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WORK TITLE: The Sea Queen
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WEBSITE: http://www.linneahartsuyker.com/
CITY: New York
STATE: NY
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
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Booklist Aug. 1, 2018, Sarah Johnson, “The Sea Queen.”. p. 40+.
Publishers Weekly June 4, 2018, , “The Sea Queen.”. p. 29.
Kirkus Reviews June 1, 2018, , “Hartsuyker, Linnea: THE SEA QUEEN.”.
Publishers Weekly June 12, 2017, , “The Half-Drowned King.”. p. 36.
Booklist June, 2017. Johnson, Sarah. , “The Half-Drowned King.”. p. 66.
Kirkus Reviews June 1, 2017, , “Hartsuyker, Linnea: THE HALF-DROWNED KING.”.
School Library Journal July, 2018. Williams, Connie. , “HARTSUYKER, Linnea. The Sea Queen.”. p. 80.
School Library Journal Mar., 2018. Williams, Connie. , “HARTSUYKER, Linnea. The Half-Drowned King.”. p. 128.
ONLINE
Paste, https://www.pastemagazine.com ( August 3, 2017), review of The Half-Drowned King Deserves to Be Stabbed
Bookreporter, https://www.bookreporter.com ( August 17, 2018), review of The Sea Queen
Linnea Hartsuyker
Linnea Hartsuyker can trace her ancestry back to Harald Fairhair, the first king of Norway. She grew up in the middle of the woods outside Ithaca, New York, and studied engineering at Cornell University. After a decade of working at Internet startups and writing, she attended New York University and received an MFA in creative writing. She lives in New York City with her husband.
New Books
June 2018
(paperback)
The Half-Drowned King
(Half-Drowned King Trilogy, book 1)
August 2018
(hardback)
The Sea Queen
(Half-Drowned King Trilogy, book 2)
August 2019
(hardback)
The Golden Wolf
Series
Half-Drowned King Trilogy
1. The Half-Drowned King (2017)
2. The Sea Queen (2018)
Linnea Hartsuyker can trace her ancestry back to Harald Fairhair, the first king of Norway, and a major character in THE HALF-DROWNED KING and THE SEA QUEEN. She grew up in the middle of the woods outside Ithaca, New York, and studied Engineering at Cornell University. After a decade of working at internet startups, and writing in her spare time, she attended NYU and received an MFA in Creative Writing. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband.
Linnea Hartsuyker can trace her family lineage back to the first king of Norway, and this inspired her to write her debut novel, The Half-Drowned King, the first book in her trilogy about the Vikings, which was published by HarperCollins in the US, and internationally in six other countries. The Half-Drowned King was an Indie Next and a Barnes and Noble Discover Pick, and was named the best historical fiction book of 2017 by the American Library Association. Linnea grew up in the woods outside Ithaca, New York, studied Engineering at Cornell University, and later received an MFA in Creative Writing from NYU.
I am a full time writer of historical fiction living in New Hampshire with my husband. I have an MFA in Creative Writing from NYU and a BS in Material Science and Engineering from Cornell University. I grew up in the middle of hundreds of acres of forest outside Ithaca, NY.
When I was in my teens, my family embarked on a project to trace our ancestry and identify our living relatives. Through church records in Sweden and Norway, we found that Harald Fairhair (Harfagr), the first king of Norway is one of our ancestors. Those explorations gave me the seeds of my first novel, The Half-Drowned King, and the subsequent books in the trilogy.
I am also an avid knitter, Crosfitter, traveler, and cook, and a reader of all genres of fiction and non-fiction, and you will see posts about all of those things on my blog.
The Sea Queen
Sarah Johnson
Booklist. 114.22 (Aug. 1, 2018): p40+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
The Sea Queen.
By Linnea Hartsuyker.
Aug. 2018. 464p. Harper, $27.99 (9780062563736).
