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Kara Melek
“Mükemmel bir ortaçağ aşk hikayesi. ”
Affaire de Coeur
Onlar bölünmüş topraklarda, birbirlerini düşman biliyorlardı.
Ivesham’lı Caryn manastırın soğuk duvarları arasından kurtulup özgürlüğüne kavuşmayı beklemektedir. Acımasız Ral olarak tanınan Norman şövalye onu bir kez ölümden kurtarıp sonra kaderine terk ettiği günden beri Caryn, onu babasının topraklarına konan ve adamlarını kız kardeşinin üzerine salan bir adam olarak tanımaktadır. Halkına barış getirmek için onunla evlenmeyi kabul ettiğinde ise düşünceleri ve planları korkutucu bir hal alır.
Fakat kaderleri çarpışan kılıçlardan çok daha keskindi.
Esrarengiz Savaşçı’nın kanı, Caryn’in kıpkırmızı ve yakıcı dudaklarıyla lanetlenmiştir sanki. Vahşi bir tutkunun pençesinde olduğundan habersiz Ral, tehlikenin nereden geldiğini geç fark edecektir. Asi bir gelin, İngiliz ormanlarında gezinen kurtlardan ve haydutlardan daha ölümcül bir hain olabilir mi?
Affaire de Coeur
Onlar bölünmüş topraklarda, birbirlerini düşman biliyorlardı.
Ivesham’lı Caryn manastırın soğuk duvarları arasından kurtulup özgürlüğüne kavuşmayı beklemektedir. Acımasız Ral olarak tanınan Norman şövalye onu bir kez ölümden kurtarıp sonra kaderine terk ettiği günden beri Caryn, onu babasının topraklarına konan ve adamlarını kız kardeşinin üzerine salan bir adam olarak tanımaktadır. Halkına barış getirmek için onunla evlenmeyi kabul ettiğinde ise düşünceleri ve planları korkutucu bir hal alır.
Fakat kaderleri çarpışan kılıçlardan çok daha keskindi.
Esrarengiz Savaşçı’nın kanı, Caryn’in kıpkırmızı ve yakıcı dudaklarıyla lanetlenmiştir sanki. Vahşi bir tutkunun pençesinde olduğundan habersiz Ral, tehlikenin nereden geldiğini geç fark edecektir. Asi bir gelin, İngiliz ormanlarında gezinen kurtlardan ve haydutlardan daha ölümcül bir hain olabilir mi?
434 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 1994
49 people are currently reading
1063 people want to read
About the author
Kat Martin
189 books3,173 followersKathleen Kelly Martin (aka Kathy Lawrence, Kasey Mars)
Kathleen Kelly was born on 14 July 1947 in the Central Valley of California, USA. She obtained a degree in Anthropology and also studied History at the University of California in Santa Barbara. She was a real estate broker, when she met her future husband, Larry Jay Martin. A short time after the two became acquainted, Larry asked her to read an unpublished manuscript of an historical western he'd written. Kat fell in love with both the book and the author! Then, after doing some editing for him, she thought she'd try her own hand at writing. She moved on to become a full time writer.
Published since 1988, she signed her books with her married name, Kat Martin, but she also used two pseudonyms: Kathy Lawrence for a book in collaboration with her husband Larry Jay Martin, and Kasey Mars for her first contemporary romances. The New York Times bestselling writer, among her many awards, has won the prestigious RT Book Review Magazine Career Achievement Award. To date, Kat has over eleven million copies of her books in print. She has been published in seventeen foreign countries, including England, South Africa, Spain, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Bulgaria, China, and Korea.
Currently residing with her husband, a Western-writer and photographer, in Missoula, Montana, USA. But when they are not writing, they also enjoy skiing and traveling, particularly to Europe.
"I've always loved books. I was an avid reader, with any number of my own stories rolling around in my head. Writing them down seemed a logical step."
"I love anything old," Kat says. "I love to travel and especially like to visit the places where my books are set. My husband and I often stay in out-of-the-way inns and houses built in times past. It's fun and it gives a wonderful sense of a by-gone era."
Kathleen Kelly was born on 14 July 1947 in the Central Valley of California, USA. She obtained a degree in Anthropology and also studied History at the University of California in Santa Barbara. She was a real estate broker, when she met her future husband, Larry Jay Martin. A short time after the two became acquainted, Larry asked her to read an unpublished manuscript of an historical western he'd written. Kat fell in love with both the book and the author! Then, after doing some editing for him, she thought she'd try her own hand at writing. She moved on to become a full time writer.
Published since 1988, she signed her books with her married name, Kat Martin, but she also used two pseudonyms: Kathy Lawrence for a book in collaboration with her husband Larry Jay Martin, and Kasey Mars for her first contemporary romances. The New York Times bestselling writer, among her many awards, has won the prestigious RT Book Review Magazine Career Achievement Award. To date, Kat has over eleven million copies of her books in print. She has been published in seventeen foreign countries, including England, South Africa, Spain, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Bulgaria, China, and Korea.
Currently residing with her husband, a Western-writer and photographer, in Missoula, Montana, USA. But when they are not writing, they also enjoy skiing and traveling, particularly to Europe.
"I've always loved books. I was an avid reader, with any number of my own stories rolling around in my head. Writing them down seemed a logical step."
"I love anything old," Kat says. "I love to travel and especially like to visit the places where my books are set. My husband and I often stay in out-of-the-way inns and houses built in times past. It's fun and it gives a wonderful sense of a by-gone era."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
April 27, 2025
Reread: 1/8/21
Reread: 6/24/22
Reread: 4/27/25
I've determined that Ral has to be one of the lustiest H Ive read in a while. The chemistry between this couple is of the charts 🥵! It's the best part of the book.
I love the Norman Conquest era, and Ral is definitely from that time period. He's my type of H, but others might not feel the same. He does cheat on his wife. ONCE, and it was enough. Caryn makes him suffer for it. He has to grovel a lot.
This book is still a favorite of mine!
********orginal review *********,
Love this author and love this book! Probably, on my top favorite of KM's books.
Reread: 6/24/22
Reread: 4/27/25
I've determined that Ral has to be one of the lustiest H Ive read in a while. The chemistry between this couple is of the charts 🥵! It's the best part of the book.
I love the Norman Conquest era, and Ral is definitely from that time period. He's my type of H, but others might not feel the same. He does cheat on his wife. ONCE, and it was enough. Caryn makes him suffer for it. He has to grovel a lot.
This book is still a favorite of mine!
********orginal review *********,
Love this author and love this book! Probably, on my top favorite of KM's books.
March 30, 2016
Hero cheats on his wife with mistress.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2024
Review from 2016
C for narration; D for content.
I suppose I should have known what I was letting myself in for when I read the title and synopsis of Bold Angel:
It goes on to tell how the
… yeah, I should probably have moved on at that point, but I had decided I wanted to listen to Lucy Rayner, who has been listed as the narrator of several Julia Quinn romances being released in December (Splendid, Dancing at Midnight and Minx), in order to get an idea of her abilities and performance style.
The result is a mixed bag. It probably didn’t help that the story is unoriginal and the heroine made me want to wring her neck for pretty much the entire (seemingly interminable) fourteen hours and forty minutes of the audiobook. And I couldn’t help thinking that Ms. Rayner’s crystal-clear tones – while not unpleasant – are rather too bright for a romance. I kept expecting her to shout “jolly hockey sticks!” à la Joyce Grenfell whenever things got heated, difficult or angsty.
When we first meet our heroine, she and her older sister have been captured by a group of Norman knights. Her sister is raped, and the men are about to turn their attentions to Caryn when their lord, Raolfe de Gere, arrives in time to stop them. He rescues the sisters and delivers them to a local convent, where they remain for the next three years.
Caryn chafes under the strict routine of the convent and yearns for her freedom, even though her sister – who is mentally impaired due to a childhood accident – is happy and Caryn doesn’t think she could ever leave her. But the choice is taken away from her when men under the command of Stefan de Montreal storm the convent and help themselves to a half a dozen maidens – including Caryn – who they take to Braxton Keep where they are temporarily quartered. As the evil Stefan is about to have his way with Caryn, the lord of Braxton – Raolfe de Gere (Ral) – arrives and once again saves her from that terrible fate. The problem is that the only way he can do that is by proclaiming to everyone present that she is his betrothed. Caryn is horrified, wanting nothing whatsoever to do with the man she believes to have been one of those who raped her sister – but is convinced by Ral that it is either marriage to him or violation at the hands of de Montreal. This is probably the only time in the book that Caryn makes a sensible decision – she agrees to the marriage, but only on condition that she does not have to share Ral’s bed. In fact, she even asks him to continue to visit his mistress after they are married, alhough the few kisses they have shared have left her strangely warm and tingly. And confused.
This is 1072 when men were men and women were nothing; and Ral is a big, tough, manly man, so naturally, he avails himself of his wife’s permission to carry on shagging his bit on the side. While said bit on the side is your stereotypical spiteful beyotch, I couldn’t exactly blame Ral for continuing to sleep with her given his wife didn’t want him. Yet when I was treated to a sex scene between the pair (yeah, I could really have done without that – and there’s another one later on, too!) I found myself almost feeling sorry for the woman given how we’re told that all the while Ral is plundering her depths with his iron-hard manroot, he’s thinking about Caryn’s breasts and fantasising about her tight, wet ladyparts. Ugh.
Caryn eventually learns that Ral had nothing to do with her sister’s violation, decides that she fancies the pants off him and wants to get him into bed. After a bit of playing hard-to-get, Ral gives in (!) and bliss ensues. Until Ral starts to get ansty about the fact that he’s letting Caryn get too close or she has too much power over him… or something, so he decides to prove he is a big tough manly man – again – by shagging the bit on the side – again. I could sort of let the earlier strumpet rumpy-pumpy go, given that the marriage was in name only and there was no emotional connection between Ral and Caryn. But this time? Nope. And worse, we’re once again treated to Ral’s visualising Caryn instead of his mistress while doing the deed.
I was rolling my eyes so hard while listening to this it’s a wonder I can still see straight. In spite of his dumb manly insecurities, Ral is actually rather an attractive hero; a kind, patient (and by God did he need shedloads of patience!) and honourable man who, even when he makes the stupid mistake of having sex with another woman after he and Caryn have begun to share a bed – is solicitous of Caryn’s comfort and acts towards her like he’s a man very much in love –which he is. The problem is that I can’t work out why he would fall for Caryn, who is the worst kind of curl-tossing, foot-stamping, contrary heroine who defies her husband at every opportunity and even goes so far as to gainsay him in front of his men. She did nothing to earn my approbation or respect, and by the time it seems as though she’s finally started to grow up, it was too late, because I really couldn’t bring myself to give a flying… fig about her.
I recently reviewed a medieval romance in print format and said in my review that while I used to read a lot of medievals, I had not read many recently. Listening to Bold Angel reminded my why. It’s really difficult to write a medieval romance in which the hero and heroine fulfil the expectations of 21st century romance readers while also not behaving in a wildly anachronistic manner. This book, originally published in 1994, has the feel of a 70s or 80s bodice ripper.
There’s more I could say about the plot, but I think I’ve said enough to make it clear why I can’t recommend this audiobook. Sometimes a crappy storyline can be endured if you like listening to the narrator, but I can’t say I was particularly impressed by Lucy Rayner’s performance. I know that Shannon gave her narration in The Firebird an A and obviously we all have different tastes – but as I said at the beginning of this review, on the strength of her work here, I don’t think Ms. Rayner is particularly suited to narrating romance. She has a pleasing voice in the mezzo range, her pacing is fine and her diction is crystal clear, but sometimes her tone is overly harsh, and lacking in subtlety or expression. There were times I found myself wincing at obvious and painful overacting, usually when one of the female characters was being flirtatious or playful but ended up sounding like the worst kind of predatory vamp. Her male voices leave a lot to be desired, too. Ral is meant to be young, handsome and sexy, but instead he sounds puffed up, stuffy and portly. Stefan de Montreal, gets a suitably smarmy sounding nasal inflection, and Ms. Rayner makes use of a variety of regional accents with some success, although I did wonder why the Middle-Eastern healer, Hassan, sounded like an elderly English schoolmaster.
I will be giving one of those Julia Quinn audiobooks a try when they come out, in the hope that a better book might inspire a better performance from Ms. Rayner. But Bold Angel gets a big thumbs down in terms of both content and narration.
