The Warlord

Montagues #1

by Elizabeth Elliott

Dark and Forbidding...

Lady Tess longed to return in peace to her beloved Remmington Castle--but she never thought that the price of reclaiming her land would be marriage to the most notorious warlord in all of England. Fierce and fearless, Kenric of Montague had never admitted defeat, and now he demanded Tess's loyalty--and her surrender. But how could she give herself to a man who pledged to keep her safe but stirred her most dangerous passions?

Beautiful and Innocent...

Scarred by war and the dark secret of his birth, Kenric of Montague had no wish for a wife... until he beheld Tess of Remmington, the magnificent woman pledged to be his bride. Yet even as he gave in to his aching hunger to possess her, he vowed that Tess would never tame his savage heart. But when a treacherous plot threatens to part them, Kenric will find himself drawing his sword--and risking his life--to save the only woman who could capture his soul...

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Medieval, Historical, Medieval Romance, Marriage Of Convenience, Historical Fiction

386 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 1, 1995

About the author

Elizabeth Elliott is the pseudonym for American romance novel author Linda Crippes, née Linda Kay Elliott in Fort Worth, Texas. All of her novels are published by Bantam Books, now owned by Random House. In addition to writing, she has held various management positions with Fortune 500 companies and worked as a management consultant for a variety of smaller businesses, specializing in information technology. She currently lives in Minnesota with her husband.

Reviews

[Nσҽɱí · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me esperaba más de este libro, empezó bien y ha ido a peor.
los personajes más bipolares no podían ser, han sido pocos los momentos en que ellos dos me gustaran, tanto juntos como por separados. La historia se desinfla a mitad del libro y todo lo que va pasando se hace interminable.

[Lover of Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance Summary
Lady Tess desires to return to her home of Remington Castle, to return it back to the peaceful and safe haven it was supposed to be before her step father took control and in order to get it back she will have to marry a stranger...a man who is rumored to eat babies and women for breakfast...the fearful Kenric of Montague. At first Tess is highly resistant to the idea of marrying Kenric, she would prefer to be a nun over marriage to him but she knows that Kenric would be a far better option than the man her stepfather had in store for her. So she marries Kenric and their marriage isn't exactly a calm beginning. There is a powerful chemistry that builds between Kenric and Tess but neither trusts the other. Kenric and Tess discover a desire that is all consuming but will the love that erupts between them be enough to build upon....
The Hero
Kenric of Montague has had to fight his way through every battle to earn every ounce of respect that is due him. Kenric was born a bastard, and as such most look down upon him even his own siblings don't try to understand him as they once did when they were children. He knows that marrying Tess, although not the best option, is the way for him to get what he needs for himself and those that are under his care. Kenric is a powerful warlord, who has seen many battles and has had to kill but isn't ashamed of his past. He is proud of all that he has accomplished and he knows that he must make this marriage, even if he doesn't trust his wife or her intentions. What is NOT to love about Kenric. He has quite the alpha personality.....conceited, arrogant and likes to take charge. I truly liked his character, he has his pride of course but there was something so real but not too harsh that made him so likable. He wasn't what I expected at all and he surprised me at times.
The Heroine
Lady Tess had a rough growing up. She lost her parents and her step father took over who was a brutal man who despises her and was always punishing her most of the time with his fists or his whip. Despite the abuse she was dealt out, she never lost sight of what was really important....to find a way to rid her people of her step father and his plans for her and to see that her people remained safe. Tess was a interesting heroine that I had a good time with. She is a character that is full of surprises and I never knew what she would do next. She definitely has some unique qualities to find in a heroine. She is spirited but not overly so either. She knows when to pick her battles, the ones to compromise with or the ones to let go. I like that she stands her ground when it's really important and when she makes mistakes...she is upfront and honest about it.
Plot and Story Line
I think I have had this book on my TBR for quite a while now, since 2013 and when I saw it at HPB I knew I had to grab it up because yeah it was too much temptation to resist. Now to be honest, I wasn't sure what I was expecting with this book. I was hoping for a story that didn't have too much angst like some of these older novels tend to have, but boy this book blew my expectations away!! I fell in love with this book very quickly and I was swept away by this story within the first few pages and I didn't want to put it down. The chemistry between Kenric and Tess was powerful and they had no trouble heating up the pages but I liked that there was so much more to these story than just chemistry. The plot was well developed and the flow of the story was pretty smooth, I enjoyed seeing the way these two come together.

“Please," she whispered, her tears flowing unchecked. "Tell me what to say and I will say it gladly. If I have hurt your pride then take mine. I have no use for it without you.”

It isn't easy, because they both have trust issues and there are some misunderstandings that happen. But what was really wonderful was how real their story felt to me. Definitely a must read if you enjoy medieval era romances.
The Cover
Its old school but I love it!! He certainly has some lovely muscles.
Overall View
The Warlord is a sensual and vividly written romance that sweep you away to the 1200's, with rich detail, compelling characters and a love story endearing from beginning to end.
Books N Tunes Pick
I chose this song because it was running through my mind while reading it. So beautiful and majestic feeling. One day I will watch the movie because the soundtrack rocks.

