Once a Warrior

Warriors #1

by Karyn Monk

Her stories are tender and sensual, humorous and deeply involving.  Now Karyn Monk offers her most enthralling romance a tale of a shattered hero fighting for redemption--and fighting for love...

Ariella MacKendrick knew her people had only one hope for she must find the mighty warrior known as the Black Wolf and bring him home to defend
her clan. But when Ariella finally tracks him down, Malcolm MacFane is nothing like the hero she dreamed he would be.  

The fearless laird who once led a thousand men is a drunken shell of his former self, scarred inside and out, with no army in sight.  Yet Ariella has no choice but to put her trust in MacFane.  And soon something begins to stir in the fallen legend.  A fire still rages in his warrior heart--a passion that could lead them into battle...a desire, barely leashed, that could brand a Highland beauty's soul.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Medieval, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Scotland

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 1997

Reviews

[Alba Turunen · Rating 4 out of 5]

En realidad 4'5. Es una lectura ligera y amena que me ha gustado mucho, a partes me ha entretenido y otras me ha divertido bastante. Parte de una premisa bastante simple que ya vislumbra en la sinopsis. El clan MacKendrick estaba siendo atacado por el malvado Roderic, un villano que quiere hacerse con la espada mágica del clan, y que sólo puede entregarle por voluntad Ariella MacKendrick (hija del jefe del clan, muerto en el ataque), además de desposarla a ella y así convertirse en jefe de los MacKendrick. Pero ése honor iba a ser para el Lobo Negro, el más grande guerrero de las Highlands...

Tras el ataque que casi acaba con su clan, Ariella, disfrazada de muchacho parte con unos hombres de su clan en busca de Malcolm MacFane, el Lobo Negro. Pero lo que se encuentran al llegar a ésa cabaña destartalada no es más que un despojo del hombre que fue. Malcolm es en la actualidad un guerrero "acabado", fue gravemente herido en una batalla, ha quedado lisiado de por vida, y lo único que hace es emborracharse para paliar los dolores y que así le llegue la muerte antes. Pero lo que no esperaba es que Ariella cayera en su vida como una avalancha y le encaminara de nuevo. De éste modo y sin ganas, vuelven al clan MacKendrick a regañadientes, para que Malcolm instruya al clan en las artes de la guerra para defenderse de Roderic.

No voy a negar que el personaje que más me ha gustado es Malcolm. Es un hombre que crece a cada capítulo que pasa, en los primeros le odias por dejarse, por ser tan brusco y grosero, pero a medida que va trancurriendo el libro, él va cambiando. Ariella no me ha fascinado tanto, ha habido partes en las que habría estado encantada de darle de collejas. Aunque admito que las partes más divertidas entre ellos son cuando Ariella sigue disfrazada de muchacho, y Malcolm engañado pone en tela de juicio su propia sexualidad. Como romance, no ha habido mucho, así que no esperéis una historia muy pasional, tarda en aparecer, y en dosis cortas, aunque no por ello desmerece la historia, pues lo realmente interesante del libro han sido sus personajes y las situaciones en que se ven envueltos.

Si os gustan las historias de Highlanders medievales, ésta os gustará, pero es una lástima que Karyn Monk no sea una escritora muy prolífica, pues me ha convencido para seguir leyéndola.

[seton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Setting: Scotland, 1207

Some of the storytelling and prose was pretty good but all of the characters were DUMB. Almost insultingly so. I felt myself losing IQ points reading this but I forced myself to finish to give it a fair shake.

I've heard of heroines To Stupid to Live (TSTL), but never a whole clan. I am lead to believe that this clan has existed for 400 years but never had a line of defense, no warriors, and had never been attacked until recently? This leads to the crisis that begins the novel since the clan dont know what to do about the siege.

Then the hero visits the clan and think nothing of the whole clan taking orders from a "13 year old boy" who smells and never washes. (This would be the heroine in disguise BTW, but he didnt know that.)