C for narration; D for content.
I suppose I should have known what I was letting myself in for when I read the title and synopsis of Bold Angel:
“Saxon beauty Caryn of Ivesham longed to escape the chill gray cloisters of the convent to which she’d fled-but not in marriage to the towering, feared Raolfe de Gere, the Norman knight they called Ral the Relentless.”
It goes on to tell how the
“darkly handsome warlord’s blood coursed with desire for Caryn’s burnished crimson lips”
… yeah, I should probably have moved on at that point, but I had decided I wanted to listen to Lucy Rayner, who has been listed as the narrator of several Julia Quinn romances being released in December (Splendid, Dancing at Midnight and Minx), in order to get an idea of her abilities and performance style.
The result is a mixed bag. It probably didn’t help that the story is unoriginal and the heroine made me want to wring her neck for pretty much the entire (seemingly interminable) fourteen hours and forty minutes of the audiobook. And I couldn’t help thinking that Ms. Rayner’s crystal-clear tones – while not unpleasant – are rather too bright for a romance. I kept expecting her to shout “jolly hockey sticks!” à la Joyce Grenfell whenever things got heated, difficult or angsty.
When we first meet our heroine, she and her older sister have been captured by a group of Norman knights. Her sister is raped, and the men are about to turn their attentions to Caryn when their lord, Raolfe de Gere, arrives in time to stop them. He rescues the sisters and delivers them to a local convent, where they remain for the next three years.
Caryn chafes under the strict routine of the convent and yearns for her freedom, even though her sister – who is mentally impaired due to a childhood accident – is happy and Caryn doesn’t think she could ever leave her. But the choice is taken away from her when men under the command of Stefan de Montreal storm the convent and help themselves to a half a dozen maidens – including Caryn – who they take to Braxton Keep where they are temporarily quartered. As the evil Stefan is about to have his way with Caryn, the lord of Braxton – Raolfe de Gere (Ral) – arrives and once again saves her from that terrible fate. The problem is that the only way he can do that is by proclaiming to everyone present that she is his betrothed. Caryn is horrified, wanting nothing whatsoever to do with the man she believes to have been one of those who raped her sister – but is convinced by Ral that it is either marriage to him or violation at the hands of de Montreal. This is probably the only time in the book that Caryn makes a sensible decision – she agrees to the marriage, but only on condition that she does not have to share Ral’s bed. In fact, she even asks him to continue to visit his mistress after they are married, alhough the few kisses they have shared have left her strangely warm and tingly. And confused.
This is 1072 when men were men and women were nothing; and Ral is a big, tough, manly man, so naturally, he avails himself of his wife’s permission to carry on shagging his bit on the side. While said bit on the side is your stereotypical spiteful beyotch, I couldn’t exactly blame Ral for continuing to sleep with her given his wife didn’t want him. Yet when I was treated to a sex scene between the pair (yeah, I could really have done without that – and there’s another one later on, too!) I found myself almost feeling sorry for the woman given how we’re told that all the while Ral is plundering her depths with his iron-hard manroot, he’s thinking about Caryn’s breasts and fantasising about her tight, wet ladyparts. Ugh.
Caryn eventually learns that Ral had nothing to do with her sister’s violation, decides that she fancies the pants off him and wants to get him into bed. After a bit of playing hard-to-get, Ral gives in (!) and bliss ensues. Until Ral starts to get ansty about the fact that he’s letting Caryn get too close or she has too much power over him… or something, so he decides to prove he is a big tough manly man – again – by shagging the bit on the side – again. I could sort of let the earlier strumpet rumpy-pumpy go, given that the marriage was in name only and there was no emotional connection between Ral and Caryn. But this time? Nope. And worse, we’re once again treated to Ral’s visualising Caryn instead of his mistress while doing the deed.
I was rolling my eyes so hard while listening to this it’s a wonder I can still see straight. In spite of his dumb manly insecurities, Ral is actually rather an attractive hero; a kind, patient (and by God did he need shedloads of patience!) and honourable man who, even when he makes the stupid mistake of having sex with another woman after he and Caryn have begun to share a bed – is solicitous of Caryn’s comfort and acts towards her like he’s a man very much in love –which he is. The problem is that I can’t work out why he would fall for Caryn, who is the worst kind of curl-tossing, foot-stamping, contrary heroine who defies her husband at every opportunity and even goes so far as to gainsay him in front of his men. She did nothing to earn my approbation or respect, and by the time it seems as though she’s finally started to grow up, it was too late, because I really couldn’t bring myself to give a flying… fig about her.
I recently reviewed a medieval romance in print format and said in my review that while I used to read a lot of medievals, I had not read many recently. Listening to Bold Angel reminded my why. It’s really difficult to write a medieval romance in which the hero and heroine fulfil the expectations of 21st century romance readers while also not behaving in a wildly anachronistic manner. This book, originally published in 1994, has the feel of a 70s or 80s bodice ripper.
There’s more I could say about the plot, but I think I’ve said enough to make it clear why I can’t recommend this audiobook. Sometimes a crappy storyline can be endured if you like listening to the narrator, but I can’t say I was particularly impressed by Lucy Rayner’s performance. I know that Shannon gave her narration in The Firebird an A and obviously we all have different tastes – but as I said at the beginning of this review, on the strength of her work here, I don’t think Ms. Rayner is particularly suited to narrating romance. She has a pleasing voice in the mezzo range, her pacing is fine and her diction is crystal clear, but sometimes her tone is overly harsh, and lacking in subtlety or expression. There were times I found myself wincing at obvious and painful overacting, usually when one of the female characters was being flirtatious or playful but ended up sounding like the worst kind of predatory vamp. Her male voices leave a lot to be desired, too. Ral is meant to be young, handsome and sexy, but instead he sounds puffed up, stuffy and portly. Stefan de Montreal, gets a suitably smarmy sounding nasal inflection, and Ms. Rayner makes use of a variety of regional accents with some success, although I did wonder why the Middle-Eastern healer, Hassan, sounded like an elderly English schoolmaster.
I will be giving one of those Julia Quinn audiobooks a try when they come out, in the hope that a better book might inspire a better performance from Ms. Rayner. But Bold Angel gets a big thumbs down in terms of both content and narration.
April 24, 2016
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
Summary
Caryn of Iversham, was sent to the convent for her and her sister's own protection after they were attacked by Norman's, but one particular Norman...A Knight Raolfe de Gere, saved her life. Caryn has always longed to free of the cold surroundings....she years for freedom and the outdoors. But doesn't know if she could ever leave her sister, who suffered a form of brain damage and has finally managed to find peace after being raped when they were attacked. But when some Norman's storm the Convent, and take her with them she comes face to face with Raolfe once again. The only way she can be saved from Raolfe's enemy of sorts who would ravish her, is for them to marry. At first Caryn refuses, but she realizes she has little choice. At first their marriage is a marriage of convenience, but she soon learns the power of desire. As Raolfe and Caryn discover passion....Caryn and Raolfe soon learn that the future of their marriage will have valleys and hills of misunderstandings and mistrust. But there is an enemy on the horizon that seeks to take what Raolfe wants for the people here, and only by trusting each other will they find their true happy ending.
The Hero
Raolfe de Gere, is a worthy Knight and has fought many battles. He is considered one of the most powerful Norman knights. He serves his lord with distinction and honor. Raolfe has a heart of gold in many matters. He deals with justice but judges fairly and openly. He was able to stop the attack on Caryn and her sister, but not in enough time to save her younger sister who saw beauty in every living thing. He has regretted that day ever since. Until he sees Caryn once again, and even though he doesn't trust her, he offers marriage to save her. Raolfe doesn't understand the powerful feelings he has for Caryn, and hurts her in ways he doesn't understand. Raolfe was a hero that learns the true meaning of love through trial and error. He makes mistakes (quite a few) and my heart ached for the heroine during some moments. But Raolfe is one of those characters, you love just the same. Because he loves Caryn and fears his feelings for her. Even when he thinks the worst of her, he treats her like a man in love would even when that women he loves hurts him deeply. He has character, honesty and is utterly loyal. He is to the core as honorable as can be.
The Heroine
Caryn of Iversham, is a Saxon beauty. Even though she isn't as beautiful as her sister...she has fiery red hair to match her personality. She longs for freedom, she loves to be out of doors, out in the sunshine and in nature. Her mind wanders, she has a wild imagination and a free and bold spirit. She can be a bit reckless in moments, but is loyal and kind hearted. What I really admired about her though, was seeing her tested through this story and find a heroine to admire. She definitely has to prove herself in this story. Life hasn't treated her very well but that happened to many during the Norman and Saxon wars. You see how she has been tested in the worst ways but comes out stronger than ever. I really admired Caryn, she knows which battles she has to fight and which ones you need to give in to!! Sometimes in matters of love you have to compromise, and we see Caryn learn how vital it is with Raolfe.
Plot and Story Line
I have been wanting to read this one for quite some time, and I had thought I had read if before, and if I had it was many years ago before there was even Goodreads. (Yes I have been reading romance that long hehe ) However the moment I picked up this book I was swept away by the romance and the building nature of the plot. I love this time period, but have only read a handful of romances that deal with the Norman and Saxons. Now this era and setting are very unique, it does deal with some challenges. But when this story takes place, is when the war is winding down slowly. The story does set off in a scene that really gives some background for Raolfe and Caryn and even the younger sister. I believe the sister had an accident when she was young and now suffers from some form of mental disability. She is trusting, loving and sees beauty in everything. My heart did break for her when she ends up being raped. But soon after that scene, we skip ahead. I love marriage of conveniences, and Kat Martin did a spectacular job with building this story. There are some villains, and one of them blew me away. Because I didn't see this character being so deception but he proves to be quite the worst of them. This pair comes across many challenges, and we do deal with some the hero spending time with his "Leman" of course this mostly happens before they end up TOGETHER!! And this was a common occurence in the time. There marriage at the beginning, was decided wasn't to include sex. It did bother me a bit, but I understand the reasons behind it. So this element in the story is not for everyone. However it didn't detract from the story much. I did like the way these two figure their "marriage"out. Its definitely some hills they have to climb to get to where they need to go. Their road isn't easy, but worthwhile in the end. The romance is heart felt and endearing in many ways.
The Cover
I love and adore this new cover!!! The pose, the dress and everything just fits this pair!!
Overall View
Bold Angel is a vibrant and tantalizing romance that is bound to sweep you off your feet!!! UTTERLY SWOON WORTHY from beginning to end.
Summary
Caryn of Iversham, was sent to the convent for her and her sister's own protection after they were attacked by Norman's, but one particular Norman...A Knight Raolfe de Gere, saved her life. Caryn has always longed to free of the cold surroundings....she years for freedom and the outdoors. But doesn't know if she could ever leave her sister, who suffered a form of brain damage and has finally managed to find peace after being raped when they were attacked. But when some Norman's storm the Convent, and take her with them she comes face to face with Raolfe once again. The only way she can be saved from Raolfe's enemy of sorts who would ravish her, is for them to marry. At first Caryn refuses, but she realizes she has little choice. At first their marriage is a marriage of convenience, but she soon learns the power of desire. As Raolfe and Caryn discover passion....Caryn and Raolfe soon learn that the future of their marriage will have valleys and hills of misunderstandings and mistrust. But there is an enemy on the horizon that seeks to take what Raolfe wants for the people here, and only by trusting each other will they find their true happy ending.
The Hero
Raolfe de Gere, is a worthy Knight and has fought many battles. He is considered one of the most powerful Norman knights. He serves his lord with distinction and honor. Raolfe has a heart of gold in many matters. He deals with justice but judges fairly and openly. He was able to stop the attack on Caryn and her sister, but not in enough time to save her younger sister who saw beauty in every living thing. He has regretted that day ever since. Until he sees Caryn once again, and even though he doesn't trust her, he offers marriage to save her. Raolfe doesn't understand the powerful feelings he has for Caryn, and hurts her in ways he doesn't understand. Raolfe was a hero that learns the true meaning of love through trial and error. He makes mistakes (quite a few) and my heart ached for the heroine during some moments. But Raolfe is one of those characters, you love just the same. Because he loves Caryn and fears his feelings for her. Even when he thinks the worst of her, he treats her like a man in love would even when that women he loves hurts him deeply. He has character, honesty and is utterly loyal. He is to the core as honorable as can be.
