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Age of Faith #1
The Unveiling
12th Century England. Two men vie for the throne: King Stephen the usurper, and young Duke Henry the rightful heir. Amid civil and private wars, alliances are forged, loyalties are betrayed, families are divided, and marriages are made. For four years, Lady Annyn Bretanne has trained at arms with one end in mind-to avenge her brother's murder as God has not deemed it worthy to do. Disguised as a squire, she sets off to exact revenge on a man known only by his surname, Wulfrith. But when she holds his fate in her hands, her will wavers and her heart whispers that her enemy may not be an enemy after all. Baron Wulfrith, renowned trainer of knights, allows no women within his walls for the distraction they breed. What he never expects is that the impetuous young man sent to train under him is a woman who seeks his death-nor that her unveiling will test his faith and distract the warrior from his purpose.
306 pages, Paperback
First published July 31, 2012
780 people are currently reading
2307 people want to read
About the author
Tamara Leigh
70 books971 followersTamara Leigh signed a 4-book contract with Bantam Books in 1993, her debut medieval romance was nominated for a RITA award, and successive books with Bantam, HarperCollins, and Dorchester earned awards and appeared on national bestseller lists.
In 2006, the first of Tamara’s inspirational contemporary romances was published, followed by six more with Multnomah and RandomHouse. Perfecting Kate was optioned for a movie, Splitting Harriet won an ACFW Book of the Year award, and Faking Grace was nominated for a RITA award.
In 2012, Tamara returned to writing historical romance with the release of Dreamspell and the bestselling Age of Faith and The Feud series. Among her #1 bestsellers are her general market romances rewritten as clean and inspirational reads, including Lady at Arms and Lady of Conquest. In late 2018, she released Merciless, the first book in the new AGE OF CONQUEST series, followed by Fearless and Nameless, unveiling the origins of the Wulfrith family. Psst!—It all began with a woman. Watch for Heartless in Spring 2020.
Tamara lives near Nashville with her husband, a German Shepherd who has never met a squeaky toy she can’t destroy, and a feisty Morkie who keeps her company during long writing stints.
Connect with Tamara at her website www.tamaraleigh.com, Facebook, Twitter and tamaraleightenn@gmail.com.
In 2006, the first of Tamara’s inspirational contemporary romances was published, followed by six more with Multnomah and RandomHouse. Perfecting Kate was optioned for a movie, Splitting Harriet won an ACFW Book of the Year award, and Faking Grace was nominated for a RITA award.
In 2012, Tamara returned to writing historical romance with the release of Dreamspell and the bestselling Age of Faith and The Feud series. Among her #1 bestsellers are her general market romances rewritten as clean and inspirational reads, including Lady at Arms and Lady of Conquest. In late 2018, she released Merciless, the first book in the new AGE OF CONQUEST series, followed by Fearless and Nameless, unveiling the origins of the Wulfrith family. Psst!—It all began with a woman. Watch for Heartless in Spring 2020.
Tamara lives near Nashville with her husband, a German Shepherd who has never met a squeaky toy she can’t destroy, and a feisty Morkie who keeps her company during long writing stints.
Connect with Tamara at her website www.tamaraleigh.com, Facebook, Twitter and tamaraleightenn@gmail.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 334 reviews
March 16, 2016
Once in a while I just pick something to read that I know I own, but hadn't really thought about reading anytime soon. Sometimes I regret my decision...and sometimes not! Sometimes, I am just pleasantly surprised, and bitterly regret not having immediate access to the rest of the series. The Unveiling was just such a book; I was vaguely aware of the fact that it was sitting on my "historical-romance" shelf doing nothing, and since I’d been in a medieval mood I picked it up on a whim and next thing you know I need the remaining 4 books of the series!
I will be honest though, I am no medieval expert, have read little to nothing in that genre save fairytales, so I am not at all a reference for this book and can’t say if it was entirely accurate or not. I think it was, it was certainly well-written and made abundant use of the era’s vocabulary and turns of phrases (which I loved), there were enough details to create a really exciting medieval-castle-and-knights setting, and everyone seemed to act true to the period, if you can overlook the famous young-woman-desguises-herself-as-a-man-and-it-WORKS-she-really-fools-everybody trope. I always have a bit of a hard time swallowing that one (I mean, I know there’s no way I could ever pass for a man, so how come others seem to be able to pull it off so often?), even though I must confess I rather like the idea. I always eagerly await the moment when the hero will finally see the heroine in women’s garments and go something like “Omg, omggggggg, OMGGGGG” in his head. ;) Haha!
I thought the romance was really well done in this book, and didn’t really encounter some of the problems mentioned by many reviewers here, like the fact that their attraction was purely physical (it wasn’t – there was a lot of physical tension, I grant you, but in the end they’re certainly not together only because of that), or that the hero was a hypocrite for claiming to be a man of God, yet being perfectly fine with sleeping with harlots and not ladies (it was the way of the time, and that’s what men were taught to do – not saying it’s right, but that’s what they did). If you like the tough warrior type of hero, the really hot kind that is incredibly strong and courageous, and afraid of nothing save love, you will love Lord Wulfrith (I obviously did), and might just fan yourself, you know, a few times here and there over the course of the book (might or might not have done that as well).
The Unveiling was exciting, suspenseful, unputdownable and just plain good. The beginning was a bit slow and it took a few chapters to really get the action going, but overall there’s quite a lot going on, and you won’t be bored. The only reasons I’m not bumping the rating up to a full five is because I wasn’t a huge fan of the heroine (hard a really hard time relating to her, and sometimes she was a tad annoying), and although I really loved this book and am dying to read the other books, it wasn’t an ultimatefavourite.