The "sea queen" is Svanhild Eysteinsdotter, a strong-willed woman with a difficult path ahead. In ninth-century Norway, six years after the events in The Half Drowned King (2017), Svanhild, married to the raider Solvi, loves her seafaring life but knows her intellectual son's needs must come first. This leads to rising marital strife, while Solvi pursues revenge against Harald, Norway's king. He's not alone. Throughout the country and elsewhere, disaffected exiles and noblemen resentful of Haralds taxes rise up against him. Svanhild's brother, Ragnvald, king of Sogn, is loyal to Harald, and as rebel groups join forces, helping Harald achieve a united Norway becomes increasingly dangerous. Although less action-oriented than the first in the Golden Wolf Saga, the second captures the era's violent atmosphere, where blood feuds last generations, and an early incident of stark brutality long haunts Ragnvald. 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.--Sarah Johnson
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Johnson, Sarah. "The Sea Queen." Booklist, 1 Aug. 2018, p. 40+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A550613210/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=7943dc53. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A550613210
The Sea Queen
Publishers Weekly. 265.23 (June 4, 2018): p29.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Sea Queen
Linnea Hartsuyker. Harper, $27.99 (464p) ISBN 978-0-06-256373-6
Hartsuyker's second volume in her trilogy (after The Half-Drowned King) continues the saga of Ragnvald Eysteinsson, set in ninth-century Norway, a turbulent period of bloody unrest. Ragnvald is one of Norway's collection of minor kings. He is loyal to King Harald, who owns the most land and wants to unite all Norway under his rule, but the rivalries of rebellious petty kings and the threat of Swedish invasion could mean all-out war, and he needs Ragnvald's help. Their greatest enemies are Solvi and King Hakon; their greatest ally is Svanhild the Sea Queen, Ragnvald's sister and Solvi's estranged wife. Amid Norway's shifting warlord loyalties, Ragnvald and Harald are cruel manipulators, but Svanhild proves that Norse women can be just as vicious and cunning as Norse men. Blood oaths, feuds, insults to honor, betrayals, and greed fuel the story's instances of torture and murder, and the Norsemen are merciless in punishment. Though overlong, 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. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Sea Queen." Publishers Weekly, 4 June 2018, p. 29. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A542242821/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=54b47fb1. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A542242821
Hartsuyker, Linnea: THE SEA QUEEN
Kirkus Reviews. (June 1, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Hartsuyker, Linnea THE SEA QUEEN Harper/HarperCollins (Adult Fiction) $27.99 8, 14 ISBN: 978-0-06-256373-6
Now fighting opposite her brother, Svanhild must decide how to navigate an ever more treacherous Norway in Hartsuyker's follow-up to The Half-Drowned King (2017).
Things aren't going exactly as planned for Ragnvald, who has fought in King Harald's quest to unite Norway for six bloody years. As a warrior, Ragnvald is used to raids and war, but he is often startled by Harald's penchant for revenge. Even after all the warring is said and done, Vikings have strict codes of honor, and Harald pushes Ragnvald into ever more gruesome confrontations that trouble his conscience. In a surprising move, Ragnvald's sister, Svanhild, has married his enemy, Solvi, a skilled sailor and warrior rousing an army to resist Harald's conquests and burdensome taxes. This puts the two siblings at odds, even after Svanhild leaves Solvi and returns to Ragnvald's camp a grieving mother. As the factions continue to war, Svanhild is caught in the middle. Will she stand by her brother's side or lie to protect the man she still loves? New characters, like Ragnvald's stepbrother, Sigurd, give us insight into the labyrinthine political machinations, back-stabbings, and betrayals at work in the Viking age, taking us straight into the camp of one of Harald's betrayers. Like many second books in a trilogy, this one can get bogged down trying to put all of the players in the right places at the right time, and the novel relies heavily on exposition. But 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. She also restores women's work and political maneuverings to Ragnvald's story, and Svanhild emerges as a complicated, talented, and shrewd warrior in her own right. "Should I give you a ship and a crew so you can fight my sea battles for me?" King Harald asks Svanhild after she proves herself a worthier sailor than many of his men. Svanhild, of course, doesn't miss a beat. "Yes...I think you should." It's a good thing Harald listens.
