Category: Middle Ages / Medieval (476-1454)

In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or Medieval Period lasted from the 5th to the 15th century. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and merged into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. The Middle Ages is the middle period of the three traditional divisions of Western history: classical antiquity, the medieval period, and the modern period. The medieval period is itself subdivided into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages.

The Warrior of Clan Kincaid

On By TracyIn Middle Ages / Medieval (476-1454), Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's Reviews3 Comments

The Warrior of Clan Kincaid (Highland Warrior, #3)The Warrior of Clan Kincaid by Lily Blackwood

Tracy’s rating: 4/4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Highland Warrior, #3

Release Date: July 31, 2018

Derryth MacClaren is sent away from Inverhaven by her sister Elspeth for her own protection, rumors suggest that the Earl of Buchan aka the Wolf has once more set his sites on Inverhaven, so she is being sent home until the threat has passed. But their plan is thwarted when a few hours into the journey, they are captured – by Cull the Nameless, a member of the King’s Guard.

Cull saves Derryth from being raped but he cannot let her or her kinsmen go, he takes her back to his tent to keep her safe and tells her she and her kinsmen will be set free once they have taken the castle. Cull is acting on orders from Buchan, the man who rescued him from slavers as a child and trained him as a warrior. He hasn’t seen the orders to take Inverhaven, but he trusts Buchan.

Derryth keeps her identity a secret and at first tries to escape Cull, but when that doesn’t work she torments him. When Cull arranges for her to see Fiona and Deargh, Deargh suggests that she could be useful by keeping her eyes and ears open for information that will help her family beat Buchan. She changes her tact with Cull and soon discovers he is not the beast she thought he was. As they grow closer and she learns of her, her secrets weigh on her – she cares for Cull and desires him, but giving into her desire would be a betrayal to her family.

Cull is falling for Derryth, when he learns part of her secret, he will have to decide if his loyalty to Buchan and the promise of his greatest desire is worth more than his love for her. But when he believes Derryth has betrayed and used him, he tries to forget her and focuses on taking Inverhaven and the promised reward that comes with his success. However, all is not as it seems and when Robert (Buchan’s son) questions the orders to take Inverhaven, Cull realizes he is being used and goes to see Buchan for answers. When he gets to Craven, he finds more than he ever imagined and the truths he has known his entire life will be turned upside down. Truths will be revealed, promises will be made, secrets will be shared, jealousy will be rampant and others will interfere to keep our lovers apart and help will come from an unexpected source.

Of the three books, this one is far and away my favorite, it is a well written, fast paced, steamy read with a lot of secrets, twists and turns, betrayal, shocking revelations, a little heartbreak and finally a very satisfying HEA. There are a couple of things that kept this from being a 5 star read for me, but none of them are major, a dropped storyline, a couple of scenes that did nothing to move the story along and an unbelievable love scene – nothing that ruined the story, but did distract me, but please note, the copy I read was an uncorrected edition, so issues I encountered, may well be corrected before publication. This is the third book in the series, but it can definitely be read as a standalone title. I am happy to recommend the book and hope Ms. Blackwood is planning a story for Robert, because that is a book I definitely would like to read!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*

Knight Furies by C.C. Wiley

On By TracyIn Middle Ages / Medieval (476-1454), Tracy's Reviews3 Comments

Knight Furies (Knights of the Swan, #4)Knight Furies by C.C. Wiley
Tracy’s rating: 2/2.5 of 5 stars

Series: Knights of the Swan, #4

Release Date: July 31, 2018

The blurb for this story intrigued me, I love wounded heroes, strong heroines and a dash of mystery in my romance, plus it is a medieval!! And while the story did indeed have a wounded hero, a strong heroine and a dash of mystery – it did not work for me.

Lady Margaret “Meg” of Fletcher’s Landing has been a busy girl, she along with her two sisters and young brother have been overseeing the holding since the death of her parents. After their death, the king bequeathed the holding to the evil Sir Vincent DePierce, so Meg has learned to keep her dealings secret, and to keep the holding financially stable, she has entered in to some “arrangements” and has run into a few problems. But what she doesn’t know is Sir Vincent is dead and no longer a threat to her and her family.

Sir Nathan is a member of the Knights of the Swan and has been sent to Fletcher’s Landing on a quest for King Henry – to find a treasure, but what he finds is a feisty young woman intent on keeping secrets and the only person who has been able to shine light into the darkness that encompasses him. Nathan suffers waking dreams and nightmares from his imprisonment at the hands of Sir Vincent. He wonders if he will ever be fit for service again and has accepted this mission to try and overcome his problems, Meg is a balm to his tortured soul and he begins to hope that with her by his side, he will be able to banish his demons. He knows she is hiding something and is determined to find answers as well as the kings treasure.

I really wanted to like this story, but I felt lost from the very beginning, not having read the previous books, I didn’t understand the references to his incarceration, nor did I fully appreciate the evil done by Sir Vincent. I found the writing to be stilted and jumbled, I had a hard time following the story because it jumped from one scene to another with seemingly no rhyme or reason. I have no idea why Nathan and Meg fell in love, I am still not sure who the villain really was and there were several plotlines that were left incomplete. If you are planning on reading this book, I would strongly suggest reading the series in order and downloading a sample before you buy to decide if the author’s writing style appeals to you.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*