A Restless Knight

by Deborah MacGillivray
   

A transfixing medieval romance: A love both sensuous and mystical in its emotional depth
   

From the moment Julian, Dragon of Challon, crosses into the Scottish Highlands, ancient visions and present Medieval beauty unite in the handsome body of this one dark powerful warrior. King Edward Longshanks means to use this man in a bid to conquer Glenrogha but Tamlyn MacShane is not a woman to be easily manipulated. Then again, Julian's hot warrior blood relishes the challenge of this feisty woman, not afraid to speak her mind. Does she ever speak her mind --- with power, wisdom and humor all combined in one! As leader of her clan, however, any action against him might endanger her people and plunge them into war. Julian is weary from the horrors he has seen in war. His very soul is enveloped in darkness. Can Tamlyn, with her gift of kenning (knowing or sight) and the blood of Sidhe inside, reach a place deep in this knight's heart and bring him home? Can Tamlyn remain faithful both to her clan and her heart? Can these two hearts find tenderness and love in a world torn by the strife of war? Can the political maneuvers of those remote from Glenrogha destroy the special haven created by their growing love?

Reading Deborah MacGillivray's A RESTLESS KNIGHT feels like coming home to this medieval enthusiast. The pure language alone, the rhythm and the imagery, intoxicates with its beauty and medieval vocabulary. A special kudo for the palfrey horses! The sensuous detail of her landscape and characterization evokes the Medieval world as if it were present to hear, see, smell, taste and touch. The emotional depth of this romance creates a love that is both sensual and mystical. Paranormal elements mix with historical authenticity, creating a fictional world that honors the full scope of the medieval literary traditions. In Tamlyn and Julian, Deborah MacGillivray creates a medieval legend that is uniquely her own yet hearkens back to the great legends of old with just the perfect echo to delight any medieval enthusiast. If I didn't know better, I would be tempted to search the news of Medieval scholarship to discover whether a new Scottish manuscript was discovered hidden in the spine of a book in a remote library. And yet I do know better, because Deborah MacGillivray's romance is more than a beautiful medieval tale. A RESTLESS KNIGHT is every woman medievalist's fantasy find --- the longed-for but until now unwritten romance story one had hoped to discover within or behind a Medieval text. The richness, intensity and depth of Deborah MacGillivray's writing transfixes the reader. A RESTLESS KNIGHT is quite simply a mystical reading experience for this medievalist.

Publisher: Zebra (July 2006)
Series: Dragons of Challon

Reviewed by Merrimon, Medieval Book Reviews