My recent review of The Crimson Pirate made me curious about TFATA. It had been years since I saw either film and I remember not liking this one *quite* as much as TCP. I found that I still liked TCP but what about TFATA? Would it stand up to a rewatch? The answer is I still feel the same about it. It’s good but not quite as good for a couple of reasons. Still, it’s a decent rainy day/Saturday afternoon flick.

Medieval Lombardy is being squashed under the thumb of Germany and the main one doing the squashing now is Ulrich, the Count of Hesse (Frank Allenby) who’s just recently come back along with his lovely niece Lady Anne (Virginia Mayo) and his mistress. Now this would be bad enough but the mistress is the wife of Dardo (Burt Lancaster) who apparently prefers to live in the great outdoors doing manly things such as shooting arrows at stuff with his son Rudi. Maybe she objected to his bathing habits. Anyway, she left them and since then all women are whores! (An attitude that, as a romance reader, just shocks me< /sarcasm>)

Dardo and Rudi (Gordon Gebert) arrive in town and are fulsomely greeted by one and all because Dardo is such a manly guy who the guys are all buds with and whom the women all love and fawn over. (He doesn’t respect women but obviously they’re okay to love up on). Learning Hesse is in town, Dardo finds he can’t resist figuratively spitting in his eye. Hesse might be an ass but he’s not an idiot and gives orders to capture Rudi. Oopsie. Dardo tries to spring the boy but only gets shot for his troubles. Seething, he swears revenge. Since his actions have branded him an outlaw, he’s forced to flee along with half the male population – including a very irritating minstrel – and take to the hills where they set up Ye Outlaw Camp doing standard outlaw stuff and probably enjoying not having to answer to their womenfolk.

Poor Rudi is now stuck in the castle wearing nice clothes and learning to dance on orders from his momma. But he’s also a young boy so guess who he’d rather be with and what he’d rather be doing. The things the dancing master mutters under his breath are funny, though. Lady Anne has taken to riding through the hills in a fetching hunting costume leading to scenes where she and Dardo strike sparks which of course means they’re falling in love. Trying again to get his son, Dardo sneaks into the castle yet – like the first time – can’t accomplish it. But this time he snags Lady Anne who hisses like a cat as he hauls her off.

More scenes follow of Dardo and Anne feeling that push/pull of love and both hating it/loving it. No, no he won’t fall for a woman because all women are whores – remember? And he’s a lowly peasant so she can’t really be falling in love with him, can she? Will Dardo get his revenge and his son back? Will the Count pay for luring Dardo’s whore wife away to a world of pretty dresses and sparkly things? Is there a possible future for a peasant and a Lady? And will there be enough swashbuckly stuff to make everybody happy?

I have to give major props for the location of Northern Italy. Lombardy! I don’t recall seeing that much in movies from the 1950s. And it’s bursting with glorious Technicolor plus there’s a rousing score by Max Steiner. I wondered if the wretched oppression of the peasants was a hark back to the Nazis of WWII or the Cold War Soviets. Dardo is like a discount version of Warner Brother’s Robin Hood complete with a deer over his shoulders but with the added bonus of marriage problems and a son with a truly atrocious bowl haircut.

Hesse is a standard arrogant villain with a sneer played nicely by Allenby. I did wonder why the climactic fight between he and Burt is done in shadows. As Anne, Virginia Mayo looks as beautiful as she ever has and gets to show some leg and some gumption. The soldiers in the castle have some truly strange costumes though. Don’t know who came up with those.

Burt heats up the screen with another movie in which he gets to wear tight pantaloons. Those alone are worth watching the movie. Like in TCP, he’s joined by Nick Cravat – as Piccolo. Together they get to do a lot of acrobatic fighting, ducking and dodging. It’s done with plenty of flare but doesn’t seem to accomplish a whole lot besides giving them opportunities to swirl around bars, whip around lighted torches and swing from chandeliers. Still the whole thing just keeps flowing and is fun to watch. The finale is cool complete with a William Tell theme going on.

After finishing the film, I thought about it a while to try and pin down why I’ve never liked it as much as TCP. In Pirate, Burt is more a lighthearted character who turns on that million watt smile a lot and is basically out for himself and a little fun while here there’s the overlay of politics that darkens the tone. Then there’s the whore wife plus the hero’s responsibilities for his son that act as mood dampeners. And the romance doesn’t work as well either. True it has much more screen time but I find it totally unbelievable that an aristocrat is going to stay with a peasant regardless of the ending clinch. Best not to think past THE END.

Comparing these films some more, I wonder if you won’t end up liking the first one you see more given the large number of similarities in Lancaster and Cravat’s actions and portrayal. I just kept getting the “I’ve seen all this before” feeling with the fights and their relationship. But be that as it may, it’s a killer popcorn movie and given the dearth of swashbucklers then and now, it’s worth a looksee.

~Jayne

Related posts:

1. Friday Film Review: The Crimson Pirate
2. Friday Film Review: The Sea Hawk
3. Friday Film Review: The Spanish Main

“A strategic marriage to a powerful Saracen lord with a penchant for virgins will enable wealthy Lady Jocelyn to keep her fortress home. But at what cost? Her only hope of escaping the depraved lord’s harem is to lose her virginity—and fast!

Captured and tortured knight Simon de Rhys is in no position to refuse Lady Jocelyn’s proposition: his freedom for one night with her. The task seems simple, and deeply pleasurable, until he discovers her secret….”

Dear Ms. Lovelace,

Though I’ve enjoyed many of your military centered contemporaries, it’s actually your historicals which are my favorites – top of the list probably being the older, relatively un-PC “Alena.” In spite of the silly sounding blurb, I find a lot to like in Jocelyn and Simon’s fight for true love in the Holy Land. Ever since I read Elizabeth Chadwick’s “Falcons of Montabard,” I’ve been intrigued by Outremer. The details you include are great and enough to definitely place the book here vs a generic European medieval setting. Plus they leave me wanting to know more about the place and people – which is good sign for me. I like that the specific information augments the story and characters and isn’t just there because it’s cool to know. Also, you don’t hesitate to include details that might make some people squirm such as the heroine’s methods of meting out justice. Her subordinates are just that – they are treated well and taken care of because it’s her duty but there aren’t big group hug moments.

The hero/heroine conflict is real and believable for the time when religion was such a part of daily existence, everyone’s fighting for their lives and land in the Crusader kingdom and it’s pull together or sink. Since parents routinely pledged children to Holy Orders – though it seems usually while said children were young – I can accept this part of the plot. Simon is mad at his father’s pledge but fully believes that his soul as well as father’s are on the line. He’s reluctant but will follow through. He also is well aware that there is just as much greed, avarice and politics in Church as well as outside life. But people believed in oaths to God and in eternal damnation if those were broken and you clearly present it as a powerful enough thing that I can see Simon actually turning away from this wonderful love for it and Jocelyn being willing to give him up.

Jocelyn’s decision to seek out a person to rid her of her virginity is a touch far fetched but no more so than the usual “one night of love to last my whole life” stuff. Here there’s a reason she’s doing this and after it’s done, she’ll submit to the decision of King Baldwin and his mother, Melisande, in their next choice of her, hopefully Frankish, husband. Cue more intricate political workings of the era which are woven into the story. Since Simon is pledged to Temple and Jocelyn is pledged to a desperately needed political ally, neither Baldwin nor Melisande can afford to give into gooey sweet sentiment and let these two have each other without good cause. And the good cause comes in a kickass fight scene that spotlights the horror of warfare of the era.

As the story progressed, I wondered how you’d extricate Simon from his holy vow. It is, after all, a freakin’ holy vow but I guess since he goes along with pledge and initiation rites up til telling moment, he can say he fulfilled his part and marry with free conscience. In regards to the Templer rites – does anyone really know what these were?

So, things are going along well, conflicts are being resolved and a HEA is in sight when I realized there is still a lot of space left. The book finishes with Jocelyn and Simon together – yeah! – and a lot of interesting period info but it all feels rather anticlimactic at that point and, after a little while, a touch draggy.

But I love the presentation of some powerful women – Melisande, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Jocelyn – in an age and place where women actually could be feisty and get away with it. Jocelyn is supposed to be strong – she was raised that way because of her position and expected to be in charge but she’s not a sword swinger, thank God. Simon is her equal, physically and mentally – a strong knight with a leader’s personality and mentally tough enough to submit to his pledge and the initiation for religious reasons as well as strong enough to endure the Templer rite with a final goal in mind. I enjoyed reading their story and returning to a historical from you. B-

~Jayne

Goodreads | Amazon | BN | nook | Sony | Kobo | eHarlequin

Related posts:

1. REVIEW: Stranded with a Spy by Merline Lovelace
2. REVIEW: Ex Marks the Spot by Merline Lovelace
3. AuthorTalk: Interview with Merline Lovelace

The Carl Brandon Society, an organization dedicated to racial and ethnic diversity in speculative fiction, is holding a prize drawing of five eReaders to benefit the Butler Scholarship, a fund that sends two emerging writers of color to the Clarion writers workshops annually.

