Not sure wether to label this has historical romance or historical fiction as it has more of the latter but some aspects of the first in it.

Gytha is the daughter of Harald of Wessex,the guy who tried to take the crown of England for himself but was unable to keep it as something called the Norman invasion happened and he was killed in battle.

She and her mother escape to Denmark when she learns of plans to force her into a convent. In Denmark they are welcome by her relative the danish King and

Her mother fades away from sorrow and dies after some years.Now Gytha is all alone,she ought to marry but none of the men offering for her hand seems suitable.She wants someone strong and powerful as Gytha considers herself a princess and as do other people.

Being royal or a noble comes with its own problems it seems.

The danish kings foreign wife comes up with a solution,wont Gytha go and marry her nephew Vladimir who is a Prince of Kiev Rus?

Feeling that fortune favors the brave Gytha agree snd set out to travel
to this new and foreign land.

This was a decent read but I wont put it down as one of my favorites for seveal reasons.

For one thing you are almost halfway through the book before the couple meet and then they get on a little bit too well to be convincing.On the part of the hero I couldnt help but feel that he fell in love with her beautiful blonde hair before the heroine.

I thought it was very interesting to learn about Kievan Russia in the 9th century and its blend of the east with the west.I am not 100 % familiar with the period but there was no glaring anachronistic faults with the descriptions.

I also googled the historical characters beforehand (couldnt help myself) and it ruined some of the story for me as I learnt that the real historicalGytha died aged 50 and one year later her husband remarried

But I also learnt something very poignant...even turns out that Gytha in a way regained her fathers crown through her descendants she is the ancestress of all monarchs following Edward III

...and also ancestress of Vlad Tepes and Elizabeth Bathory wich is a whole other story :P ( )

Excellently written historical fiction, interesting to have a Saxon perspective on the Conquest era, not to mention the lives of the women as well as the men. The daughter of the title Gytha, Harold's daughter, is ordered to a nunnery, then escapes to Denmark to the court of King Svein, who is married to Elisev of Norway, the widow of Harald Hardrada, slain by Harold Godwinson at Stamford Bridge just before Harold marched south to be defeated by William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings. She is sent to Russia, to marry Grand Prince Vladimir (Vladimir Monomakh). Their son is the common ancestor of both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
Very interesting reading, this connection particularly fascinating,