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Fire #4
The Fire and the Fury
Immersed in England's dynastic war, the Rivaux family is making a dangerous move by abandoning Stephen of Blois to back the empress Matilda. Elizabeth of Rivaux, a 22-year-old widow, will do her bit by defending her father's castle Harlowe. Attacked on her way to the castle, Elizabeth is rescued by the Scottish Sir Giles (aka "the Butcher") of Moray. Safely delivered to Harlowe, Elizabeth expresses her gratitude by arresting Giles for being an "impertinent lout," but he is prudently released by Elizabeth's grandmother. Giles remains miffed, but attracted to Elizabeth, he treks back from his Scottish home to claim her as his bride -- whether she likes it or not. No simple marriage this: Giles, a supporter of Stephen, must settle personal and political differences with Elizabeth and her menfolk as well as contend with problems from her first wretched marriage before they can all become one big, happy medieval family.
382 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 2, 1991
35 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
Anita Mills
44 books66 followersA former history and English teacher, Anita Mills turned to writing in the mid-1980's. After her regency romance SCANDAL BOUND was published followed by her highly acclaimed LADY OF FIRE, Anita Mills went on to enjoy an award filled career. Her historical novels and regency short stories are ranked among the best in their respective genres. The parents of four children, Anita and her husband Larry find peace on a small farm near Plattsburgh, Missouri. This former teacher has drawn upon her love for both history and English to enrich her novels.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 10, 2022
The time period of story 1137.
The author depicted widower Sir Giles as a baron
of Scottish & Noman heritage & widowed Elizabeth
as daughter of an earl. Shrewish Elizabeth kept
harping about her-wealthy father, superior social
status & need for luxurious amenities. Later her
grandma assured Giles that the h was pleasant prior
to her humiliating 1st marriage. Really? Elizabeth's
whining got to be too much.
Elizabeth had no skills with warfare, weapons or
stratgey. She was, in the guise of a nun, en route
with 2 trusted men, to hold & defend (if necessary)
her grandma's keep. Her father entrusted unqualified
Elizabeth with this duty (huh?). Giles & his men saved
her life twice in her travels & gratitude did not become
her. At 1 point, she accused Giles of cowardice (!) when
she misread his intentions: he planned the element of
surprise of the baddies. Giles displayed more depth and
insight than his horrid, violent reputation indicated.
Exhausting Elizabeth really neeeded to mature & then
grovel to the H.
The author depicted widower Sir Giles as a baron
of Scottish & Noman heritage & widowed Elizabeth
as daughter of an earl. Shrewish Elizabeth kept
harping about her-wealthy father, superior social
status & need for luxurious amenities. Later her
grandma assured Giles that the h was pleasant prior
to her humiliating 1st marriage. Really? Elizabeth's
whining got to be too much.
Elizabeth had no skills with warfare, weapons or
stratgey. She was, in the guise of a nun, en route
with 2 trusted men, to hold & defend (if necessary)
her grandma's keep. Her father entrusted unqualified
Elizabeth with this duty (huh?). Giles & his men saved
her life twice in her travels & gratitude did not become
her. At 1 point, she accused Giles of cowardice (!) when
she misread his intentions: he planned the element of
surprise of the baddies. Giles displayed more depth and
insight than his horrid, violent reputation indicated.
Exhausting Elizabeth really neeeded to mature & then
grovel to the H.
March 12, 2025
I am come for Elizabeth,” he admitted baldly. “I’d wed her.”
For a moment Eleanor stared, then she recovered. “For revenge?” she asked quietly. “Or is it that you’d have her for herself?”
“Because I’d have no other.”
My guy was like look at this tall, mean, warrior goddess — I need her to give me strong fierce children. She says no and he says well bet and proceeds to kidnap her at knife point. She BITES HIM TO THE POINT OF BLEEDING, as he carries her out and he SMILES. yall know I was done for.
Drawbacks is pacing. It would be captivating then slow, interesting then a bit monotonous. Overall though I love a guy who falls first and harder, and a mean girl he has to love on so rounded up to 4 💋
Also it’s really not toxic because she consents to their marriage and they negotiate terms like any marriage during the times but the fact that he had to ferry her away and she does some nasty work with her insults I loosely tagged it as such.
For a moment Eleanor stared, then she recovered. “For revenge?” she asked quietly. “Or is it that you’d have her for herself?”
“Because I’d have no other.”
My guy was like look at this tall, mean, warrior goddess — I need her to give me strong fierce children. She says no and he says well bet and proceeds to kidnap her at knife point. She BITES HIM TO THE POINT OF BLEEDING, as he carries her out and he SMILES. yall know I was done for.
