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Lord of Danger
Half-sister to Richard the Fair, Alys has been schooled in the sheltered ways of the convent, far from the treachery and intrigue of castle life. Until she is taken from the cloister and brought to a place filled with secrets. Here she is to meet her future husband, a man some call a monster. His name is Simon of Navarre, a powerful and mysterious lord practiced in the black arts. This sensual stranger both terrifies her and fascinates her...and sets her heart burning with an unfamiliar fire.
Jaded by war, no longer able to believe in human goodness, Simon has turned toward the realm of darkness. But the master magician finds himself bewitched by the innocent Alys, who fears his very touch could damn her forever. Yet even as Simon begins to work his seductive magic, Alys senses the wounded soul beneath the cooly elegant facade. Now, as the two become pawns in Richard's treacherous scheme to become England's king, only one power can save them: the unstoppable force of love.
Jaded by war, no longer able to believe in human goodness, Simon has turned toward the realm of darkness. But the master magician finds himself bewitched by the innocent Alys, who fears his very touch could damn her forever. Yet even as Simon begins to work his seductive magic, Alys senses the wounded soul beneath the cooly elegant facade. Now, as the two become pawns in Richard's treacherous scheme to become England's king, only one power can save them: the unstoppable force of love.
Audible Audio
First published July 1, 1997
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About the author
Anne Stuart
203 books2,062 followersAnne Stuart is a grandmaster of the genre, winner of Romance Writers of America's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, survivor of more than thirty-five years in the romance business, and still just keeps getting better.
Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.
She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.
When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.
Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.
Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.
She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.
When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.
Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
February 10, 2017
" “You will be my wife,” he said. “You will have no secrets.”
“Will you?” It was an outrageous question, and another man would have beaten her for it.
But Simon, avowed monster that he was, merely smiled. “Always, Lady Alys,” he murmured. “Always.”"
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" She looked at him sternly, but he seemed totally unmoved by her disapproval. “I weep for you, my lord,” she said.
“Weep for yourself, my lady. You’ll be shackled to me for life.”
“Ah, but you’re forgetting,” she said blithely, “I’ll have all those stalwart knights to distract and entertain me.”
He laughed, and it was a strangely charming sound. “Unless you drive me to murder you first.”
“Do you murder women, then, my lord?”
“I haven’t yet, my lady. I usually restrict my murderous activities to those who deserve them. But I’m open to new experiences.”"
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" “Hideous torture,” Lady Hedwiga said with a grim nod of her head. “It is brutal, painful, wet, and disgusting—”
“Wet?” Alys echoed in surprise.
“You will bleed and wish you were dead,” Hedwiga continued, ignoring the interruption. “And there is no escape from the horrors until you either quicken with child or die. The latter would be preferable, since once the child is born your husband will want to commence his foul rutting once more.”"
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" She opened her eyes to look at him, and in their glazed depths he could see a mass of tangled emotions.
“I hate you,” she said.
“I know.”
“If you touch me again, I’ll see to it that you really are unmanned.”
“I know.”
Her furious eyes met his. “I love you,” she said, her voice rich with loathing.
“I know,” he said and kissed her."
<3
January 10, 2022
What do I love more than beta heroes in my historicals?????? World-weary, anti-heroes...no, no..jaded, sly, conniving anti-heroes who are ready to kill for their love interest and still call it ' a passing fancy'. Heroes who are not just misunderstood scoundrels. Now, put all this in the medieval setting and we get the menacingly, manipulative and weirdly intriguing wizard, Simon of Navarro.
Although for me, the book is all about Simon, I liked the fast-paced plot and side characters, who were anywhere between 'good, bad and ugly.
And, I am grateful to @Lauren for putting the author on my radar and looking forward to reading more from her.
P.S- It was my 1st time listening to Susan Erickson's narration and I am highly impressed by how effortlessly she modulated voices between different characters.
Although for me, the book is all about Simon, I liked the fast-paced plot and side characters, who were anywhere between 'good, bad and ugly.
And, I am grateful to @Lauren for putting the author on my radar and looking forward to reading more from her.
P.S- It was my 1st time listening to Susan Erickson's narration and I am highly impressed by how effortlessly she modulated voices between different characters.
March 4, 2015
Let me start by saying that I slept at 5am last night to finish this book and got up at 6.30am to go to work. I think that after this little piece of information it is pointless to ask if I liked the book. But I'll say it anyway: I absolutely adored every single page of it!
The hero is a selfish, ambitious and reportedly evil wizard, named Simon de Navarre. Of course he's a false one, but no one is aware of this fact. He's supposed to have a pact with the devil himself, who granted him his dark powers and left his mark for everyone to see. Simon likes to feed the rumors and is doing everything he can to appear even more powerful and frightening, especially to the lord he serves, Richard the Fair. Richard is cousin to the 12 years-old king and is an ambitious man himself. He likes to imagine he could even reach for the crown one day with the help of his advisor and most fearsome wizard in the land. Simon himself, is not adverse to gaining even more power and money. To achieve Simon's complete loyalty Richard decides to marry him with one of his two step-sisters.
Alys is considered to be plain and shy, compared to her beautiful, spirited sister. To everyone's surprise, Simon chooses her as his bride and while she's initially terrified of him, she slowly starts to see the man underneath the fearsome wizard's facade. Perhaps he's not as evil as everyone seems to think after all? But Simon has learned that power and invulnerability come from not caring about anyone but himself; everytime she'll step too close, he'll snarl and cause her to take a step back.
I will repeat: I adored this fabulous book! Though it was not light and sunny -it's Anne Stuart after all- the dialogues between Simon and Alys often had me laughing out loud. Simon has a self-deprecating kind of humor, while Alys' witty rejointers were a perfect match for his. These factors serve to keep the story from becoming too dark and angsty. In fact it's lighter than most other Anne Stuart's books I've read and Simon, though selfish and power-hungry indeed, was much easier to like than most of her other antiheroes. And if that is not enough, there's also a very interesting secondary romance between Alys' beautiful sister and a pious knight, which was almost as enchanting as the primary!
I don't regret one minute I spent awake trying to finish this book. I would have stayed up all night if that's what it took, because there was no way I could put it down unfinished:-) I only wish Stuart's older books were not such a trouble to find! Why doesn't anyone consider republishing them after the success of the Ice series I wonder?
The hero is a selfish, ambitious and reportedly evil wizard, named Simon de Navarre. Of course he's a false one, but no one is aware of this fact. He's supposed to have a pact with the devil himself, who granted him his dark powers and left his mark for everyone to see. Simon likes to feed the rumors and is doing everything he can to appear even more powerful and frightening, especially to the lord he serves, Richard the Fair. Richard is cousin to the 12 years-old king and is an ambitious man himself. He likes to imagine he could even reach for the crown one day with the help of his advisor and most fearsome wizard in the land. Simon himself, is not adverse to gaining even more power and money. To achieve Simon's complete loyalty Richard decides to marry him with one of his two step-sisters.
Alys is considered to be plain and shy, compared to her beautiful, spirited sister. To everyone's surprise, Simon chooses her as his bride and while she's initially terrified of him, she slowly starts to see the man underneath the fearsome wizard's facade. Perhaps he's not as evil as everyone seems to think after all? But Simon has learned that power and invulnerability come from not caring about anyone but himself; everytime she'll step too close, he'll snarl and cause her to take a step back.
I will repeat: I adored this fabulous book! Though it was not light and sunny -it's Anne Stuart after all- the dialogues between Simon and Alys often had me laughing out loud. Simon has a self-deprecating kind of humor, while Alys' witty rejointers were a perfect match for his. These factors serve to keep the story from becoming too dark and angsty. In fact it's lighter than most other Anne Stuart's books I've read and Simon, though selfish and power-hungry indeed, was much easier to like than most of her other antiheroes. And if that is not enough, there's also a very interesting secondary romance between Alys' beautiful sister and a pious knight, which was almost as enchanting as the primary!
I don't regret one minute I spent awake trying to finish this book. I would have stayed up all night if that's what it took, because there was no way I could put it down unfinished:-) I only wish Stuart's older books were not such a trouble to find! Why doesn't anyone consider republishing them after the success of the Ice series I wonder?
September 4, 2021
Wow! This author knows how to keep you reading....Mystery! It's been awhile since I read a character as titillating as Simon of Navorro. We are given brief glimpses of his life slowly. What was his life like before he became the manipulative magician?
Unfortunately, it should have been called 'All about Simon" . I cared more about him than the other characters. It wasn't because the characters were badly written, but that he was so interesting that the others couldn't compare.
The story was a slow burn. It took awhile for me to be enthralled, but once I was I couldn't stop. I wish there was a second book to continue Simon's journey. I'm also glad there isn't one to taint his character.
Unfortunately, it should have been called 'All about Simon" . I cared more about him than the other characters. It wasn't because the characters were badly written, but that he was so interesting that the others couldn't compare.
The story was a slow burn. It took awhile for me to be enthralled, but once I was I couldn't stop. I wish there was a second book to continue Simon's journey. I'm also glad there isn't one to taint his character.
October 22, 2025
3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ magic, royal secrets, and a hot, brooding hero. And yet I dnf’ed at 80% , I was bored and better books are waiting.
Simon of Navarra is a great mmc. He needs to be studied 😂 but this wasn’t very romantic but it was a good story.
This is a medieval romance, the scene is Pillars of the earth, meets Snape or Jafar. Complete with a mysterious wizard, scheming royals, and a castle where no one quite tells the truth. It has a strong religious undertone like Ivanhoe.
Simon of Navarre 🙌 is an epic character, a so called “wizard”. He is clever, controlled, and far more layered than his icy exterior suggests. Beneath the sarcasm and shadowy aura, he is a man who is quietly, painfully good, but perceived bad. The kind of hero who could outsmart a king and still have time to broode. He absolutely steals the book.
Then we have Alys and Claire, the royal half sisters who spent their lives in a convent. Their lives get tangled with Simon’s fate. Alys, our heroine, is the “good” sister or at least, the one meant to be. She did drive my crazy with her righteousness. She is to marry Simon.
Claire, on the other hand, has the more dramatic flair, fluttering about like a spoiled court butterfly.
