Świętosława, mythic queen of yore and heroine of The Widow Queen by Elżbieta Cherezińska, is likely one of the best but most forgotten figureheads in fiction. Świętosława’s story is one for the ages: a throne, a love triangle, and power struggles in medieval Poland. Elżbieta Cherezińska pulls Świętosława’s story into the forefront in The Widow Queen, on sale now!
Margaret of Anjou
I discovered Margaret of Anjou when I was cast to play her in my college Shakespeare Society’s production of Richard III. It was so, so much fun, I got to prowl around the stage cursing everyone out. She’s often cut out of film renditions of Richard III, which is the true tragedy of that play, because her speeches have some of the bard’s best threats/insults. When I looked her up, I discovered the historical Margaret was just as awesome as the fictionalized version of her. She was a major player in The War of the Roses, she led armies, founded Queens College, Cambridge, and managed to survive the entire War of the Roses.
Julia, Associate Marketing Manager
Circe from Circe by Madeline Miller
I love the old mythes, but love mythic fiction even more. In Circe, Madeline Miller fleshes out the story of a villainous witch from Homer’s Odyssey who lives on an island and turns men into pigs. But Homer’s Odyssey isn’t about Circe, which sucks because she’s so cool. Which brings us back to why I love epic retellings, where we can finally read the forgotten stories of rock’n heroines (and baddies) that could have been the main character.”
a cat, Marketing Coordinator
Lady Macbeth from Macbeth
“Out of all the Shakespeare works I had to read in high school English, my favorite was Macbeth, specifically for Lady Macbeth. My English teacher went crazy for her, and the attitude was infectious; Lady Macbeth truly was a unique character, worthy of discussion. While Macbeth was the “hero” of the Scottish play, hacking and killing his way to achieve his dreams, Lady Macbeth was in his ear every step of the way, urging him to keep going. And Lady Macbeth has got to have one of the best monologues in any Shakespeare play when she is having a breakdown since she keeps hallucinating blood on her hands. Even though Lady Macbeth had a tragic end, her storyline is truly what makes the play, in my opinion.
Lizzy, Marketing Intern
Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones
There are many epic heroines in the Game of Thrones TV series, as well as the A Song of Ice and Fire book series that the show is based on, but my favorite by far is Brienne of Tarth. Since she’s a woman, she’s not allowed to serve as a knight until the very end of the show, but her skill, loyalty, and commitment to protecting those she serves far outweighs any of her peers. One of my favorite things about Brienne is that she defies the cultural expectations of what it means to be a woman and doesn’t let anyone tell her who she should be or how she should act. She even says epic lines like, “All my life men like you have sneered at me. And all my life I’ve been knocking men like you into the dust”.
Sarah, Digital Marketing Coordinator
Order Your Copy of The Widow Queen—Available Now!
