The Heron Legacy

I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

At first, Charles' story was not compelling. My own biases from reading books about kids moving to America and learning about their history influenced me. Within 30 pages; however, I couldn't release the book. I'm on vacation and any moment of inactivity meant I was reading this novel.

The author creates a fanatical narrative between present and historical day through the eyes of Charles. His wins, losses, loves, and heartbreaks are intimately felt as are those of his ancestors through which he is a sort of medium. I felt feelings stir inside myself as I questioned what pulls me in life, what are my threads, and how do I put that back in the world.

A wonderfully show more written historical fiction with plenty of introspection to force a pause. I highly recommend this novel. show less

Wow! What an incredible book! History, mystery, intrigue, scandal, danger, Medieval knights, music, nature, chivalry, and romance are all beautifully woven together into this book. I opened this book and stepped into the life of Charles de la Fontaine of Brussels, Belgium, his uncle, Theodore, father, Hugues, aunt, Ida, his ancestor, Stephen de la Fontaine who was a knight in the First Crusade, and a fair maiden who he meets only briefly, but who makes a true impact on his life. I stepped back in time with him as his Uncle Theodore, a professor of medieval history, walked him through the family woods, over the grounds of the ancestral castle on their property, to the beautiful stream, through the fields, and told him of those who came show more before him, the struggles they faced, and how many faded into time and others gained infamy. I felt my own heart breaking when Charles had to leave all he loved behind to go with his father to America, a place he didn't want to be and a future he did not want to claim as his own. He longed to stay in Belgium and pursue the history he loves so much, but his father's stronghold, not only on him but on life in general, makes him a man not to be disagreed with or crossed. Time and fate take hold of Charles and he adapts to his new life in the only way he can, by giving in to his father's wishes and becoming a very different man than he imagined he would. I traveled back to Belgium with Charles when he was sent by his father to sell the family home, castle, and land. Can 17 years have passed so quickly and could so much have changed all while things in his ancestral home seem not to have changed at all? Can Charles set his life back on the course he imagined? This beguiling book takes you on an exciting journey to find out how he can discover what really happened not only to his Uncle Theodore, but also to his ancestors nine centuries prior. The story unfolds before you and you cannot help but answer its call ... like the sound of the lyra that the ancient knights in the making heard and were drawn to in those same woods. The characters and story were both fascinating and drew me in ... this was a book that I didn't want to put down but also didn't want to finish because I wanted to remain in their world longer. I have not read any of Leona Francombe's other books, but I will be reading them soon in the hopes they are as terrific as this story!
*I received a digital advanced reader copy of this book through the Early Reviewers group on LibraryThing in exchange for my honest review. I can honestly say that this is a book that you should look for soon. It made my favorites list and I intend to buy a paper copy of it to read and re-read in the future. show less

Charles Fontaine belonged in the Ardennes forests, taught to love the land and its history by his beloved uncle. But then his father yanked him from the lore of the family lands and moved to New York City just ahead of the law and the consequences of his own crooked dealings. He pushed Charles into law school and then into joining his law firm.

Seventeen years passed before Charles returned to his forest home to deal with his uncle's death, settling the estate, and selling it for his father. There he comes to learn that not only has his father arranged for his uncle's murder so that he could sell the land to a developer, but that he has badly used and betrayed Charles' own half-brother, a brother he knew nothing of.

The only real question show more I had with this lovely and often lyrical story is how Charles could so easily and completely been converted from the depth of his love of his uncle and the forests, but how he could become almost a carbon copy of his father, a man he neither loved nor trusted. show less

A bit of a slow start but once I was in, I was hooked. The novel follows Charles Fontaine, the heir to a 12th-century estate in Belgium. As a teenager he is enthralled by his eccentric uncle’s challenge to unearth and understand history of his family. Like his mentor, he wants to be a historian, but his strict father has other plans. His life takes a different turn as his father moves them to Connecticut where Charles is introduced to the soulless world of law and finance. In his thirties, Charles’s father wants him to go back to Belgium to sell the family pile. This puts in place a journey of discovery, regarding the true history of the origins of his family and his learning more about himself and where his heart truly lies. The show more novel is skilfully put together – echoes of the past are inserted into the present in the roles and essence of the characters. The clues draw the reader along as the puzzle is pieced together. The ending is satisfying and not predictable. There is plenty of descriptive writing, especially for sounds, as music is threaded throughout the story. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley. show less

This book is a little outside my preferred fiction genre but I had received this as part of Early Reviewers. However, within a few pages, I was hooked. Although it is a linear narrative from the perspective of the main character Charles Fontaine it weaves three stories his origins in the Ardennes, Belgium his second choice world and career in America but his quest into the family's 12th-century legacy.

The writing is engaging, very descriptive, and even musical at times. No wishing to be a spoiler this was I book I could not put down, although it was easy to read because of its generally concise well-contained chapters.

There is no doubt, at least for me, that this book had the ability to transport the reader in time and place.

It's a show more masterpiece, thank you. show less

I received this book through Early Reviewers in exchange for an honest review.
This book follows Charles de la Fontaine, an heir to an old 12th century estate in Belgium and his relationship with his father, his uncle and the history around the estate.
This was an amazing book! I really enjoyed following this story, with the mystery that flowed throughout the book. With the descriptions of the environment it really felt like you were there!

relatives, relationships, religious-practices, religious-symbolism, relocation, folklore, Belgium, memories, legend, historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, artifact, suspense, investigation, dominating-parent*****

Uprooted at sixteen by his father from rural Belgium to NYC to go to law school and strive for more. Years later, the father sends the son to sell the family property but his love of history and connection to the land merges with his attraction to a mysterious woman from his youth and things go in an unexpected manner. I found the whole engaging and reminiscent of the Edda and of countless American Tribal lore. A good read.
I requested and received a free show more temporary e-book from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley. Thank you show less