In keeping with the Society's support of literature from and about people of color, the prizes include five eReaders: two Barnes & Noble Nooks, two Kobo Readers, and one Alex eReader from Spring Design. Each eReader will come pre-loaded with books, short stories and essays by writers of color from the speculative fiction field. Writers include: N. K. Jemisin, Nisi Shawl, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Terence Taylor, Ted Chiang, Shweta Narayan, Chesya Burke, Moondancer Drake, Saladin Ahmed, Rochita Loenen-Ruiz and more.

The drawing's tickets will cost one dollar US ($1) and can be purchased at http://carlbrandon.org/drawing.html. Entrants may purchase an unlimited number of tickets, which will be available from November 5, 2010 through November 22nd, 2010. Sales will close at 11:59PM EDT on November 22nd. Winners will be drawn randomly from a digital "hat" and announced online.

*****

Copia has launched but with a whimper.   The Copia readers are dead according to PW. This doesn’t surprise me as the Copia line of readers kept changing.   It was clear that internally the company wasn’t developing its own reader but trying to use an existing device and rebrand it with its own software.   The thing that sets Copia apart from other platforms is that you can share your notes, in real time, with other readers.   The limiting factor is that you all have to buy books from Copia and only Copia.   Currently Copia works on Mac and PC and iPad.   It does not work on the iTouch/iPhone.   Copia uses Adobe ePub DRM so it is possible that you could buy from Copia and transfer to the book to your Sony, nook or Kobo reader. Copia would be great if a) the prices are good (and they aren’t ) and b) everyone used Copia (and they don’t).

*****

Kobo will be launching a gift an ebook feature which is one of my favorite features of Fictionwise.   Instead of giving gift certificates, we can now give away specific books.   I’ll be using this for Dear Author in the future, particularly as Kobo sells worldwide.

*****

Barnes and Noble is selling Spanish language ebooks.   I think this is a big win.   It’s too bad that BN only sells to US customers.

*****

A Fordham medieval professor studied a number of medieval romances.

Aspects of modern medieval romances uncovered by her inquiry include:

• self-conscious historicizing with a flagrant disregard for historical facts;

• descriptions of time that serve to wrench the reader back into the present; and

• depictions of violent sexual encounters, which are seldom found in non-medieval Harlequin romances.

*****

A number of reviews of the NookColor have come out and it is all basically the same.   If you are looking for a color ebook reader, this is a great device, but don’t think it’s a tablet because if you do, you’ll be disappointed.

• Gizmodo
• Wired
• USA T0day

I played with the device yesterday and it’s very slick with a great screen.     My worries would be the battery life and the sometimes laggy response to my finger flicks.

*****

The Explainer column in Slate takes on iconographic “slapping the hysteria out of people.”   Apparently slapping does not bring hysterical people to their senses.   Instead, it leaves hysterical people with a sore face and some bruising.

Related posts:

1. Wednesday Midday Links: BN Is All About the EBook
2. Wednesday Midday Links: New Devices on the Horizon
3. Wednesday Midday Links Roundup:

Books that are in medieval time settings haven’t been my thing; for me the 14th century generally conjures up images of the Plague, dank, miserable castles, and men and women who are happy to remain unwashed for as long as possible. That being the case, it took me quite a while to pick up Wolf’s Cross, but I’m glad I finally managed it.

Brother Josef, a German monk still in his probationary period, is part of an Order called the Wolfjägers. The Knights are tracking and chasing what is evidently a werewolf; their order has been mandated by the Pope to exterminate the beasts. During their hunt, the knights track the werewolf to the border of Poland. There they are attacked and nearly decimated by the beast, but Josef manages to strike it near the eye with a silver tipped arrow. The order limps into a Polish border duchy, where they are greeted with plenty of suspicion and animosity.

Maria is one of the servant girls at Gród Narew, and is charged with caring for Brother Josepf. She doesn’t live within the fortress walls, and upon returning to her family’s farm the day the Teutonic Knights arrive, Maria is confronted by her father. He is apoplectic with a combination of rage and fear and accuses Maria of removing her silver cross while repeatedly yelling “What did you do?” at her. Maria’s father doesn’t survive the night, throwing Maria’s future into jeopardy and putting her at the mercy of her younger half-brother. Maria’s step-mother and brothers care for her though, and she continues to travel daily to Gród Narew, contemplating what will become of her on her trips.

On one of Maria’s return trips from Gród Narew, she encounters Darien, a handsome man with an odd scar above his eye. From this point, the pacing of the story picks up and events move along at warp speed. Maria is quickly introduced to her wolf-side by Darien and is confused and scared by what he reveals to her. Maria was raised human, totally unaware of her werewolf heritage or what, exactly, the crucifix she wears does to her. Once she learns what she is, she struggles to reconcile the woman she knows with the unimaginable creature inside of her. As her attraction to both Josef and Darien develops, her unease with both sides of her nature grows.

Maria finds her newfound power exhilarating, but she can’t reconcile her true heritage with that of her adopted one and this plays out in her relationships with Darien and Josef. It is unfortunate that her relationship with Josef deteriorates into Maria feeling guilty for being everything that Josef has been trained to fear and hate. I think that if there were something more than attraction to balance out the overwhelming feelings of guilt, the triange between her, Josef and Darien would have worked better. With Darien, it is evident from the beginning that he despises everything humans are to the point of insanity. It takes a while for Maria to catch on to this, and even when she does, that she isn’t instantly repulsed by everything Darien represents surprised me.

I mentioned that the story began to move along quite quickly after Maria is introduced to Darien. While I was happy that the pacing picked up, I would have loved to have encountered more of Maria and Josef’s developing relationship rather than Maria’s constant guilt over her true nature and her fear that Josef would discover her. Josef is a few steps above Maria on the medevil social ladder, and there isn’t a whole lot of discussion about this from Josef’s point of view. While some of the relationship aspects of the book suffered, the worldbuilding behind the wolfbreeds and the Wolfjägers was fascinating. This book was a pleasant surprise and change of pace. B-

~Shuzluva

Book Link | Kindle | Amazon | nook | BN | Borders
| Sony|

This is a trade paperback published Bantam Spectra, a division of Random House.

Related posts:

1. REVIEW: Wolfbreed by S.A. Swann
2. REVIEW: I Heart That City: Razzle Dazzle by Willa Okati
3. REVIEW: Morrigan’s Cross by Nora Roberts

I knew there’s a reason why I love doing this blog. It’s so I can get my hands on the copy of your latest book, “A Murderous Procession” before it hits market shelves. Even though it’s book 4 of the “Mistress of the Art of Death” series, Adelia and Co are in fine form, this time for a road mystery. Too bad there’s an insane murderer there with them.

Princess Joanna of England is being married off to the King of Sicily and her father, Henry II, insists that his borrowed Mistress of the Art of Death, Adelia Aguilar, go along for the ride. No really, he insists. And when Henry wants something done, he gets it. To ensure that she comes back, he’s going to keep Adelia’s young daughter, Allie, in England. As well as sending Adelia’s lover and father of her child, Rowley Bishop of Saint Albans, along with the cavalcade. To top things off, Henry is sending a doozy of a wedding prezzie for his future s-i-l. Excalibur itself. You won’t find that on just anyone’s Bridal Registry.

So off they go, across the Channel in ships captained by the Irishman O’Donnell, then across Plantagenet held land in France – which always seems to be in some form of rebellion against Henry and usually lead by his sons, and all the way Adelia and her people are plagued by mishaps that just keep getting worse. Ulf and Mansur, and finally Rowley once somebody tells him, are convinced that there’s nothing random about these incidents but it takes Adelia longer to buy into the program. Will they discover who’s been setting them up for murder? Or will Scarry finally get his revenge for the death of his vile lover?

I love the way the book opens with a friendly little competition between two pastoral English villages. Let’s hope that their modern counterparts now forgo the kicking, kneeing and gouging displayed by the villagers. And that was just the women. Adelia and Mansur have now been in England for 7 years and by this time, they’re growing roots and developing deep ties. It’s nice to see them fairly settled. I also liked seeing Allie still interested in animals though her father is thinking of her future and determined to see her learn the feminine arts. At least that’s the excuse Rowley pulls out when Adelia learns of her latest assignment.

These two are still at each other, hammer and tongs, though obviously still in love. It seems believable that given their strong personalities and the fact that Rowley is still a Bishop, their interactions sometimes end up stormy. And Rowley is still a King’s man, first and foremost which also is still irritating to Adelia. But I like the way that she and Mansur, as they travel through other lands and kingdoms, come to see how rare is the peace that they’ve come to take for granted during their stay in England. Henry might be a f*cking force of nature whom you don’t want to cross but he does keep his tax paying subjects alive.

As well, the growing power of the Church, which Henry is trying to muzzle in England, rears its ugly head during the journey. Kudos for including the actual conflicts of the time and place to make me happy that organized religion is no longer compulsory nor limited to only one form of worship. The scenes in Aveyron chilled me to the bone. The escape scenes from Aveyron had my pulse pounding. The inclusion of the ramifications of the operation Adelia performed is also a neat nod to what brides and grooms faced on the wedding night.