Click To Buy On Amazon
[foogallery id="24227"]

[Kimberly Carrington-Fox · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nuestra reseña en A la cama con... un libro

Pffffffffffff, y que este coñazo tenga un Rita...

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Rating. Quick Review.

This was a well written medieval romance, with detail to history and setting (castle, dress, food, etc). The romance was nice, but at times a little over the top. Pacing was fair/good with some areas a bit slow.

Tess married a famous warlord, Kenric of Montague she could flee her stepfather/stepbrother and with hopes to someday reclaim Remmington Castle and return peace to her people.

Kenric, warlord and bastard to the king was pledged to beautiful Tess even though marriage was not something he ever wanted. But strong, determined and beautiful Tess changed all that and the proud, fierce and honorable Kenric came to care and love Tess.

A hero and heroine who wrestled with duty, loyalty and the love that developed between them. Each fought the intense attraction that grew between them as well as adapting to their personalities and quirks (heroine had some cute quirks and shenanigans).

Story's main focus was the adjustment of the two MC marriage, getting to know their true person's and trusting each other.

Nice read.

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.65*
Julie Garwood may have this trope (of cute medieval mocs) down pat but I feel Elizabeth Elliott executed it better. So we start out with fluff/soft porn but the author managed to flesh it out into a believable conflict and an ending without icky ow-om drama, omniscient/omnipotent enemies or kidnapping/bloodbath.

[Cassandra Dexter Colby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aburrido, no aporta nada. Otro Premio RITA que no entiendo.

[Suzan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Cheesecake · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm gonna say 2.5 but rounded down because it was a chore reading most of it.

Kenrick the martyr and Tess the moron.

the first 20% I'm OK but then we have the h's first TSTL moment (one of many).
Then she spends until 80% of the book in planning to leave the hero... not sure why, it made no logical sense and was especially nonsensical considering the times. Yeah.. gonna just walk to the king's palace or next, yeah just gonna walk to my uncles place in Scotland. 'Cause women back then had rights and could just go wherever they wanted... (rolling my eyes here). idiot.

Lots of misunderstandings because neither trusts the other but their lack of trust doesn't really come across when they interact. By about half way I started to skim and skim and skim. I did not feel invested in the MCs. I thought they were both kinda idiots.

Why is Kenric a martyr? Well he is a bastard whose stepfather tried to murder him. When his 'dad' finally kicks the bucket, he comes 'home' to a sister who is a complete tw*t. Why is she that way??? Not sure really. They grew up together. Basically, it's never explained why she is such an asshat. I hated her!! Does she get her just desserts? NO. Kenric has already promised his dirtbag sister that he will not have children so that the castle will go to his younger brother (who is actually blood-related to his dirtbag stepdad). WTF???

So finally at 80% the H/h get their heads out of their arses and start communicating and the story was actually really fun after that. Maybe that's why people like the book? I dunno.
The scene in the king's court was great! But was it worth reading the first 276 pages? Not really no.

Safety is good Seems like Kenric has been without a woman for a little while.. no mention if he's tupped any of the girls at his own keep. Tess is of course a virgin... not even kissing another.

[Fre06 Begum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this years back and I still find the marriage scene really funny!

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sé que es una historia llena de los clichés habituales en este tipo de romances, pero me ha parecido una muy buena lectura. Me ha encantado la personalidad engreída y soberbia de él, algo normal tratándose del señor de un castillo, que además ha combatido en las cruzadas y en la guerra con Gales, en el siglo XIII, y la forma en la que la autora nos presenta a este personaje.

También me parece muy acertada la manera en la que están llevados ciertos temas de la época en esta novela, como los hijos legítimos y los bastardos, el vasallaje, la obediencia al rey, la obediencia al señor de un castillo, los castigos, las mujeres, y la Iglesia y su relación con el poder.

Opinión completa: https://millibrosenmibiblioteca.blogs...

#retorita

[Simply_ego · Rating 2 out of 5]

#Retorita

2. y está claro que la romántica medieval, donde no aparezcan escoceses con Kilt, no me va nada.

Está bien, aunque me ha costado menos leer éste que el anterior, pero no mucho más. Ha llegado un momento de tanto "Perro del hortelano" por parte Kedric me ha parecido insufrible. Tanto golpe en el pecho en plan "yo tarzan, tu jane" me ha superado. Y siendo sincera conmigo misma, he de admitir, que justo ese comportamiento tannnnn masculino, era completamente normal en esas épocas, pero no no me he encontrado nada a gusto leyéndolo. Así que voy a posponer cualquier lectura de este tipo por ahora, lo mismo estaré más receptiva en otro momento.

[Yorda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me habían hablado maravillas de este libro y, aunque no me ha decepcionado, me esperaba algo más. De todas formas, "El Señor de la guerra" es un buen libro que hará que te quedes pegado a él hasta que lo acabes.

[Yolanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

#RetoRita18
Al principio bien, pero luego me ha aburrido bastante. No digo que sea malo, ni que esté mal escrito, simplemente es que a mi la historia no me ha atrapado. No ha sido de esas lecturas en las que, aunque no te lleguen a atrapar los protagonistas, piensas "bueno, no me ha atrapado pero no está tan mal"

[Blaze King · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing original in the plot. But that would have been O.K had there not been some Big shortcomings. Kenric seemed to me a kind of confused fellow who couldn't make up his mind. He fell for Tess the moment he set eyes on her. So why would he tell her she didn't matter to him ? Now, if we say, he was a hard man who didn't want to give her power over him than the contradicting question it begs is that, why did he than showed her how much he desired her and liked her the very next minute when he would say something nasty ?! This change in nature should have been slow, not from the start. As for Tess, she was plain idiotic ! She was suppose to have endured 5 yrs of torture still she was bold and feisty as they come. Except for one scene in the beginning when she thought kenric was going to slap her, there was no indication of any life belaboured of terror - though she had scars on her body. Then if she wanted the marriage annulled, i saw her not once trying to make an effort to somehow stopping Kenric from consummating the marriage. What delay occurred in consummation was all circumstantial ! She was a very wiling partner for a one who wanted to end the marriage.

[ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...] · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book...

I decided to try Elizabeth Elliott’s earlier books when I got approved for an ARC of her very recent publication. I just wanted to sample her writing and I’m very happy that I did. I must admit that I loved her writing and The Warlord is one of those books that will always have the ability to warm your heart, no matter what. I say this because, honestly, for the first half, I was very annoyed with the heroine, Tess’s TSTL activities and the hero, Kenric’s uber caveman behavior aka ‘me-man-you-listen-woman’! It’s not always bad, but even then I wanted to smash something because I was so frustrated and thought this is going to end up as one of those boring reads for me. But on the second half, it turned utterly marvelous! Everything sort of turned around and the book slapped me hard on the face for even trying to look down upon it! My exact feelings because everything, everything was just soooo goooood! I’ll try to elaborate it all in my review.

Tess is an orphan who has lived the last 5 yrs on the mercy of her step father, MacLeith and his cruel son Gordon. MacLeith married Tess’s mother very soon after her father died and took the barony of Remmington, along with the big, impenetrable castle and valuable lands. Tess has been beat and abused by both and I’m not sure how she was finally able to escape with so much strength left in her. Kinda unbelievable but heck, I read on. MacLeith forcibly betrothed her to Gordon, whom everyone knows to be a gay. Gordon has no intentions of consummating the marriage but for an heir, he’ll let his men f*ck Tess to get her pregnant. From this hellhole, somehow, her uncle Ian saved her. What Tess didn’t know that Ian had Baron Kenric of Montague, the Butcher of Welsh, as her betrothed, supported by the reigning King Edward I. She also didn’t know as they were escaping, Kenric was waiting with his close friend and fellow warrior, Roger Fitz Alan to help them in the dark. But as they meet, Tess takes them as normal soldiers. Then they are taken to a close by abbey for the marriage. There is where Tess learns of Kenric being the butcher of Welsh and argues with Ian that she would never marry him. She heard the ridiculous rumors such as he eats babies for breakfast and so on, and believed them wholeheartedly. This is where my annoyance with Tess began. But I will come to that soon after I talk about Kenric.

Kenric has had a cold childhood. He knew he was a bastard of Edward. His mother was the King’s mistress when they were young and was married off as soon as she fell pregnant. His stepfather, whose name he took later, never liked or cared for him. Kenric had been distant from his family always. But he excelled at war and fighting and as time passed by, he proved to be an unbeatable and worthy warrior for Edward. Now, the King never acknowledged him but it was very apparent from their appearance who Kenric was. And the King certainly cared for Kenric’s fealty to him. He has proven himself in the crusades (as we see in the prologue that how cold and ruthless Kenric can be if the occasion warrants it). But it was the fight in Welsh is which gave him the title of the Butcher. Later we got to know that most of it was made up because even though lives were lost there, Kenric didn’t do anything that appalling (i.e, killing of many women and children), considering it was another bloody war. He just did his duty, as he has done on scores of occasions before it. But the title stuck with him and so were the gory stories of him doing all sorts of creepy things to his enemies. Then came the twist of his so-called ‘birth right’. Kenric’s stepfather hated him not only because he was a bastard but also, as his ‘first born’, Kenric became his heir. On the other hand, his legitimate son, Guy, younger to Kenric by 6/7 yrs would never inherit Montague as long as Kenric lives. His stepfather even tried to have him killed, as it was seen in the prologue. His half and Guy’s elder sister, Helena, also can’t stand him. But it’s mostly because of the rumors and poisons her father wove in them. We don’t see Guy in this book, unless by mention because he was away.

After the death of the Baron, Kenric becomes the next baron. And the King tells him that he should take a wife and gives him Tess of Remmington, who is said to be one of the most beautiful women there is. He also gets Remmington, as Tess is the legitimate heir of the place; when he can flush MacLeith out of course. So in the darkness, when Kenric and Roger spies on Ian coming out of Remmington with someone bulky and short, Kenric snorts with the big joke the King has played on it. I didn’t like his or Roger’s thought on how ‘homely’ this prize is going to be but it was funny in an odd way. But I guess, Kenric never thought of himself as a handsome guy; rather dark, big and brooding with wound marks all over his body as trophies of his numerous campaigns. He even has a big gash mark on one of his cheeks. So, to Kenric, the King should’ve given him someone at least pleasing to look upon if he wanted to show him any gratitude of any sort for being useful in those campaigns. Anyway, honestly, I found Kenric quite cold in those first chapters. But I liked Roger immensely. He was very endearing and funny, the charming and handsome rogue who has a way with the ladies.

