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De Russe Legacy #5
The Dark One: Dark Knight
1486 A.D.
Fresh from his treacherous turning of the tides against Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth, Sir Gaston de Russe’s reputation is dark and dirty. Those loyal to Richard hate him and those loyal to Henry Tudor fear him. He is, after all, The Dark One.
In order to gain a strong foothold in Yorkshire, Henry sends Gaston to one of the largest fortresses in the north, a massive bastion called Mt. Holyoak Castle. Having formerly belonged to Sir Guy Stoneley, who is now a prisoner in the White Tower after his capture at Bosworth, the castle is still the home to Guy’s wife, Remington, her three sisters, and her son.
Gaston takes possession of Mt. Holyoak, pleased with his acquisition and intrigued with Lady Stoneley. Beautiful, somewhat shy and demure, Gaston soon comes to find out that Mt. Holyoak harbors a horrible secret of rape and abuse. Guy Stoneley abused his wife and sisters, so much so that the women look to Gaston as their saviour for taking Mt. Holyoak from Guy. As Gaston struggles to administer the North and form alliances with those still loyal to Richard, something more is taking place that threatens to distract him from his task. The lure, the power, is more than he can resist.
A strong bond is forming between the knight believed to be the ultimate traitor and the lady who has known nothing but sorrow and horror. And with that realization, a delicate love story begins as two lonely people find solace and comfort with each other. Gaston soon realizes he loves Remington more than anything, which sets the stage for the biggest battle of his life: the fight against the Catholic Church in his quest for an annulment so he can marry her.
Join Gaston and Remington as they embark on an epic adventure of discovery, love, anguish and sorrow, defeat and victory. From the hills of Yorkshire to the halls of London, share their story of a lifetime where dreams become reality and true love really does conquer all.
Fresh from his treacherous turning of the tides against Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth, Sir Gaston de Russe’s reputation is dark and dirty. Those loyal to Richard hate him and those loyal to Henry Tudor fear him. He is, after all, The Dark One.
In order to gain a strong foothold in Yorkshire, Henry sends Gaston to one of the largest fortresses in the north, a massive bastion called Mt. Holyoak Castle. Having formerly belonged to Sir Guy Stoneley, who is now a prisoner in the White Tower after his capture at Bosworth, the castle is still the home to Guy’s wife, Remington, her three sisters, and her son.
Gaston takes possession of Mt. Holyoak, pleased with his acquisition and intrigued with Lady Stoneley. Beautiful, somewhat shy and demure, Gaston soon comes to find out that Mt. Holyoak harbors a horrible secret of rape and abuse. Guy Stoneley abused his wife and sisters, so much so that the women look to Gaston as their saviour for taking Mt. Holyoak from Guy. As Gaston struggles to administer the North and form alliances with those still loyal to Richard, something more is taking place that threatens to distract him from his task. The lure, the power, is more than he can resist.
A strong bond is forming between the knight believed to be the ultimate traitor and the lady who has known nothing but sorrow and horror. And with that realization, a delicate love story begins as two lonely people find solace and comfort with each other. Gaston soon realizes he loves Remington more than anything, which sets the stage for the biggest battle of his life: the fight against the Catholic Church in his quest for an annulment so he can marry her.
Join Gaston and Remington as they embark on an epic adventure of discovery, love, anguish and sorrow, defeat and victory. From the hills of Yorkshire to the halls of London, share their story of a lifetime where dreams become reality and true love really does conquer all.
843 pages, ebook
First published March 1, 2013
474 people are currently reading
666 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Le Veque
325 books2,086 followersJuggernaut Indie author Kathryn Le Veque is a 'tour de force' in publishing.
Kathryn is a critically acclaimed 21-time USA TODAY Bestselling author, a charter Amazon All-Star author, an Indie Reader top seller, and a #1 bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author in Medieval Historical Romance with over 100 published novels.
Among her many accomplishments, she is the CEO of Dragonblade Publishing, the #1 Historical Romance e-book publisher on Amazon. In 2020, Kathryn collaborated with Sourcebooks publishing for a Medieval Fight Club series set in Scotland.
Kathryn is a critically acclaimed 21-time USA TODAY Bestselling author, a charter Amazon All-Star author, an Indie Reader top seller, and a #1 bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author in Medieval Historical Romance with over 100 published novels.
Among her many accomplishments, she is the CEO of Dragonblade Publishing, the #1 Historical Romance e-book publisher on Amazon. In 2020, Kathryn collaborated with Sourcebooks publishing for a Medieval Fight Club series set in Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
July 29, 2023
This is my fourth read of this epic, classic Kathryn Le Veque book. I still love all 883 pages, just as much as the first time I read it. Ah, Gaston de Russe! My second favorite larger-than-life medieval hero, right after Sir William de Wolfe ("The Wolfe.") Be still my heart! ;)
January 2, 2024
Read: 12/23/23
One of my favorite KlV books!