Drawbacks is pacing. It would be captivating then slow, interesting then a bit monotonous. Overall though I love a guy who falls first and harder, and a mean girl he has to love on so rounded up to 4 💋
Also it’s really not toxic because she consents to their marriage and they negotiate terms like any marriage during the times but the fact that he had to ferry her away and she does some nasty work with her insults I loosely tagged it as such.
November 14, 2008
Amid the flames of royal revolt their hearts burned with a fierce, wild love... Raven-haired, emerald-eyed, no noblewoman in all Britain was more beautiful -- or more defiant -- than Elizabeth of Riveaux. She refused to accept any man after a disastrous first marriage left her with a secret shame. Now, as royal factions warred for England's throne, she galloped with her knights-in-arms toward Harlowe, the border castle that was her birthright. But out of the mists came a traitor's ambush -- and a dark, handsome Scottish lord who used his broadsword to save her life. Even her shrewish tongue couldn't stop the kisses of her rescuer, Giles of Moray. Unbidden, unexpected, passion's fire enveloped them, driving Giles to pledge his freedom and fiefdom to win her. All he demanded in return was her total surrender to their love...
In this fourth book of the series, Mills goes back to her larger than life characters with the story of Catherine and Guy’s older daughter, Elizabeth. A young who knows her place in society and the meaning and responsibility of belonging to her family but that has also suffered a bad loveless and unhappy marriage and has no intentions of going through that again. She wants to take part in her family’s political agenda and since her brother has his own lands to protect she convinces her father to let her be his steward at Harlowe instead of her brother.
The problem with Elizabeth is that not only she is determined and strong willed but she also ruled by her pride and her station. On the way to Harlowe her party is attacked by brigands, she is rescued by a bad of men who despite being good fighters don’t look very wealthy. Elizabeth hates being ordered about and confronted by their leader and on arrival to Harlowe orders his arrest in a bout of bad temper. When she realizes that she made a mistake and that she should be thankful to him as he saved her life it is already too late. Her grandmother Eleanor tells her who he really is, Giles the Moray – also known as The Butcher – and she is unsure of how to deal with him since he is not the lowly mercenary she thought he was.
Giles de Moray is a strange man. In Elizabeth he sees a sort of kindred spirit. A woman of strength and resilience who can give him the sons he wants not to mention the alliance with her family. When she wants nothing to do with him he resorts to desperate measures and kidnaps her. He then proceeds to convince her that he is nothing like her first husband and together they can be happy and have what they both want... children, land, and influence. Elizabeth’s attraction to him helps her make a decision and truth be told once reaches it she immediately writes her family to tell them she is safe and with Giles of her own choice. But her father and brother are already on the way...
Elizabeth feels deeply the responsibility of not letting her father down and the only problem between her and Giles is that she wants to go back to Harlowe to fulfil her oath. Giles is divided between supporting Stephen or King David of Scotland as none wants to help him in dealing with his father in law but war is unavoidable and he leaves.
The plot thickens when Elizabeth’s ex father in law kidnaps her and Giles will have to rely on her family to come for help with saving her and one of his keeps. In the end one feels that they are one well matched pair even if Elizabeth likes to flaunt her status for most of the story.
Grade: B
In this fourth book of the series, Mills goes back to her larger than life characters with the story of Catherine and Guy’s older daughter, Elizabeth. A young who knows her place in society and the meaning and responsibility of belonging to her family but that has also suffered a bad loveless and unhappy marriage and has no intentions of going through that again. She wants to take part in her family’s political agenda and since her brother has his own lands to protect she convinces her father to let her be his steward at Harlowe instead of her brother.
The problem with Elizabeth is that not only she is determined and strong willed but she also ruled by her pride and her station. On the way to Harlowe her party is attacked by brigands, she is rescued by a bad of men who despite being good fighters don’t look very wealthy. Elizabeth hates being ordered about and confronted by their leader and on arrival to Harlowe orders his arrest in a bout of bad temper. When she realizes that she made a mistake and that she should be thankful to him as he saved her life it is already too late. Her grandmother Eleanor tells her who he really is, Giles the Moray – also known as The Butcher – and she is unsure of how to deal with him since he is not the lowly mercenary she thought he was.