Still free on Kindle, for those of you who might be interested :)
I will be honest though, I am no medieval expert, have read little to nothing in that genre save fairytales, so I am not at all a reference for this book and can’t say if it was entirely accurate or not. I think it was, it was certainly well-written and made abundant use of the era’s vocabulary and turns of phrases (which I loved), there were enough details to create a really exciting medieval-castle-and-knights setting, and everyone seemed to act true to the period, if you can overlook the famous young-woman-desguises-herself-as-a-man-and-it-WORKS-she-really-fools-everybody trope. I always have a bit of a hard time swallowing that one (I mean, I know there’s no way I could ever pass for a man, so how come others seem to be able to pull it off so often?), even though I must confess I rather like the idea. I always eagerly await the moment when the hero will finally see the heroine in women’s garments and go something like “Omg, omggggggg, OMGGGGG” in his head. ;) Haha!
I thought the romance was really well done in this book, and didn’t really encounter some of the problems mentioned by many reviewers here, like the fact that their attraction was purely physical (it wasn’t – there was a lot of physical tension, I grant you, but in the end they’re certainly not together only because of that), or that the hero was a hypocrite for claiming to be a man of God, yet being perfectly fine with sleeping with harlots and not ladies (it was the way of the time, and that’s what men were taught to do – not saying it’s right, but that’s what they did). If you like the tough warrior type of hero, the really hot kind that is incredibly strong and courageous, and afraid of nothing save love, you will love Lord Wulfrith (I obviously did), and might just fan yourself, you know, a few times here and there over the course of the book (might or might not have done that as well).
The Unveiling was exciting, suspenseful, unputdownable and just plain good. The beginning was a bit slow and it took a few chapters to really get the action going, but overall there’s quite a lot going on, and you won’t be bored. The only reasons I’m not bumping the rating up to a full five is because I wasn’t a huge fan of the heroine (hard a really hard time relating to her, and sometimes she was a tad annoying), and although I really loved this book and am dying to read the other books, it wasn’t an ultimatefavourite.
Still free on Kindle, for those of you who might be interested :)
September 16, 2021
My first Tamara Leigh book, but definitely not my last! I loved the gruff, honorable hero and the strong, determined heroine. I especially liked the complexity of the supporting characters, including the hero's mother. This is a beautifully layered romance, closed door but still passionate, with strong elements of faith. Highly enjoyable. I read it straight through!
July 13, 2013
I loved everything about this book. As an author and editor, I have a hard time these days finding a novel that will actually hold my interest. This one kept me riveted. I read it straight through in a day. I loved tough, scrappy Annyn, and the book brimmed with excitement and energy. I personally liked that it was a bit sexy for an inspirational novel, but that it also had a lovely thread of forgiveness and redemption woven throughout. I also found the author's historical research to be very accurate. For those who love the energy of secular romance novels but would prefer something cleaner, this one should make you as happy as it made me.
November 18, 2016
This book took me by surprise for at least three reasons:
1. As a freebie on Amazon, my expectations guided by experience were not very high. Well, I'm happy to say, I was wrong. From its highly atmospheric setting to a slow burning romance, this was a tale of courage, mystery, and adventure beautifully told. I loved the dialogue, were an archaic word was thrown in occasionally to give a feel of authenticity.
2. One of the GR tags for the story was Christian Fiction. Admittedly, I never read the genre but considering historical times and the role religion played in the society, references to faith and God enhanced the historical setting, made it more real. It wasn’t preachy at all.
3. A woman mascaraing as a man is hardly my favorite trope. But the way the plot unfolded here made a difference and I was highly anticipating the gender revelation.
The year of 1153 is the end of the Anarchy, time of civil unrest and infightings, period in history chroniclers described as one in which "Christ and his saints were asleep".
For four years, Lady Annyn Bretanne has trained at arms with one end in mind—to avenge her brother’s murder. Disguised as a squire, she sets off to exact revenge on a man known only by his surname, Wulfrith. But as usual, things are not what they appear. When her plans go awry and she is unveiled as a woman, a chain of events is set in motion that will change everything.
As with any romance, the strength of the story depends on the strength of its main protagonists, their characterization. Lord Wufrith is the hero to love- tough, incredibly strong and courageous warrior with patience and fairness of a best teacher, who afraid of nothing save love. Lady Annyn is his perfect partner even though it takes them sometime to realize it. She is strong, determined and not a frail, damsel in distress. Their pass from wanting revenge to finding true love was not easy and straightforward but very satisfying at the end.
This is my first read by the author but definitely not my last.
1. As a freebie on Amazon, my expectations guided by experience were not very high. Well, I'm happy to say, I was wrong. From its highly atmospheric setting to a slow burning romance, this was a tale of courage, mystery, and adventure beautifully told. I loved the dialogue, were an archaic word was thrown in occasionally to give a feel of authenticity.
2. One of the GR tags for the story was Christian Fiction. Admittedly, I never read the genre but considering historical times and the role religion played in the society, references to faith and God enhanced the historical setting, made it more real. It wasn’t preachy at all.
3. A woman mascaraing as a man is hardly my favorite trope. But the way the plot unfolded here made a difference and I was highly anticipating the gender revelation.
The year of 1153 is the end of the Anarchy, time of civil unrest and infightings, period in history chroniclers described as one in which "Christ and his saints were asleep".
For four years, Lady Annyn Bretanne has trained at arms with one end in mind—to avenge her brother’s murder. Disguised as a squire, she sets off to exact revenge on a man known only by his surname, Wulfrith. But as usual, things are not what they appear. When her plans go awry and she is unveiled as a woman, a chain of events is set in motion that will change everything.
As with any romance, the strength of the story depends on the strength of its main protagonists, their characterization. Lord Wufrith is the hero to love- tough, incredibly strong and courageous warrior with patience and fairness of a best teacher, who afraid of nothing save love. Lady Annyn is his perfect partner even though it takes them sometime to realize it. She is strong, determined and not a frail, damsel in distress. Their pass from wanting revenge to finding true love was not easy and straightforward but very satisfying at the end.
This is my first read by the author but definitely not my last.
September 21, 2018
Just as good the 3rd (or is it 4th?) time!
September 24, 2014
This one came highly recommended and I can totally get why people love it so much. Ms. Leigh is a great storyteller and really created a believable medieval world, I felt like I had been transported to 1149 England. To be honest, I think reading about it is the only way I would want to experience it. What a harsh time to live, especially for women.