I thought the monumental stupidity was over by the end but the heroine instantly forgives a woman for betraying the clan, kidnapping the heroine's sister, and endangering everyone. And then rewards her by entrusting the sister to this clanswoman yet again AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED.

TSTL indeed.

The broad way everyone else was written vs. the gritty portrayal of the hero with his drunkenness, his scars, his limp, his pain, was so huge that I wondered if the author was trying to write some sort of a parable. Then I realized that I was giving the author more credit for intelligence than she gave me as a reader. Oh well.

[Serena Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que libro mas bonito... me ha encantado la trama y los personajes, aunque Ariella me ha sacado de quicio en muchisimas ocasiones

libro recomendadisimo

9/10

[Gamze · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sebebi her ne olursa olsun sonuçta şuan buradayım. Büyük Kara Kurt emrinizde, efendim. Sakat, yaralı ve paramparça olmuş bir geçmiş, mahvolmuş bir gelecekle... Elbette ben, sen ve Alpin'in uzun süredir halkınız için aradığı o kutsal savaşçı değilim. O kadar genç ve güçlü kuvvetli de değilim ve Tanrı biliyor, tüm hayatım boyunca hiç o kadar masum olmadım. Ama yine de buradayım, Ariella. Söylemek istediğimi anlıyor musun? Buradayım."

[HÜLYA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Orjinal adı Once A Warrior olan Karyn MOnk'in Savaşçı kitabının Goodreads Puanı :5/3,71 Benim puanım 5/4

Güzel ve dokunaklı bir hikaye idi. Baştan sona kadar severek okudum.

Karşımızda yaralı bir erkek karakter vardı..Malcolm Macfane diğer adı ile Kara Kurt bir zamanlar binlerce kişiden oluşan orduyu yöneten efsanevi klan reisi.. Ama eski günlerini tabiri caiz ise mum ile aramaktadır..

Klanındakı kadın ve cocukların ölümünden sorumlu Malcolm Macfane vücudundaki savaştan kalma yaralar yüzünden cok aci cekiyordu.

İste bu acilarinı alkolle boğmaya calismasi yuzunden klan reisliğinden kovulan bir savasci idi.
Ondan yardim isteyen Arielle caresiz durumda tutunacak dal arıyordu... Babasından kalan efsanevi kılıca sahip olan hem onunla evlenme hakkına hem de klanın resi olacaktı..Daha önce Kara Kurt lakaplı Malcolm'dan yardım ve onunla evlenmesini istemiş olan Ariella için red edildikten sonra tekrar yardım istemek kolay değildi..Ama babasının ölümünden sonra kendi arzu ve çıkarlarını geriye atmak zorundaydı..
Babasını öldüren Roderick'ten kurtulmak ve kılıcı vermememk için kendini öldü diye göstererek onüç yaşındaki oğlan çocuğu kılığına girmişti..İşte tam da bu kılıkla Malcolm Macfane'den yardım istemeye tekrar gitti..
Malcolm'u reislikten atan ve klandan kovan Harold MacFane'den öğrendi nerede olduğunu..Efsanevi Kara Kurt izbe bir kulube de buldu onu..Malcolm eski savaş yaraları yüzünden acı içindeydi..Bu acılara katlanması pek de kolay değildi..İşte o yüzden alkol ile acısını boğmaya çalışıyordu..Ama bu alkol ile tedavi ona klanındaki kadın ve çocukların öldürülmesine sebep olmuş ve bu yüzden de klanından kovularak reislikten atılmıştı..Bu gözden düşmüş adamı klanına savaşmayı öğretmesi ve savaşçı getirmesi için ikna edemedi...
Ariella bunun üzerine Malcolm'u üç ay karşılığında 100 altına klanına savaşmayı öğretmesini ve koruması karşılığında ikna etmeyi başardı...
Klan halkının onu bir kahraman gibi karşılaması çok duygusal idi..Hele Ariella'nın kız kardeşi Catherine ile Malcolm'un diyalogları çok güzeldi..
Eski Gözden düşmüş bir lider olan Malcolm ve Klanini kurtarmaya calisan bir genc kadin ve onurunu yitirmis bir eski savascinin hikayesi...Gizemli ve duygusaldı..

