Claudia J. Edwards (1943–2010)

A 5 star favorite read! Taming the Forest King is a 1986 fantasy that’s part military/political intrigue, part romance, and part study in leadership and morality.

Colonel Tevra, a seasoned cavalry officer in her late thirties, is sent to restore order in a troubled province, and finds herself entangled in politics, magic, and an unexpected love triangle.

Tevra is such a unique heroine. She’s logical, independent, competent, and guided by duty and conscience more than emotion. She genuinely show more cares about doing her job well and accomplishing her goals. The story is written from Tevra’s perspective, and while it isn’t actually written in a diary entry format, Claudia J. Edwards gets us so thoroughly inside Tevra’s head that I felt like I had read her diary by the end.

And the love triangle. THE LOVE TRIANGLE. It puts other romance books to shame. Two men who are truly equal choices. I honestly didn’t know what the final outcome would be! The fact that Edwards was even able to develop a triangle successfully in a book that’s so slim it barely makes it past 200 pages is beyond impressive.

What surprised me most were the thoughtful discussions of consent and mutual respect that Edwards decided to include. They felt very ahead of the 1986 publishing date! And while the romance aspect does get a little steamy here and there, it’s never the main point of the book. It’s the moral and emotional choices of the characters throughout that truly shine. show less

I love old-school thrift store fantasy gems! This is a romance at its core with an adorable love triangle. The heroine, Tevra, fights against female stereotypes in the kind of unsubtle way that reminds me of Jennifer Roberson’s Tiger and Del books. She's a capable, badass commander who excels at combat and politicking, but completely flounders in the love department. Overall, Taming the Forest King is a very short book - there’s hardly any time for worldbuilding or fleshing out show more supporting characters - but it’s a fun, entertaining read. I recommend it for fans of light, character-driven fantasy romance. show less

A stand-alone fantasy set in the same world as Taming the Forest King.

Runa is exiled from her kingdom, under penalty of death for witchcraft if she returns. She heads east - across a mountain range and desert until she reaches grasslands. There she is claimed by the Silvercat, the tuteletary beast of the Silvercat castellum to be the castellum’s mantic - the previous mantic and margrave having died and left no heirs. However, the rulers of the other castellas don’t like an outsider show more claiming the Silvercat castellum, and like it even less when she marries a barbarian as her margrave.

After beating off an attack of cannibals, Runa and her husband go horse hunting - horses being very important to the rulers of the castellas, and being in short supply. While in the wilderness, her husband is taken by a summoning spell arranged by the other rulers as they want Silvercat back in their hands. After various vicissitudes, Runa and her husband are reunited and settle in Silvercat.

Fairly light, but fun. Yes, it and the other Edwards I’ve reviewed are romances, but unlike the modern paranormals they aren’t in the least smutty. The world building is interesting - it looks like North America far in the future after our civilisation has collapsed, but this is never explicitly stated.

Recommended. show less

This fantasy/romance hybrid is narrated by Tevra, a colonel in the king’s light cavalry who is leading a small contingent of soldiers into the northern provinces to investigate some rumors of wrongdoing. A woman in a man’s world, Tevra has fought her whole life to gain respect in her chosen profession, and she rigidly obeys the military’s strict code of honor in order to protect the good reputation she’s earned. But when she reaches the northern Forest, she will be tested in ways she show more never thought possible. A corrupt ruler has impoversihed the entire region, and supernatural threats menace the area as well. But the greatest danger may be from Tevra’s own heart, as she finds herself strongly attracted to Dard, a young man hailed by the local lords as the Forest King. Can Tevra start a romantic relationship that will lead to gossip and scandal while still maintaining her honor?

This book is a little bit dated and cheesy (originally published in 1986), but I have to admit that I really enjoyed it overall! The title is a bit of a misnomer; although the Forest King has a significant role in the book, I think it’s quite inaccurate to say that anyone attempts to “tame” him. But the book is much more romance-y than I expected. I was anticipating a fantasy novel with some romantic elements, but it’s actually more of a romance novel with a few fantasy trappings. The central focus of the book is Tevra’s love life, and there are two suitors in the picture. Of course, Tevra doesn’t realize that either man is in love with her – which is a trope that normally bugs me a lot, but here it didn’t bother me because I was simply enjoying the book so much! Aside from the aforementioned love-related blindness, I really liked Tevra; she’s a unique character in that she’s almost entirely driven by a strict devotion to duty. She’s also badass without being obnoxious about it, a rare feat among fantasy heroines these days. Overall, I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, romantic read. show less