The Widow Queen

by Elzbieta Cherezinska

Overview

Elzbieta Cherezinska'sThe Widow Queen is the epic story of a Polish queen whose life and name were all but forgotten until now. It's a sweeping saga perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory, Bernard Cornwell, and the Vikings tv series.

The bold one, they call her—too bold for most.

To her father, the great duke of Poland, Swietoslawa and her two sisters represent three chances for an alliance. Three marriages on which to build his empire.

But Swietoslawa refuses to be simply a pawn in her father's schemes; she seeks a throne of her own, with no husband by her side.

The gods may grant her wish, but crowns sit heavy, and power is a sword that cuts both ways.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250218018
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/15/2022
Series:	The Bold , #1
Pages:	512
Sales rank:	481,542
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.80(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Elzbieta Cherezinska is the #1 bestselling and award-winning author of more than a dozen novels. She was born in Pila, a small town in the west of Poland, and currently resides on the Baltic coast in Kolobrzeg, Poland. The Widow Queen is her first novel to be translated into English.

Maya Zakrzewska-Pim grew up in Warsaw, Poland. She studied English at Trinity College Dublin and is working on a PhD from Cambridge. Her previous Polish to English translations include Ignacy Karpowicz’s Gestures and Sonka.

Editorial Reviews

Elzbieta Cherezinska writes with great depth and imagination, bringing to life seductive and detailed worlds."—Olga Tokarczuk, Nobel Prize Laureate and Man Booker Prize winning author of Flights

"The Widow Queen is the story of a woman standing strong in a world run by men, and of the sacrifices we must make for power and love. Elzbieta Cherezinska brings epic history to life with her own unique and recognizable voice. Her stories have emotion, drama, and make even the most well-known historical events feel exciting and fresh."—Tomek Baginski, Executive Producer, The Witcher, Netflix

“A fascinating and forgotten corner of history . . . Cherezinska brings to life a world of violence and beauty, superstition and intrigue.”—Linnea Hartsuyker, author of The Half-Drowned King

“Fascinating, authentic, and beautifully told, The Widow Queen is the story of a forgotten Polish princess in an ear of warriors, the headstrong, clever Swietoslawa—twice a queen, mother of kings. An impressive and compelling story brough vividly to life!”—Susan Fraser King, author of Lady Macbeth and Queen Hereafter

"THE WIDOW QUEEN is a genuine gift for historical fiction enthusiasts: a deeply-detailed story of power, politics, and love—and the impossibility of keeping all three. In Swietoslawa, Elzbieta Cherezinska reveals to us a complex woman who was ignored by historians, rightfully elevating her to an equal standing with her more-famous allies and enemies. This carefully-crafted novel lives up to its protagonist’s title: the Bold One."—Nathan Makaryk, author of Nottingham

“Look no further for your next great adventure. The Widow Queen unspools the true history of two courageous siblings, Boleslaw—the first and future King of Poland, and his daring sister Swietoslawa, fated to a royal destiny in a great Norse kingdom. Ranging across Baltic shores to the northern reaches of Scandinavia, and far West to King Ethelred's England, Cherezinska propels us through a tale of great personal and social transformation, from pagan to Christian, and private to political. This hidden history of a forgotten yet vitally important heroine brings Swietoslawa into the limelight she so richly deserves.”—Octavia Randolph, author of The Circle of Ceridwen Saga

From the Publisher

05/21/2021

Duke Mieszko I ruled 10th-century Poland as a converted Christian. His two legitimate children, daughter Swietosława and son Bolesław, were his means to greater power. Swietosława, "the bold one," possessed both beauty and intelligence. Yet her real value was political. At a time when noble daughters were used, the book says, as "seals of peace, alliances, ceasefires," and Poland's borders were fluid, Swietosława is married to King Eric of Sweden. He renames her Sigrid Storråda, as he cannot pronounce her name. Swietosława's bold intellect gains her respect at court, and when she is widowed, she is again crowned queen when she marries Sven Haraldsson, king of Denmark, who renames her Gunhild. In her first novel in English translation, Cherezinska restores and draws on the history of the real Swietosława, whom she calls "the causative axis of events" across several countries. Although largely fictionalized, the novel's narrative is drawn from history's footnotes. Set during a time of transition between paganism and Christianity, the story features dozens of characters across Europe. The book's maps and genealogical charts are helpful, but it is a challenging entry point to the era. VERDICT Political intrigue driven by a woman's unacknowledged influence is woven through a medieval history, targeting informed readers.—Jessica Bushore, Xenia, OH

Library Journal