"Highly recommended Medieval tale"
Shari Anton writes in a period I know well and enjoy. It's
my
favourite historical period so I tend to be picky. I don't
bash for anachronisms or bad history, I am just
disappointed, and often won't read the writer again. Anton
never disappoints me. She has a feel for the period and is
able to take the reader and help them into the world of
knights and people. This makes the story real. In the 1300s of England, Lady Joanna Lynwood was very
aware
of the limits and extremes in men, especially their
cruelty. She had been married to one of the worst, but
thankfully, he is now dead. This bad experience causes
Joanna to hope never to marry again. Only, a lady alone in
these perilous times is a target for more of the evils of
men. When outlaws begin terrorizing her people, she knows
she must face the situation. She needs a man. Knowing the
depravity of men, she sends her Captain of the Guard to
hire a mercenary who would make even hard-bitten men turn
pale. Logan Grimm - even his name sets the tone of this
mercenary - is found, only he is recovering from a wound,
while awaiting to be hired. To him, the task as outlined
is
rather simple, maybe too good to be true. When offered a
week's pay to come to Lady Lynwood and assess the
situation, he jumps at the chance. Upon meeting Joanna and her daughter Ivy, he is leery of
accepting the job. However, Joanna convinces him the job
is
just as she outlines it. Logan sees a woman of strength,
honour and beauty - and she needs his help desperately. Joanna is instantly attracted to the dark warrior, senses
there is more to the man than the fierce warrior mean he
projects. Only, Joanna was hurt so deeply by the beast of
a
husband, she is not sure she could ever take the chance
again and open herself to loving another man. Worse, she
fears once the job is finished, the knight will move on,
leaving her daughter and her alone once more. Shari Anton spins a strong tale of scarred people
struggling to heal, fighting to find a better way. Joanna
and Logan are "real" people that make you care. She is
able
to imbue the tell with rich medieval details that should
please her fans and fans of the genre. Very highly recommended.
Reviewed by DeborahAnne MacGillivray
Posted October 18, 2005
| 