Tavsiye ederim.
Üç kitaplık bu serinin diğer kitaplarını da okumak için umarım fazla beklemeyiz..

Warriors Serisi:
1. Once a Warrior (1997) Savaşçı
2. The Witch and the Warrior (1998)
3. The Rose and the Warrior (2000)

[Zoe]

sigh........another woman dressing up as a lad story. I lost interests immediately. what's attractive in a dirty lad? once i get the image of the heroine as a man in my head the character is shot for me. a feminine woman is always feminine, doesn't matter what she wears. if she could pass off as a young boy, she isn't feminine enough for me.

And the heroine "filled herself with hatred" because the Black Wolf "did not come to her family's aid". This was around page 10. I disliked her on the spot when I read that line. Woman, he DID NOT KNOW YOU, DID NOT KNOW YOUR FAMILY, DID NOT OWE YOU OR YOUR FAMILY ANYTHING. How can you hate someone for not coming to your aid when they had absolutely no reason and no obligation to?? He did not owe her anything. Her whole stupid idea of hatred is built on a "vision". Someone told her the Black Wolf would come. So damn the Black Wolf for not charging to her rescue.

In the same logic I would probably need to hate Josh Hartnett for not proposing to me because my mama said one day my Prince will come and he did not! Talk about stupid eh, this heroine is one special kind of stupid.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly more of a 4.5 star book. I really enjoyed the plot and the characters. It was great to see a hero who had his limitations and manage to rise above them in a not overly corny way (in other words he had to acknowledge his weaknesses and find strength within himself to compensate for that and have to struggle through and work through the process rather than coming to a miraculous realization). I also like the emphasis on the fact that people deserve a second chance and should not blame themselves for mistakes they have made in the past. It also reminds us not to blame others for their errors especially since we have not lived in their shoes. Back to the story however. I really liked Airella a lot. I thought she showed a great deal of courage and gumption and in the end admitted her errors when she made them. She also gave a second chance to one of her friends who may or may not have deserved it. It had a great plot, memorable and relatable characters, and a lot of humor. Especially liked the two elders and their efforts to become involved in learning to defend the castle. They made me giggle more than once.

[Aure Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

La sinopsis me llamó la atención por la ambientación , la pluma ha sido sencilla de leer, ágil y entretenida, el protagonista caído me ha provocado mucha ternura , así como la bella e intrepida Ariella me ha dejado muy buenas sensaciones. La histora se lee fácil ,en 334 páginas y 15 capítulos narrados desde los dos puntos de vista ,me ha gustado ,hay acción ,luchas a espada , clanes enemigos y un villano típico , algún cliché con pocos momentos de cama. Es una lecura que en su momento me fascinó ,ya que Escocia es mi país favorito de todos los tiempos, ahora me queda la sensación de leer más de la autora y no descarto hacerlo más adelante.

[Cruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of forgiveness, of finding yourself, of accepting that which can not be changed. Finding a future together, and allowing the past to strive for a better tomorrow.

There are times this isn't the easiest book to read. There are lots of betrayals, from imagined slights, to "for your own good", and grievous acts of Evil. You kind of start wishing everyone would just be nice to each other. But then it wouldn't be the interesting story it is.

Pretty good over all. A good, solid book with a slightly disappointing ending. But definitely worth a read.

http://www.amazon.com/review/RMNDLYNF...