But honestly between Alys’s moral superiority and Claire’s entitlement, there were moments when both came off a little too pampered for their own good, and it was unrealistic to me, as they grew up in a convent in poverty. They got on my nerves 😬
Their reactions to danger sometimes felt less brave maiden and more “why is this happening to me?” Still, their sisterly bond and rivalry add a fun spark of chaos to the story.
King Richard, their brother, not the noble monarch type, uses both sisters as pawns, and his manipulation sets most of the plot in motion. He is ruthless and calculating and is aiming for the thrown of England. 👑
His cold ambition gives Simon’s subtle morality even more weight.
Then we have Thomas, Richard’s knight and Clair’s protector, who wants to be a monk.
His has a sincere heart and is struggling with his religion, for wanting Claire.
He is married to Gwyneth, who is living in sin with another.
Thomas wrestles openly with faith, he wants to believe in goodness, in God, and in his master’s redemption. He is my bingo square priest 😁
Thats the premise, and as promising it was, I did not love it. I didn’t hate it either but the plot was lacking. I really like the premise but was a little bored.
Should you read it? Ehh maybe.
There is a lot of good in this, it’s also very repetitive.
Simon of Navarra is a great mmc. He needs to be studied 😂 but this wasn’t very romantic but it was a good story.
This is a medieval romance, the scene is Pillars of the earth, meets Snape or Jafar. Complete with a mysterious wizard, scheming royals, and a castle where no one quite tells the truth. It has a strong religious undertone like Ivanhoe.
Simon of Navarre 🙌 is an epic character, a so called “wizard”. He is clever, controlled, and far more layered than his icy exterior suggests. Beneath the sarcasm and shadowy aura, he is a man who is quietly, painfully good, but perceived bad. The kind of hero who could outsmart a king and still have time to broode. He absolutely steals the book.
Then we have Alys and Claire, the royal half sisters who spent their lives in a convent. Their lives get tangled with Simon’s fate. Alys, our heroine, is the “good” sister or at least, the one meant to be. She did drive my crazy with her righteousness. She is to marry Simon.
Claire, on the other hand, has the more dramatic flair, fluttering about like a spoiled court butterfly.
But honestly between Alys’s moral superiority and Claire’s entitlement, there were moments when both came off a little too pampered for their own good, and it was unrealistic to me, as they grew up in a convent in poverty. They got on my nerves 😬
Their reactions to danger sometimes felt less brave maiden and more “why is this happening to me?” Still, their sisterly bond and rivalry add a fun spark of chaos to the story.
King Richard, their brother, not the noble monarch type, uses both sisters as pawns, and his manipulation sets most of the plot in motion. He is ruthless and calculating and is aiming for the thrown of England. 👑
His cold ambition gives Simon’s subtle morality even more weight.
Then we have Thomas, Richard’s knight and Clair’s protector, who wants to be a monk.
His has a sincere heart and is struggling with his religion, for wanting Claire.
He is married to Gwyneth, who is living in sin with another.
Thomas wrestles openly with faith, he wants to believe in goodness, in God, and in his master’s redemption. He is my bingo square priest 😁
Thats the premise, and as promising it was, I did not love it. I didn’t hate it either but the plot was lacking. I really like the premise but was a little bored.
Should you read it? Ehh maybe.
There is a lot of good in this, it’s also very repetitive.
July 10, 2022
Double Medieval love story.
Two young sister’s , with a mad brother. Who marries one to his Wizard, wants the other for himself. She wants her knight in shining armour to rescue her and her sister.
Two young sister’s , with a mad brother. Who marries one to his Wizard, wants the other for himself. She wants her knight in shining armour to rescue her and her sister.
September 17, 2022
This was a different medieval HR. The hero, Simon, is believed to be a wizard and gives off anti-hero vibes, which I think is the trademark of Anne Stuart's heroes. I can accept his growing affection and eventually love, for the heroine, Alice. However, I couldn't quite buy Alice's love for Simon. I think it needed more time to develop.
I enjoyed the secondary love story between Alice's younger sister, Claire, and her bodyguard and knight, Thomas.
I enjoyed the secondary love story between Alice's younger sister, Claire, and her bodyguard and knight, Thomas.
September 11, 2022
Four dark, sexy, fascinating medieval wizard stars!
His face wasn’t that close to hers, and yet she felt caught, trapped, drowning in his golden eyes, the rich timbre of his voice. An enchanter, they called him, and she could well see why.
If only he didn’t have those eerie eyes. Ghost eyes. That stillness that clung to him, like a mantle.
This book didn’t quite live up to its potential for me, but Simon of Navarre was such a fascinating H that I bumped it up to four stars. Too much time spent on the secondary romance that would have been better spent on Simon and Alys. There was also much less steam compared to other Anne Stuart books I’ve read, which was disappointing.
But the scene where Simon and Alys got it on outside on the parapet of the castle, during a raging thunderstorm, was fire.
The lightning sizzled across the sky, and reaction sizzled across her body in perfect harmony, a spiking, shattering clash of feeling that made her stiffen and cry out.
He was dangerous, god-like, elemental, part of the night and the storm, as terrifying and powerful as a bolt of lightning.
He slid his fingers deep inside her as he touched her with his tongue, and she convulsed into a sudden darkness that felt like death. All around her demons beat their wings, or were they angels? She didn’t know or care, lost in a torrent that tore her apart.
His wet hair hung down and tangled with hers, the rain beat down on their naked bodies, but there was heat everywhere, her body was on fire, and she wanted more.
His face wasn’t that close to hers, and yet she felt caught, trapped, drowning in his golden eyes, the rich timbre of his voice. An enchanter, they called him, and she could well see why.
If only he didn’t have those eerie eyes. Ghost eyes. That stillness that clung to him, like a mantle.
This book didn’t quite live up to its potential for me, but Simon of Navarre was such a fascinating H that I bumped it up to four stars. Too much time spent on the secondary romance that would have been better spent on Simon and Alys. There was also much less steam compared to other Anne Stuart books I’ve read, which was disappointing.
But the scene where Simon and Alys got it on outside on the parapet of the castle, during a raging thunderstorm, was fire.
The lightning sizzled across the sky, and reaction sizzled across her body in perfect harmony, a spiking, shattering clash of feeling that made her stiffen and cry out.
He was dangerous, god-like, elemental, part of the night and the storm, as terrifying and powerful as a bolt of lightning.
He slid his fingers deep inside her as he touched her with his tongue, and she convulsed into a sudden darkness that felt like death. All around her demons beat their wings, or were they angels? She didn’t know or care, lost in a torrent that tore her apart.
His wet hair hung down and tangled with hers, the rain beat down on their naked bodies, but there was heat everywhere, her body was on fire, and she wanted more.
April 6, 2015
Simon Navarre, a 'wizard' to Richard the Fair, was a simple man with a knowledge and flair for the extravagant. When people were in his presence, they were both awed and feared him. Alys, Richard's half-sister, was initially no different. Then she made a bargain with Simon and there was no going back.
Her appearance was plain and she was on the plump side. He was offered her beautiful younger sister Claire but he chose Alys instead.
"You have been gracious enough to gift me with a clever wife, my lord," Simon said.
"A clever woman is a curse," Richard said flatly, eying Alys with profound distrust. "Change your mind, my friend. Choose the pretty one."
"My lord," said Simon, "I did."
Ms. Stuart's heroes are usually crippled in some way but I don't necessarily mean physical. Many times it is mentally or even spiritually. Something dark or hurtful make 'her men' into what they are.
In LORD DANGER, Simon actually has a disability: his hand. He thought Alys would be frightened of him. She wasn't. So he tried to get a rise out of her in other ways; she always seemed to have a retort. He became intrigued. You knew- you sensed- there was much more to this mysterious man. And Alys was his solution, his answer: his savior.
In hindsight, the story itself was not what I would consider awesome. But the dialog: the snarky crackles and snaps that Simon and Alys shared. One minute it was soothing, the next moment there were sparks flying. Their relationship is what drove this historical romance.
Her appearance was plain and she was on the plump side. He was offered her beautiful younger sister Claire but he chose Alys instead.
"You have been gracious enough to gift me with a clever wife, my lord," Simon said.
"A clever woman is a curse," Richard said flatly, eying Alys with profound distrust. "Change your mind, my friend. Choose the pretty one."
"My lord," said Simon, "I did."
Ms. Stuart's heroes are usually crippled in some way but I don't necessarily mean physical. Many times it is mentally or even spiritually. Something dark or hurtful make 'her men' into what they are.
In LORD DANGER, Simon actually has a disability: his hand. He thought Alys would be frightened of him. She wasn't. So he tried to get a rise out of her in other ways; she always seemed to have a retort. He became intrigued. You knew- you sensed- there was much more to this mysterious man. And Alys was his solution, his answer: his savior.
In hindsight, the story itself was not what I would consider awesome. But the dialog: the snarky crackles and snaps that Simon and Alys shared. One minute it was soothing, the next moment there were sparks flying. Their relationship is what drove this historical romance.
December 15, 2025
3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ magic, royal secrets, and a hot, brooding hero. And yet I dnf’ed at 80% , I was bored and better books are waiting.
Simon of Navarra is a great mmc. He needs to be studied 😂 but this wasn’t very romantic but it was a good story.
This is a medieval romance, the scene is Pillars of the earth, meets Snape or Jafar. Complete with a mysterious wizard, scheming royals, and a castle where no one quite tells the truth. It has a strong religious undertone like Ivanhoe.
Simon of Navarre 🙌 is an epic character, a so called “wizard”. He is clever, controlled, and far more layered than his icy exterior suggests. Beneath the sarcasm and shadowy aura, he is a man who is quietly, painfully good, but perceived bad. The kind of hero who could outsmart a king and still have time to broode. He absolutely steals the book.
Then we have Alys and Claire, the royal half sisters who spent their lives in a convent. Their lives get tangled with Simon’s fate. Alys, our heroine, is the “good” sister or at least, the one meant to be. She did drive my crazy with her righteousness. She is to marry Simon.
Claire, on the other hand, has the more dramatic flair, fluttering about like a spoiled court butterfly.