I was glad to see Adelia using her forensic skills again even if one time it was to solve the death of a goat. I was sad to see how the men in her life could override her desires, though it was to keep her safe, and stifle her doctor’s voice. The frustration women must have felt, to have their voices and opinions mean little more to most men then the buzzing of moths, jumps off the page.

There are a few things which I didn’t like about the book. I got tired of Scarry’s POV parts. It’s established early on, and readers who’ve read “Grave Goods” ought to remember, that he’s evil so why the need to hammer it home? And even though I pretty much guessed her reasoning, Adelia’s refusal to believe that someone might be after her, despite all evidence to the contrary, got tiring. But then once she believed, why did she pull that TSTL little excursion in Palermo? Yes, it leads to an exciting chase through the backstreets of the city, but Good Lord! what was she thinking?

However, the ending is a fabulous cliffhanger and as I closed the book, I howled at the year long wait we face to have the questions answered and see what happens next. My feeling is that Allie will play a larger role as Adelia and Rowley grapple with her future. Is it better to educate her mind in a world that won’t accept this in women? Especially as Adelia is learning firsthand that the world that did accept her is fading fast. If only Adelia’s IQ hadn’t dropped at the end, this would be in the A range but as it is, it’s a B+.

~Jayne

| Book Page | Kindle | Amazon (Hardcover at $9.99) | Nook ($12.99) | BN | Borders | WalMart (9.98)
Sony | Mobipocket for $25.95

Why this book is being sold at Mobipocket for $25.95, I have no idea. This is a hardcover published by one of the Agency Five. It appears that the publisher price is $12.99 at most places like Sony and Nook but you can also order it for $9.99 at Amazon in print form.

Related posts:

1. REVIEW: Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin
2. REVIEW: The Serpent’s Tale by Ariana Franklin
3. REVIEW: Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin (aka Diana Norman)

I remember a number of people raving about your debut in the If You Like Debut books thread. I bought the debut book, Knight of Desire, but by the time I got around to reading it your second book, Knight of Pleasure, was out. So I read that one first. While I felt that I would have appreciated some of the nuances in the character of Stephen, the hero, more had I read the first book in the series, I was not lost.

Lady Isobel Hume was married off the age of 14 to a neighboring lord with quite a bit of money and power. Her father promised her that when Hume died, she would have her independence. No one really thought Hume would live as long as he did. He eventually dies when Isobel is 22 and she finally thinks she is free. But somehow, because she and Hume did not have children, a bastard born to a woman of quality convinced Hume that he was Hume’s son. In Hume’s will, he leaves his entire estate to the purported son, Graham. Isobel is enraged and turns to her father for aid.

Her father turns to Bishop Beaufort, the uncle of King Henry, to have the property given back to Isobel. Bishop Beaufort gives her three choices: marry Graham, marry someone your father picked out (and didn’t he do a good job the first time), or go to Caen and marry someone politically advantageous to the Crown. Isobel chooses to go to the court of Henry and await a marriage to be arranged with a Norman lord.

Once at the court Isobel is reminded that she is to dutifully serve her King, particularly when her father did not. She is instructed to determine whether her new spouse will be loyal to the Crown or is fomenting some insurgency. Sir Stephen Carleton is appointed to be an assistant to the bailli of Caen. Stephen chafes at this because he is a knight.

When Isobel and Stephen first see each other, they are quite taken with one another, but they both know their duty. Further, when Isobel is introduced to her future mate, she is delighted. Philippe de Roche is wealthy, extremely handsome, attentive without being overbearing.

This is not a triangle though for Isobel’s heart is never engaged by Phillipe and he is often gone from Caen while Stephen is there. I liked that the story took place over a period of time. Isobel arrives in Caen in November 1417 and the story culminates in April 1418.

The best and worst part of the story was Stephen’s character arc. Stephen arrives in Caen believing he can never love a woman because the one woman he wants has already been taken. It’s his sister in law, apparently the heroine in the first book. Stephen was a young boy but he seems to believe that he won’t grow out of his “love” for Catherine. While I appreciated that he did, there wasn’t any internal recognition that his feelings for Catherine were simply infatuation. At one point, Isobel watches Stephen with Catherine and even Isobel sees his heart in his eyes, even after Stephen was supposedly in love with Isobel.   I really needed to see this issue dealt with but it never was. We are simply to assume that his feelings for Isobel overrode those longings for Catherine. "For the right woman," he said, meeting his nephew’s eyes, "I would give up all the others without regret."

As for Isobel, I felt like this was a case of making lemonade out of lemons.   A woman of that time period was chattel, to be used to gain money for the father or alliances with the king.   In trying to provide her a measure of independence, you gave her the ability to be a sword fighter and yes, this played a small role in the story, overall I found Isobel to be terribly bland.   The sword fighting thing felt so contrived and not well integrated into Isobel’s overall storyline.

The interaction between Stephen and his nephew were well done and the Isobel’s struggle as a woman, her futility for independence, was also well portrayed. There were definitely high points and I would read your work again. C

Best regards,

Jane

This book can be purchased at Amazon or in ebook format from Sony or other etailers.

Related posts:

1. REVIEW: The Viscount’s Kiss by Margaret Moore
2. REVIEW: Pleasure for Pleasure by Eloisa James
3. REVIEW: Beyond the Dark by Angela Knight, Emma Holly, Lora Leigh, Diane Whiteside

I’ve enjoyed several of your other books for Harlequin Historicals and was delighted when you contacted me offering a copy of your latest in the “Wessex Weddings” series for possible review. (Note: FTC discloser out of the way!) And the heroine is a Fallen Woman too. Even better. At first I didn’t realize that the hero is the same man used as a decoy in “An Honorable Rogue,” but once I recalled this, it upped the incentive to read the book.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Four years ago, Lady Emma of Fulford would never have thought she’d be sorry to lose her livelihood – washing dirty laundry in an icy cold river – that puts clothes on her back and a roof over her head. But then she also never thought she’d have an illegitimate child or not be living in her father’s noble household. A love affair gone bad has landed her where she is today and that somewhere is desperate to escape the abusive father of her child who has somehow tracked her down.

Her appeal for a job to the garrison commander of Winchester, Sir Richard of Asculf, initially gets her nowhere. They have a bit of a history since he’s a BFF of Emma’s brother in law, Adam, who was awarded her father’s lands. Richard takes a little pleasure in seeing her in such reduced circumstances since Emma apparently made life difficult for them after the Battle of Hastings fallout but he’s also honest enough to admit that she stirs his sexual interest. Not that he’s going to lay a hand on her as Adam would nail him for it.

But with Judhael making threats against her and terrified that he’ll discover the fact that they have a son, Emma is pushed to offer herself to Richard as a mistress with the hope that he’ll take her and her son with him when he returns to Normandy to settle an inheritance. Can these two find love as well as sexual feelings for each other during the journey?

I like a good medieval and am glad to see the subgenre making a bit of a comeback. But for me to be interested in it, I need more than the standard Norman knight (who’s usually a bastard) and willowy Saxon maiden snipping at each other in faux medieval dialogue. I mentioned before how much I appreciate the fact that you avoid this but let me say it again to emphasize how much this means to me. No “mayhaps!” No “tis, twases!” No irate Jayne!

I haven’t read the first book in the series “The Novice Bride,” but I gather that Emma is quite changed since then. Several mentions are made of how her viewpoints on various things have changed since her days as the daughter of a powerful Saxon thane. At this point, she’s taken refuge in an inn with several ‘ladies of the night’ and far from looking down her nose at them, she thinks of them as friends. She’s even tickled pink when they show up after her wedding to wish her well. She’s practical and not above doing what it takes to see to the safety and care of her child.

Richard is shown to be human. He’s a man who can appreciate Emma’s curves and who is also not adverse to enjoying, just a little bit, seeing her pay a bit for her past actions. But his honorable side quickly comes out on top and he goes to great lengths to help her and feels guilty when they succumb to passion. I figured some revelation was coming to explain his nightmares and at first rolled my eyes a little that a big Norman knight would be so anguished at what bothers him but then thought again about how any warrior might take a particular death hard and be haunted by it.

The book is also a bit of a road romance and I enjoyed reading about the journey conditions. Definitely not modern traveling with ‘en suite’ bath included and one can forget having any privacy. You handled some aspects of the story differently than I expected which in this case is a good thing. When a potential wife for Richard is mentioned, I had images of catfights and outraged foot stomping to dread but thankfully this didn’t come to pass. When Emma imagines she feels someone watching her during their trip, I thought of several scenarios involving showdowns between the men. Again, you took a different path.

Emma’s venture towards “please don’t go there” territory alarmed me somewhat. True, she is given one good reason but I would have preferred that she ask before she acted. And let’s be honest, Judhael displays more common sense about her choice of action than she did considering she also has the welfare of her child to consider.

“Runaway Lady, Conquering Lord” – and can’t we just tell this is a Harlequin title? – is a fairly fast read and is quite readable, which I consider to be two different things. It stays away from many of the subgenre’s conventions and features two likable lead characters. I think readers interested in medievals will welcome it to the list. B-

Jayne

This book can be purchased at Amazon or in ebook format from Sony or other etailers.

