Lady Frida Cycle
The lady Frida cycle is a series of books named after the author Lady Frida auf Grannafe and is a series of adventure stories in the same vein as Harald Harding and the Tales of Rikard Guardsman, however where those stories are aimed to younger men and boys is the Frida cycle aimed to younger girls. As most Scanderan literature is the book series very moralistic and educational in it's nature but as it is aimed towards women does it instead of teaching wilderness survival and infantry combat tactics as the aforementioned books does the Lady Frida cycle instead focus a lot on more womanly pastimes such as embroidery, sewing, seduction, mathematics, economics, cooking, and gardening. Another place where the series of books tend to differate itself from both Harald Harding and the Tales of Rikard Guardsman is that it does not follow a family or a single character, instead is a new character introduced in each book. Each tends to be from Blåaland same as Frida herself and tends to follow morally troubled women that are either delinquents, criminals, or deviants in one way shape or form that is transported back to the past where they learn about love, romance, and of course how to be a proper woman. Generally does the heroines settle down and live long and happy lives and the books claims to be a collection of those stories written down by the heroines themselves.
Being herself a native of Blaland has Frida auf Grannafe stated that she was always fascinated by the oversja Scanderan cultures and how they grew up so while her characters tends to be from either Sydvinland or Blaland and travel to Scandera has she also tended to write a few stories where Scanderans are brought back to either pre-scanderan Blaland, Vinland, or the other realms as a way to show "how oversja Scanderan cultures are a mixture of both the home continent but also the native cultures that were raised into Scanderan ranks" in her own words.
Stories
| Name | Published | Main character | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| A blue rose in the snow | 1999 | Frida Grildedottir | The young and rough Frida Grildedottir is an embarrassment to her family, always running around causing trouble in her home of blafastning, generally robbing people and running with a gang of Jungkarls. However to her shock does she one day wake up in a cold dark forest. Figuring out that she is now in long distant Scandera in times long since gone does she meet the local Lordling Birger Radhar when he is patrolling his lands in search for a werewolf that haunts his domains. Surviving an attack only thanks to the lardin and his men must she try to settle in her new environment but more importantly must she try to see if she can get Birger to fall for her before the next wolfmoon as he is otherwise forced to marry an old vile daughter of his liege lord. |
| A red flower in spring | 2001 | Cava Runtudottir | The young Cava Runtudottir is a delinquent of the roughest kind, she refuses to help out with the family farm and only focuses on herself as her ageing mother and war wounded brother keeps working their land to support themselves with their modest means. However Cava generally steal from her family to live it up with her friends in the big city and one day does she attempt to steal and sell the KVG that her brother brought into war and both their father fought with and their uncle died with it in his hands. This is the final straw and her brother gives her a beating and sends her away. She takes refuge under some trees and when she wakes up does she not realise where she is. She is picked up by a kind lardin by the name of Björne Starknafe on a way to a grand tornament by the king and the two travel the lands for a bit and she falls for him quickly. However when they arrive to the court is the young lardin arrested and accused of not bringing enough men to the latest campaign compared to what his estate is worth. However as Cava set out to clear his name by going over his estate revenue and income are darker plots at play as night by night do young women go missing at the tourney fields. |
| A snowdrop amongst the mountains | 2002 | Erika auf Salveholme | Erika is a Scanderan noblewoman but she is also a coward, atheist, and a pacifist and even join a public protest when her brother, a young cavalry officer, is going off to a conflict in the name of his king. Officially shaming him as he set off with disgust in his eyes to her. Throwing a fit as her family scold her does she run away and gets lost in the woodland. She takes rest under a large oak but when she wakes up does she find herself in the mountain regions of Sydvinland. She is taken in by a young warrior of the Ikkata people that saves her from a terror bird attack and he brings her to his father that holds a village in the name of their god king. However as she spend her days with him does she fall for the warrior but discover the horrid religion his people follow and that they are also about to come under attack from the Mekoki people from the eastern coastline. Attempting to first set out to try to negotiate a peace between them is she stricken by horror as she sees the vile Mekoki warriors dressed in the skins of fallen foes and she must be rescued once again. Instead does she have to help out the village to prepare for the winter and learn how to let her warrior love do what men must do. |
| A rose of snow in the land of Rivers | 2004 | Brigita auf Stjarnsja | Brigita is a habitual liar that tends to lie at every opportunity to get her way, however at a party held by her family does all this unravel as she tells one lie too many and is cornered by a group of women that unravels her lies in front of her entire family and their social circle. Having been so outed is she kicked out of the party and given quite a backhand from her father that has to apologise to all the guests. Enraged does Brigita run away and vows never to return but she very quickly changes her mind and tries to make her way home but she is lost. Forced to sleep under a large birch tree does she wake up suddenly in a very hot climate and concludes that she is in Blaland and she seeks refuge with a kind river witch that takes her in. Once again she attempts to lie to improve her situation but the wise witch sees through her attempts and curses her so that she may never speak lies ever again or her face will turn as vile as her words.