Lady Annyn has been raised by her Uncle, older brother and the head of their guard, Rowan. Her mother died when she was young and while her Uncle tried to train her to be a lady, she was always drawn to the more manly pursuits. Annyn is heartbroken when she learns her brother has been killed and feels God should have prevented it. She is determined to seek justice on her own against the man she feels responsible, Baron Garr Wulfrith. Four years later, Annyn feels her time has finally come for her to seek her revenge. She disguises herself as a boy (which plot device has always driven me crazy, I just think it’d be obvious) and goes to his castle where he trains boys to become knights. He takes her under his wing and while he is hard on her, he treats her fairly and she begins to have second thoughts.
I enjoyed this one, it was a little heavier than I was expecting. I wouldn’t call this a sweet romance, but it was fun to watch both Annyn and Garr discover their love for one another. Especially the big tough warrior. I thought how they behaved and their world outlook was realistic to the time.
Overall, I was glad I read this and plan on reading the other books in the series. I love medieval stories and it’s hard to find good ones.
Content
Romance: Sketchy clean, PG13
Violence: Mild
Source: Borrowed from Bookleanding.com
Lady Annyn has been raised by her Uncle, older brother and the head of their guard, Rowan. Her mother died when she was young and while her Uncle tried to train her to be a lady, she was always drawn to the more manly pursuits. Annyn is heartbroken when she learns her brother has been killed and feels God should have prevented it. She is determined to seek justice on her own against the man she feels responsible, Baron Garr Wulfrith. Four years later, Annyn feels her time has finally come for her to seek her revenge. She disguises herself as a boy (which plot device has always driven me crazy, I just think it’d be obvious) and goes to his castle where he trains boys to become knights. He takes her under his wing and while he is hard on her, he treats her fairly and she begins to have second thoughts.
I enjoyed this one, it was a little heavier than I was expecting. I wouldn’t call this a sweet romance, but it was fun to watch both Annyn and Garr discover their love for one another. Especially the big tough warrior. I thought how they behaved and their world outlook was realistic to the time.
Overall, I was glad I read this and plan on reading the other books in the series. I love medieval stories and it’s hard to find good ones.
Content
Romance: Sketchy clean, PG13
Violence: Mild
Source: Borrowed from Bookleanding.com
October 14, 2018
Boring story!! No Passion, No Romance, to many characters to keep up with. Very Violent!! First half of the story is Squire's learning to fight with swords and such. Not One Sex scene. the H/H are at odds with each other up until the very last pages. Annyn Bretanne wants to kill Garr Baron Wulfrith. So she poses as a boy to join his Knights training program. He is the best Swords Men in all of England. She believe he is responsible for her brothers death. The reason is because he was under his care being trained among many to be Knights. Also, he didn't tell the truth of how her brother died so this made him the murders. Nonsense. This is a very Tedious story. I hag to keep going back to remember what characters what. To many people to keep up with in one story.
I am gratful I got this free with kindle unlimited. I thought this was a Medievel Romance but it wasn't anything romantic about it. Its all about Revenge and trying to kil the wrong person.
I did however like the ending. Anny finding out who really killed her brother. But that was hard to guess.
I am gratful I got this free with kindle unlimited. I thought this was a Medievel Romance but it wasn't anything romantic about it. Its all about Revenge and trying to kil the wrong person.
I did however like the ending. Anny finding out who really killed her brother. But that was hard to guess.
August 28, 2016
The Unveiling is another book for which I have somewhat mixed feelings.
Truthfully, I did enjoy it in parts especially with the rich descriptions of some of the settings like the fortress where Wulfrith’s mother lives, and the some of the period details did seem well done. Also, the historical backdrop allowed for tension and drama which could add to the story. The first half may have been better, before the ‘unveiling’ with some interesting descriptions of military training, though the second half had its moments.
As to the characters- well the main ones were interesting, with Wulfrith the strong, commanding and aloof trainer of knights, and the tomboyish Annyn, intent on avenging her brother’s death on the man she believed killed her brother. Both seem well drawn and believable, but I had one major issue with Wulfrith. This was that though he was meant to be a man of intense faith and devotion, prayed regularly and tried to behave with honour, where his personal life was concerned he came across as a total lecher.
Other reviewers have referred to the mention of him having visited prostitutes, but for me it was more than that. He seem totally preoccupied with women, and unable to be keep his hands off Annyn if they were alone for more than a few minutes, or indeed his mind off her. Also he didn’t seem to think that visiting harlots was in any way contrary to his Christian convictions, and his excuse for his snogging Annyn that he ‘had been too long without’ a woman just made him seem all the worse.
Nor were his brothers much better as they liked to partake of such pursuits as him with harlots, or common serving girls in the stables (which nobody seemed to have a problem with). I can understand that Mrs Leigh didn’t want her characters to be perfect as that isn’t realistic, but I really don’t think all the men have to be promiscuous.
Then again, Annyn wasn’t always entirely innocent either, going from being afraid of Wulfrith touching her, to snogging him and then slapping him when he wanted to stop, at one point she even asks him to go all the way and fornicate with her-which he would not do as he thought it was sinful (but not to do so with prostitutes).
I understand that this novel was ‘romance’ and I think their behavior was better at the end, but do characters in romantic fiction have to be totally consumed with ‘passion’ and virtually unable to control themselves? Although nothing immoral actually happened before their marriage, the some of the scenes with Annyn and Wulfrith came across as being in bad taste or too much.
The only other issues I had were that whilst the author clearly tried to make the language seem authentic, there definitely seemed to be an influence of modern ideals, especially on Annyn’s part who didn’t like sewing or womanly pursuits, preferring sword fighting.
That worked sometimes, but for a girl to step into the middle of the practice field when the men were busy, and demand Wulfrith cross swords with her seemed a little unrealistic and clichéd, and really a woman doesn’t’ have to be good with a sword to be strong. She also generally thought it unfair that men didn’t have to wear wedding rings or swear to ‘serve and obey’ their wives in their wedding vows.
Something of an unrealistic expectation methinks.
