This powerful and sweeping tale is a fantasy based on history, a culture clash, and an examination of the bonds of loyalty. Yafeu is a young woman who is to become a BLACK SHIELD MAIDEN, but not in her homeland in Africa. Growing up in the Ghanaian Empire, she learns to make weapons from her father, who then leaves to gain rich rewards with his skill. The family gets by until a band of callous slave merchants descends, separating the family members and setting Yafeu on a long, lonely journey.  

During a raid by Vikings on a far coastline, Princess Alvtir captures goods and takes Yafeu as the spoils of war. Alvtir is a fascinating character. She is thought to be cursed and has been made a captain with companion shield maidens, mainly to keep her away from the line of succession. As the Norse king’s sister, she can do what she likes, provided she stays loyal. Balli the king doesn’t have an heir yet, and is constantly suspicious of Alvtir. Yngvild his queen has a far from easy life. 

Freydis, the third female character we follow, is also a princess but completely different from Alvtir. She’s the king’s daughter and doesn’t count as an heir. Her best hope is to be wed to someone rich in a marriage of allegiance. But there’s no guarantee it’ll happen, because she’d need a dowry, and the winters are getting longer and colder. Some Norse kingdoms are going over to the new Christian religion, and Balli’s intransigence in favour of the old gods means Freydis has fewer prospective bridegrooms. 

There are a lot of characters, and I have to advise the reader not to get too attached to anyone because this is a bloodthirsty, vengeful time in history. Broskrap, a Norse farmer, and Snorri Broskrapsson are presented as direct antagonists, but survival is hard for Yafeu even when nobody is looking to knife her in case she’s a dark elf. They haven’t seen many like her up here. A more sympathetic warrior is Ingmar, who, with Freydis, teaches Yafeu a lot about their customs and skills.   

We know that the Norse traveled extensively and took captives from everywhere. Given the trade routes of the day, it’s entirely possible that a woman from Africa could end up in Norway. While BLACK SHIELD MAIDEN is fiction, authors Willow Smith and Jess Hendel have presented careful background detail to bring their subjects to life. I was entirely convinced and would be keen to read more of Yafeu’s extraordinary and turbulent travels.