Horrified does Brigita runs away and ends up close to one of the city states that dots the four mayor rivers of western Blaland and she is given hospitality with the a large family there and is given to live with one of the daughters of the matriarch with whom she starts to develop feelings. However as she spends her days do the young warriors of the city state go missing when the night comes about and as she learns not only how to be true to herself but those around her does rumours spread of a large hippopotamus woman that comes from the rivers. |
| A Night Tulip amongst the plains | 2005 | Hilda Sigridsdottir | Hilda is a young girl from the inner streets of the Blaland that is a great gardener and helps to tend to the gardens of the duke himself. However she is also arrogant and quick to anger, in an especially hard argument with one of the other gardeners does Hilda strike the woman she is arguing with with a hoe causing grievous injury. In a panic does she escape as the peacekeepers are on her heels. She manages to avoid them for most of the evening but exhausted does she curl up under a togo tree. When she wakes up does she find herself on a frozen plain and realises to her horror that she is in the northern iceplains. She is taken in by a tribe of northern mammoth herders. With them do the tribe has a clan shaman that is an elderly woman and is escorted by the young son of the chieftain Harald Haraldssen.
As the winter comes closer and closer and the eternal night comes even closer is she and the shaman forced to take care of a holy rose bush to attempt to keep it from dying. Similarly in the night does something old and evil lurks around the tribe. |
| A thorn without a Rose | 2006 | Rosa auf Rosenberga | Rosa is not a typical woman, she is weakly and sick with weak lungs that makes it hard to breath. Her family takes care of her but her sickness make it hard to live the life that is expected of a woman her age. One day however is she able to get out of her sickbed and ride with her mother. However in the mist is she lost and she is forced to rest the night under a majestic oak. When she wakes up is she picked up by a kindly old Cleric. He is an old man that tends to a small shrine dedicated to Belron, son of Bel, and companion and lover of Imer the great. Two lordlings often visit the shrine that lies on the border of their lands, however their families are feuding and they both comes to sacrifice for victory would war break out. During these frequent visits does Rosa develop feelings for both men and they for her, she is during one week of heavy rainfall, snow, and hail however able to in turn convince each to stay the night at the shrine and later on to spend it with her.
As the clouds of war however draws closer and the long vinter night comes closer however she realises that they might need their virginity and the protection of the shimmering god of war more than ever. |
| A blue flower in red | 2008 | Brunhilda Fridasdottir | Brunhilda is an orphan that spends her days doing crimes on the streets of blaborg with a gang of pick pockets and thieves and she has no greater ambition that becoming a criminal herself. However she tends to be lazy and relying on crime rather than doing something useful with her life. One day she almost get caught and is forced to run from the peelers and she takes cover in a temple dedicated to the two faced goddess. She sleeps under one of the trees that decorate the courtyard but when she wakes up is she in Imerburg in the old days.
