Genre: Fantasy/Mythology/Fairy
Tale
Description:
“Linnea is a Swedish princess reluctantly settled into her role as the
middle child: never as influential as the eldest and never as beloved as the
youngest. With her fiancé missing in action for nearly a decade, her future is
uncertain. But when the Norwegian king curses her younger sister, the fate of
Sweden itself is at risk. As war breaks out, Linnea goes on a quest to meet the
king and strike a deal that will save the lives of her family and her people —
even if it means using her own life as a bargaining chip.
But quests rarely go as planned, especially as she uncovers the
secrets of Norway's royal family and the hidden purpose of the war…
This loose retelling of the classic fairy tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon takes place near the end of the
Viking Age when the old, fierce gods of myth and the new, omnipotent Christian
God were both considered equally true and real.”
Author:
“M. C. Aquila graduated from Winthrop University with a degree in
English. She grew up in Pittsburgh, PA but currently resides in South Carolina.
When she is not co-writing the Winter's
Blight series, she tutors both native and ESL students in English, giving
her a renewed love for the strange wonderfulness of the language.
She also enjoys drawing daily, baking recklessly, hiking in the Blue
Ridge Mountains, searching for the best red wine in existence, and reading any
story with a villain she loves to hate.”
Learn more about Ms. Aquila at her website or follow her on Facebook.
Appraisal:
Linnea is the middle child, one of three princesses of Sweden. She
accepts her standing as not as important as her older sister, who will become
queen. And not as loved as her youngest sister. However, it would be nice if
her father didn’t rub that in her face so blatantly. He’s not a cruel king, he
is just blinded by his status, or perhaps he doesn’t realize what he is doing.
So, yeah, Linnea has some self-esteem issues. And now her intended, the prince
of Norway, is presumed dead after disappearing on a hunting expedition several
years ago.
King daddio decides to have a competition to find a husband for his
youngest daughter. When the King of Norway fails to win, he casts a sleeping
curse on the youngest daughter. She will stay asleep until her father agrees to
give him her hand in marriage. The royal family is devastated and the king
declares war with Norway. Unbeknownst to the king and queen the oldest daughter
cruelly suggests to Linnea that if she offered herself to the King of Norway he
might lift the curse on the youngest daughter.
So begins Linnea’s quest to trek alone across the country to sacrifice
herself to an evil magician King of Norway to prevent a war. Her adventure is
filled with new experiences. To reduce her vulnerability she hires an
experienced guide, Haakon, along the trail. Linnea is naïve but not stupid. She
is quite creatives and cunning. Other notables are the Witch of the Mountain, a
huge wolf from the old world, and other mythological creatures that keep her on
her toes.
There are a couple of huge plot twists that keep Linnea off balance,
change the direction of the story, and ramps up the tension. Linnea is an easy
heroine to root for because of her bravery, loyalty, and easy going personality.
I found this an enthralling tale.
Format/Typo
Issues:
No significant issues.
Rating:
**** Four Stars
Reviewed
by: ?wazithinkin
Approximate
word count: 70-75,000 words
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