Chosen by Odin. Destined for Valhalla.In my dreams, Odin whispers to me. He tells me I’m destined to wield a legendary sword.He tells me my road will bring me to Valhalla.But when I wake, I’m only Hervor. Fatherless. Unloved. Unwanted. Jarl Bjartmar, my grandfather, calls me cursed. My mother, her memories stolen by the gods, has forgotten me. Everyone tells me I should have been left to the … Everyone tells me I should have been left to the wolves, but no one will tell me why.
None but Eydis, a thrall with völva magic, believes I’m meant for a greater destiny. Yet who can believe a devotee of Loki?
When the king and his son arrive for the holy blót, the runes begin to fall in my favor. A way forward may lie in the handsome Viking set on winning my heart, but only if I unravel the mystery hanging over me first.
Fans of Vikings, The Last Kingdom, and The Mists of Avalon will relish Shield Maiden: Under the Howling Moon. This sweeping Viking Historical Fantasy retells the Norse Hervarar Saga, depicting the life of the shieldmaiden Hervor, the inspiration for J. R. R. Tolkien’s Éowyn.
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Well-written and crafted entertainment!
Another book I love from Melanie Karsak! Every book I have ever read by her has me sucked into the story. I feel like I there with the characters. You heart will be bursting from love, anger, sadness, hope and wanting more for all. I would recommend reading the novella before this one you can get it if you sign up for Melanie Karsak’s newsletter you can get it for free. The novella gives a big backstory with Hervor’s mother. This book is the start of Hervor’s life. Big changes are coming her way. I believe some of them will be good and some not. She is definitely her mother and father’s daughter. If you love strong woman and Viking pick up this book as you will love the story. I can’t wait for the next book.
*I received a free copy of this book via the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.*
ONE ROUGH RIDING WHIRLWIND!!!
Magnificent! Melanie blew me away with this refreshingly impressive approach, presenting this engrossing storyline and engaging plot, kicking ass and taking names, bursting this bad boy wide open. Satisfaction is an understatement, it doesn’t get any better than this. Anarchy, escapades and havoc run amuck, riding roughshod and fusing this baby together smoothly. Unveiling a foray of drama, intrigue, turmoil, abuse, misgivings, unexplainable situations, danger and mounting suspense, along with a boatload of secrets, while dodging calamity, you have one mind-blowing adventure. Brandishing thrilling scenario’s, ramping up the exuberance and adrenaline with such intensity and precision, blowing this gem into a tailspin with a stupefying, eye-opening culmination. Forging through the trials and tribulations, along with astonishing twists, shocking turns and crisp lines, testing our characters in ways they could have never imagined. The characters are authentic and original with qualities and traits that transforms into amazing personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and descriptions, as to give you a full understanding and realism that flows smoothly. Remarkable job Melanie, thanks for sharing this little guy with us.
Oh gosh!! This book pulled me in right from the beginning!! This was mesmerizing and made all the more impact upon my heart for having read the prequel! I feel like I knew these characters so well and seeing Hervor treated so terribly and gifted with such strange dreams just made my heart ache! She has such a beautiful spirt and I can’t wait to see her soar and grow into her destiny set in motion by Odin himself! I felt so saddened by how her grandfather treated her and how her mother’s mind was broken. I loved how despite this all, she found friends that helped to shape her destiny. Loki was featured in this and I squealed!! He’s my very favorite Norse god and I love how he plays into the plot and his cheeky attitude was expertly executed! I’m excited to see what the second book will bring!! Big events are in the works!! I’m hoping that we see more gods visit and that Hervor will lead the way for change amongst her people. If you love Norse mythology or viking lore, this was written just for you!!
Melanie Karsak does it again.
I love Melanie Karsak’s novels so it’s no surprise that I was delighted to get my hands on Shield-Maiden: Under the Howling Moon, book 1 of her new The Road to Valhalla series. This book is, quite simply, extremely imaginative and superbly written. It had just what I wanted including a great plot. I frankly adore Hervor and love watching her take on all comers. I know little about Viking mythology so I’ve no idea how true to the original this tale is – but I don’t care. If the shieldmaiden Hervor, can be the inspiration for J. R. R. Tolkien’s Éowyn (utterly cool) then I think she more than deserves an updated retelling of her story, and this is just the author to do it. I didn’t even know “Viking Historical Fantasy” was a thing, but why not when it’s done so well and with such a perfect star, and a supporting cast of characters that is pretty amazing as well. Quite frankly, this book is overly easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to book 2.
