What do you think?
Rate this book
The Legendary Inge
ASIN B0108ZTNEU moved to this edition.
Plagued by misfortune, Ingrid Norling treks into the woods to clear her head. She emerges a monster-slayer, the shaken executioner of a creature so ferocious that even the king’s strongest warriors could not destroy it. In a land that reveres swords and worships strength, this accidental heroism earns Inge an audience at court and a most ill-fated prize: King Halvard impulsively adopts her and names her as his heir.
Under constant guard to prevent her escape, Inge confronts the ignoble underbelly of the royal court: a despotic king, a clueless princess, a proud warrior, and a dangerous intrigue. As secrets unravel around her and the castle threatens to become an elaborate deathtrap, Inge must keep her wits close and her weapons closer. The monster in the woods was only the beginning.
Plagued by misfortune, Ingrid Norling treks into the woods to clear her head. She emerges a monster-slayer, the shaken executioner of a creature so ferocious that even the king’s strongest warriors could not destroy it. In a land that reveres swords and worships strength, this accidental heroism earns Inge an audience at court and a most ill-fated prize: King Halvard impulsively adopts her and names her as his heir.
Under constant guard to prevent her escape, Inge confronts the ignoble underbelly of the royal court: a despotic king, a clueless princess, a proud warrior, and a dangerous intrigue. As secrets unravel around her and the castle threatens to become an elaborate deathtrap, Inge must keep her wits close and her weapons closer. The monster in the woods was only the beginning.
334 pages, ebook
First published June 22, 2015
219 people are currently reading
1989 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 298 reviews
August 18, 2016
I have enjoyed several of Kate Stradling's books, but The Legendary Inge is definitely my favorite. The world-building is sparse, but the idea behind the story is so marvelous it hardly mattered. An unsuspecting girl goes for a walk in the woods and emerges as a monster-slayer, a hero, and the new "son" and heir of the king. Never mind that she has other responsibilities. Never mind that everyone knows she isn't a boy. How can she keep up the impossible charade demanded by the king without losing everything she loves in the process?
I was never very fond of Beowulf (hopefully I'm allowed to admit that publicly), so perhaps part of this story's charm was that it allowed me to chortle at some of the absurdities that so provoked me when I was forced to read the original for school. Inge's story is by turns harshly realistic and adorably funny, and permits plenty of growth from start to finish. The cast is appealing, and both the plot and the characters prove to have unexpected depths. I also appreciated that the romance was allowed to develop in a believable way, and felt annoyed when the book was over because I wanted there to be more.
If you like your fairy tales with humor, intelligence, and a few sharp edges, I highly recommend both this book and its author!
I was never very fond of Beowulf (hopefully I'm allowed to admit that publicly), so perhaps part of this story's charm was that it allowed me to chortle at some of the absurdities that so provoked me when I was forced to read the original for school. Inge's story is by turns harshly realistic and adorably funny, and permits plenty of growth from start to finish. The cast is appealing, and both the plot and the characters prove to have unexpected depths. I also appreciated that the romance was allowed to develop in a believable way, and felt annoyed when the book was over because I wanted there to be more.
If you like your fairy tales with humor, intelligence, and a few sharp edges, I highly recommend both this book and its author!
January 9, 2025
This was the sweetest YA fantasy, and I absolutely adored it.
★ ★ ★ ★ 4 stars
The Legendary Inge is a gender-flipped retelling of Beowulf, the Scandinavian folk tale of a boy who slays a monster that has been killing people in the kingdom, and is adopted by the King as his son (in this story, the MC is a girl). Ingrid is the daughter of a great swordsmith who created legendary swords and blades that are enchanted. While having to pretend to be the King’s son, nightwalkers start attacking the castle, and evil and betrayal lurk around every corner. Who can be trusted, and will she fall for the Colonel, who is her guard?
***This is a true YA fantasy
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･⋆.ೃ࿔*:･⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
WE GET:
⚔️BEOWULF retelling
⚔️Gender swap
⚔️Castle politics, alliances and unknown enemies
⚔️Similar vibes to Throne of Glass (book 1 specifically) and The Foxglove King
⚔️Closed-door, super sweet romance
⚔️Guard x locked up FMC 🙂↕️
⚔️The cutest ending ever
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ The characters in this book were sweet and lovable. The FMC, Ingrid, can be a bit immature at times, but she’s 18 and having to pretend to be a young boy, so it makes sense. I really adored our MMC, Leiv.
The plot was a lot of fun! The stakes are never too high, but it was enjoyable.
The ending was one of the cutest endings I have ever read. I was kicking my feet together and blushing and literally had tears in my eyes.
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･If you’re needing something easy to read, a bit more light-hearted but still fantasy, I highly recommend! As I mentioned, it brought me back to reading Throne of Glass (book 1), and that gave me all the vibes.
★ ★ ★ ★ 4 stars
The Legendary Inge is a gender-flipped retelling of Beowulf, the Scandinavian folk tale of a boy who slays a monster that has been killing people in the kingdom, and is adopted by the King as his son (in this story, the MC is a girl). Ingrid is the daughter of a great swordsmith who created legendary swords and blades that are enchanted. While having to pretend to be the King’s son, nightwalkers start attacking the castle, and evil and betrayal lurk around every corner. Who can be trusted, and will she fall for the Colonel, who is her guard?