RTC
One of my favorite KlV books!
RTC
July 23, 2014
One of the best Knights in a Medieval Romance...EVER.
"But for my own part If a book is well written...I always find it too short."- Jane Austin
That is EXACTLY how I feel about this book. Because let me tell you this book is EPIC. The hero is epic...and its also epically LONG. But for me I wanted it to go on and on because I liked the characters (especially the hero) so much.
Sir Gaston is the hero of this story. And what a hero he is...He is dark, brooding, and at first glance many say unfeeling. How very VERY wrong they are, he is a man of great feeling and emotion. He just buries it deep because he doesn't want to feel...he feels his life is easier and less complicated that way. That is until he meets the beautiful and tragic heroine named Remington. Remington has lived a life FULL of fear. Fear from her abusive evil husband that not only abused her but her sisters as well. Gaston and Remi heal each other and fall deeply in love.
There were a couple things that bothered me...First, WAY to much death. I understand death especially in a medieval...I also understand sometimes beloved characters get killed off. But this was just too much...I really can't say more than that because I don't want to ruin the story for anyone. But a couple deaths just about gutted me, and another one I just didn't see the point. The second thing that bothered me was not enough of Gaston's best friend Matthew Wellesbourne! Matt has his own story called 'The White Lord of Wellesbourne' and he was a delight. I was bummed he and his family were not in this story very much.
If you are a lover of Medieval Romance with complex characters, you MUST must check this story out. If you are looking for a light quick read...this is not it. This a long epic romance of a Knight and his Lady that fight the very devil so they can commit their love to each other.
"But for my own part If a book is well written...I always find it too short."- Jane Austin
That is EXACTLY how I feel about this book. Because let me tell you this book is EPIC. The hero is epic...and its also epically LONG. But for me I wanted it to go on and on because I liked the characters (especially the hero) so much.
Sir Gaston is the hero of this story. And what a hero he is...He is dark, brooding, and at first glance many say unfeeling. How very VERY wrong they are, he is a man of great feeling and emotion. He just buries it deep because he doesn't want to feel...he feels his life is easier and less complicated that way. That is until he meets the beautiful and tragic heroine named Remington. Remington has lived a life FULL of fear. Fear from her abusive evil husband that not only abused her but her sisters as well. Gaston and Remi heal each other and fall deeply in love.
There were a couple things that bothered me...First, WAY to much death. I understand death especially in a medieval...I also understand sometimes beloved characters get killed off. But this was just too much...I really can't say more than that because I don't want to ruin the story for anyone. But a couple deaths just about gutted me, and another one I just didn't see the point. The second thing that bothered me was not enough of Gaston's best friend Matthew Wellesbourne! Matt has his own story called 'The White Lord of Wellesbourne' and he was a delight. I was bummed he and his family were not in this story very much.
If you are a lover of Medieval Romance with complex characters, you MUST must check this story out. If you are looking for a light quick read...this is not it. This a long epic romance of a Knight and his Lady that fight the very devil so they can commit their love to each other.
July 3, 2015
If I could have given this book zero stars, I would have. I bought four books as a package set for $0.99 on Amazon and thankfully I didn't spend more. This book drug on not making any progress until I was ready to rip out my eyes. The characters are stereotypes and weak at best. Nearly half the book was the female sobbing, going into hysterics, swooning, or pitching a fit, crying and batting her lashes until she got her way. Everything in the book is over explained and I could not wit for it to end. These are hours I will never get back in my life. Truly terrible. I am not even going to waste my time on the other three books in the bundle.
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December 9, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/9/2019)! 🎁
August 3, 2013
This is the 3rd of Kathryn Le Veque's Medieval books I've read. While I have thoroughly enjoyed the story line of each of the books, I found this one had much more issues with historical accuracy than the others (perhaps because it is one of her earlier works). For example, at one point she speaks of the smell of oppossums, but possums are an American animal, and thus, would not have been present in 15th Century England (this was not the only such mistake, but it was the one that bothered me the most). She did fine on her research for the period as far as battles, kings, etc. (at least as far as I delved into the time period on wikipedia). A few other small things irked me such as using pounds for body weight instead of "stones" or having a character list her age in the modern way (ie "twenty six", instead of this more historical "six and twenty"). There were a few times the speech was off for the period. I am not saying I want to read a bunch of Ye's and Thee's (I do not), but expressions like "I have got to ..." sound too much like a modern American. I did not notice mistakes like these in the other two books I've read by this author, so, again, I am attributing them to inexperience.