Anyway, in Kelso abbey is where the mystery of the bulky lady is revealed. Tess was carrying sacks full of her meager belongings under her cloak, which made her look like that. And one look upon Tess’s fair hair and violet eyes, Kenric is a goner! Then again, even though Tess is quite ignorant about her unearthly good looks (imagine my eye roll when every time some men would goggle at her, she would think of something negative!), Kenric knew she would be his no matter what. And while he heard her argue with her uncle in Gaelic (they’re Scots), not knowing Kenric knows the language, Kenric contemplates how soon he can get her to bed. She is not like any other woman he’d ever slept with. Tess is like a ray of sunshine in his dark world. Later Tess acts as if she has given in and they get married, but in her mind, Tess is determined to escape as soon as she gets the first opportunity and run to the King, not knowing that King knows of this union and that Kenric is his illegitimate son. So, score no 2 why I begin to get annoyed at Tess and trust me, she sorely tried my patience in that first half!

Kenric takes his bride, determined to visit Montague and consummate the marriage there. He wants her to settle down there, like it or not. And he contemplates how he’d make love to her in bed, despite the fact that the Butcher doesn’t ever get attached or emotional about women. It was just so unheard of! He is incredibly caring of Tess, which she appreciates a lot but never forgetting her plan of escaping him. As they reach Montague, Tess is coming down with fever from the last beating she took from Gordon. It was quite common for her to be bruised and sick for a while after one of those beatings but she’ll emerge well enough every time (more eye roll), without many scars to mar her beauty (eye roll galore!). Anyway, her first impression of Montague was just… dirty! Lol Because the keep was dirty. She meets Helen, who welcomes her half-brother coldly and then goes away. It was very apparent that as the chatelaine, Helen did nothing to improve the castle. It was dirty and dank, soldiers who ate in the great hall made it look like a big waste container! As they try to eat, the food they found was every bit as unpalatable. Tess contemplates changing those things, even as she contemplates her next move to escape. That night, she makes the first of many of her stupid attempts to escape, which almost killed her. Kenric, the next day, upon hearing it, gets worried and brought out a search party. Without no provisions of any sort, she was hoping to get to London (don’t even ask!). They find her cold and on the verge of losing her consciousness. Now I wanted to brain Kenric on the head because he had no idea she had a fever. Later though, it was revealed but as he asks Roger and another of his soldiers to have a look on her back, to qualify his words in the court, Tess takes it as Kenric’s way to tell her he’d get rid of her soon. It hurts her, even though all she wanted was to escape. I don’t know but Tess thought her life less important that her people in Remmington. When Kenric wages war on McLeith, they are bound to be killed. She doesn’t want anyone to be killed and so, she’ll sacrifice herself. She would pledge the king to send her to a nunnery. Justifiable reason? I don’t know but this was so ingrained in Tess, she was just… even when she knew later that her actions would hurt Kenric, she tried escaping him. That was NOT justifiable to me! Anyway, Tess was unconscious with fever and Kenric took care of her. On the process, through her feverish state, he learns a lot of things, that she finds him attractive, that she can see flashes of future. Kenric learns a lot about this unusual power of hers but he never judged her for it. It was revealed later that Tess inherited this trait from the maternal side her family.

Now, they don’t consummate the marriage for a while but Tess kept on learning to cruise her way through the castle. She tries gaining confidence of the servants, who also disliked Kenric. It did make her angry when she heard of Kenric’s real identity from one of Helena’s ignorant rant on Kenric’s ‘evil’ soul because he is a bastard. Yes, Tess also tried to be close to Helena as well, just to know what’s going on. Then she learned that going to Edward might not help her cause after all. So Tess bide her time and worked inside the castle to make it look better. Then their relationship improves too as Tess finds less and less to dislike in Kenric, because even though he is called the Butcher and has a surly demeanor, with her he’s different. He’s kind and caring, even loving if you stretch it! And his kisses certainly doesn’t appall but appeal to her immensely. So they consummate their marriage soon enough. Kenric was in heaven because he wanted Tess for such a long time and waited patiently. You could tell the guy is already smitten with his wife. Roger would poke fun at him for being so light and in a good mood. But he can’t help it after making love to Tess and finding that she doesn’t find his touch appalling at all. Kenric knew what Helena told Tess about his illegitimacy and he was sure Tess would run, but that wasn’t the case. And Tess confused me too. Sometimes I could see the glimpse of a lot smarter heroine than the one was usually there. She would vehemently support Kenric, then again, would trust in Helena’s poisonous words.

