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The Last Wife of Attila the Hun
Joan Schweighardt
Two threads are flawlessly woven together in this sweeping historical novel. In one, Gudrun, a Burgundian noblewoman, dares to enter the City of Attila to give its ruler what she hopes is a cursed sword; the second reveals the unimaginable events that have driven her to this mission.
Based in part on the true history of the times and in part on the same Nordic legends that inspired Wagner’s Ring Cycle and other great works of art, The Last Wife of Attila the Hun offers readers a thrilling story of love, betrayal, passion, and revenge, all set against an ancient backdrop itself gushing with intrigue. Lovers of history and fantasy alike will find realism and legend at work in Joan Schweighardt’s latest offering.
Winner of the ForeWord Book of the Year and Independent Publisher Book Awards.
Previously published as Gudrun’s Tapestry and, under this title, by Booktrope Editions. Print version reformatted and a new cover designed for this reprinting.
To read a preview, click the cover image.
“Gudrun, scarred by tragedy and coldly bent on revenge, is the driving force behind Joan Schweighardt’s densely-plotted and spellbinding novel The Last Wife of Attila the Hun, which is freely adapted from Attila story-lines found in the Poetic Edda,and mixes history with mytho-history in some very creative and gripping ways.
The story of Gudrun’s intent to destroy the tyranny of Attila is expertly counterbalanced with the narrative of her own life, and her love for a man called Sigurd. The entire tale is related in a lean and powerful prose style that consistently finds the perfect mix of quasi-fantasy and gritty history.”
—Historical Novel Society
“The hero-tales of the Germanic peoples form a glowing tread in the tapestry of European literature. [This story] presents one of the greatest of those legends from a woman’s perspective, with emotion as well as action, bringing new meaning to an ancient tale.”
—Diana L. Paxson, author of the Wodan’s Children trilogy and
co-author of the New York Times bestseller Priestess of Avalon
“I loved this book, real guts and glory and realism too … This story has true grit. The pacing moves this tale along quickly while providing many interesting cultural and historical insights to the period.”
—Bob Spear, formerly of Heartland Reviews