Willow Smith debut novel 'Black Shield Maiden' is a powerful fantasy: Check it out

Singer Willow Smith doesn’t just write music, she's a novelist too.

The 23-year-old child of Hollywood stars Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow's debut book is an ambitious contemporary fantasy that centers a young Black girl as its protagonist and is poised to start a compelling book series.

Smith teamed up with the Los Angeles-based writer Jess Hendel for "Black Shield Maiden," (available now from Del Rey, pp. 467) about Yafeu, a brash young African girl with ambitions of becoming a warrior, who endures a nightmarish journey after being stolen from her village and taken to a distant European kingdom. There she finds herself once again in torment, in an unfamiliar land with strange gods and customs in forced servitude. She is soon selected to serve a princess named Freydis, though Yafeu never lets go of her true desire: to become a warrior. When she gets the opportunity to join the kingdom's shield maidens, she finds more than she hoped: Friendship, love, freedom and what it means to lead.

When we first meet Yafeu and Freydis, both are naive. Yafeu is hardheaded, impatient and shows little restraint. Freydis is timid, unsure and does what she's told. We follow as both girls are forced to change and grow despite themselves due to their circumstances, and it's a gratifying change to witness.

The world of "Black Shield Maiden" can be overwhelming. Readers are transported from ancient West Africa to medieval Scandinavia, imagining the rich reds and browns of the desert and cool blues and greens of Northern Europe. The world-building is almost to a fault: Its mix of Old Norse and African diasporic language, geography and mythology is hard to follow at points.

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Yafeu and Freydis' religious traditions and the expectations they place on their fates are explored thoroughly. We learn what it means for both to hold on to their responsibilities as a thrall and a princess, respectively, the inner turmoil caused by rejecting them and finding their own destinies as young women.

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“Black Shield Maiden” includes several fight scenes, and its characters’ abilities, including the titular shield maidens, are usually measured. It takes several weeks for Yafeu, who is used to fighting with daggers or her hands, to not easily lose a swordfight. Only occasionally do things get unbelievable, like when a shield maiden kills an assailant while sliding in between his legs.

By the end, our two main characters are completely changed, their stories rewritten. But their transformations aren’t complete: Yafeu, now assuming a new position of power, is still unsure of her place, and Freydis, for all her growth in deciding what she doesn’t want, is still unclear on what she does. Their stances are relatable but incomplete, all but ensuring the novel's follow-up.

In the book's final chapter, Yafeu is reunited with some of her family. The reunion feels abrupt and convenient, despite the explanation that Yafeu's transformation story has reached lands beyond the kingdom.

Where "Black Shield Maiden" feels strongest is in its emotional content. Yafeu struggles with immense loss and guilt, which she carries with her throughout the book. Yafeu sometimes acts without thinking, leading to consequences that are heavy and impactful.

Freydis spends much of the book appeasing her parents despite their resentment that she is not the son they wished for. Her parents are indifferent to her suffering and, in the moment Freydis truly understands this, her devastation is consuming.

Those with an interest in historical fiction and fantasy would enjoy "Black Shield Maiden." Smith and Hendel are well-researched and don’t bore readers with unnecessary history lessons, choosing to create a fresh new story based in a time period this genre’s readers may already know well. Those drawn to a Black character centered in medieval fiction will appreciate Yafeu's inclination toward justice, staying true to herself and holding on to her culture while accepting her new home. And though the novel is about a girl, its themes are adult, with Freydis and Yafeu struggling with grief and responsibility while fighting for their agency, independence and power to mold their own fates.

"Black Shield Maiden" is an impressive first outing with a story that is sure to be continued, and a protagonist who is certain to inspire with a tale about challenging circumstances and seeking justice, for themselves and others.