In between, Kenric had something to attend and before he went away, he Tess the permission to act as the castle chatelaine. Tess made some drastic changes, which on the surface looked like disasters. And when Simon, the elder, trusty soldier who had the tedious responsibility to guard Tess along with Kenric’s square Evard, sent for him, Kenric was livid. How dare she wreak such havoc? Even I was on the verge of kicking Tess. But it was soon found, as Simon later explains to Kenric, that her actions had some very positive results too. But Kenric was livid anyway because to him, she tried to defy his commands. As I said, uber-caveman. Honestly, at times I thought Kenric could’ve tried explaining things better, rather than assuming so much! Then there was this scene, immensely annoying, as Kenric gives her a thorough lecture, while she, ugh, she contemplates on how to escape, again, throughout the whole thing! And it was after the consummation of their marriage which Tess found absolutely amazing with Kenric and was up for it anytime he asked for! I mean WTF woman? But, you know why she was again contemplating escape? Another of Helen’s ignorant lectures on how Kenric became the Butcher. I have NO idea how Tess believed all those things Helen said and how could she plan escape while she supported Kenric’s illegitimacy. No idea at all.

As Kenric heard of Helen’s tirade himself as they caught them by surprise, he asks Roger to ‘court’ her. Helen is livid because it was fitting as Roger was also a bastard. You’ll be amaze to see this cold and calculating relationship with the siblings because behind this idea was Kenric’s wish to know Helen’s next move. Helen always wanted to install Guy in Kenric’s place as the rightful heir. It was not that Kenric hated his siblings and I didn’t think Helen was that poisonous (ignorant more likely) and hated Kenric as well but even then, this was kinda odd. The only buffer was Roger’s charming and roguish persona. I thought it would be a really fun relationship to watch because I knew the words opposites attract was so perfect for Roger and Helen. I really wished there were more scenes of the courting between these two but sadly, none was there. Soon, Roger himself is in love with Helen and asks for her hand in marriage, stunning Kenric. He even calls Roger crazy because he never thought it’ll turn this way. He warns Roger that one day he might find himself killed in his sleep. But Roger was a goner because the real Helen underneath was not as cold and calculating as he’d found out. The scene that ensues after the announcement of their betrothal, between Helen and Roger was sort of priceless. I again felt cheated of some great scenes between these two.

Amidst all these, Tess suddenly realizes she’s falling in love. But that won’t do for her. So, one day, after a great night together, Tess decides it’s time to make another escape attempt. Now, I wouldn’t have been pissed at her if that wasn’t a time that marked some remarkable progress in their relationship. I think she even told him she loved him as they made love. How could she do that in the dawn I have no idea! The stupidest thing of all to do! As she made her way outside, Kenric woke up suddenly, not finding Tess with him. And then he spies her from the window. It broke my heart to see how his world became dark again when he realized what she meant to do. The regular guards, Evard and Simon weren’t there because when Kenric was with Tess, the guard was lowered most of the times. Kenric is furious and thinks whatever she said the night before were lies. Poor, poor babe! :( But before she could escape, Tess is brought in by Kenric’s men. She’s taken to the solar, which was later converted as a makeshift room and Kenric decides she’ll stay here from now on. He can’t even look at her now, it breaks his heart. It was very obvious that even thought Kenric didn’t say the words out loud, he was hopelessly besotted, in love with his wayward wife, who apparently wants to run away from him at the first opportunity.

Afterwards, I must say, starts the best part of the book. Kenric keeps Tess locked away, tries his utmost best to hate her and try and condemn her but the Butcher is finally fallen so hard, he doesn’t know what to do anymore. And Tess becomes silent and withdrawn. It was such an emotional turmoil of the bittersweet kind! They stay apart but Kenric would demand reports from the servants who attended her or Helen, who was by now an ally and totally in love with Roger. Helen was still scared of her brother but didn’t hate him anymore. And later when he couldn’t stay away anymore, he found a new way to torture himself, as Simon’s musing tells us, by visiting Tess at night and watched her for hours while she was asleep, often loosening her braided hair the way he loved to see it. That was just, beyond words for me to explain. It felt so good to read these parts. *sigh* But Tess didn’t really know any of these. Soon after her imprisonment, she found out she’s pregnant. She had no idea how this news would play out so she kept quiet. But with her morning sickness she lost weight. So did Kenric. One day, the King’s messenger comes with news and Kenric decides to let Tess go. He thought this is for the best, that ending the marriage would make her happy. But by then, Tess has decided that without Kenric, nothing in the world means anything to her, not even her beloved Remmington. I think this was about the best thing Tess did all over the book, along with saving Kenric’s life once (still in captivity) when she had a vision. It was some scene, how she escaped the guards and ran to Kenric, who at that time was on the verge of starting a spur with an Italian knight, Roberto. But Roberto was a mercenary and was sent to kill Kenric. The whole scene was full of action, with a bitter ending. I felt pity for Roberto reading the way he died.

