Tag: Beowulf

SHIELD MAIDEN by Sharon Emmerichs is Out Now!

Posted on Thursday, February 2nd, 2023

Sharon Emmerichs‘s highly-anticipated debut novel, SHIELD MAIDEN is out now in the UK! Published by AdAstra/Head of Zeus, it is a feminist retelling of the Beowulf saga. Here’s the official synopsis…

Having grown up hearing tales of her uncle, the great King Beowulf, Fryda’s one desire is to become a shield maiden in her own right. Yet a terrible childhood accident has left Fryda disabled – thus, she believes, thwarting her dream of becoming a warrior-woman for good. But still, somehow, she feels an uncontrollable power begin to rise within herself.

Meanwhile, a great celebration of Beowulf’s reign is underway, and Fryda’s house is soon overrun with foreign kings and chieftains. Amidst the drunken revelry, a discovery is made that threatens the safety of Fryda’s entire clan – and her own life. Enraged, Fryda resolves to fight for her people, no matter the cost… and all the while, her powers seem only to grow stronger.

But she is not the only one to feel its effects. For, buried deep in her gilded lair, a dragon is drawn to Fryda’s untamed power, and is slowly awakening from a long, cursed sleep…

Here are just a few of the reviews/blurbs the novel has received so far…

‘Casts a superb spell… Shimmering with detail, with a propulsive plot to match.’ — D.K. Fields

‘Fantastic fun… An entrancing story of power and peril, presenting a side to the sagas we have never seen before.’ — Ian Green

‘A heroine with a generous spirit, an unshakable will and a dragon’s fury.’ — H. M. Long

‘A fast-paced and addictive interpretation of one of the stories in the Beowulf saga. I did not want to put this book down. The storytelling is beautiful, and I loved the tender love story woven into the adventure plot. It’s made me want to read more about Beowulf too; I hope the author will dip back into the world in another book.’ — Clem F. (NetGalley Reviewer)

‘If like me you enjoy a good dose of mythology, and/or a good historical fiction, then I think this book will be right up your raiding party.’ — Louise P. (NetGalley Reviewer)

Sharon Emmerich’s SHIELD MAIDEN is out Next Week!

Posted on Tuesday, January 24th, 2023

SHIELD MAIDEN, the highly-anticipated debut novel from Sharon Emmerichs is out next week! Due to be published by AdAstra/Head of Zeus on February 2nd, here’s the synopsis…

Having grown up hearing tales of her uncle, the great King Beowulf, Fryda’s one desire is to become a shield maiden in her own right. Yet a terrible childhood accident has left Fryda disabled – thus, she believes, thwarting her dream of becoming a warrior-woman for good. But still, somehow, she feels an uncontrollable power begin to rise within herself.

Meanwhile, a great celebration of Beowulf’s reign is underway, and Fryda’s house is soon overrun with foreign kings and chieftains. Amidst the drunken revelry, a discovery is made that threatens the safety of Fryda’s entire clan – and her own life. Enraged, Fryda resolves to fight for her people, no matter the cost… and all the while, her powers seem only to grow stronger.

But she is not the only one to feel its effects. For, buried deep in her gilded lair, a dragon is drawn to Fryda’s untamed power, and is slowly awakening from a long, cursed sleep…

Here are a handful of the great early responses the novel has received so far…

‘Casts a superb spell… Shimmering with detail, with a propulsive plot to match.’ — D.K. Fields

‘Fantastic fun… An entrancing story of power and peril, presenting a side to the sagas we have never seen before.’ — Ian Green

‘A heroine with a generous spirit, an unshakable will and a dragon’s fury.’ — H. M. Long

‘A fast-paced and addictive interpretation of one of the stories in the Beowulf saga. I did not want to put this book down. The storytelling is beautiful, and I loved the tender love story woven into the adventure plot. It’s made me want to read more about Beowulf too; I hope the author will dip back into the world in another book.’ — Clem F. (NetGalley Reviewer)

‘If like me you enjoy a good dose of mythology, and/or a good historical fiction, then I think this book will be right up your raiding party.’ — Louise P. (NetGalley Reviewer)

ICYMI: SHIELD MAIDEN by Sharon Emmerichs Acquired by Head of Zeus!

Posted on Tuesday, August 9th, 2022

We’re very happy to report that Kristina Peréz has sold World Rights to SHIELD MAIDEN by Sharon Emmerichs, to Head of Zeus! The deal was announced a little while ago in BookBrunch and Publishers Marketplace.

The ‘stunning fantasy debut’ novel, which features ‘a fierce young woman reclaiming her power’ and ‘will upend everything you think you know about Beowulf.’

Rosie de Courcy at Head of Zeus had the following to say about the book and the deal:

‘The moment Kristina Pérez told me she had a novel to sell featuring Beowulf, a wounded shield maiden and a dragon, I felt that prickle of excitement familiar to all acquiring editors. Shield Maiden is everything I hoped it would be and more. We are going to have so much fun publishing it.’

The novel is due to be published in February 2023, via Head of Zeus’s Ad Astra imprint. Here’s an early synopsis for the novel…

Fryda has grown up hearing tales of her uncle, King Beowulf, and his spectacular defeat of the monstrous Grendel. Her one desire is to become a shield maiden in her own right, but a terrible accident during her childhood has thwarted this dream. Yet still, somehow, she feels an uncontrollable power begin to rise within herself. But she is not the only one to feel the effects of her new-found battle-magic. For, buried deep in her gilded lair, a dragon is drawn to Fryda’s untamed power, and is slowly awakening from a long, cursed sleep…

Congratulations Sharon! We look forward to being able to share the cover and more details, when we get closer to publication.