HISTORICAL
ROMANCE
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MEDIEVAL
ROMANCE
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Henry I
Reign: 1068/1069 -1135
fourth son of William I the Conqueror
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Norman White Tower
at the center of the Tower of London. Built in 1078 by William the
Conqueror (reigned 1066-87) inside the southeast angle of the city
walls, adjacent to the Thames. This was as much to protect the Normans
from the people of the City of London as to protect London from outside
invaders.
Photo credit: David
Illiff
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BOOK
ILLUMINATIONS
From Medieval Book Reviews
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Out of the Dark
by
Joann Smith Ainsworth
Fresh
exciting medieval romance with suspenseful plot
1120 AD. Britain. After an
illness, Lady Lynnett sees only murky shades of light and dark.
Despite being second cousin to the late queen, she sees herself as
flawed. After an argument about her parents' plans for her
marriage, Lady Lynnett finds herself lost and alone in the cellars of
the King's castle --- alone until she overhears a murder plot.
The one man to whom she can turn is Basil, the Sheriff of London, and a
man whose voice sounds a little too close to the conspiring voice she
heard in the cellar. No one else may believe her, but Basil has a
duty to protect the king and his realm. As he seeks to find out
the identity of the the men she heard, Basil finds himself torn between
protecting a woman for whom he is falling in love and protecting his
family as the charges of corruption come a little too close to
home. Lady Lynnett feels like her whole world has changed before
her. Can she look within and learn to trust herself? As she
learns to stand up for herself, will it be enough to enable her to
stand up for love? Can Basil and Lady Lynnett uncover the plot
before it is too late?
In OUT OF THE DARK, Joann
Smith Ainsworth creates a medieval romance that grabs the reader,
leading her/him inside the heart of the story from the first
pages. Lady Lynnett has an inner nobility beyond her relations to
the king. As an Anglo-Saxon in a Norman court, a certain tinge of
suspicion surrounds her. Closer to home, her family does not
understand her unearthly vision and her special relationship with her
grandmother, now deceased. Basil is exactly the right man for
this special lady. Although practical rather than mystical, he
also knows how to ask questions and see beyond the surface in his role
as sheriff. Loyal and honorable, he does not take justice or his
oath to protect and defend lightly. Quick-witted, he matches the
lady in intelligence. Most importantly, Basil believes in her
when others don't. Joann Smith Ainsworth does an excellent job at
creating fascinating, fresh characters and placing them in a
suspenseful setting that keeps a reader glued to the pages.
Joann Smith Ainsworth uses a modern prose style that flows easily and
adds to the suspenseful pace of the conspiracy. At the same time,
she packs enough history into this medieval romance to please medieval
lovers. She juxtaposes realistic images of the times such as that
of the river Thames with the more mystical elements of a life deeper
than just the surface world of the senses. Tight plotting and a
focus on scenes central to the story makes OUT OF THE DARK a fast but
powerful, dynamic romance. If you are a medieval junkie, OUT OF THE DARK has a fresh sense
of originality that will undoubtedly make romance a special treat.
Publisher: Samhain
(March 2009)
Author website
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Medieval Book Reviews
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