The Queen of Hel

The Norsewomen #5

by Johanna Wittenberg

Norway, AD 824. The evil Queen in the Mound is dead, the Irish necklace held fast in her ghoulish grip. Undisturbed, the queen’s curse lies dormant. But Ragnhild attempts to retrieve the necklace, unleashing a pestilence on Tromøy. As her people sicken and die, Asa must seek the cure in the Otherworld. Leaving her beloved son behind, she travels alone to the dark world deep underground, a place from which mortals never return. The realm of Hel herself.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

312 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 21, 2023

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

[Lorraine]

Tromoy, an island off the east coast of Agder, Norway. April, AD824. Johanna Wittenberg’s The Queen of Hel (The Norsewomen, #5) continues the story of Asa, 21, queen of Tromoy, who is a true historical queen. As there is very little information about Asa, the author uses Norse mythology to develop Asa’s story. In the previous book Asa combats a dead ancestor queen who has been buried in a mound which is alone out in a forest. The final confrontation has Asa beheading this queen but the corpse’s hands grab the necklace Asa is wearing. The necklace belongs to one of Ada’s sworn followers, the head shield maiden, Ragnhild, who is married to Murchad, a “deposed king”of Ireland and who is a Christian. The necklace belongs to the Christian kings of an area of Ireland. The author weaves Norse and Irish mythology to tell how this valuable and powerful necklace is finally returned to its home in Ireland. This story has two distinct parts: Asa’s harrowing trip to Helheim to stop the curse of the ancestral queen who has brought smallpox to Tromoy and Ragnhild’s return journey on her ship, Raider Bride, to Ireland to place the necklace where it truly belongs. This is a violent era where many Norse women fight along side the men, kings and queens often want to conquer other kingdoms to enlarge their own kingdom, and when travel by boat brings enemies and pirates out into the open. The author’s use of Norse mythology describes the underworld which Asa must navigate. Then she employs Irish mythology as well as geography of old Ireland and old Scotland to illustrate Ragnhild’s journey to return the powerful necklace to its rightful Irish home. The two stories make this story disjointed. Thus resulting in a 4 star rating.

[Christine Cazeneuve]

Can't get enough

This is truly a great series. Wonderful characters that you can't help yourself getting attached to. The author has a way of making you feel you are actually right there in the midst of it all. I absolutely love the Norse tales woven throughout. As the storyteller is sharing his tale, I imagine myself sitting around the fire with my ale engrossed along with everyone else. Really good read!

[Archie]

I had the opportunity to be a beta reader for the author on The Queen of Hel. It is a wonderful addition to the series by Johanna.

This is the fifth book in the series of Norse historical fiction by the author. All of them are well worth anyone's time to read.

[Peekablue]

Exciting Read

This was another solid installment to the Norsewomen series. I really enjoy getting immersed in that time period & following along in the lives of Asa & Ragnhild. The first part of the story follows both Asa & Ragnhild as the try to figure out what to do about the Irish Queen's necklace & Asa takes a thrilling trip to the Norse underworld in order to save her people. The second part of the story follows mostly Ragnhild & her husband as they travel to Ireland & back. I was a bit disappointed with the ending because it just focused on Ragnhild & didn't really follow up with Asa (Asa is my favorite character of the two) but I'm hoping that there will be at least one more book to wrap up the series (& maybe more beyond that). Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was just suspenseful enough to make me uncomfortable but never for very long; so it was perfect for my taste. Great read! Can't wait for the next one!

[Aloma Arp]

Story gets even better!

Love this series of love and war. Bring in Brother Brian adds another level of
mystery and intrigue. What a very difficult time to live. Strength and dexterity were necessary to just live through a day. Men and women alike fought the enemies which were many. They also farmed, made ale, bread and weapons. Such an interesting time but fraught with so much danger. Family allegiances were so necessary just to survive. Great story telling was the best form of entertainment. The stories are great and tell of medieval times even more dangerous when their gods roamed the earth. A thoroughly enjoyable series.