Finally there was the way the characters kept referring to Annyn’s brother’s death as having happened ‘at Lincolnshire’, which seemed a little odd geographically. Normally one would say something happened or a person who saw it was ‘at’ a specific town, city or other place, but Lincolnshire in none of these, it is a county and a reasonably large one at that. Thus to say someone was ‘at Lincolnshire’ doesn’t entirely makes sense and English person might be left thinking ‘yes but where in Lincolnshire?’.
Overall, The Unveiling is a good story, and seems quite well researched, but I think it could have been better done, especially where the romantic content was concerned.
Truthfully, I did enjoy it in parts especially with the rich descriptions of some of the settings like the fortress where Wulfrith’s mother lives, and the some of the period details did seem well done. Also, the historical backdrop allowed for tension and drama which could add to the story. The first half may have been better, before the ‘unveiling’ with some interesting descriptions of military training, though the second half had its moments.
As to the characters- well the main ones were interesting, with Wulfrith the strong, commanding and aloof trainer of knights, and the tomboyish Annyn, intent on avenging her brother’s death on the man she believed killed her brother. Both seem well drawn and believable, but I had one major issue with Wulfrith. This was that though he was meant to be a man of intense faith and devotion, prayed regularly and tried to behave with honour, where his personal life was concerned he came across as a total lecher.
Other reviewers have referred to the mention of him having visited prostitutes, but for me it was more than that. He seem totally preoccupied with women, and unable to be keep his hands off Annyn if they were alone for more than a few minutes, or indeed his mind off her. Also he didn’t seem to think that visiting harlots was in any way contrary to his Christian convictions, and his excuse for his snogging Annyn that he ‘had been too long without’ a woman just made him seem all the worse.
Nor were his brothers much better as they liked to partake of such pursuits as him with harlots, or common serving girls in the stables (which nobody seemed to have a problem with). I can understand that Mrs Leigh didn’t want her characters to be perfect as that isn’t realistic, but I really don’t think all the men have to be promiscuous.
Then again, Annyn wasn’t always entirely innocent either, going from being afraid of Wulfrith touching her, to snogging him and then slapping him when he wanted to stop, at one point she even asks him to go all the way and fornicate with her-which he would not do as he thought it was sinful (but not to do so with prostitutes).
I understand that this novel was ‘romance’ and I think their behavior was better at the end, but do characters in romantic fiction have to be totally consumed with ‘passion’ and virtually unable to control themselves? Although nothing immoral actually happened before their marriage, the some of the scenes with Annyn and Wulfrith came across as being in bad taste or too much.
The only other issues I had were that whilst the author clearly tried to make the language seem authentic, there definitely seemed to be an influence of modern ideals, especially on Annyn’s part who didn’t like sewing or womanly pursuits, preferring sword fighting.
That worked sometimes, but for a girl to step into the middle of the practice field when the men were busy, and demand Wulfrith cross swords with her seemed a little unrealistic and clichéd, and really a woman doesn’t’ have to be good with a sword to be strong. She also generally thought it unfair that men didn’t have to wear wedding rings or swear to ‘serve and obey’ their wives in their wedding vows.
Something of an unrealistic expectation methinks.
Finally there was the way the characters kept referring to Annyn’s brother’s death as having happened ‘at Lincolnshire’, which seemed a little odd geographically. Normally one would say something happened or a person who saw it was ‘at’ a specific town, city or other place, but Lincolnshire in none of these, it is a county and a reasonably large one at that. Thus to say someone was ‘at Lincolnshire’ doesn’t entirely makes sense and English person might be left thinking ‘yes but where in Lincolnshire?’.
Overall, The Unveiling is a good story, and seems quite well researched, but I think it could have been better done, especially where the romantic content was concerned.
January 7, 2016
The first book in Tamara Leigh's Age Of Faith series. Lady Annyn Bretanne vows revenge on the man she believes is responsible for her brother's death. She goes to Baron Wulfrith disguised as a boy, waiting for the opportunity.
Tamara Leigh wrote a historical romance series back in the 1990s that I loved, the Bride series. Shortly after she turned to inspirational contemporary and I stopped reading her but I do have plans to check out her contemporary work someday. This book is listed as an Inspirational Historical Romance. While it was clean I didn't feel it was preachy at all. In fact, I wonder if it should even be listed as Inspirational.
I quite enjoyed it. Well written and entertaining. I felt I was transported back to the 1100s. I'm sure I will continue this series.
Tamara Leigh wrote a historical romance series back in the 1990s that I loved, the Bride series. Shortly after she turned to inspirational contemporary and I stopped reading her but I do have plans to check out her contemporary work someday. This book is listed as an Inspirational Historical Romance. While it was clean I didn't feel it was preachy at all. In fact, I wonder if it should even be listed as Inspirational.
I quite enjoyed it. Well written and entertaining. I felt I was transported back to the 1100s. I'm sure I will continue this series.
May 18, 2014
I debated whether to rate this a two star or three star book, but since I don't think I will finish it, I guess it is two stars. It really bugged me how he could quote his Christian beliefs about vengeance belongs to God but could visit harlots and talk about harlots and it was okay. I kept reading, but it just went downhill from there. Lots of innuendo, talk of affairs, etc. and I just generally lost interest. I know that this is still considered "clean," but it just wasn't sweet to me. I liked "Lady at Arms," by this author much more.
Read
March 31, 20193/30/19 update: PG-13 comment added below.
I'm choosing not to reread this even though I enjoyed the story in the past. I couldn't remember whether there was any hand-waving I had to do. Apparently, there was.
A Christian visiting harlots? And a decent amount of innuendo? This book is "clean" but several reviewers have labeled it PG-13.
Thanks, Kathy, for your review helping me to decide! I was about to listen to the audio and decided to double-check.
I'm choosing not to reread this even though I enjoyed the story in the past. I couldn't remember whether there was any hand-waving I had to do. Apparently, there was.
A Christian visiting harlots? And a decent amount of innuendo? This book is "clean" but several reviewers have labeled it PG-13.
Thanks, Kathy, for your review helping me to decide! I was about to listen to the audio and decided to double-check.