A seafaring epic with bloodcurdling raids and political intrigue to spare.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Hartsuyker, Linnea: THE SEA QUEEN." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A540723396/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=2540d51c. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A540723396
The Half-Drowned King
Publishers Weekly. 264.24 (June 12, 2017): p36.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Half-Drowned King
Linnea Hartsuyker. Harper, $27.99 (448p) ISBN 978-0-06-256369-9
In her first novel, Hartsuyker brings to life the savage world of the Viking warriors of ninth-century Norway. Ragnvald Eysteinsson is on his way home from a raiding expedition across the North Atlantic when he is betrayed by his captain, Solvi Hunthiofsson, and flung overboard. Rescued by a fisherman, Ragnvald eventually returns home to his beloved sister, Svanhild, who is miserably betrothed to an older man, Thorkell. The source of both their unhappiness is their stepfather, Olaf Ottarsson, who plotted to have Ragnvald killed and Svanhild married off. Exposing his stepfather, Ragnvald goes off to fight alongside Harald Halfdansson, the future king of Norway. At the same time, strong-willed Svanhild finds escape in the form of Solvi, the self-confessed instrument of her brother's betrayal, who takes her as his latest bride. But Solvi is a sworn enemy of Harald, so what will happen when Ragnvald ultimately meets his brother-in-law in combat? The author, who can trace her lineage back to Harald Halfdansson, recreates the half-civilized, half-primitive landscape of his time, where a dragon boat sailing up a fjord struck dread in all who saw it. Befitting its subject matter, the book is replete with exciting battles, duels, and sieges, but the author makes Svanhild's domestic tribulations equally dramatic. In the end, this novel can stand proudly with Edison Marshall's The Wiking and Frans G. Bengtsson's The Long Ships as an immersive fictional recreation of a bloody moment in Scandinavian history. Agent: Julie Barer, the Book Group. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Half-Drowned King." Publishers Weekly, 12 June 2017, p. 36. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A495720635/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=d94e75c8. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A495720635
The Half-Drowned King
Sarah Johnson
Booklist. 113.19-20 (June 2017): p66.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
* The Half-Drowned King. By Linnea Hartsuyker. Aug. 2017.448p. Harper, $27.99 (9780062563699).
In mid-ninth-century Norway, power was dispersed among many petty kingdoms, while sea-kings gained wealth and status through plunder. Chronicling the time that saw Harald Fairhair's rise as eventual king of a united Norway, Hartsuykers terrific historical epic, first in a projected trilogy, beautifully evokes the period and the mind-set of its warring peoples. After his stepfather's attempt on his life fails, Ragnvald Eysteinsson pursues revenge and a plan to regain his hereditary lands while finding his place amid the Norse kings' shifting alliances and blood feuds. Meanwhile, his teenage sister, Svanhild, too strong-minded to be a peace-weaver bride, moves through challenging emotional territory after evading an unwanted marriage. Posing thoughtful questions about the nature of honor and heroism, and devoting significant attention to women's lives, the novel takes a fresh approach to the Viking-adventure genre. Hartsuyker also shows how the glorious deeds in skaldic songs can differ from their subjects' lived experiences. The multifaceted characters are believable products of their era yet relatable to modern readers; the rugged beauty of Norway's farmlands and coastal landscapes likewise comes alive. The language is clear and eloquent, and the action scenes will have the blood humming in your veins. This is how tales from the old sagas should be told.--Sarah Johnson
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Johnson, Sarah. "The Half-Drowned King." Booklist, June 2017, p. 66. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A498582749/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=d654b728. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A498582749
Hartsuyker, Linnea: THE HALF-DROWNED KING
Kirkus Reviews. (June 1, 2017):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Hartsuyker, Linnea THE HALF-DROWNED KING Harper/HarperCollins (Adult Fiction) $27.99 8, 1 ISBN: 978-0-06-256369-9
Steeped in legend and myth, Hartsuyker's debut is a swashbuckling epic of family, love, and betrayal that reimagines the Norse sagas.At 20, hotheaded Ragnvald is old enough to be a warrior "and counted a man"--but not old enough to see betrayal coming. After he's nearly killed in a plot orchestrated by his stepfather, Ragnvald swears allegiance first to King Hakon, then to King Harald, hoping to win enough power to take back the land that's rightfully his. Meanwhile, his sister, Svanhild, abandons the protections of family and friends to escape an arranged marriage--only to find herself at the mercy of her brother's betrayer, Solvi. Hartsuyker bases Ragnvald's tale on the epic of King Harald Fairhair, one of her possible ancestors. The historic figure of Ragnvald rose to prominence as one of Harald's fiercest warriors during the unification of Norway in the ninth century. In the gaps of recorded history, Hartsuyker weaves a tale of myth, magic, and superstition, where "the chilly fingers of Ran's handmaidens" can pull a sailor to his death or an undead draugr can terrorize a village. The contours of Ragnvald and Svanhild's reality are equally dangerous, and Hartsuyker doesn't shy away from depicting the slaughter, rape, and deception that marked the raids and battles of the Viking age. While Hartsuyker's prose is straightforward, the plot is as deliciously complex as Game of Thrones. And, in an era so dominated by the tales of men, it's nice to see a complicated, cunning heroine like Svanhild swoop in and steal the show. Hold on to your helms and grab your shields--Hartsuyker is just getting started.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Hartsuyker, Linnea: THE HALF-DROWNED KING." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A493329284/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=baa3db2c. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A493329284
HARTSUYKER, Linnea. The Sea Queen
Connie Williams
School Library Journal. 64.7 (July 2018): p80.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
HARTSUYKER, Linnea. The Sea Queen. 464p. (The Golden Wolf Saga: Bk. 2). HarperCollins/Harper. Aug. 2018. Tr $27.99. ISBN 9780062563736.