The story itself was a great one. It is approximately 800 pages long, but I myself love the long books (I prefer to get to spend the time with the characters I've come to know rather than rush into the situation just to meet some ridiculous requirement of keeping it under 400 pages). There wasn't ever a point where I felt like the story stalled, and there were several points where I had to stop reading for a bit to let my tears try up before continuing on.
One thing I have noticed with all of her books (thus far) is the author loves to use the word "well"! I have to admit I find it rather annoying. She overuses it in the dialog. When a character is speaking, then pauses or hesitates, she seems to always throw the word "well" into the sentence before continuing the thought. A FEW times, I can see, but she does it over and over and over! There were other words I found over-used (at least in this book. I don't recall anything but the overuse of the word "well" in the other two of her novels I've read). In The Dark One: Dark Knight I cannot even begin to count the number of times she used the word "massive" to describe the hero or various parts of his body. After a while, I found myself mumbling, "They have this great book called a Thesaurus. Try it!" (Colossal, Tremendous, Enormous, Immense, Substantial, Gargantuan, Impressive, Huge - to name just a few alternatives for massive). She also tended to over-use certain descriptions (like "sea crystal" for the heroine's eyes. We got the point after the first 5 or so times that exact phrase was used).
Still, taking into account that this was one of the author's earlier works, it is really a great story. I felt with a bit of editing and perhaps a helping hand from someone who could check historical authenticity, it would be a 5-star story. I had quite a few typos throughout the book (no spelling errors, so at least I felt someone took the time to use spell-check, but words that were incorrect yet would still be recognized as words by a spell-check program came up fairly frequently: "To" instead of "Too", "Ail" instead of "All", "Were" instead of "Where" etc.). Many of the issues I've mentioned in this review, are things that should have been caught and corrected in editing stage. That is why we have editors and proof-readers.
Still, even with the editing issues, I gave this book 4 stars. The plot was wonderful, the good guys were easy to like and the bad ones easy enough to dislike, and the ending was not predictable. So far, I've found Kathryn Le Veque's books to be quite original (something much appreciated by someone who spends the majority of her time reading!).
WARNING: POSSIBLE (THOUGH SLIGHT) SPOILER BELOW:
I did find myself a bit confused on the whole issue of annulment. I understood it as far as the heroine and her husband were concerned, but I did not understand the need for it as it pertained to the hero and his wife. Why would he need an annulment posthumously? If this was historically accurate or there was some extenuating circumstances in the case of these characters, I would have really appreciated an author's note at the end to explain. It never did make sense to me, and I know much more about the Catholic church than the average reader.
The story itself was a great one. It is approximately 800 pages long, but I myself love the long books (I prefer to get to spend the time with the characters I've come to know rather than rush into the situation just to meet some ridiculous requirement of keeping it under 400 pages). There wasn't ever a point where I felt like the story stalled, and there were several points where I had to stop reading for a bit to let my tears try up before continuing on.
One thing I have noticed with all of her books (thus far) is the author loves to use the word "well"! I have to admit I find it rather annoying. She overuses it in the dialog. When a character is speaking, then pauses or hesitates, she seems to always throw the word "well" into the sentence before continuing the thought. A FEW times, I can see, but she does it over and over and over! There were other words I found over-used (at least in this book. I don't recall anything but the overuse of the word "well" in the other two of her novels I've read). In The Dark One: Dark Knight I cannot even begin to count the number of times she used the word "massive" to describe the hero or various parts of his body. After a while, I found myself mumbling, "They have this great book called a Thesaurus. Try it!" (Colossal, Tremendous, Enormous, Immense, Substantial, Gargantuan, Impressive, Huge - to name just a few alternatives for massive). She also tended to over-use certain descriptions (like "sea crystal" for the heroine's eyes. We got the point after the first 5 or so times that exact phrase was used).
Still, taking into account that this was one of the author's earlier works, it is really a great story. I felt with a bit of editing and perhaps a helping hand from someone who could check historical authenticity, it would be a 5-star story. I had quite a few typos throughout the book (no spelling errors, so at least I felt someone took the time to use spell-check, but words that were incorrect yet would still be recognized as words by a spell-check program came up fairly frequently: "To" instead of "Too", "Ail" instead of "All", "Were" instead of "Where" etc.). Many of the issues I've mentioned in this review, are things that should have been caught and corrected in editing stage. That is why we have editors and proof-readers.
Still, even with the editing issues, I gave this book 4 stars. The plot was wonderful, the good guys were easy to like and the bad ones easy enough to dislike, and the ending was not predictable. So far, I've found Kathryn Le Veque's books to be quite original (something much appreciated by someone who spends the majority of her time reading!).
WARNING: POSSIBLE (THOUGH SLIGHT) SPOILER BELOW:
I did find myself a bit confused on the whole issue of annulment. I understood it as far as the heroine and her husband were concerned, but I did not understand the need for it as it pertained to the hero and his wife. Why would he need an annulment posthumously? If this was historically accurate or there was some extenuating circumstances in the case of these characters, I would have really appreciated an author's note at the end to explain. It never did make sense to me, and I know much more about the Catholic church than the average reader.
June 6, 2024
Disappointing. I loved the White Lord of Wellesborne and bought this one as I was intrigued by the Gaston I saw in it. This book was written first and thus the Gaston I enjoyed in the White Lord was not the same here.
The first 40% was excellent. Then it meandered between 40-60% and lost me at 60% when some key characters died for reasons I felt never would have happened based on how they had been described (i.e., why would you go back to the same spot as a prior attack and be undefended when you’re worried about a trap? Answer: You wouldn’t.), and the sex scenes just got over the top (even an anal one, sorry gross) and more on the lines of what’s in erotica which is not what I read. After 60%, I just skimmed until I finished and I was relieved and disappointed with how it all played out. Remington was a sensitive character I rooted for at the beginning but she devolved into a whiny woman who weakened Gaston with her complaints and open disagreements in front of others. She was only liked because of her beauty—I never saw intelligence or leadership or grace after about 40% of the way in.
I liked Gaston overall and just wish he had been able to satisfy Remington without having to seem so weak all the time. He can still be tough and intimidating and tender with her in private. I felt like all the gushing he did would have been damaging for his image and didn’t understand why Le Veque portrayed it that way.
I also did not understand the annulment after death thing. Why make your son a bastard at that point? I didn’t understand that piece and would’ve been interested in author notes on that plot point.
Anyway, Le Veque has interesting setups and does a lot of cool history but the little details of character thoughts/motivations were sometimes wrong which was a bump while reading. This book could’ve been shorter and still felt epic.
The first 40% was excellent. Then it meandered between 40-60% and lost me at 60% when some key characters died for reasons I felt never would have happened based on how they had been described (i.e., why would you go back to the same spot as a prior attack and be undefended when you’re worried about a trap? Answer: You wouldn’t.), and the sex scenes just got over the top (even an anal one, sorry gross) and more on the lines of what’s in erotica which is not what I read. After 60%, I just skimmed until I finished and I was relieved and disappointed with how it all played out. Remington was a sensitive character I rooted for at the beginning but she devolved into a whiny woman who weakened Gaston with her complaints and open disagreements in front of others. She was only liked because of her beauty—I never saw intelligence or leadership or grace after about 40% of the way in.
I liked Gaston overall and just wish he had been able to satisfy Remington without having to seem so weak all the time. He can still be tough and intimidating and tender with her in private. I felt like all the gushing he did would have been damaging for his image and didn’t understand why Le Veque portrayed it that way.
I also did not understand the annulment after death thing. Why make your son a bastard at that point? I didn’t understand that piece and would’ve been interested in author notes on that plot point.
Anyway, Le Veque has interesting setups and does a lot of cool history but the little details of character thoughts/motivations were sometimes wrong which was a bump while reading. This book could’ve been shorter and still felt epic.
March 24, 2014
Well I have never written a review before but here it goes.
This book has me torn: At the beginning I loved it but after the first 50% I became so annoyed with the characters - both Remington and Gaston - that I almost did not finish it.
I like long books but please do not trag it out unnecessarily!! All the bad things that happen to Remi on and on and on are just unbelievable! Her hysterics and whiny attidute became so annoying after a while! I understand that she is an abused women, but why does she turn into a "seductive wench" all of a sudden then bag???!!!! Gaston describes her as intellegent and strong and then as hysteric and unreasonable, hoping she does not break down. The only thing she has going of course is her amazing beauty. Moreover Gaston starts becoming an overly emotional crying wreck as well...
Besides those annoying points there were a lot of plot issues. Please tell me why Gaston had to precure an annulment from his dead wife??? Even in those times it was "till death do us appart"! Moreover knights in general did not have this amount of power in the feudal system. They talk about bribing the church with his lands. THat is impossible because the lands were granted by the king and still his poperty ...
Moreover there was a lot of spelling mistakes - and English is not my native language!
Well more than half way through I became so annoyed that I even talked to my husband about this book. Nevertheless I finished it because I wanted to get it over with. In the end I was glad I did since there was at last a happy ending. The book should be cut in half as the editor said.
This book has me torn: At the beginning I loved it but after the first 50% I became so annoyed with the characters - both Remington and Gaston - that I almost did not finish it.
I like long books but please do not trag it out unnecessarily!! All the bad things that happen to Remi on and on and on are just unbelievable! Her hysterics and whiny attidute became so annoying after a while! I understand that she is an abused women, but why does she turn into a "seductive wench" all of a sudden then bag???!!!! Gaston describes her as intellegent and strong and then as hysteric and unreasonable, hoping she does not break down. The only thing she has going of course is her amazing beauty. Moreover Gaston starts becoming an overly emotional crying wreck as well...
Besides those annoying points there were a lot of plot issues. Please tell me why Gaston had to precure an annulment from his dead wife??? Even in those times it was "till death do us appart"! Moreover knights in general did not have this amount of power in the feudal system. They talk about bribing the church with his lands. THat is impossible because the lands were granted by the king and still his poperty ...
Moreover there was a lot of spelling mistakes - and English is not my native language!
Well more than half way through I became so annoyed that I even talked to my husband about this book. Nevertheless I finished it because I wanted to get it over with. In the end I was glad I did since there was at last a happy ending. The book should be cut in half as the editor said.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2015
Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow what a book. Yes it is long, But it was an amazing story. The hero is awesome! Can't even put into words how awesome his is. The dark one indeed!
It was a fantastic epic love story. Not your typical angst, and secrets historical romance. It was wonderful! They hero, Gaston and heroine, Remington had great chemistry and some wonderfully written sex scene, not graphic or erotica, very nicely written.
There was so much wonderful dialogue throughout the entire book.
Always something going on, never a dull moment. And for a book being about 800 pages long and a 25 hour listen it wasn't full of filler nonsense. The descriptions were brief and to the point. The story moved on and flowed quite nicely, and everything came together brilliantly. It was wonderful.
This author is truly gifted. I find it amazing that she wrote this book 20 plus years ago and it took that long to get published. Very interesting note from the author at the beginning and the end of the book.
As for the narration? Absolutely Wonderful! He did the women's voices great, and the hero's voice, (fanning myself) my oh my!
I actually got this book as a free listen with my KU subscription and 3.49 on audible! What a deal. However, I will say it would have been with the credit or dollars!
Wow what a book. Yes it is long, But it was an amazing story. The hero is awesome! Can't even put into words how awesome his is. The dark one indeed!
It was a fantastic epic love story. Not your typical angst, and secrets historical romance. It was wonderful! They hero, Gaston and heroine, Remington had great chemistry and some wonderfully written sex scene, not graphic or erotica, very nicely written.
There was so much wonderful dialogue throughout the entire book.
Always something going on, never a dull moment. And for a book being about 800 pages long and a 25 hour listen it wasn't full of filler nonsense. The descriptions were brief and to the point. The story moved on and flowed quite nicely, and everything came together brilliantly. It was wonderful.
This author is truly gifted. I find it amazing that she wrote this book 20 plus years ago and it took that long to get published. Very interesting note from the author at the beginning and the end of the book.
As for the narration? Absolutely Wonderful! He did the women's voices great, and the hero's voice, (fanning myself) my oh my!
I actually got this book as a free listen with my KU subscription and 3.49 on audible! What a deal. However, I will say it would have been with the credit or dollars!
June 16, 2016
Not sure why I gave 5 stars but I am sure it doesn't deserve it. I am done with Le Veque.
Was planning on re reading some of her books, until I got fed up with the shitty heros. Not changing my rating just yet. Have to work up my nerve to struggle through this one for a reevaluation and rating adjustment.
Was planning on re reading some of her books, until I got fed up with the shitty heros. Not changing my rating just yet. Have to work up my nerve to struggle through this one for a reevaluation and rating adjustment.
November 7, 2016
What a ride! This story was epic! I really liked it! I had some minor issues with it, that's why I gave it a 4 star rating, but overall it was a great read! This was my first Kathryn Le Veque book but it won't be my last.
February 23, 2016
Re-read:
This is a beautifully written story with well rounded characters, an engaging plot and beautiful descriptions. The secondary characters are AMAZING and you can't help but love them. My heart ached for all that Remy and her sisters went through but it was so nice to see them blossom once Gaston came along. He might be The Dark One but he has a heart of gold. There's not many heroes that can top him. That POS husband of Remy's deserved so much more than he got but he does get his, eventually.
There was also a good dose of humor sprinkled throughout the book...
One of my favorite scenes is with Rory and Nicholas in the Great Hall. From Patrick cursing loudly demanding an explanation to Nicholas and his outrage and finally Jasmine fainting in denial not once but twice! I laughed so hard, I had tears in my eyes and I was out of breath. I kept hitting the rewind button just to re-listen to it. My boyfriend looked at me like I was insane. I let him listen and he got a kick out of it as well. Erik and his rogue ended a hilarious scene for me.
This book was 23 hours long but I still wanted more. Greedy huh?
Narration: 5+++++++++++++++++++
Story: 5+++++++++++++++++++
This is a beautifully written story with well rounded characters, an engaging plot and beautiful descriptions. The secondary characters are AMAZING and you can't help but love them. My heart ached for all that Remy and her sisters went through but it was so nice to see them blossom once Gaston came along. He might be The Dark One but he has a heart of gold. There's not many heroes that can top him. That POS husband of Remy's deserved so much more than he got but he does get his, eventually.
There was also a good dose of humor sprinkled throughout the book...
One of my favorite scenes is with Rory and Nicholas in the Great Hall. From Patrick cursing loudly demanding an explanation to Nicholas and his outrage and finally Jasmine fainting in denial not once but twice! I laughed so hard, I had tears in my eyes and I was out of breath. I kept hitting the rewind button just to re-listen to it. My boyfriend looked at me like I was insane. I let him listen and he got a kick out of it as well. Erik and his rogue ended a hilarious scene for me.
This book was 23 hours long but I still wanted more. Greedy huh?
Narration: 5+++++++++++++++++++
Story: 5+++++++++++++++++++
August 13, 2013
Great fun - I think this is my favourite Le Veque so far. Gaston was a convincing hero and Remington had my sympathy the whole way through. I thought her husband, Guy, was a little to much the stereotypical villain at times. We're told how evil he is throughout the story, which, for me, made him less scary. Show me how evil he is - don't tell me! However, I thought the author handled some really tricky issues - rape and abuse - delicately and convincingly. A well-written, medieval adventure that really draws you in.
October 9, 2013
Great storyline, lovely and long, which I always enjoy in a book, I hate it when books only have a couple of hundred pages. It would probably have been a 5 star, if it had more historical fact/detail. I also felt that the language was a bit modern in places. Will definitely be reading more from this author.
April 7, 2013
I love this book! It has romance and history my two favorite subjects. I need to read more!
May 12, 2013
Fantastic read!
May 18, 2013
Just when you thought not another bad thing could happen to the main female character...
BAM!!!! Something else happens and it. just. keeps. going.
Epic is definitely a good description for it.
BAM!!!! Something else happens and it. just. keeps. going.
Epic is definitely a good description for it.
June 19, 2013
Good but about 400 pages too long.
August 2, 2013
Another spell binding novel by kathryn LeVeque! Love love love it!
February 17, 2014
Good book, just bummed by the characters we lost.
June 8, 2022
I think this is the longest book I've ever read but I enjoyed every single page. Wow, what an adventure Kathryn Le Veque brings us on with Gaston and Remington's story! As per usual when it comes to this author, tissues were definitely needed!! This is not a lighthearted read, it's got triggers like rape, abuse, violence, etc, but it's all part of the story and I think the author handled it well in the way she wrote about it.
So many characters are involved in this story and I got attached to each one of them....excluding the villains! Gaston and Remington's road to their HEA is definitely not an easy one and in fact, often times I wondered if it would ever happen! Between the politics, the church, the villains and the battles, it was a vicious circle. Gaston is a hero in the first degree and the love he and Remington share melted my heart, I adored these two so much.
Yes, it is a long story but so worth the time it takes to read it!!
So many characters are involved in this story and I got attached to each one of them....excluding the villains! Gaston and Remington's road to their HEA is definitely not an easy one and in fact, often times I wondered if it would ever happen! Between the politics, the church, the villains and the battles, it was a vicious circle. Gaston is a hero in the first degree and the love he and Remington share melted my heart, I adored these two so much.
Yes, it is a long story but so worth the time it takes to read it!!
January 7, 2020
Medieval romance has never been my type of book. But I have to say that I love every minute of The Dark One: Dark Knight. The book even though it was really long it didn’t feel like it was that long. From page one, the book had me in my feelings. I was angry, frustrated, happy, sad and emotional wreck but I loved every moment. the book was well written, she gave us the readers an amazing hero, sir Gaston was everything and more! I’m so happy for Remington and her sisters to have a happy ending! I don’t like to give spoilers so you have to read the book definitely deserves a five star
May 2, 2023
The Right Stuff🐺💪🔪🐎
ADULT Historical Medieval 🏰🐺💪🔪🐎Romance 💕with Abductions.
Helen of Troy has nothing on this woman💃💋! Desired by two extremely powerful men, one good, one evil, she💃💋 is caught in the middle with her sister's and her son's lives💔 on the line.
This is an epic tale that is probably much too long, but I enjoyed it anyway. The story is mostly about good🐺💪🔪🐎 versus evil💀.
This novel does have an adulterous relationship in it between the two main characters. But as readers of Historical books📚 know, divorce was unknown and not allowed in these time periods.
I got this ebook from Amazon📚 with KU.
ADULT Historical Medieval 🏰🐺💪🔪🐎Romance 💕with Abductions.
Helen of Troy has nothing on this woman💃💋! Desired by two extremely powerful men, one good, one evil, she💃💋 is caught in the middle with her sister's and her son's lives💔 on the line.
This is an epic tale that is probably much too long, but I enjoyed it anyway. The story is mostly about good🐺💪🔪🐎 versus evil💀.
This novel does have an adulterous relationship in it between the two main characters. But as readers of Historical books📚 know, divorce was unknown and not allowed in these time periods.
I got this ebook from Amazon📚 with KU.
April 8, 2018
Another great adventure in medieval times. Lots of excitement and wonderful characters.
November 27, 2014
More authors need to feel free to write a story the length they wish to write. Forcing a manuscript under a "paperback or 400-page length novel" shorts us, the readers, of a good story. I am so thankful that Ms. Le Veque saved this over 700 page length story until she was able to publish it without an editor's restrictions.
There is so much that is rich in description about this story that you are drawn in, and become a part of that world that belongs to Gaston, the Dark Knight, Remington & her sisters.
"1486 A.D.
Fresh from his treacherous turning of the tides against Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth, Sir Gaston de Russe’s reputation is dark and dirty. Those loyal to Richard hate him and those loyal to Henry Tudor fear him. He is, after all, The Dark One."
Readers will find themselves reading & understanding clearly how difficult it was for women back then who were considered nothing more than chattel; property belonging to a husband. The struggle that Gaston & Remington have to face with the church is complicated first by Gaston's own philandering wife, and then Remington's purely evil husband. My God, you will crawl under a rock as you get to know Guy Stonely! He truly is something evil, and the fact that his actions are practically condoned by the Church is appalling! However, that is how it was... and love was rarely a factor amongst such noble unions.
There are battles, escapes, Church influence and irritation galore. You will certainly fall in love with Gaston & Remington but expect to lose your heart to a few others in the story: Trenton de Russe & Dane Stonely, Skye, Jasmine & Rory - Remington's sisters, Sir Arik, Sir Nicolas, Sir Patrick, Sir Hubert, and Sir Roald.
Have your kleenex handy for those tears you will shed - and if you don't you are heartless - and be ready for those laughs that will get you when you least expect it.
This was a magnificent story, a true epic that needed every word the author wrote. I love a long story this good, and wish there were more authors who had this freedom.
Thank you, again, Ms. Le Veque, for this absolutely divine story!
There is so much that is rich in description about this story that you are drawn in, and become a part of that world that belongs to Gaston, the Dark Knight, Remington & her sisters.
"1486 A.D.
Fresh from his treacherous turning of the tides against Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth, Sir Gaston de Russe’s reputation is dark and dirty. Those loyal to Richard hate him and those loyal to Henry Tudor fear him. He is, after all, The Dark One."
Readers will find themselves reading & understanding clearly how difficult it was for women back then who were considered nothing more than chattel; property belonging to a husband. The struggle that Gaston & Remington have to face with the church is complicated first by Gaston's own philandering wife, and then Remington's purely evil husband. My God, you will crawl under a rock as you get to know Guy Stonely! He truly is something evil, and the fact that his actions are practically condoned by the Church is appalling! However, that is how it was... and love was rarely a factor amongst such noble unions.
There are battles, escapes, Church influence and irritation galore. You will certainly fall in love with Gaston & Remington but expect to lose your heart to a few others in the story: Trenton de Russe & Dane Stonely, Skye, Jasmine & Rory - Remington's sisters, Sir Arik, Sir Nicolas, Sir Patrick, Sir Hubert, and Sir Roald.
Have your kleenex handy for those tears you will shed - and if you don't you are heartless - and be ready for those laughs that will get you when you least expect it.
This was a magnificent story, a true epic that needed every word the author wrote. I love a long story this good, and wish there were more authors who had this freedom.
Thank you, again, Ms. Le Veque, for this absolutely divine story!
January 27, 2015
Gaston and Remington
I so loved. This book, since it was longer than Kathryn le Veques other books it was so much more involved. I really loved the more details of their relationship, the description of both their pasts to why they were the way they became
This book had me so angry that women were so treated in the way Remington and her sisters were but then again that was the medieval era. Then laughing at the hijinks of Rory had me laughing so hard then when death was close I was crying.
The ups and downs of the unfamiliar feelings that each character was feeling had me also feeling like that too.
I so love Kathryn le Veques books I can't wait to read another if you love the medieval period, love stories of knights, ladies, and scoundrels, Kings that can be rewarding you one second then having you killed the next instance Kathryn le Veques books are the ones to get. She leads you to a time when intrigue, love and war go hand to hand. Where you fight for what you believe in, who you love and who you honor.
I now have most of her books and I highly recommend this book, The Dark Knight to read for you will not just read this one for like me you will be hooked...
