Highland Fate

Guardians of Scotland #3

by Victoria Zak

She was his saving grace.

The Red Hawk, warrior chieftain of Helmfirth, is an over bearing, dominating dragon who strikes fear in his enemies, until one day a nemesis dares to test his limits and attacks Hawk and all that he holds dear. With one foot in the grave, Hawk finds himself inside the walls of Dunfermline Abbey and his life at the mercy of Sister Kate. In repaying a debt for saving his life, Hawk accepts Kate’s proposal. Will her proposal be the death of him or save him from a terrible mistake?

He was her fall from grace.

Growing up in Dunfermline Abbey, boundaries and vows have kept Sister Kate safe until a wounded red-headed Highlander in desperate need of her help turns her guarded life upside down. The lure of this man brings out a side of Kate long suppressed, she now yearns to leave the Abbey in search of her true self. There’s one problem, she can’t make the daunting journey through the Highlands alone. She needs a Highlander with exceptional skills and she has her eyes set on one, Hawk.

Genres: Historical, Paranormal Romance, Historical Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Amazon

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 23, 2015

About the author

Victoria Zak lives in the sunshine state with her husband, two beautiful children, and three furry friends. Before having kids, Victoria spent fifteen years in the veterinary business and volunteered in pet rescue.

“One of my most rewarding jobs was finding unwanted animals their forever homes.”

A writing career was the last item listed on her bucket list, until she discovered that she wanted to put her stories on paper and breathe life into her characters. Her love for Scotland, curiosity of history, and passion for romance has inspired her to write her first book, Highland Burn.

“Fourteenth century Scotland was a fascinating time in history. Not only was Scotland fighting for their freedom from the English king, their own people fought each other; clan vs clan. Though being a woman of the twenty-first century, I wouldn’t want to live in those unsettled times. But writing historical fiction paranormal romance allows me to escape into their world and breathe a fresh air of romance and magic into that era, which I love to do.”

Victoria loves to hear from her readers. You can connect with her through FB, Twitter, G+, and her website.

Reviews

[Lady Tea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll give two stars to this for things I DIDN'T like, just for a switch:

One star for the dragons lore and just...general lore, I guess, which, I'm sorry, did NOT translate well to a Scottish historical romances setting.

And then the second star for the "telling, not showing" style of narration.

[Sissy's Romance Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book three in the "Guardians Of Scotland" series. I have read the other books but I do feel this can be a standalone book. Although I enjoyed the other books so I would suggest reading them.
Sister Kate has grown up in the Dunfermline Abbey since being left there as a baby. She knows no other life. Abbey starts to feel restless and getting letters from her best friend that has since left the Abbey to marry and now has a child on the way has made her want to leave the Abbey.
One day near the outside of the Abbey she see a man injured on a horse. Kate takes him into the Abbey. There the people help to save him and get him stronger. Red Hawk, warrior chieftain of Helmfirth is a dragon but doing a battle with someone black magic was cast his way and it has made his dragon be dormant. Red Hawk wakes in the Abbey and starts to heal physically but his dragon has not yet returned. There he meets Kate who ask him to take her with him when he leaves. Kate ask him to take her to her friends house. He finally agrees but on the way hes stops at his clan place to find what happened to his family during the fight. Red Hawk is having a hard time fighting his feeling for Kate. He thinks she will not understand what he is and also he thinks his heart has been buried to long to take flight now. Kate too has been fighting her attraction with him but is more inclined to go toward her feelings. But Kate has a secret that even she doesn't know and her parents are trying to find her as someone is after her. Kate is not safe since leaving the Abbey. This starts their great love story of overcoming the past and the present to be together.

[☆.。.:*・°☆Love2Read♡HEAs☆.。.:*・°☆ {Anne} · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rated 4.5 Stars

Thought I wasn't gonna like this one, almost skipped it. Turned out I liked it almost better than the 1st book! Sure glad I decided to read it, cuz it was fantastic.

[J. Kahele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Red Hawk, is a Dragonkin and the chieftain of Helmfirth and is protective of not only his sisters but of his people in his clan. When Helmfirth goes under attack, he finds that he can’t bring out his dragon and is caught into a battle, he may not survive. He wakes in Dunfermline Abbey, a blessed place filled with monks and nuns. This is where he first lays his eyes on a Kate, a sister residing there. Kate was left literally at Dunfermline doorstep as an infant and as always called it home. But she is restless and wishes to leave and travel out into the Highland. She asks Hawk to help her leave the Abbey and at first he is resistant but later agrees. There is a spark between the two that Kate knows is real, but Hawk is not so eager to admit it. Between taking care of his clan and his sisters, that last thing he wants is to take on caring for Kate. Very well written story and a lot of action. The words flowed very easily across the page and the characters were written so masterfully for the era.