[Esra · Rating 5 out of 5]

İskoçları ve özellikle klan beylerini çook özlemişim uzun bir aradan sonra ilaç gibi geldi kitap... Yazarın kalemini sevdim.. Hikaye de ayrı güzeldii.. Her zaman alışık olduğumuz türden bir klan beyi yoktu karşımızda aksine aldığı savaş yaraları ve yaşadığı olaylarla hem fiziken hem ruhen sakatlanmış bir savaşçı vardı... Efsaneleşmiş kara kurtun artık gölgesi bile olmayan adamın Leydi Ariella sayesinde yeniden kendini bulmasını okuduk... Kitabı beğendim ben herkese tavsiye ederim :D

[Christy Stewart · Rating 1 out of 5]

Am I the only one who didn't like this book?

Here is my biggest problem: If whats-his-face is such a leading athority on the art of war then why wasn't his first and only suggestion to the clan 'Stop taking orders from a 12 year old boy'?

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tale of love, but it is also a tale of redemption. It is about looking at what is beneath the surface, and it is about not giving up. A most enjoyable story.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't that big on this one. It was just okay.

[Susan Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved all the characters in the book. Our washed-out hero became heroic once again. Our heroine was brave. Both were natural leaders.

Ariella needs to find a husband ASAP. Her clan has been attacked, her father murdered and the cur responsible for the destruction of her home is intent on marrying her and obtaining a supposedly magical sword handed down through the decades to the laird of the clan. Legend has it that the sword makes its owner invincible.

Ariella fakes her death to avoid her enemy's plans. Posing as a boy, she sets out with two clan members to find the man her seer has predicted will be their new laird. But Ariella is shocked to find that the Black Wolf is a shadow of the man he once was. How will this man, who no longer commands an army, whose body is battered and who is a drunken sot, be able to defend and lead her clan?

I dropped one star for the following reasons. *****Spoilers******

* It seemed improbable to me that Malcolm would not wonder why everyone was looking to a dirty pre-teen boy for his opinion/consent on every decision.

* Ariella's unwillingness to see that Malcolm had become the perfect choice for laird as he had done everything in his power to ensure her clan's keep was impregnable, made a fighting force out of artisans, and forged an alliance with neighbourhood clans so an army would be at her disposal, seemed out of character.

* I think the sword should have cured his injuries.

[LUNA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que pasada de libro. Por libros como este adoro el género de los Highlanders.
Un hombre destrozado en cuerpo y alma es contratado por un joven que no es lo que dice para enseñar a su clan a defenderse porque temen el regreso de un hombre horroroso que ya los destrozo poco tiempo atrás.

Los personajes son una delicia: ella lo culpa por no acudir en ayuda de su clan cuando lo llamaron, y él es un hombre hundido en la miseria que lo único que quiere es olvidar gracias al vino. Ambos personajes son una delicia. Además que todos los secundarios y terciarios del libro tienen un carisma especial, siento un gran cariño por todo este clan y eso que es un libro de poco más de 300 páginas.

Pero san tan ricos los personajes y tan bonita la historia que es imposible no enamorarte de todos.

Y que historia de amor, que bonito. Que tensión más buena crean. Lo he gozado muchísimo hasta me ha hecho hechas unos suspiros y lagrimitas al final y eso no me suele pasar.

Es una historia cortita muy bien escrita donde encontraremos un amor que va creciendo poco a poco.

Más quiero más.

[Barbara Tobis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

[Paranormal Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seen in a vision from her clan’s seer, the heroine knew that the man destined to be her husband and next laird was a great and powerful warrior whose tales of victory have resonated across the land. This doesn’t stop her from hating him with every inch of her being. When her clan was attacked and her father murdered, she had sent for the Black wolf to come and save them…and he never came. Now the villain who threatens their peaceful home is back and even though she despises him, the Black Wolf is still a god like warrior and his army can save them all. But when she arrives at the dirty hut the hero has made his home after being banished from his clan, the heroine is horrified by the pitiful sight she encounters. The hero is no longer that grand warrior but a cripple and a drunk.