Related posts:

1. REVIEW: His Captive Lady by Carol Townend
2. REVIEW: An Honorable Rogue by Carol Townend
3. REVIEW: Texas Ranger, Runaway Heiress by Carol Finch

Via reader GrowlyCub is this article on CNN regarding the rise of ebook readers.   At least one author sees this as a positive because of the lower costs of digital publishing can lead to more diversity in publishing:

That raises the question: What will happen to printed books?

“E-books will gain, especially in the indie publishing market, making it far easier for a company or individual to sell a quirky, unique book for little money and see profits almost immediately,” said Jessup, the Pennsylvania author and e-book reader.

Smashwords is helping authors provide books to soldiers.   Through Operation eBook Drop, authors can email soldiers 100% off coupons that the soldiers can use to download free ebooks.

we’ll encourage Smashwords authors to email Ed to opt-in to participate. On a regular basis, as Ed receives requests from deployed soldiers, he’ll pass these requests on to the authors, who will directly email the soldiers hyperlinks to their book pages at Smashwords, along with Smashwords coupons which the troops can redeem to download the book in multiple formats, readable on any e-reading device.

BCM Sydney won the ad account for Mills & Boon. In the article it noted that it would be aiming for a younger audience.   One in five books sold in Australia is a Mills & Boon. Not just a romance, but a Mills & Boon romance.   Incredible.

Leah Hultenschmidt posts previews of the upcoming Dorchester books.   I liked L.J. McDonald’s Battle Sylph cover. It would make me pick up the cover in a bookstore. It’s kind of like the Angel of Death from the Raiders of the Arc is shooting from his eyes though.   (Don’t look directly into the sun!)

There is a new webzine available to Medieval lovers.   Called the Medieval Chronicle and located at   www.TheMedievalChronicle.com

, the e-newsletter aims to entertain and inform readers about the Medieval time period.

There are also articles written by modern day troubadours, architects and builders, artisans, etc who love the medieval period as much as we do. Each issue introduces you to a personage of royal birth in Keeper of the Realm. Bits of trivia will entice you In Days of Yore. Discover how they kept time in The Medieval Year and Canonical Hours. Learn about the role of a lady in waiting in A Day in the Life.

The Miedeval Chronicle will cover the following time periods:

• Early Middle Ages – 476 AD to 1000 AD (encompasses the Dark Ages)
• High Middle Ages – 1000 AD to 1300 AD
• Late Middle Ages – 1300 AD to 1520 AD
• Tudor Period – 1485 AD to 1603 AD
• Elizabeth Age – 1558 AD to 1603 AD

Elizabeth Chadwick writes about the relationship between a knight and his war horse. Tanya Anne Crosby tells of the importance in placing the right castle in the right time period and location when writing your book. Ashland Price takes us into the world of Halloween which was first known as the Vigil of Samhain. A new writer, Lauri Rawlins-Betta, will begin a series on religion and how it dictated the waking and sleeping hours of the medieval person’s life. Know when the organ was first played? You will after reading composer Michael Eglin’s article. And this is only the beginning.

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What are your favorite authors and titles in the medieval time period.

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Your book came to my attention due to mentions by author Courtney Milan on Twitter. As Ms. Milan had recommended a previous book to me that I enjoyed quite a bit, I thought I would give your story a try. It helped, too, that SuperLibrarian blogged favorably about the book as well. And finally, even though you sent me an arc, I actually bought the book for $2.38 at BooksonBoard (PDF ARCs don’t always translate well to the reader thus my eventual purchase of "keeper" books) and it was $2.38. I felt like it was a crime not to purchase the story.

The Conqueror is a medieval set in England in 1152.   Guinevere de l’Ami is the Countess of Everoot, a wealthy manse in the North.   Her father passed away two weeks prior and Gwyn is attempting to avoid being married off to her neighbor, Marcus fitzMiles.   She seeks the protection of King Stephen but Stephen is distracted by the rumors of war led by Henry II.   Gwyn finds herself alone on a highway having tried to escape Marcus and a dark knight rides to her rescue.   Griffyn ‘Pagan’ Sauvage has been wending his way through England, turning barons and landowners and knights to the cause of Henry II.   His fealty isn’t just to Henry. Griffyn’s real purpose is to reacquire his home, Everoot.   

Gwyn and Griffyn’s fathers fought in the Crusades.   After the two fathers returned, their lives and their families’ lives began to unravel.   Gwyn’s brother died and then her mother, and her father couldn’t stop hating her for it.   Griffyn’s father became encorseled by the treasure purportedly brought back from the Crusades, ravaging the countryside in search of more treasure.   In some strange doings, Gwyn’s father stole Everoot from Griffyn’s father, displacing Griffyn from his home and leaving behind a burning for vengeance.   

Gwyn and Griffyn’s identities are hidden from each other initially.   Griffyn is in the country secretly and Gwyn has some sense of preservation that keeps her from revealing that she is but a mere maid of no importance.   

Gwyn’s goal is to hold Everoot for for the de l’Ami line and for King Stephen.   Gwyn takes her oaths of fealty seriously even in the face of her growing love for Griffyn. The reason for Gwyn’s need to hold her oaths become more clear as the story unwinds.   Gwyn believes herself in need of redemption and to break her oaths, particularly those to King Stephen, despite his lack of care for her, is part of that redemptive path.   

Henry is history’s winner and it’s clear that Griffyn’s goals of reclamation and vengeance are  aided by King Stephen’s ineffectual defense of his crown.   When Everoot falls back into Griffyn’s hands, he must deal with what he perceives to be betrayal by Gwyn and the internal struggle to become equally and grotesquely entranced by the Treasure.   But Gwyn becomes immeasurably important to him:

Griffyn spoke from where he sat in the dark corner of the room, but he felt light, buoyant, snared. The image of this woman walking on a deserted battlement, dark hair flying, as lightning streaked across the sky, was simply too beguiling. She had passed her breath over the room and it was transformed. He didn’t know it was dark, he didn’t know he was captured. He only knew her.

I really appreciated that Gwyn was the oath holder and wanted a little more respect by the other characters, particularly the men who were oathbreakers, for her position. Wendy mentioned in her review that she felt like readers might get annoyed with Gwyn hewing to her oaths.    I wanted you to give us more reasons, more acknowledgment why that was quite honorable when, as Wendy noted, honor and duty and oaths meant everything. Truly, Griffyn’s response to her when she questions him about the importance of the oath, is offputting “I would have done what I wanted.”

Gwyn’s predilection for getting herself into danger could be read as humorous or irritating. (I found it humorous).   A core part of the story I found a little tiresome.    It would have been nice to have a medieval Crusade linked story that had no reference to mystical treasure.   I found this to be the weakest part of this fresh medieval.

Further, when Griffyn retook Everoot, I wanted to see Gwyn show more spine in defense of her physical attraction.   While she was strong in some aspects (holding her oaths), she was remarkably weak willed in others.   I would have liked to have seen her make it slightly more difficult; show something more than irritation particularly when everyone in the keep was abandoning allegiance to her for Griffyn (although the reverse has always been the case in Garwood medievals so perhaps I am being unfair here); particularly when Griffyn seemed dismissive of her fealty.

There are few medievals on the market today and this one does contain the pageantry and historical affect of good medievals.   Gwyn and Griffyn are very likeable characters and you truly root for them to be together.   And at $2.38, it’s worth every penny.   (Even at the paperback price of $3.99, it would be worth it).   B-

Best regards

Jane

This book can be purchased in mass market from an independent bookstore or ebook format from the Sony Store and other etailers.

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Dear Ms. Franklin,

Those who have fallen under the spell of Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar, the "Mistress of the Art of Death," will get all excited over book three of this historical mystery series. I know I squeed with glee when my copy arrived. God bless the US Postal Service and your publisher for making sure it arrived safely. As a fan girl of long standing, it was both a treat and a temptation. Something to be anticipated and savored. It did not disappoint.

Adelia and her forensic skills, gained at the University of Salerno, the only place where lowly women are educated suchly, have been called upon for a third time by the king. After a battle to put down a Welsh rebellion, Henry learns of a vision. A bard, who won’t stop singing, tells, after a degree of – shall we say – persuasion, of a sight witnessed by his uncle a monk, of a burial in Glastonbury Abbey twenty years ago. At Henry’s orders, the current monks dig deep and discover a coffin in which are the bones of two people, one very tall and one very short. What Henry wants from Adelia is proof that these are the bones of Arthur and Guinevere.

Why is the King of England so determined to obtain this proof? So that he can exhibit the skeletons and prove to these damn Welsh, and any other damn uppity Celts, that no legendary dead King is going to rise from the grave and lead them to victory, that’s why. And if he can have fun throwing Adelia and Rowley Picot, bishop of St. Albans, into close proximity while the proof is obtained, so much the better. Henry does have an evil sense of humor.

So once again you have Henry demand an almost impossible outcome from Adelia. And, as you and history have shown us, Henry isn’t a man to be crossed or pissed off lightly. Adelia makes sure he realizes that his proof will be impossible to obtain then, in her single minded way, heads off to see if she can do it anyway. As Henry says, “you can detect a puzzle like a hound sniffing the scent of a boar – and solve it. I’ve seen you do it. You’re a tracker.”

