Willow Announces Her Debut Novel ‘Black Shield Maiden’
Willow has announced the release of her debut novel, Black Shield Maiden, which she co-wrote with Jess Hendel and will be published by Del Rey Books. The singer announced the news on her Instagram on 8th February along with the book’s cover. The novel is set to be published on October 4th. The first book in a new fantasy series, Black Shield Maiden, will be released in hardback and digital formats, as well as an audio edition by Penguin Random House Audio.
Black Shield Maiden narrates the story of a young warrior called Yafeu, who is kidnapped from her home in the Ghanaian Empire and thrust into the world of the Vikings. There she discovers a strange new world and encounters a kindred soul, a Viking princess named Freydis. Alongside Freydis, she sets out to alter the course of history and become one of the legendary shield maidens.
According to the release, the book “makes visible the histories and mythologies of medieval African peoples, and women of the Viking age, which have been erased by dominant Western narratives in media and education.”
Speaking of the novel, Willow said: “I’m so grateful to bring the story of Black Shield Maiden to the world. At their core, the issues we’re facing now are the same issues we’ve faced time and again throughout our history. That’s why we create new narratives, from different perspectives and even look back into history for deep wisdom that can inspire & help us evolve. My hope is that this story will do that for readers.”
Willow recently collaborated with Machine Gun Kelly on their new track ‘Emo Girl.’ The song is off Kelly’s upcoming new album, ‘Mainstream Sellout,’ which was previously named ‘Born With Horns’ and will be released on March 25.
Kelly teased his Willow collaboration with a TikTok clip which made many fans believe that the song was called ‘Cherry Red Lipstick’ due to its lyrics: “She is a monster in disguise and she knows all the words to the trap songs/ Takes pics with the cherry red lipstick.”
—Silviya.Y