He turns away the men sent to take him back to save their clan but finally relents when he is told of his wealthy compensation. Taken back to the clan, he too in horrified that now only are the weak and vulnerable but even worse, they are expecting the Black Wolf and he is no longer than man. But he is prideful. Those he lives in constant pain, he hides it well enough and he decides to train the men and woman of the clan to defend themselves. As the weeks pass, he finds the clan to be ignorant of the ways of a warrior but capable enough to learn and soon he can see respect in their eyes rather than disappointment. He also develops a strange liking to the surly and dirty lad who speaks to him with no shame and makes his bitterness known.

The heroine must dress as a boy to keep her survival a secret else the enemy and she does a good job if it as the hero begins to disturb himself with feeling strange things toward her disguise. Then he discovers the truth and everything changes. He sees the beauty of the woman who was once to be his wife and feels a horrendous amount of guilt over his inability to protect her back then but vows to do good now. Despite her desire for him and her growing respect towards a man who has battle such adversity in his life she knows that the vision for the next laird and keeper of the magical sword must be a true warrior and the hero isn’t him. She had built up this vision of the great and powerful Black Wolf warrior from the stories she was told and when he let her down is shattered her faith in him. Then when she sees the crippled man who drinks himself into oblivion every night to cope with the pain, she is disgusted that she let herself ever think he could be the one. She let herself be misled by stories when the truth of the matter was the hero was a great warrior- not the god like warrior of the tales but still a fearsome man. And in his heart, he is a good man, one worthy of the sword and the heroine’s hand in marriage even if he himself doesn’t believe it.

The story was so full of heart and angst and honor that I fell in love with it from the start to finish. The heroine was such a strong female lead, willing to sacrifice everything for the good of her people even if she does sometimes let this blind her to her own happiness. The hero however truly captured the show. His torment and shame paired with his pride and vulnerability made me love him and want him to find the pain relief as well as the peace he so deserved. Together they had a great and very real chemistry. Even when the heroine was disguised as Rob they had a friendship (of a sort) and later when he discovers the truth, they fell into a strained love affair. The story was well written and the angst was balanced out with some humor and adventure. Overall, I adored the book and will keep this author in the to read pile for some time.

[Moria · Rating 1 out of 5]

All around terrible. Very unlikeable heroine, who we are repeatedly told is brave & compassionate. Actually she is self involved, stupid, & at times cowardly, worst of all when she humiliates & betrays Malcolm simply because she is too scared to be honest with him. Of course he continues to love her no matter what.

Also there is zero historical accuracy. I don't need insanely detailed research from a book like this, but the entire plot depends on a Scotland that never existed, people who never behaved like these people, all with attitudes that ridiculously modern - they build a castle to be pretty & purely ornamental, they never needed to develop defenses because "everyone knows they're peaceful" even though they are very wealthy. Everyone can read & write & they have paper. They are clean, rarely sick, & bathe frequently.

All this and Ariella (not a Medieval Scottish name even) actually endangers her clan by putting off finding a husband & male leader because, due to a vision from the clan seer, she'd rather sit and wait for Mr. Perfect to find her & save her. Her inactivity & stupidity repeatedly puts her entire clan in danger.

Oh, and to top it off, the story is very slow, boring, and predictable.

[LJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

ONCE A WARRIOR - Good
Monk, Karyn - Standalone

Ariella MacKendrick knew her people had only one hope for survival: she must find the mighty warrior known as the Black Wolf and bring him home to defend her clan. But when Ariella finally tracks him down, Malcolm MacFane is nothing like the hero she dreamed he would be.

The fearless laird who once led a thousand men is a drunken shell of his former self, scarred inside and out, with no army in sight. Yet Ariella has no choice but to put her trust in MacFane. And soon something begins to stir in the fallen legend. A fire still rages in his warrior heart--a passion that could lead them into battle...a desire, barely leashed, that could brand a Highland beauty's soul.

A good read.

[Yumru · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 verdim ama aslında 2/5 yeterlide olurdu.Kitapla verdiğim uzun süreli savaş sonucunda bitirdim,bazen yarım bırakır okumam ama nedense bu sefer bitirmek istedim.Kitapta beni tek eğlendiren unsur yaşlı karakterlerin diyaloglarıydı onlarda olmasaydı bence kitabın hiç bir tadı olmayacaktı.

