Finland is the first setting for this fine Viking age adventure. Lida is only sixteen when her husband is killed, and his family disowns her, leaving her to raise a baby girl. A few years later, near the town of Turku she encounters a troop of Swedish warriors, blond and muscled, and learns that their leader is looking for a suitable wife. Could she be THE WARLORD'S WIFE?

Jarl Magnus Knutson is impressed by Lida and believes she would give him strong sons. She works hard on the land and has already had one healthy child. As a widow, she needn't bring a dowry, and he could settle land on her. But Lida has had enough of men deciding her fate and distrusts the Swedes, who fight against Finns from time to time. She tells her family that she's not interested. Luckily for her, the bishop has decreed that capturing women is wrong. She has some bargaining power. And getting a name and farm for her daughter Katia are part of her bargain.

I always enjoy reading historical detail. The date is around 1200 AD when Norse settlements had arisen in many European countries, merging trade and peoples. Lida's new title is friherrinna of Norrland, or the queen of the Northlands, and we learn a lot about life at this time. The jarl or landowner has a copper bath brought on his trading ship, amusing when contrasted with the iron shields and weaponry of his men. Magnus has filled his longship with grains, spices, fabrics, wine and gold. While Magnus appears generous, and supports many people, at the same time he is used to obedience, and to Lida he comes across as someone we would now term a control freak. I have to think her life would have been easier if she'd decided to make the best of her new situation. It's not as though she ever had much control over her circumstances, and the vast majority of women are servants. Lida is determined to protect her lovely daughter.

This fine adult romance by Sandra Lake asks questions about the nature of love and loyalty, while showing us how people lived hundreds of years ago. THE WARLORD'S WIFE is a rewarding read full of danger, passion and attitude. Fans of Viking romances will love it and demand more.