But honestly between Alys’s moral superiority and Claire’s entitlement, there were moments when both came off a little too pampered for their own good, and it was unrealistic to me, as they grew up in a convent in poverty. They got on my nerves 😬
Their reactions to danger sometimes felt less brave maiden and more “why is this happening to me?” Still, their sisterly bond and rivalry add a fun spark of chaos to the story.
King Richard, their brother, not the noble monarch type, uses both sisters as pawns, and his manipulation sets most of the plot in motion. He is ruthless and calculating and is aiming for the thrown of England. 👑
His cold ambition gives Simon’s subtle morality even more weight.
Then we have Thomas, Richard’s knight and Clair’s protector, who wants to be a monk.
His has a sincere heart and is struggling with his religion, for wanting Claire.
He is married to Gwyneth, who is living in sin with another.
Thomas wrestles openly with faith, he wants to believe in goodness, in God, and in his master’s redemption. He is my bingo square priest 😁
Thats the premise, and as promising it was, I did not love it. I didn’t hate it either but the plot was lacking. I really like the premise but was a little bored.
Should you read it? Ehh maybe.
There is a lot of good in this, it’s also very repetitive.
Simon of Navarra is a great mmc. He needs to be studied 😂 but this wasn’t very romantic but it was a good story.
This is a medieval romance, the scene is Pillars of the earth, meets Snape or Jafar. Complete with a mysterious wizard, scheming royals, and a castle where no one quite tells the truth. It has a strong religious undertone like Ivanhoe.
Simon of Navarre 🙌 is an epic character, a so called “wizard”. He is clever, controlled, and far more layered than his icy exterior suggests. Beneath the sarcasm and shadowy aura, he is a man who is quietly, painfully good, but perceived bad. The kind of hero who could outsmart a king and still have time to broode. He absolutely steals the book.
Then we have Alys and Claire, the royal half sisters who spent their lives in a convent. Their lives get tangled with Simon’s fate. Alys, our heroine, is the “good” sister or at least, the one meant to be. She did drive my crazy with her righteousness. She is to marry Simon.
Claire, on the other hand, has the more dramatic flair, fluttering about like a spoiled court butterfly.
But honestly between Alys’s moral superiority and Claire’s entitlement, there were moments when both came off a little too pampered for their own good, and it was unrealistic to me, as they grew up in a convent in poverty. They got on my nerves 😬
Their reactions to danger sometimes felt less brave maiden and more “why is this happening to me?” Still, their sisterly bond and rivalry add a fun spark of chaos to the story.
King Richard, their brother, not the noble monarch type, uses both sisters as pawns, and his manipulation sets most of the plot in motion. He is ruthless and calculating and is aiming for the thrown of England. 👑
His cold ambition gives Simon’s subtle morality even more weight.
Then we have Thomas, Richard’s knight and Clair’s protector, who wants to be a monk.
His has a sincere heart and is struggling with his religion, for wanting Claire.
He is married to Gwyneth, who is living in sin with another.
Thomas wrestles openly with faith, he wants to believe in goodness, in God, and in his master’s redemption. He is my bingo square priest 😁
Thats the premise, and as promising it was, I did not love it. I didn’t hate it either but the plot was lacking. I really like the premise but was a little bored.
Should you read it? Ehh maybe.
There is a lot of good in this, it’s also very repetitive.
July 7, 2024
Review from 2016
B for narration; B- for content - 3.5 stars rounded up.
Originally published in 1997, Lord of Danger is a standalone historical romance set in Medieval England at the time of the reign of Henry III. It has all the ingredients one would expect from an Anne Stuart novel – intrigue, suspense, a heroine with backbone and an amoral, dangerously sexy hero, all wrapped up in an above average narration by Susan Ericksen.
Lady Alys de Lancie and her younger sister Claire are half-sisters to Richard, known as Richard the Fair, who is cousin to the twelve-year-old king. The ladies have been brought up in a convent but are now to leave it and travel to Richard’s castle at Summersedge so that Alys can marry the man chosen for her, Richard’s trusted advisor and, according to rumour, a wizard and practitioner of the dark arts. Naturally, the idea of marriage to such a man is not an eminently appealing prospect, but Alys is a pragmatist and knows that she has no choice in the matter.
Simon of Navarre is highly intelligent, shrewd, manipulative and ambitious, seeing marriage to one of Richard’s sisters as a way of further cementing his position at Richard’s court. He is not, of course, a wizard, but is certainly not averse to using his fearsome reputation and the rumours that constantly circulate about his having made a pact with the devil to his advantage, creating both awe and fear in those around him. Thanks to his spy at the Convent of Saint Anne the Demure, Simon knows exactly what to expect from Richard’s sisters; Claire is extraordinarily beautiful but flighty and Alys is calm, peaceful and pretty enough; and he’s quite happy to take the older, plainer sister, believing she will be far less troublesome. Until, that is, he is told that Alys is clever. The last thing a man like him needs is a clever wife, one who will want to poke her nose into his business and uncover his secrets, so he inveigles Richard into letting him choose for himself. Richard thinks Simon’s choice is a foregone conclusion – what man would not want the gorgeous Claire? But from the moment the women arrive at the castle, it’s Alys who engages Simon’s attention, with her refusal to be cowed, her wit and her sensual, husky voice – and Simon’s mind is made up. Playing safe has never appealed to him, and he decides he is rather looking forward to introducing the demure Alys to sensual pleasure and making her so completely besotted with him that she would never reveal his secrets should she ever discover any of them.
Just as Simon can see beyond Alys’ prim, docile exterior to the determined and clever woman beneath, so Alys sees Simon as a man and not some supernatural being or monster. She is afraid of many things – horses, thunderstorms – but is the one person at Summersedge who does not fear Simon of Navarre. When Simon undertakes to tutor Alys in herbal medicine and healing, he sees it as a way to spend time with her and to embark upon his planned slow seduction, but soon realises that he has failed to see the danger she presents to his ambitions, his ordered existence – and to his heart.
I am a complete and total sucker for this sort of set-up, one in which the enigmatic, impervious hero falls desperately in love with the quick-witted heroine whom everyone but him sees as plain, so I was expecting to enjoy this story a lot more than I actually did. I liked it, but I didn’t love it, principally because not enough time is spent on developing the relationship between Alys and Simon. I haven’t counted, but it seemed to me that around a third of the story – possibly more – is devoted to the secondary romance between the spoiled, shallow Claire and the handsome and godly knight, Sir Thomas du Rhaymer. Thomas is quite an intriguing character, but Claire is so annoyingly immature that I started to resent the time I spent listening to her and Thomas and zoning out while I waited to return to the main storyline. I wanted to spend more time with Alys and Simon as they got to know each other and to explore their characters and motivations further, but what I got instead was whiny Claire and more telling than showing. Simon is an especially intriguing character, a man haunted by ghosts from the past and by the horrific events he witnessed during the Crusades – but again, this is not fully explored and I never really felt that I got to know him or Alys very well.
Susan Ericksen has narrated a number of Anne Stuart’s historical romances before, and here, as Xe Sands did in the author’s House of Russell series, opts to narrate dialogue using an English accent and to perform the narrative using her own, American one. This works for the most part as Ms Ericksen’s English accent is quite good; she manages to avoid a number of tell-tale mispronunciations – “can’t” and “bath” are pronounced correctly, using the long “a”, for example – but not all of them so that there is still a smattering of odd pronunciations throughout the dialogue. But they certainly weren’t enough to pull me out of the story and she makes up for those errors by the way she throws herself into the characterisations so wholeheartedly and the emotion she injects into her performance. She differentiates well, especially between the two sisters, who are easy to tell apart in their many scenes together; and the considered, softly-spoken manner of speech she adopts for Simon fits him perfectly. The stand-out characterisation, however, is that of Richard the Fair whom she captures brilliantly, somehow making him sound every bit as corpulent, sly, vicious and full of bluster as he is in the text.
Lord of Danger didn’t grab me as I’d hoped, unfortunately. The secondary romance detracts too much from the main storyline, and the central romance is under-developed; but Susan Ericksen’s performance is engaging and certainly worth listening to if you’re a fan of the author’s and/or medieval romances.
B for narration; B- for content - 3.5 stars rounded up.
Originally published in 1997, Lord of Danger is a standalone historical romance set in Medieval England at the time of the reign of Henry III. It has all the ingredients one would expect from an Anne Stuart novel – intrigue, suspense, a heroine with backbone and an amoral, dangerously sexy hero, all wrapped up in an above average narration by Susan Ericksen.
Lady Alys de Lancie and her younger sister Claire are half-sisters to Richard, known as Richard the Fair, who is cousin to the twelve-year-old king. The ladies have been brought up in a convent but are now to leave it and travel to Richard’s castle at Summersedge so that Alys can marry the man chosen for her, Richard’s trusted advisor and, according to rumour, a wizard and practitioner of the dark arts. Naturally, the idea of marriage to such a man is not an eminently appealing prospect, but Alys is a pragmatist and knows that she has no choice in the matter.
Simon of Navarre is highly intelligent, shrewd, manipulative and ambitious, seeing marriage to one of Richard’s sisters as a way of further cementing his position at Richard’s court. He is not, of course, a wizard, but is certainly not averse to using his fearsome reputation and the rumours that constantly circulate about his having made a pact with the devil to his advantage, creating both awe and fear in those around him. Thanks to his spy at the Convent of Saint Anne the Demure, Simon knows exactly what to expect from Richard’s sisters; Claire is extraordinarily beautiful but flighty and Alys is calm, peaceful and pretty enough; and he’s quite happy to take the older, plainer sister, believing she will be far less troublesome. Until, that is, he is told that Alys is clever. The last thing a man like him needs is a clever wife, one who will want to poke her nose into his business and uncover his secrets, so he inveigles Richard into letting him choose for himself. Richard thinks Simon’s choice is a foregone conclusion – what man would not want the gorgeous Claire? But from the moment the women arrive at the castle, it’s Alys who engages Simon’s attention, with her refusal to be cowed, her wit and her sensual, husky voice – and Simon’s mind is made up. Playing safe has never appealed to him, and he decides he is rather looking forward to introducing the demure Alys to sensual pleasure and making her so completely besotted with him that she would never reveal his secrets should she ever discover any of them.