As with the first two books in the series, Adelia’s skills and knowledge have to be camouflaged from those who would kill her or brand her a witch for breaking church law. She will suffer because of her love for a man she rejected in order to save her independence, all while watching him suffer for wanting her, suffer when she’s in danger and have to put on a public show that he, a bishop, isn’t in love with her nor that he fathered their child.

The law and the Church, two of the things for which Henry II is remembered, play vital roles as the story unfolds. But in this book, I think the law truly shines in pride of place. Emma, poor Emma from “The Serpent’s Tale,” must employ it to secure her son’s inheritance. We see both a trial by combat, what Henry was attempting to replace, and a trial with assizes and writs, the new form of justice which would eventually revolutionize English law.

The old Anglo-Saxon practice of “frankpledging” brings more common men into the story as Adelia aids a group in proving that one of their own didn’t commit a crime in return for their assistance in discovering what happened to several of the characters. There are lepers and laymen, dowagers and clerks, soldiers and outlaws, sighthounds and even a pig.

Glytha tells it like it is, Mansur tells it to cover for Adelia, Rhys won’t stop singing and Allie shows signs of following in the footsteps of her investigating mother. Even if Allie’s main interest now is animals.

I wish that Adelia had been given more of a chance to display her knowledge of forensics beyond the sets of skeletons but will admit that the way she proved Eustace’s innocence was cool – if painful to think about. She seems to be shifting more towards being a CSI rather than a forensic pathologist. But I agree with Henry that once she’s onto something, she won’t let go it til she’s satisfied she has the answer. What is done with her answers might not be what she desires but Henry can count on her never to lie to him.

From the way this book ends, I’m cautiously optimistic that we haven’t read the last of Adelia yet. There’s a criminal still on the loose, a King who knows the value of his Mistress of the Art of Death and – better still – how to avoid paying her any cold, hard cash, plus a romantic relationship that still needs hashing out. I’m not satisfied that Adelia and Rowley have determined to best way to proceed but I’m eagerly waiting to find out what they do. B+

~Jayne

This book can be purchased in hardcover from Amazon or ebook format from the Sony Store and other etailers.

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I just finished reading your debut novel, Ransom My Heart. It’s a good novel but flawed, but what can you expect from your debut novel that you wrote while your heart was breaking over the loss of your boyfriend Michael when he went off to Japan to court the Asian honeys. I’ve read many of your journals in the past, although not all of them, but I did pick up the conclusion of your personal story which brought Michael back into your life.

The story of Ransom My Heart has a more loutish hero that I would have expected from a Mia story so ultimately I wasn’t quite sure whether your creator, Meg Cabot, was channeling you while writing (which explained some of the over the top quirks to the heroine) or whether it was just Meg Cabot’s voice and you were a marketing ploy. It could be both, I suppose.

Ransom My Heart is a medieval, designed to appeal to those readers who started with Meg Cabot and the Princess series back in 2002. (The promotional materials suggested that the readers "graduate" to the Ransom My Heart book). By now, those readers are fully of age, most have lost their virginity, and are ready for the full on smexxing that a regular romance novel provides. On the whole, though, the sex scenes are pretty tame, not totally closed door, but nothing terribly explicit.

Finnula is a miller’s daughter, one of six, whose sister found herself pregnant and spent all her dowry money on fripperies so she can’t get a quickie husband like she needs. Apparently, the thing for maidens to do is kidnap a young man and then ransom him back to his family. It sounds so incredible that it must be true. So Finnula sets out to kidnap a man for her sister. She spies a knight recently back from the crusades flashing his coin around in the next village over. Deciding that this knight is the perfect prey, Finnula manages to catch him unawares and capture him.

Hugo Fitzstephen, the new Earl, can’t really believe his good fortune. He’s just recently come back from the Crusades and is delighted to be on his own land where he bagged his first stag, the spring where he had learned to swim, the copse were he had laid with Fat Maude before he fled for the Crusades. Now he is being held captive by a gorgeous sprite of a girl. Hugo knows he can easily extricate himself but finds being captive quite entertaining. After all, the women that preceded Finnula wanted to be chatelaine of Stephensgate Manor but pretended they wanted him while Finnula just badly stated that all she wanted was some of his money.

This is one part a road romance and one part a who is trying to kill Hugo and place the blame on Finnula romance. It has a lighthearted tone and several laugh out loud moments (or at least points in which I giggled quite a bit). It’s flawed, though, as Finnula is portrayed as someone who is not only gorgeous, the best archer in the area, so good to others it makes your teeth ache, and she wants to wear in braes and not dresses, i.e., the stereotypical romance heroine who is just a bit too perfect.

Finnula’s perfectness, though, is offset by Hugo’s loutishness. While Hugo is good to his horse, he basically wants to eat, drink, and tup Finnula. He’s very rude to his squire, constantly humiliating him for no good reason. He’s not a sharp thinker, reaching for the sword before anything else. I didn’t get the sense that Hugo would have been a good leader given that his first inclination is always toward running someone through with his blade or placing people in chokeholds.   I kind of appreciated the imperfection of Hugo as a traditional romance hero.

I was taken aback by the physical descriptions.   Finnula apparently comes up to Hugo’s elbow and it took me several chapters to kind of wipe away that physical comparison.   In some ways, I felt that Finnula was pretty childish in both stature and in demeanor.   

Parts of the story are very farcical but I thought it was done intentionally so I kind of gave it a pass. The whodunit wasn’t really any mystery at all and the end, with the villain giving his goodbye speech seemed quite ridiculous. Again, whether that was intentional or just trite is up to the reader’s point of view. Overall, I’d give this effort a B-.   I’ll miss your personal journals since it appears with Volume X: Forever Princess that those are complete.   Please do continue writing historicals, though.   We need more medievals in the genre.

Best regards,

Jane

This book can be purchased on January 6, 2009, in trade paperback from Amazon or ebook format from the Sony Store and other retailers.

* Mia Thermopolis is the narrator of the Princess Diaries, a series penned by author Meg Cabot.

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As usual, I’m late to the party.   I meant to review your debut YA fantasy when it first came out but for various reasons, I fell behind.   That said, one reason it took me a bit longer than expected is because I had a difficult time getting into the book.   I’m ultimately glad I kept picking this book up again and again to give it another try but I’ll be honest.   That had more to do with the strength of the premise rather than the strength of the writing itself.

But before I go into that, let’s start at the beginning.   Graceling takes place in a pseudo-medieval fantasy world where certain people are gifted with extreme skills called Graces.   You can tell a person is Graced by their eyes — they don’t match colors.   Graces can take many forms.   For example, a person can be Graced with cooking and work as the palace chef, or with mathematical ability and work as the only female accountant in all the kingdoms, and so on and so on.

Our protagonist, Katsa, is Graced with killing.   Of all the possible Graces to have, this is probably the worst.   Graces like horse handling or gardening are harmless and even useful.   Killing, however is untrustworthy at best and dangerous at worst.   And for this reason, she’s forced to become her uncle, King Randa’s personal thug.   Is there a lord refusing to pay his taxes?   Send Katsa to break his arm.   Is there another lord refusing to give one of his daughters in marriage to a borderlord?   Send Katsa to torture him until one of the daughters break and agrees to marriage in order to save her father. As a result, people fear her and spread hateful stories about her that, unfortunately, are true.

Katsa hates her existence, what her uncle makes her do, and that it effectively reduces her to little more than an animal.   In retaliation, she formed the Council, a multi-country network that helps people in need.   In this way she’s able to make up for the wrongs she’s committed on her uncle’s orders.   During one such Council mission, Katsa rescues the elderly father of a neighboring king.   No one knows why he was kidnapped, but the Council intends to find out.   What they learn is worse than they could have ever imagined.

As I said, it’s the premise that drew me to this book.   A princess who’s preternaturally good at killing people?   Instead of wearing dresses, attending parties, and enjoying the attentions of courting suitors, she’s forced to become her uncle’s personal heavy?   Sounds exciting and fresh!   Which is was why I was surprised to find the first few chapters slow and hard to get into.   It wasn’t a matter of lack of action or plot. There was plenty of that.   I think it simply boiled down to a lack of tension and an odd blandness to Katsa.   I did warm up to Katsa as the book continued on but I was initially unimpressed despite her formidable abilities.

Part of that is my own fault.   With a premise like this, I did come in with preconceived notions. But I also think the only thing that makes Katsa interesting is her Grace.     Her personality itself is not very memorable.   She hates her uncle’s lackey, but why has she never thought of defying him before? She’s a near unstoppable killing machine. What in the world could he do to stop her if she tried? I know she’s young but given the world and set-up, I didn’t completely buy it that the sixteen-year-old Katsa would never think of walking away. There is an underlying thread dealing with her choosing between becoming the good person she wants to be or becoming the wild animal her uncle views her as, but it was overshadowed by this unexplained gap.

