Set six years after the events of THE HALF-DROWNED KING, in THE SEA QUEENby Linnea Hartsuyker, Svanhild becomes wife to Solvi, who is Ragnvald's enemy, and she also becomes a mother to a son. Torn between supporting Solvi's ambitions and desires, as well as looking after her son whose desires are in conflict with Solvi's, Svanhild must eventually revisit the choice she has made in THE HALF-DROWNED KING; either family or love. But with high stakes, what will her choice portend for her future?

For Ragnvald, stakes have risen even higher, especially when it comes to his friendship with Harald the Boy King, for Ragnvald must not only navigate his own relationships and prove himself as an invaluable advirsor, but he must become prescient as well. But when numerous tragedies strike Harald's kingdom, testing Ragnvald's cunning and knowledge, what will Ragnvald give up in order to fulfill his and Harald's vision of a unified Norway?

Reading THE HALF-DROWNED KING, the prequel to THE SEA QUEEN, is necessary because this is an intricate tale that requires some backstory to fully understand it. Already the whole story is set up as a chess game, and in THE SEA QUEEN, the players are in the middle of the game.

Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed reading THE SEA QUEEN and was once again immersed into Ragnvald's world of loyalty, betrayal and complex Norwegian relationships. THE SEA QUEEN is a much better read than THE HALF- DROWNED KING. I loved getting updates on the characters and seeing strong and clever woman character in Svanhild. I also loved the pacing of the story and how it feels epic. There are vague references to the time period it takes place in, unlike in THE HALF-DROWNED KING, and I look forward to the conclusion and seeing how it all wraps up.

If you either loved THE HALF- DROWNED KING, or are a fan of political games, vikings, historical fiction in Norway, or how people lived in 9th century, then THE SEA QUEEN by Linnea Hartsuyker will be a treat to savor.