4.5 stars. This book reads like Garwood but grittier, and it definitely has some strong McNaught vibes à la A Kingdom of Dreams—and I loved it! It's wonderfully old school, but, as some other reviewers have said, it feels less like a product of its time and more like an accurate representation of the setting. While the main characters do fall in love a bit too easily, I was proud of Servanne for not being duped by the bad guy and staying loyal to Lucien. I love how Canham is able to weave factual history into her stories, and, since the period covered in this book was intense, to say the least, I appreciated the accuracy. She also includes folklore in the story, which makes it even richer.

This is my third book by Canham, and her writing definitely reads more like historical fiction than romance. Since I happen to like both, that's absolutely fine with me, but it can feel like a lot of text to get through. Thankfully, Canham always keeps the plot moving, and you're almost always questioning characters' motives and actions (or screaming at them to run, shut up, do anything but what you know they're about to do, etc.). I also love that she dedicated this book to herself because it was her dream.

What I love about medieval romances is that everything is so life-and-death. Someone can get murdered in the blink of an eye, and there will probably be little to no repercussions. But, since it's romance, you know that at least the main couple will be okay in the end. It's brutal, it's gritty, but it's so rewarding when it's done right. I'm looking forward to reading Eduard and Brenna's books soon! ( )

After reading this book I was amazed that Amazon had it for free in the Kindle Store. this book is set somewhere in the 10-12th century. I am not good at writing reviews, because I would end up giving away everything in the book. But this book is a must read. I can not wait to get the second in the series to read. Great work Marsha Canham. ( )

Couldn't put the darn thing down. It had everything I love. Rich history and a great story about the creation of the man who would become Robin Hood. There were actual battle scenes where I couldn't read fast enough to see what happened. Burned through this trilogy in about 9 days...you have to read this! ( )

This book starts off with a thrilling kidnapping that immediately has you wonder what is really going on in this seemingly quiet forest in England. We’re immediately taken to a place where no one is who they seem, no place is really safe, and the things we thought we knew are completely turned around.

To read the rest of my review, please visit:
http://www.dorolerium.com/?p=2411 ( )

A re-telling of the Robin Hood story. Parts of it were gripping an interesting but it got a little too sexually sadistic for my tastes. And I'm kind of over the whole "he terrifies me but he's so sexy and thrilling" women. ( )