Shield Maiden is the tale of Fryda, who has always wanted to be a shield maiden. After a childhood accident takes away some of her dexterity, Fryda is discouraged by her overprotective father from pursuing her dream. But Fryda still dreams in secret and practices training as much as she can. Years later, politics converge and her uncle/king Beowulf returns to court. In the chaos of a scheming court, Fryda must choose how far she wants to go to prevent the kingdom from slipping into disarray. Will she finally become a shield maiden? Who will she fight for? 

I enjoyed Shield Maiden! It was a very solid fantasy with a likable heroine at its core. Fryda is a very loyal and strong character. I enjoyed seeing her work towards becoming a shield maiden and teaching herself new ways to fight. The romance felt a little lukewarm, but was overall fine. The chapters from the dragon’s point of view were very interesting, though the end of their story felt a little unsatisfying. Beowulf felt appropriately larger than life and readers do not need to have read Beowulf to enjoy this retelling. Readers who enjoy H.M. Long, readers seeking more physical disability rep in fantasy, and Beowulf fans will love this book. 

Thank you so much to Sharon Emmerichs, Redhook Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.