The Heroine
Caryn of Iversham, is a Saxon beauty. Even though she isn't as beautiful as her sister...she has fiery red hair to match her personality. She longs for freedom, she loves to be out of doors, out in the sunshine and in nature. Her mind wanders, she has a wild imagination and a free and bold spirit. She can be a bit reckless in moments, but is loyal and kind hearted. What I really admired about her though, was seeing her tested through this story and find a heroine to admire. She definitely has to prove herself in this story. Life hasn't treated her very well but that happened to many during the Norman and Saxon wars. You see how she has been tested in the worst ways but comes out stronger than ever. I really admired Caryn, she knows which battles she has to fight and which ones you need to give in to!! Sometimes in matters of love you have to compromise, and we see Caryn learn how vital it is with Raolfe.
Plot and Story Line
I have been wanting to read this one for quite some time, and I had thought I had read if before, and if I had it was many years ago before there was even Goodreads. (Yes I have been reading romance that long hehe ) However the moment I picked up this book I was swept away by the romance and the building nature of the plot. I love this time period, but have only read a handful of romances that deal with the Norman and Saxons. Now this era and setting are very unique, it does deal with some challenges. But when this story takes place, is when the war is winding down slowly. The story does set off in a scene that really gives some background for Raolfe and Caryn and even the younger sister. I believe the sister had an accident when she was young and now suffers from some form of mental disability. She is trusting, loving and sees beauty in everything. My heart did break for her when she ends up being raped. But soon after that scene, we skip ahead. I love marriage of conveniences, and Kat Martin did a spectacular job with building this story. There are some villains, and one of them blew me away. Because I didn't see this character being so deception but he proves to be quite the worst of them. This pair comes across many challenges, and we do deal with some the hero spending time with his "Leman" of course this mostly happens before they end up TOGETHER!! And this was a common occurence in the time. There marriage at the beginning, was decided wasn't to include sex. It did bother me a bit, but I understand the reasons behind it. So this element in the story is not for everyone. However it didn't detract from the story much. I did like the way these two figure their "marriage"out. Its definitely some hills they have to climb to get to where they need to go. Their road isn't easy, but worthwhile in the end. The romance is heart felt and endearing in many ways.
The Cover
I love and adore this new cover!!! The pose, the dress and everything just fits this pair!!
Overall View
Bold Angel is a vibrant and tantalizing romance that is bound to sweep you off your feet!!! UTTERLY SWOON WORTHY from beginning to end.
March 22, 2018
This one was below the radar but turned out to be a pleasant surprise. There was lots of excitement and angsty moments. The hero made some horrible mistakes based on false premsises that hit hard. I actually cried during many of the scenes. The very end could have been fleshed out a bit more but overall, definitely one of my recent favorites.
July 8, 2015
Entertaining Medieval Romance
Set in England in 1072, this is the story of Caryn of Ivesham, a Saxon, who once tried to save her older sister from a brutal rape at the hand of the Norman knights, but failed. Now both are living in a convent and Caryn longs to escape.
Though a series of events, Caryn finds herself betrothed to Raolfe de Gere, the Norman knight they called Ral the Relentless. He has been given Braxston Keep, once the dwelling of her Saxon family. She agrees to wed him for protection but arrives at a bargain she will not share his bed. Ral has a leman, a beautiful blonde, who takes care of his “needs.”
This is a well-told story with a good medieval feel though there is no history of the period here (and lots was happening in England then). Most of the story is set in or around Braxston Keep. Caryn finds herself attracted to her new husband and jealous of his leman and though Ral sleeps with his leman, he would prefer to bed his wife. Each is stubborn and fights the vulnerability that their growing love creates.
There’s lots of action and subplots in this one to keep you entertained and an evil knight who wants vengeance on Ral for suspense.
Set in England in 1072, this is the story of Caryn of Ivesham, a Saxon, who once tried to save her older sister from a brutal rape at the hand of the Norman knights, but failed. Now both are living in a convent and Caryn longs to escape.
Though a series of events, Caryn finds herself betrothed to Raolfe de Gere, the Norman knight they called Ral the Relentless. He has been given Braxston Keep, once the dwelling of her Saxon family. She agrees to wed him for protection but arrives at a bargain she will not share his bed. Ral has a leman, a beautiful blonde, who takes care of his “needs.”
This is a well-told story with a good medieval feel though there is no history of the period here (and lots was happening in England then). Most of the story is set in or around Braxston Keep. Caryn finds herself attracted to her new husband and jealous of his leman and though Ral sleeps with his leman, he would prefer to bed his wife. Each is stubborn and fights the vulnerability that their growing love creates.
There’s lots of action and subplots in this one to keep you entertained and an evil knight who wants vengeance on Ral for suspense.
December 29, 2015
H and h have an MOC. He sleeps with his mistress during the early part of their marriage until consummation. Then, at a later point, H cheats on the h--because he ~can't handle his feelings~ or doesn't want to be controlled by them or some BS--with his previous mistress.
He also hits the h at one point.
He also hits the h at one point.
He struck her such a blow that she reeled and slammed into the dirt. The salty taste of blood filled her mouth but Caryn welcomed it. She wished for its like and more, for in truth, she knew she deserved it.
May 27, 2015
ALERT! ALERT! Cheating hero!
Stay away from this my dear fidelity lovers!
Stay away from this my dear fidelity lovers!
January 17, 2022
FOUR POINT FIVE STARS
Another Kat Martin winner. My second book by the author and I'm looking forward to more!
Standalone
Narration: third-person
Length: 391 pages
Setting: Medieval England, 1069
Themes: Marriage of Convenience, Angst, (see shelves)
Content Warnings:
Sexy Times : Numerous *explicit* steamy scenes.
Music: Yes!-Dario Marianelli
Thoughts/Notes:
Can't help but compare the two books I've read by the author. The hero's internal struggle is similar to the one from Perfect Sin. Here, Ral fears losing his heart due to a past betrayal. In 'Perfect Sin,' Rand’s father had instilled in him that love was a weakness. This reluctance to love leads the two to commit huge mistakes. Personally, I preferred Rand's backstory. Maybe because it was heartbreaking and it made me more empathetic to him, I don't know. And in my opinion, the heroine in that one was a great deal more fierce and likable as well. In many ways, 'Perfect Sin' was superior. Or at least, it hit me harder in the feels than 'Bold Angel.'
Nonetheless, Ral & Caryn's story was highly enjoyable. The sexual tension between them was superb. The sexy times, amazingly well written. I loved Caryn's sister, Gweneth, too. She had an intellectual developmental disorder that resulted from a severe head injury (off page). Gweneth doesn't appear much on the pages but the few moments she did, she left her mark on me. The angst, of course, was also a plus in my book. I have to say, though, the scene where the angst hits the ultimate peak in the story...well, it didn't compare to 'Perfect Sin.' It didn't splinter my heart into smithereens like the other one did. Shit, I hope I haven't become desensitized. The next one better obliterate me LOL
What I didn't love:
✖️The repetitive expressions used by Caryn, like "Sweet Jesus" "Sweet Blessed Virgin"...
✖️The last part wasn't as engaging. Too predictable, perhaps.
✖️There was a secondary romance story that took up some page time during the second-half of the book. In spite of it being sort of original and even cute, it still made me impatient. I tend to get frustrated when the focus is taken off the leads in a romance book to accommodate a side couple.
HEA √ No epilogue.
Another Kat Martin winner. My second book by the author and I'm looking forward to more!
Standalone
Narration: third-person
Length: 391 pages
Setting: Medieval England, 1069
Themes: Marriage of Convenience, Angst, (see shelves)
Content Warnings:
Sexy Times : Numerous *explicit* steamy scenes.
Music: Yes!-Dario Marianelli
Thoughts/Notes:
Can't help but compare the two books I've read by the author. The hero's internal struggle is similar to the one from Perfect Sin. Here, Ral fears losing his heart due to a past betrayal. In 'Perfect Sin,' Rand’s father had instilled in him that love was a weakness. This reluctance to love leads the two to commit huge mistakes. Personally, I preferred Rand's backstory. Maybe because it was heartbreaking and it made me more empathetic to him, I don't know. And in my opinion, the heroine in that one was a great deal more fierce and likable as well. In many ways, 'Perfect Sin' was superior. Or at least, it hit me harder in the feels than 'Bold Angel.'
Nonetheless, Ral & Caryn's story was highly enjoyable. The sexual tension between them was superb. The sexy times, amazingly well written. I loved Caryn's sister, Gweneth, too. She had an intellectual developmental disorder that resulted from a severe head injury (off page). Gweneth doesn't appear much on the pages but the few moments she did, she left her mark on me. The angst, of course, was also a plus in my book. I have to say, though, the scene where the angst hits the ultimate peak in the story...well, it didn't compare to 'Perfect Sin.' It didn't splinter my heart into smithereens like the other one did. Shit, I hope I haven't become desensitized. The next one better obliterate me LOL
What I didn't love:
✖️The repetitive expressions used by Caryn, like "Sweet Jesus" "Sweet Blessed Virgin"...
✖️The last part wasn't as engaging. Too predictable, perhaps.
✖️There was a secondary romance story that took up some page time during the second-half of the book. In spite of it being sort of original and even cute, it still made me impatient. I tend to get frustrated when the focus is taken off the leads in a romance book to accommodate a side couple.
HEA √ No epilogue.
June 24, 2023
Wow was the hero an ass. I kept hoping there would be some character growth, but nope. Should’ve DNFed it.
August 11, 2020
Orta çağ zamanlarında geçen kitaplara bayılırım. Bunun en güzelleri benim için Gönülçelen ve Düşler Krallığı dır. Bu kitap onların yanından geçemez ama yine de okutturdu kendini.
June 13, 2020
Behold, we go back to the 1060-1070’s with this one when the Saxons were invaded by the Normans.
As far as bodice rippers go, this one is a lot milder than most. I took a long time to read this: in between work and quarantine and then some netflix, it definitely wasn’t one of those that you finish in one afternoon.
It was fast paced but I just kept focusing on other things to do or other books to read when not at work rather than reading this.
Safety: I’m a bit conflicted as to how to think about this given the era — the H has a mistress (“leman”) and he has sex with her before the marriage and after as well because the h didn’t want a “real and true” marriage and so the H vowed not to force the h into any sexual relationship. However, the H returns to his mistress after he has a relationship with the h as well because he is “conflicted” and does not want to admit that he is in love with her. So this is definitely considered cheating but given the era and their ways, I don’t know. It definitely was not right of him to do so.
Triggers:———-
There is a scene in the beginning where the h’s sister was brutally gangraped by Norman invaders (scene not written in detail thankfully, its just mentioned) while the h was hit and traumatised but not raped because she was younger and the H had come just in time to rescue them but he was too late in regards to her sister (her sister survived but actually already had a mental disorder, she didn’t realise what happened to her and never remembered, she was so innocent).
It was a very emotional scene and I really felt the sadness seeping through my bones. I don’t cry that easily but this scene really made my heart ache and I kept thinking about all the brutality that occurs during and after war in the name of the “spoils of war”.
This is the late 1060’s and we see a lot of war, war heroes and William the conquerer mentioned throughout the novel, this is the time when the Normans fought the Anglo-Saxons of England, H was a Norman who had King William’s well wishes , h was a Saxon.
The story begins after two years of that initial scene, so two years of the h and her sister living in a convent, there is another scene where the h was almost raped when she was stolen (along with 6 other convent girls) from the convent by the villain (Stephen of Marvel), H steps in on time and rescues her once again, and this is the part where he declares he will marry her because otherwise Stephen wouldn’t have let her go.
h is against the marriage, there are a lot of scenes where the H “disciplines” her. This is an era when women were not given any voice and this novel glaringly keeps reminding us of that “small” fact.
So definitely go into this one with a lot of precaution.
I kept reading this because despite it being a bodice ripper and having a lot of triggers, I found it interesting. And I don’t like harsh bodice rippers, this was really mild so that was a relief.
As far as bodice rippers go, this one is a lot milder than most. I took a long time to read this: in between work and quarantine and then some netflix, it definitely wasn’t one of those that you finish in one afternoon.
It was fast paced but I just kept focusing on other things to do or other books to read when not at work rather than reading this.