When Tess learns of Kenric’s decision of letting her go, she decides to face her feelings and let them be known. She was determined to make amends and be with Kenric, if he’ll have her still. That scene, where they speak of their mutual feelings, was so full of longing and love and sadness... WOW. Loved it. Loved everything that happened afterwards too. After all sorts of sweet and bittersweet revelations (their feelings, to Tess’s reasons for why she thought it’s better to end the marriage and the baby on the way etc.), it was time to face the King in court. They knew that charges were brought against Kenric by the MacLeiths of kidnapping Tess and forcing her to marry him. Marrying another man’s betrothed was a serious crime. The court scenes were really good too. Loved how they weathered the whole thing, as Gordon and Kenric face off in front of the King and the Church. I was literally holding my breath... After their victory there, Kenric visits Remmington to finally fight the MacLeith. He was crazy mad at this SOB for how he treated Tess. Although the gory and gloomy aftermaths couldn’t be avoided, still everything, I thought, turned out great. There was also a solution for Guy so that he can inherit Montague. Clever I say!

The ending and the epilogue was utterly amazing and I kept thinking where these two people were in the first half? I forgave Tess and was glad that Kenric was finally happy with a big family. He once thought he’d never marry and have his own family but now he knew what he would’ve been missing if he never did and all I could do was to . 4.25 stars. Next up is Guy’s book. Even though he never made an appearance here, the epilogue makes a hint of the trouble Guy’s in right now. Now, if he’s half as good as Kenric, I’ll be a happy clam!

[Nuria Llop · Rating 1 out of 5]

(10ª lectura del #RetoRita)

Otro premio Rita que me decepciona: Mejor 1ª novela de 1996. Posiblemente también sea la primera que la autora escribió, porque adolece de algunos males típicos del principiante: demasiada descripción, redundancia, exceso de personajes secundarios y un comienzo poco atractivo. Todo eso no importaría tanto si la historia fuera sólida y la pareja protagonista atrapara, pero no es el caso.
El conflicto principal no se sostiene. Incluso la autora, por boca de un personaje, lo dice claramente: “esta es la parte más difícil de explicar”. Y lo es, porque resulta complejo y un tanto absurdo, y ella (la autora) lo sabe. Tanto es así que, al llegar al clímax de la trama principal, en lugar de un clímax nos encontramos con un resumen esclarecedor de lo que ya hemos leído y que dura unas cuantas páginas, interminables a esas alturas de la novela, cuando ya vienes arrastrando una historia que no engancha. No ha habido ni un solo capítulo que, al acabar, me haya dado ganas de leer el siguiente. El relato avanza a capricho de la autora con una coherencia relativa, pero sin esa acción-reacción continua que es lo que mantiene el interés del lector, ni en la trama principal ni en la romántica.
La relación de pareja es cansina. Atracción física instantánea a la vez que desconfianza mutua en un matrimonio repentino y convenido de antemano. Hasta ahí, bien para una novela romántica. Pero los dos giros claros que deberían mantener la tensión son sustituidos por una constante “lucha de voluntades” (así lo define la misma autora en la novela varias veces, por si no nos hemos dado cuenta) que además, no tiene mucho sentido. Igual que la protagonista femenina, una joven inmadura de carácter decidido que tiene sueños premonitorios, y que podría ser interesante como personaje, pero se queda a medias: ella planea cosas y luego no actúa en consecuencia. Lo que parecía una “heroína” se queda solo en proyecto de heroína. Ocurre lo mismo con él, al que llaman “El carnicero”: podría haber sido un gran protagonista masculino: un guerrero despiadado que vive obsesionado por su origen bastardo y cree que ninguna mujer le amará por eso; en el intento de ganarse el amor de ella se muestra paciente y amable (en la medida en que un barón del medievo podría serlo, claro), pero tiene momentos tan ñoños que pierde credibilidad e interés. Las escenas de seducción (no de sexo explícito, que no hay) son sosas, frías y algunas demasiado largas para no culminar en nada. Un cero en tensión erótica.
La ambientación está bien, pero evidencia esos errores de principiante cuando mete con calzador elementos medievales en una escena, como un cantar de gesta que no viene a cuento o unas justas repentinas cuya finalidad se podría haber logrado por otro camino más simple y lógico.
Está bastante bien escrita, salvo por la abundancia de adjetivos y adverbios innecesarios, algunos incluso chocantes (rencorosa(???) esperanza, silla notoriamente(???) vacía) que ralentizan la lectura. Narración densa y diálogos poco ágiles en una novela sin demasiado interés a la que le sobran unas 100 páginas o más. Objetivamente quizá merecería 2 estrellas, pero a mí no me ha gustado nada. Solo la recomiendo a las muy adictas al subgénero medieval y sin highlanders.

[Beatriz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una historia muy entretenida, pero a la vez exasperante ya que la mayor parte de su argumento se basa en un malentendido tras otro entre sus personajes principales.

De todas maneras, dentro del género es bastante original respecto de las causas e intrigas que originan los acontecimientos, y que se ven recompensados en el desenlace. Sólo le falta mayor despliegue de personajes secundarios, aunque los pocos que destacan ganarán inmediatamente el cariño del lector.

[HÜLYA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ya Hep Ya Hiç - Elizabeth Elliott
(Orjinal Adı : Warlord)
Goodreads Puanı: 5/4,4


Yeni bir yazar yani bir hikaye ile tanışmış bulunmaktayım..O ne kurgu ne duygu sağanağı öyle..Çok beğenerek okudum..Yazarın kalemi ise müthişşş..Çok akıcı aşk,mizah,tarihi mekanların kurgusu tek kelime ile muhteşem bir roman bence..

