"interesting medieval romance"

While riding her horse, Isabel is dumped into the river. A Danish warrior rescues her. However, her brother King Ranulf captures the Dane and punishes him. No one listens to Isabel when she insists he saved her life; eventually she is drugged. When she awakens she feels obligated to the Dane and helps him escape.

Two winters later Kol Thorleksson leads several hundred mercenaries on an assault of the stronghold of Norsexian King Ranulf out of revenge. He captures Ranulf's sisters Rowena and Isabel, but the monarch is gone. Isabel is stunned as she recognizes that Kol is the man she freed only to have him return and kill her Saxon kin. Kol catches Isabel as he meets her two years old son Godric. Though she cannot remember what happened she holds Kol culpable for raping her. Since Kol cannot sire children due to his mother's curse, he wonders if she freed him two years ago so she can accuse him of raping her in order to protect her lover. Kol knows he wants Isabel, but will not allow his desire to make any decisions for him. He also believes he is not good enough for any female's love whether it be his mother or Isabel, but especially one who holds him in disdain. Isabel feels like a traitor as she falls in love with the invader.

THE SEA KING is an interesting medieval romance with a superb twist involving who sired the lad. Kol is terrific as a courageous lead overcoming a doomed past starting with his birth when his mom dumped him to die on an icy river. He is one hero readers will deservedly sympathize with. A minor quibble is that though Godric is a toddler he acts much older. Still this is a superb historical romance that readers will appreciate.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted May 30, 2006

Summary

In this sexy, emotional debut, a beautiful Saxon princess must guard her heart against the formidable Viking who is the enemy of her people...

True love can conquer the fiercest warrior...

Kol Thorleksson, the powerful Viking warrior known as the Sea King, owes his life to the young Saxon woman who risked everything to free him from bondage. Two years later, he has returned to Norsex, this time to wreak vengeance on those who plotted to destroy him. He is shocked to discover that the lovely woman who helped him regain his freedom is the sister of the tyrant who sought to take it away.

Not a day has passed without Princess Isabel of Norsex thinking of the handsome Viking who crossed her path. But when her peaceful world is threatened by barbarians, the last thing she expects is to find Kol at their helm. Now, with danger lurking in every corner of her kingdom, Isabel finds herself torn between her sworn allegiance and her traitorous heart...