[Cat Butler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing to write home about

It’s not a bad read, but there’s no real hook to keep you interested. It has good grammar, but she never explains why it took him 2 weeks to get back if he was fine. Also, completely skipped over the fact Drest came back at the end.
It’s like the author has too many things going on to keep track of them all and just writes whatever she feels like without any thought for how it reads overall after the midway point. She wants drama? She kidnaps Kate and brings Drest back and then kills Hawk. Then she completely ignores the overall dark concept she JUST created to have Hawk magically come back 2 weeks later without a scratch. No one questions it. Then there’s a happy wedding without any worries for the dark King returning and happily ever after!
I just find stories like this frustrating...

[Harmonie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first two

Really enjoyed the first two book in this series but was hesitant to download this one after reading the reviews. I'm really glad I decided to take the chance.

The story doesn't flow as smoothly as the previous two. Some of that is because we are being introduced to two completely new main characters in new surroundings without any preamble. The pacing is off a it too but after finding out that the author was going through cancer treatment while writing this, it's understandable. Everything does weave together, it just also leaves alot of unanswered questions and some pretty major events happen but are just glossed over. I don't want to give any spoilers but you will be frustrated by some of the events that are skimmed over. I have a feeling they will be further explained in the next book.

All in all, not the strongest story in the series but still worth a read as I did like Kate & Hawk. I hope we see more of his sisters in future books. I will be continuing on with this series.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sorry to say this was my least favorite of the series. I felt there was a lot missing in this one. I liked Kate and her background, once it was put out there, was very intriguing. Hawk's character left a lot to be desired. I felt certain parts of the story were too rushed, especially those about Hawk. Having said that, I have enjoyed the series so far and look forward reading more.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Victoria Zak is an excellent story-teller!

Read full review in the 2016 November issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Cristina]

Writing style wasn’t for me.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome back to the moors of Scotland and book three of the Guardians of Scotland series . Let me introduce you to Hawk and Kate . The chieftain of Helmfirth and a dragonkin warrior . A man burdened with secrets that keep him from falling in love, but makes him a fierce warrior . Until the day he is attacked and hurt badly . When h awakes he finds himself in Dunfermline abbey , he finds himself taking a young nun across the highlands as she tries to find herself . Sister Kate has demons of her own in her past . Growing up in the abbey after her mother abandoned her there as a child. Will they survive the trip across the highlands but better question will they survive each other and realize that their destinies are entwined .

I loved the characters in this book . Hawk is a rough overbearing highlander , who is hotter then sin. His alpha male is out and proud , you don't know if you want to punch some sense into him or climb him like a monkey. But there is a sweet soft side that you see coming through . He loves his sisters with a passion and he loves his people. You see that coming through when he is with Kate. He is trying so hard not to let her in because of his dragon . As you read you see his gruff exterior start to crumble when it comes to Kate.

Kate is a character that at the beginning you really feel for her, she has grown up cloistered in the Abbey . That is all she knows is Abbey life, but she is getting restless and wonders what is outside in the real world. As she leaves the abbey and starts her journey with Hawk, she starts to blossom. As you more into the story , you see Kate becoming a warrior in her own right . She grows and becomes stronger with each turn of the page . You can really connect with Kate and the trials she goes through to be the person that Hawk deserves .

The rest of the dragonkin clan are also in this book as we see them come to the aid of Hawk and Kate .

The author takes us on a voyage through the Highlands of Scotland with tough highlanders and the women they love . I have fallen in love with these books , the twists and turns that the author throws at us are some times gut wrenching or laugh out loud . I love the way the author entwines romance and adventure together oh yeah and don't forget all the sexual tension too . Trust me ladies you will want to know what goes on with Hawk and Kate . You will shed a few tears along the way but trust me it is so worth the journey . This could be read as a stand alone book but I strongly suggest that you read all the books in the series. They will transport you to a place where Dragons protect the sky and the women who love them are strong . Highlanders are my new favorite read and this author is my go to. Victoria weaves such magical tales . You should check them out , I guarantee that you will not be disappointed .

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highland Fate is the third book in The Guardians of Scotland series by Victoria Zak. I have been waiting and was totally excited about this book and Victoria did not disappoint. As you read the continuation of the story about the Dragonkine warriors and their fight to keep their King, Drest, from returning and wreaking havoc on the land and killing all the humans, you meet the Dragonkine warrior Hawk and a woman who has secrets even she doesn't know about.

