The Widow Queen
Poland's forgotten queen is forgotten no more.
Świętosława (pronounced shvee-in-toe-slah-vah) is one of the Duke of Poland's three daughters. As an aristocratic female in the Middle Ages, she will be married off to create an alliance with surrounding territories. Her brother Bolesław (boh-less-lahv) will succeed his father Mieszko (mee-esh-koh) as the Duke of Poland. The story takes place in the Middle Ages, beginning in the late 900s.
The other narrators in the book are men from outside Poland -- Olav Tryggvason in Rus (Russia/Belarus) and Sven the future King of Denmark. Sven begins in Denmark and travels to Poland, returning to his home with a new bride.
Mieszko's three daughters have their own preferences for which man they want to marry, but their father has other plans. It seems that the women are all unlucky in love, and part 2 of the novel follows the siblings (Bolesław included) in their new marriages.
The story is full of political intrigue between the various Scandinavian rulers. This makes for a slow novel, plodding along waiting for something to happen. The scenes with battles are short and don't add much excitement to the novel.
In all honesty, I only made it a third of the way through the audiobook. When I saw there were 15 hours left, I made the decision to cut my losses. I didn't feel any emotional attachment to the characters, and I wasn't interested in the plot.
I've listened to several audiobooks narrated by Cassandra Campbell, and this one holds up to her standard for great performances. She deftly pronounces all of the Polish names and places.
The audiobook is hard to follow with all the foreign names. I think it would be easier to keep track of in print, although you probably wouldn't be pronouncing the names right in your head.
Recommended only for fans of medieval historical fiction, especially those looking for a story that doesn't center around England.
Note: This novel was originally published in Polish as Harda (2016).
Elżbieta Cherezińska is the author of several series in Poland.
Series: The Bold, #1
Publisher: Forge Books (print); Macmillan Audio
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell
Running Time: 23 hours, 50 minutes
Length: 512 pages
Release Date: April 6, 2021