Just as Simon can see beyond Alys’ prim, docile exterior to the determined and clever woman beneath, so Alys sees Simon as a man and not some supernatural being or monster. She is afraid of many things – horses, thunderstorms – but is the one person at Summersedge who does not fear Simon of Navarre. When Simon undertakes to tutor Alys in herbal medicine and healing, he sees it as a way to spend time with her and to embark upon his planned slow seduction, but soon realises that he has failed to see the danger she presents to his ambitions, his ordered existence – and to his heart.
I am a complete and total sucker for this sort of set-up, one in which the enigmatic, impervious hero falls desperately in love with the quick-witted heroine whom everyone but him sees as plain, so I was expecting to enjoy this story a lot more than I actually did. I liked it, but I didn’t love it, principally because not enough time is spent on developing the relationship between Alys and Simon. I haven’t counted, but it seemed to me that around a third of the story – possibly more – is devoted to the secondary romance between the spoiled, shallow Claire and the handsome and godly knight, Sir Thomas du Rhaymer. Thomas is quite an intriguing character, but Claire is so annoyingly immature that I started to resent the time I spent listening to her and Thomas and zoning out while I waited to return to the main storyline. I wanted to spend more time with Alys and Simon as they got to know each other and to explore their characters and motivations further, but what I got instead was whiny Claire and more telling than showing. Simon is an especially intriguing character, a man haunted by ghosts from the past and by the horrific events he witnessed during the Crusades – but again, this is not fully explored and I never really felt that I got to know him or Alys very well.
Susan Ericksen has narrated a number of Anne Stuart’s historical romances before, and here, as Xe Sands did in the author’s House of Russell series, opts to narrate dialogue using an English accent and to perform the narrative using her own, American one. This works for the most part as Ms Ericksen’s English accent is quite good; she manages to avoid a number of tell-tale mispronunciations – “can’t” and “bath” are pronounced correctly, using the long “a”, for example – but not all of them so that there is still a smattering of odd pronunciations throughout the dialogue. But they certainly weren’t enough to pull me out of the story and she makes up for those errors by the way she throws herself into the characterisations so wholeheartedly and the emotion she injects into her performance. She differentiates well, especially between the two sisters, who are easy to tell apart in their many scenes together; and the considered, softly-spoken manner of speech she adopts for Simon fits him perfectly. The stand-out characterisation, however, is that of Richard the Fair whom she captures brilliantly, somehow making him sound every bit as corpulent, sly, vicious and full of bluster as he is in the text.
Lord of Danger didn’t grab me as I’d hoped, unfortunately. The secondary romance detracts too much from the main storyline, and the central romance is under-developed; but Susan Ericksen’s performance is engaging and certainly worth listening to if you’re a fan of the author’s and/or medieval romances.
May 19, 2010
I am a huge Anne Stuart fan, so perhaps I am biased, but this is a great book!
Stuart has the ability to create the most interesting, dark, memorable, and unlikely of hero's (and make you love em'!) Again she is the master of this in Lord of Danger. Simon of Navarre is a wizard of sorts and advisor to the evil Richard the Fair. He has Richard's trust, his ear, and now will wed one of his half sisters in order to solidify his place (and purse) in Richard's court.
One of Richard's sister's is gorgeous, the other plain and nicely plump:) He picks the latter...I love that. Not to worry, both sisters get their own stories in this one, so consider it a 2 for the price of 1 kind of book.
Alys and Simon have a unique relationship, but it works. Alys is afraid of many things...horses, lightning, traveling, but not Simon (whom everyone is wary of). It's as if she instinctually knows that he is not what he portrays himself to be.
Simon of Navarre is mysterious and cold, but also is completely "under Alys's spell" from the very beginning. His dry sense of humor had me laughing throughout the book.
Claire, Aly's sister, and Thomas also get their own story, which is separate and just as compelling as Alys and Simon. Often times a secondary relationship is shallow and unnecessary, but this one was just remarkable, and added lots of enjoyment for me. I recommend this and anything that Anne Stuart puts her name on.
Oh just a couple of things....
1. The ending, like so many of Stuart's books left me panting for more and crying for an epilogue.
2. Read page 312 for one of the sweetest and most poignant love declarations that I've ever read...I kept rereading it and rereading it.....Enjoy!
Stuart has the ability to create the most interesting, dark, memorable, and unlikely of hero's (and make you love em'!) Again she is the master of this in Lord of Danger. Simon of Navarre is a wizard of sorts and advisor to the evil Richard the Fair. He has Richard's trust, his ear, and now will wed one of his half sisters in order to solidify his place (and purse) in Richard's court.
One of Richard's sister's is gorgeous, the other plain and nicely plump:) He picks the latter...I love that. Not to worry, both sisters get their own stories in this one, so consider it a 2 for the price of 1 kind of book.
Alys and Simon have a unique relationship, but it works. Alys is afraid of many things...horses, lightning, traveling, but not Simon (whom everyone is wary of). It's as if she instinctually knows that he is not what he portrays himself to be.
Simon of Navarre is mysterious and cold, but also is completely "under Alys's spell" from the very beginning. His dry sense of humor had me laughing throughout the book.
Claire, Aly's sister, and Thomas also get their own story, which is separate and just as compelling as Alys and Simon. Often times a secondary relationship is shallow and unnecessary, but this one was just remarkable, and added lots of enjoyment for me. I recommend this and anything that Anne Stuart puts her name on.
Oh just a couple of things....
1. The ending, like so many of Stuart's books left me panting for more and crying for an epilogue.
2. Read page 312 for one of the sweetest and most poignant love declarations that I've ever read...I kept rereading it and rereading it.....Enjoy!
September 5, 2020
Anne Stuart’s Lord Of Danger was nothing what I expected. Having read quite a few books of hers, I have always known that her heroes or typically anti-heroes are more dangerous than the villains in the story. The hero Simon Of Navarre is a menacing character known for his dark magical powers which he utilizes to the maximum in keeping people at arm’s length. When he is offered the choice of a bride by Richard the Fair, who’s related to the Prince, Simon has no reservations in choosing between the 2 half-sisters.
Alys plays the perfect foil to the brooding Simon, she’s no beauty compared to her much fairer sister Claire, but her intelligence and innocence intrigues Simon and soon he’s enchanted. But death and games are in store for Simon and Alys as Richard begins a dangerous maneuver to take over the throne and Simon, learned in the ways of alchemy and herbology is his trump card.
The story is as usual captivating. I loved the spicy romance between Alys and Simon, interspersed with self-deprecating humor, the banter between them was simply outstanding. Honestly the secondary romance between Claire and Thomas, a loyal knight was boring as Claire’s character was too spoilt and conceited to feel any warmth, but to read 2 romances for the price of 1 was fun and entertaining.
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/; Amazon India, Goodreads, and Twitter.
Alys plays the perfect foil to the brooding Simon, she’s no beauty compared to her much fairer sister Claire, but her intelligence and innocence intrigues Simon and soon he’s enchanted. But death and games are in store for Simon and Alys as Richard begins a dangerous maneuver to take over the throne and Simon, learned in the ways of alchemy and herbology is his trump card.
The story is as usual captivating. I loved the spicy romance between Alys and Simon, interspersed with self-deprecating humor, the banter between them was simply outstanding. Honestly the secondary romance between Claire and Thomas, a loyal knight was boring as Claire’s character was too spoilt and conceited to feel any warmth, but to read 2 romances for the price of 1 was fun and entertaining.
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/; Amazon India, Goodreads, and Twitter.
January 10, 2022
Aveva tutto ciò a cui un uomo poteva aspirare. Eccetto un'anima immortale. L'aveva smarrita nelle strade di Costantinopoli, L'aveva gettata via, insieme al suo sangue, nella sfortunata Quarta crociata, in una delle rare notti frustate dal vento. Qualcuno lo chiamava Grendel. Il nome di un mostro. E gli calzava a pennello.
Decisamente un romanzo che meritava una ristampa!
Confesso di averlo letto anni fa ma in modo svogliato, durante un lunghissimo viaggio e disturbata di continuo da chi mi era intorno (ed ecco perché lo associavo a una sensazione di grigiore).
Invece, riletto in poltrona, sotto un bel plaid, con una piacevole musica di cori medievali in sottofondo (omaggio di mio marito che sistemava i suoi vecchi dischi in vinile), ho semplicemente donato il cuore al personaggio di Simon il mago e alle sue astuzie finto-malvagie.
Uscito ferito nel corpo e danneggiato nell'anima dagli orrori della Quarta Crociata, lord de Navarre si è unito alla cerchia di un vassallo inglese, Richard il Bello, uomo ambizioso al punto da inseguire il sogno della corona e meschino abbastanza da sfruttare le due sorellastre per barattare con loro fedeltà e potere.
Sinora Simon è sempre riuscito a cavarsela e a manipolare il prossimo, ma l'arrivo delle due giovani complica tutto.
Non è tanto l'affascinante Claire ad attirare la sua attenzione, bensì la maggiore e smunta Alys, tirata fuori dal convento e ben decisa a ritornarci.
Anche lei è un personaggio diverso da come si presenta ai nostri occhi e matura gradualmente, tanto che alla fine non si può che parteggiare per questa ragazza che teme "i cavalli, i temporali e gli uomini."
Eh sì, la Stuart scrive in modo mirabile e qui confeziona un romanzo che riesce a unire le note dolci di un amore combattuto (anzi, di un doppio amore combattuto) con le tinte fosche di un medioevo freddo e sporco, avvolto dalla nebbia della crudeltà e dei pregiudizi.
Nel complesso, mi sono goduta le scaramucce da nemici-ad amanti di entrambe le coppie (anche Claire si conquista il cavaliere dei suoi sogni), ho apprezzato la trama ricca di eventi, nonché di belle scene di passione, ho sottolineato una quantità notevole di citazioni (segno che l'autrice colpisce nel segno e la traduzione mantiene intatta la bellezza delle immagini).
Voleva rimanere ciò che era diventato: invulnerabile, astuto, malvagio per quanto era possibile. Solo così sarebbe sopravvissuto.
Decisamente un romanzo che meritava una ristampa!
Confesso di averlo letto anni fa ma in modo svogliato, durante un lunghissimo viaggio e disturbata di continuo da chi mi era intorno (ed ecco perché lo associavo a una sensazione di grigiore).