***This is a true YA fantasy
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･⋆.ೃ࿔*:･⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
WE GET:
⚔️BEOWULF retelling
⚔️Gender swap
⚔️Castle politics, alliances and unknown enemies
⚔️Similar vibes to Throne of Glass (book 1 specifically) and The Foxglove King
⚔️Closed-door, super sweet romance
⚔️Guard x locked up FMC 🙂↕️
⚔️The cutest ending ever
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ The characters in this book were sweet and lovable. The FMC, Ingrid, can be a bit immature at times, but she’s 18 and having to pretend to be a young boy, so it makes sense. I really adored our MMC, Leiv.
The plot was a lot of fun! The stakes are never too high, but it was enjoyable.
The ending was one of the cutest endings I have ever read. I was kicking my feet together and blushing and literally had tears in my eyes.
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･If you’re needing something easy to read, a bit more light-hearted but still fantasy, I highly recommend! As I mentioned, it brought me back to reading Throne of Glass (book 1), and that gave me all the vibes.
March 21, 2016
Can't believe I forgot to review this one on GR when I read it first! So now you get my c&p'd Amazon review. Sorrynotsorry.
There's always such a delightful complexity to Kate Stradling's characters. It's never just about the main characters: the secondary, background, and 2 bit characters are always fleshed out fully. So much so that sometimes, one of the secondary characters will be my favourite.
Such was the case in The 'Legendary Inge'. Don't get me wrong: I absolutely ADORED Inge and Raske. And I'm not even going to tell you who my favourite character was, because SPOILERS, SWEETIE.
We have Inge, a girl who has mistakenly slain a monstrous nightwalker. We have Raske, who was meant to slay said nightwalker. Then we have the mad-crazy king, who has decided that Inge (dressed in boy's clothes, but definitely a girl) is to be his new son. Yes. Son.
Inge doesn't want any such thing. She has a family to look after. But what the king says, goes.
And from there, you're on your own.
Seriously, though. Read it. Kate Stradling is one of the best authors out there. Delightful plots; laughing-till-tears dialogue; intricate and immediately lovable characters- you'll find 'em all here.
There's always such a delightful complexity to Kate Stradling's characters. It's never just about the main characters: the secondary, background, and 2 bit characters are always fleshed out fully. So much so that sometimes, one of the secondary characters will be my favourite.
Such was the case in The 'Legendary Inge'. Don't get me wrong: I absolutely ADORED Inge and Raske. And I'm not even going to tell you who my favourite character was, because SPOILERS, SWEETIE.
We have Inge, a girl who has mistakenly slain a monstrous nightwalker. We have Raske, who was meant to slay said nightwalker. Then we have the mad-crazy king, who has decided that Inge (dressed in boy's clothes, but definitely a girl) is to be his new son. Yes. Son.
Inge doesn't want any such thing. She has a family to look after. But what the king says, goes.
And from there, you're on your own.
Seriously, though. Read it. Kate Stradling is one of the best authors out there. Delightful plots; laughing-till-tears dialogue; intricate and immediately lovable characters- you'll find 'em all here.
June 21, 2020
I would have read this! a lot sooner!! if I had known!!! that it was a genderflipped BEOWULF retelling!!!!
The book starts off in a delightfully batty manner when Inge accidentally kills a monster with a wooden practice sword and is dragged before King Halvard, who instantly announces that he is adopting Inge as his son and betrothing the young man to his daughter. The only problem is...that Inge is in fact not short for Ingmar but for Ingrid.
Well, maybe not the ONLY problem. There's also the matter of Inge's large parcel of younger siblings being preyed on by an unscrupulous landlord...the highly valuable secret family legacy Inge has hidden under her bed...and oh yes, the mysteriously vanished Prince Osvald who may or may not have something to do with the treason festering below the sunny surface of Halvard's court.
I admit that at the start of the book I was quite excited by the thought of a monster-slaying heroine, yet by the end I had to acknowledge that this story is something rather different. It shares with the original BEOWULF a discussion of the limitations of raw power, but whereas the original poem achieved that through showing the fleeting and ultimately empty nature of its hero's exploits, THE LEGENDARY INGE pulls back from the monster focus of the original to spin a tale of court intrigue, in a different sort of story. Along the way were plenty of twists and turns that I enjoyed, particularly the way a certain antagonistic character appears in different lights throughout the book. (Though, if I have one complaint, I never really warmed to King Halvard. Sorry.)
If you're a BEOWULF fan, like I am, then there's plenty of fun little things in this book, my favourite thing being that in the original epic poem there is a subtle emphasis on a loss of technology resulting in older swords becoming prized and legendary weapons, and I love that it's this element which Stradling centres much of her story around. For the rest of it, THE LEGENDARY INGE is an entertaining read informed by a personal acquaintance with Swedish culture, full of adventure, court intrigue, and a dash of sweet romance.
The book starts off in a delightfully batty manner when Inge accidentally kills a monster with a wooden practice sword and is dragged before King Halvard, who instantly announces that he is adopting Inge as his son and betrothing the young man to his daughter. The only problem is...that Inge is in fact not short for Ingmar but for Ingrid.
Well, maybe not the ONLY problem. There's also the matter of Inge's large parcel of younger siblings being preyed on by an unscrupulous landlord...the highly valuable secret family legacy Inge has hidden under her bed...and oh yes, the mysteriously vanished Prince Osvald who may or may not have something to do with the treason festering below the sunny surface of Halvard's court.
