Shield Maiden — Sharon Emmerichs

Both epic and intimate, Sharon Emmerichs's extraordinary debut novel reimagines Beowulf from the perspective of a young woman reclaiming her power. 
 
All her life, Fryda has longed to be a shield maiden, an honor reserved for Geatland's mightiest warriors. When a childhood accident leaves her tragically injured and unfit for the battlefield, her dreams are dashed -- or so she thinks. But a strange, unfathomable power is awakening within her, a power that will soon be put to the test.
 
For when foreign lords and chieftains descend upon Fryda's home to celebrate her uncle King Beowulf's fifty-year reign, she realizes not all their guests come with good intentions. Treachery is afoot, and Fryda must gather her courage to fight for her people…as a queen should -- as a shield maiden would -- and as only Fryda can.
 
But as Fryda's power grows stronger, something ancient hears its call. For buried deep in her gilded lair, a dragon awakens…and Fryda must prove herself once and for all.

Praise for Shield Maiden:

"A heroine with a generous spirit, an unshakable will, and a dragon's fury."  -- H. M. Long, author of Hall of Smoke 

"Casts a superb spell. Shimmering with detail, with a propulsive plot to match"  -- D. K. Fields, author of the Tales of Fenest trilogy