July 10, 2017
4 stars
I wanted a castle romance, I got a castle romance.
RTC
I wanted a castle romance, I got a castle romance.
RTC
October 17, 2022
I didn't think I'd enjoy this as much as I did.
Positive thoughts:
- I love a strong female character and with Annyn we have a woman trying to make her way in the 1100's a male dominated era. And having been brought up by uncles, she fits right in the male world and manages to go through the training the knights at the time went through.
- I absolutely loved the historical feel the book gave me, the setting, language, customs, ideas manners. Honestly, I'm no expert in English history, but I felt like I was really taken back in time and I was there in the 1100's.
Negative thoughts:
- The writing style took me some time to get used to and the language is really what takes you back in time. But it was something I began to love about the book.
Overall:
- It is a clean, behind-closed-doors historical romance with all the drama and action you'll get in that time era.
- I can't say it was a fast paced read (but I still read it in three days) because of the time I took to get used to the language and I needed a bit more concentration then usual. But it was a page turner, I kept guessing wrong, things never went as I thought they would.
Romance: 2/5
Chemistry: 3/5
1st kiss: +- 50%
Drama: 4/5
Spice: 0/5 (it's faded to black or behind-closed-doors)
Suspense: 3/5
Humour: 1/5
Tropes:
- 12th century historical romance
- Hidden identity
- Revenge
- Death of a loved one
- Fade-to-black romance
- Knights in training
Positive thoughts:
- I love a strong female character and with Annyn we have a woman trying to make her way in the 1100's a male dominated era. And having been brought up by uncles, she fits right in the male world and manages to go through the training the knights at the time went through.
- I absolutely loved the historical feel the book gave me, the setting, language, customs, ideas manners. Honestly, I'm no expert in English history, but I felt like I was really taken back in time and I was there in the 1100's.
Negative thoughts:
- The writing style took me some time to get used to and the language is really what takes you back in time. But it was something I began to love about the book.
Overall:
- It is a clean, behind-closed-doors historical romance with all the drama and action you'll get in that time era.
- I can't say it was a fast paced read (but I still read it in three days) because of the time I took to get used to the language and I needed a bit more concentration then usual. But it was a page turner, I kept guessing wrong, things never went as I thought they would.
Romance: 2/5
Chemistry: 3/5
1st kiss: +- 50%
Drama: 4/5
Spice: 0/5 (it's faded to black or behind-closed-doors)
Suspense: 3/5
Humour: 1/5
Tropes:
- 12th century historical romance
- Hidden identity
- Revenge
- Death of a loved one
- Fade-to-black romance
- Knights in training
February 5, 2017
I love medieval time periods in a book and this one does not disappoint. I had never read any of Tamera Leigh's books before this one and there are 5 in this series!!! Yay!
She tells a wonderous tale of the mid 12th century, two warring families who seem destined to never have peace within them. Annyn poses as a knight in training at Garr Wulfrith's castle, secretly hoping to avenge what she believes Wulfrith's murder of her brother.
I will not give away more, but to say this: This is a great book set in my favorite time period. I'm already finished with book 3 in the series and I'm off to book 4!
*This is an update to my review. I am now re-reading this entire series. I love this time period and it just kept wooing me back to read again.
She tells a wonderous tale of the mid 12th century, two warring families who seem destined to never have peace within them. Annyn poses as a knight in training at Garr Wulfrith's castle, secretly hoping to avenge what she believes Wulfrith's murder of her brother.
I will not give away more, but to say this: This is a great book set in my favorite time period. I'm already finished with book 3 in the series and I'm off to book 4!
*This is an update to my review. I am now re-reading this entire series. I love this time period and it just kept wooing me back to read again.
July 7, 2016
Esta es la primera vez que leo un romance medieval, así que empezaré diciendo que ni soy experta en el tema ni voy a poder juzgar su precisión histórica, sólo puedo decir que no me ha chocado nada en especial y que la autora lo ha hecho todo bastante creíble.
Me ha gustado. Me ha parecido bastante realista, la autora no se lanza a la piscina sin más sino que les da a sus personajes antecedentes para que la historia resulte creíble. A pesar de que está catalogada como un romance cristiano a mí no me lo ha parecido. Hay referencias a la “voluntad de Dios” y asistencia a misas pero, a mi parecer, eso era parte fundamental de la época, la religión era el pilar de sus vidas, hay que recordar que básicamente todo se hacía en nombre de Dios… lo que no hay es sexo en esta historia. Es un romance limpio, a excepción de los prolegómenos no hay nada más.
La historia transcurre durante el s. XII, luego son de esperar las intrigas políticas, las luchas de poder, los engaños y las soluciones “matrimoniales”, donde la mujer era otro objeto para el intercambio. Y creo que la autora refleja muy bien (demasiado para mi paz mental) esta idea…
Ha estado entretenida y me ha gustado. El final un poquito flojo (no me gustan las transformaciones radicales) pero ha estado bien para pasar el rato.
This is the first time I read a medieval romance, so I'll start saying that neither I am an expert in the subject nor I will be able to judge its historical accuracy, I can only say that it had shocked me nothing in particular and that the author has done everything quite credible.
I liked it. It has seemed realistic enough; the author gives the characters their background to make the story believable. While it is listed as a Christian romance I am not sure about this. There are references to "God's will" and attendance at mass, but in my opinion, that was an essential part of the time, religion was the mainstay of their lives, we must remember that basically everything was done in the name of God...
What there is not in this story is sex. It is a clean romance, with the exception of the prolegomena, there is nothing more.
The story takes place during the 12th Century when political intrigue, power struggles, deceptions and "matrimonial" solutions are expected and when the woman was another object to exchange. And I think that the author reflects very well (too much for my peace of mind) this idea...
It has been entertaining and I liked it. A bit vague at the end (I don't like radical transformations) but it has been ok to pass the time.
