Yummy historical fiction. Finally finished reading this Christmas gift. It took me forever to find the time to start reading it, but then I blew through it in less than a week. It starts off a bit slow, th emiddle section was impossible to put down, and then the end just came crashing down. A good read, if I'm not sure that I like how it ended. ( )

Set in 12th century Wales, but is essentially a modern love triangle placed in a period setting. Does not attempt to be a 12th century love affair, which I would have thought would have been the purpose/objective of historical fiction. But, it is as interesting tale outside the triangle aspect, well told and still a mostly fun read. Read September 2008 ( )

The way to tell if a book is good is if the characters and stories stayed with you when you put the book down....this passed the test. Beautiful story about love, obsession, and betrayel of every kind. I enjoyed it alot even if it broke my heart a bit. ( )

Excellent book-- a really different premise for a historical novel. No War of the Roses or Tudors in sight! ( )

At the core of it, this book is about three people, and the relationships between them. Even the author says that. It is set in medieval Wales, but that matters little to the story as Galland basically ignores history and sets up her own story mostly exclusive of reality. For once, I didn't mind, because the characters were extremely compelling, and she didn't do much damage to actual history. Not much happens for most of the book except interaction between the characters, but that alone is enthralling. The ending threw me, even though I'd read reviews saying it was unexpected, and I think will cause the book to linger in my mind far more than it would have otherwise. I truly cared for Gwirion and Isabel. Noble, I'm not so sure of, because I found his ways callous and unforgivable. It is true that the characters didn't seem particularly medieval, but I really just took the story for what the author said it was - three people that could have been anywhere.

Overall, this book is very worth reading, even for those who don't like historical fiction. ( )