She joins a travelling monk dedicated to the fierce sun god and a nun dedicated to the two faced goddess of the same age as herself and she tries to aid them by stealing however this backfires as she is once again caught and she is only saved by the intervention of her new travelling companions. As they travel does she start to develop feelings for her two companions but she also starts to learn how to live a better life under the teaching of her new companions and they teach her how to sew that she uses to earn money. However as they start to reach the moors and craggy cliffs of the western shores is something in else stalking them in the night. |
| A flower of blood on the fields of snow | 2011 | Grynhilda Rikasdottir | Grynhilda is a troubled woman that while a master seamstress from Sydvinland is more interested in spending her time running amok in the city of Nya Landborg, she breaks into houses and robs old ladies for money that she spends betting and buying fine clothes above her station. However this goes awray one day when the person she attempts to rob turns out to be a battle trained monk of the Sun and he easily breaks her arm and sends her running. Forced to take refuge as peacekeeper constables are summoned to the scene does she hide under a monkey tail tree however when she wakes up again is it cold and dark. She finds her way to a chronological temple dedicated to Mirviva. She spends a short time there and to her horror learns that she is in the middle of the Sun worshippers invasion of Scandera under the sun king of the south.
As the days goes on and the cold and night takes their toil on the sun worshippers does she find two men that catches her fancy, one is a young and energetic lord of the South lands and a warrior of status in the invading forces while the other is a young lardin loyally fighting from the woods for the king dressed in all in white. However as the days goes on does two worrying things become apparent, first are rumours coming from the north that a great host is marching down to challenge the invincible sunking led by the greatest prince of the star crowned line with skin as of midnight. Similarly are rumours spreading that in the night are entire villages lost with no survivors found but blood and gore aplenty spread out. As these two dangers are about to clash can our young heroine save her two loves and the people that are about to be caught in the middle of an unstoppable force that are about to crash with an inmovable object. |
| An unplucked flower | 2012 | Jungfrau Tove auf Trideborg | Tove is a rather big embarrassment that tries to live the life of a wealthy seductress in Blaland but is despite that terrible at actually getting lads, being banned from several male temples, military installation and having been personally arrested sneaking into male sports arenas is her family at their whits end. One day after a party where she manages to make the young officer Tyre auf Borgenholme rather uncomfortable as he excuses himself for the evening does she entirely misinterpret the situation and attempt to sneak into his bed chamber. Being quite alarmed does he raise an alarm and she is forced to withdraw as another soldier throws a shoe after the intruder. She is tired and heart broken as she tries to rest for the night under a big tree and wakes up in cold distant Scandera in the Vedian mountains. Four families inhabits a closed off valley and she quickly sells her services as a scribe and economist to them all but as she tries to get up to her old tricks does an old matron of them take pity on the young lass and takes her under her wings. The pair travels between the valley and with her new mentor does Tove tries and get better at how one should interact with men.