This doesn’t mean there aren’t things to like.   There are.   Katsa’s competence in survival and combat situations is refreshing.     Her interactions with Prince Po are delightful, although I thought the romantic plot had some pacing issues towards the middle of the book.   It just didn’t seem well-integrated with the rest of the plot and given what the two of them were pursuing at the time, I couldn’t help but find it out of place and mistimed.   Even so, I think the burgeoning romance between Katsa and Po, and its inherent conflict (no details here because I think knowing ahead of time detracts from the experience) is the strongest aspect of the book.   So strong in fact that I think it can mask some of the book’s weaker points.

And the biggest weak point for me was the antagonist.   I found his ability very creepy and insidious.   I think if it had been left at that, I would have loved him.   But it wasn’t left at that, and the traits tagged on to him reduced what could have been a brilliant antagonist into a cardboard villain.   What do I mean by “tagged?”   I mean, those identifying actions and traits characters are given to tag them as the hero or the villain.   Many readers here are familiar with villains who indulge in skanky sex.   It’s things like that.

In Graceling, the villain maims, tortures, and kills little animals.   Because as we all know, if you kill animals in a book, you are evil. And he doesn’t stop there. He maims, tortures, and kills children as well.   And perhaps “something more” if the child happens to be a girl. Now he’s Evil with a capital E. In fact, his motivation can be reduced to a single sentence. (Spoilers follow for those readers following on the feed.)

The villain had his father-in-law kidnapped to force his wife to stop protecting their daughter from his “attentions.”

Really?   That strikes me as a lot of trouble to go to, so much so that when I finished the book I flipped back to make sure I didn’t miss some crucial detail.  

I suppose, given the premise, I was expecting less black and white with regards to the presentation of the villain.   Compared to the conflict between Katsa and Po, it was very two-dimensional and disappointing.   There’s nothing necessarily wrong with extreme presentations of good and evil.   I think those kinds of stories have their place and their readers.   But when your protagonist is pretty grey herself, it’s a little disconcerting to realize the antagonist lacks that same nuance. I find calculating, cold villains more compelling than over-the-top evil and insane ones. Towards the end of the book, I actually felt that Graceling‘s antagonist had become a caricature and wasn’t frightening at all. Other readers may, and probably do, feel differently.

Aside from the Graces, the worldbuilding is nothing spectacular.   I’ve seen it countless times before in many a fantasy novel set in pseudo-medieval Europe.   It didn’t bother me here as much as it usually does, probably because of the presence of the Graces and what they mean for the general population, but readers looking for a more unique fantasy setting won’t find it here.   All things considered, after the glow from Katsa and Po’s relationship — which is truly a delight to read about — wore off, this ended up being a B- for me.

My regards,
Jia

This book can be purchased in mass market from Amazon or Powells or ebook format (Kindle only that I could find).

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First off, the cover on this book is a bit deceiving.   The setting of the book is a fantasy historical world set in a made up kingdom (I always think of this kind of setting as middle earth but have also considered it to be medieval but does medieval imply some political structure?).   There are two romances told within this story and the two serve as a sort of foil for one another.

The main protagonists are General Merin, a high ranking official for the Emperor Jahn, and  Belavalari Haythorne of the Turis.   Emporer Jahn has determined it is time for him to marry.   His advisors have compiled a list of six brides and one of them is Bela due to the fact that her family has recently come into a great source of wealth via mining.   Merin has a history with Bela and the Haythorne family and offers to go and fetch her.    The Turis are a fierce clan and is not likely to welcome a courier from the Emperor.   

When Merin arrives, he finds out that Bela had tricked him six years ago and married him via the Turis custom.   She also uses him to lose her virginity and has told her entire family a story that paints Merin very black indeed.   Merin demands a divorce and is told that in order to become divorced the two must live, work, and play together bound by a rope for 22 nights.   At the end of that time, the two can have their divorce.   Cut the rope and the two cannot try again for three years.   Merin must get his divorce and return Bela to the Emperor before the Summer Festival.   

The secondary storyline is Leyla, a witch whose power of suggestion can steal a person’s memories, and a young wheelsmith, Savyn.   Leyla was sold into marriage by her parents in exchange for power and wealth.   She outlasted her elderly husband and has become a wealthy, powerful woman in her own right.   Leyla and Savyn have been having an affair for several years but now that Leyla has been ordered to present herself to the Emperor, she feels that she   must cut Savyn loose.   She cannot live with him for she fears that people will mock him for being with such an old woman, for being with her only because of her wealth.   Savyn wants only to be with Leyla but before she goes, she commands him to forget her.

Bela is a very immature heroine and very spoiled.   She pouts, sulks, and acts without thinking.   But it appears that she is written intentionally in this manner and her character is consistent throughout.   This is not to say that she doesn’t grow but that she is fairly artless in her responses.   There is no question that her actions toward Merin initially and six years previous were hugely immature and it doesn’t appear she grew significantly.   It’s also possible that Bela’s immaturity will prevent some from enjoying the book.   

Interestingly, Leyla, the secondary protagonist, puts forth a very different mein.   She is thoughtful, almost martyr like.   She has had a difficult life and recognizes that you can’t really have everything.   Bela and Leyla are a study in opposites, both hovering on ends of the spectrum, and their character arcs bring their attitudes toward life closer together.   It’s this contrast that made the story interesting.   17 chapters of Bela or Leyla would have likely driven me batty.

There was also an interesting discussion of predestiny and whether you accept it or fight against it. I wished that had been woven into the fabric of more of the story instead of left to the end.   There are also plenty of details that are given throughout the story but particularly at the beginning that have no relevance to the story such as how Merin likes homes decorated or whether he will be Minister of Defense someday.   There was some indication early on that there might be political machinations that would drive the plot but to my disappointment, there was little to none of that.   Further, as a fantasy, there wasn’t a great deal of detail given to describe the world in which the characters inhabit.   There are customs and places described but isolated and not part of a bigger picture.   It was nice, though, to read a fantasy that didn’t involve vampires, werewolves, or demons.   C+

Best regards,

Jane

This book can be purchased in mass market from Amazon or Powells or ebook format (Strangely I can only find it in Sony format).

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I love finding new authors but will admit to a dread of reading sophomore efforts. What if the first book I read is a fluke? What if it’s the only one by an author I’ll ever like? What if I anticipate a second story as good as the first and all I get is dross? Reading a first novel is easy. It’s the follow up that sometimes bites me in the ass. I’m happy to say that after finishing “What a Scoundrel Wants,” (and oh, this title) my ass is just fine, thanks.

How many books/poems/ballads have been written about Robin Hood, Maid Marian and Will Scarlet? Tons but there’s always room for another good one. And especially one that manages to approach these characters in a different way and with a new eye. Here we have Will on his own, estranged from Marian and with Robin away in France for three years fighting with King Richard. There’s a family connection between Will and Robin that hasn’t sat easily on either one and though I was initially loathe to see Will acting as he does, his need to distance himself from Robin, to be his own man and “make it on his own terms” makes sense with the background you’ve given him.

Fortunately for Will and Meg, his innate decency rises to meet the lessons drummed into his head by Robin and he turns away from the path he was headed down when a confrontation goes wrong. Though by the time he ends up rescuing Meg from the soldiers, he probably wishes he was in reality the scoundrel of the title. As he tells her, Meg makes it very difficult for anyone to care for her even if she’s not mad at him to begin with. And Meg is very mad.

She’s on a rescue mission to save her sister and this lout who’s dragging her through the woods is the very one who delivered Ada to the Sheriff of Nottingham. At this point I’m wondering if the King made all applicants for that position fill out a resume or prove their evil bona fides a la the scene in “Blazing Saddles.” This current Sheriff is a fine addition to the oeuvre as well as being one damn, softly spoken embodiment of terror. It’s not the ones who foam at the mouth I worry about so much as the ones who smile as they play with their victims.

When Meg and Will aren’t hissing at and fighting each other, they’re glaring and preparing for their next encounter. But instead of my eyes glazing from boredom as I watch two characters with less sense than two bars of soap stomp their feet like children in a sandbox just to pad the page count, I enjoyed watching two evenly matched people work out their individual issues while falling in love, saving the day and vanquishing the bad guys.

And they do have issues. Will has to learn to finally stand on his own and be the kind of man he’s admired in Robin. He also has to learn what true love is and, more importantly, isn’t. That you can’t marry someone for the wrong reasons and hope it’ll all work out. Especially when that person is Meg. Meg has enough of her own troubles including a slime ex-lover and a sister who needs to grow up herself. She’s been betrayed by those closest to her and is looked on with suspicion by almost everyone else. I can understand her retreats into herself and the walls she raises against the world. What I like is that these two come to know not only each other, but also themselves by the time the story is done. You don’t let them off easily but they’re so stubborn that nothing short of what you put them through could make me believe in a HEA in so short a time given their backgrounds.

That being said, I was beginning to get a little weary of yet one more obstacle for Meg and Will to surmount. Ambushes, outlaws, evil Sheriffs and their evil henchmen, witch hunts, escapes through some pretty awful places, house burnings, family quarrels, castle storming and enough injuries to fill a large city emergency room – the list just seemed endless. But I do appreciate that you appear to have grounded the pertinent details of the plot in historical fact, even if I felt compelled to google a few things.

