Ninth-century Norway, the dawn of the Viking era-a land shattered into thirty warring kingdoms. A woman could seize power, if she was bold enough. Daughter of a Norse king, fifteen-year-old A?sa dreams of becoming a shield-maiden. When she spurns a powerful warlord, he rains hellfire on her family, slaughtering her father and brother and taking her captive. To protect her people, A?sa must wed her father's killer. To take vengeance, she must become his queen. Contains mature themes.