However as she gets more and more experience and soon realise that the young warrior sons of the householders don't look at her with contempt anymore does she also notice that a strange sickness goes around, in each house does one young man grow quickly sickly and waste away when night falls. Can our heroine save the day and learn how to better her behaviour? |
| A rose of chivalry | 2014 | Ulfhild Ulfhildsdottir | Ulfhild is a woman of means born in Vinland but grown up in Scandera itself, she cannot seem to put her mind to anything, generally preferring to just stay at home doing nothing all day, not painting, playing music, sewing, gardening, nor cooking. Her days are instead wasted just sleeping or resting in the sunlight. However she is one day out and about when she is suddenly mugged, she gets away but is beaten rather badly and passes out under a great oak tree. When she wakes up is she surrounded by a worried man and a few followers, this is the traveling Lardin Fridolf that is heading to the great tourney at Imerbürg where he intends to win first price. She follows him and starts to develop feelings for the young warrior and sets her mind to helping out for once and under the tutelage of his mother does she slowly start to learn how to be a better person and how to take pride in actually doing work. However dark days seems to be ahead of her as when they arrive to the tourney is Fridolf forced by tradition to ask for the favour of a well of cousin of the king that seems to be more interested in his martial skills than the man himself, further more does it seems like dark plots are at play as her lordly love is at danger and something vile stalks the tents of the tourney. Can Ulfrid manage to convince Fridolf to ride into the field with her colours and save him from the machinations of the harpy that seems dead set on him? And more importantly maybe can she save his very life from what stalks the tents. |
| A smaller kind of flower | 2019 | Brigit Sigrunsdottir | Brigit is a former slave elf that has grown up as a free woman since childhood, however she and her family struggles with her father's alcoholism and she is forced to one day run away during his violent outbursts, fleeing to a chronological temple does she take cover amongst the trees in the holy grove there and sleeps under them. When she wakes up is she stuck in the past. Striking out does she make contact with a lardin named Frid auf Göranholm that is traveling the world in search of adventure and a lord to serve. When she find him is he weak and malnourished and she quickly cooks him food using roots and vegetables she can find in the wild and nurses him to health. As the two grow closer and closer to one another and a romance starts do they find a lord and in his service must they keep their feelings for one another hidden but even worse do something vile stalk the woods at night around the lords halls. |
| A förgätmigej in the sun | 2020 | Hilda Hildasdottir | Hilda is a singer and the player of a harp but she is also a lady that runs in bad crowds in Imerbürg as she cheats at brick games and dice and card to make her living. One day however is her luck run out and she is outed as a cheat in a game and a mighty man gives her a savaging well earned. She retreats bruised and bloodied to a small commons area and find a willow under which to sleep. When she wakes up is she no longer in Imerbürg but instead in the sun realms and the holding of a Scanderan Oversja kingdom. The prince of it takes her in as she sings and plays for him and he finds such things pleasing. As she makes her way higher in the castle does a romance spring up between her and the prince however despite that does dark clouds gather as the realm is facing pressure from a warlord that unites all the sun realms to march on Scandera itself. While that also happens is something vile and dark watching the small kingdom from the sea. |
Characters
Frida Grildedottir
Frida is the main character of the first book and is described as a ruffian and scoundrel with skin of a dark redish hue with the silver hair and ice blue eyes of the mountain peoples. She is argumentative and arrogant, does not respect her elders of parents, she show no interests in the proper matches her family tries to set up for her but fail repeatedly to flirt with the jungkarls she hangs out with, to the degree that she is known originally as "No-shield Frida" due to the fact that none of them wants so set up his shield in her name as they harass bystander. However during her adventures does she grow as a person, learn humility, and the ancient art of embroidery and other good life lessons.
Cava Runtudottir
Cava is described as a descendent of the proud Ikkata people of the Western mountains in Sydvinland, she however is nothing of the sort and instead is arrogant, a liar, and tends to steal just to live a life of decadent luxury. She is described as having beautiful skin of a redish hue with a the standard straight long raven black hair of Sydvinlanders with a pair of dark blue eyes as are common amongst their kind. While she originally lacks much in the way of skills bar a surprising good knack for money is she generally unwilling to help people or even do anything for anyone but herself. However her story forces her to change this as she applies what she is best at to save the one she loves.
Erika auf Salveholme
Erika is a cowardly woman who openly protest about war and rages against religion however as she is transported into the past is she forced to learn how to enable men's more militaristic nature as well as try to find her faith as she is put up against two of the two vile faiths that existed in pre-federal Sydvinland.
Brigita auf Stjarnsja
Brigita is probably the worst character of all the heroines of the Lady Frida cycle, a liar through and through, she is described as having wavy red hair and eyes as cold as her heart.
Hilda Sigridsdottir
Hilda is a woman from the coast and lowlands of Blaland and she is described as a a typical person of that region with redish brown skin, orange hair and eyes of red, she has a green thumb and is very good with plants but also really quick to anger and fury.
