Lord of Danger

Another great anti-hero but this time in a medieval setting. The hero is fascinating along with the heroine. And a great secondary romance. (Grade: B+) ( )

Lord of Danger is why I read romances. It engaged my emotions unlike any other romance (with the possible exception of my absolute favorites, and even then Lord of Danger is now right up there with those books). By the last page I was smiling with tears in my eyes and happy sighs bubbling in my chest – this book was too good! As fun (and mean) as it is picking apart the flaws of books that I don’t like, I’m having trouble putting into words how and why a great book is so great, simply because it manages to set ringing some ineffable feeling, striking a chord of truth that gets to the heart of what love is all about – and far be it from me to try to put into words what the author has already managed so wonderfully. So instead of rambling and squealing, I’ll try and give you the basics of the story:

Alys and her sister Claire have been summoned from the convent where they’ve been raised to return to the home of their half-brother Richard the Fair. Alys is to be given to Richard’s advisor Simon of Navarre in marriage as part of the political scheming and bids for power that drive the basic plot of the story. Alys and Claire seem to be complete opposites, the former plain, timid, and introspective, the latter beautiful, boisterous, and fearless. They are staunchly devoted to each other and one of my favorite aspects of the book was the relationship between these two sisters. Alys has protected and looked after Claire all their lives and is determined to keep on doing so once they are plucked from the safety of the convent and beset by the dangers of the outside world. Claire is admittedly childish, vain, and at times thoughtless, but her gradual growth, self-awareness, and genuine love for her sister redeem her significantly, so that she accomplishes the rare feat of being one of those “feisty” heroines without being a total idiot. Nor is Alys an annoying martyr. The sisters' love is all the more powerful and moving when it is shown how vulnerable and powerless they are in a world ruled by men and violence – yet they still manage to preserve their solidarity and strength.

While the sisters’ relationship was touching, their respective romances were the center of the book – with the intrigues and mishaps as an exciting background that added to but never overshadowed the true focus. Simon is known as a “wizard” at Summersedge Keep. I went into Lord of Danger expecting jousting knights and damsels in distress, so I was surprised to find that Simon isn’t your typical medieval hero – it’s questionable that he’s even a hero at all. He used to be a knight of the crusades, and has returned scarred and disillusioned – sounds clichéd right? Never fear, he is of the dark and brooding type, but unlike any other bad boy I’ve come across. He devotes his time to books and herbal lore, not fighting and riding. Installed at Richard’s castle, Simon has fashioned a reputation for himself as a monster, a sorcerer, a devil, and I’ll leave it to you to find out the depths of his depravity. Richard calls him “Grendel” as if he was a pet beast, and Simon enforces this illusion of servility to the extent that he pretends to be crippled. I was worried, after reading A Rose at Midnight, that Simon would be similar to the hero in that book, a domineering a**hole with a penchant for rape – or forced seduction. Call it what you will, it ruined A Rose at Midnight for me. But fortunately the romance between Simon and Alys was much more subtle than a power struggle, a push and pull game with the woman’s body as pawn and victim. Alys is afraid of everything, from horses and thunderstorms to men, but she has untapped resources of strength and courage that shine ever more brightly as the story progresses. She has to brave her greatest fears to claim Simon’s love. He loves Alys and finds that, in the process, he’s become human once more.

Equally moving is the story of Claire and Sir Thomas du Rhaymer. Sir Thomas is practically a monk when Richard charges him to guard Claire while she’s at Summersedge Keep, and of course Claire tests all his saintly, honorable intentions. He’s more of your typical white knight and an interesting foil to Simon. It was beautiful to watch Thomas thaw and Claire grow.

Lord of Danger is, in my opinion, a perfect romance. It incorporates and skillfully balances the two love stories of Alys and Simon, Claire and Sir Thomas, providing a picture of love in its many forms. There are moments of such poignancy and feeling here that I don’t want to ruin it by running on about how great a book it is. Suffice it to say, for anyone who loves romance, this is a must read! ( )

Master magician and master of intrigue is offered his pick of the convent-raised sisters of a man he might help to put on the throne. He picks the elder, plainer, cleverer one. The younger sister's obnoxiously thoughtless narcissism made me say WTF a few times, but the rest of the book was so good I really didn't care. ( )