BLACK SHIELD MAIDEN

Author Willow Smith narrates this audiobook, which is set when the Vikings are raiders who worship Odin. The tale focuses on Yafeu, who is taken from her village in Ghana by slave traders and freed by Alvtir, the female leader of the Viking raiders, only to be enslaved again when the Vikings arrive home. She eventually becomes the personal slave of Freydis, a princess. Each chapter takes the point of view of one of the three women. Smith makes clear that Alvtir is a world-weary woman who is tired of doing the bidding of her brother, the corrupt king. Smith adopts a somewhat strained voice for Alvtir's three chapters. The two young women are distinguished mostly by pitch and tone. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2024]