Six years have passed since Svanhild, sister to King Ragnvald of Sogn, left to marry the renegade Solvi. Now on opposite sides of alliances, brother and sister fall prey to the tensions building as King Harald gathers forces to rule one united Norway. Solvi, landless and outlawed, moves from settlement to settlement, while Svanhild, tired of living on the open sea, longs to set down roots for her young son. However, Solvi is not inclined to live on the land, and a terrible tragedy forces Svanhild to make life-altering decisions. Teens will get a glimpse into the hardships of ninth-century Scandinavia, where harsh weather is matched by a culture that lives by rules hinging on family, loyalties, fairness, and revenge. Though Svanhild wants to settle down, she is an adventurer at heart and will do what it takes to support those she loves--in battle, if necessary. But what price will she pay for taking a stance? Built on Scandinavian legends, this tale describes a turbulent time in Norwegian history. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as they follow both sides in the growing conflict for land, power, and family. VERDICT Purchase for strong historical fiction fans who enjoy a good Scandinavian saga.--Connie Williams, Petaluma Public Library, CA
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Williams, Connie. "HARTSUYKER, Linnea. The Sea Queen." School Library Journal, July 2018, p. 80. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A545432468/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=8b6895aa. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A545432468
HARTSUYKER, Linnea. The Half-Drowned King
Connie Williams
School Library Journal. 64.3 (Mar. 2018): p128.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
HARTSUYKER, Linnea. The Half-Drowned King. 448p. HarperCollins/Harper. Aug. 2017. Tr $27.99. ISBN 9780062563699.
In the ninth century, in the northern lands we now call Norway, lived fighting men who warred with one another and raided the southern lands. On the way home from one of these raids, Ragnvald Eysteinsson is unexpectedly attacked by Solvi, his convoy leader, and left for dead. Saved by a local fisherman, Ragnvald returns to his homeland, intent on revenge. He is also determined to demand his birthright from his stepfather, Olaf, and to make a good match for his sister Svanhild. When Olaf chooses a man Svanhild despises, she runs away in desperation only to be caught by Solvi, her brother's nemesis. Chapters alternate between the brother and sister, of whom custom demands much. Ragnvald must align with others in order to defeat Olaf, gain his kingdom, and exact his revenge, while Svanhild has to choose between her brother and his sworn enemy. Ragnvald and Svanhild bring Old Norse legends to life, immersing readers in the fjords and valleys of the north. A solid beginning to a saga well grounded in the culture of its time. VERDICT Hartsuyker's novel should attract those who enjoy "Tire Lord of the Rings" or other fantasies that draw heavily from Scandinavian and Northern European legend and culture.--Connie Williams, Petaluma Public Library, CA
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Williams, Connie. "HARTSUYKER, Linnea. The Half-Drowned King." School Library Journal, Mar. 2018, p. 128. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A529863664/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=d36a1aae. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A529863664
The Protagonist in Linnea Hartsuyker's The Half-Drowned King Deserves to Be Stabbed
By Jason Rhode | August 3, 2017 | 5:14pm
Books Reviews Linnea Hartsuyker
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The most remarkable fact about Linnea Hartsuyker’s The Half-Drowned King is that Ragnvald, a ninth century Scandinavian warrior, is not stabbed multiple times for his mistakes. His sister Svanhild has so much more sense, and she seems to be the wisest member of the troubled Eysteinsson family. The Eysteinssons are not so much characters as pulsating packages of Norse names or receptacles for received facts about Northern life. Hartsuyker is on sure ground when she writes about Ragnvald’s world, less so when speculating about her puppets’ motivations.
The most valuable ships today are giant metal craft filled with dour metal rectangles, so it’s strange that pirates and scavengers’ exploits should take the prize in the collective imagination. Yet deep truths about human nature are revealed in how we treat the annals of our ancestors. The Half-Drowned King is the story of Ragnvald of Maer, sworn man of Norway’s first king Fairhair Harald—who, it turns out, is the author’s distant relative.