I admit that at the start of the book I was quite excited by the thought of a monster-slaying heroine, yet by the end I had to acknowledge that this story is something rather different. It shares with the original BEOWULF a discussion of the limitations of raw power, but whereas the original poem achieved that through showing the fleeting and ultimately empty nature of its hero's exploits, THE LEGENDARY INGE pulls back from the monster focus of the original to spin a tale of court intrigue, in a different sort of story. Along the way were plenty of twists and turns that I enjoyed, particularly the way a certain antagonistic character appears in different lights throughout the book. (Though, if I have one complaint, I never really warmed to King Halvard. Sorry.)
If you're a BEOWULF fan, like I am, then there's plenty of fun little things in this book, my favourite thing being that in the original epic poem there is a subtle emphasis on a loss of technology resulting in older swords becoming prized and legendary weapons, and I love that it's this element which Stradling centres much of her story around. For the rest of it, THE LEGENDARY INGE is an entertaining read informed by a personal acquaintance with Swedish culture, full of adventure, court intrigue, and a dash of sweet romance.
September 29, 2023
3.5
Mistaken as a boy by the King after accidentally slaying an undefeated monster, the young lady Ingrid, now has to keep pretending in order to satisfy the Mad King's whims as he has decided to reward her bravery by adopting her as his son.
But thats not the only problem- Inge is also trying protecting her family from afar, while simultaneously trying to figure out a nefarious plot being set against the crown.
-------------------Story spoilers:-------------------
So I enjoyed the story for the most part. I liked Inge as a character because she stood up for herself and her family, and didn't back down when it came to things that were important to her.
However, I'll be honest a lot of the character's actions kind of got on my nerves throughout the story. I mean it felt like the male characters were just constantly scolding the h. Not that she didn't act childish at times due to her frustrations, but their sniping was never on things that were her fault specifically.
At least from what I can remember.
Also, the romance wasn't gripping or interesting enough to offset this fact-to me personally.
I liked Raske well enough throughout the story, and liked him individually as a character- but he kind of did treat Inge like a child more often than not. Also, I was a little worried when her family secret came out so soon.
But I understand this is YA, so I kind of have to let some of my peeves go in the romance department. Also in the end after the climax of the story and when Inge was talking with the King I kind of let go of my annoyance at how they were treating her. I think the explanation and discussion they had made me understand his position a bit better.
All in all, It was a fun, quick, stand alone- so if your looking for a YA fantasy romance with a bit of magic and political intrigue I'd say give it a go!
Mistaken as a boy by the King after accidentally slaying an undefeated monster, the young lady Ingrid, now has to keep pretending in order to satisfy the Mad King's whims as he has decided to reward her bravery by adopting her as his son.
But thats not the only problem- Inge is also trying protecting her family from afar, while simultaneously trying to figure out a nefarious plot being set against the crown.
-------------------Story spoilers:-------------------
So I enjoyed the story for the most part. I liked Inge as a character because she stood up for herself and her family, and didn't back down when it came to things that were important to her.
However, I'll be honest a lot of the character's actions kind of got on my nerves throughout the story. I mean it felt like the male characters were just constantly scolding the h. Not that she didn't act childish at times due to her frustrations, but their sniping was never on things that were her fault specifically.
At least from what I can remember.
Also, the romance wasn't gripping or interesting enough to offset this fact-to me personally.
I liked Raske well enough throughout the story, and liked him individually as a character- but he kind of did treat Inge like a child more often than not. Also, I was a little worried when her family secret came out so soon.
But I understand this is YA, so I kind of have to let some of my peeves go in the romance department. Also in the end after the climax of the story and when Inge was talking with the King I kind of let go of my annoyance at how they were treating her. I think the explanation and discussion they had made me understand his position a bit better.
All in all, It was a fun, quick, stand alone- so if your looking for a YA fantasy romance with a bit of magic and political intrigue I'd say give it a go!
November 7, 2019
a YA fantasy premised on a reworking of beowulf but with an unwilling and accidental female hero? that's certainly A Concept.
i didn't 100% love everything about this book, but i did like it overall.
despite my issues with some aspects of the book, the protagonist and her family were lively and entertaining, and the plot generally moved along at a good pace. unlike many self-published works i've read, the book seemed well-edited and as polished as many conventionally-published works.
also, despite the lgbt: genderqueer category/shelf thing listed on the goodreads page, i wouldn't go into this book expecting some overt textual lgbt content, because it is absolutely not there. certainly, the book could invite discussions on how people of the same gender can express it differently (Inge is very outdoorsy and a self-described tomboy) but she does not question the gender she was assigned at birth and there are no characters described or depicted as lgbt anywhere in the book.
i didn't 100% love everything about this book, but i did like it overall.
despite my issues with some aspects of the book, the protagonist and her family were lively and entertaining, and the plot generally moved along at a good pace. unlike many self-published works i've read, the book seemed well-edited and as polished as many conventionally-published works.
also, despite the lgbt: genderqueer category/shelf thing listed on the goodreads page, i wouldn't go into this book expecting some overt textual lgbt content, because it is absolutely not there. certainly, the book could invite discussions on how people of the same gender can express it differently (Inge is very outdoorsy and a self-described tomboy) but she does not question the gender she was assigned at birth and there are no characters described or depicted as lgbt anywhere in the book.
April 19, 2021
I read this book in one day after having it recommended to me by a friend.
It is a funny fantasy adventure set in a world very similar to the Old English Poem Beowulf. There are evil plots and magic and insane kings that may not be as insane as they seem. Actually, no one is exactly as they seem and even the main characters have secrets.
Re-read Review:
You know, I think I loved this even better the second time! It has been years since I read it, and I honestly remembered very little of the details from the first time. That made it almost like reading a new book!