Safety: I’m a bit conflicted as to how to think about this given the era — the H has a mistress (“leman”) and he has sex with her before the marriage and after as well because the h didn’t want a “real and true” marriage and so the H vowed not to force the h into any sexual relationship. However, the H returns to his mistress after he has a relationship with the h as well because he is “conflicted” and does not want to admit that he is in love with her. So this is definitely considered cheating but given the era and their ways, I don’t know. It definitely was not right of him to do so.
Triggers:———-
There is a scene in the beginning where the h’s sister was brutally gangraped by Norman invaders (scene not written in detail thankfully, its just mentioned) while the h was hit and traumatised but not raped because she was younger and the H had come just in time to rescue them but he was too late in regards to her sister (her sister survived but actually already had a mental disorder, she didn’t realise what happened to her and never remembered, she was so innocent).
It was a very emotional scene and I really felt the sadness seeping through my bones. I don’t cry that easily but this scene really made my heart ache and I kept thinking about all the brutality that occurs during and after war in the name of the “spoils of war”.
This is the late 1060’s and we see a lot of war, war heroes and William the conquerer mentioned throughout the novel, this is the time when the Normans fought the Anglo-Saxons of England, H was a Norman who had King William’s well wishes , h was a Saxon.
The story begins after two years of that initial scene, so two years of the h and her sister living in a convent, there is another scene where the h was almost raped when she was stolen (along with 6 other convent girls) from the convent by the villain (Stephen of Marvel), H steps in on time and rescues her once again, and this is the part where he declares he will marry her because otherwise Stephen wouldn’t have let her go.
h is against the marriage, there are a lot of scenes where the H “disciplines” her. This is an era when women were not given any voice and this novel glaringly keeps reminding us of that “small” fact.
So definitely go into this one with a lot of precaution.
I kept reading this because despite it being a bodice ripper and having a lot of triggers, I found it interesting. And I don’t like harsh bodice rippers, this was really mild so that was a relief.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2013
Hikayeyi gerçekten sevdim. Kitabı alırken çok fazla kararsızlık yaşamıştım; okuduğum yorumlarda kimisi çok beğenmişti kimisi hiç beğenmemişti...Ben beğenenlerdenim. :)
Çoğu arkadaşımın tavsiyesine uyarak, hikayenin geçtiği dönemin koşullarının, yaşayış biçiminin ve düşünce yapısının bilincinde olarak başladım kitaba. Ama elbette bu, başta Ral olmak üzere, karakterlere çoğu yerde kızmamı engelleyemedi.Evet, Ral'in Caryn'e davranışlarına ve umursamazlıklarına çok kızdım, Ral'e lanetler okudum. Ama daha sonra derinlemesine düşününce o lanetlerimin küçücük bir kısmını geri aldım. :D Öncelikle korkan bir adam o. Canının yanmasından, kalbinin kırılmasından çok korkuyor. Ve bir yandan da etrafındakilerin onun nasıl yaşaması, nasıl davranışlar sergilemesi gerektiğini düşünmeleri var. Üstelik bunlara ve tüm inkarlarına rağmen de aşık. Evet, evet kesinlikle aşık. Bu o en büyük hatasını yapmaya karar verdiği zaman bile aşikardı. Bunların birleşiminden acımasız bir adam beklememekte olmazdı herhalde. :P
Caryn'in ise biraz daha eli maşalı olmasını, biraz daha kafa tutmasını isterdim. Arkasındaki nedenler ne olursa olsun az-buz şeyler yapmadı şimdi Ral. Biraz daha kıvranması, az daha acı çekmesi hiç fena olmazdı hani. :)
Genel olarak ise gerçekten hop oturup hop kaldırtan bir hikayeydi. Yanlış anlaşılmalar havada uçuştu adeta... :) Yazarın anlatımı iyiydi ve duyguları iyi hissettirdiğini düşünüyorum. Sonuç olarak Kat Martin kitaplığımda gelecek diğer kitaplarına yer açtığım yazarlar arasına girmiş bulunmakta.
Çoğu arkadaşımın tavsiyesine uyarak, hikayenin geçtiği dönemin koşullarının, yaşayış biçiminin ve düşünce yapısının bilincinde olarak başladım kitaba. Ama elbette bu, başta Ral olmak üzere, karakterlere çoğu yerde kızmamı engelleyemedi.Evet, Ral'in Caryn'e davranışlarına ve umursamazlıklarına çok kızdım, Ral'e lanetler okudum. Ama daha sonra derinlemesine düşününce o lanetlerimin küçücük bir kısmını geri aldım. :D Öncelikle korkan bir adam o. Canının yanmasından, kalbinin kırılmasından çok korkuyor. Ve bir yandan da etrafındakilerin onun nasıl yaşaması, nasıl davranışlar sergilemesi gerektiğini düşünmeleri var. Üstelik bunlara ve tüm inkarlarına rağmen de aşık. Evet, evet kesinlikle aşık. Bu o en büyük hatasını yapmaya karar verdiği zaman bile aşikardı. Bunların birleşiminden acımasız bir adam beklememekte olmazdı herhalde. :P
Caryn'in ise biraz daha eli maşalı olmasını, biraz daha kafa tutmasını isterdim. Arkasındaki nedenler ne olursa olsun az-buz şeyler yapmadı şimdi Ral. Biraz daha kıvranması, az daha acı çekmesi hiç fena olmazdı hani. :)
Genel olarak ise gerçekten hop oturup hop kaldırtan bir hikayeydi. Yanlış anlaşılmalar havada uçuştu adeta... :) Yazarın anlatımı iyiydi ve duyguları iyi hissettirdiğini düşünüyorum. Sonuç olarak Kat Martin kitaplığımda gelecek diğer kitaplarına yer açtığım yazarlar arasına girmiş bulunmakta.
October 17, 2012
Kitabı beğendim,güzel bir hikayeydi,bir çok yerde kitabı fırlatma isteğime rağmen yinede devam etmek yazarın kabiliyeti işte dedirtiyor :)Tarzı bana biraz Henleyi anımsattı tek farkı tarihle bağlantılı yazmamasıydı.Hop oturtup hop kaldırmasıysa kesinlikle aynıydı ,bir çok yerde acaba neler olacak diye heyecanlandım.
Yer yer erkek karakter çileden çıkarttı ama bayan karakterin intikamları okunmaya değer doğrusu.Kitabı okurken unutmamak gereken önemli bir detay var ortaçağda geçmesi,bazı şeyleri sindirmek kolay değil ama o zamanlarda savaşlarda yaşanan şeyler ve erkeklerin ben ne istersem yaparım egemenliği hakim maalesef :S
Kısacası ben ne kadar anlatmaya çalışsam da bu kitabı okumadan karar vermeniz mümkün değil,ben beğendim ,yazarın takipçisi olacağım ve daha ne gibi şeyler bizi bekliyor merak ediyorum :)Umarım sizlerde beğenirsiniz.Koridor'a çok teşekkürler yine güzel bir yazarla tanıştırdı bizleri.
Yer yer erkek karakter çileden çıkarttı ama bayan karakterin intikamları okunmaya değer doğrusu.Kitabı okurken unutmamak gereken önemli bir detay var ortaçağda geçmesi,bazı şeyleri sindirmek kolay değil ama o zamanlarda savaşlarda yaşanan şeyler ve erkeklerin ben ne istersem yaparım egemenliği hakim maalesef :S
Kısacası ben ne kadar anlatmaya çalışsam da bu kitabı okumadan karar vermeniz mümkün değil,ben beğendim ,yazarın takipçisi olacağım ve daha ne gibi şeyler bizi bekliyor merak ediyorum :)Umarım sizlerde beğenirsiniz.Koridor'a çok teşekkürler yine güzel bir yazarla tanıştırdı bizleri.
July 8, 2012
Bu yorum aynı zamanda Romancekolikte yayınlanmıştır.
English review;
This book is my first Kat Martin novels. It's recommended from my dear friend. Because I like medieval novels but these eras novels is sometime too tough, too hard to except. But anyway I like this book but male character is like ox. And the girl characters is too naive to her own good. I understand and except it male characters motive most of the time but cheating is not my liking. And his excuse for such a thing is humorous. Maybe he has a heart ache long ago and maybe he is afraid to love womens doesn't mean cheating is destroy affection. Why yes something like that destroy affection not men, in the womens. I put myself on the characters - even though women in this eras is not warranted to talk such a thing - I cannot except and live with that cheating husband. These things destroy humans being, heart and soul. Whatever except these condition story is perfect, thriller. I don't regret being read this book.
Türkçe yorumum;
Kitap benim bir ablamın önerisiydi. Şu aralar orta çağ kitapları okumaya merak sardım. O dönemin sertlikleri beni pek etkilemesede bazen kabul edemeyeceğim şeyleri karşıma çıkarıyor. Mesela bu kitapta oğlan karakterimizin kıza karşı ilgisini yoketmesi açısından metresine koşması beni karakterden soğuttu. Boğasım var o Ral'i ! Çoğu yerde hop oturup hop kalktım.
İkili arasında çok yanlış anlaşılmalar oldu. Herşeye rağmen okuduğuma pişman değilim. Hikaye 1072'de Normanlı William'ın İngiltereyi işgalinden sonrasını anlatıyor. Konumuz Acımasız Ral diye nam almış savaşçımızın bir gün açıklık bir arazide güzel bir kız görmesi ve o kızın ona çiçek uzatmasıyla başlıyor. Bu kız hoşuna gitsede hemen yanında onu koruyan bir kız belirip kardeşini koruduğunda, iki kızın tek başına bu tür yerlerde dolaşmamasını ve etrafta durumdan yararlanacak insanların olduğunu söyleyip kızları evlerine gönderiyor.
İşine geri dönüyor ama aklı kızlarda aradan saatler geçipte bir grup savaşçının tecavüz etmeye çalıştığı kızlarla karşılaşıyorlar ve Ral yerdeki o iki kızın daha önceleri gördüğü kızlar olduğunu görüyor. Ona çiçek uzatan kız boş gözlerle gökyüzüne bakıyor - bir kaza sonucu kızın akli dengesi yerinde değil pek saf biraz - , üstü başı yıpranmış ve tecavüze uğramış. Diğer kız - yani koruyucu olan - yüzü gözü kan için savaş vermekte.
Ral adamların bir kaçını kılıçtan geçirip kızları bir kaç askeriyle beraber iyileşmeleri için manastıra gönderiyor. Aradan 3 yıl geçiyor bizim asıl kızımız olan Caryn zaten ele avuca sığmaz bir kız manastırda sorunlar çıkartıyor derken bir gün manastıra onlara tecavüz etmeye çalışan adamların efendisi gelip yardım için genç kızlar istediklerini söylüyor. Kimse şüphelenmiyor, kimse sorgulayamıyor. Çünkü adam kralın en yakın arkadaşının oğlu. Bizim kızda bu görüntüyü gizlice izlerken askerlerden biri bunu tutup atına atıyor.
Kızın eskiden babasına ait olan - şimdi William'ı kurtardığı için Ral'e ait - kaleye götürüyorlar. Süt annesi kızı bu barbarlardan kurtarmaya çalışıyor. Neyse ki tam zamanında Ral yetişiyor. Stephan - yani kızlara tecavüz etmeye niyetlenenlerin lideri - kızın elbiselerini parçalarken engel oluyor Ral. Kızı tanıyor tabikide. Zaten kızların başına gelen kötü işten kendini sorumlu tutuyor. O benim nişanlım diyip kıza sahip çıkıyor.
Ama Stephan kanmıyor ilk başta sonra krala evlenmeniz için izni vermesini hızlandırmasını söyleyeceğim deyip bırakıyor kızı. Böylelikle evlenmeye mecbur kalıyorlar. Kız kaçıyor ama oğlan başına bir şey gelmeden yakalıyor. Derken olaylar peşi sıra geliyor bol olaylı bir kitap bu anlattığım kitabın çeyreği bile değil diyebilirim :))
English review;
This book is my first Kat Martin novels. It's recommended from my dear friend. Because I like medieval novels but these eras novels is sometime too tough, too hard to except. But anyway I like this book but male character is like ox. And the girl characters is too naive to her own good. I understand and except it male characters motive most of the time but cheating is not my liking. And his excuse for such a thing is humorous. Maybe he has a heart ache long ago and maybe he is afraid to love womens doesn't mean cheating is destroy affection. Why yes something like that destroy affection not men, in the womens. I put myself on the characters - even though women in this eras is not warranted to talk such a thing - I cannot except and live with that cheating husband. These things destroy humans being, heart and soul. Whatever except these condition story is perfect, thriller. I don't regret being read this book.
