Black Shield Maiden
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Narrated by:
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Willow Smith
About this listen
From Willow Smith and Jess Hendel comes a powerful and groundbreaking historical saga about an African warrior in the world of the Vikings.
“Intimate, tender, and fiercely epic.”—Tomi Adeyemi, author of Children of Blood and Bone
Lore, legend, and history tell us of the Vikings: warrior kings on epic journeys of conquest and plunder. But the stories we know are not the only stories to tell. There is another story, one that has been lost to the mists of time: the saga of the dark queen.
This saga begins with Yafeu, a defiant yet fiercely compassionate young warrior who is stolen from her home in the flourishing Ghānaian empire and taken to a distant kingdom in the North. There she is thrust into a strange, cold world of savage shield maidens, tyrannical rulers, and mysterious gods.
And there she also finds something unexpected: a kindred spirit. She comes to serve Freydis, a shy princess who couldn’t be more different from the confident and self-possessed Yafeu.
But they both want the same thing: to forge their own fate. Yafeu inspires Freydis to dream of a future greater than the one that the king and queen have forced upon her. And with the princess at her side, Yafeu learns to navigate this new world and grows increasingly determined to become one of the legendary shield maidens—to fight not only for her freedom but for the freedom of others.
Yafeu may have lost her home, but she still knows who she is, and she’s not afraid to be the flame that burns a city to the ground so a new world can rise from the ashes. She will alter the course of history—and become the revolutionary heroine of her own myth.
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If it weren’t for Emma Johnson, Caryn Johnson would have never become Whoopi Goldberg. Emma gave her children the loving care and wisdom they needed to succeed in life, always encouraging them to be true to themselves. When Whoopi lost her mother in 2010—and then her older brother, Clyde, five years later—she felt deeply alone; the only people who truly knew her were gone. Emma raised her children not just to survive, but to thrive. In this intimate and heartfelt memoir, Whoopi shares many of the deeply personal stories of their lives together for the first time.
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Critic reviews
“Intimate, tender, and fiercely epic . . . With Black Shield Maiden, Willow Smith and Jess Hendel pull the reader into a rich adventure filled with detailed prose and poignant symbolism. You quickly become endeared with the character of Yafeu and her plight as a young woman in a vicious world. With her first foray into literature, Smith proves there is no limit to her boundless imagination and explosive creativity.”—Tomi Adeyemi, author of Children of Blood and Bone
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- Narrated by: Rosario Dawson
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
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Jazz Bashara is a criminal. Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent. Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down.
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A ferrari with no motor
- By will on 11-18-17
By: Andy Weir
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Òdòdó's hometown of Timbuktu has been conquered by the warrior king of Yorùbáland. Already shunned as social pariahs, living conditions for Òdòdó and the other women in her blacksmith guild grow even worse under Yorùbá rule.Then Òdòdó is abducted. She is whisked across the Sahara to the capital city of Ṣàngótẹ̀, where she is shocked to discover that her kidnapper is none other than the vagrant who had visited her guild just days prior. But now that he is swathed in riches rather than rags, Òdòdó realizes he is not a vagrant at all.
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When Cam and Desiree Woodson find the luxurious rental home in a quiet, suburban Atlanta neighborhood, they believe they've discovered the perfect place for their growing young family—and for their tight budget, the price is too good to be true. But what starts as a bargain soon turns into a nightmare when the landlord's unusual lease terms become more suffocating than they ever imagined...
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Kiara and her brother, Marcus, are barely scraping by in a squalid East Oakland apartment complex optimistically called the Regal-Hi. Both have dropped out of high school, their family fractured by death and prison. But while Marcus clings to his dream of rap stardom, Kiara hunts for work to pay their rent—which has more than doubled—and to keep the nine-year-old boy next door, abandoned by his mother, safe and fed.
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What listeners say about Black Shield Maiden
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- French with a twist
- 05-26-24
Breathtakingly Beautiful!
This is a story for the ages. Willow Smith has an extraordinary gift that transcends all artistic mediums. The story went to places I could not have imagined. Looking forward to your next endeavor, Ms. Smith!!! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
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- Rissy S
- 06-19-24
Non stop
This story was so well thought out and enacted that through my mind’s eye, an epic movie came to life! Well done!
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- Victoria Biggerstaff
- 06-15-24
so good
it was amazing loved everything about it I listened because I love willows music but this showed a whole nother level of talent
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- Gyrlwolf
- 06-09-24
Amazing First Book
Willow Smith is an amazing singer but how can add amazing author to her legacy. This book keep me on the edge of my seat the entire time.
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- Jasmin
- 05-30-24
The characters are fantastic!!
I loved how characters could be so different and yet mirror one another. This book has pain, action, and power throughout it. Thanks for this experience Willow xoxo
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- Anonymous User
- 05-13-24
The story held my interest all the way through.
I liked the blending of two cultures and how the lead character fought and rose from her station.
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- Noel Amos
- 06-27-24
Did NOT expect that!
Bravo, Miss Smith! I was intrigued by the description and slightly hesitant. But once I started, it held me tight and wouldn’t let go. I finished this in a day, and though I thought some of the cultural blending was a little forced toward the end, it made my eyes glisten at the last minute. It's a fantastic start to, hopefully, a long series.
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- Kenyata Gilliam
- 08-03-24
Beyond the Tales of Rags to Riches!!!
This story was very tastefully put together!!! I've laughed, cried, clutched my pearls and cried some more!! I'm hoping there will be another installment!!
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- Emily
- 11-15-24
Fantastic
What fantastic world building.
The story is complete, but there is room to continue and build. I love the dual heroines, and their complex relationships.
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- Mo
- 05-17-24
Wowwww..Lil Willow..
I love this story and written so very well.. I’m sure your parents are very very proud of you…this only speaks to your natural talent. Looking forward to readying more from you. Congratulations!
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