The Sea Queen

March 15, 2018

In The Half-Drowned King, Hartsuyker's debut and the first in a trilogy vivifying Norse history, Ragnvald Eysteinsson threw in his lot with Harald of Vestfold, who would become king of a unified Norway. Here, Ragnvald is king of Sogn and still serves Harald as he battles with recalcitrant noblemen to create a larger country. The Half-Drowned King was a Barnes & Noble Discover pick. With a big library push.

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2018
Now fighting opposite her brother, Svanhild must decide how to navigate an ever more treacherous Norway in Hartsuyker's follow-up to The Half-Drowned King (2017).Things aren't going exactly as planned for Ragnvald, who has fought in King Harald's quest to unite Norway for six bloody years. As a warrior, Ragnvald is used to raids and war, but he is often startled by Harald's penchant for revenge. Even after all the warring is said and done, Vikings have strict codes of honor, and Harald pushes Ragnvald into ever more gruesome confrontations that trouble his conscience. In a surprising move, Ragnvald's sister, Svanhild, has married his enemy, Solvi, a skilled sailor and warrior rousing an army to resist Harald's conquests and burdensome taxes. This puts the two siblings at odds, even after Svanhild leaves Solvi and returns to Ragnvald's camp a grieving mother. As the factions continue to war, Svanhild is caught in the middle. Will she stand by her brother's side or lie to protect the man she still loves? New characters, like Ragnvald's stepbrother, Sigurd, give us insight into the labyrinthine political machinations, back-stabbings, and betrayals at work in the Viking age, taking us straight into the camp of one of Harald's betrayers. Like many second books in a trilogy, this one can get bogged down trying to put all of the players in the right places at the right time, and the novel relies heavily on exposition. But Hartsuyker is a skilled storyteller, and the moral battles her characters wrestle with on and off the battlefield add compelling psychological depth to an old and epic tale. She also restores women's work and political maneuverings to Ragnvald's story, and Svanhild emerges as a complicated, talented, and shrewd warrior in her own right. "Should I give you a ship and a crew so you can fight my sea battles for me?" King Harald asks Svanhild after she proves herself a worthier sailor than many of his men. Svanhild, of course, doesn't miss a beat. "Yes...I think you should." It's a good thing Harald listens.A seafaring epic with bloodcurdling raids and political intrigue to spare.

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June 4, 2018
Hartsuyker’s second volume in her trilogy (after The Half-Drowned King) continues the saga of Ragnvald Eysteinsson, set in ninth-century Norway, a turbulent period of bloody unrest. Ragnvald is one of Norway’s collection of minor kings. He is loyal to King Harald, who owns the most land and wants to unite all Norway under his rule, but the rivalries of rebellious petty kings and the threat of Swedish invasion could mean all-out war, and he needs Ragnvald’s help. Their greatest enemies are Solvi and King Hakon; their greatest ally is Svanhild the Sea Queen, Ragnvald’s sister and Solvi’s estranged wife. Amid Norway’s shifting warlord loyalties, Ragnvald and Harald are cruel manipulators, but Svanhild proves that Norse women can be just as vicious and cunning as Norse men. Blood oaths, feuds, insults to honor, betrayals, and greed fuel the story’s instances of torture and murder, and the Norsemen are merciless in punishment. Though overlong, this is an ambitious tale of Norwegian medieval warfare told in richly colorful and accurate historical detail. Hartsuyker’s novel reveals just how tenuous life is when disputes are settled with sword and battle-axe.

July 1, 2018

Six years have passed since Svanhild, sister to King Ragnvald of Sogn, left to marry the renegade Solvi. Now on opposite sides of alliances, brother and sister fall prey to the tensions building as King Harald gathers forces to rule one united Norway. Solvi, landless and outlawed, moves from settlement to settlement, while Svanhild, tired of living on the open sea, longs to set down roots for her young son. However, Solvi is not inclined to live on the land, and a terrible tragedy forces Svanhild to make life-altering decisions. Teens will get a glimpse into the hardships of ninth-century Scandinavia, where harsh weather is matched by a culture that lives by rules hinging on family, loyalties, fairness, and revenge. Though Svanhild wants to settle down, she is an adventurer at heart and will do what it takes to support those she loves-in battle, if necessary. But what price will she pay for taking a stance? Built on Scandinavian legends, this tale describes a turbulent time in Norwegian history. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as they follow both sides in the growing conflict for land, power, and family. VERDICT Purchase for strong historical fiction fans who enjoy a good Scandinavian saga.-Connie Williams, Petaluma Public Library, CA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.