Me ha gustado. Me ha parecido bastante realista, la autora no se lanza a la piscina sin más sino que les da a sus personajes antecedentes para que la historia resulte creíble. A pesar de que está catalogada como un romance cristiano a mí no me lo ha parecido. Hay referencias a la “voluntad de Dios” y asistencia a misas pero, a mi parecer, eso era parte fundamental de la época, la religión era el pilar de sus vidas, hay que recordar que básicamente todo se hacía en nombre de Dios… lo que no hay es sexo en esta historia. Es un romance limpio, a excepción de los prolegómenos no hay nada más.
La historia transcurre durante el s. XII, luego son de esperar las intrigas políticas, las luchas de poder, los engaños y las soluciones “matrimoniales”, donde la mujer era otro objeto para el intercambio. Y creo que la autora refleja muy bien (demasiado para mi paz mental) esta idea…
Ha estado entretenida y me ha gustado. El final un poquito flojo (no me gustan las transformaciones radicales) pero ha estado bien para pasar el rato.
This is the first time I read a medieval romance, so I'll start saying that neither I am an expert in the subject nor I will be able to judge its historical accuracy, I can only say that it had shocked me nothing in particular and that the author has done everything quite credible.
I liked it. It has seemed realistic enough; the author gives the characters their background to make the story believable. While it is listed as a Christian romance I am not sure about this. There are references to "God's will" and attendance at mass, but in my opinion, that was an essential part of the time, religion was the mainstay of their lives, we must remember that basically everything was done in the name of God...
What there is not in this story is sex. It is a clean romance, with the exception of the prolegomena, there is nothing more.
The story takes place during the 12th Century when political intrigue, power struggles, deceptions and "matrimonial" solutions are expected and when the woman was another object to exchange. And I think that the author reflects very well (too much for my peace of mind) this idea...
It has been entertaining and I liked it. A bit vague at the end (I don't like radical transformations) but it has been ok to pass the time.
December 27, 2012
Lady Annyn Bretanne was not very ladylike at all, at 14 she was as tomboyish as you can get. Her brother and Uncle are the only family members she has left. She was distraught when her brother Jonas dies at Knight training. Annyn knows he was murdered and turns her life into finding the truth and revenge. Four years later when her Uncle dies, Duke Henry, the future King, plans to marry her off. She runs away and pretends to be a boy to get into the Knight training and kill her brother's murderer, Wulfrith.
The story is gripping and keeps you wondering. You’re worried the whole time when Annyn will get her revenge or will her true identity be revealed. When all is UNVEILED, there is much more to her brother’s death. You’d never think a beautiful love story would develop from all this action but it does. Not only is it a revenge story but about finding true love where you least expect it. Annyn doesn't act like a lady and defiantly is no one's property. She is different than most women of her time; A time when arranged marriages are made for profit instead of love. If her true love will have her, they will have to go against the future King's wishes.
The story is gripping and keeps you wondering. You’re worried the whole time when Annyn will get her revenge or will her true identity be revealed. When all is UNVEILED, there is much more to her brother’s death. You’d never think a beautiful love story would develop from all this action but it does. Not only is it a revenge story but about finding true love where you least expect it. Annyn doesn't act like a lady and defiantly is no one's property. She is different than most women of her time; A time when arranged marriages are made for profit instead of love. If her true love will have her, they will have to go against the future King's wishes.
October 16, 2012
Yeah, I couldn't put it down; SERIOUSLY!!! If you like Christian novels and you like medieval settings, then you will love The Unveiling! It is full of action, revenge, mysteries that need unraveling, and yeah, there is romance too! Ms. Leigh has a way with words because everything flowed beautifully. The characters had distinct personalities and I found myself sympathizing with each main character at certain points. The "lessons" that were taught by Wulfrith to Annyn were priceless and I loved how they were turned around in the end! I am so excited this is going to be a series because this book was awesome! A nice thing to note is that this is NOT a cliffhanger! They drive me nuts! A fabulous read, The Unveiling is a five star book! C'mon, give this Christian book a try! :^)
A big thank you to the author for providing a copy for review!
A big thank you to the author for providing a copy for review!
September 24, 2012
Tamara Leigh has done it again! This was a fantastic book that I simply couldn't put down. A gripping story filled with compelling characters, it is a masterpiece! Steeped in history, the story moved along at a great pace, keeping you enthralled and interested as the pieces unfolded. Annyn is a wonderfully brave and caring character that most would feel a connection with. Garr is a layered and wonderfully wrought protagonist. Their interaction and romance curled my toes and had been yelling encouragements from the peanut gallery. All the side characters created a wonderfully intricate plot and a rich, full world. Simply a fabulous book and I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next.
www.cleanromancereviews.com
www.cleanromancereviews.com
September 23, 2018
Great read!
January 15, 2020
3.5 stars
July 31, 2013
Stories set in the twelfth century are not my usual selections. I recently had the chance to review some of Tamara Leigh's contemporary books, but in researching the author became much more interested in her medieval tales instead. I found out she used to write them for the general market before switching to Christian fiction, which added a level of intrigue for this reader.
"The Unveiling" is the story of Annyn, a young woman grieving the loss of her only brother. When his body was returning from the castle where he had been training, they told Annyn that he had died with honor. But one look at his neck reveals the rope burns that signal his death had been a murder covered up. Determined to avenge him, and having always been allowed to run a little wild, Annyn assumes a male identity and infiltrates Wulfen Castle with the intent of killing the man she believes responsible for her brother's death.
A strong background plot point is the political state of England while King Stephen reigned. He was not the legitimate heir, and eventually the man who was invaded the country and began building an alliance to force Stephen to turn the kingdom over to him. (Thanks to Wikipedia for further information on this struggle.) Annyn and her family support Duke Henry, while the leaders at Wulfen are sworn to Stephen, taking the suspense up a notch as Annyn must not only guard against her body betraying her, but also her political loyalties.
Annyn gains a foothold in the castle and watches for an opportunity to kill Wulfrith. But as usual, things are not what they appear. When her plans go awry and she is unveiled as a woman, a chain of events is set in motion that will change everything for Annyn and possibly hold sway over who will become England's next king. That storyline is clearly meant to continue into the sequel of this novel.
