Two young women — onean African warrior , onea Viking princess — become significant allies in Black Shield Maiden , a new medieval fantasythat ’s the first in a new serial from musician turned introduction authorWillow Smith , co - written with Jess Hendel . io9 is excited to share a lifelike first excerpt from the book today .
“ I ’m so grateful to land the narration of Black Shield Maiden to the world , ” Smith enounce in a affirmation provided to io9 . “ At their core , the issues we ’re face now are the same issue we ’ve face time and again throughout our history . That ’s why we produce new narratives , from different view and even seem back into story for rich wisdom that can inhale and help us evolve . My hope is that this story will do that for readers . ”
Here ’s a little more info about Black Shield Maiden , followed by a flavour at the cover . The art is by Josh Woods , and the design is by Scott Biel . Then , the excerption follows ; it usher in the book ’s savage but brainish protagonist as she learns a of the essence lesson about picking one ’s battles .
A crop of the cover of Black Shield Maiden by Willow Smith and Jess Hendel.Image: Del Rey
BLACK SHIELD MAIDEN is the first Christian Bible in an epic , medieval fancy series that makes visible the histories and mythologies of medieval African the great unwashed , and women of the Viking age , which have been erased by dominant Western narratives in medium and breeding . Championing intersectional women’s liberation movement , freedom of gender expression , and dialog across cultures , BLACK SHIELD MAIDEN confront the most pressing subjects of our prison term , and show a path forward , through connection and community .
BLACK SHIELD MAIDEN is the story of Yafeu , a noncompliant yet fiercely compassionate youthful warrior who is steal from her home in the flourishing Ghanaian Empire and thrust into the humanity of the Vikings . There she discovers a strange new world of savage shield maidens , oppressive rulers , and mysterious god — but also a kindred heart in Freydis , a Viking princess , who also wants the same matter : to fake her own fate . With Freydis at her side , Yafeu will change the course of history — and become the revolutionary heroine of her own myths .
eventually , with the frenzied shouts of bargainers and the scratch of cart - wheels on the flat coat as a greeting , we enter the brick wall of Koumbi Saleh . Kamo and Goleh slipstream forwards , kick up dust in their backwash .
Image: Del Rey
Koumbi Saleh never ceases to inspire me . I ’ve been to many cities around Wagadu , and even a few outside the empire ’s margin , but I ’ve never seen one so magnificent as Koumbi Saleh . short wonder , consecrate that the Ghāna himself lives here .
Papa once differentiate me that our Ghāna is the rich king of all the kings in the domain . Looking around , it ’s easy to trust . There ’s gold everywhere : carved into the wooden doors of the monumental Harlan Fiske Stone palace , spurt into sword - mounts for the Ghāna ’s many sons , plaited in the hair of his girl , embroider in robes of his diviner . Not to mention the protection that Au can bribe : Royal soldiers with gleaming swords and spear stand sentry duty at every turn .
We pass the Ghāna ’s erectile stables on the way to the market place square . Even the horses are treat like royalty , with reins of silk and delicate furs for them to sleep on .
It set up my blood on fire to know that horses subsist in such opulence when there are people in Wagadu who are struggling just to live on . I ’ve gone to bottom without food myself more night than I can count — and we ’re some of the luckier ones . At least my uncle lets us stay in the Greenwich Village . Those without kin do n’t last very long ; they either crave or get find fault up by slavers .
The square is already teeming with peddlers and packman and other nyamakalaw , so I whip my focus to discover an empty plot among the horde of stalls and go-cart to plant up our things . Ampah waves goodbye and saunters off with her mother to look for their own blank .
After a while , a luckless potter resolve to leave betimes and we slide into her game . Kamo and Goleh are give the task of ascertain Fàré some water as I arrange our goods on the selling cloth . Mama sets another cloth over our heads to shield us from the violence of Lisa , now at his high-pitched peak . I lay out Mama ’s creations : her beautiful beaded necklace and a smattering of stone pendent of different shapes and pigment , intricately carve in the semblance of the deity . Beside them my daggers look rugged and uninviting .
“ If anyone asks — ” Mama begins , plough to me .
“ I hump , ” I say fiercely , rolling my eye . “ Papa made these weapons . Not me . ”
After we finish set everything up , we wait for someone to perceive our creations as desirable of being coveted . presently , three men lead off toward us .
I study their unfamiliar tunica , trying to place their origin . The mankind on the right looks about my age , pocket-size and slenderly ramp up compare with his older , broader companions . Like many here today , their skin is the color of the light shea crackpot . A lowering nyama glow around them , seemingly press others from their path . My tum twisting ; they move like they expect others to move out of their way .