This just released on audiobook (thus the re-read, well, re-listen!). The narration is AMAZING! Just like I imagined all the characters would sound!
If you love a good, fun romp with a little light romance and lots of adventure, this book never disappoints!
It is a funny fantasy adventure set in a world very similar to the Old English Poem Beowulf. There are evil plots and magic and insane kings that may not be as insane as they seem. Actually, no one is exactly as they seem and even the main characters have secrets.
Re-read Review:
You know, I think I loved this even better the second time! It has been years since I read it, and I honestly remembered very little of the details from the first time. That made it almost like reading a new book!
This just released on audiobook (thus the re-read, well, re-listen!). The narration is AMAZING! Just like I imagined all the characters would sound!
If you love a good, fun romp with a little light romance and lots of adventure, this book never disappoints!
December 31, 2022
5 stars // last book read of 2022
An accidental heroine turned unwilling prince, a mysterious legacy, Raske (😍), humor, and magic all combine in this amazing gender-bent Beowulf-inspired fantasy. Highly recommend.
Content:
Language: N/A
Violence: Medium- mainly consisting of monsters who like human food and .
Sensuality: A central part of the plot is that Inge, a girl, is forced to pretend to be a boy. A man is unhealthily obsessed with a woman (only shown/mentioned a few times, and clearly portrayed as wrong.) It’s alluded to that
An accidental heroine turned unwilling prince, a mysterious legacy, Raske (😍), humor, and magic all combine in this amazing gender-bent Beowulf-inspired fantasy. Highly recommend.
Content:
Language: N/A
Violence: Medium- mainly consisting of monsters who like human food and .
Sensuality: A central part of the plot is that Inge, a girl, is forced to pretend to be a boy. A man is unhealthily obsessed with a woman (only shown/mentioned a few times, and clearly portrayed as wrong.) It’s alluded to that
July 9, 2024
The first couple chapters didn't give me high hopes for this book but it redeemed itself and was surprisingly epic
September 4, 2024
All the teen girls in our church are reading this book, and as a mom of a few of those teens, I thought I would check it out.
I LOVED it. It was a perfect read for a busy mom. A fun plot, a few twists, well built characters, and covered some great thoughts on loyalty and family.
I LOVED it. It was a perfect read for a busy mom. A fun plot, a few twists, well built characters, and covered some great thoughts on loyalty and family.
February 24, 2021
4.5
This was a lot of fun, loosely based on Beowulf and other Scandinavian elements, none of which I was too familiar with so it all just felt fresh and unique for me. I thought it was well written, a few twists to keep things interesting and a likable cast of characters.
Ingrid aka Inge was a fun character! She gets thrown into this awkward situation where the King believes she is a boy and adopts her as his son. Everyone believes the king is a bit crazy, so they all just go along with it. As the story progresses though there is a lot more going on than what Inge realizes. I also loved Raske, and was glad for the times we had his POV, and would have liked a bit more from him especially seeing his feelings change for Inge. I loved their relationship though and how Raske really treated her differently than everyone else, even if she doesn't quite see that herself.
The end is a lot of fun, when all the secrets start coming to light and we finally see what has been going on. I love that its a standalone story, so the author didn't have to drag out certain plots, instead focusing on just writing one complete story, which I thought worked really well. Overall, a really enjoyable read.
Content Rated PG+
Romance: mild, kissing (G rated)
Language: none that I remember
Violence: mild+ some battles, fighting monsters, death
This was a lot of fun, loosely based on Beowulf and other Scandinavian elements, none of which I was too familiar with so it all just felt fresh and unique for me. I thought it was well written, a few twists to keep things interesting and a likable cast of characters.
Ingrid aka Inge was a fun character! She gets thrown into this awkward situation where the King believes she is a boy and adopts her as his son. Everyone believes the king is a bit crazy, so they all just go along with it. As the story progresses though there is a lot more going on than what Inge realizes. I also loved Raske, and was glad for the times we had his POV, and would have liked a bit more from him especially seeing his feelings change for Inge. I loved their relationship though and how Raske really treated her differently than everyone else, even if she doesn't quite see that herself.
The end is a lot of fun, when all the secrets start coming to light and we finally see what has been going on. I love that its a standalone story, so the author didn't have to drag out certain plots, instead focusing on just writing one complete story, which I thought worked really well. Overall, a really enjoyable read.
Content Rated PG+
Romance: mild, kissing (G rated)
Language: none that I remember
Violence: mild+ some battles, fighting monsters, death
December 6, 2024
I really loved the characters and the plot ! And the banter was AMAZING 😍 !!!
September 18, 2025
2025- That is without a doubt one of the most satisfying endings to a book that I have ever read.
2024-I don't really have the right words to describe this.
It's based off Beowulf, which could mean that it's incredible or terrible. I enjoyed it a lot. The fact that I read it in one evening should tell you something.
I haven't enjoyed characters so much in a long time. Masculine and courageous men, feminine and loyal women, characters who aren't as simple as they appear in the beginning. I get tired of the same annoying characters you read in every YA book. These do not disappoint.
I loved the addition of children and sibling interactions. Coming from a big family, I related with that immensely. It's not something you see in literature a lot.
I loved it all.
2024-I don't really have the right words to describe this.
It's based off Beowulf, which could mean that it's incredible or terrible. I enjoyed it a lot. The fact that I read it in one evening should tell you something.
I haven't enjoyed characters so much in a long time. Masculine and courageous men, feminine and loyal women, characters who aren't as simple as they appear in the beginning. I get tired of the same annoying characters you read in every YA book. These do not disappoint.