I enjoyed this book for what it was. I thought it was better than the last book I read in which a girl masqueraded as a guy. However, I had some strong objections to the way things of a moral nature were handled. There was a lot more immorality than is ever necessary, and details given about things with the intent of shocking present-day readers. I know some authors complain about what isn't allowed in Christian writing, but here's a case where I'm complaining about what was allowed in this one. Therefore I wouldn't recommend this to younger readers and give this caution to anyone else looking to add a new title to their To Be Read list. However, if medieval lit is your thing, this is an option that will hold your attention and have you rooting for the truth to be unveiled in all areas.
This review originally appeared at http://reviewsbyerin.livejournal.com
"The Unveiling" is the story of Annyn, a young woman grieving the loss of her only brother. When his body was returning from the castle where he had been training, they told Annyn that he had died with honor. But one look at his neck reveals the rope burns that signal his death had been a murder covered up. Determined to avenge him, and having always been allowed to run a little wild, Annyn assumes a male identity and infiltrates Wulfen Castle with the intent of killing the man she believes responsible for her brother's death.
A strong background plot point is the political state of England while King Stephen reigned. He was not the legitimate heir, and eventually the man who was invaded the country and began building an alliance to force Stephen to turn the kingdom over to him. (Thanks to Wikipedia for further information on this struggle.) Annyn and her family support Duke Henry, while the leaders at Wulfen are sworn to Stephen, taking the suspense up a notch as Annyn must not only guard against her body betraying her, but also her political loyalties.
Annyn gains a foothold in the castle and watches for an opportunity to kill Wulfrith. But as usual, things are not what they appear. When her plans go awry and she is unveiled as a woman, a chain of events is set in motion that will change everything for Annyn and possibly hold sway over who will become England's next king. That storyline is clearly meant to continue into the sequel of this novel.
I enjoyed this book for what it was. I thought it was better than the last book I read in which a girl masqueraded as a guy. However, I had some strong objections to the way things of a moral nature were handled. There was a lot more immorality than is ever necessary, and details given about things with the intent of shocking present-day readers. I know some authors complain about what isn't allowed in Christian writing, but here's a case where I'm complaining about what was allowed in this one. Therefore I wouldn't recommend this to younger readers and give this caution to anyone else looking to add a new title to their To Be Read list. However, if medieval lit is your thing, this is an option that will hold your attention and have you rooting for the truth to be unveiled in all areas.
This review originally appeared at http://reviewsbyerin.livejournal.com
August 29, 2014
I give this book four out of five stars for an engaging plot, a fine cast of characters, and some very nice action scenes for a romance novel. There’s a great deal of bodice ripping heat for a novel that does not show the reader any fire. The Christian theme is subtle and well done. It’s part of the characters beliefs, and overall an organic element to the setting.
What I liked about the book:
1) The plot. There is a risk of becoming campy anytime a character is set somewhere in disguise, especially if it’s a woman disguised as a man. Ms. Leigh’s risk was worth taking, and her work is highly entertaining. It was nice to see the protagonists appreciate one another’s strengths, minus any sexual tension. There is a nice thread of political intrigue, layered with the mystery of the death of Annyn’s brother.
2) The characters. Annyn is a woman with the audacity to take up arms and dare to do the things men do. It was fun to see the fight in her. Despite her misguided reason to train at arms, her capabilities were realistic, and she was level headed about her status as a lady. I enjoyed the cast of characters in the family surrounding Annyn and Garr. It was interesting how past family drama impacted them in the present.
3) The conflicts through misunderstanding. There is a big rollercoaster ride of obstacles set for Annyn and Garr. Each one worked within the plot and stayed clear of becoming ridiculous or petty.
There was really only one moment in the book I didn’t like. The lie Annyn told Garr in the hallway before the wedding. That didn’t make any sense to me and I’m glad it was overturned a page later.
What I liked about the book:
1) The plot. There is a risk of becoming campy anytime a character is set somewhere in disguise, especially if it’s a woman disguised as a man. Ms. Leigh’s risk was worth taking, and her work is highly entertaining. It was nice to see the protagonists appreciate one another’s strengths, minus any sexual tension. There is a nice thread of political intrigue, layered with the mystery of the death of Annyn’s brother.
2) The characters. Annyn is a woman with the audacity to take up arms and dare to do the things men do. It was fun to see the fight in her. Despite her misguided reason to train at arms, her capabilities were realistic, and she was level headed about her status as a lady. I enjoyed the cast of characters in the family surrounding Annyn and Garr. It was interesting how past family drama impacted them in the present.
3) The conflicts through misunderstanding. There is a big rollercoaster ride of obstacles set for Annyn and Garr. Each one worked within the plot and stayed clear of becoming ridiculous or petty.
There was really only one moment in the book I didn’t like. The lie Annyn told Garr in the hallway before the wedding. That didn’t make any sense to me and I’m glad it was overturned a page later.
October 31, 2017
5+++ stars 😉 I first read this book a little over three years ago. Apparently my original review is on a different edition of this book. Anyway, since Book 6 was recently released, I just started re-reading this series. It is my all-time favorite medieval/historical romance series. By FAR. I don’t know how Tamara Leigh does it, but every single one of her books has a strong, perfectly imperfect male main character, yet they’re never cookie-cutter copies of each other. And ugh. GARR. He is the reason I first fell in love with the Wulfrith family, and I loved re-reading his and Annyn’s love story. I look forward to continuing my time with the Wulfriths as I move on to re-reading Beatrix’s story next!
If you enjoy medieval/historical romance stories, heavy on the romance, then Tamara Leigh should be your go-to author! No one tells quite as enjoyable nor romantic a tale as she does. ❤️
If you enjoy medieval/historical romance stories, heavy on the romance, then Tamara Leigh should be your go-to author! No one tells quite as enjoyable nor romantic a tale as she does. ❤️
July 15, 2013
Tired of one dimensional protagonists with paper thin supporting characters? Read The Unveiling and imbibe deeply in the richly developed world, the heartfelt characters and the budding romance. Each person is fully drawn, given believable motivations and endowed with a uniqueness all their own. The two protagonists shine as you wait impatiently for them to get together. And when they finally do, you're rewarded with a gallant and swoon-worthy climax. I'm looking forward, not only to the next in the series, but reading the rest of Leigh's work.
