Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Terrific book that caught my attention from the beginning and kept me hooked to the last page. The story picks up immediately after the end of the previous book (The Viking She Would Have Married). While this can be read as a standalone, I feel the reader gets a deeper understanding of these characters by reading the other book first.
Brynhild and Erik had once been friends until he betrayed her. Years later, she'd hoped never to see him again, but with his half-brother marrying her sister, that was a forlorn hope. Erik has been tasked with helping Brynhild, her mother, and her youngest sister, Helga, find land to purchase. But before he can do that, Helga is kidnapped, and Brynhild needs his help to rescue her sister.
I liked Brynhild and Erik. Brynhild is strong and capable, with a fierce reputation as a shieldmaiden; she sees herself as her family's protector. As a result, she doesn't plan to marry, though she occasionally finds herself wanting more. Though supremely confident in her fighting abilities, she is very self-conscious about her appearance. Tall and muscular, she's been teased and bullied about her looks since she was a child, and she feels unlovable and unattractive. But there is also a softness to her that she keeps well hidden.
Amazingly, Erik has turned out to be the good man he is. His mother was a Persian noblewoman captured and enslaved by his Viking father, making him a slave, too. He experienced humiliation and prejudice from both sides of his heritage and was accepted by neither one. His father was physically and emotionally abusive. Recently freed from his enslavement through the efforts of his half-brother Halfdan, Erik is ready for the next stage of his life. But he puts that on hold to help Brynhild rescue her sister. He also hopes to make amends for past mistakes he made with her.
I enjoyed watching the relationship between Brynhild and Erik develop. Several flashbacks show their past and the events that drew them together and drove them apart. Brynhild still harbors a great deal of anger over his actions years ago and is not happy about the attraction she feels toward him. At the same time, Erik knows he wants Brynhild in his life but has no confidence that she would ever feel the same way. Forced together on their search, their sparks continue to grow while they work through their past issues. In an interesting role reversal, Brynhild is the experienced one of the pair. Erik has held himself back for reasons that are both admirable and heartbreaking. I loved seeing his first experiences with tenderness and passion happen with the woman who has held his heart for so long. Ultimately, will Brynhild's need to protect Erik from her family's troubles cause her to deny her feelings for him? Or will Erik be able to convince her that they can overcome anything if they are together?
I liked the intensity of the plot. Helga is kidnapped as a hostage by Rhys, the Black Dragon, who blames Erik's father for the failed marriage bargain that would have married his sister to Halfdan. Erik and Brynhild must find the sister, who ran off with her bodyguard and return her to Rhys to free Helga. While hot on the heels of the runaway couple, Erik and Brynhild experience various situations calling for their cooperation and trust. An unexpected twist changes the dynamic of their mission, and the result is different from what they wanted. I ached for Brynhild and her fears for Helga's safety. The epilogue hints at Helga's story, and I'm glad I already have it to read next.
One of the things I enjoyed about this book was the richness of the descriptions. Whether it was the landscape, the people, or the action, the depth of detail made the scenes come alive. I was intrigued enough to look up the names of the towns to see what they are today and follow along on a map.
Brynhild and Erik had once been friends until he betrayed her. Years later, she'd hoped never to see him again, but with his half-brother marrying her sister, that was a forlorn hope. Erik has been tasked with helping Brynhild, her mother, and her youngest sister, Helga, find land to purchase. But before he can do that, Helga is kidnapped, and Brynhild needs his help to rescue her sister.
I liked Brynhild and Erik. Brynhild is strong and capable, with a fierce reputation as a shieldmaiden; she sees herself as her family's protector. As a result, she doesn't plan to marry, though she occasionally finds herself wanting more. Though supremely confident in her fighting abilities, she is very self-conscious about her appearance. Tall and muscular, she's been teased and bullied about her looks since she was a child, and she feels unlovable and unattractive. But there is also a softness to her that she keeps well hidden.
Amazingly, Erik has turned out to be the good man he is. His mother was a Persian noblewoman captured and enslaved by his Viking father, making him a slave, too. He experienced humiliation and prejudice from both sides of his heritage and was accepted by neither one. His father was physically and emotionally abusive. Recently freed from his enslavement through the efforts of his half-brother Halfdan, Erik is ready for the next stage of his life. But he puts that on hold to help Brynhild rescue her sister. He also hopes to make amends for past mistakes he made with her.
I enjoyed watching the relationship between Brynhild and Erik develop. Several flashbacks show their past and the events that drew them together and drove them apart. Brynhild still harbors a great deal of anger over his actions years ago and is not happy about the attraction she feels toward him. At the same time, Erik knows he wants Brynhild in his life but has no confidence that she would ever feel the same way. Forced together on their search, their sparks continue to grow while they work through their past issues. In an interesting role reversal, Brynhild is the experienced one of the pair. Erik has held himself back for reasons that are both admirable and heartbreaking. I loved seeing his first experiences with tenderness and passion happen with the woman who has held his heart for so long. Ultimately, will Brynhild's need to protect Erik from her family's troubles cause her to deny her feelings for him? Or will Erik be able to convince her that they can overcome anything if they are together?
I liked the intensity of the plot. Helga is kidnapped as a hostage by Rhys, the Black Dragon, who blames Erik's father for the failed marriage bargain that would have married his sister to Halfdan. Erik and Brynhild must find the sister, who ran off with her bodyguard and return her to Rhys to free Helga. While hot on the heels of the runaway couple, Erik and Brynhild experience various situations calling for their cooperation and trust. An unexpected twist changes the dynamic of their mission, and the result is different from what they wanted. I ached for Brynhild and her fears for Helga's safety. The epilogue hints at Helga's story, and I'm glad I already have it to read next.
One of the things I enjoyed about this book was the richness of the descriptions. Whether it was the landscape, the people, or the action, the depth of detail made the scenes come alive. I was intrigued enough to look up the names of the towns to see what they are today and follow along on a map.