Açıkçası kitapta bana göre yaşanılan bir aşk yoktu,bayan karakterin devamlı adamın yaraları ve onu küçümseyen tavırları sinir etti beni.Yani kitabın sonuna kadar devamlı sen bedensel olarak güçlü değilsinde vs. gibi konuşmaları çok sinirdi.

Normalde ayrıntı yazmayı sevmem ama şu kılıç olayı hakikaten çok saçmaydı,o ormanda görülen rüya ve devamı bumu yani dedim kitabı kapatırken:)Neyse daha çok var aklıma takılan ama çok eleştirmeyeyim :D

[Zenei · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this before in paperback. It was just as good reading it on my Kindle. I liked this book because because the Hero is a different kind of hero. He was a drunk with back problems and a lot of pride. The author made him seem real, although why he couldn't guess that the heroine was a woman is beyond me. I liked his sidekick too. I love books with well developed secondary characters. The story had a lot of humor (sometimes too much). And at times the clan seemed a bit unrealistic in their inability to defend themselves. But all and all it is a good read. I give it 5 stars, but not the 5+ stars I reserve for my top tier books.

[ஐ฿υκєτஐ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kitabın ilk bölümünü okuduğumda ben Gece prensine benzeliği dikkatimi çekti diyerek başlayayım.Gece Prensindede ihtişamlı günleri çok gerilerde kalmış yaralı bir esas oğlan vardı bu kitaptada var.Daha sonra esas kızımında hiç umduğu gibi biriyle karışlaşmaması da benziyordu.Bu ikisi dışında pek bir benzelik göremedim.Ben Gece Prensini de okuduktan sonra sevmemiştim.

Bu kitap benden beş üzerinden üç alır:)Yazar hikayeye birazda fantastik unsurlar eklemiş ortaya okunabilir bir historical çıkmış.Çok ahım şahım birşey beklemeyin derim ben.Vasat bir kitap olarak değerlendiyorum ben şahsen:)

[Songül · Rating 3 out of 5]

Başlangıçta konuya adaptasyon süreci bana yavaş gelsede sonrasında hikayeyi ve kurguyu sevdim .Özellikle hikayede sıklıkla adı geçen iki yaşlı karakter olan Angus ve Dugald ın keyifli diyalogları beni çok eğlendirdi :) Okumayı düşünen arkadaşlarımıza diyeceğim şey bence bir şans verebilirsiniz , yazarın takipçisi olurmuyum? Emin değilim :) ama en azından sayfalar ilerledikçe hikayenin içine çeken bir kurgu yeteneği olduğunu düşünüp , buna göre değerlendirme yapacağımı söyleyebilirim :))

[Wendy Crisp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely read, unique story. Loved it, and that is rare. :)
Most stories give me a similar feel for the characters, so that it's like I am repeating the same characters in my head often. These characters were totally unique and refreshing. The hero was a welcome change from the typical womanizing scoundrel in many historical romances I've read recently. He is honorable and I truly enjoyed the read. Highly recommended!

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahh a true romantic story. A nice change from all the UF I've been reading lately. A wonderful story of highlander chivilry and true love. I wished there had been a bit more romance and passion between Malcom and Arielle but the author left enough for the imagination. Hmmm those were real men in those days, whew! Great read!

[H.A. Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about a once legendary warrior who has been beaten down by circumstances, and a princess who needs the man he used to be to save her kingdom. On my keeper shelf.

[Nihann~]

Bu yoğun dönemde bu kitabı okuyacak modda değilim. Kitap okumalıyım ama hangi kitabı okuyacakmodda olduğumu bile bilmiyorum :) Zirvede bırakıyorum bu kitabı :D asdfgdbhj

[Leigh Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

little slow to start but great heroic ending!

[Rebbecca Jill Odom · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my all-time favorite stories!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

brilliant really good book