Giles de Moray is a strange man. In Elizabeth he sees a sort of kindred spirit. A woman of strength and resilience who can give him the sons he wants not to mention the alliance with her family. When she wants nothing to do with him he resorts to desperate measures and kidnaps her. He then proceeds to convince her that he is nothing like her first husband and together they can be happy and have what they both want... children, land, and influence. Elizabeth’s attraction to him helps her make a decision and truth be told once reaches it she immediately writes her family to tell them she is safe and with Giles of her own choice. But her father and brother are already on the way...
Elizabeth feels deeply the responsibility of not letting her father down and the only problem between her and Giles is that she wants to go back to Harlowe to fulfil her oath. Giles is divided between supporting Stephen or King David of Scotland as none wants to help him in dealing with his father in law but war is unavoidable and he leaves.
The plot thickens when Elizabeth’s ex father in law kidnaps her and Giles will have to rely on her family to come for help with saving her and one of his keeps. In the end one feels that they are one well matched pair even if Elizabeth likes to flaunt her status for most of the story.
Grade: B
October 22, 2015
Superb Storytelling in this Medieval from the 12th Century
The is the 4th in Mills’ Fire series and it’s a very good one and can be read as a stand alone. Set in Scotland, Normandy and England in 1137 (prologue in 1127), this is the story of Giles of Moray whose birthright was taken from him. While still a teenager, he got it back in a brutal slaying of those responsible. Ever thereafter they called him “the Butcher of Dunashie”, a knight to be feared.
Elizabeth of Rivaux had been married by her noble father to one Ivo who was “no husband” to her and, because of him, she wants no other, though she is in her early 20’s and her father, Lord of Celesin, would see her wed. When war looms between Stephen and Matilda, Elizabeth becomes her father’s “liegeman” vowing to guard his castle at Henlowe while he and her brother are off fighting. On her way to Henlowe, disguised as a nun, she is attacked by her former father-in-law’s men. Giles comes to her rescue and escort her to Henlowe. But once there, in a fit of temper, she turns on him, taking him prisoner.
Elizabeth and Giles get off on the wrong foot but he likes her for her courage and her spirit and means to have the feisty woman any way he can. And Elizabeth can be reasonable… when she gets what she wants!
I loved the tortured hero and the woman who hid her hurt with anger. Both had been disappointed in their prior marriages. Mills deftly weaves in the history of the time as King Stephen tries to hold onto his throne while threatened by Empress Matilda. Giles sides with Stephen and Elizabeth’s family with the Empress.
Mills is such a good storyteller. And her historical research shines through as she includes rich historical detail and terminology of the period when knights fought for their king. The only thing the book lacked I wanted was a map.
A worthy romance and another great installment in the Fire series:
1. Lady of Fire (Eleanor of Nantes and Roger FitzGilbert, set in 1085)
2. Fire and Steel (Guy, Count of Rivaux, Eleanor’s son, and Catheine of the Condes, set 1106)
3. Hearts of Fire (Gilliane de Lacey and Richard of Rivaux, Elizabeth’s brother, set 1135)
4. The Fire and the Fury (Elizabeth of Rivaux, Guy’s daughter, and Giles of Dunashie, set 1137)
5. Winter Roses (Arabella of Byrum and William of Blackleith (Giles’ brother, “Willie”, in book 4, set in 1132)
The is the 4th in Mills’ Fire series and it’s a very good one and can be read as a stand alone. Set in Scotland, Normandy and England in 1137 (prologue in 1127), this is the story of Giles of Moray whose birthright was taken from him. While still a teenager, he got it back in a brutal slaying of those responsible. Ever thereafter they called him “the Butcher of Dunashie”, a knight to be feared.
Elizabeth of Rivaux had been married by her noble father to one Ivo who was “no husband” to her and, because of him, she wants no other, though she is in her early 20’s and her father, Lord of Celesin, would see her wed. When war looms between Stephen and Matilda, Elizabeth becomes her father’s “liegeman” vowing to guard his castle at Henlowe while he and her brother are off fighting. On her way to Henlowe, disguised as a nun, she is attacked by her former father-in-law’s men. Giles comes to her rescue and escort her to Henlowe. But once there, in a fit of temper, she turns on him, taking him prisoner.
Elizabeth and Giles get off on the wrong foot but he likes her for her courage and her spirit and means to have the feisty woman any way he can. And Elizabeth can be reasonable… when she gets what she wants!
I loved the tortured hero and the woman who hid her hurt with anger. Both had been disappointed in their prior marriages. Mills deftly weaves in the history of the time as King Stephen tries to hold onto his throne while threatened by Empress Matilda. Giles sides with Stephen and Elizabeth’s family with the Empress.
Mills is such a good storyteller. And her historical research shines through as she includes rich historical detail and terminology of the period when knights fought for their king. The only thing the book lacked I wanted was a map.