Hawk Comes from Noble birth but when his father was murdered by the King of Scotland; his mother abandons her children and sets off to England. Once Hawk was old enough to go through his transformation into a Dragonkine things change for the small family and Hawk takes over control of the family to protect and care for his sisters. Now he is the Red Hawk, warrior chieftain of Helmfirth. Everyone may fear him, but they know he is their protector as well. No one dares come against him until the day a stranger shows up and changes everything. Barely escaping with his life he meets Sister Kate at Dunfermline Abbey. Sister Kate has secrets even she doesn't know about and when the hurt warrior shows up barley alive, her feelings start to change and she now longs to leave the safety of Dunfermline Abbey and enter an entirely different world than she’s ever known. Following her heart she does exactly that and sets into motion events that will change everyone's life, for the good and for the bad.


I really loved this book, like the last two, Victoria does a great job in her writing and just keeps you glued to the book, wanting more when its finished. My only issue with this book it that it left me with questions at the end. I felt like there should have been some explaining of certain things, ( ***SPOILER ALERT***) like if he was safe why did he take so long to come back to her? Who was in her room and in the woods? (***END OF SPOILER). I am going to hope these are questions that will be answered in the next book that I am super excited for. There is a new character and good or bad, I just can’t wait to meet him!

[Seon Ji (Dawn) · Rating 4 out of 5]

+++Spoilers+++

This is the 3rd book in the series. You DEFINATELY should read the first two or you will certainly be lost.

I really liked the story, the romance was sweet and there is no doubt that Hawk and Kate are perfect for each other. My only regret is that the book was too short, I wanted more. More detail about Kates abilities and more of her history. I also wanted to know how Ramsey (Hawk) escaped, It really would have been nice to switch to his POV instead of reading about Abagail's daughter comming out party (which I skimmed over). I do understand that this was not done to increase the impact of when he returns to a greiving Kate at the end, even still a conversation of his struggles to return to her could have done the job as well.

Another criticism is that IMHO it may have been a good idea to remind the reader earlier on how when dragons shift back to human they appear naked. I did remember this while I was reading and thought it odd to see no mention of gathering clothes or such (especially when Hawk finds Kate outside the tent). Technically he should have been naked, and Kate surprised.

I think Zak was trying to cram alot in to a short book, and I honestly hope she continues with Kate and Hawks story in the next one.

What I loved most of all is that Hawk was a virgin. There is something so beautiful about two people falling in love and being each others first.

I eagerly await the next in the seiers, hopefully it wont be too much longer, for there are a lot of loose ends in need of tieing.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Red Hawk, born of noble blood, betrayed by his mother who sold him and his two sisters, Lana & Gwen, to rogues where they became servants and Hawk was mistreated. They escape and somehow Hawk becomes Chieftan of Helmfirth. Because his father was killed by a human, Hawk doesn't trust them. He does trust his second-in-command Brodie MacGregor who is married to Hawk's sister Lana. Hawk is an arrogant & overbearing Forest Dragon. He's attacked by an enemy and is badly wounded. He wakes up at Dunfermline Abbey, where Sister Kate and Brother Thomas have saved his life.

Sister Kate has been restless and after taking care of Hawk, would like to leave the Abbey and find out what she truly wants in life. She asks Hawk if he would take her to her friend Abigale for she knows she cannot travel on her own. Hawk reluctantly agrees since she helped save his life. He's starting to like this human! Kate also has a surprise waiting when they get to Hawks home to rest before taking her to Abigales. Will this stubborn dragon and Kate overcome their obstacles??? Read it and find out!

This is another awesome dragon story by this author and I love this one as much as I liked the first two. This can be a stand alone book, but there are characters from her other books in this story. To avoid confusion, I would suggest you read the other two also-you won't be sorry!! This story has a great storyline and just love the characters. If you love dragons, you'll love this series!! I highly recommend them.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I liked this one I just felt like there were some things that I would like to have seen fleshed out and some things that didn't really add to the story.

I would have loved to see more about Kate learning her powers and I would really have loved to see a little more about Hawk escaping, even if it was just glossed over. It just seemed like there was quite a bit of unnecessary things towards the end, like the coming out party and the scene with Broc. Now Broc might be something fleshed out later so that might be an assumption on my part but if it were something needing to be put in here for later we still didn't need so much time with Hawk out of the picture and the party details.