Türkçe yorumum;
Kitap benim bir ablamın önerisiydi. Şu aralar orta çağ kitapları okumaya merak sardım. O dönemin sertlikleri beni pek etkilemesede bazen kabul edemeyeceğim şeyleri karşıma çıkarıyor. Mesela bu kitapta oğlan karakterimizin kıza karşı ilgisini yoketmesi açısından metresine koşması beni karakterden soğuttu. Boğasım var o Ral'i ! Çoğu yerde hop oturup hop kalktım.
İkili arasında çok yanlış anlaşılmalar oldu. Herşeye rağmen okuduğuma pişman değilim. Hikaye 1072'de Normanlı William'ın İngiltereyi işgalinden sonrasını anlatıyor. Konumuz Acımasız Ral diye nam almış savaşçımızın bir gün açıklık bir arazide güzel bir kız görmesi ve o kızın ona çiçek uzatmasıyla başlıyor. Bu kız hoşuna gitsede hemen yanında onu koruyan bir kız belirip kardeşini koruduğunda, iki kızın tek başına bu tür yerlerde dolaşmamasını ve etrafta durumdan yararlanacak insanların olduğunu söyleyip kızları evlerine gönderiyor.
İşine geri dönüyor ama aklı kızlarda aradan saatler geçipte bir grup savaşçının tecavüz etmeye çalıştığı kızlarla karşılaşıyorlar ve Ral yerdeki o iki kızın daha önceleri gördüğü kızlar olduğunu görüyor. Ona çiçek uzatan kız boş gözlerle gökyüzüne bakıyor - bir kaza sonucu kızın akli dengesi yerinde değil pek saf biraz - , üstü başı yıpranmış ve tecavüze uğramış. Diğer kız - yani koruyucu olan - yüzü gözü kan için savaş vermekte.
Ral adamların bir kaçını kılıçtan geçirip kızları bir kaç askeriyle beraber iyileşmeleri için manastıra gönderiyor. Aradan 3 yıl geçiyor bizim asıl kızımız olan Caryn zaten ele avuca sığmaz bir kız manastırda sorunlar çıkartıyor derken bir gün manastıra onlara tecavüz etmeye çalışan adamların efendisi gelip yardım için genç kızlar istediklerini söylüyor. Kimse şüphelenmiyor, kimse sorgulayamıyor. Çünkü adam kralın en yakın arkadaşının oğlu. Bizim kızda bu görüntüyü gizlice izlerken askerlerden biri bunu tutup atına atıyor.
Kızın eskiden babasına ait olan - şimdi William'ı kurtardığı için Ral'e ait - kaleye götürüyorlar. Süt annesi kızı bu barbarlardan kurtarmaya çalışıyor. Neyse ki tam zamanında Ral yetişiyor. Stephan - yani kızlara tecavüz etmeye niyetlenenlerin lideri - kızın elbiselerini parçalarken engel oluyor Ral. Kızı tanıyor tabikide. Zaten kızların başına gelen kötü işten kendini sorumlu tutuyor. O benim nişanlım diyip kıza sahip çıkıyor.
Ama Stephan kanmıyor ilk başta sonra krala evlenmeniz için izni vermesini hızlandırmasını söyleyeceğim deyip bırakıyor kızı. Böylelikle evlenmeye mecbur kalıyorlar. Kız kaçıyor ama oğlan başına bir şey gelmeden yakalıyor. Derken olaylar peşi sıra geliyor bol olaylı bir kitap bu anlattığım kitabın çeyreği bile değil diyebilirim :))
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2019
I knew it was a medieval romance so the love would obviously be backwards lol...
But nothing prepared me to this!
I was so sick of reading those men talking about planting their seeds and taking-riding the wenches... Just no, enough!
I had enough of Ral worrying he would tear Caryn if he took her because you know, he is so big and twice her size. His Manroot wouldn't fit blabla....
And I was over Caryn and her dumb ass!
After she finally "became his wife in truth" meaning the manroot finally found his way (lol), I skipped till the ending near 92%. So I skipped from around 50% to 92%, save me headache woohoo!
Anyway, the ending was crappy and super dramatic with the king making an appearance and also a duel and a kidnapping plus lots of I-love-you...
My problem with this book may be the fact that I was not really open-minded while reading it. I love historical romance but more like regency. This one was too primitive lool so I hated the characters and their barbaric love lmao.
But nothing prepared me to this!
I was so sick of reading those men talking about planting their seeds and taking-riding the wenches... Just no, enough!
I had enough of Ral worrying he would tear Caryn if he took her because you know, he is so big and twice her size. His Manroot wouldn't fit blabla....
And I was over Caryn and her dumb ass!
After she finally "became his wife in truth" meaning the manroot finally found his way (lol), I skipped till the ending near 92%. So I skipped from around 50% to 92%, save me headache woohoo!
Anyway, the ending was crappy and super dramatic with the king making an appearance and also a duel and a kidnapping plus lots of I-love-you...
My problem with this book may be the fact that I was not really open-minded while reading it. I love historical romance but more like regency. This one was too primitive lool so I hated the characters and their barbaric love lmao.
October 2, 2015
DNF
I was squealing like a little girl through half this book. I had just finished reading the Windflower so it was pretty impressive that I was gaga over Ral.
End of love.
All I can say is Ral is a sonofabitch. I had no idea how much I valued fidelity until he started dipping his man-root (wtf is a man-root?!) into the hussy-root.
WTF Kat Martin?! I LOVED Ral and I swear to God the change in course broke my heart. Poor Caryn. IMO, she should upend a barrel and take him over HER knee. I do not give a fig how many people like that sort of angst, you cheat once and your blacklisted in my book. Why was this even necessary? Rescuing women, proclaiming to want a marriage in truth, and then...yup, conforming to those male stereotypes of needing a lusty wench with shapely thighs to delve between.
Human Centipede was a better love story. At least all the parts stayed in connect to where they were placed.
I was squealing like a little girl through half this book. I had just finished reading the Windflower so it was pretty impressive that I was gaga over Ral.
End of love.
All I can say is Ral is a sonofabitch. I had no idea how much I valued fidelity until he started dipping his man-root (wtf is a man-root?!) into the hussy-root.
WTF Kat Martin?! I LOVED Ral and I swear to God the change in course broke my heart. Poor Caryn. IMO, she should upend a barrel and take him over HER knee. I do not give a fig how many people like that sort of angst, you cheat once and your blacklisted in my book. Why was this even necessary? Rescuing women, proclaiming to want a marriage in truth, and then...yup, conforming to those male stereotypes of needing a lusty wench with shapely thighs to delve between.
Human Centipede was a better love story. At least all the parts stayed in connect to where they were placed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2012
Konu ve kurgu tanıdık olsa da , yazarın tarzı ve kaleminin gücü sayesinde etkileyici bir kitap olmuş diyebilirim . Kitap bana sert gelmedi nedense :) öyle ki kafamda , daha kitabı okumadan sert ve bildiğinden şaşmayan bir erkek karakter imgesi çizmiş ve kitaba bu şekilde başlamıştım :)) fakat bunun aksine ben erkek karakteri sevdim , yeri geldiğinde anlayışlı ve iradeliydi :) üstelik kadın karakterin başlarda gösterdiği inatçılığa ve inata ben dayanamamışken , Ralf sabır göstererek benden olumlu puan aldı diyebilirim :))) çevirisi ve kurgusu ile severek okudum ve yazarın takipçisi olacağımı söylemek istiyorum .. Umarım Koridor Yayınevi yazarın kitaplarını fazla ara vermeden bizlerle buluşturur , okumamış olan arkadaşlara tavsiye ederim , elinizden düşürmeden okuyabileceğiniz güzel bir hikaye . :))
April 28, 2017
Historical okumayı özlediğim için bir hevesle başladım..
Konuyu, anlatımı, karakterleri falan da çok beğendim.
Ama var bir eksiklik işte :(
Konuyu, anlatımı, karakterleri falan da çok beğendim.
Ama var bir eksiklik işte :(
February 10, 2025
I confess that maybe I'm a bit the problem with this book, I've read many romances with similar plot, many were very good, so not comparing was impossible for me especially considering how bad this book is.
What the plot promised;
A beautiful, witty, brave Saxon lady who is forced to marry a Norman warrior, who is handsome, powerful, responsible and brave, they consider each other enemies but passion and love make them a happy marriage.
What I got instead was a silly and strange story in which a clumsy man, average warrior, unimportant, and naive, spends his time excited by his wife, of short stature and who turns out to be the stupidest heroine in the world. 😖😵💫😵
The plot: Caryn is an orphan, but she comes from an important and wealthy Saxon family, she lives in a castle with her uncle, but Caryn is a good-for-nothing who seems to come from another planet, she doesn't know how to do women's duties or want to do them, she's not interested in ladies' hobbies, she doesn't obey or respect anyone, she dreams of going hunting, doing farm work, and traveling on horseback.
Has she done any of those things? NOOOOO Does she knows how to do those things? NOOOO
And then why does she long for that? NO IDEA
I suppose to make her different and unique, well our uniquely stupid Caryn, considers that it is a good idea to leave the castle without escort and without surveillance despite the fact that thousands of Norman soldiers are devastating England killing Saxons and raping women, but Caryn does not care and spends her time walking through the forest with her sister Gwen, who is more beautiful than Caryn but has a strong mental illness that makes her like a child, one day they run into Ral a Norman warrior, who leads troops, Ral gets excited to see Gwen, while fighting with Caryn, he says goodbye to them advising the sisters to go home, but the brilliant Caryn is not going to obey any man 🙄😒 besides it is a beautiful day, so she continues through the forest until other Normans find them and savagely rape Gwen, Caryn is saved because she is not that pretty and it's thin and also Ral saves them and takes them to a convent, years pass, the Normans settle down permanently, Caryn and her sister have been in the convent, but Caryn is still the same idiot, she does not obey, she dreams of being free, and the same nonsense, until one day bad Normans come to the convent, they steal several novices including Caryn, to save her from another rape, Ral makes her his wife, what does Caryn do? Well, she gets angry 🤣 and tries to flee to the forest 🤨 but since she is an idiot even to ride Ral finds her, and they end up returning to the castle and they get married , but Caryn refuses to sleep with Ral, and he continues with his mistress Lynette, and here there is something I don't understand why she is his mistress ??? Ral tells us that she is not attractive to him, she is hateful, stupid, vain and nobody wants her, so why, having so many women, has Ral stayed with Lynette for years? NO IDEA...
But over time Caryn begins to desire her husband, buuuut it turns out that the idiot thinks that he is one of those who raped her sister, she doesn't remember anything and she has no reason to believe that he raped Gwen but Caryn is not the brightest person in the world so she acts angry while she desires Ral, which was really weird seriously, you are sure that a man raped and beat your sister but you want to have sex with him, you dream about it and you long to feel it ..... 😵🤨 Really ???
Well almost half the book later they clarify the problem, they start having sex, they fall in love, but Ral doesn't want to be the weird one in his group, you know, be faithful and be in love!!! 🤣 Because is something so so so weird sooo unique .... I mean King William was in love with his wife and was faithful, but Ral is like what the hell!!! I can't be that ridiculous!!!!
So he walks away from Caryn and cheats on
her with Lynette, Caryn cries kicks and gets angry BUT.... only like half a day, then she goes back to being the same immature person, and doesn't do much to show her anger or her dignity, Ral in matter of hours have sex with her again, he practically coaxes her because that's how he wants to show her his affection (???) Friend, you know that jewels exist, right?
And the words to say I love you or I'm sorry??? Well he never really gets around to apologizing, and before he says a single word of regret Caryn has already succumbed to his good sex and BOOM the relationship is mended, Lynette is sent away, Ral has decided that he will be faithful and blah blah blah...
There really isn't much romance between them and the story is quite simple and repetitive, ALL the misunderstandings and problems are caused by Caryn who goes through life being a stupid rebel, she doesn't want to be a medieval wife, so she refuses to obey, work at home, manage the house or listen to her husband, of course our hero Ral is a super strict and firm man, so he must punish Caryn whenever she disobeys, which is practically every 2 pages, and how our super experienced Military leader deals with someone like her? 🤨🤔Well, spanking her yes you read that right and it's not even a sexy or funny moment, it's just weird and silly.....
