The story begins in Hedeby, Denmark in 895 as Llyrica, a
weaver who weaves spells into her beautiful trimming design, disguises herself
as her old Aunt Solvieg, an expert weaver and resident “old crone”. Llyrica is
discovered by a flesh peddler who would have her for himself. He takes her from
her home, along with her brother. They end up in the waters off Wessex, she in
the hands of a Saxon warrior named Slayde the StoneHeart, ealdorman of Kent,
and her brother (unknowingly) in the hands of their Viking father.
It’s pretty much instant lust on Slayde’s part, no matter
they are in freezing water and he is saving her from a shipwreck. But, being
the strong “I need no woman” man he is, Slayde ignores his sexual attraction
for her and goes about his business. During the day, he berates her in front of
his men, accusing her (without reason) of being a whore. But at night he “sleepwalks” to her bed where he whispers sweet words of love.
Llyrica is determined to reach the
Danelaw where her father, Haesten, is a feared warrior. (She has no idea that’s
where her brother ended up.)
Initially, I found the author’s word
choices and writing style a bit difficult to wade through, but once I got
accustomed to it, I found the story entertaining and wanted to see what
happened. Miller has obviously done much research into the Viking culture and
London of the time and I really enjoyed the historical detail.
Llyrica is a clever heroine who will
have Slayde on her terms. Slayde, determined to resist, has not a prayer. Many
secondary characters add to the story, making it a rich tapestry. And some
exciting scenes will keep your heart pumping. It’s also intriguing with the
spells woven into the cloth by the “songweaver”.
Viking lovers will enjoy the match
between a Saxon loyal to King Alfred and a Viking maiden from Denmark.
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