Sunday, April 22, 2012

Elizabeth Chadwick - The Running Vixen

In 1126, the Welsh Marches are a land darkened by strife, where nothing is safe; not even a young woman's heart ....
Adam de Lacey has returned home to Ravenstow after a royal mission, and the newly widowed Heulwen finds that her passion still burns for the king's warrior. But, betrayed by her first husband, Heulwen now plans a marriage ofexpedience to Warrin de Mortimer, Adam's lifelong foe and rival. Adam conquers Heulwen's senses in a single blazing night, and the flame-haired beauty's fate is sealed. But a treacherous conspiracy and the Welsh border wars plunge them headlong into a fight that will determine the future of their passion.


Comment: This is the sequel to the previous book I've read by the author, The Wild Hunt.
In this story we see Adam and Heulwen already adults and with lives of their own. Adam is a recognized fighter ad messenger and he saw the love of his life marrying someone else. But now she's a widow and he starts to think he should not let her get away again.
Heulwen married because she thought it would be forever but her husband wasn't the most faithful of men and she didn't mourn his death as much as one might think. Now she set her eyes on someone else, only because her father is still an important men and marriage to her would be key to secure a connection to the king. But she never stopped thinking about Adam and only thoughts of growing up with him stop her to make a move.
However, something puts them together and when they finally take the step to be intimate, they're caught and it changes things.
I think the biggest strength of this author's writing is the obvious deep research she's done to make her books as realistic as possible. Although the story itself is fiction, she surrounded it with real historical figures, places and costumes. I have to confess I don't usually like these kind of books, I prefer my fiction completely fictional, instead of based on real facts. But the author does such a great work it's impossible not to enjoy the developing of the story even when the story isn't our favorite. 
Comparing this one to the one I've read before, I preferred th other one because of the type of plot. In there the romance was more fun to watch and this one was more predictable. I understand why and it's realistic enough to respect the costumes, but it wasn't as vivid as the other one.
The book ended up well, although a certain plot twist was a bit too much, or should I say, it wasn't done in a way I expected to it didn't suit the feel of the story...even though it ended up alright.
This is an author I'll keep reading, the political intrigues don't usually fascinate me but by this author I can't help but be curious and for this fact alone the author convinced me.

8 comments:

  1. Chadwick is one of my favourite authors. i did enjoy these books but ultimately I prefer her later work. I still haven't read her latest book though, I must look for it soon.

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  2. Hello! Really? Which ones did you prefer? Well, I've read the first one because I wanted to see if it was good to offer a friend and i ended up enjoying it, so I had to get this one too.
    I also have Shadows and Strongholds in my TBR list to read.
    Kisses!

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  3. Shadows and Strongholds was very good! I would suggest The Greatest Knight and Scarlet Lion, the William Marshall duology.

    Sorry it took me so long to answer this. Blogger used to send the comments to my mail but it doesn't seem to be doing it anymore...
    Kisses :-)

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  4. Isn't The Greatest Knight about Lancelot?? I don't really like that story...poor Arthur.

    You didn't say why you prefer her later work...
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  5. Nope, it's about William Marshall http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Marshal,_1st_Earl_of_Pembroke

    Most of her books are about fictional characters but this is the first in a trilogy about real people - Marshall, his wife and daughter.

    I like them because they weave romantic stories with well supported historical details. You feel you really get to know the characters and understand their motives even if they've lived a long, long time ago.

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  6. I see..but then doesn't she have one about Lancelot? Because I saw one of her books with the cover with Richard Gere, when he played Lancelot in a movie, with Julia Ormond and Sean Connery! I'm really not interested in reading that one...
    I thought it was The Greatest Knight...
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  7. Yes, she was asked to write a book to tie in with that movie you are mentioning. I believe it is called First Knight.

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  8. Aha! I knew it had a 'knight' in there. Just got confused about the correct title.
    Thank you.
    Well...then I guess I'll pay better attention to blurbs from now on...
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