The only child of King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden, Kristina becomes her father's heir when he dies in battle. What is truly remarkable for the times, the early 1600s, is that King Gustav decides that Kristina is going to be the next king, not the next queen. Gustav was determined that his daughter rule Sweden and not be merely a pawn in the royal marriage market of Europe.

Not surprisingly, Kristina herself is a rather unusual girl. Born ahead of her times, she is an exceptional student and linguist. Having no time for silly empty-headed females, she hates sewing and other feminine pursuits. Instead, she loves the outdoors and is a skilled rider and crack shot. Carolyn Meyer has succeeded very well in conveying the arrogant, standoffish, and slightly supercilious nature of this odd girl. Of the English, Kristina says that "they have no culture to speak of" though she does admire Queen Elizabeth I, who also ruled as her country's 'king'. Like Elizabeth, Kristina has no interest in getting married or having children. She is determined that she, and she alone, will rule Sweden. As with so many of the young women on European thrones, Kristina struggles with her lack of personal freedom. She realizes at an early age that she has very little control of her own destiny and fights against it. This is an interesting story about a frequently ignored part of Europe.

   --- Reviewed by Marya Jansen-Gruber