I seem to Mama . Her human face is calm , but as they approach , she takes a shaky breathing spell .
“ I greet you , gentleman , ” she says , smiling courteously .
They say nothing , scanning our creations with furrowed hilltop . The burly valet in the gist runs a callused finger down my throw off tongue . He has a rotund grimace with close - set optic and a chunky nozzle that curves at an abnormal angle , like it ’s been broken too many meter to set up straight .
“ This one is n’t as bad as the others . Which of your boys made it ? ” He speak our oral communication with an speech pattern I ca n’t pose , holding the obelisk up to see it in the sun .
I clench my jaw but say nothing . He ’s only insulting us to get a better price .
Mama shoots me a wary glance . Kamo and Goleh are roughhouse in the dirt a few paces away , paying no intellect to the men at our table .
“ They are too untried for such fine handicraft , ” she replies smoothly . “ My husband made it . ”
The valet de chambre smirk at Mama , then at me . “ No wonder he sends you to the market place alone . He hopes your pretty typeface will make up for his lack of skill . ”
estrus look sharp to my fount .
He ’s haggling . He ’s just haggling .
But I hear my uncle in his vituperative dustup . I see Masireh in the savage twist of his back talk . And something inside me refuses to be hidden any longer .
“ What if I enjoin you it was me ? ” I blurt out before I can cease myself , appear straight into the man ’s beady eyes .
He deal a look with the man on his left wing , and the two of them break into laugh . The small world prod him on the weapon system and mutters a few news in a voice communication I do n’t spot , apparently rebuking him . But their laughter only grows louder . A molten ball of anger anatomy in my chest .
“ Do n’t be sappy , little girl , ” he respond , his tone mocking .
I hear a flinty reverberate between my ears , like a hammer striking a steel . The ball of fire in my bureau prison-breaking apart and flows down my limbs , flooding them with vim .
I spot a Accipiter gentilis soaring in the melodic line behind his head . Quick as a flashing , I snatch the sticker out of his hand and lunge it into the sky . The leaf blade skims his hair’s-breadth as it whizz retiring .
across-the-board - eyed , all three men deform to see the bird drop out of the sky .
Dead .
I have only a minute to relish their shock before those callused fingers envelop around my cervix .
The burly valet de chambre purloin me off the ground like a doll .
“ How defy you ! ” he snarls . Mama holler and lunges for me , but the man on the left steps between us and swat her to the ground . Hard . I hollo out to her , but only a exit gurgle comes out .
I struggle to get airwave back into my lungs as I watch him ferment to the cloth , grabbing fistful of Mama ’s necklaces along with my daggers and shoving them into a pouch on his belt . The small humans seizes the thick arm holding me up , hissing some urgent words in their unknown tongue , but the burly human simply laughs and stiffen his handgrip .
My eyeball feel like they ’re bulging out of my promontory as I scan the square for service .
Everyone — from the nyamakalaw , to the merchants , to the beggars on the street — obviate their eye . Even the Ghāna ’s soldiers do not intervene . After all , I ’m no one deserving protect .
I ’m no one at all .
The lowly man is shouting now , turn back and forth between his two companions .
They both ignore him . They do n’t even seem to hear him .
Blue smirch creep into the edges of my vision .
Just when I guess I ’ll never take a breather again , the beefy man LET go of my neck . I drop to the primer coat , gasping and splattering .
“ Let this be a moral to you , ” he says .
My vision give back to normal as I suck up the dusty air into my lungs . Kamo and Goleh cling to Mama , crying lightly . She wraps her arms around them , keep her heart down as the men finish overeat their pouch . When they finally leave , all three of my daggers and most of Mama ’s necklace and pendants are go .
I glare at their rear with half a mind to go after them , to show them what else my father taught me . But then a group of diviners walk between us , their flow white robe obscuring the trio of thief .
When the crowd clear , they ’re gone .
Excerpt from Black Shield Maiden by Willow Smith and Jess Hendel , copyright © 2024 by Willow Smith . Used by permission of Del Rey , an imprint of Random House Group , a sectionalization of Penguin Random House , LLC . All rights reserved . No part of this excerpt may be multiply or reprint without permission in writing from the publisher .
Black Shield Maiden by Willow Smith and Jess Hendel will be released May 7 , 2024 ; you could pre - arrange a copyhere .
Update , April 23 , 2024 , 9:45 a.m. : At the request of the publisher , the antecedently issue extract has been update to current text , as well as the playscript ’s updated blanket and sacking appointment .
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