What's more, I have news for you is a COMPLETELY USELESS action.... Caryn spends 90% of the story doing exactly what they FORBIDDEN her to do, even the things that her friends ADVISED her NOT to do , she does them and well, rebellion is something fun, and even pleasant to read in a Medieval heroine, but for my mother Caryn is an idiot, as I already said, she always acts against common sense or human intelligence, for example if there is a cliff there and Ral tells her not to jump because she is going to kill herself , she thinks "I won't obey you, I have no reason to jump but to hell with it I'll do it"......
And she has that stupid attitude all the time, the problem is not her rebellion but how stupid she is, the things she does always bring horrible consequences like the rape of her sister, but she simply does not learn, she does not understand, it seems as if she were the one with the mental illness, she also does things that crossed the limit for me, like being friendly and nice to Stephen, her husband's enemy and the one who directed the rape of her sister , Caryn knows everything but it's still friendly and thinks that because Stephen took a bath that made him more decent... 🥴LOL Well, the last 5 pages Carys is like "Oh, I think that I like to be obedient, submissive and work at home, so that's what I'll be like" And she completely changes her attitude.
Did his change make sense? Not, it only make her look more strange and stupid...
Well the ending tries to add some drama by making Caryn reveal a secret of Ral's, but I won't be unfair, Caryn the poor thing was drugged, but well the secret is used by the enemies of Ral, many good people die, she feels bad but everything is forgiven and nothing else, she will live happily with Ral forever...... 😑😴😓
The truth is that I don't have anything positive to say, the writing is not the type I like, it's quite messy, maybe a better organization of the chapters would help, and let's not talk about the dialogues, most of the time you don't even know who's saying what thing, nor who answers to whom.
The story is very bad, historically this is a period that I love to read about, but here many times I felt that this story was not set in that time, fantastical and ridiculous things appeared, Caryn is an unpleasant character but also she is not a character of a medieval nature, and look, I understand that you want to make your heroine an independent, different and free woman, but the author failed in her attempt, and when you talk about a time like the medieval one where women were submissive, religious and had zero power, 0 opportunities 0 rights, so you must be careful how independent and rebellious you want to make your heroine because if you exaggerate it will not only be unrealistic, it is absurd, that is what happens here, it seemed as if Caryn had arrived from the future, it was so ridiculous .....😒🫠...well actually the whole plot is ridiculous, a Norman man who is at the highest point of his career, who has just received Saxon lands from King William, like Ral would never have married someone like Caryn , without dowry, without family, without any noble connection, William would never have allowed it, nor would he have congratulated him, furthermore we are talking about a time when the Norman conquest was far from being a fact, many rebellions came for decades, but Ral more than a warrior on guard, looks like a retired soldier who is at home thinking about how to make his wife obey him and asking for advice on how to have a good marriage from an elderly Saxon servant, who talks to him as if he were useless kid Ha ha ha it's like :
Ral: I'm very angry that Caryn told my enemies how to destroy me.
Old Maid: Caryn is a great girl and if she does stupid things it is by pure accident and if you don't value her you will be a big fool
Ral: You're right, I'm going to ask for forgiveness on my knees, although she is the one who made a mistake and ruined the life of the town with her recklessness.
I'm not exaggerating this ridiculously is the situation, now I accept that at least Ral, unlike Caryn, is more of a medieval man than a modern one, he is bossy, brutish, strict or at least that is what he pretends to be, although he is too good with the poor, the needy, the weak, I never saw that fearsome warrior, that the book promised.
Now as for infidelity, I will say that although many readers hate it, it seemed to me to be the only moment in which anguish and drama give some life to the story, in which the reality of the time in which the novel is set is truly reflected, it even seemed that the couple, the story, the characters would finally evolve, it didn't happen to the end and the truth is that I don't feel that Ral paid in the slightest.
The secondary characters are disgusting, really, everyone is boring, they love Caryn and Ral, the good guys are unfunny, they are saints, perfect workers, perfect soldiers..., the subplots are just as bad, the Saxon princess who faked her death and pretended to be a man (what the hell??) So illogical and so absurd that I almost laughed, then she falls in love with an employee and they get married.... which was predictable and unreal... I think the only thing that I found interesting, realistic and even moving is the past of the villain Stephen, although I think that the incestuous relationship with his sister was a bit much, even so it is still a realistic touch.
Now, finally, I will say that I did not expect this novel to be sooooo full of sex, and I am not only referring to the scenes, which are quite a few, but also to the fact that Ral gets excited all the time and thinks about sex, Caryn the same, and it's not that it's bad, but many times that falls into inappropriateness, some examples:
Ral gets excited thinking about his sister-in-law too many times for my liking, ok the first time is understandable, because he just met her, she is very beautiful, he has been away from women, but he does it throughout the entire book and If we take into account that she is mentally retarded, that she was raped and that she is his SISTER-IN-LAW, that really was too much. Then we have him thinking about how he wants to accommodate Caryn during sex, how small she is and how much that turns him on, that in itself isn't bad either, but even when bad or war things are happening like people begging him for his life, or a guy telling him that they are starving, he thinks about that, all the time...........
I'm sorry I can't say nothing good and it's just the type of book that made me decide never read anything by the same author.
What the plot promised;
A beautiful, witty, brave Saxon lady who is forced to marry a Norman warrior, who is handsome, powerful, responsible and brave, they consider each other enemies but passion and love make them a happy marriage.
What I got instead was a silly and strange story in which a clumsy man, average warrior, unimportant, and naive, spends his time excited by his wife, of short stature and who turns out to be the stupidest heroine in the world. 😖😵💫😵
The plot: Caryn is an orphan, but she comes from an important and wealthy Saxon family, she lives in a castle with her uncle, but Caryn is a good-for-nothing who seems to come from another planet, she doesn't know how to do women's duties or want to do them, she's not interested in ladies' hobbies, she doesn't obey or respect anyone, she dreams of going hunting, doing farm work, and traveling on horseback.
Has she done any of those things? NOOOOO Does she knows how to do those things? NOOOO
And then why does she long for that? NO IDEA
I suppose to make her different and unique, well our uniquely stupid Caryn, considers that it is a good idea to leave the castle without escort and without surveillance despite the fact that thousands of Norman soldiers are devastating England killing Saxons and raping women, but Caryn does not care and spends her time walking through the forest with her sister Gwen, who is more beautiful than Caryn but has a strong mental illness that makes her like a child, one day they run into Ral a Norman warrior, who leads troops, Ral gets excited to see Gwen, while fighting with Caryn, he says goodbye to them advising the sisters to go home, but the brilliant Caryn is not going to obey any man 🙄😒 besides it is a beautiful day, so she continues through the forest until other Normans find them and savagely rape Gwen, Caryn is saved because she is not that pretty and it's thin and also Ral saves them and takes them to a convent, years pass, the Normans settle down permanently, Caryn and her sister have been in the convent, but Caryn is still the same idiot, she does not obey, she dreams of being free, and the same nonsense, until one day bad Normans come to the convent, they steal several novices including Caryn, to save her from another rape, Ral makes her his wife, what does Caryn do? Well, she gets angry 🤣 and tries to flee to the forest 🤨 but since she is an idiot even to ride Ral finds her, and they end up returning to the castle and they get married , but Caryn refuses to sleep with Ral, and he continues with his mistress Lynette, and here there is something I don't understand why she is his mistress ??? Ral tells us that she is not attractive to him, she is hateful, stupid, vain and nobody wants her, so why, having so many women, has Ral stayed with Lynette for years? NO IDEA...
But over time Caryn begins to desire her husband, buuuut it turns out that the idiot thinks that he is one of those who raped her sister, she doesn't remember anything and she has no reason to believe that he raped Gwen but Caryn is not the brightest person in the world so she acts angry while she desires Ral, which was really weird seriously, you are sure that a man raped and beat your sister but you want to have sex with him, you dream about it and you long to feel it ..... 😵🤨 Really ???
Well almost half the book later they clarify the problem, they start having sex, they fall in love, but Ral doesn't want to be the weird one in his group, you know, be faithful and be in love!!! 🤣 Because is something so so so weird sooo unique .... I mean King William was in love with his wife and was faithful, but Ral is like what the hell!!! I can't be that ridiculous!!!!
So he walks away from Caryn and cheats on
her with Lynette, Caryn cries kicks and gets angry BUT.... only like half a day, then she goes back to being the same immature person, and doesn't do much to show her anger or her dignity, Ral in matter of hours have sex with her again, he practically coaxes her because that's how he wants to show her his affection (???) Friend, you know that jewels exist, right?
And the words to say I love you or I'm sorry??? Well he never really gets around to apologizing, and before he says a single word of regret Caryn has already succumbed to his good sex and BOOM the relationship is mended, Lynette is sent away, Ral has decided that he will be faithful and blah blah blah...
There really isn't much romance between them and the story is quite simple and repetitive, ALL the misunderstandings and problems are caused by Caryn who goes through life being a stupid rebel, she doesn't want to be a medieval wife, so she refuses to obey, work at home, manage the house or listen to her husband, of course our hero Ral is a super strict and firm man, so he must punish Caryn whenever she disobeys, which is practically every 2 pages, and how our super experienced Military leader deals with someone like her? 🤨🤔Well, spanking her yes you read that right and it's not even a sexy or funny moment, it's just weird and silly.....
What's more, I have news for you is a COMPLETELY USELESS action.... Caryn spends 90% of the story doing exactly what they FORBIDDEN her to do, even the things that her friends ADVISED her NOT to do , she does them and well, rebellion is something fun, and even pleasant to read in a Medieval heroine, but for my mother Caryn is an idiot, as I already said, she always acts against common sense or human intelligence, for example if there is a cliff there and Ral tells her not to jump because she is going to kill herself , she thinks "I won't obey you, I have no reason to jump but to hell with it I'll do it"......
And she has that stupid attitude all the time, the problem is not her rebellion but how stupid she is, the things she does always bring horrible consequences like the rape of her sister, but she simply does not learn, she does not understand, it seems as if she were the one with the mental illness, she also does things that crossed the limit for me, like being friendly and nice to Stephen, her husband's enemy and the one who directed the rape of her sister , Caryn knows everything but it's still friendly and thinks that because Stephen took a bath that made him more decent... 🥴LOL Well, the last 5 pages Carys is like "Oh, I think that I like to be obedient, submissive and work at home, so that's what I'll be like" And she completely changes her attitude.
Did his change make sense? Not, it only make her look more strange and stupid...
Well the ending tries to add some drama by making Caryn reveal a secret of Ral's, but I won't be unfair, Caryn the poor thing was drugged, but well the secret is used by the enemies of Ral, many good people die, she feels bad but everything is forgiven and nothing else, she will live happily with Ral forever...... 😑😴😓
The truth is that I don't have anything positive to say, the writing is not the type I like, it's quite messy, maybe a better organization of the chapters would help, and let's not talk about the dialogues, most of the time you don't even know who's saying what thing, nor who answers to whom.
The story is very bad, historically this is a period that I love to read about, but here many times I felt that this story was not set in that time, fantastical and ridiculous things appeared, Caryn is an unpleasant character but also she is not a character of a medieval nature, and look, I understand that you want to make your heroine an independent, different and free woman, but the author failed in her attempt, and when you talk about a time like the medieval one where women were submissive, religious and had zero power, 0 opportunities 0 rights, so you must be careful how independent and rebellious you want to make your heroine because if you exaggerate it will not only be unrealistic, it is absurd, that is what happens here, it seemed as if Caryn had arrived from the future, it was so ridiculous .....😒🫠...well actually the whole plot is ridiculous, a Norman man who is at the highest point of his career, who has just received Saxon lands from King William, like Ral would never have married someone like Caryn , without dowry, without family, without any noble connection, William would never have allowed it, nor would he have congratulated him, furthermore we are talking about a time when the Norman conquest was far from being a fact, many rebellions came for decades, but Ral more than a warrior on guard, looks like a retired soldier who is at home thinking about how to make his wife obey him and asking for advice on how to have a good marriage from an elderly Saxon servant, who talks to him as if he were useless kid Ha ha ha it's like :
Ral: I'm very angry that Caryn told my enemies how to destroy me.