I really felt like Kate and Hawk's actual story got shortened to add more to the ongoing plot, it just seemed to be missing something for me even though I loved them both.

I will certainly be reading the next one, the ongoing plot towards dealing with King Drest is enough to keep me interested in this series even without the romance part.

[Misty Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this ARC in return for an honest review. Highland Fate is book 3 in the Guardians of Scotland series. This was a great read. I couldn't put it down till the end of the book.
Highland Fate is the story of the Red Hawk and Sister Kate. The Red Hawk is the main male character at first you meet is a big jerk, but becomes a good guy. Sister Kate is the main female character that you like and can relate to.
The Red Hawk meets Sister Kate after he is wounded during battle and needs her help to heal. During his time with her he starts to fall for her. During her time helping him heal she starts to have feelings for him. They have to fight these feelings if they both expect to survive.
I will not be doing any spoilers so if you want to find out what happens go grab your copy to find out what happens.
I give Highland Fate 5 stars. I loved that the story flowed perfectly from one chapter to the next. It was the perfect mix of mystery, action, and romance. I would recommend this to anyone who loves both paranormal and historical romances.

[Kimi Court · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seem to think anything this lady writes will always be a five star book. This book has a wonderful plot, story line keeps you engaged and the characters are all great. They come alive the more you read.

I know what you are thinking, how can she make this into a worthy read, well she does. She pulls you into the story and along the way you become one of the characters in the book.I love this lady's books. She always is able to take me away for a while. If you do nothing else, take the time to read this series. You will fall in love with it.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

It grabbed my attention, but it did lose me for a bit at one point. Then I got hooked right back in. I really liked the whole dragons aspect. Very cool and intriguing. I felt for Kate, being the dark about who she truly is. Then you have Hawk who is a dragon and believes HEA is not in the cards for him so he keeps to himself. Everything changes in a blink of an eye when Kate enters his life and saves him in more ways then one. I like that we get other stories going on with other characters as well through out the book. I'm always a fan of that because it does help set up for suture books.

[Cindy Unruh]

More Dragonkine please

It was took so long for this book to come out . I had to re read the first two books in the series. While I enjoyed the mystery and the romance, I was disappointed to discover I will have to wait once again for the next book. The King Derst had risen but then there was no word about him again. Then book just wrapped up the romance of Hawk and Kate. It seemed strange. I just pray the next book comes out soon. There is a novella just released I doubt that will finish the series.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy the Scottish Highlands, dragons and a little magic this books for you.
I enjoyed the story line, it was well written and well paced.
There's plenty going on to keep the reader engaged, I read this one in one sitting.
I would have liked to see a bit more about Kate's powers though, that's the only thing I still wonder about, what she learned about her abilities.
This was my first book by the author and I look forward to reading the rest of this series.

[Gaynor Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enraptured

Life roads and stepping into unknown territories one must take a leap of faith. The author was able to this clear even through uncharted waters one must faith that love,prayers is what will prevail. Enjoyed the loyalties and faith that the people had and would stand fast to protect what unimportant

[Betty Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Took a bit to get into it but it was well worth the time. There is so much suspense in this book that I am going to be hard pressed to wait until the next book comes out. This is a great series. I love highlander books and Victoria Zak is going on my must read list. I highly recommend this whole series.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. I have read the previous books in the series. I liked the relationship between Red Hawk & Kate. The highlanders in this series are dragons so it is different than most of the historical novels that I read. Can't wait for the next one in the series.

[Terri James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highland Fate Book 3

This was so good. I love this series. Can't wait for the next book. I couldn't put it down. I did wonder why it took Hawk 2 weeks to find his way back to Kate. What happened to him during that time??? I still love the book.

[Aurrora James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hawk and Kate

A very well matched pair. I love how protective Hawk is of his family and his birds. I also enjoyed Kate's attitude and her not for life. I can't wait to see what happens with Drest.

[Diane L. Gray · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unresolved issues

What happened between the time hawk was lost,captured, disappeared, whatever, and suddenlythere,s a wedding? Seems like the author just thought the book was long enough a d ended it. Not worth the time or effort.

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classics

I love these books. With the mixture of old language and tradition with dragon lore and love. I can't wait till the next one. I love how the drama with the war spreads out over the whole series. Truly makes one realize a war is indeed a bunch of tiny battles

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This tale of Hawk and Kate will keep you enthralled as you follow their journey to happiness. Another awesome addition to the Dragonkine.

[Cindy Burrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I loved this series. I don't normally like books on that time, but this was a great series and I can't wait to read more.

[Angela Covarrubias · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come soon.