January 17, 2015
I loved this book! From the start to finish. I was mesmerized! Loved it!! I thought the author did a great job of the pacing of this book. I felt like everything developed at the perfect time for the flow of the story. Nothing was ever too drawn out or over done. Which in a story like this could of happened. I thought Gar was great and Annyn was so fierce. You were rooting for them from the moment they met.
The thing I love most about this book is that even though it's a series it can completely stand alone. Great find.
The thing I love most about this book is that even though it's a series it can completely stand alone. Great find.
August 26, 2012
More in depth reviews will post soon at HEA and EIR, but suffice it to say: I couldn't put this one down. Read until the wee hours Saturday night, went to church, sat in the car with my Kindle while my family ate Chinese food after church, and finished it on the drive home.
Get it. Read it. Love it.
Tamara Leigh, you rock my medieval romance world.
Get it. Read it. Love it.
Tamara Leigh, you rock my medieval romance world.
October 22, 2018
I am really sorry I didn't like it more. The Middle Ages have a big potential for romantic stories (although let's face it, there weren't nice times, I wouldn't like to live then).
Good things about this book:
--> Tamara Leigh can write a book, she isn't a bad writer
--> the idea for a love story was good and some meetings of a hero and a heroine were quite swoony
--> the medieval world wasn't totally untrue.
Bad thing: if you don't know the medieval world, you will draw a few false conclusions. There was no way that a girl/a lady wouldn't have known about the wedding night ceremony. There was also one religion then, Catholic - what was in the book was something vaguer, some kind of god, but definitely not medieval god and medieval religion. I am spoilt by Elizabeth Chadwick and other authors. Their historical accuracy mixed with believable (heart squeezing) love stories made me expect more from the books of the genre.
It was simply a Christian love story taking place in a bit mitigated version of Middle Ages, written for teenagers and young adults (and for those who like to read such books). I don't regret that I've read it, even more, I am going to try another medieval story by Tamara Leigh that I have (it was free) and at least skim through the pages for those swoony meetings. That weak is my romantic side ;-)
Good things about this book:
--> Tamara Leigh can write a book, she isn't a bad writer
--> the idea for a love story was good and some meetings of a hero and a heroine were quite swoony
--> the medieval world wasn't totally untrue.
Bad thing: if you don't know the medieval world, you will draw a few false conclusions. There was no way that a girl/a lady wouldn't have known about the wedding night ceremony. There was also one religion then, Catholic - what was in the book was something vaguer, some kind of god, but definitely not medieval god and medieval religion. I am spoilt by Elizabeth Chadwick and other authors. Their historical accuracy mixed with believable (heart squeezing) love stories made me expect more from the books of the genre.
It was simply a Christian love story taking place in a bit mitigated version of Middle Ages, written for teenagers and young adults (and for those who like to read such books). I don't regret that I've read it, even more, I am going to try another medieval story by Tamara Leigh that I have (it was free) and at least skim through the pages for those swoony meetings. That weak is my romantic side ;-)
March 23, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️First time reading from Tamara Leigh and it won’t be my last. I listened to the audiobook and not only was the narrator absolutely brilliant with her performance but the entire story was outstanding.
I loved the plot. Annyn is seeking revenge for her brother’s murder only to fall in love with the man she thinks responsible. This was very well done. The back and forth & banter was intense and very enjoyable especially since they both were trying to ignore their growing feelings for one another. The pace was good and I loved how their feelings evolved.
Annyn & Garr were great characters and it was easy to fall in love with and root for them. Annyn was a tomboy and preferred swordplay and rolling in the mud than wearing fancy dresses. She was also determined and courageous. Garr was a fearless warrior but more honorable than most. I loved how he cared for Annyn even when he had very little reason to. They perfectly suited each other.
There was quite a bit of talk of god, prayer and scripture but considering the time period in which the story is set it was appropriate and very well done. I can’t stop gushing about this book. Such a wonderful story.
CONTENT
Romance: Clean/chaste, innuendo, fade to black intimacy
Language: Mild
Violence: Moderate (not overly descriptive)
I loved the plot. Annyn is seeking revenge for her brother’s murder only to fall in love with the man she thinks responsible. This was very well done. The back and forth & banter was intense and very enjoyable especially since they both were trying to ignore their growing feelings for one another. The pace was good and I loved how their feelings evolved.
Annyn & Garr were great characters and it was easy to fall in love with and root for them. Annyn was a tomboy and preferred swordplay and rolling in the mud than wearing fancy dresses. She was also determined and courageous. Garr was a fearless warrior but more honorable than most. I loved how he cared for Annyn even when he had very little reason to. They perfectly suited each other.
There was quite a bit of talk of god, prayer and scripture but considering the time period in which the story is set it was appropriate and very well done. I can’t stop gushing about this book. Such a wonderful story.
CONTENT
Romance: Clean/chaste, innuendo, fade to black intimacy
Language: Mild
Violence: Moderate (not overly descriptive)
May 3, 2018
All I can say is that I'm deeply and completely addicted to this series. I read book 6 and didn't think I could form a bond with the rest of the characters in the other books. I loved these characters even more than in The Vexing.
Tamara has a magical, poetic way of writing, she knows her history and takes you right there on the training fields or into the castles with the nobles and knights. I love this meideval escape and will be reading all of her books until I've gotten it out of my system. Her books are so fun, so passionate, such page turners and she doesn't do the "fillers" with wasted words.
Tamara has a magical, poetic way of writing, she knows her history and takes you right there on the training fields or into the castles with the nobles and knights. I love this meideval escape and will be reading all of her books until I've gotten it out of my system. Her books are so fun, so passionate, such page turners and she doesn't do the "fillers" with wasted words.
December 23, 2024
It's always a good thing when a book makes me want to rewatch a fav movie (Robin Hood)! This one does so with its cast of knights, a formidable hero, a lady holding her own with a sword, romance, and themes of loyalty and trust. I'm eagerly going on to the next book!
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