I loved the addition of children and sibling interactions. Coming from a big family, I related with that immensely. It's not something you see in literature a lot.
I loved it all.
August 31, 2023
What a cute book! What a cute ending!
I must admit, I thought a lot of this was boring and uneventful, but then there was... idk if I'd call it a twist 🤔 more like a gradual unveiling which wound up gripping me pretty tight. I enjoyed this tale more than I thought I would, and while it's not a favorite, it was cute enough to be memorable.
I'd rate this a solid three and a half stars, but goodreads doesn't do half stars, 🙄 so I'll round up, (because authors always deserve extra accolades). 😏
I must admit, I thought a lot of this was boring and uneventful, but then there was... idk if I'd call it a twist 🤔 more like a gradual unveiling which wound up gripping me pretty tight. I enjoyed this tale more than I thought I would, and while it's not a favorite, it was cute enough to be memorable.
I'd rate this a solid three and a half stars, but goodreads doesn't do half stars, 🙄 so I'll round up, (because authors always deserve extra accolades). 😏
February 14, 2025
It is very late, so I shall hopefully write a review for this book in the morning... But for now, I'll say I greatly enjoyed it. 😂
Edit:
AND IT IS NOW THE NEXT DAY! :D
I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, interesting, and the characters were all wonderfully written! Inge was a great main character, and RASKE! I loved Raske. 😭😂 Her siblings were all adorable and entirely fitting for little kids. 😂 I like how the book adressed the face that Inge acted childish at times and played into that... All too often, I find books claiming that characters are 18-19, and they act like twelve year olds! So it was a nice change to see this problem instead become apart of her character and who she was as a person.
I'm incredibly impressed with how the author managed to turn me around to liking King Halvard by the last 20-ish pages. 😂 Cause really, I hated him as much as Inge did for much of the book! But then, when everything was finally revealed, I found that Halvard was a very likable character.
Overall, this book had great writing, a good plot, and interesting characters, and I loved it! :D
Edit:
AND IT IS NOW THE NEXT DAY! :D
I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, interesting, and the characters were all wonderfully written! Inge was a great main character, and RASKE! I loved Raske. 😭😂 Her siblings were all adorable and entirely fitting for little kids. 😂 I like how the book adressed the face that Inge acted childish at times and played into that... All too often, I find books claiming that characters are 18-19, and they act like twelve year olds! So it was a nice change to see this problem instead become apart of her character and who she was as a person.
I'm incredibly impressed with how the author managed to turn me around to liking King Halvard by the last 20-ish pages. 😂 Cause really, I hated him as much as Inge did for much of the book! But then, when everything was finally revealed, I found that Halvard was a very likable character.
Overall, this book had great writing, a good plot, and interesting characters, and I loved it! :D
August 1, 2023
This was incredibly fun!! A humorous gender-flipped re-imagining of Beowulf that was paced beautifully with fun characters. With a different author it could have been horribly woke, but surprisingly it wasn’t at all. Quite a breath of fresh air for this genre.
Not a perfect book - if the King had been more forthcoming much of the plot would have disappeared - but I was delighted by it nonetheless. This was also a very clean YA read, which is a rare treat!
Not a perfect book - if the King had been more forthcoming much of the plot would have disappeared - but I was delighted by it nonetheless. This was also a very clean YA read, which is a rare treat!
March 31, 2022
Meh. This genderbent "Beowolf" inspired story was just OK. I initially thought I was going to love the concept: Inge accidentally kills a horrible beast, gets mistaken for a boy, and becomes elevated as the king's adopted "son". I've certainly read my fair share of girls-disguised-as-boys, but this was one of the few were the girl insisted on her real gender while everyone else played along with the charade of her new identity against her protests.
Unfortunately, that was about the height of the appeal for me. This was otherwise a fairly straight-forward castle-politics fantasy....with an unnecessary love story thrown in there to make sure that The book would have been far better without that aspect.
I read this on audio, which means a lot of writing quibbles can get smoothed over by a good narrator, but there was one thing that really stood out to me. Characters never just "look" at each other, like "He looked at her" or "He gave her a hard look." Nope, it was always "He favored her with a look" or "he favored her with a hard look." Once I noticed it, it was everywhere! And it made the book feel over written. Why go with the four syllables of "He looked at her" when you can opt for a seven syllable option? Since most of these instances were characters looking at the main character, Inge sure got "favored" a lot of looks. Lucky her!
Anyway, this one had been on my TBR list for a while, so I'm glad to check it off. For a genderbent Beowold-esque story, I much preferred The Boneless Mercies.
Unfortunately, that was about the height of the appeal for me. This was otherwise a fairly straight-forward castle-politics fantasy....with an unnecessary love story thrown in there to make sure that The book would have been far better without that aspect.
I read this on audio, which means a lot of writing quibbles can get smoothed over by a good narrator, but there was one thing that really stood out to me. Characters never just "look" at each other, like "He looked at her" or "He gave her a hard look." Nope, it was always "He favored her with a look" or "he favored her with a hard look." Once I noticed it, it was everywhere! And it made the book feel over written. Why go with the four syllables of "He looked at her" when you can opt for a seven syllable option? Since most of these instances were characters looking at the main character, Inge sure got "favored" a lot of looks. Lucky her!
Anyway, this one had been on my TBR list for a while, so I'm glad to check it off. For a genderbent Beowold-esque story, I much preferred The Boneless Mercies.