[Linda Susan Garman]

The Saga Grows

There is nothing like a well told and well written Saga, it is amazing easy to read as if it is being told to you by a bard. I have read a few books in my lifetime and none quite as well written as this historical fiction is. The caritures are believable and wade through real life situations. I can't wait to read the next installment of this saga.

[Marie Z Johansen]

Each Book In This Series Has Been So Much Fun!

I have found the entire series of book to be a lot of reading fun and filled with some excellent historically true tidbits about Norse life. Each book has has me looking for more!

[Fiona Grant]

This is the lowest rating I gave this series of books. Some chapters were up to the usual high standard gripping and moved along with the characters battling and finding ways to overcome great odds however the visit to the gods in Hel were just boring and went on to long…

[Karen Mullen]

Ragnhild & Åsa find their soulmates

This book highlights the Underworld of the Norse mythology. The obstacles for Åsa are formidable. Wittenberg has outdone herself in creating both the underworld tale and the adventures of Ragnhild and Murchad. Envigorating reading!

[Stacey]

This may have been my favorite so far!!! Her journey to Hel was incredible!!!

[Dennis Steussy]

The Queen of Hel is divided into two main stories. The first story is about Queen Asa as she travels to the Norse underworld to help lift a curse put on her kingdom by the Queen of Hel. Her kingdom is stricken with what we think is smallpox and her lover, her friends and people are all suffering. So
she goes on this journey. She meets a number of trials and challenges and has to fight her way back to her kingdom and finds that another Viking king has attacked her people and the fight is desperate. The second story is of Ragnhild and her husband, Murchad as they return the stolen necklace that is to be worn by the queen of Ireland. The trip turns into a series of battles and intrigue for Ragnhild, Murchad and the crew of Ragnhild's ship the Raider Bride. They meet old friends and Murchad has a chance to reconcile with his cousin who is the new king of Ireland. If you are looking for the usual action and adventures of Johanna Wittenberg's books they are all here. You get a chance to see the mystic side of the Norse culture as Asa travels through the underworld. The book is a bit different than the 4 previous ones, but anyone who has been enjoying the series will like this one too.

[Carrie Ramirez]

A Mother's Love Against the Gods

Wittenberg continues to prove that Asa is one of the most compelling heroines in historical fantasy today. While previous books focused on battles and political maneuvering, The Queen of Hel forces Asa to look inward, and literally into the abyss.

I was genuinely moved by the emotional core of this story. Asa’s decision to venture to a place from which "mortals never return" to save her people is heartbreaking, especially knowing she might never see her son again. The dynamic between the human world and the Otherworld is fascinating, and the "Queen in the Mound" remains a chilling antagonist even from beyond the grave.

I sometimes wanted to linger a little longer in certain scenes, but that’s simply because Wittenberg’s prose is so beautiful. Highly recommended.

[Brenna]

What an great way to finish a great YA series. Wittenburg dipped even farther into Norse lore like a pro. She weaves the mythology into the characters everyday life so we get a taste of “reality” and some mythical history! A two for one. Once again, Wittenburg did a fantastic job of researching the history of her characters and I highly recommend reading the author’s note at the end.

[Wendy Ehrlich]

excellent five book series that left me wanting more.

Well, drawn out characters, and an interesting story kept me captivated till the end. I love this genre and search out books that take place during the Viking ages.

I have to admit, though, Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon series, still rates as the best.

[Rich Etheridge]

A fun read…

With historical figures popping up here and there as well as a look, however limited, into the lives of the characters and the lore of the various cultures….an engaging installment in a great series.

[Emily Kakolewski]

Really enjoyed this series.

The story hooked my attention from the beginning, and it has not laundered as I’ve waited for each book in the series to come out. I have really enjoyed being part of this World. This is a wonderful series to read. You will absolutely enjoy it.

[Mom]

Good books

This was a great series to read. I definitely want to reread it the whole series. It's educational too .

[bonniej]

Very good end to the series.

[Brooke Ryan]

This is probably my favorite of the series so far. It felt a bit more sophisticated, and reminded me of the Hobbit at times, but Norse-ified.

[Jennifer Walker]

Another great Viking story in this fantastic saga that combines Norse history, mythology, paranormal fantasy, sea kings, and romance. Love it!