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Awaken My Fire
Beloved throughout Brittany—a courageous champion in her people's rebellion against the English crown—beautiful Lady Roshelle of Reales is protected by a strange and powerful magic: death will claim any man who would have his lustful way with her.
Undaunted by any mystical curse, handsome Vincent de la Eresman, Duke of Suffolk, seeks vengeance against the stunning French enchantress for his brother's demise—vowing to lay siege to the defiant lady's barricaded heart.
But his lovely enemy will mesmerize the noble British knight with witchcraft of a far different sort—intoxicating him with her indomitable spirit and breathtaking sensuality ... and consigning his passionate soul to the vanquishing flames of a treasonous, all-consuming love.
Undaunted by any mystical curse, handsome Vincent de la Eresman, Duke of Suffolk, seeks vengeance against the stunning French enchantress for his brother's demise—vowing to lay siege to the defiant lady's barricaded heart.
But his lovely enemy will mesmerize the noble British knight with witchcraft of a far different sort—intoxicating him with her indomitable spirit and breathtaking sensuality ... and consigning his passionate soul to the vanquishing flames of a treasonous, all-consuming love.
392 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 29, 2022
Had its moments, but:
1. I really disliked the writing style, which was very…excitable.
2. I was unconvinced by the curse and by the resolution.
3. There is a lot going on that I just didn’t care about. A lot.
4. Not enough time is spent on the things I did enjoy, such as the poignant subplot involving her servant Joan.
5. It got realllllly tiresome reading about how beautiful she was. And it makes you think he values her for that above all else.
6. It’s pretty rapey. Not from the hero, but from multiple other men.
7. But above all, I really disliked the hero. I’m not even counting the beginning when he’s upset because he thinks she killed his brother, I’m talking most of the rest of the book. Not only does he constantly mock her (not viciously, but still), he even tricks her and humiliates her publicly just for a laugh. And she just accepts it! Ugh.
Judging by the high ratings on this one, it looks like my minor outrage and annoyance is in the minority.
1. I really disliked the writing style, which was very…excitable.
2. I was unconvinced by the curse and by the resolution.
3. There is a lot going on that I just didn’t care about. A lot.
4. Not enough time is spent on the things I did enjoy, such as the poignant subplot involving her servant Joan.
5. It got realllllly tiresome reading about how beautiful she was. And it makes you think he values her for that above all else.
6. It’s pretty rapey. Not from the hero, but from multiple other men.
7. But above all, I really disliked the hero. I’m not even counting the beginning when he’s upset because he thinks she killed his brother, I’m talking most of the rest of the book. Not only does he constantly mock her (not viciously, but still), he even tricks her and humiliates her publicly just for a laugh. And she just accepts it! Ugh.
Judging by the high ratings on this one, it looks like my minor outrage and annoyance is in the minority.
September 5, 2012
4 and 1/2 Stars! Absorbing Medieval Romance in France with a Proud Knight Hero and an Inspiring Feisty Heroine
Horsman tells great stories and this is not the first one I have read and reviewed. I have all her books and those I’ve not yet read are on my “to read” shelves. She serves up a rich tapestry of history and well defined characters every time. This one is no different and it is set in that time of knights and Henry VI’s domination of France.
Set in 15th century France, this tells the story of French noblewoman Roshelle de la Never, daughter of the magician Papillion and raised at the Valois court, who at 13 was forced by her guardian, the Duke of Orleans, bending to pressure from her wicked, occult uncle, Rodez Valois, to wed an old duke she did not want. To save her, Papillion curses the girl at her wedding, saying any man who tries to bed her will die before he can accomplish the deed. And before the night is done the old duke is dead. Now, years later she is still a maid and has seen two husbands to their graves and several men dead for trying to take her against her will. She has become the champion of her people, giving them hope to fight the English knights coming to conquer their lands. The English are led by Vincent de la Eresman, Duke of Suffolk, a handsome proud warrior who has been sent by King Henry to rein in the beautiful and rebellious girl holding her castle.
