A review by rachel_menard
Steel Hand, Cold Heart by Rachel Menard
5.0
***UPDATE MAY 2020***
I've been sitting on this news for a while, but STEEL HAND, COLD HEART won the GRAND PRIZE in the Writer's Digest Self-Published E-Book Awards!! I am still in total awe that people are enjoying my weird, little Viking book. Thank you!!
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I am so excited to share [b:Steel Hand, Cold Heart|44012935|Steel Hand, Cold Heart|Rachel Menard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1588543931l/44012935._SX50_.jpg|68428389] with you!! Carina is a character very near and dear to my heart. She was featured in the third novel I wrote with a slightly different name. I decided to shelve that book for various reasons, but I could never forget my love for the girl with the steel hand.
Six-years-later, enter Carina, out-of-place teenaged Viking warrior. Yes, there’s blood, and sword-fighting, a cross-dressing dance scene, a bi boy, and disability rep, but this story is mostly about finding yourself and your people, which is something that we all struggle to do. We force ourselves into molds to “fit-in,” like Carina, Mateo, Nik and Flavian, and we do things that go against our moral grain because we are so desperate to belong.
Carina’s not perfect. In fact, I often refer to her as an anti-heroine. Please keep in mind that Carina’s views are not mine. Like most people, she is in need of continued self-improvement. I wrote this for myself as a reader, who wants to see more unapologetic tough girls who challenge ideas and world views. Carina is not out to save the day or win the crown. She’s not caught in a love triangle. She’s just trying to find her way.
Please don’t take anything I wrote in here as actual fact about Vikings. There are some truths in here, but I drew from historic data spanning over hundreds of years and embellished *a lot* with my own imagination. If you are looking for real data about Vikings, I encourage you to read [b:The Sea Wolves: A History of the Vikings|23796654|The Sea Wolves A History of the Vikings|Lars Brownworth|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556717186l/23796654._SY75_.jpg|43410943]. I read it as part of my research and found it to be a thorough exploration of Viking culture.
Thank you for reading, and if you have a moment to share your thoughts, I love reviews. Especially those with gifs.
*trigger warning* Discussion of abuse, violence.
I've been sitting on this news for a while, but STEEL HAND, COLD HEART won the GRAND PRIZE in the Writer's Digest Self-Published E-Book Awards!! I am still in total awe that people are enjoying my weird, little Viking book. Thank you!!
___________________________________
I am so excited to share [b:Steel Hand, Cold Heart|44012935|Steel Hand, Cold Heart|Rachel Menard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1588543931l/44012935._SX50_.jpg|68428389] with you!! Carina is a character very near and dear to my heart. She was featured in the third novel I wrote with a slightly different name. I decided to shelve that book for various reasons, but I could never forget my love for the girl with the steel hand.
Six-years-later, enter Carina, out-of-place teenaged Viking warrior. Yes, there’s blood, and sword-fighting, a cross-dressing dance scene, a bi boy, and disability rep, but this story is mostly about finding yourself and your people, which is something that we all struggle to do. We force ourselves into molds to “fit-in,” like Carina, Mateo, Nik and Flavian, and we do things that go against our moral grain because we are so desperate to belong.
Carina’s not perfect. In fact, I often refer to her as an anti-heroine. Please keep in mind that Carina’s views are not mine. Like most people, she is in need of continued self-improvement. I wrote this for myself as a reader, who wants to see more unapologetic tough girls who challenge ideas and world views. Carina is not out to save the day or win the crown. She’s not caught in a love triangle. She’s just trying to find her way.
Please don’t take anything I wrote in here as actual fact about Vikings. There are some truths in here, but I drew from historic data spanning over hundreds of years and embellished *a lot* with my own imagination. If you are looking for real data about Vikings, I encourage you to read [b:The Sea Wolves: A History of the Vikings|23796654|The Sea Wolves A History of the Vikings|Lars Brownworth|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556717186l/23796654._SY75_.jpg|43410943]. I read it as part of my research and found it to be a thorough exploration of Viking culture.
Thank you for reading, and if you have a moment to share your thoughts, I love reviews. Especially those with gifs.
*trigger warning* Discussion of abuse, violence.