His Captive Lady

by Carol Townend
   

Unique fresh voice in Medieval romance
 

Half-Saxon, half-Norman, Saewulf Brader longs for something more than his current position. Even if he cannot be knight, at least he might be rewarded with land for his loyalty to his liege lord. Her father dead during the Battle of Hastings, Erica knows she must end the blood feud between her family and another Saxon tribe if the Saxons have any chance of driving away the Normans. She will do anything to stop the blood feud, no matter what the cost to herself. When Wolf enters Guthlac's hall as a spy, Erica's beauty captivates him while the threat from Guthlac's men stirs his heart and memory. He must do everything he can to protect her. Torn between his duty to his liege lord and his desire for Erica, can Wulf keep her safe without compromising his spy mission? Will Erica ever be able to trust him when she discovers he is a spy for the Normans?

HIS CAPTIVE LADY is an awesome Medieval romance! From Carol Townend's past works THE NOVICE BRIDE and AN HONORABLE ROGUE, I already knew I liked her writing style I would love her writing no matter what story she writes, but HIS CAPTIVE LADY is even more incredible than my wildest dreams! Wulf is amazing hero. His divided loyalties create a depth of character seen from inside his heart and values, a heart both loyal to the Saxon culture and his Norman lord and yet a heart that longs for love and a higher good that transcends political loyalties. Wulf cleverly manages to act with honor and deal with the trouble that came his way...and trouble he saw aplenty! Carol Townend creates such an ingenious yet tender hearted man ----brave like a warrior, and a heart more noble than any knight. Erica with her innocence, her daring, her values steals the heart from the first pages. Erica is a bit of a trailblazer in her desire for peace and yet Carol Townend also allows the reader to see her fears and her devotion to those who serve her.

Guthlac, Hrothgar and all the Saxons made my Medieval heart go aflutter. HIS CAPTIVE LADY give such an accurate picture of that culture both after the Battle of Hastings and in the legends and history in the hearts of the Saxons. Carol Townend paints such an awesome image of the warrior arm rings in this one scene that she made me see my medieval studies in a new way, with a new vision ---a human vision --- but it wasn't just that one scene. Carol Townend picks up on that scene and develops it into a beautiful theme interwoven throughout the story. In another beautiful, amazing scene (so awesome that I had to read it aloud to friends telling them how it just made me gasp from its beauty), the author takes and changes the Beowulf story in the life of a character who lived later. Once more, this scene is not dropped but changed and developed throughout the story. Everything in this book just fits so well together as echoes of past scenes reverberate in new contexts, adding layers of richness to this romance. I adored the picture Carol Townend paints of the changes in the Saxon culture after the Normans have invaded. Beatiful imagery!

HIS CAPTIVE LADY---how does a person even describe a book that just hits a reader on every chord except to say that for me, this book was 7th heaven. How much do love this book? Rating: 5++! It's more than a rating though. I actually bought multiple copies of this book for me because I want to re-read this book so much that I will wear it out more than once. HIS CAPTIVE LADY is not just a 2008 top ten read but a top all time read for me! HIS CAPTIVE LADY with its fine rendition of Medieval Saxon culture and literature is a romance thatwill appeal to both historical romance lovers and Medievalists alike!

Publisher: Harlequin Historical (July 2008)
Series: Wessex Weddings

Reviewed by Merrimon, Medieval Book Reviews