A worthy romance and another great installment in the Fire series:
1. Lady of Fire (Eleanor of Nantes and Roger FitzGilbert, set in 1085)
2. Fire and Steel (Guy, Count of Rivaux, Eleanor’s son, and Catheine of the Condes, set 1106)
3. Hearts of Fire (Gilliane de Lacey and Richard of Rivaux, Elizabeth’s brother, set 1135)
4. The Fire and the Fury (Elizabeth of Rivaux, Guy’s daughter, and Giles of Dunashie, set 1137)
5. Winter Roses (Arabella of Byrum and William of Blackleith (Giles’ brother, “Willie”, in book 4, set in 1132)
December 2, 2015
I love me some 80s romance. Who couldn't resist the covers? Really, though, this is more historical fiction with a dash of romance. I learned more about the political climate between Scotland and England in the 1100s than I ever did in my history classes. I can tell you about English inheritance laws, the Empress Matilda and her bid for the English crown, and the various goings-on within the Duchy of Normandy in the 12th century. Seriously. And you know, I didn't mind.
This was a good novel. The author captures the time period well and balances a healthy mix between her own plot and recorded history. At times I appreciated the willful verbal sparring between the Girl and the Guy, but it did get old. There was a long stretch where they were separated and I did get the feeling I was wading through a history book, but I think I'd do better with a second reading. Now that I know how it ends, I wouldn't be racing to the finish and I expect that I'd manage more patience. Still, it's one of my pet peeves in the genre when a novel seems to take more joy in keeping a couple apart than bringing them together. Separation is good, separation brings clarity and tension, but too much separation finds my eyes skimming the words a bit faster than I should. Ah, well.
I'm both excited and leery of the fact that Anita Mills has written over 30 novels. My poor wallet. I really don't think I'll rest easy until I've read them all, but I'll attempt to stay true to my book diet and read more of what I have instead of lusting after what I'd need to get.
This was a good novel. The author captures the time period well and balances a healthy mix between her own plot and recorded history. At times I appreciated the willful verbal sparring between the Girl and the Guy, but it did get old. There was a long stretch where they were separated and I did get the feeling I was wading through a history book, but I think I'd do better with a second reading. Now that I know how it ends, I wouldn't be racing to the finish and I expect that I'd manage more patience. Still, it's one of my pet peeves in the genre when a novel seems to take more joy in keeping a couple apart than bringing them together. Separation is good, separation brings clarity and tension, but too much separation finds my eyes skimming the words a bit faster than I should. Ah, well.
I'm both excited and leery of the fact that Anita Mills has written over 30 novels. My poor wallet. I really don't think I'll rest easy until I've read them all, but I'll attempt to stay true to my book diet and read more of what I have instead of lusting after what I'd need to get.
August 1, 2023
Elizabeth was so awful and too proud; age was hard to like sometimes. She also kept comparing her husband to her brother which was super creepy.
July 24, 2025
4.5⭐️
November 3, 2014
Beautifully written, The siege was as spectacular as was the touching love story between Giles and Elizabeth. But for awhile there, I despaired of Elizabeth, that her pride would not be able to overcome the disparity of her birth and Giles'. I also thoroughly enjoyed reading about other members of the family, some of whom are central to this story. Now on to the next chapter...
October 29, 2016
Great story
Full of detail and a great story line. I loved the hero of the book. He was flawed yet strong and noble. The heroine for me was tough to like. I understand her to be of noble blood, however, I mostly found her immature, shrewish, and condescending. It is a lengthy read though but I believe worth the time.
Full of detail and a great story line. I loved the hero of the book. He was flawed yet strong and noble. The heroine for me was tough to like. I understand her to be of noble blood, however, I mostly found her immature, shrewish, and condescending. It is a lengthy read though but I believe worth the time.
January 29, 2014
A great idea for drawing upon a powerful character down through the generations. Robert of Bellesme stalks the pages of this book which takes place long after he is dead. He haunts all the characters, particularly the heroine. This is the fleshing out of historical romance in an unforgettable way.
January 4, 2016
Really good read, Heroine a bit haughty but she came round.
I am annoyed that on Amazon this book is listed as No 1 in this series where-as it is really No4. so i have read out of order.....not happy!!
I am annoyed that on Amazon this book is listed as No 1 in this series where-as it is really No4. so i have read out of order.....not happy!!
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February 17, 2014DNF
June 20, 2014
Great story and such a strong heroine. Maybe a little to prideful but in the end she learned.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews