Conquests: An Anthology of Smoldering Viking Romance

by Delilah Devlin (Editor), Lizzie Ashworth, Mina Murray

Vikings. Fierce warriors who terrified all in their path as they raided and marauded, enslaved and murdered during Europe's Dark Ages.

But these rough men from a rugged land were also sailors, explorers, craftsmen, and highly sought after mercenaries.

Conquests: An Anthology of Smoldering Viking Romance will transport you to the realm of fantasy where such fearsome and loyal men are relentless potent lovers. Whether the lady of the keep demands a few stolen hours of pleasure with a captured Viking warrior or the handsome Northman is the one seducing his captive, you will find plenty of lusty adventures in settings as far-flung as Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Byzantium, Moorish Spain and the New World.

Let your fantasies run wild to a time when men wearing bearskin shirts and shining iron helms could capture a fierce maiden's heart!

Here are the stories included in this volume, along with an introduction by the wonderful Adele Downs...

The Captive by Lizzie Ashworth - A captive turns captor when the lady of an English keep commands a few stolen hours of pleasure with a captured Viking warrior.

Ásgeirr and the Tree of Life by Mina Murray - Danger and desire collide when a wounded Viking warrior washes ashore on a remote Irish island.

A Varangian Guest by Melissa Fuchs - When her brother returns to Constantinople in the company of a warrior from the far north, a widow finds herself drawn to him with irresistible desire.

How to Train Your Skjaldmaer by Delilah Devlin - A Viking jarl tricked into marrying a shieldmaiden sets out to tame his fiery bride.

The Viking's Prize by Emma Jay - Treachery and desire greet a Viking warrior who travels to the coast of Newfoundland to broker peace with the indigenous tribes.

There for the Taking by Nym Nix - A captive is seduced by her Viking captor as he couples with an amorous shieldmaiden whilst she is left to watch.

Sweet Silk by Megan Mitcham - A Viking returns to Persia years after saving a merchant from certain death to retrieve the child-bride awarded him--yet never claimed.

Little Warrior by Evey Brett - A woman braves a pair of daunting shieldmaidens and her father's wrath in order to take her sister's place as bride to a Viking warrior.

Protecting Her by Regina Kammer - A Byzantine noblewoman seeking refuge in a monastery loses her heart to an invader when Constantinople is sacked by the Rus.

Enslaved by Elle James - A conquering Viking vows to tame his sassy Celtic slave--if she doesn't kill him first.

The Oak and the Ale by Beatrix Ellroy - A businesswoman trying to secure trade routes for her family instead finds love with a crippled warrior.

New Words by Teresa Noelle Roberts - An Andalusian Arab poet learns that her new Northman husband is more than just a handsome barbarian.

The Needle and the Strap by Bibi Rizer - A young man hasn't lived up to the Viking standards of his brave and ruthless kinsmen--until he rescues a wild and wicked shieldmaiden from a burning ship.

Genres: Historical, Anthologies, Romance, Historical Romance, Erotica

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 14, 2015

About the author

Delilah Devlin is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with a rapidly expanding reputation for writing deliciously edgy stories with complex characters. Whether creating dark, erotically-charged paranormal worlds or richly descriptive westerns that ring with authenticity, Delilah Devlin “pens in uncharted territory that will leave the readers breathless and hungering for more…” www.DelilahDevlin.com

Reviews

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up...

I had a lot of fun with this anthology. The stories were very steamy and diverse, the heroes were all the strong, huge Vikings but the heroines were of different backgrounds.
I loved the fact that though the stories were very short, in most of them I could see a some kind of connection/chemistry between the MCs. Let's be honest, it is rather a collection of individual "scenes" (mostly nights ;) if you know what I mean) between the Vikings and their women but all the stories have a decent, believable HFN which is one of my "must-have's" lately...
I also loved that all those big, fierce, tattooed warriors had a tender side, that they respected their partners and knew how to be gentle when it was needed and how to worship the women they've chosen (or not chosen!)

Now let me rate the individual stories...

The Captive - 5 stars
One of my favourites - you know I'm a sucker for a captor/captive dynamics and this story delivered beautifully. It was the most sensual one and I felt the chemistry between Elspeth and Magnus instantly! The lady and her prisoner were very hot together! ;)

Asgeirr and the Tree of Life - 5 stars
Again a trope that I love - a wounded hero and a caring healer (who also appeared to be a feisty and, ahem, ... skillful woman!) I'm sure Asgeirr and Ashling will find their HEA with their combined strong will and determination. The story was funny and sensuous at the same time ;)

A Varangian Guest - 3.5 stars
I'm sorry but I didn't really connect with Melite and Arestes/Haraldr :( The bathroom sex scene was superhot, though ;)

How to Train Your Skjaldmaer - 4.5 stars
Torvald and Solveig worked very well together. Although the Viking was tricked into marrying Solvi (the wrong sister!), he quickly realised he was better off with the stubborn, strong and fiery maiden. I loved the ending to this story - it was so heart-warming!!!

The Viking's Prize - 4 stars
This story was quite unique... I liked that the MCs couldn't really communicate verbally (as they came from 2 totally different worlds), but they managed to find understanding and pleasure together. Calder and Odina had very little time together but they forged some kind of a beautiful alliance and I really hope they'll find their HEA ;)

There for the Taking - 3 stars
This one's my least favourite story... :( Maybe because I don't particularly like cheating or 3somes... not that there was an exact case of that between Einar and Idonea but... it was a bit weird to me. Sorry!

Sweet Silk - 4 stars
Kroan and Shirin's story was exactly like the title says: sweet . I really liked Shirin's determination and lack of inhibitions towards Kroan. And Kroan was simply a sweetheart ;) What a great couple!

Little Warrior - 3 stars
The 2nd weakest story IMHO... Sweyn and Ailith had a similar story to Torvald and Solveig, yet their "relationship" was over-complicated (e.g. with Sweyn's sister and her friend and then Ailith's father).

Protecting Her - 3.5 stars
Again, an odd story. Aelfrun was nice and Rakki was just and protective but their HFN wasn't too cinvincing to me.

Enslaved - 3.5 stars
Konrad and Brigid's story was also a kind of "battle of wills" trope, a forced relation between 2 strong leaders of their respective tribes. I didn't feel much chemistry between the MCs but, luckily!, Brigid felt something warm and lustful toward Konrad, or else... ;)

The Oak and The Ale - 4.5 stars
This pairing - a crippled war hero and a caring soul of heroine - is one of my absolute fave's! Teothir was noble and brave and struggled with his disabled body in an unobtrusive, calm way. Aridhe (Ari) was caring but not overwhelming or over-protective and simply enjoyed Teothir's company. He was so gentle while wooing her! My only little niggle? There was a bit too much of "tell and not show" in Teothir's courting Ari. I would so much like to experience his "kissing and touching" and not only read about it ;)

New Words - 4 stars
Ok, so this "fierce Viking" was a bit too soft-spoken and over-romantic for my tastes, LOL, but TBH, I liked the premise of poetry bringing our MCs, Arnulf/Faiz and Walladah together. As a linguist I felt their struggles with communicating and I liked the tenderness of the new lovers/spouses :) And, it took place in my dearest Spain! ;)

The Needle and The Strap - 3 stars
A very peculiar story. For me it was a bit OTT or even bordering with PWP but it was dirty and kinky as hell, hence - 3 stars :D
You know I love me some good BDSM or D/s dynamics and the shy misfit Jari and his feisty, domineering Gull at least were a great fun to read about ;)

OVERALL?!?!
If you like short, veeeery steamy, but also often funny and sweet stories, go for this collection! It has fearless, strong, bad-ass Vikings and a full panoply of reluctant/fierce/shy/passionate (you pick!) brides for them ;)
It was a "feel good", "go-to" read that just let me forget about all the stress in my RL and simply immerse myself in hot and sultry lovemaking and simple, beautiful and romantic stories... *sigh*

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sexy anthology of hot Viking Warriors. These steamy group of stories has a little something for everyone, Alpha men, equally strong woman and plenty of hot sex. I admit there were a few stories I wish were a bit longer because I wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to these sexy Vikings. I definitely found some new authors to add to my reading list. This is a great read, the characters are excellent, the stories kept me captivated and they are HOT, HOT, HOT. Loved it!

[April Symes · Rating 4 out of 5]

***A gifted copy was provided by the author for my honest review****

I read all the books in this anthology but I am reviewing the books by Elle James & Delilah Devlin.
Enslaved by Elle James – Konrad is a strong, handsome virile man who happens to be the man who takes over tall, raven haired beauty named Brigid who also is the clan leader. She took over for her father when he died. All looked to her and she has done all she could for her people. Now, now is this strong, alpha male. She has done her previous tricks and the old foolish men and their troops left her and her people to their devices but not now. This is a struggle of wills between the two and I LOVED how it ended. Would love to read a follow up story on her sister- I think there is a story brewing there . That is just my opinion. Even though this is a short story, the words flowed and the chemistry is hot .Cant go wrong with that. My rating: 4.4
stars ****

How to Train Your Skjaldmaer by Delilah Devlin-The Viking jarl, Torvald, is tricked into marriage by the shieldmadien named Solveig. This story is just like out of the Norse tales. It is about a woman who is trying to prevent being pawned off in marriage so she playacts being the bigger and badder in from of the men to get it around that she is one of the “men” and the man she truly is interested in sees this and gets the wrong impression. When Solgveig meets him she is too busy trying to explain the misaphrension that he laboring under; Watching the mating dance between the two was priceless The ending was the perfect way to end this story. I would like to know how the couple continue their story- The author did such a good job writing the story which flows together .

