In Peaceweaver, Rebecca Barnhouse creates a rich, vividly-imagined historical setting that I found easy to lose myself in. I loved immersing myself in the sparse, formal landscape of the Shylfings and the Geats; Barnhouse’s prose is simple and evocative, bringing her settings and characters alive. Hild is a strong, complex character, and one I found it easy to relate to—and as a long-time fan of the classic epic Beowulf, I felt like Peaceweaver was a perfect homage. Although Peaceweaver is a companion novel to Barnhouse’s The Coming of the Dragon, it works well as a stand-alone novel. My only complaint about the book was that I felt the ending was too abrupt, and I would have liked learning a little more about how things wrapped up!
Peaceweaver is the perfect read for teens and adults who love a good, well-fleshed out historical fiction, with a little myth and adventure thrown in!
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Random House
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language:
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Violence/Gore: On two occasions, a character kills an assassin to protect a friend (both scenes are brief). On three occasions, a character or several characters fight a monster; brief scenes of blood are described, and in one instance there is a brief description of animal gore. A war is planned. A brief battle takes place.
Sex/Nudity: Characters touch hands and feel chemistry.
Mature Subject Matter:
Killing in self-defense
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Characters drink mead.
