Reviews
Through her multifaceted characters, Hartsuyker adeptly evokes female alliances, the complications of love and passion, and vengeance both terrible and triumphant as she effectively juggles many subplots and settings, from Norway's harsh, picturesque coast to sulfurous Iceland and Dublin's muddy harbor., Hartsuyker is an amazing storyteller who brings Viking Norway to life, from the sea battles to the vivid landscapes. The closer I got to the last page of THE SEA QUEEN, the slower I read, as I did not want it to end. I felt invested, wanting to know how Ragnvald and Svanhild would fare in the dangerous games they were playing...Hartsuyker tells a grand tale, and you won't want to miss any of it. If you like historical fiction, Viking tales or, frankly, just a great story, these books are for you., By the final pages, Swanhild has become that rare creature of historical fiction: a thoroughly believable female action-hero...At once a thrilling adventure story and a moving portrait of very complicated love. THE SEA QUEEN is an even more accomplished novel than its predecessor and sets the reader keenly on edge for the next volume in the series., "Hartsuyker is a wonderfully descriptive writer equally adept at penning truly horrifying battle scenes as depicting life in ninth-century Norway. Fans of History Channel's Vikings should find this novel equally compelling." -- Library Journal "A seafaring epic with bloodcurdling raids and political intrigue to spare... Svanhild emerges as a complicated, talented, and shrewd warrior in her own right... 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." -- Kirkus Reviews "Hartsuyker's second volume in her trilogy (after The Half-Drowned King) continues the saga of Ragnvald Eysteinsson... but Svanhild proves that Norse women can be just as vicious and cunning as Norse men.... 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." -- Publishers Weekly "Through her multifaceted characters, Hartsuyker adeptly evokes female alliances, the complications of love and passion, and vengeance both terrible and triumphant as she effectively juggles many subplots and settings, from Norway's harsh, picturesque coast to sulfurous Iceland and Dublin's muddy harbor." -- Booklist "By the final pages, Swanhild has become that rare creature of historical fiction: a thoroughly believable female action-hero...At once a thrilling adventure story and a moving portrait of very complicated love. The Sea Queen is an even more accomplished novel than its predecessor and sets the reader keenly on edge for the next volume in the series." -- Open Letters Review "This is historical fiction at its best and shouldn't be missed...Hartsuyker adds a rich, Shakespearean approach to characters and politics...All three main characters, Svanhild particularly, are so beautifully realized in their intelligence and emotional development that the descriptions of sea voyages, battles, and mead hall law-wrangling mesh seamlessly with the more personal stories." -- Editors' Choice, Historical Novels Review "Hartsuyker is an amazing storyteller who brings Viking Norway to life, from the sea battles to the vivid landscapes. The closer I got to the last page of The Sea Queen, the slower I read, as I did not want it to end. I felt invested, wanting to know how Ragnvald and Svanhild would fare in the dangerous games they were playing...Hartsuyker tells a grand tale, and you won't want to miss any of it. If you like historical fiction, Viking tales or, frankly, just a great story, these books are for you." -- Book Reporter "It is her wonderful cast of characters that truly makes The Sea Queen a page-turning, electrifying read...superb and engaging characters that you cannot stop thinking about even when the story moves from one to another. I heartily and highly recommend The Sea Queen...For Fans of 'Game of Thrones' and of historical fiction." -- Comic Book Bin "A treat to savor...I thoroughly enjoyed reading THE SEA QUEEN and was once again immersed into Ragnvald's world of loyalty, betrayal and complex Norwegian relationships. THE SEA QUEEN is a much better read than THE HALF- DROWNED KING. I loved seeing a strong and clever woman character in Svanhild. I also loved the pacing of the story and how it feels epic." -- Fresh Fiction, Hartsuyker is a wonderfully descriptive writer equally adept at penning truly horrifying battle scenes as depicting life in ninth-century Norway. Fans of History Channel's Vikings should find this novel equally compelling.