My rating: 4.4

The other stories in the anthologies are great. Great authors under one book with wonderful stories.

My overall rating: 4.5 stars ****

[ButtonsMom2003 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology is a great value!

My star rating is based on the two stories that I’ve read so far.

How to Train Your Skjaldmaer by Delilah Devlin

Torvald was promised one of Hagar’s daughters a wife; one “so fair roses blushed in dismay” but what he got instead was one with a tall angular frame and ruddy complexion. Hagar had pulled a switch on him. It didn’t take Torvald long to realize he much preferred Solveig to her sister.

Solveig wasn’t meek and didn’t dress like a maiden but Torvald was intrigued by her. She was strong of body and will; qualities that would serve him well; a lady’s skills could be taught.

This is a short story but Delilah Devlin is adept at creating a complete picture with few words. Reading how Torvald and Solvi interact with each other is steamy and entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

* * * * * * * * * * *
Enslaved by Elle James

Konrad and his soldiers have come to Ireland and conquered a village. He left Norway to get out from under his older brother’s leadership and find a new home. Brigid is the leader of the clan that Konrad has conquered; she would do anything to protect her people.

Konrad had Brigid gather the unwed women and announced his intention to take a wife. She offers herself to protect her younger sister from being chosen. She has a plan to drug him to get him to leave her land but things don’t quite work out the way she intended.

Their wedding night is nice and steamy; Konrad proves to be a considerate lover. This is a great short story!

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of Lizzie Ashworth I knew I had to give this anthology a go (just in case you're also a fan of hers, her story is great as always). I really enjoyed the set of stories and each author has the ability to weave a *really enticing* (like really enticing...don't read them at work like I did) story in a short amount of pages. There were a couple of stories that didn't really float my boat in terms of..shall we say, personal preference, but even those still had good elements to them. I really enjoyed the mix of male and female Vikings between the stories. It added a good element to the anthology overall. If you have a pulse, you'll enjoy these stories!

[WTMO Words Turn Me On · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw that one of my favorite authors, Lizzie Ashworth, was a part of this anthology I knew I had to read it and I am glad I did! These stories make me want to go to the Netherlands and find myself a Viking, mmm, mmm, mmm. This collection has a plethora of dominant men, one dominant woman and some girl on girl. Those last two aren’t really my thing, but they are still hot as Hades. If you like Alpha males and good Inspiration, ;) then this anthology is what you are looking for! I give this collection 5 stars with 5 hands down the pants.

[Jennifer Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smoking Hot!

All of these short stories were amazingly steamy and wonderfully written. If you're looking for a Viking escape, this is definitely the place to be!!

[Jujubee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right from the get-go, The Captive by Lizzie Ashworth, set the steamy pace for this medieval Viking collection. My favs are "Asgeirr and the Tree of Life" by Mina Murray; "A Varangian Guest," Melissa Fuchs; and "How to Train Your Skjaldmaer," by Delilah Devlin. But all are well worth it if you like a little spicy with your "history."

[Kristina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really sad I can't use emojis, you guys. Can't really put my feelings about this anthology into words, I guess. I will say that it seems like finding a genuinely great romance novel is about as likely as my winning the lottery. Heartbreak emoji.

[Jimnlori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conquests is an anthology of thirteen hot Viking romances. They are all short stories packed with strong Viking men and women taking land, money, jewels and love as they see fit.
The anthology is made up of thirteen different stories, all written by a different author. Before reading it I had only read books by Elle James so I got a taste of twelve new to me authors.
All of the stories had their own style, but all included the history of what we know about Vikings and adding to it with fictional characters and a lot of romance. If your idea of a perfect romance has a strong alpha hero, a woman that can keep up and HOT romance then this anthology is just right for you.

I was gifted a copy of this book for an honest review. All conclusions are mine and mine alone.

[Laz the Sailor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usually a collection has a theme, and each author puts her own stamp on it. In this case, the theme was so confining (length, Vikings, M/F) that each story is almost identical. There seemed to be additional constraints requiring that some variant of pseudo-archaic language must be used, so cock, pussy, and clit are replaced by staff, quim, and nubbin - by almost every author! The only variation is whether the willing victim has red or black hair to contrast with the blond invaders.

All that said, each story is fairly well written, and if they had been sprinkled among different anthologies, I might have enjoyed them more. But here, the repetition was killing me.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some Very Good Stories!

I really enjoyed reading all of these short stories. Some were very very good. Most I would have loved reading full stories on but… This is worth the Read! I loved most of the characters and storylines. 💜💜💜💜💜

[Jewlsbookblog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enslaved by Elle James was a short and amusing battle of wills between the Viking conquerer and the Celtic beauty.