{"product_id":"the-folkungs","title":"The Folkungs","description":"Based on 14th Century Scandinavian actual events, The Folkungs --Sweden's royal family--is a generational saga interwoven with jealousy, conspiracy, rivalry, treason, regicide, exorcism, paganism, torture, witchcraft, shamanism, Falconry, folklore, power struggles, and deeply touching love stories.\n\nIt begins at Nykoping Castle, Sweden, 1291. King Magnus is dead and his three young sons--Birger (eleven), Erik (nine), and Valdemar (eight)--await the arrival of the appointed Regent of Sweden, a powerful noble and celebrated warrior, who will teach them the arts of governing, knighthood and skills of war until the young king, Birger, comes of age. Under his tutelage, Erik, the middle child, will show himself to be the most intelligent and skilful of the three; Valdemar, the youngest, will look on in admiration, while the fledgling King, will bridle with jealousy.\n\nArriving with the Regent is his nine-year-old daughter, Kristina, who stares aghast at the royal fortress rising before her like a grim symbol of doom. Her fear is well founded: here wastes away a King usurped and imprisoned by his brother, where the future holds even darker treachery.\n\nKristina, all innocence, is entering a world where personal desires are sacrificed to political necessity. Marriage is about forging international alliances so Birger, King of Sweden, will marry Princess Marta of Denmark; the King of Denmark will marry Princess Ingeborg of Sweden while Dukes Valdemar and Erik will marry a Norwegian princess or a princess from one of the German principalities. Kristina cannot but wonder what her own future will hold.\n\nAs the young princes mature, King Birger proves himself to be increasingly inept and manipulated by the self-seeking Regent. He accuses his innocent brothers of treachery and wages war against them as punishment, wreaking unnecessary bloodshed on the land. For Erik this is intolerable. Can Sweden be left prey to his brother's weak rule? Alliances are formed across the borders as the royals start taking sides.\n\nAlong with Scandinavia's folklore, magic and myths, the author's words are brought to life across the snowy landscapes, light summer nights, and medieval castles of Scandinavia.\u003cbr\u003eASIN: 109836953X\u003cbr\u003eVSKU: BVV.109836953X.A\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Acceptable\u003cbr\u003eAuthor\/Artist:Javits, Margaretha Espersson\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote:\u003c\/b\u003e Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Notes\u003c\/b\u003e: The item is very worn but is perfectly usable. Signs of wear can include aesthetic issues such as scratches, dents, worn and creased covers, folded page corners and minor liquid stains. All pages and the cover are intact, but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include moderate to heavy amount of notes and highlighting, but the text is not obscured or unreadable. Page edges may have foxing  age related spots and browning . May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Blue Vase Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43338006954045,"sku":"BVV.109836953X.A","price":9.38,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0589\/4225\/9261\/files\/109836953X-0.jpg?v=1783903401","url":"https:\/\/www.bluevasebooks.com\/products\/the-folkungs","provider":"Blue Vase Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}