Publisher: Forge Books, April 6, 2021

Format: ebook

Pages: 512

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Elzbieta Cherezinska’s The Widow Queen is the epic story of a Polish queen whose life and name were all but forgotten until now.

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.

My Review:

Thank you Forge Books and Netgalley for the copy of this book.
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Read if you like: medieval history, Game of Thrones, strong female characters.
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This was a really fun and engaging! I loved reading about Polish history and about a strong woman from Polish history. Swietoslawa is a bold and strong character, who is used by the men in her life in order for them to gain power and prestige; but she is smart and cunning and knows how to play the game too. The book follows her adventures, as well as those connected to her, and we get to see the inner workings of medieval courts in other parts of Europe other than England.
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It was interesting to read about the tension between characters who love another but are forced to marry other people. I found the book a bit long, but this tension kept me wanting to read more! There was also a lot of plot to get through, and I think there is even going to be a second book, so still much to get through!
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CW: sexual content, violence, death of a loved one.