January 28, 2022
Are we supposed to like anyone other than the Torvalds? Cause it didn't seem like it. Raske the puppet, king halvard the lunatic puppet master and everyone else who went by his whims. The whole thing was so stupid. Adopting a son who is a girl out of nowhere and making her the heir and married to the princess. Everyone else going with it without any question. How can it be acceptable to throw a bunch of innocent into the middle of monster conspiracy? And telling them nothing of it? Inge is walking lost because she doesn't know what's going on. Her only aim was to go to her family because need her. I hated how raske made her feel guilt over Bergstrom who was the actual with no surprise here. Signe is clueless because no one wanted her to know anything despite her wills. It wasn't their fault. At the end I also had question about raske's love for Inge. Like really? You loved her all along and still treated her like that? Boy I'm disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2021
This book was headed for 5 stars for me until near the end. It was a very entertaining read and I'll probably enjoy it more the second time.
*spoiler alert*
So....what the heck are Inge and Raske going to do with the rest of their lives exactly? What do they have in common? What do they like to do together? They are attracted to each other and he is good with kids. That's all we know. Something about an incredibly regimented personality like Raske going into early retirement at 25 doesn't seem like a happy ending to me. And now magically everyone is going to leave their family legacy alone? No more rogues and treasure hunters even though the entire castle knew about their family and the circle spell? Just a few too many loose ends, that I feel like could have been easily tied up with just a little more character development.
*spoiler alert*
So....what the heck are Inge and Raske going to do with the rest of their lives exactly? What do they have in common? What do they like to do together? They are attracted to each other and he is good with kids. That's all we know. Something about an incredibly regimented personality like Raske going into early retirement at 25 doesn't seem like a happy ending to me. And now magically everyone is going to leave their family legacy alone? No more rogues and treasure hunters even though the entire castle knew about their family and the circle spell? Just a few too many loose ends, that I feel like could have been easily tied up with just a little more character development.
January 15, 2022
Why is it so difficult to write a consensual kiss? Seriously, this would be considered sexual assult in the real world. That's not romantic nor is it sexy.
No, I blame you, you 8 year older creep kissing a barely 18-year-old girl who never gave any indication she liked you, let alone wanted to be kissed by you.
No, I blame you, you 8 year older creep kissing a barely 18-year-old girl who never gave any indication she liked you, let alone wanted to be kissed by you.
February 20, 2021
I loved the idea of a story loosely inspired by Beowulf (I would happily read more Beowulf retellings--get on that, guys). The author preemptively notes that she wasn't aiming for historical accuracy, which frees her up to do more or less what she wants with the setting and story within that loose inspiration. Not as good as Brine and Bone--the plot did feel unrealistic and contrived at some points--but still very enjoyable. Lovable characters make up for a lot of unnecessarily keeping each other in the dark about plot points that could've been resolved by a few quick conversations.
September 20, 2024
I absolutely Adore this book! I wouldn't change anything about it. Masculine men that fit the role of a Godly male, Feminine Woman that fit the Role of a Godly Woman. No complaints whatsoever. Probably one of my favorite books I've ever read. I will have to re read this in the future.
November 15, 2024
Good fun, with properly twisty intrigue. Some of the Beowulf references were overt, but many were more subtle, and I picked up on a lot having just re-read the epic. I think perhaps my favorite element was how Stradling chose to represent the ensorcelled blades, the barrow-treasure, the mere sword, Beowulf's dagger, and how swords were useless to Beowulf in his fights with the monsters. (One might argue that that seems like multiple elements, but trust me that thematically it's one.) The splitting and splicing of roles amused me, too, and it was fun to pick out the elements of the epic's characters in the various characters here. Spotting references felt like a giant Easter egg hunt; they added enjoyment to the reading for one familiar with the epic, but were subtle, cohesive, and so naturally interwoven that someone unfamiliar with the original work would be able to take everything at face value and never be confused or feel like Something was Being Referenced.
This is heavily inspired by Beowulf and follows many of the epic's themes and plot beats, but it is very much its own story, to the point where I'm almost hesitant to call it a retelling since there are few one-to-one parallels. The epic interweaves several narratives, each with their own set of characters, and each story-within-a-story contains comparisons or contrasts to the action or characters of the main narrative; here, there is but one storyline and one set of characters, and the plots of the epic's various interludes are subsumed into the main plot here. The character roles from the epic are divided amongst multiple characters here: for instance, throughout most of the book the role of Beowulf is portrayed by two characters, but in the climax, the actions of Beowulf and Wiglaf are portrayed by five to seven characters, depending on how you count things and what parallels you're looking for, and the roles of Ingeld, the Frisians, Ohthere's sons, and the dragon commingle. This works very well for the story told here, and I wouldn't change it, but I do feel a need to point out that this isn't a straight retelling but more of a successor, a grandchild rather than a doppelganger. The genetic material is all there and there's certainly a family resemblance, but they're very different people.
Beowulf and The Legendary Inge share themes of family, loyalty, duty, greed, and power. Beowulf also focus heavily on revenge, despair, and the need for a hero, a savior; it ends on a bleak note of sacrifice and destruction. The virtues it upholds are honor, generosity, oath-keeping, and bravery. The Legendary Inge, on the other hand, focuses more on the virtues of trust, mercy, obedience, and fidelity, and it ends on a note of hope and contentment, of looking towards the future with strength and growth.
