Faces in the Fire: The Women of Beowulf: Book One

Growing up female in a Viking world of rough men and horrifying monsters is a tall order for any girl. Freawaru, daughter of a sixth-century Danish chieftain, does not have to kill the night-walking Grendel monster herself; the powerful Beowulf takes on that challenge. Freawaru must contend with other assaults both from within and without that demand her wits and intellect.

First she must learn how to use and control her goddess-given gift: the ability to see the future. In her father’s hall she is challenged by her sly and lecherous older cousin, and by the mysterious rune-master who may be a madman.

On a broader stage, she is challenged to act as peace-weaver between tribes, marrying a rival chieftain to end an ancient feud. In her husband’s hall she is faced with a mother-in-law who wishes her dead — unless she can produce a son. Should she fail, and the feud break out again, she will be forced to make a new life for herself in a foreign land.