the expense of character development. The reader learns about the dress, the food, the weapons and ceremonies of the Viking people. This is all very interesting, but makes for a heavy, emotionless storyline. I never felt I grew to know or to feel empathy for Asa, or any of the other characters.
The male warriors were only distinguished by their common lust for war and sacrifice; they showed no uniquely personal traits, but were equally brutal and cold.
In her ‘Circle of Ceridwen’ series, Octavia Randolph manages to give her Viking hero, Sidroc, endearing human qualities, while still retaining his warrior strength and ferocity. He is a Viking hero to admire and love.
I also found the battle scenes in ‘The Norse Queen’ overly prolonged and gory. In addition, although I love magical realism in a story, the shape shifting of several characters in this book just did not work for me. It happens all too conveniently in order to drive the storyline.
Overall I found the story too melodramatic and lacking in emotion. It read like a dry Viking history text.
An interesting read if you are drawn to books on the history of the Norse people.

[Elizabeth Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

50% in and this book did not promise all it said in the synopsis. The pacing was like of a three legged turtle, and soon, I quit caring if this shield maiden would ever rise up. I struggled with this characters because I never experienced changed or growth despite how much time past in the book. Half way through there was only one viking raid/fight scene, and the rest was depressive monologuing.

A positive point was I did like how thorough the research was, and I did enjoy learning unique things about the culture even if I came as an info dump. I really wanted to like the book, but I couldnt get past the main characters wallowing in their predicaments. I came with the expectation of a viking book filled with fighting, vengeance, and even a strong woman lead using her situation as an opportunity instead of being a victim to it. Unfortunately, I never saw that coming, and I grew tired of waiting for it to happen.

[Chimene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easiest 5 star rating I've given.

Totally submersive reading.

I love this kind of historical fiction and the author wasted no time in taking the reader back in time on an unforgettable adventure with fifteen-year-old Åsa. Through her turmoil and heartache to her gathing strength to defeat her enemies.

I found Åsa a wonderfully strong character. I liked her instantly. Her voice, relationships and actions believable.

The author has done an amazing job with this story setting - weaving magic, believable character voices and insights into the way of viking life and culture.

Beautiful.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid 4.5 stars. I picked this up for as vacation reading, and it fit the bill perfectly. I really enjoyed the historical details and found the characters investing. The pace of story kept me engaged and I finished nearly the whole book in one weekend. I wish the romance had been a bit more detailed though. It takes a back seat to Asa’s development as a leader and queen, which I also enjoyed. Honestly, this book could have been twice as long! I’m looking forward to part 2.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written! One of the best books that I’ve read in quite awhile. 5+ stars!

[J. Else · Rating 5 out of 5]

Norway, 9th century. Asa is only 15 when her father and brother are murdered by the vicious warlord Gudrod. She is forced from her home to become his bride. Asa attempts to escape but is found by Gudrod’s son, Olaf. If only it could have been Olaf’s proposal instead of Gudrod’s. Despite their shared feelings, Olaf’s duty compels him to bring Asa back to his father. Desperate to save her people from being punished for her actions, she consents to be wed. Because if Asa ever hopes to get retribution for her family and her people, she must become Gudrod’s queen.

The Norse Queen is an absorbing tale of sacrifice and courage. Asa is a strong, intelligent woman who’d envisioned becoming a Shield Maiden. She is a skilled warrior with a deep love for her family. The narrative switches between her and Olaf, a man who struggles to meet his father’s impossible expectations. I was riveted to the pages as each character fought against the constraints Gudrod bound them both with. The characters are complex and compelling.

Based on the real-life historical figure of Queen Asa, Wittenberg’s thorough and detailed research paints a vivid picture of early medieval Viking life. While there was sword fighting, skirmishes, and a forced marriage, the violence was thankfully never overly graphic. There are fantasy elements which mirror the strong religious beliefs, adding an additional layer of intrigue to the narrative. This is a fascinating glimpse into what a strong woman’s life in Viking times might have looked like, and I eagerly anticipate more from Wittenberg’s The Norsewomen series.

Review originally posted via the Historical Novel Society at https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

While reading this I was debating between giving 3 and 4 stars, but the ending totally redeemed the book.
My issues were that the story, while solid, was a bit rushed, and I struggled to connect to some of the characters and plotlines. It also seemed things were wrapping up too neatly.
But in the end, Åsa surprisingly didn't choose to be with Olaf, which I'd assumed would happen. This was excellent because whatever his reasons for betraying her and whatever feelings were there and whatever his character arc, he had done something terrible that couldn't be easily--if ever--forgiven. I also loved hearing the prophesy from Heid and what she had done behind the scenes (which explained why the story had moved along so neatly/quickly). Finally, I read the wikipedia entry about Åsa and now understand how deftly the author wove a rich story around the bare details remaining of Åsa's life.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating historical fiction novel. It's so refreshing to read a book about this time period and place that isn't ALL about men/Viking warfare or a syrupy romance novel which is very slight in the history department (although there are plenty of battles and also a romance). I greatly appreciated the many historical details woven into the story. While there is a magical element in the book (which I usually dislike in historical novels), it's done well and adds to the narrative and its setting and time period. I look forward to reading more in the series.

[Morten Simonsen]

Well-researched and thrilling

I read this story via Kindle Unlimited and it was awesome. Being Norwegian, I can verify that Johanna knows what she's taking about. The level of detail is marvellous. I come from the area she's writing about and recognize it from her descriptions.

The story itself is captivating. Our main character Åsa is taken from her home after her father and brother are murdered and forced to live with her captors.

I'll keep reading. Thanks, Johanna, for writing such a great story and having it in KU.