The story is also a good mix of emotion and adventure. Those looking for daring do will find it as will people who want some raw, searing encounters between two people fighting to find love. I wouldn’t have been happy without either and I think you balanced the two very nicely. Right now, I’m not sure I can believe that Ada is redeemable as it appears your next book will attempt to do but if you can make me believe that two such prickly people as Will and Meg can work out their problems and find love, then just maybe. B+

~Jayne

This book can be purchased in mass market from Amazon or Powells or ebook format.

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***

If you like Jacqueline Carey -

Jacqueline Carey writes the Kushiel’s Legacy epic fantasy series (six books: Kushiel’s Dart, Kushiel’s Chosen, Kushiel’s Avatar , Kushiel’s Justice , Kushiel’s Scion , Kushiel’s Mercy), which may appeal to fans of historical romance and fantasy romance. To see why, please read on and rest assured that I don’t include any plot-spoilers.

Setting (era): Medieval.

Setting (geographic): Action takes place in Terre d’Ange (Land of the Angels), loosely based upon medieval France. The epic plotlines range across recognizable equivalents to medieval Britain and the Mediterranean area.

Heroine type: Subtle and sophisticated
Subtle, sophisticated, and serious. The heroine of the first three Kushiel books (Kushiel’s Dart, Kushiel’s Chosen, and Kushiel’s Avatar) is Phaedre, abandoned as a child to be raised in a brothel. In Terre D’Ange, however, sex is considered sacred and prostitutes are held in the same esteem as priestesses. Phaedre narrates the first three books from the perspective of a much sought-after courtesan who is also an elite spy. This is nowhere near as frivolously adventurous as it sounds. Phaedre is a very grave person, driven by loss and duty to queen and country.

The heroine of the next three books (Kushiel’s Scion, Kushiel’s Justice, Kushiel’s Mercy) is Sidonie, seen through the first-person narration of Imriel, Phaedre’s foster-son. Sidonie is the Crown Princess of Terre D’Ange. She struggles to repress her inappropriate attraction to Imriel and focus on her duty as the daughter of the queen.

Hero type: Strong and intense
The hero in the first three Kushiel books is Joscelin, a warrior-priest viewed through the first-person narration of Phaedre. Being rather young and inexperienced, he comes across believably rigid and intolerant. Assigned to protect Phaedre, he expresses his on-going disdain for her exploits as a courtesan. (Apparently, his particular priesthood holds a view towards prostitution that is atypical of that of most D’Angelines.) Later, he believes her to be a traitor. Eventually, he comes around.

The hero in the next three Kushiel books is Imriel, the foster son of Phaedre. Imriel is third-in-line for the throne. He’s probably the most complicated character in the six books: a handsome and hot-blooded type haunted by the memories of the slavery he endured as a child. His parents are remembered as the worst traitors in the history of the realm. Not only does he have their infamy to live down, he also has to struggle with an inherited tendency towards sexual sadism.

Plot: (action-oriented / character-driven): Both
Primarily, these are character-driven plots. The main characters make decisions based upon their fears and desires. This is turn results in real-world consequences such as intrigue or revenge which provides the action-oriented aspects of the plot.

Plot (slow/fast): Slow
Due to ornate writing, many side-plots, and a huge cast of characters.

Writing style (simple v. ornate): Ornate
From the first page of Kushiel’s Dart:

“It is not, of course, that I lacked beauty, even as a babe. I am a D’Angeline, after all, and ever since Blessed Elua set foot on the soil of our fair nation and called it home, the world has known what it means to be D’Angeline. My soft features echoed my mother’s, carved in miniature perfection. My skin, too fair for the canon of Jasmine House, was nonetheless a perfectly acceptable shade of ivory. My hair, which grew to curl in charming profusion, was the color of sable-in-shadows, reckoned a coup in some of the Houses. My limbs were straight and supple, my bones a marvel of delicate strength. No, the problem was elsewhere. To be sure, it was my eyes; and not even the pair of them, but merely the one. Such a small thing on which to hinge such a fate. Nothing more than a mote, a fleck, a mere speck of color – My eyes, when they settled, were that color the poets call bistre, a deep and lustrous darkness, like a forest pool under the shade of ancient oaks.”

Dialogue (lots v. little): Medium
A medium amount flavored with the occasional Elizabethanism (e.g., “Mayhap”).

Humor (Yes/No-serious/some): No-serious
Some subtle glints of irony and wry observation.

Emotional Angst (high/medium/low): High
Lots of emotional angst. See “Conflict” below.

Conflict (externally driven/internally driven/both): Internal
The internal conflict centers upon the sacrifices one must make for duty, and the hardships involved in growing beyond the legacy left by one’s parents.

Heat level: (kisses/warm/hot/scorching): Hot
Other than the graceful writing, the treatment of sex is what makes these books so remarkable. In romance fiction, sex is par for the course. But in fantasy fiction, sex never used to occur and especially not in detailed descriptions.

In Terre D’Ange, the guiding principle is “love as thou wilt.” Sex of any type is sacred and there are houses of pleasure devoted to gay, straight, and lesbian love; and to sadists and masochists. Our heroine Phaedre is an anguisette, which is a rare type of masochist who thrives upon pain and heals quickly. In the later books, our hero Imriel has sadistic tendencies. Since both tell their stories in first-person, and there are a lot of sexual encounters, you can probably guess how explicit the narrative can get. The courtly and formal writing style does tend to keep the reader at a comfortable distance, and this is why I rated the Heat Level “Hot” rather than “Scorching.”

Other variables to consider:
The books are written in first-person viewpoint, past-tense. The focus tends to be upon medieval action such as battles and court intrigue with very little emphasis upon magic.

If you like Jacqueline Carey, you’ll like -
Fantasy books that come to mind include George R. R. Martin’s series, A Song of Ice and Fire. The first book is A Game of Thrones These books, set in a made-up medieval kingdom, combine intrigue, gritty realism, and the cast of thousands found in many historical novels.

Also, there are the various Robin Hobb books such as the Farseer series and the Liveship Traders series. Her books are populated with vivid characters and much intrigue. Historical romance fans may enjoy the nautical details in the Liveship Trader books.

Readers, feel free to suggest any romance titles.

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Oh why don’t you write medievals anymore? Is the market not there? Are the only periods that will sell Georgians and Regencies? Not that I don’t like the books you set in those eras but your medievals were so good. I’ll pause a moment to blink back a tear. Sniff. Okay that’s finished.

Yet another “what does this title have to do with the book?” book. Unless
it’s referring to Renald’s black Damascus steel sword. But he’s never called this
in the book so…well, anyway on to the book. Since this is such a close sequel to “Dark Champion” I’m doing it next.

I won’t recap the plot as there is a wonderful DIK review at AAR that actually inspired me to read the book. LOM isn’t a DIK book for me but it was interesting and I’m sorry that when I finished it, I knew I’d read your last medieval. The hero is the friend in “Dark Champion” but I like that I didn’t need to read that one first. In fact, readers might like LOM better if they don’t
read DC first as we see a totally different side of Renald’s character in his own book. I was somewhat disappointed in that but friends had mentioned it so I was expecting it and I had waited a year and a half to read LOM so the change wasn’t as jarring.

Once again you do a good job setting the stage in the medieval world and
the religion and politics of the times aren’t just wallpaper but woven into the plot. The dirt and filth of the age are slightly toned down but I still get a strong feeling for the period. For how little power women had, how powerful the king was, how you’d really want a strong man to guard you and yours and how openly bawdy the time was.

One of the best characters for me was Claire’s grandmother who had been a young Saxon woman at the time of the Norman invasion and who had faced a fate similar to Claire’s. I would love to read her story or at least a novella about her and how she and her Norman husband worked out their marriage. She’s down to earth and extremely blunt when urging Claire to marry Renald. “It’s you who’s got what men like. Curves and big titties. Your hair’s
gold…, your skin good, but it’s the curves and titties that count. You can use those to rule a man.” There were a few nice scenes which showed how the women passed on the knowledge of how to control men and get their way in life.

Now for Claire and Renald. Claire has a few feisty moments but she doesn’t ever get herself into stupid situations so that Renald can save her. She struggles as well as she can to get what she wants but she “acts period.” You do a good job showing her changing feelings toward Renald and how Claire does come to understand why he did what he did and accept it.

My main problems are with Renald. We see very little of his POV. At first it worked, as Claire needed to find out his true feelings and thoughts but I felt after a while, we really needed to see more of what was going on in his head. We are told halfway through the book that he’s madly in love with her but I didn’t see it happen. There is really no hint that he feels anything but healthy lust and determination to do his duty by marrying one of the Somerbourne women. After we know he’s in love, he shows it a lot but I needed to see it happening. And there is the fact that he’s very different as a hero than as a hero’s friend.

There’s a bit of a mystery in the middle part of the book that is resolved at the end. However, I felt that it was kind of useless and could really have been taken out of the story with no loss to the plot. Plus, it slows down the action. At the end of the story, we get to see some of the hero and heroine from “Dark Champion” but it’s mainly to show how smugly happy they are. No loss if they hadn’t been included.