Her or is an amazing character. Her grandfather is still a Grade A Jerk. I loved reading this story. The characters are marvelously created and inspire the appropriate emotions toward them. I am looking forward to reading more of Hervor’s upcoming journey!
After reading the prequel Under the Strawberry Moon (which you can get for free by joining the authors newsletter) I knew, I KNEW this was going to be an adventure that I would fall in love with. I jumped at this book the moment it was available and ordered the paperback; though I couldn’t wait so I ended up reading it in KU until my book arrived.
This story is rich in mythology; details well developed characters, an amazing plot, adventure, tension, heat, passion, angst, drama, abuse, hurt, destruction, mystery and the Gods (and all that implies). I got lost in this story for a day and really, really didn’t want to come back to reality. I could not love this story more. The author took such time and research to make this story feel like I was reading a really passionate account of history.
You can’t just read this story, you have to experience it; it gives you no choice. While the story is darkish, it is more a historical darkness, a respect to what these peoples really experienced and how they lived their lives. The brief system with thin the story was amazing and (as far as I can tell) accurate. I loved hot the author managed to incorporate history into such a bold and telling tale that is a mind blowing adventure and the ride of your life. The characters are rich in emotions and strong in their thoughts; I connected to them and was yelling and rooting for them the entire time.
I seriously recommend this story and this series to anyone looking for high quality adventure, who loves strong characters, mystery, action, passion, desire, and Vikings. It really doesn’t get better than this. I received an ARC and am leaving an honest review. I also re-read in KU and bought a copy.
Do you love watching Vikings and reading Scandinavian themed myths? This is the Perfect book for you! I can hardly wait for the next book in this series!
A fascinating read as the first book in this new series sets us up nicely for the adventures to come for Hervor the Shield Maiden.
This was a really enjoyable start to the series! The world building is excellent and Melanie Karsak did an amazing job of bringing in so many details from Norse life and culture. I loved just how many female characters were in the book and their support of one another, Hervor included. The mystery surrounding Hervor’s parentage was fun to unravel and I’m excited to see where the story goes next.
CW: Violence
This book was a bit disappointing. The writing wasn’t bad, but instead of a complete stand alone story it was a a long drawn out introduction to the book series. The only thing accomplished was an introduction of the characters and a reveal at the very end that comes in the form of a story telling information dump explaining the background of the main character. The story takes place in a Viking village where a young woman, who is the granddaughter of the ruling lord, is despised and treated cruelly by him for unknown reasons. Her mother mysteriously becomes mentally deranged after her birth and the grandfather angrily refuses to reveal any information about the granddaughter’s paternity or to acknowledge her with normal family status or respect. The alienated granddaughter wants to be a warrior shield maiden and the lord/grandfather demands that she live forever in the shadows of the family and as an obedient unmarried member of his court. There are hints of a possible romantic interest in the future and possible greatness down the road, but not in this book. It was a pleasant read, but not much happens. There just wasn’t enough offered in this story to entice me to try the next book in the series.
This was really great book! The narrative chosen for this book was perfect! Loved all the changes in the different characters and also brought great emotions to them!! This book was a really great book had me on the edge of my seat and wanting more! I can not wait for Harvor journey to further reach her destiny
So the Shield-Maiden…I confess, I was a little skeptical going in…just a little. This author is new to me and I’ve found this genre can be hit or miss for me. I can do without the over the top Viking gore. However this one is a total home run!
What I like is, it’s unique, something we are sorely missing these days…the story line is deep and rich, there are great side characters and only a hint of romance. I love Yrsa!
I found the Norse mythology intriguing and magical, although I couldn’t help but be distracted a little by the authentic words and names. I stumbled over them in my head, well, mostly because I just didn’t know how to pronounce them, but this is just so damned entertaining…I’m hooked!
On to book 2.
After I read the prequel and I couldn’t wait to start reading this! I loved it. It was so exciting and adventurous!
Sheild-Maiden by Melanie Karsak is the first in the series! I loved this story and was hooked till the end. Very well written with great detail and emotion. The characters were very likable and relatable. Cannot wait to continue this adventure in the next story!!!
Can’t stop reading it. A story that touches our soul. The richness of the Nordic myths and legends, the true faith, mixed with other ingredients as secrets, plots and romances conduct us to an extraordinary journey. Hervor, Eydis, Hofund and Lief: “see” you soon!
Love her writing SO much!!!