Roshelle is a worthy heroine. Even as a young girl she was unselfish and noble, loved by her servants. Now she is fighting for her life and her people. Her beauty makes Vincent weak in the knees. He is such a proud warrior it is sweet justice. We love it. But he is also a noble hero and so he treats Roshelle and her people well, winning their hearts notwithstanding his loyalty to the dreaded English king.
There’s lots of history in this one and lots of intrigue, treachery and action. It’s a satisfying story with many twists and turns, an evil, devious villain, and some wonderful secondary characters. You have to stay alert to pick up all the background and all the threads. It’s a book to get lost in on a rainy day. I recommend it!
Horsman tells great stories and this is not the first one I have read and reviewed. I have all her books and those I’ve not yet read are on my “to read” shelves. She serves up a rich tapestry of history and well defined characters every time. This one is no different and it is set in that time of knights and Henry VI’s domination of France.
Set in 15th century France, this tells the story of French noblewoman Roshelle de la Never, daughter of the magician Papillion and raised at the Valois court, who at 13 was forced by her guardian, the Duke of Orleans, bending to pressure from her wicked, occult uncle, Rodez Valois, to wed an old duke she did not want. To save her, Papillion curses the girl at her wedding, saying any man who tries to bed her will die before he can accomplish the deed. And before the night is done the old duke is dead. Now, years later she is still a maid and has seen two husbands to their graves and several men dead for trying to take her against her will. She has become the champion of her people, giving them hope to fight the English knights coming to conquer their lands. The English are led by Vincent de la Eresman, Duke of Suffolk, a handsome proud warrior who has been sent by King Henry to rein in the beautiful and rebellious girl holding her castle.
Roshelle is a worthy heroine. Even as a young girl she was unselfish and noble, loved by her servants. Now she is fighting for her life and her people. Her beauty makes Vincent weak in the knees. He is such a proud warrior it is sweet justice. We love it. But he is also a noble hero and so he treats Roshelle and her people well, winning their hearts notwithstanding his loyalty to the dreaded English king.
There’s lots of history in this one and lots of intrigue, treachery and action. It’s a satisfying story with many twists and turns, an evil, devious villain, and some wonderful secondary characters. You have to stay alert to pick up all the background and all the threads. It’s a book to get lost in on a rainy day. I recommend it!
July 22, 2020
4 stars. I’m a big fan of JH. For me this book started out really well it’s a very good story. However, towards the end, last 100 pages or so, it fizzled a little for me. To much flowery description of kissing...and the heroine’s obsessive fear of the curse began to wear on me. Of course I get she couldn’t give up her virginity til much later on so that left only the heavy petting so hence why some of what seemed pages and pages of kissing passion...? Also she was fearful of losing her newly found love, but just a little to much for me on the drama over the ‘curse’. Other than that a good read and the epilogue helped a little to make up for it.
April 19, 2018
A SOLID 3.5 STARS!
THIS WAS OKAY. STARTED OFF CONFUSING AND PERHAPS A TAD DRAMATIC BUT I LIKED THE ANTAGONISM BETWEEN THE CHARACTERS BEFORE THEY FELL IN LOVE.
OUR HERO is a Duke who wants to get his pound of flesh for his dead brother and also by order of the King to see the troubling rebel Lady dead by guillotine. He's not only handsome, he is equally sly and charming with a good amount of male arrogance. He first met our heroine, thinking her a serf but who knew that she was indeed the enemy, and damn his loins but she's the most attractive female alive in this age. Most of the time, he grates on her nerves and mine, for his words are incredibly barbed in a way that he often takes her down a peg or two. Don't expect retribution, for the heroine sadly never wins against him - not physically nor mentally. It was quite VEXING to be honest. The only balm you get is to know he fell madly enough to petition a sanctioned marriage between them to the King, and to end her curse.
OUR HEROINE has a flair for the dramatics now that I reflect upon it. I'm uncertain if its because of the age it was written in, or that the author herself has a mind set like the HEROINE, which is rather ghastly. Thank God for level headed women in the 21st centuries, saving us from hysterics. Twice widowed, she was cursed by her own father that any man who wishes to lie with her will only face his death. So far, a string of mere coincidences has made the curse true, until Vincent storms into her life and breaks the illusion. At times I root for her to fight back, at times I can agree with the Duke that her fears are silly and it only holds her back.