Invece, riletto in poltrona, sotto un bel plaid, con una piacevole musica di cori medievali in sottofondo (omaggio di mio marito che sistemava i suoi vecchi dischi in vinile), ho semplicemente donato il cuore al personaggio di Simon il mago e alle sue astuzie finto-malvagie.
Uscito ferito nel corpo e danneggiato nell'anima dagli orrori della Quarta Crociata, lord de Navarre si è unito alla cerchia di un vassallo inglese, Richard il Bello, uomo ambizioso al punto da inseguire il sogno della corona e meschino abbastanza da sfruttare le due sorellastre per barattare con loro fedeltà e potere.
Sinora Simon è sempre riuscito a cavarsela e a manipolare il prossimo, ma l'arrivo delle due giovani complica tutto.
Non è tanto l'affascinante Claire ad attirare la sua attenzione, bensì la maggiore e smunta Alys, tirata fuori dal convento e ben decisa a ritornarci.
Anche lei è un personaggio diverso da come si presenta ai nostri occhi e matura gradualmente, tanto che alla fine non si può che parteggiare per questa ragazza che teme "i cavalli, i temporali e gli uomini."
Eh sì, la Stuart scrive in modo mirabile e qui confeziona un romanzo che riesce a unire le note dolci di un amore combattuto (anzi, di un doppio amore combattuto) con le tinte fosche di un medioevo freddo e sporco, avvolto dalla nebbia della crudeltà e dei pregiudizi.
Nel complesso, mi sono goduta le scaramucce da nemici-ad amanti di entrambe le coppie (anche Claire si conquista il cavaliere dei suoi sogni), ho apprezzato la trama ricca di eventi, nonché di belle scene di passione, ho sottolineato una quantità notevole di citazioni (segno che l'autrice colpisce nel segno e la traduzione mantiene intatta la bellezza delle immagini).
Voleva rimanere ciò che era diventato: invulnerabile, astuto, malvagio per quanto era possibile. Solo così sarebbe sopravvissuto.
January 2, 2017
I believe this was the first romance I bought and read of my own choosing—not something that was already on my mom's shelves. It was also my first Anne Stuart, setting the standard for all the other books of hers I would eventually read.
The writing here is slightly better than many of her others. I recognize some of the tropes she's fond of—the love interests thinking of nothing else except why they are/aren't attracted to each other, the falsely lighthearted banter, the repetition—but somehow they aren't as annoying here. However, since the hero and heroine are constantly thinking of each other when they're not together, it is a bit dull. There could have been so much more action, so much more interaction between the various characters. I do have to say the climactic scene was quite exciting, if brief.
My favorite thing about Lord of Danger is the hero, Simon. He's a wizard, meaning he knows tricks and has herbal knowledge, so it seems like he practices witchcraft. For some reason, he has always reminded me of Jareth. It could be the long hair hair with a gray streak, his predilection for flamboyant robes, his propensity to have sex during lightning storms... wait, what?
Good hero, good banter, and a good secondary romance, but ultimately a little slow and dull. My original three star rating stands.
Previously:
I don't really read romance novels anymore, because having read so many in the past I get bored of them pretty easily. This one used to be a favorite and I still feel its appeal somewhat, but rereading it I found myself cringing at the so-so writing and the oft-regurgitated premise of a reluctant hero and innocent heroine who inevitably fall in love. Also, I know in medieval times treatment of women was very different from the way they're treated today, but the constant belittling and objectification of the female characters got tiresome quickly. However, this book will probably appeal to real fans of romance novels, especially the darker ones which seem to be Anne Stuart's specialty.
The writing here is slightly better than many of her others. I recognize some of the tropes she's fond of—the love interests thinking of nothing else except why they are/aren't attracted to each other, the falsely lighthearted banter, the repetition—but somehow they aren't as annoying here. However, since the hero and heroine are constantly thinking of each other when they're not together, it is a bit dull. There could have been so much more action, so much more interaction between the various characters. I do have to say the climactic scene was quite exciting, if brief.
My favorite thing about Lord of Danger is the hero, Simon. He's a wizard, meaning he knows tricks and has herbal knowledge, so it seems like he practices witchcraft. For some reason, he has always reminded me of Jareth. It could be the long hair hair with a gray streak, his predilection for flamboyant robes, his propensity to have sex during lightning storms... wait, what?
Good hero, good banter, and a good secondary romance, but ultimately a little slow and dull. My original three star rating stands.
Previously:
I don't really read romance novels anymore, because having read so many in the past I get bored of them pretty easily. This one used to be a favorite and I still feel its appeal somewhat, but rereading it I found myself cringing at the so-so writing and the oft-regurgitated premise of a reluctant hero and innocent heroine who inevitably fall in love. Also, I know in medieval times treatment of women was very different from the way they're treated today, but the constant belittling and objectification of the female characters got tiresome quickly. However, this book will probably appeal to real fans of romance novels, especially the darker ones which seem to be Anne Stuart's specialty.
Read
December 9, 2025This slow burn story was truly captivating
I'm not going to rate this because I loved every second of what I did listened.
The Plot
I saw that the book soon wouldn't be part of the audible plus catalogue and decided to give it a shot.
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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I'm not going to rate this because I loved every second of what I did listened.
The Plot
I saw that the book soon wouldn't be part of the audible plus catalogue and decided to give it a shot.
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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May 30, 2020
3,5 stars
July 30, 2025
3.5 ish stars
I really enjoyed this, but I felt like it was missing something. I think the fmc was pretty forgettable, but the MMC Simon was GREAT. I’m also not a fan of the secondary romances that Stuart does in her books, even though this one wasn’t the worst.
I really enjoyed this, but I felt like it was missing something. I think the fmc was pretty forgettable, but the MMC Simon was GREAT. I’m also not a fan of the secondary romances that Stuart does in her books, even though this one wasn’t the worst.
dnf
September 6, 2021While Simon of Navarre is very interesting and I wanted to know more. The rest of this story is not holding up for me at all. Too bad, it all started so good.
February 22, 2016
I really liked the characters, especially Simon. I thought his character very interesting, a wizard to his evil liege lord, Sir Richard. To secure Simon's loyalty, Richard gave Simon his half-sister Alys in marriage.
But the story itself is rather lacking. The interactions between Simon and Alys did not really illustrate how they came to know each other. This is quite a shame because Simon and Alys were both interesting characters and I could see them in a very special kind of relationship. But since the plots did not support the relationship development, Simon and Alys' relationship suffered and did not reach its full potential.
The side romance of Alys' sister Clare and Sir Thomas was extremely unnecessary. And Clare has to be one of the most annoying female characters I have read in this genre who ended up with a noble knight. She did not deserve a HEA, being the idiotic and shallow person that she was. I skipped everything about Thomas and Clare.
I would have preferred to read more about Simon and Alys, and more on how they came to know each other. I feel that they are 2 really interesting characters trapped in a less than satisfactory story. Quite a shame, quite a shame.
Incidentally, I am under the impression that the setting is medieval in this story. There was no Switzerland or Germany in the medieval times, as Simon recounted his "travels in Switzerland" and a specific cruel "German" prince who cut off the tongue of Simon's manservant. I am not usually picky about historical accuracies but seriously, medieval and Switzerland??? Since when was there a Switzerland in the times of the Crusades???
But the story itself is rather lacking. The interactions between Simon and Alys did not really illustrate how they came to know each other. This is quite a shame because Simon and Alys were both interesting characters and I could see them in a very special kind of relationship. But since the plots did not support the relationship development, Simon and Alys' relationship suffered and did not reach its full potential.
The side romance of Alys' sister Clare and Sir Thomas was extremely unnecessary. And Clare has to be one of the most annoying female characters I have read in this genre who ended up with a noble knight. She did not deserve a HEA, being the idiotic and shallow person that she was. I skipped everything about Thomas and Clare.
I would have preferred to read more about Simon and Alys, and more on how they came to know each other. I feel that they are 2 really interesting characters trapped in a less than satisfactory story. Quite a shame, quite a shame.
Incidentally, I am under the impression that the setting is medieval in this story. There was no Switzerland or Germany in the medieval times, as Simon recounted his "travels in Switzerland" and a specific cruel "German" prince who cut off the tongue of Simon's manservant. I am not usually picky about historical accuracies but seriously, medieval and Switzerland??? Since when was there a Switzerland in the times of the Crusades???
December 21, 2023
Audiobook. Reread. Audio was really well done. I enjoyed the narrator.
This is a classic Stuart with the morally grey emotionally constipated hero who in this case is a wizard 🪄 and a plain heroine with the gorgeous sister. There's also the usual secondary story with the sister that was kind of bland but I'm not normally a fan of secondary stories. There's also no epilogue which I hate and Stuart tends not to do epilogues. But there's something about her heroes who fight the feels every step of the way while becoming obsessed with the heorine almost immediately. This is definitely a hero falls first book and the reader is the only one who knows it and I just love that. There's superstition, a scarred hero, a feisty heroine, a grotesque villain, banging in the battlements in a rainstorm. It's magnificent. I shaved one star for the previously mentioned lack of epilogue and the secondary story which took way too much away from the main one.
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🔥/5
Tropes
Arranged marriage
Plain Jane
Tortured hero
CW: talk of incest, attempted SA by villain. This qualifies as a dark romance as all of this author's books are so proceed with caution.
This is a classic Stuart with the morally grey emotionally constipated hero who in this case is a wizard 🪄 and a plain heroine with the gorgeous sister. There's also the usual secondary story with the sister that was kind of bland but I'm not normally a fan of secondary stories. There's also no epilogue which I hate and Stuart tends not to do epilogues. But there's something about her heroes who fight the feels every step of the way while becoming obsessed with the heorine almost immediately. This is definitely a hero falls first book and the reader is the only one who knows it and I just love that. There's superstition, a scarred hero, a feisty heroine, a grotesque villain, banging in the battlements in a rainstorm. It's magnificent. I shaved one star for the previously mentioned lack of epilogue and the secondary story which took way too much away from the main one.
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🔥/5
Tropes
Arranged marriage
Plain Jane
Tortured hero
CW: talk of incest, attempted SA by villain. This qualifies as a dark romance as all of this author's books are so proceed with caution.