Winding up, there was a lot I liked about Lord of Midnight but parts that didn’t work so well for me. Overall, I’d give it a qualified B. It’s not as good as some of your other medievals but it is well worth the effort to track down.

~Jayne

This book can be purchased in mass market from Amazon or Powells. No ebook format.

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When I read the description for your newest book, “His Captive Lady,” all I truly noticed is that it’s a medieval and set in the fens of East Anglia. It’s not until I began reading it that it dawned on me that it’s also a Saxon vs Norman story featuring a Saxon maiden and a Norman warrior. It was with a sigh of relief that I realized it was different from the other 1001 books with this combination of lead characters. For one thing, Erica is an outlaw on the run and despite the fact that Wulf is, yes, a bastard, he’s also half Saxon and more willing to use his head and negotiating skills to bring peace than just randomly hack at things with a sword.

Sweet baby Jesus but Erica was determined to end the generations old blood feud! That might be taking things just a little too far for modern sensibilities. I’m firmly with Wulf on that one. But, having said that, I’ve got to admire her courage for being willing to go just that far. As Guthlac says, she’s a true peace weaver.

As the book progressed, I began to notice that Erica isn’t that great a leader. In fact, it seems that everything she tries – to end the feud, to raise money, to get back to her housecarls, to escape from Wulf – goes terribly wrong. By the point when Wulf yells at her that she’s a fool, I had already reached that same conclusion. She’s certainly willing to try her best but I think that secretly her people will breath a sigh of relief that Wulf’s the one in charge now.

I do like how you bring religion into the book. Claiming sanctuary, the risk to one’s immortal soul for violating it, and the marriage ceremony were all central to the book. I found it interesting that Guthlac, the rebel POS, wouldn’t haul Erica out of the chapel but Wulf would. Would this perceived risk to his soul impact his marriage to Erica or not since they married under Saxon law? And why did Wulf initially make such a big deal about the fact that de Warene wouldn’t give his consent to the marriage if in the end, it didn’t matter so much anyway? Would people of this era have used the word “hell” as a swear word as we do? I’m just curious.

This is the way I like to see past groups/sets of characters revisited. We get to see Rose and Ben are happy in their lifestyle, still doing the things they love – music and sewing – but you don’t have to haul them into the main action of the story. What they do is important to the action of this book and not just an excuse to see them again. Thank you.

The setting and the weather of this book reminded me so much of Ariana Franklin’s “Mistress of the Art of Death” series. I’d love to see the fens. Or have they all been drained now? The whole idea of traveling mainly by boat or skates as an everyday occurrence is fascinating. And then the frozen, bone chilling cold felt immediate – something which is nice with the current heat and humidity of a Southern summer beating me down every time I go outside!

I like how you make the distinction between Saxons and Normans evident by the description of their dress and hairstyles. Erica’s costly silk veils, wonderfully dyed dresses and beautiful arm bands, bracelets and rings show her high status among the cultured Saxons. Wulf’s desire to cut his hair and shave reveal his Norman leanings. I thought it was a nice touch for Erica to be able to determine Wulf’s feelings for his long dead Saxon braider mother from how he treasured what she had made for him.

So, despite the fact that the plot for the book has been told any number of times, you do add enough twists to the cannon to make the story different. I liked that in the end, Erica makes the decision to “cut her losses” and stop resisting the inevitable Norman rule instead of having it forced down her throat. I just wish that you’d picked another name for the hero besides one that so strongly reminds me of Wulfgar. B-

~Jayne

This book can be purchased in mass market from Amazon or Powells or ebook format.

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Your name was on my list of authors to try so when I spotted your latest release and realized it was about weavers in Flanders during the middle ages, I decided to try it. Hey, no knights, different setting, middle class, little used historical incident – I’m there. True it has a bastard hero but at least he’s not hooking up with a Saxon maiden after Hastings.

I like that you sprinkle information about women, weaving and the battle brewing between Edward III and Philip of France throughout the novel. No massive info dumps that bring the action to a dead halt is always a plus. I felt I got a good idea about the daily life of an unmarried woman in 1337 Ghent – very restricted – and how this contrasts with the greater freedoms that Katrine has as an agent for her absent father.

Weaving is her life. She takes great pride in it and how good she is at it. She’s managed their shop since her father was interned during his trip to England to try and obtain the English wool that is their lifeblood. This helps me to understand the lengths to which she’s willing to go to get wool from any source she can find and how quickly she agrees to Renard’s proposals.

Renard lives up to his name and all medieval people knew the legend of the wily fox who promises everything but who rarely delivers. Renard knows he’s got Katrine backed into a corner. She’s desperate for the wool needed to keep her weavers busy and willing to allow him into her shop. It’s a perfect place for him to lay low as he scouts the local feelings about the wool embargo imposed by his cousin King Edward III and whether or not this will lead the Flemish merchant class to force their Count to side with England rather than France.

Renard sense Katrine is hiding secrets from him but still feels he can control her. What he’s having trouble with is controlling himself. But as a bastard who’s lived on the outside, subject to the whims of others, knowing he has no land or home to offer anyone, he’s determined to obtain the promised Bishopric dangled in front of him by his cousin. Once he has that, he’ll answer to no man. I like that he’s determined never to father an illegitimate child. He knows the stigma of being a princesses’ love child and won’t do that to any innocent baby.

You did a good job explaining the politics of the plot and showing the wretchedness of a city caught in the cross hairs of two rulers thinking only of their own desires for land and power. What do they care about the people who starve? Even though this is the land of his beloved Queen, Edward is more than willing to cut them off at the knees to defeat France.

I like that Katrine is shown as a smart, capable woman but also one well aware of how her red hair is seen by others – as the sign of the devil and loose women. Religion was so much a part of daily medieval life and you nicely incorporate it so matter of factly into the thoughts, actions and feelings of the characters. Lust and desire aren’t just feelings but also signs of the fall of man and original sin – for which women are held responsible. I enjoyed Katrine’s theological debates with herself and her ultimate answer to Eve’s actions.

What didn’t work so well for me were the repeated misunderstandings between Katrine and Renard. And by repeated I mean the same misunderstandings are reheated and served to us time and time again. Plus Renard’s anger that Katrine withheld the truth pissed me off. He lied to her from the beginning, knew she was not being completely honest with him, has this pointed out by others and yet he’s still in a snit about it. The one note villain who conveniently tells the truth just when it’s needed to save the day was a disappointment as well.

I liked a lot of things in the book and as usual am delighted whenever an author utilizes a different setting. Middle class characters are a boon – we can’t all be lords and ladies. I just wish the conflicts hadn’t been rehashed and the villain’s motivation obvious from his first appearance. B-

Jayne

This book can be purchased in mass market from Amazon or Powells or ebook format.

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Since it seems you’ve settled down into writing just Georgians and Regencies, I’m afraid new romance readers won’t be aware of the wonderful medievals you used to write. With that in mind, I’m going to try and dust off a few golden oldies, flog my gray cells to remember details and maybe entice some new readers in their direction.

Imogen of Carrisford is a pampered miss who has just been hurled into the real world. An orphan since her father’s mysterious death from a festering arrow wound, she knows she’s one of the richest prizes in England. After all, she’s had eligible men lined up courting her for months but when one storms the castle, she’s forced to flee for her honor and maybe her life. With no one to help her but a loyal servant, she heads towards the nearest man who might be willing to help her, FitzRoger of Cleeves. Bastard FitzRoger.

Imogen’s rude awakening continues as FitzRoger agrees to help her but after retaking the castle, appears to take over no matter how nicely things are phrased. Realizing that she’ll soon be married off and knowing that it’s for the good of her land and people, Imogen is determined to have a say in the man she marries. After long and careful analysis, and swallowing a great deal of gall at the thought, she decides that no man would be a better or stronger lord for the lands. As to how he would be as a husband, well, he’s no worse than any other out there she might have been handed to like a prize sow at a county fair.

With his friend King Henry’s blessing, the marriage takes place but only after FitzRoger has agreed to her terms that she remain as administrator of Carrisford. But some of her thwarted suitors aren’t content to let the Flower of the West slip though their greedy hands and decide to make attempts to regain not only Imogen but also the treasure that goes with her. When faced with death and dishonor, Imogen truly grows u and together with the man she’s come to love, fights to save her world and marriage.

Your grasp on medieval times and mores is fantastic and you set me down in Gloustershire during the reign of Henry I. Life is hard, woman are not really considered capable of much beyond bearing sons and the church could make one’s life hell. Imogen starts out as a sheltered 17 year old (fair warning for those who don’t like very young heroines) who has to grow up in a hurry. FitzRoger remains more of a mystery both to us and to Imogen. Both she and I get to slowly learn of his fairness, loyalty, honor, and eventually, his tenderness. Imogen might exasperate him at times but he also comes to admire her courage and resourcefulness. There is an incident at the end of the book that is fully in keeping with the thoughts of the day towards liege lords and women that might disturb some modern readers but I felt you were being true to the times.

One of the book’s weaknesses is the paucity of the hero’s POV but I do finally learn something of what makes FitzRoger tick. All in all, I was very pleased with this one and give it an A-.

~Jayne

This book can be purchased in mass market from Amazon or Powells or ebook format.

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