A Viking Historical Romance
On the eve of her betrothal to a nobleman she’s never met, Rhiannon seeks comfort on the shores of the sea she loves so well. But instead of offering peace to her uneasy heart, the ocean heralds doom with the arrival of dreaded Viking ships. A vicious raid leads to the death of her beloved father and leaves Rhiannon’s life in tatters. Heartbroken, she travels to Ynys Môn, where she takes up residence at the royal court of Owain Gwynedd.
Leif loves voyaging on the open water. As the son of a Viking chief, he’s
accustomed to his people’s practice of plundering and looting. But when one of
his companions ruthlessly kills an old man in front of the man’s beautiful
daughter, Leif is haunted by the memory. Desperate to find forgiveness for the
atrocity he allowed to occur, he’s offered a chance at redemption through the
kindly teachings of an Irish priest and the unexpected arrival of a royal
fugitive. Suddenly thrust into the midst of the Cymry’s political turmoil, Leif
is reunited with the dead man’s daughter―Rhiannon. Forced to work side by side
to uncover the truth behind the turmoil, they come to discover that love can
grow from even the most tragic of beginnings. But with such incompatible
backgrounds, surely a future together can never be theirs.
My Thoughts:
After reading this story, I firmly believe there are just not enough Viking romances out there. Beginning in the year 1141, we meet the hero and the heroine on a fateful night that will change both of their lives.
Rhiannon, a young noblewoman with ties to the king, lives a simple life with her father and their servants along the sea. The sea calls to her heart and soul and she loves it. Then one night a Viking raid happens upon their shore with dire consequences that Rhiannon must now learn to live with.
Leif is a Viking who enjoys pretty much everything about being a Viking except for the raids. After the fateful night that he meets Rhiannon, Leif decides no more raiding for him, he will become a silversmith instead, much to his father's dismay.
This was a book that took its time to tell the story and was not a love at first sight romance either. This had a depth to the characters growth and meaning of what was precious for our characters as time passed for them.
In the history books the Vikings eventually settle down and intermarry with those they raided and stopped their raiding. I like how this delved into how that might have played out with a Viking and what the reasons for settling down might have been, especially as they would have been introduced to Christianity.
The author also does not shy away from the brutality of the Viking raids nor their consequences. She also shows how the other peoples could be just as cruel as the Vikings were in their lust for power and revenge.
I enjoyed this story very much and all the machinations of the political powers, the friendship, and especially the deep seeded love that eventually conquers the prejudice and all the hurt and pain. The author has great information in the beginning that includes a map and a glossary and even a QR code for pronunciation. At the end she gives the historical information that was quite intriguing with how much of the story was based on historical facts versus her imagination. This was a good story.
I was provided a copy of this novel from Covenant Communications, Inc. through Interviews and Reviews. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.
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