Old Maid: Caryn is a great girl and if she does stupid things it is by pure accident and if you don't value her you will be a big fool
Ral: You're right, I'm going to ask for forgiveness on my knees, although she is the one who made a mistake and ruined the life of the town with her recklessness.
I'm not exaggerating this ridiculously is the situation, now I accept that at least Ral, unlike Caryn, is more of a medieval man than a modern one, he is bossy, brutish, strict or at least that is what he pretends to be, although he is too good with the poor, the needy, the weak, I never saw that fearsome warrior, that the book promised.
Now as for infidelity, I will say that although many readers hate it, it seemed to me to be the only moment in which anguish and drama give some life to the story, in which the reality of the time in which the novel is set is truly reflected, it even seemed that the couple, the story, the characters would finally evolve, it didn't happen to the end and the truth is that I don't feel that Ral paid in the slightest.
The secondary characters are disgusting, really, everyone is boring, they love Caryn and Ral, the good guys are unfunny, they are saints, perfect workers, perfect soldiers..., the subplots are just as bad, the Saxon princess who faked her death and pretended to be a man (what the hell??) So illogical and so absurd that I almost laughed, then she falls in love with an employee and they get married.... which was predictable and unreal... I think the only thing that I found interesting, realistic and even moving is the past of the villain Stephen, although I think that the incestuous relationship with his sister was a bit much, even so it is still a realistic touch.
Now, finally, I will say that I did not expect this novel to be sooooo full of sex, and I am not only referring to the scenes, which are quite a few, but also to the fact that Ral gets excited all the time and thinks about sex, Caryn the same, and it's not that it's bad, but many times that falls into inappropriateness, some examples:
Ral gets excited thinking about his sister-in-law too many times for my liking, ok the first time is understandable, because he just met her, she is very beautiful, he has been away from women, but he does it throughout the entire book and If we take into account that she is mentally retarded, that she was raped and that she is his SISTER-IN-LAW, that really was too much. Then we have him thinking about how he wants to accommodate Caryn during sex, how small she is and how much that turns him on, that in itself isn't bad either, but even when bad or war things are happening like people begging him for his life, or a guy telling him that they are starving, he thinks about that, all the time...........
I'm sorry I can't say nothing good and it's just the type of book that made me decide never read anything by the same author.
September 15, 2021
Cheating!! I never would have read this if I knew there was cheating!
March 1, 2022
DNF
Confirmed that I do not like the authors writing. So no more for me.
Confirmed that I do not like the authors writing. So no more for me.
January 24, 2022
This book is so bad I want to give it a zero. But that’s not possible. So I give it a one.
June 11, 2024
"Must I have your approval for a kiss?" Ral felt the pull of a smile. "Nay, vixen, that you may take whenever you wish."
THEY WERE CUTEEEE but tbh i was not a fan of the cheating 😭😭😭😭 plus the end felt a bit,,,,
THEY WERE CUTEEEE but tbh i was not a fan of the cheating 😭😭😭😭 plus the end felt a bit,,,,
October 23, 2012
Kara Melek-Kat Martin
Orjinal adı Bold Angel Goodreads Puanı 5/3,80 Benim puanım 5/5 çok güzel su gibi akan bir romandı..Elime alıp bırakamadım..
Romanımız 1069 yılında başlıyor savaşlı yıllar..Savaş henüz bitse de halk feodalite sefalet cahillik pençesinde..Malum bu yıllar zor yıllar..Kadının hiç bir hakkı yok..Alınıp satılabiliyor.O devirdeki yüksek mevkideki erkeklerin hem karıları hem metresleri var...Evet maalesef ..Bu romanı bugünkü feminist duygularınız ile okursanız tat almanız pek mümkün değil..
Bu roman diğer orta çağ romanlarından daha gerçekçi buldum..Bu dönemde hayat zor ..Romantik ilişkilere pek müsait değil savaşın hemen ertesi günler..
Romandaki kadın karakter Caryn, bir Sakson’dur. Annesini küçük yaşta kaybetmiş, kız kardeşi at’dan düşüp başından aldığı darbe ile konuşamaz bir durumda dır..Ayrıca başka dünyalarda yaşayan bir hali var gibidir... Babaları ise onlar ile ilgilenmeyince iş Caryn'e düşmüş başının çaresine bakmayı öğrenmek zorunda kalmıştır....Savaşta köyü yok olmuştur....Manastıra dönmeye çalışırken Normandiyalı Şövalye Ral yani Raolge de Gere Namı diğer savaşlardaki acımasızlığı ile tanınan Kara Şövalye ile kim olduğunu bilmeden karşılaşır..
Ral bu iki gençkıza yardım teklif etse de Caryn tarafından bu ret edilir...Bir Norman'dan yardım almak Caryn'e göre değildir..Ama çok geçmeden Ral isyancıların peşinden giderken bu iki kıza tekrar rastlar Caryn'ina ablasına tecavüz edilmiş Caryn ise dövülmüştür...Son anda kızların hayatını kurtarır..Bu durumda onların evlerinde bile güvende olamayacağını anlayarak kızları manastıra teslim eder...
Daha sonra üç sene geçmiştir..Caryn ve ablası hala manastırda kalmaktadır..Bir gün manastırdan ayrılmayı kendi hayatının efendisi olma hayali içindedir..Ablasının durumunda yine gelişme yoktur..Yine başka diyarlarda yaşamaktadır..Her şey bu rutinde ilerlerken Malvern beyi Stephen tarafında 6 kızla birlikte Caryn manastırdan kaçırılır..Amaç kızları adamlara kullandırtmaktır..
Kızlar ve Caryn Krala son yaptığı hizmetlerle İvensham ile ödüllendirilen Ral'ın inşa ettiği kaleye getirilir..Kızlar gibi tecavüze edilmek üzere iken Ral Caryn'in kendisi ile nişanlı olduğu söylenerek kurtarılır...Stephen kaleye düğünlerine geleceğini Krala bildireceğini söyleyerek ayrılır..Bu durumda Ral Ve Caryn evlenmesi zorunlu hale gelmişse de Caryn bu evliliği istemez..
Ama mevcut durumun ve evliliğin tamamlanmayacağı sözünü veren Ral'a güvenerek bu evliliğe ikna olmak zorunda kalır...
Ral'ın planlamadığı bu evlilikten başlarda pek beklentidi de yoktu..Caryn kendi odasında Ral metresi ile birlikteydi..Ama Ral zaman geçtikçe Caryn'den etkilenip onunla olan evliliğini gerçek evliliğe dönüştürmeye karar verir..Caryn ise başlarda mevcut olan durumdan mutlu olsa da zamanla Ral'in metresi ile olan ilişkisinden rahatsız olmaya kendi durumunu sorgulamaya başlar..
İkilinin ilişkisi çok romantik değil ,Ama aşk güzel aktarılmış..İki tarafın da korkularını bakış açılarını çok güzel anlatılmış..Aynı kalede metresi olan adama kızıyorsunuz ama durumunu anlayabiliyorsunuz. Caryn yönünden de kalbinin nasıl kırıldığını hissediyor yaşıyorsunuz..Başını dik tutup Ral'e tavrınıda koyabilyor..Savaşa devam edip Ral'ı yola getirmesi çok güzeldi..
Çok etkileyici bir hikaye idi..Kat Martin'in kalemini beğendim..Yazarı takip etmeyi çok isterim..
Orta çağ romanlarını okumayı seviyorsanız;bu roman tam size göre..Tavsiye ederim...
Orjinal adı Bold Angel Goodreads Puanı 5/3,80 Benim puanım 5/5 çok güzel su gibi akan bir romandı..Elime alıp bırakamadım..
Romanımız 1069 yılında başlıyor savaşlı yıllar..Savaş henüz bitse de halk feodalite sefalet cahillik pençesinde..Malum bu yıllar zor yıllar..Kadının hiç bir hakkı yok..Alınıp satılabiliyor.O devirdeki yüksek mevkideki erkeklerin hem karıları hem metresleri var...Evet maalesef ..Bu romanı bugünkü feminist duygularınız ile okursanız tat almanız pek mümkün değil..
Bu roman diğer orta çağ romanlarından daha gerçekçi buldum..Bu dönemde hayat zor ..Romantik ilişkilere pek müsait değil savaşın hemen ertesi günler..
Romandaki kadın karakter Caryn, bir Sakson’dur. Annesini küçük yaşta kaybetmiş, kız kardeşi at’dan düşüp başından aldığı darbe ile konuşamaz bir durumda dır..Ayrıca başka dünyalarda yaşayan bir hali var gibidir... Babaları ise onlar ile ilgilenmeyince iş Caryn'e düşmüş başının çaresine bakmayı öğrenmek zorunda kalmıştır....Savaşta köyü yok olmuştur....Manastıra dönmeye çalışırken Normandiyalı Şövalye Ral yani Raolge de Gere Namı diğer savaşlardaki acımasızlığı ile tanınan Kara Şövalye ile kim olduğunu bilmeden karşılaşır..
Ral bu iki gençkıza yardım teklif etse de Caryn tarafından bu ret edilir...Bir Norman'dan yardım almak Caryn'e göre değildir..Ama çok geçmeden Ral isyancıların peşinden giderken bu iki kıza tekrar rastlar Caryn'ina ablasına tecavüz edilmiş Caryn ise dövülmüştür...Son anda kızların hayatını kurtarır..Bu durumda onların evlerinde bile güvende olamayacağını anlayarak kızları manastıra teslim eder...
Daha sonra üç sene geçmiştir..Caryn ve ablası hala manastırda kalmaktadır..Bir gün manastırdan ayrılmayı kendi hayatının efendisi olma hayali içindedir..Ablasının durumunda yine gelişme yoktur..Yine başka diyarlarda yaşamaktadır..Her şey bu rutinde ilerlerken Malvern beyi Stephen tarafında 6 kızla birlikte Caryn manastırdan kaçırılır..Amaç kızları adamlara kullandırtmaktır..
Kızlar ve Caryn Krala son yaptığı hizmetlerle İvensham ile ödüllendirilen Ral'ın inşa ettiği kaleye getirilir..Kızlar gibi tecavüze edilmek üzere iken Ral Caryn'in kendisi ile nişanlı olduğu söylenerek kurtarılır...Stephen kaleye düğünlerine geleceğini Krala bildireceğini söyleyerek ayrılır..Bu durumda Ral Ve Caryn evlenmesi zorunlu hale gelmişse de Caryn bu evliliği istemez..
Ama mevcut durumun ve evliliğin tamamlanmayacağı sözünü veren Ral'a güvenerek bu evliliğe ikna olmak zorunda kalır...
Ral'ın planlamadığı bu evlilikten başlarda pek beklentidi de yoktu..Caryn kendi odasında Ral metresi ile birlikteydi..Ama Ral zaman geçtikçe Caryn'den etkilenip onunla olan evliliğini gerçek evliliğe dönüştürmeye karar verir..Caryn ise başlarda mevcut olan durumdan mutlu olsa da zamanla Ral'in metresi ile olan ilişkisinden rahatsız olmaya kendi durumunu sorgulamaya başlar..
İkilinin ilişkisi çok romantik değil ,Ama aşk güzel aktarılmış..İki tarafın da korkularını bakış açılarını çok güzel anlatılmış..Aynı kalede metresi olan adama kızıyorsunuz ama durumunu anlayabiliyorsunuz. Caryn yönünden de kalbinin nasıl kırıldığını hissediyor yaşıyorsunuz..Başını dik tutup Ral'e tavrınıda koyabilyor..Savaşa devam edip Ral'ı yola getirmesi çok güzeldi..
Çok etkileyici bir hikaye idi..Kat Martin'in kalemini beğendim..Yazarı takip etmeyi çok isterim..
Orta çağ romanlarını okumayı seviyorsanız;bu roman tam size göre..Tavsiye ederim...
February 10, 2022
Encontré esta joyita en los comienzos de mi lista de pendientes y como tenía ganas de alguna historia medieval, me animé con ella...y valió la pena xq la historia, aunq no sea muy original, es muy intensa.
La trama esta ambientada a principios del s. XI, acabadita la batalla de Hastings q le dio a Guillermo de Normandía el trono inglés. Los normandos están avanzando sobre los sajones y tenemos el típico encontronazo de vencedores y vencidos.