This is heavily inspired by Beowulf and follows many of the epic's themes and plot beats, but it is very much its own story, to the point where I'm almost hesitant to call it a retelling since there are few one-to-one parallels. The epic interweaves several narratives, each with their own set of characters, and each story-within-a-story contains comparisons or contrasts to the action or characters of the main narrative; here, there is but one storyline and one set of characters, and the plots of the epic's various interludes are subsumed into the main plot here. The character roles from the epic are divided amongst multiple characters here: for instance, throughout most of the book the role of Beowulf is portrayed by two characters, but in the climax, the actions of Beowulf and Wiglaf are portrayed by five to seven characters, depending on how you count things and what parallels you're looking for, and the roles of Ingeld, the Frisians, Ohthere's sons, and the dragon commingle. This works very well for the story told here, and I wouldn't change it, but I do feel a need to point out that this isn't a straight retelling but more of a successor, a grandchild rather than a doppelganger. The genetic material is all there and there's certainly a family resemblance, but they're very different people.
Beowulf and The Legendary Inge share themes of family, loyalty, duty, greed, and power. Beowulf also focus heavily on revenge, despair, and the need for a hero, a savior; it ends on a bleak note of sacrifice and destruction. The virtues it upholds are honor, generosity, oath-keeping, and bravery. The Legendary Inge, on the other hand, focuses more on the virtues of trust, mercy, obedience, and fidelity, and it ends on a note of hope and contentment, of looking towards the future with strength and growth.
November 21, 2025
Gahh that was so good! I am 100% fangirling over this entire book. Utter perfection every page! (I listened to this one though so maybe more like every minute 🤭)
I loved this book so much. The characters, the family dynamic, the twins; just wow. This would translate so well I think into a move. (I really don’t trust anyone to do it right though lol).
In all honesty though, this whole book felt like a movie playing in my head. The writing was spectacular as was the banter and definitely the narrator. I applaud Lillian Rachel and I really hope she narrates Kate Stradlings other books. 👏🏻
I already said this about Deathmark but I would definitely recommend listening to this one.
I loved all of the characters. I hope I spell the names right but since I listened to it I probably didn’t.
King Halvard.
Oh his character was so cool. I love how the author gives you a lot of hints that he’s one way, and reveals all at the end his wisdom and kindness. Of all the characters, he might be my favorite.
Inge.
Oh I really loved her. I love her headstrong spirit and her bravery. I love the way she cares for her family and puts aside her own wellbeing for others. She honestly reminds me a little of Mereda in the Brave movie.
Raska.
Oooh he was definitely very intriguing. I really liked how he put on a very brave and serious face but also deep down posessed a kind and fiercly loyal heart. I would really have loved to see more of his side of the story but I would say the thing that stuck out to me the most was his loyalty and determination to do the right thing. Also his courage and willingness to do whatver it took for his king.
Princess Cena reminded me a lot of her father. You think she’s one way, but her wisdom and bravery reveal quite another soul under her quiet and seemingly simple facade.
I also loved all of Inge’s siblings. They were so fun! I won’t write summary’s of them but they each had their own special personality.
I highly highly recommend this book. It’s very clean, there’s some violence but I didn’t find it gory at all.
It has a satisfying slow burn romance that was so satisfying. I was GRINNING at the end and giggling to myself. THAT ENDING!!😍
Anyhoo, I hope I’ve convinced you, but definitely add this to your TBR. If you make it this far into my review, thanks for reading my crazy rant :)
-Jojo
I loved this book so much. The characters, the family dynamic, the twins; just wow. This would translate so well I think into a move. (I really don’t trust anyone to do it right though lol).
In all honesty though, this whole book felt like a movie playing in my head. The writing was spectacular as was the banter and definitely the narrator. I applaud Lillian Rachel and I really hope she narrates Kate Stradlings other books. 👏🏻
I already said this about Deathmark but I would definitely recommend listening to this one.
I loved all of the characters. I hope I spell the names right but since I listened to it I probably didn’t.
King Halvard.
Oh his character was so cool. I love how the author gives you a lot of hints that he’s one way, and reveals all at the end his wisdom and kindness. Of all the characters, he might be my favorite.
Inge.
Oh I really loved her. I love her headstrong spirit and her bravery. I love the way she cares for her family and puts aside her own wellbeing for others. She honestly reminds me a little of Mereda in the Brave movie.
Raska.
Oooh he was definitely very intriguing. I really liked how he put on a very brave and serious face but also deep down posessed a kind and fiercly loyal heart. I would really have loved to see more of his side of the story but I would say the thing that stuck out to me the most was his loyalty and determination to do the right thing. Also his courage and willingness to do whatver it took for his king.
Princess Cena reminded me a lot of her father. You think she’s one way, but her wisdom and bravery reveal quite another soul under her quiet and seemingly simple facade.
I also loved all of Inge’s siblings. They were so fun! I won’t write summary’s of them but they each had their own special personality.
I highly highly recommend this book. It’s very clean, there’s some violence but I didn’t find it gory at all.
It has a satisfying slow burn romance that was so satisfying. I was GRINNING at the end and giggling to myself. THAT ENDING!!😍
Anyhoo, I hope I’ve convinced you, but definitely add this to your TBR. If you make it this far into my review, thanks for reading my crazy rant :)
-Jojo
May 20, 2024
Content:
Language: None.
Violence: Moderate. There is a fair amount of death, destruction, and bloody wounds in this, but the author does not graphically describe them. She factually says it like, the body was missing it's head and was savaged. Things like that.
Sexual: Mild. There are only some non-steamy/heated kisses, and some chin touches and such. There is talk of a brothel and danger of being sent there.