Biraz internetten araştırdığımda yazar şimdiye kadar 3 kitap yazmış 4.cüsü ise yolda 2012 olarak yeni kitabı görülüyor..

Gittikçe orta çağ romanlarını daha çok sever oldum..Sanki o dönem daha çetin olduğu gibi daha da sıcak..O dönemde ki kadınların toplumdaki yerini de çok çarpıcı bir şekilde anlatan bir romandı bence..
Kinley MacGregor'dan sonra bir yazar daha ekledim kütüphaneme çünkü Elizabeth Elliott kesinlikle takip edeceğim bir yazar olacak..
Warlord'a gelirsek roman 1996 Yılında Rita Ödülü kazanmış..

Gerek kurgu,gerek anlatım harkulade idi..Elime aldım bırakamadım..

Hikayeye gelecek olursak çok özel güzel bir hikaye okudum.Kenric of Montague Galler Kasabı lakaplı bir savaş lordu..Romanın ilk sayfalarında babası tarafından kiralık katillere öldürtülmeye çalışıldığına tanık oluyoruz..Çünkü mirasının ona değil küçük oğluna kalmasını arzu ediyor ama bu da ayrı bir hikaye ama anlatıp fazlaca da detay vermek istemiyorum....Anlaşılacağı gibi de Kenric hiç sevgi görmemiş ve sevilmemiş bir adam...
Vee Lady Tess Remington babası şüpheli bir şekilde öldükten kısa bir süre sonra da annesini kaybetmiştir..Bundan sonra Tess için zor günler başlar.
Beş yıl boyunca üvey babasının ve kardeşinin elinde acı çekmiş,amcası ile birlikte yaşadığı kabustan rahibe olmak için kaçarken,Bu kaçtığı yol onu Galler' in Kasabı diye bilinen Kenric of Montague ile evliliğe götürecektir..
Çünkü bu evlilik Kral Edward tarafından siyasi bir hamle olarak emredilir..Bu hareket ileolası bir anlaşmazlık muhtemel İskoç ve İngiliz savaşı olmaktan çıkıp Kenric'in özel savaşı haline gelecektir..
Kenric ve Tess kendilerini hiç de akıllarında olmayan bir evlilikle karşı karşıya bulurlar..

Çok beğenerek okuduğum bir roman oldu..Umarım Koridor Yayınevi bu yazarımızın kalan iki kitabını da bir an önce çıkartır..
Bu yeni muhteşem yazarı bir an önce okumanızı tavsiye ederim...

[Bona Caballero · Rating 2 out of 5]

Por fin acabé este tostón. Hay libros que envejecen bien y otros... pues como este, que te preguntas qué le vieron en 1995 para darle el RITA a la mejor novela debut del año.

Novela histórica ambientada en la época de Eduardo I Plantagenet. Aunque hay un prólogo en que vemos al protagonista en Tierra Santa, la historia en sí comienza en la abadía de Kelso, en 1283. Hasta allí ha llegado, huyendo de sus malvados parientes, lady Tess, la chica de la película. Es la típica sílfide de ojos violeta que abundaba en la romántica histórica de aquella época. El otro prototipo de heroína que predominaba era la pelirroja con carácter y pizpireta.

Tess se encontrará, sin pensarlo mucho, casada con un señor de la guerra, Kenric, al que llaman el Carnicero de Gales. Un tipo brutal y grandote, un bastardo (literal, parte de la historia gira sobre este punto) del que toda buena mujer debería huir. Tess planea hacerlo, pero las cosas no son tan fáciles. Con el tiempo, se enamorarán, pero Kenric siempre está desconfiando de ella, e incluso cuando no hay razones para ello, se divierte intimidándola, amedrentándola, limitando su libertad,... excepto pegarla directamente, la verdad es que se complace pensando mal y haciéndola rabiar, por los jajas, supongo.

Lo mejor del libro es, por un lado, la dinámica sexual entre ellos. Aunque no haya abundancia de escenas eróticas, como ocurre en la actualidad, sí que era bastante calentito para la época. Por otro lado, destacaría el intento de hacer algo más o menos verosímil desde el punto de vista histórico. Está bastante trabajada para ser una primera novela, sí, lo admito.

Me fue difícil empatizar con ninguno de los protagonistas. Se me hizo cuesta arriba la historia, que realmente tenía escaso interés. Por eso he tardado tanto en leerla. No la recomendaría.
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog.

[FM · Rating 1 out of 5]

I created a dnf shelf specifically for this book. I couldn't stand the hero. He was possisive , controlling, quick to reach his unjustified conclusions, unapologetic when clearly at fault , and just everything i despise in men embodied. Stopped reading at 72%. I just couldn't stand it anymore. It's not uncommon that i would dnf an ebook, i just wanted document this so i wouldn't forget what terrible read this was.

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good medieval with some cheese factor. Liked the characters and the hero and heroine had some good chemistry. They were a little too good to be true, but hey I was entertained. Oldie but a goodie, especially since new medievals have become very scarce.

[Noemí (Mysticnox) · Rating 3 out of 5]

No se si darle 2,5. Y no porque no esté bien escrito, que lo está, pero creo que le sobran páginas.