August 10, 2021
Not really a fan of dual romance in a single novel but alas, that is what we got.
Sorry, I have to say this or else I might not sleep well tonight but the heroine's sister annoys the hell out of me. She is, indeed, conceited, thinks the world revolves around her pettiness.
The heroine and the hero, on the other hand, sit well with me. Heartwarming yet let's say, a bit unremarkable.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy the novel. No unnecessary dramas and such. The ending felt a bit rushed.
Sorry, I have to say this or else I might not sleep well tonight but the heroine's sister annoys the hell out of me. She is, indeed, conceited, thinks the world revolves around her pettiness.
The heroine and the hero, on the other hand, sit well with me. Heartwarming yet let's say, a bit unremarkable.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy the novel. No unnecessary dramas and such. The ending felt a bit rushed.
June 3, 2013
Really really great couple. If it wasnt for the not-as-great secondary couple I woulda 5starred this book. Alas, for some reason the author wanted to give me some love-on-a-lighter note on the side so we don't get bogged down by the sad first couple.
The h&h were utterly perfect! The hero was angsty and evil and the heroine was brave and smart and neither shied away from their feelings when it became important. The moment they come together its thunder and lightening and fireworks. High high emotions. I just wish we got more of that and less secondaries.
On my re-read I'll just skip to the h&h parts lol.
The h&h were utterly perfect! The hero was angsty and evil and the heroine was brave and smart and neither shied away from their feelings when it became important. The moment they come together its thunder and lightening and fireworks. High high emotions. I just wish we got more of that and less secondaries.
On my re-read I'll just skip to the h&h parts lol.
April 27, 2018
3.5 stars
September 6, 2016
There were a couple funny scenes and dialogue, but, for the most part, I was extremely indifferent to this book. The biggest problem I had was with the romance. Because the author decided to put an equal focus on the main couple as well as the secondary romance with the other sister, it seemed like neither relationship was given enough page time to be well developed. It was like reading a book that had two heroines and two love interests. I just wished the author had picked one or the other and decided to throw everything into that one story.
While there was some potential, the relationship between Alys and Simon was the most underwhelming thing I’ve ever read. I wouldn’t even say that their falling in love felt forced. It was more like I didn’t feel like they had a relationship at all. Half of the book was dedicated to Claire and Thomas too, so it really cut down on how many interactions they could have had. Alys and Simon barely had a handful of scenes together and when they did, they never had any meaningful conversations. The ‘I love you’s’ came so out of nowhere for me because I thought that these two people didn’t know each other at all.
Overall, this was really underwhelming. I didn’t care about the characters or the plot and when the book ended I was just like, ‘ok’. I’d honestly rather read a book that made me super angry than one like this that made me feel absolutely nothing.
While there was some potential, the relationship between Alys and Simon was the most underwhelming thing I’ve ever read. I wouldn’t even say that their falling in love felt forced. It was more like I didn’t feel like they had a relationship at all. Half of the book was dedicated to Claire and Thomas too, so it really cut down on how many interactions they could have had. Alys and Simon barely had a handful of scenes together and when they did, they never had any meaningful conversations. The ‘I love you’s’ came so out of nowhere for me because I thought that these two people didn’t know each other at all.
Overall, this was really underwhelming. I didn’t care about the characters or the plot and when the book ended I was just like, ‘ok’. I’d honestly rather read a book that made me super angry than one like this that made me feel absolutely nothing.
November 14, 2010
While not my absolute favorite of the wonderful Anne Stuart books I've read so far, it is still....Anne Stuart! And, when that is said one needs little more. She is a master at uncovering unique characters with amazing depth. Simon is a perfect example. He has built a reputation as a dark wizard who cares for nothing or no one save what furthers his interests. Alys, is the plain, older sister ( a rather generic heroine - but wait! it's Anne Stuart!) who carries a myriad of fears such as horses, thunderstorms, and dark wizards, to mention a few. Yet she is fiercely loyal to her younger, beautiful sister and strong in her faith (she was raised in a convent) which forces her to confront those fears on a daily basis. See? Incredibly interesting characters molded from rather average stereotypes. She never allows the reader to become complacent as those characters never act in any formulaic way but constantly surprise, disappoint and grow. Just like real life.
My only complaints are that it starts a little slow and has a very abrupt ending. I REALLY needed an epilogue or at least a confession of love with a little more to it.
My only complaints are that it starts a little slow and has a very abrupt ending. I REALLY needed an epilogue or at least a confession of love with a little more to it.
June 20, 2021
I really didn’t think I would like this book but WOW! I absolutely love Simon! He’s one of my favorite H’s... there’s just something about him and his dark sexy self. Alys was smart and innocent... perfect foils. The story drew me in immediately and I couldn’t put this one down. I will definitely be rereading this one.
This one has All the feels...”She opened her eyes to look at him, and in their glazed depths he could see a mass of tangled emotions. “I hate you,” she said. “I know.” “If you touch me again I’ll see to it that you really are unmanned.” “I know.” Her furious eyes met his. “I love you,” she said, her voice rich with loathing. “I know,” he said, and kissed her.”
This one has All the feels...”She opened her eyes to look at him, and in their glazed depths he could see a mass of tangled emotions. “I hate you,” she said. “I know.” “If you touch me again I’ll see to it that you really are unmanned.” “I know.” Her furious eyes met his. “I love you,” she said, her voice rich with loathing. “I know,” he said, and kissed her.”
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November 9, 2018
My reviews are honest & they contain spoilers. For more, follow me:
Lord of Danger was another Anne Stuart book that intrigued me when I read the blurb. I dived into it not really reading too many reviews, but I had heard of it before being one of her classic HRs. My first attempt at her big backlist wasn’t very successful. Didn’t like that book much but I was enough ensnared into the magic of her writing that I wanted to read more. And man was I struck surprised by this one! Lord of Danger, simply put, just worked for me. So marvelously that... ah!
I’m a big fan of well-written medieval romances doesn’t matter whether the hero is a big, grumpy oaf in need of some loving or a straight bad boy who likes to hide away his heart of gold because he feels vulnerable to expose that part of him to the world. Our H, Simon of Navarre falls under the latter category. And though I’m not always fond of bad boy rakes, sometimes even I have to give in and admit defeat to his mastery. I can only say that I don’t blame Alys for falling for Simon.
Alys and her younger sister, Claire, had been living with nuns since they were young. Both born on the wrong side of the blanket so their only eldest half-brother, the legit heir to everything Richard the Fair, send them to the convent. Alys was barely a few yrs old when she was tore away from her ill and dying mother’s arms, never to see her again. I don’t really know much about Claire, only that her mother was either a prostitute or a tavern maid who abandoned her after she was born. Well, yep, their father was a piece of work who couldn’t keep it in his pants. Who knows how many of his bastards roamed all over England! Richard has duly, and may I say proudly(?), followed his father’s tradition in that regard. -_- Both Alys and Claire were much younger than him so when his father cocked up his toes, he banished them ASAP not wanting brats underfoot.
Years have passed, and after Claire joined Alys, she’s taken care of her little sister and now they’re quite inseparable. Alys had grown up to be the thoughtful, duty-bound one whereas the beauty of the duo, Claire is quite rash and immature. Then again Alys was barely 20 and Claire 17 so, I don’t know. But Alys had a good head over her shoulders and she balanced out Claire’s stupidity with her intelligence. But in the end, both sisters were extremely inept to be on the outside world living so sheltered all their lives; though our Claire would like to argue on that matter since she thinks she can do anything and can control anyone with her beauty. -_- Hell she even openly calls Alys...um, spinsterish and not so attractive. :/ Really Claire? Not that she’s intentionally mean, just that Claire knows her beauty to be a fact, but it also goes to show you how her brain works. Alys would be irritated but she’d tolerate because she loved Claire and knew her sister was basically harmless.
Though both sisters thought they’d live out their lives in the convent since there was no chance Richard would ever want them back, he does just that suddenly one day. A summon to ‘come home’ so he can marry them off to further his greed for power and money. Richard was another piece of work, much like his honored (?) daddy and you can’t help but feel nauseated whenever he’s in any scene. Yuck! He’s just nasty. Anyway, his sole plan was to marry off Claire mainly knowing her to be the beauty, but Alys will do too if it helps further his ambition. He cared naught for their well-being just like he never had, and never will.
Alys and Claire reach Richard’s home knowing Alys is going to get married to his right-hand man, long time employee, his eeeevailll wizard ‘Grendel’ as Richard calls him affectionately. :P Everybody was afraid of the man whom they knew to be the very devil; someone who had a crooked hand to go with the whole visage. In short, whoever married him was DOOOMED! Claire the Air-Head was sure that Alys was going to be sacrificed to the devil himself and whined all the way knowing there’s nothing they really can do about it once Richard’s mind is made up. On the other hand, though Alys was afraid she didn’t believe in those claptraps so she tried to think logically. She knew she has to do it for Claire’s sake. It’ll have to be her, no questions asked cause knowing her sister, Alys knew Claire won’t fare very well. Soon they find out who it’s gonna be when they meet ‘Grendel’ for the first time in Richard’s home. Richard was sure he’ll pick Claire seeing she’s the beauty (Richard is shallow that way :D) but aforementioned Grendel surprises everyone by announcing that he’s interested in Alys, not Claire.
Now our Simon, he’s a smart one. No, he’s actually a brilliant guy who has done whatever it needed to survive. Being a knight who fought in the Crusade, Simon had seen the nastiest, most horrifying things imaginable. It had also killed his innocence and awakened the deep-seated mercenary man in him. He knew it’s all about the survival of the fittest; and the smartest too. And he did whatever it took to come this far, Simon’s own ambition being his motivation. His manic motivation to become someone powerful had made him create another character, the wizard that Richard and his people saw and was scared of. It was all very carefully planned cause Simon had learned stuff in his travels far beyond this land. He had acquired the knowledge to manipulate herbs and potions. He knew he was totally able to pull it through.