I so loved. This book, since it was longer than Kathryn le Veques other books it was so much more involved. I really loved the more details of their relationship, the description of both their pasts to why they were the way they became
This book had me so angry that women were so treated in the way Remington and her sisters were but then again that was the medieval era. Then laughing at the hijinks of Rory had me laughing so hard then when death was close I was crying.
The ups and downs of the unfamiliar feelings that each character was feeling had me also feeling like that too.
I so love Kathryn le Veques books I can't wait to read another if you love the medieval period, love stories of knights, ladies, and scoundrels, Kings that can be rewarding you one second then having you killed the next instance Kathryn le Veques books are the ones to get. She leads you to a time when intrigue, love and war go hand to hand. Where you fight for what you believe in, who you love and who you honor.
I now have most of her books and I highly recommend this book, The Dark Knight to read for you will not just read this one for like me you will be hooked...
August 30, 2014
Where to start. The fact it was over 800 pages didn't deter me at all since I like to get into a good story and fortunately I'm a quick reader. Personally, I'm glad the author didn't try to break the story up into several books or worse, cut some of it out. This story drew me in from the very first pages and I found myself reading into the wee hours to see what happened next.
If a book can keep my interest and the story can make me feel as though I'm there, living the story, it's a success. The author had much going on with the main and secondary characters, yet it wasn't difficult following the story. I felt Ms. LeVeque did a great job of conveying the emotions of the people, from fear, anger to love and understanding. I especially liked the way Gaston was portrayed.
It's amazing the things we take for granted that made life so difficult during this time, communication and transportation are two that come to mind.
I'm sure others have summarized the plot very nicely so I'll just say it was an engaging story that had romance, gruesome fighting, a good slice of humor, babies and quite a few twists.
If a book can keep my interest and the story can make me feel as though I'm there, living the story, it's a success. The author had much going on with the main and secondary characters, yet it wasn't difficult following the story. I felt Ms. LeVeque did a great job of conveying the emotions of the people, from fear, anger to love and understanding. I especially liked the way Gaston was portrayed.
It's amazing the things we take for granted that made life so difficult during this time, communication and transportation are two that come to mind.
I'm sure others have summarized the plot very nicely so I'll just say it was an engaging story that had romance, gruesome fighting, a good slice of humor, babies and quite a few twists.
June 18, 2014
This is an epic book in every sense.The pages go past so quickly it took no longer to read than some books with half the amount of pages.
After the battle of Bosworth King Henry VII is on the throne. He sends Gaston De Russe,the most feared knight in the land, to Mt.Holyoak in Yorkshire ,A keep that has been confiscated from a prisoner of war, to keep the peace and train his Knights.Remington is the Lady of the keep . She knows she has no choice but to surrender Mt.Holyoak to Sir Gaston. She and her sisters are terrified ,after years of abuse by her husband. Gaston is a loner who cuts himself off from friends and even his family. His is an arranged marriage to a cheating woman he detests. He finds himself drawn to this taumatized family.In this era the only way out of a marriage is anullment by the church. Which is next to immpossible to get.
This book is an emotional roller coaster. Laughter and tears, incredible fight scenes and touching love scenes.
After the battle of Bosworth King Henry VII is on the throne. He sends Gaston De Russe,the most feared knight in the land, to Mt.Holyoak in Yorkshire ,A keep that has been confiscated from a prisoner of war, to keep the peace and train his Knights.Remington is the Lady of the keep . She knows she has no choice but to surrender Mt.Holyoak to Sir Gaston. She and her sisters are terrified ,after years of abuse by her husband. Gaston is a loner who cuts himself off from friends and even his family. His is an arranged marriage to a cheating woman he detests. He finds himself drawn to this taumatized family.In this era the only way out of a marriage is anullment by the church. Which is next to immpossible to get.
This book is an emotional roller coaster. Laughter and tears, incredible fight scenes and touching love scenes.
January 16, 2015
An epic adventure and love story - this author is an excellent story teller, taking you away to another place and time! I have fallen into her stories and just loved being there.
Unfortunately, the two books of hers that I have read could really benefit from an editor. If you can see past the grammar mistakes (things that pass a spell check but still draw the eye) and her occasional use of modern dialog that does not quite fit the era, then you will find a wonderful, long, exciting read. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and always intense, the author creates not only great main characters but a whole cast of exceptionally well drawn secondary characters.
Despite the editing issues I highly recommend it.
Unfortunately, the two books of hers that I have read could really benefit from an editor. If you can see past the grammar mistakes (things that pass a spell check but still draw the eye) and her occasional use of modern dialog that does not quite fit the era, then you will find a wonderful, long, exciting read. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and always intense, the author creates not only great main characters but a whole cast of exceptionally well drawn secondary characters.
Despite the editing issues I highly recommend it.
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