Kate Stradling is probably my most favorite Indie author. The caliber of her writing always astounds me. She's got finesse in how she crafts her plots and her characters are real. Because of these two things, I find it challenging to know where the story is going, which is soooooo amazing! Usually I can follow and not be at all surprised with other authors because I've read so much I know what to look for in plot and structure. Stradling can deliver me a story that feels organic and leave me wondering what will happen because her characters are so life-like I can't guess what they'll do or how they'll respond.
This book is inspired by Beowulf, which was one of two books I absolutely loathed as required reading in high school, but I trusted Stradling to give me something I could love. And she did.
Inge is just a girl trying to do right by her family and protect them without asking for help. She gets into all sorts of trouble constantly throughout the book simply because she's a tad impulsive in how she tries to survive and help. I admit, she irritated me a bunch of times, but I came to really treasure her personality as the story played out and how she grows.
Raske is exactly the type of character I immediately put on my 'book boyfriend' list. He's a warrior, stoic, and loyal to a fault. Literally. The guy had me pulling my hair out multiple times because he just wouldn't bend at all!
And then there is Inge's whole family. I was cracking up at the two boys. They were chaos goblins and I loved them. And the way Raske interacted with them melted my heart (and had me covering my mouth to stifle my laughter).
I loved the twists in the plot. Stradling pulled the wool over my eyes and had me giddy at how it all turned out. I did call one thing, but everything else? Nope. It was awesome.
Language: None.
Violence: Moderate. There is a fair amount of death, destruction, and bloody wounds in this, but the author does not graphically describe them. She factually says it like, the body was missing it's head and was savaged. Things like that.
Sexual: Mild. There are only some non-steamy/heated kisses, and some chin touches and such. There is talk of a brothel and danger of being sent there.
Kate Stradling is probably my most favorite Indie author. The caliber of her writing always astounds me. She's got finesse in how she crafts her plots and her characters are real. Because of these two things, I find it challenging to know where the story is going, which is soooooo amazing! Usually I can follow and not be at all surprised with other authors because I've read so much I know what to look for in plot and structure. Stradling can deliver me a story that feels organic and leave me wondering what will happen because her characters are so life-like I can't guess what they'll do or how they'll respond.
This book is inspired by Beowulf, which was one of two books I absolutely loathed as required reading in high school, but I trusted Stradling to give me something I could love. And she did.
Inge is just a girl trying to do right by her family and protect them without asking for help. She gets into all sorts of trouble constantly throughout the book simply because she's a tad impulsive in how she tries to survive and help. I admit, she irritated me a bunch of times, but I came to really treasure her personality as the story played out and how she grows.
Raske is exactly the type of character I immediately put on my 'book boyfriend' list. He's a warrior, stoic, and loyal to a fault. Literally. The guy had me pulling my hair out multiple times because he just wouldn't bend at all!
And then there is Inge's whole family. I was cracking up at the two boys. They were chaos goblins and I loved them. And the way Raske interacted with them melted my heart (and had me covering my mouth to stifle my laughter).
I loved the twists in the plot. Stradling pulled the wool over my eyes and had me giddy at how it all turned out. I did call one thing, but everything else? Nope. It was awesome.
October 22, 2025
I really enjoyed this book! It's a bit confusing at first, but it really comes together at the end! Very clean and is so beautiful at the end! I definitely recommend it!
October 2, 2023
4 ½
I really enjoyed this! Fun story and characters. I loved all of Inge's siblings and the twins' shenanigans.
The only content warning is for magic, for those who don't like that. There are magicians and they do cast spells. A character makes a comment that "magic isn't good or evil, it just depends on how it's used."
I really enjoyed this! Fun story and characters. I loved all of Inge's siblings and the twins' shenanigans.
The only content warning is for magic, for those who don't like that. There are magicians and they do cast spells. A character makes a comment that "magic isn't good or evil, it just depends on how it's used."
February 16, 2025
I was not expecting the twist at all. Although, I was pleasure binge reading so I wasn't paying as close attention as I typically try to do. The ending was lovely.🤩
December 19, 2025
At the beginning this had a 1930s screwball comedy feeling(and that's not a con in my opinion). But it seemed to meander a lot. And I'm not a fan of the post-fight kiss. For various reasons.
But, by the end, I was absolutely flummoxed by Stradling's skill yet again. Maybe it's because I'm running on 5 hours of sleep, but the twist on the twist was unexpected.
Maybe it's because Inge is unlike any main character that Stradling has ever created and yet so like so many strong-willed, emotions-on-their-sleeve people I really know and love.
One last note to all the tags and list-makers out there--- there are plenty of girls who don't like girly things, who love their hair short, who love their family deeply, who don't necessarily have the curves, and who run, however unadvisedly, headlong into trouble, who maybe don't fangirl over boys until they meet the one. These girls are girls and usually live happily with that one.
.
But, by the end, I was absolutely flummoxed by Stradling's skill yet again. Maybe it's because I'm running on 5 hours of sleep, but the twist on the twist was unexpected.
Maybe it's because Inge is unlike any main character that Stradling has ever created and yet so like so many strong-willed, emotions-on-their-sleeve people I really know and love.
One last note to all the tags and list-makers out there--- there are plenty of girls who don't like girly things, who love their hair short, who love their family deeply, who don't necessarily have the curves, and who run, however unadvisedly, headlong into trouble, who maybe don't fangirl over boys until they meet the one. These girls are girls and usually live happily with that one.
.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 298 reviews