Simon had no one but a manservant who had followed him from one of the many lands he’d travelled before settling down in England once more. He knew the less ‘burdens’ he had, the better he’ll fare. However, he had also come to realize that to become someone powerful he must marry into a family that’ll give him an identity, cause otherwise he was from a poor family that he’d lost young (though no one really knew of his background—you’ll have to read the wild speculations about Simon’s background by the superstitious folks to believe it!). Now in the quest for an ‘identity’ other than Richard’s pet Grendel, Simon decided he’d marry into the Summersedge family. Richard’s own. In the regard of lineage, he’s from a good stock going far, far back and has ties to the Crown by blood as well. So marrying one of his sisters will be the best thing Simon can do to advance in his plans.
Oh Simon knew Richard was basically dumb, even if he liked thinking he’s smart (he was one of those peeps ya know?). But he also knew that Richard can’t always be manipulated. He sometimes showed astonishing shrewdness that is rather scary. And Simon knew if he’s ever under any suspicion his end will not be, um, nice as Richard was known to relish nasty punishments. You have to be on your tip-toes around that POS. Yet Simon had kind of mastered the art of manipulating Richard so he was fairly sure he’d be just fine until....Until he had to do what Richard has been nagging him to do. Make a ‘potion’ for a specific nefarious plan of his. But seeing children involved Simon had not been feeling up to it so he’s been dragging the whole thing out, even knowing it’d be any day that Richard snaps.
Right now, Simon is more surprised by Lady Alys and why she continues to bedevil his thoughts, when she really isn’t the beauty among the sisters. Alys is on the plump side, has dark hair and eyes. Her beauty is not as vivacious as Claire’s blonde, blue eyed sparkle. Aly’s beauty is more subtle. She even likes to dress the part, as drab and dull as possible, so no one really pays her any mind. Brilliant, right? Anyone with a bit of brains can’t possibly deny the intelligence that shines in those eyes. The eyes that found him the moment they entered Richard’s house even though they’d never met before. While the others of the entourage were in awe, checking out their surroundings, Alys had only looked straight at him as if to size him up. Simon would very much like to know what goes inside that brain of hers, so intrigued by her was he. Oh he already knew all there was to know about Richard and his sisters through spies he’d carefully planted everywhere. But right now, what he was more interested in was to get to know Lady Alys better. Way better than he’d thought he would if is body’s reaction was any indication. Surprising but not unwelcomed. Hence Simon knew his fate was entwined with Lady Alys of Summersedge, however long that may last.
Alys and Simon’s chemistry was very instant though, in her naiveté, Alys didn’t really understand the ‘spell’ he’d cast on her. Their first meeting without any other audience was due to Alys’s bravery. She was super sure that the wizard will choose Claire so she had to make sure she did everything in her power that he chose her. She still had no idea about Simon’s decision, but oh if only she knew what was going through his head where she was concerned. ;) That lone meeting sealed her fate and Simon was ever so determined that it’ll have to be Alys because she was brave, kind… and loyal. Something that could be useful to Simon later on. No, there was no sex involved as Alys didn’t even thought about it until Simon began making innuendoes that almost made her swoon (which felt good and Aly was surprised that she’d find such talk from Simon… stimulating. :P You know raised in a convent and all that). Simon knew he had to be patient with her, and it paid off in the end.
Even though I loved Simon and Alys separately as characters, what I loved more was their odd chemistry that gradually grew into something extraordinary; that drove both insane for one-another. Neither of them had any idea how to deal with it but they still found a way to deal with it. So unexpected that it knocked the socks off of them, but mainly Simon who was more worldly of the two and didn’t even think he’d ever fall so hard for ANYONE. Alys was the one who first acknowledged her feelings for Simon but she was too innocent to know what to do. Then again, he was already slain by her so there was probably no need. Their first night after marriage was just... I won’t say totally magical, cause it wasn’t. There were debacles involved that thankfully doesn’t include any first-time ‘that-simply-won’t-fit!’ dramas. But it was magical for me nonetheless, especially when Simon finally acknowledges his feeling for her. Even if Alys was drugged and almost falling asleep (nope I’m not going to tell you what happened :P) and he knew she won’t remember it in the morning. But that scene, where Simon finally surrenders and this happens...
...that fairly gave me goosebumps. I felt it down to my toes. That guy didn’t know what hit him and how where Aly was concerned. He never thought that this may ever become a reality for him. And Simon was scared because he knew Richard is always looking for his weakest points. Anybody’s weakest points TBH. So far, Simon had none. Now he knew that he had one and he can’t lose her, no matter what happens.
While they were at it, there was another fun secondary romance was forming between Claire and young, very handsome and very calibate Sir Thomas du Rhaymer who was given the task to guard her just because of that; his too zealous celibacy. Richard made sure no other Knight’s will be close to her because he had other ‘plans’ for his own younger sister. I’m not even gonna utter them here, he was so despicable. Eww! But Thomas and Claire’s attraction was instant, irrational and one of those feel-good thing that no one can deny. Both were gorgeous to look at (Thomas was tall, and blonde too). Anyone could see why they’d form an attachment so quickly. While Claire the Air-head was rash and would do anything, Thomas was the perfect man to keep her in line. But their way to HEA wasn’t smooth as Thomas was already married to a woman who’d was as faithless and as fickle as one can be. One of the reasons why Thomas decided to take the vow of celibacy. He would’ve joined the monastery but Richard won’t let him as he was a very skillful knight. Either way, after meeting Claire there was no going back. I really wish author gave them a separate novella because I wanted more pages on them! I was having fun seeing them together and finding Claire in love and trying to ‘corrupt’ Thomas in her own naïve ways. LOL
But for our Alys and Simon, things were beginning to get even more difficult. Their HEA won’t be so easy because Simon had trust issues and Alys had a dented self-confidence. And Richard was already on Simon to make certain his own nasty plan is put to motion ASAP. Trouble ensues when Simon begins hemming and hawing about that part of the plan because now his own plans have changed drastically. It now involved the woman he loved and he’d do anything to keep her safe. But will that be enough for them both?
I almost loved the ending until I found there was no epilogue. That’s the only thing that frustrated me—a very abrupt end. Just when our H and h were out of danger and should be enjoying their life together, the story just.ends. *SMH* This is the only reason why this book didn’t make 4.5 stars or above because otherwise, I can totally see the appeal of Lord of Danger to Anne Stuart’s fans. I LOVED it. It was so well-written; as fun and entertaining as it was as dark and foreboding. You get all that in one package. I highly recommend this story to the first time Anne Stuart readers or anyone looking for a great Medieval romance. 4.25 stars.
Lord of Danger was another Anne Stuart book that intrigued me when I read the blurb. I dived into it not really reading too many reviews, but I had heard of it before being one of her classic HRs. My first attempt at her big backlist wasn’t very successful. Didn’t like that book much but I was enough ensnared into the magic of her writing that I wanted to read more. And man was I struck surprised by this one! Lord of Danger, simply put, just worked for me. So marvelously that... ah!
I’m a big fan of well-written medieval romances doesn’t matter whether the hero is a big, grumpy oaf in need of some loving or a straight bad boy who likes to hide away his heart of gold because he feels vulnerable to expose that part of him to the world. Our H, Simon of Navarre falls under the latter category. And though I’m not always fond of bad boy rakes, sometimes even I have to give in and admit defeat to his mastery. I can only say that I don’t blame Alys for falling for Simon.
Alys and her younger sister, Claire, had been living with nuns since they were young. Both born on the wrong side of the blanket so their only eldest half-brother, the legit heir to everything Richard the Fair, send them to the convent. Alys was barely a few yrs old when she was tore away from her ill and dying mother’s arms, never to see her again. I don’t really know much about Claire, only that her mother was either a prostitute or a tavern maid who abandoned her after she was born. Well, yep, their father was a piece of work who couldn’t keep it in his pants. Who knows how many of his bastards roamed all over England! Richard has duly, and may I say proudly(?), followed his father’s tradition in that regard. -_- Both Alys and Claire were much younger than him so when his father cocked up his toes, he banished them ASAP not wanting brats underfoot.
Years have passed, and after Claire joined Alys, she’s taken care of her little sister and now they’re quite inseparable. Alys had grown up to be the thoughtful, duty-bound one whereas the beauty of the duo, Claire is quite rash and immature. Then again Alys was barely 20 and Claire 17 so, I don’t know. But Alys had a good head over her shoulders and she balanced out Claire’s stupidity with her intelligence. But in the end, both sisters were extremely inept to be on the outside world living so sheltered all their lives; though our Claire would like to argue on that matter since she thinks she can do anything and can control anyone with her beauty. -_- Hell she even openly calls Alys...um, spinsterish and not so attractive. :/ Really Claire? Not that she’s intentionally mean, just that Claire knows her beauty to be a fact, but it also goes to show you how her brain works. Alys would be irritated but she’d tolerate because she loved Claire and knew her sister was basically harmless.
Though both sisters thought they’d live out their lives in the convent since there was no chance Richard would ever want them back, he does just that suddenly one day. A summon to ‘come home’ so he can marry them off to further his greed for power and money. Richard was another piece of work, much like his honored (?) daddy and you can’t help but feel nauseated whenever he’s in any scene. Yuck! He’s just nasty. Anyway, his sole plan was to marry off Claire mainly knowing her to be the beauty, but Alys will do too if it helps further his ambition. He cared naught for their well-being just like he never had, and never will.
Alys and Claire reach Richard’s home knowing Alys is going to get married to his right-hand man, long time employee, his eeeevailll wizard ‘Grendel’ as Richard calls him affectionately. :P Everybody was afraid of the man whom they knew to be the very devil; someone who had a crooked hand to go with the whole visage. In short, whoever married him was DOOOMED! Claire the Air-Head was sure that Alys was going to be sacrificed to the devil himself and whined all the way knowing there’s nothing they really can do about it once Richard’s mind is made up. On the other hand, though Alys was afraid she didn’t believe in those claptraps so she tried to think logically. She knew she has to do it for Claire’s sake. It’ll have to be her, no questions asked cause knowing her sister, Alys knew Claire won’t fare very well. Soon they find out who it’s gonna be when they meet ‘Grendel’ for the first time in Richard’s home. Richard was sure he’ll pick Claire seeing she’s the beauty (Richard is shallow that way :D) but aforementioned Grendel surprises everyone by announcing that he’s interested in Alys, not Claire.
Now our Simon, he’s a smart one. No, he’s actually a brilliant guy who has done whatever it needed to survive. Being a knight who fought in the Crusade, Simon had seen the nastiest, most horrifying things imaginable. It had also killed his innocence and awakened the deep-seated mercenary man in him. He knew it’s all about the survival of the fittest; and the smartest too. And he did whatever it took to come this far, Simon’s own ambition being his motivation. His manic motivation to become someone powerful had made him create another character, the wizard that Richard and his people saw and was scared of. It was all very carefully planned cause Simon had learned stuff in his travels far beyond this land. He had acquired the knowledge to manipulate herbs and potions. He knew he was totally able to pull it through.
Simon had no one but a manservant who had followed him from one of the many lands he’d travelled before settling down in England once more. He knew the less ‘burdens’ he had, the better he’ll fare. However, he had also come to realize that to become someone powerful he must marry into a family that’ll give him an identity, cause otherwise he was from a poor family that he’d lost young (though no one really knew of his background—you’ll have to read the wild speculations about Simon’s background by the superstitious folks to believe it!). Now in the quest for an ‘identity’ other than Richard’s pet Grendel, Simon decided he’d marry into the Summersedge family. Richard’s own. In the regard of lineage, he’s from a good stock going far, far back and has ties to the Crown by blood as well. So marrying one of his sisters will be the best thing Simon can do to advance in his plans.
Oh Simon knew Richard was basically dumb, even if he liked thinking he’s smart (he was one of those peeps ya know?). But he also knew that Richard can’t always be manipulated. He sometimes showed astonishing shrewdness that is rather scary. And Simon knew if he’s ever under any suspicion his end will not be, um, nice as Richard was known to relish nasty punishments. You have to be on your tip-toes around that POS. Yet Simon had kind of mastered the art of manipulating Richard so he was fairly sure he’d be just fine until....Until he had to do what Richard has been nagging him to do. Make a ‘potion’ for a specific nefarious plan of his. But seeing children involved Simon had not been feeling up to it so he’s been dragging the whole thing out, even knowing it’d be any day that Richard snaps.
Right now, Simon is more surprised by Lady Alys and why she continues to bedevil his thoughts, when she really isn’t the beauty among the sisters. Alys is on the plump side, has dark hair and eyes. Her beauty is not as vivacious as Claire’s blonde, blue eyed sparkle. Aly’s beauty is more subtle. She even likes to dress the part, as drab and dull as possible, so no one really pays her any mind. Brilliant, right? Anyone with a bit of brains can’t possibly deny the intelligence that shines in those eyes. The eyes that found him the moment they entered Richard’s house even though they’d never met before. While the others of the entourage were in awe, checking out their surroundings, Alys had only looked straight at him as if to size him up. Simon would very much like to know what goes inside that brain of hers, so intrigued by her was he. Oh he already knew all there was to know about Richard and his sisters through spies he’d carefully planted everywhere. But right now, what he was more interested in was to get to know Lady Alys better. Way better than he’d thought he would if is body’s reaction was any indication. Surprising but not unwelcomed. Hence Simon knew his fate was entwined with Lady Alys of Summersedge, however long that may last.
Alys and Simon’s chemistry was very instant though, in her naiveté, Alys didn’t really understand the ‘spell’ he’d cast on her. Their first meeting without any other audience was due to Alys’s bravery. She was super sure that the wizard will choose Claire so she had to make sure she did everything in her power that he chose her. She still had no idea about Simon’s decision, but oh if only she knew what was going through his head where she was concerned. ;) That lone meeting sealed her fate and Simon was ever so determined that it’ll have to be Alys because she was brave, kind… and loyal. Something that could be useful to Simon later on. No, there was no sex involved as Alys didn’t even thought about it until Simon began making innuendoes that almost made her swoon (which felt good and Aly was surprised that she’d find such talk from Simon… stimulating. :P You know raised in a convent and all that). Simon knew he had to be patient with her, and it paid off in the end.
Even though I loved Simon and Alys separately as characters, what I loved more was their odd chemistry that gradually grew into something extraordinary; that drove both insane for one-another. Neither of them had any idea how to deal with it but they still found a way to deal with it. So unexpected that it knocked the socks off of them, but mainly Simon who was more worldly of the two and didn’t even think he’d ever fall so hard for ANYONE. Alys was the one who first acknowledged her feelings for Simon but she was too innocent to know what to do. Then again, he was already slain by her so there was probably no need. Their first night after marriage was just... I won’t say totally magical, cause it wasn’t. There were debacles involved that thankfully doesn’t include any first-time ‘that-simply-won’t-fit!’ dramas. But it was magical for me nonetheless, especially when Simon finally acknowledges his feeling for her. Even if Alys was drugged and almost falling asleep (nope I’m not going to tell you what happened :P) and he knew she won’t remember it in the morning. But that scene, where Simon finally surrenders and this happens...
She was slipping down on the bed as the drug took possession of her, slowly, languorously. “I’m afraid of you,” he said, knowing she wouldn’t remember. “I’m afraid of loving you.”
She blinked, dazed. “You’re afraid of making love to me?” she said, her voice gently, sweetly slurred.
“No,” he said bleakly. “I’m afraid of loving you, when I haven’t loved anyone in years. It would destroy me.”
Her eyes drifted closed, but a sweet smile curved her mouth. “Then perhaps,” she whispered, “you need to be destroyed.”
...that fairly gave me goosebumps. I felt it down to my toes. That guy didn’t know what hit him and how where Aly was concerned. He never thought that this may ever become a reality for him. And Simon was scared because he knew Richard is always looking for his weakest points. Anybody’s weakest points TBH. So far, Simon had none. Now he knew that he had one and he can’t lose her, no matter what happens.
While they were at it, there was another fun secondary romance was forming between Claire and young, very handsome and very calibate Sir Thomas du Rhaymer who was given the task to guard her just because of that; his too zealous celibacy. Richard made sure no other Knight’s will be close to her because he had other ‘plans’ for his own younger sister. I’m not even gonna utter them here, he was so despicable. Eww! But Thomas and Claire’s attraction was instant, irrational and one of those feel-good thing that no one can deny. Both were gorgeous to look at (Thomas was tall, and blonde too). Anyone could see why they’d form an attachment so quickly. While Claire the Air-head was rash and would do anything, Thomas was the perfect man to keep her in line. But their way to HEA wasn’t smooth as Thomas was already married to a woman who’d was as faithless and as fickle as one can be. One of the reasons why Thomas decided to take the vow of celibacy. He would’ve joined the monastery but Richard won’t let him as he was a very skillful knight. Either way, after meeting Claire there was no going back. I really wish author gave them a separate novella because I wanted more pages on them! I was having fun seeing them together and finding Claire in love and trying to ‘corrupt’ Thomas in her own naïve ways. LOL
But for our Alys and Simon, things were beginning to get even more difficult. Their HEA won’t be so easy because Simon had trust issues and Alys had a dented self-confidence. And Richard was already on Simon to make certain his own nasty plan is put to motion ASAP. Trouble ensues when Simon begins hemming and hawing about that part of the plan because now his own plans have changed drastically. It now involved the woman he loved and he’d do anything to keep her safe. But will that be enough for them both?
I almost loved the ending until I found there was no epilogue. That’s the only thing that frustrated me—a very abrupt end. Just when our H and h were out of danger and should be enjoying their life together, the story just.ends. *SMH* This is the only reason why this book didn’t make 4.5 stars or above because otherwise, I can totally see the appeal of Lord of Danger to Anne Stuart’s fans. I LOVED it. It was so well-written; as fun and entertaining as it was as dark and foreboding. You get all that in one package. I highly recommend this story to the first time Anne Stuart readers or anyone looking for a great Medieval romance. 4.25 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2025
It’s interesting to read something set in a time I don’t regularly read, but the non-consensual piece is hard for me to read.
I’m glad epilogues are almost standard now. The lack of one here is disappointing.
I’m glad epilogues are almost standard now. The lack of one here is disappointing.
July 23, 2016
This novel suffered, I think, by its length. It is a relatively short novel, and as a result, important opportunities for character development are missed. Characters like Simon, Claire, Alys, and Thomas all have the potential to be interesting and engaging characters, but I do not think enough time was spent attempting to develop their personalities. When a novel develops relationships before it can establish personalities of its characters, those relationships become uninteresting. I spent a lot of the time being disappointed.
Additionally, my least favorite romance trope is the specter of the unreasonable, undeveloped, truly-evil-for-no-reason-at all, woman. Case in point: Thomas' wife. As a reader I was barraged with reports of how awful she was, but I never saw any example. It read like sexism, justify infidelity by dehumanizing the person "in the way." Yawn.
Finally, the issue with "prettiness," and writing a "plain" heroine. This is where the novel really showed its age in terms of understanding positivity. What would have been refreshing if Simon answered Richard's question with something that acknowledged that it was okay that Alys was not conventionally pretty. That she had other qualities that Simon admired, and that he was not concerned with prettiness. The book had already spent effort establishing this, so bringing it back to "prettiness" was odd. Perhaps Simon answered in this way because it was the only thing Richard could understand? Maybe? But I would have liked it if the novel indicated that it could transcend or rewrite the script of "prettiness."
The novel had a really interesting premise, I just wish it could have delivered.
Additionally, my least favorite romance trope is the specter of the unreasonable, undeveloped, truly-evil-for-no-reason-at all, woman. Case in point: Thomas' wife. As a reader I was barraged with reports of how awful she was, but I never saw any example. It read like sexism, justify infidelity by dehumanizing the person "in the way." Yawn.
Finally, the issue with "prettiness," and writing a "plain" heroine. This is where the novel really showed its age in terms of understanding positivity. What would have been refreshing if Simon answered Richard's question with something that acknowledged that it was okay that Alys was not conventionally pretty. That she had other qualities that Simon admired, and that he was not concerned with prettiness. The book had already spent effort establishing this, so bringing it back to "prettiness" was odd. Perhaps Simon answered in this way because it was the only thing Richard could understand? Maybe? But I would have liked it if the novel indicated that it could transcend or rewrite the script of "prettiness."
The novel had a really interesting premise, I just wish it could have delivered.
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