[Patricia Marin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Libro que tenía pendiente del #RetoRita1
Un fail total. Partimos de una premisa interesante que acaba resumida en un párrafo y dónde todo el argumento se contiene en el primer capítulo. A partir de ahí, la novela es un fallido intento por narrarnos la vida medieval y la relación entre sus protagonistas. Personajes principales planos, sin más defectos que unos rasgos que no los definen, sino que se utilizan según convenga a la historia, con comportamientos inconstantes, que piensan una cosa y hacen la contraria, y están todo el tiempo como el perro del hortelano. No hay historia, no hay realmente algo más allá de la relación entre sus protagonista y lo que promete ser una novela de venganzas, asedios y guerras, se queda en una relación amorosa de instituto de secundaria.
Y estoy bastante enfadada con esta lectura porque es la quinta novela que leo de esta época y es la misma historia que en las anteriores. Me da la sensación de que he vuelto a leer la misma novela otra vez y que además, está mal resuelta, tiene mala construcción de personajes y sobran 200 páginas.
El problema no es la narración, porque está bien escrita, pero eso no es suficiente para sostener la novela.

[Amarilli 73 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stelline e mezzo
Senza dubbio interessante il contesto storico.
L'inizio in Terrasanta è avvincente, con lord Kenric che si è già costruito una certa nomea di guerriero spietato. Lo ritroviamo anni dopo, barone di Montague, con una fama rinnovata come "Macellaio", impegnato nelle lotte tra scozzesi e inglesi, al servizio del re.
Il suo incarico è rapire e sposare una fanciulla, unica erede di un feudo, in modo da poterlo poi rivendicare dai parenti che se ne sono appropriati.
Tess arriva dunque al castello dei Montague e, contrariamente alle apparenze, comincia a darsi da fare come castellana e organizzatrice, suscitando i malumori di lui.

La parte debole del romanzo risiede soprattutto nelle incomprensioni caratteriali dei due: se di solito i bisticci mi piacciono, qui si trascinano. Un colpo Kenric è innamoratissimo, il giorno dopo rimane deluso da un gesto e s'impone di starle lontano, così come Tess un giorno è ingenua e si deprime, il giorno dopo medita di scappare, facendo progetti disancorati dalla realtà.
Fino a un certo punto, come dicevo, la storia è interessante e anche nel finale riacquista vivacità, ma sinceramente nei capitoli centrali ci sono un centinaio di pagine in cui avrei preferito un po' più di interazione tra i due, che non continue scene di vita quotidiana del castello.

Insomma, a mio parere Kenric poteva essere favoloso e invece è stato un po' sprecato.

[Booklover, Indianapolis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok, not great. Those who love it really seem to love it, but for me it just missed the mark. I liked the beginning well enough, although there were scenes that I swear I've read before (Julie Garwood, maybe?), like when Tess was sick and thought Kenric was an angel and told him all about herself, etc. There were so many, many, many misunderstandings and unspoken assumptions I was exhausted of them after a while, and I think for much of the book Kenric was a jerk, never allowing Tess to see his feelings for her at all, or even admitting them to himself. Their separation was too long and dragged out, IMO, but once they were back together, and the whole scene at court, things overall picked up and raised the book from a 2.5* to a 3*. The epilogue was sweet. Not something I would reread, nor do I have any interest in reading Guy's story.

[Gamze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yayınevinin devamını getirmek için zahmet etmediği bu güzel serinin yazarı ile tanışmak çok keyifli bir yolculuktu. Kitabı çok çok beğenerek okudum. Yazar bize sırf romantik havalarını dayatmamış, her şey vardı. Tarihi kurgusu, entrikalar, zalim herifler. Baş karakter Kenric'in zaman zaman yaptığı hödüklükler beni delirtse de yine de çok sevdim. Hele geceleri Tess uyurken odasına gidip onu saatlerce kucağında tutması falan.. Ama keşke herkes çeviri işine el atmasa. Zaman zaman çeviriden kaynaklanan sıkıntılar olsada yine de çok akıcıydı.. Kitabın çok samimi bir havası var, yani beni daha ilk sayfalarında içine çekti.. Bu tür okumayı sevenlere tavsiye ederim..

Serinin Diğer Kitapları:

1. The Warlord - Ya Hep Ya Hiç
2. Betrothed
3. Scoundrel
4. The Dark Knight

[Naty Levin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terminada la historia de Kenric y Tess y lo único que puedo decir es que ha sido entretenida la historia pero no mucho más. Pasadas las 3/4 partes de la historia empezé a desear terminarlo porque se me hacía pesado. En mi opinión es un libro del montón. Otra nota negativa para las historias de la Edad Media.

[Lorelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid, well written medieval historical romance. Some parts were reminiscent of THE CONQUERER. THE WARLORD is not as descriptive sensually (except for the initial love scene) and leaves more to the imagination.

[mirada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Había leído tan buenas críticas del libro que al final me ha decepcionado un poquito.

[Katie(babs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all time favorite romances. One of the best I ever read. A true comfort read I end up re-reading each year. A MUST for any romance fan.