Rosa auf Rosenberga
Rosa auf Rosenberga is a woman from Ausland, weak and frail with poor lungs, while it is not outright stated is it heavily implied to be Asthma. She is generally seen as the most good character that lacks much in the way of weakness character wise and she needs to use her chronological faith to overcome her weakly body.
Brunhilda Fridasdottir
Brunhilda is a rogue and a scoundrel with red long hair that is braided back and skin of terracotta and eyes that are said to be dark red. She is a followers of the chronicles and one of the most religious characters in the party however when offered to learn the secrets of the two faced goddess does she decline at the end claiming that she are not ready for the goddess love but she honours her alongside the sun, and the goddesses and gods of the rose.
Grynhilda Rikasdottir
Grynhilda is a south vinlander with darker skin than usual and the long raven hair and ice blue eyes that are common amongst her kind. She is a great seamstress and sew clothes aplenty in her time in the temple. However she also know a lot of history and is one of the few heroines that actually knows what is going on and what is about to happen as the war she is living in is one of the greatest in Scanderan history and the royal authorities that traces their ancestry to both sides are quick to sing the praises of both leaders.
Tove auf Trideborg
Tove is a woman from Blaland, she is described as a mixed breed with both Scanderan, lowland, and highland blood in her veins, her skin is the redish brown of Blaland but her eyes are purple mixing the blue of Scanderans and highlanders with the red of the lowlands and her hair is described as almost pinkish as is common with the silver white mixture of the highlands and the red of the lowlands. Even her features is described as a mixture with an "queerly Scanderan hint to them". Similarly is she the heroine that is mostly motivated by her desires and tend not to think through situations. While this is not said to be entirely bad is her poor judgement and lack of skill when it comes to interacting with men generally looked down upon and her tendencies to make every man around her uncomfortable with how persistent she can be is generally described as bad.
Ulfhild Ulfhildsdottir
Ulfhild is a general standard looking Sydvinlander, she has more native blood in her than most though and one can see this in her deep brown eyes as she comes from the inland beastfolk as the people of the jungle is called by the Ikkata and Mekoki peoples of the western highlands and eastern coastlines.
Brigit Sigrunsdottir
Brigit is an elf maid and generally rather goo happy and quick to make a joke, she is described as short and slim but with a thick bush of red hair and eyes of green.
Hilda Hildasdottir
Is described as a scoundrel, thin of frame with hair of a rat's colour and eyes the green of the sea. She is a good player of the harp and has a singing voice to match.
Books and movies
Every book has so far been released with a cinematic version following with the only exception being "A förgätmigej in the sun" that is currently being filmed due to the little action in the series are they all very fatefully adopted showing very little to no difference between them. However amongst the books are people generally not particularly fond of A snowdrop amongst the mountains that lacks a secondary plot and focus a lot of time on religion but at the end while Erika is able to teach her new family to stay away from the worst aspects of their faith would the people in general still keep the faith and most people found that too bleak in Scandera.
Similarly were the audience very broken about Brigita that due to being a liar most people thought that she did not deserve redemption. A smaller kind of flower also faced some rather heavy controversy due to featuring a romance between an elf and a human. While interspecies relationship were not unheard of and quite common in damliteratur aimed at older women was it still rather shocking to see it portrayed in a positive light as something romantic rather than something purely sexual for such young readers.
Reception
The Lady Frida Cycle has a small but quite dedicated fandom in Malgrave, with fans calling themselves members of the Frida Friendship Fellowship. It has been noted that the recent positive mention of interspecies relationships in the series has caused the series to become more popular amongst Malgravean introduces.
In recent years several adaptions of the Lady Frida Cycle have been made which include Imerian ladies being transported to Malgrave and being courted by Malgravea women, these unauthorised adaptations have become quite popular in Malgrave.