La forma en q se conocen Ral y Caryn es bastante original aunq acorde con la época. Ral es un guerrero, recompensado por haber salvado la vida del rey Guille con las tierras q habían sido de la familia de Caryn. Se termina casándo con ella, en teoría x hacerle el favor pero realmente xq la chica le gusta un rato largo. El quid de la cuestión entre ellos empieza siendo q no se supone q ellos van a ser un matrimonio real xq él va seguir con su amante; pero obviamente eso se termina enseguida xq Ral no le puede quitar los ojos ni las manos de encima. El problema viene después, cuándo Ral necesita convencerse q no está enamorado de Caryn y vuelve con la amante.
Lo q me gustó: no es una trama edulcorada. Se plantean situaciones - como el pillaje q sigue a toda batalla, violaciones incluídas - q son crueles e injustas y q últimamente, al menos en las novelas q he leído ultimamente como q se insinuan pero no se terminan de concretar haciendo q la trama quede como aguada. También hay infidelidad de personaje principal, y aunq detesto ambos elementos en una trama - infidelidad y violaciones - la autora supo armar muy la historia y una entiende q ambos factores, por desagradables q sean, deben suceder como sucedieron. La idea del romance secundario estuvo muy buena....
Lo q no me gustó: tenemos varios villanos pero ninguno llegó a representar verdadero peligro. Hubo una q otra promesa de intriga aquí y allá pero los personajes principales no llegaron a estar en crisis real más allá de sus probemas personales y los villanos estuvieron allí nada más amenazando pero sin concretar nada. Es decir, cero suspense. Es más, nos armamos para una gran batalla épica pero el único q terminó luciéndose fue Ral y de los otros la autora no se volvió a acordar para al menos una escena de desgarrador dolor. Y el romance secundario podría haber dado para más xq así planteado, quedó como para relleno, sin mayor sustancia.
Pero en resumen, es una buena historia, de las de antes, sin tratar de disimular, con la intensidad necesaria en los personajes sin q importe si es o no políticamente correcto.
La trama esta ambientada a principios del s. XI, acabadita la batalla de Hastings q le dio a Guillermo de Normandía el trono inglés. Los normandos están avanzando sobre los sajones y tenemos el típico encontronazo de vencedores y vencidos.
La forma en q se conocen Ral y Caryn es bastante original aunq acorde con la época. Ral es un guerrero, recompensado por haber salvado la vida del rey Guille con las tierras q habían sido de la familia de Caryn. Se termina casándo con ella, en teoría x hacerle el favor pero realmente xq la chica le gusta un rato largo. El quid de la cuestión entre ellos empieza siendo q no se supone q ellos van a ser un matrimonio real xq él va seguir con su amante; pero obviamente eso se termina enseguida xq Ral no le puede quitar los ojos ni las manos de encima. El problema viene después, cuándo Ral necesita convencerse q no está enamorado de Caryn y vuelve con la amante.
Lo q me gustó: no es una trama edulcorada. Se plantean situaciones - como el pillaje q sigue a toda batalla, violaciones incluídas - q son crueles e injustas y q últimamente, al menos en las novelas q he leído ultimamente como q se insinuan pero no se terminan de concretar haciendo q la trama quede como aguada. También hay infidelidad de personaje principal, y aunq detesto ambos elementos en una trama - infidelidad y violaciones - la autora supo armar muy la historia y una entiende q ambos factores, por desagradables q sean, deben suceder como sucedieron. La idea del romance secundario estuvo muy buena....
Lo q no me gustó: tenemos varios villanos pero ninguno llegó a representar verdadero peligro. Hubo una q otra promesa de intriga aquí y allá pero los personajes principales no llegaron a estar en crisis real más allá de sus probemas personales y los villanos estuvieron allí nada más amenazando pero sin concretar nada. Es decir, cero suspense. Es más, nos armamos para una gran batalla épica pero el único q terminó luciéndose fue Ral y de los otros la autora no se volvió a acordar para al menos una escena de desgarrador dolor. Y el romance secundario podría haber dado para más xq así planteado, quedó como para relleno, sin mayor sustancia.
Pero en resumen, es una buena historia, de las de antes, sin tratar de disimular, con la intensidad necesaria en los personajes sin q importe si es o no políticamente correcto.
November 20, 2012
Ya ne saçma bir kitaptı bu Allah aşkına. Kitap gerçekten zevk meselesi , bu bir gerçek.Kim ne derse desin bu kitabı hiç ama hiç beğenmedim. Ya başlarında zaten K.E Woodiwiss Kurt ve Kumru'dan esinti bir sürü yer vardı. Hadi o kısımları geçtik en sinir olduğum nokta erkek karakterin -olmayan karakteri- iticiliği. Ya adam karısını oturup arkadaşıyla konuşuyor (!) Böyle bir kitap daha önce hiç görmedim. Nasıl saçma bir anlatımdır o. Ne gerek var ki öyle bir kısıma ?! Bir değil iki değil , adam yatıyor kalkıyor karısını arkadaşıyla konuşuyor. Sonra kitapta MAHREMİYET ''sıfır'' ! Altını çizerek söylüyorum. Mahremeyitten noksan bir kitap bu. Ulu orta her yerde birbirlerine olur olmaz şeyler söylüyorlar.İnsan ''etraftakilere ne oldu ?'' demeden alamıyor kendisini....
Kız deseniz tam bir aptaldı bence. Bu kadar da saf bir karakter yaratmayın ya. Çok smaimi söylüyorum Vahşi Güzel kitabını hiç beğenmemiştim ama bundan daha iyi olduğuna kalıbımı basarım.Ki bu kitabın sonuna kadar belki görüşlerim değişir dedim ama nerde öyle bir şans. Koca kitabın sonu film şeridi gibi geçti gitti.Ral bir kılıç salladı Stephan öldü , savaş bitti , kitap son. Özetle budur. ! Bunun sonuna kadar nasıl dayandım hala aklım almıyor. Bir de kaç gün elimde süründü. Kitapta elle tutulur bir şeyde yok. Bu kitapla zaman kaybettiğim için çok üzüldüm. Farklı hiç bir yanını görmedim ama karakterlerden -ki erkek karakter başı çeker- gerçekten tiksindim. Okurken hep kitaptan kopmama sebep oldular. Yine söylüyorum kitap zevk meselesidir ama bu kitaptan ben hiç , hiç birşey anlamadım. Ne aşkını hissettim ama tutkusunu sadece olur olmaz yerde söze vurulan rencide edici durumları gördüm.Deneyin , ben beğenemdim. Beğenene saygım sonsuz. Keyifli okumalar.
Kız deseniz tam bir aptaldı bence. Bu kadar da saf bir karakter yaratmayın ya. Çok smaimi söylüyorum Vahşi Güzel kitabını hiç beğenmemiştim ama bundan daha iyi olduğuna kalıbımı basarım.Ki bu kitabın sonuna kadar belki görüşlerim değişir dedim ama nerde öyle bir şans. Koca kitabın sonu film şeridi gibi geçti gitti.Ral bir kılıç salladı Stephan öldü , savaş bitti , kitap son. Özetle budur. ! Bunun sonuna kadar nasıl dayandım hala aklım almıyor. Bir de kaç gün elimde süründü. Kitapta elle tutulur bir şeyde yok. Bu kitapla zaman kaybettiğim için çok üzüldüm. Farklı hiç bir yanını görmedim ama karakterlerden -ki erkek karakter başı çeker- gerçekten tiksindim. Okurken hep kitaptan kopmama sebep oldular. Yine söylüyorum kitap zevk meselesidir ama bu kitaptan ben hiç , hiç birşey anlamadım. Ne aşkını hissettim ama tutkusunu sadece olur olmaz yerde söze vurulan rencide edici durumları gördüm.Deneyin , ben beğenemdim. Beğenene saygım sonsuz. Keyifli okumalar.
June 19, 2017
A wonderful read.
Powerful and romantic that sweeps you back in time to place ruled by knights. A time ruled not by the heart but by alliance......trickery and greed.
Young Caryn is both fiesty and headstrong, she uses both to protect herself and her older sister. But cirumstances beyond her control lead to a horrible event that leaves both of them in the care of the convent. This also brings the powerful dark knight Ral into their lives. He rides to the rescue and saves them from death. Due to her trauma poor Caryn confuses the wrong doers and good guys. Upon meeting Ral years later believes he was a bad guy and thus is treats him accordingly.
Their relationship is rocky and full of mistrust until she learns the truth. They share a powerful attraction that leaves both of them afraid of that power. She denies him her bed. He in turn keeps his leman. Yes, he cheats on her. Which pisses off a lot of readers (me too) but this is the time when love does not mean much and men are expected to have a mistress or more. Faithfulness is not expected and marriages were built for alliance and power. He feels horrible and guilty. His despair and pain upon realizing how much joy he had took in her love for him and their togetherness that is now denied to him opens his eyes and heart.
As stated this was a time of greed either for power or money or both....so we have our villian trying to undermine all Ral is working to achieve plus steal his wife! What an evil doer! Can Caryn and Ral reclaim their love while defeating the evil villian?
A nicely written read full of history and the feel of medievel times.
Powerful and romantic that sweeps you back in time to place ruled by knights. A time ruled not by the heart but by alliance......trickery and greed.
Young Caryn is both fiesty and headstrong, she uses both to protect herself and her older sister. But cirumstances beyond her control lead to a horrible event that leaves both of them in the care of the convent. This also brings the powerful dark knight Ral into their lives. He rides to the rescue and saves them from death. Due to her trauma poor Caryn confuses the wrong doers and good guys. Upon meeting Ral years later believes he was a bad guy and thus is treats him accordingly.
Their relationship is rocky and full of mistrust until she learns the truth. They share a powerful attraction that leaves both of them afraid of that power. She denies him her bed. He in turn keeps his leman. Yes, he cheats on her. Which pisses off a lot of readers (me too) but this is the time when love does not mean much and men are expected to have a mistress or more. Faithfulness is not expected and marriages were built for alliance and power. He feels horrible and guilty. His despair and pain upon realizing how much joy he had took in her love for him and their togetherness that is now denied to him opens his eyes and heart.
As stated this was a time of greed either for power or money or both....so we have our villian trying to undermine all Ral is working to achieve plus steal his wife! What an evil doer! Can Caryn and Ral reclaim their love while defeating the evil villian?
A nicely written read full of history and the feel of medievel times.
August 2, 2014
Years ago, Raolfe de Gere saved Caryn of Ivesham from gang rape (unfortunately he didn't arrive soon enough to spare her sister) and delivered her to a convent.
Years later, willful Caryn is about to be raped again when Ral arrives, and, out of guilt (cuz he feels like he should've prevented the rape of her sister) he claims her as his betrothed. The would-be rapist is his enemy.
The claim takes on a life of its own, and before they know it the two of them are actually married. Problem: Caryn blames Ral for her sister's rape and all Normans for the abuse of her Saxon people. She hates him with the fires of a thousand suns, even tho his merest touch makes her lady parts go all carbonated.
On the plus side, this is a Medieval story—I love the period, so that gets this an extra half point. It also has a good measure of danger/intrigue, which adds an extra star. It got me to tear up (plus .5), and while the H pissed me off pretty good before it was over, he did end up being a guy I could like enough to make peace with the HEA.
There was a bit more relationship angst than I like, and I thought the heroine blamed herself too much for simple, reasonable mistakes. Even so, I'll give this a solid 4.
Years later, willful Caryn is about to be raped again when Ral arrives, and, out of guilt (cuz he feels like he should've prevented the rape of her sister) he claims her as his betrothed. The would-be rapist is his enemy.
The claim takes on a life of its own, and before they know it the two of them are actually married. Problem: Caryn blames Ral for her sister's rape and all Normans for the abuse of her Saxon people. She hates him with the fires of a thousand suns, even tho his merest touch makes her lady parts go all carbonated.
On the plus side, this is a Medieval story—I love the period, so that gets this an extra half point. It also has a good measure of danger/intrigue, which adds an extra star. It got me to tear up (plus .5), and while the H pissed me off pretty good before it was over, he did end up being a guy I could like enough to make peace with the HEA.
There was a bit more relationship angst than I like, and I thought the heroine blamed herself too much for simple, reasonable mistakes. Even so, I'll give this a solid 4.
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