Ragnvald and Svanhild are the book’s nominal protagonists; the real drama exists in witnessing how the Northmen’s affairs fall into Game of Thrones-like territory. Ragnvald is in line for an inheritance, but he’s predictably betrayed as petty land-dukes squabble over land, unaware that a single great warlord will rise to make a hash of their designs. Ragnvald must choose between a pair of kings; it’s a real My Two Dads scenario of murder on the ice. During these passages, Northern life is depicted in brilliant flashes as golden wolves prowl beneath the waves.
The novel’s strength lies in its insights about Viking folkways, and Hartsuyker succeeds in capturing the Northmen’s mindset. Desire and vengeance feed an omnipresent shadow of violence that lurks over every gathering, like it must have during the Golden Era of the Vikings. But same element which gives The Half-Drowned King its curious appeal—its proximity to the ancient sagas—also makes it a boring read. Who really was Ragnvald’s stepfather, and what were his deep reasons for shafting his fearsome, man-devouring stepson? How could a man so slow have been any kind of formidable adversary? The problem with most of the characterization in this tale is that much of what our heroes do and say is ruled by that distant storm-god, The Plot.
The entire narrative has the hazy blur of legend, sacrificing specificity for an ambiguity that coats its audience in a quilt of names and strange words. A lover of Viking culture will feast freely; all others will be found wanting.
In the age of “peak Viking,” as pop culture proves increasingly fascinated by the Northmen, people pose many questions: What kind of men and women were they? Why did they bother to cleave treacherous seas countless times? What quirk of culture can unriddle their employment of Loki and Thor in day-to-day life? Hartsuyker answers these questions well; it’s everything else that’s lacking. Reading The Half-Drowned King is like riding in a longship to raid: the cargo might be worthwhile, but the journey requires patience.
The Sea Queen
by Linnea Hartsuyker
THE SEA QUEEN is the second installment in Linnea Hartsuyker’s Viking trilogy, following THE HALF-DROWNED KING. I don’t want to give away my enthusiasm for this series too soon, but let’s just say that I’m waiting for the third book already.
Ragnvald is a man who keeps his oaths, which leaves him trapped by his own choices, even if he fully believes in those decisions. All he wants is to hold the land that once belonged to his father and live a quiet life away from the fighting that helped him reclaim his family’s land. Unfortunately for Ragnvald, King Harald wants him by his side, believing him to be his good luck charm in battle and a counselor he can’t live without. No longer the half-drowned king, Ragnvald has moved beyond his past and is now a much bigger pawn in the game of Norwegian kings.
"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, the slower I read, as I did not want it to end."
Ragnvald’s sister, Svanhild --- who is now married to the notorious sea raider, Solvi --- has the freedom she dearly craves, but her family life is plagued by the shadow of death that clings to her son. Her son is weak, and her husband is all-consumed with capturing what he believes is his by right. This defiance of everything but his own dreams costs Solvi not only his son but also his wife. With the death of her son and dissolution of her marriage, Svanhild goes to find Ragnvald, hoping that he will be able to give her the space and time she needs to heal. At the very least, she would like him to take her in; once more she has left everything she has in an effort to protect what little of her freedom remains.
King Harald wants to rule all of Norway, and pulls both Ragnvald and Svanhild into his orbit, believing that he needs both brother and sister close to him to win his battles and solidify his position as king of Norway. Ragnvald and Svanhild have other plans in mind, though. While they would like Harald to succeed, they also want their freedom. It’s a game of strategy for them, and with a little bit of luck and help from the gods, they hope the game they’re playing doesn’t rain down ruin on their family. Fortunately, they are good at the games they play; they have much more to lose now.
I’m happy to see the story shift to Svanhild and her adventures in this book. She’s strong, stubborn, and willing to fight for her son and her freedom. Ragnvald is playing a much more dangerous game this time, looking to remove enemies and build new alliances without having to do the dirty work himself. He’s moving people around to do his bidding while appearing to have no involvement. His title of king affords him some space, but he isn’t always satisfied with moving the pawns. He truly trusts no one but himself in the end --- a trait that he and his sister have in common.
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, 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.
THE SEA QUEEN is a sequel, and you’ll want to read THE HALF-DROWNED KING first to capture all the details, betrayals and backstories. 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.
Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski on August 17, 2018