OVERALL this is one story about a rebel lady tamed by an arrogant Duke filled with a side of superstition and a hint of betrayal.
THIS WAS OKAY. STARTED OFF CONFUSING AND PERHAPS A TAD DRAMATIC BUT I LIKED THE ANTAGONISM BETWEEN THE CHARACTERS BEFORE THEY FELL IN LOVE.
OUR HERO is a Duke who wants to get his pound of flesh for his dead brother and also by order of the King to see the troubling rebel Lady dead by guillotine. He's not only handsome, he is equally sly and charming with a good amount of male arrogance. He first met our heroine, thinking her a serf but who knew that she was indeed the enemy, and damn his loins but she's the most attractive female alive in this age. Most of the time, he grates on her nerves and mine, for his words are incredibly barbed in a way that he often takes her down a peg or two. Don't expect retribution, for the heroine sadly never wins against him - not physically nor mentally. It was quite VEXING to be honest. The only balm you get is to know he fell madly enough to petition a sanctioned marriage between them to the King, and to end her curse.
OUR HEROINE has a flair for the dramatics now that I reflect upon it. I'm uncertain if its because of the age it was written in, or that the author herself has a mind set like the HEROINE, which is rather ghastly. Thank God for level headed women in the 21st centuries, saving us from hysterics. Twice widowed, she was cursed by her own father that any man who wishes to lie with her will only face his death. So far, a string of mere coincidences has made the curse true, until Vincent storms into her life and breaks the illusion. At times I root for her to fight back, at times I can agree with the Duke that her fears are silly and it only holds her back.
OVERALL this is one story about a rebel lady tamed by an arrogant Duke filled with a side of superstition and a hint of betrayal.
March 24, 2023
3.5 stars
To begin, I loved the premise. It was really original and well delivered. I really like Jennifer's prose, and personally I found plenty of modern feminist speech insinuated in it, which I loved. All subplots were tied nicely, I don't think there were issues left unresolved, and many of them were resolved in quite witty ways. Vincent was such a great hero, though it may have something to do with him being the duke of Suffolk and me picturing him as Henry Cavill in the Tudors TV show. There were some things that irked me though, they have to do with my own personal assesment rather than the book itself. I will list them below, beware mild spoilers:
(Again, MILD SPOILERS AHEAD)
1. This book is meant to take place in the middle ages, the guillotin was invented around 1789, it had no bussiness being mentioned.
2. The use of "history buff". Again, middle ages, I didn't like this
3. Joan's death did not impact me the way I think it was meant to impact readers. I don't think the text allows us to know—and therefore care—that much about her, so her passing was just one more plot point rather than a sad occurance.
To begin, I loved the premise. It was really original and well delivered. I really like Jennifer's prose, and personally I found plenty of modern feminist speech insinuated in it, which I loved. All subplots were tied nicely, I don't think there were issues left unresolved, and many of them were resolved in quite witty ways. Vincent was such a great hero, though it may have something to do with him being the duke of Suffolk and me picturing him as Henry Cavill in the Tudors TV show. There were some things that irked me though, they have to do with my own personal assesment rather than the book itself. I will list them below, beware mild spoilers:
(Again, MILD SPOILERS AHEAD)
1. This book is meant to take place in the middle ages, the guillotin was invented around 1789, it had no bussiness being mentioned.
2. The use of "history buff". Again, middle ages, I didn't like this
3. Joan's death did not impact me the way I think it was meant to impact readers. I don't think the text allows us to know—and therefore care—that much about her, so her passing was just one more plot point rather than a sad occurance.
June 18, 2014
Another good read
Another good read
I am enjoying reading Jennifer Horsman books, this is my third book and looking forward to reading more of her books
Another good read
I am enjoying reading Jennifer Horsman books, this is my third book and looking forward to reading more of her books
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews