Lord of Midnight

Medieval Lords/Dark Champion #4

by Jo Beverley

He entered her life in the midnight darkness of a storm, and in the shadow of her gentle father's death. A rebellion had left Clarence of Summerbourne dead --- his castle and his daughter, Claire, forfeit to the king's champion.

Renald de Lisle arrived at the castle gates as a warrior, took possession of Claire like a conqueror, and set her heart racing as her lover. Amid moonlight and velvet, she became his bride; atop tangled bedclothes she discovered passion. Then she learned Renald's terrible secret and vowed revenge against this man she had wed, this man she loved with all her heart ...

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Medieval, Historical, Medieval Romance, Historical Fiction, Fiction

378 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1998

About the author

Mary Josephine Dunn was born 22 September 1947 in Lancashire, England, UK. At the age of eleven she went to an all-girls boarding school, Layton Hill Convent, Blackpool. At sixteen, she wrote her first romance, with a medieval setting, completed in installments in an exercise book. From 1966 to 1970, she obtained a degree in English history from Keele University in Staffordshire, where she met her future husband, Ken Beverley. After graduation, they married on June 24, 1971. She quickly attained a position as a youth employment officer until 1976, working first in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, and then in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire.

In 1976, her scientist husband was invited to do post-doctoral research at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. When her professional qualifications proved not to be usable in the Canadian labour market, she raised their two sons and started to write her first romances.

Moved to Ottawa, in 1985 she became a founding member of the Ottawa Romance Writers’ Association, that her “nurturing community” for the next twelve years. The same year, she completed a regency romance, but it was promptly rejected by a number of publishers, and she settled more earnestly to learning the craft. In 1988, it sold to Walker, and was published as "Lord Wraybourne's Betrothed". She regularly appears on bestseller lists including the USA Today overall bestseller list, the New York Times, and and the Publishers Weekly list. She has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Golden Leaf, the Award of Excellence, the National Readers Choice, and a two Career Achievement awards from Romantic Times. She is also a five time winner of the RITA, the top award of the Romance Writers Of America, and a member of their Hall of Fame and Honor Roll.

Jo Beverley passed away on May 23, 2016 after a long battle with cancer.

Reviews

[Nabilah · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first book by Ms. Beverley. I expected a great read from reading the blurb but unfortunately, it was just meh for me. I pretty much skimmed read the final 30%.

One of my biggest problem with the book is the heroine, Claire. Claire is just too immature and selfish. She kept saying that her father had just cause and let her father's death stand between herself and Renald for way far too long. The other thing is the writing. At times, it felt kind of juvenile and dry. I expected a great deal more when the characters declare their love for each other, but the writing didn't make me feel anything. I don't see the point of the villain in this story as well. It felt contrived. I totally hated the way Claire aunts were written. One is weepy and the other is a termagant. Blech.

Why do I still give this 3 stars? Well, the hero, Renald is one of the best cinnamon-roll hero I've ever come across. He is mature event though he's not much older compared to Claire. He is considerate and kind, even though he's a warrior. True, he did some underhanded things and rushed the wedding in order to bind Claire to him. However, when the truth about Claire father's death came out, he gave Claire a choice and time to absorb the shock. In order for them to move forward, Claire had to accept his sword as an integral part of himself. He will kill in order to protect those that he cared and loved. Unfortunately, we only get to see his point of view halfway through the book.

I might just give a few of her other books a try, especially the well-reviewed ones. Her books seem to be well-loved, so I'm hoping her other books would be better suited to my tastes.

Steam factor: Low. Only 2 full scenes.

[Susy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable medieval romance. I disliked the heroine for the beginning of the book, but liked her once she decided to wed Renald and make a go of it. I liked the hero all the way through, despite virtually no POVs. Overall, I cannot rate higher than 3 stars, but I saw enough potential that would read another Beverley medieval from this series. This particular story had a difficult barrier to overcome, one that was just as difficult for the reader as for the heroine. (No spoilers!)

I liked a lot of the playful talk between the H/h. I did think lord of midnight was unevenly written, was sometimes confusing, and at times used anachronistic language. But I liked the honesty between the characters and that Beverley chose to let them be vulnerable in their honesty. She also created some good chemistry.

Sorry, this review is a stream-of-consciousness quickie.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copyright 1998. This is a reread for me. 4rth in the series, but can be read as a stand alone. Characters from the 2nd book make an appearance.

Renald is the King's Champion & is forced to kill a man the King has branded a traitor. This man is Claire's father, a kind & gentle person. He sticks to his conviction that he's right & dies for it.
Renald is given the holding of this man & is told to marry one of the maidens living there.
Claire is the unhappy volunteer. At first I thought she knew Renald had killed her father, but she doesn't find out til the middle of the book.
There's a murder of her father's servant also to be solved.

So, I liked this story. I liked the H/h. Renald treats Claire with respect & when she figures out he's the one who killed her father (after the wedding ceremony) he delays the consummation for a month.

The King, Henry Beauclerk, Is the little baby born in book one!

JB is a favorite author, but I don't like everything she's done. I couldn't bring myself to read the 3rd book in this series, because the synopsis turned me off.

[Senli Marliana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Masih sebel sama El*x yang nerbitin buku ke-4nya dulu sebelum 1-3 duuh 😑.

Aku kurang enjoy baca buku ini. 500-an halaman dan intinya cuma muter-muter aja cerita -nya. Ampun belibet banget, tokoh-nya saling mengakui kalau saling cinta, cuma ceweknya ga bisa maafin hero-nya gegara bunuh bapaknya. Jadilah semacam heroin galau perang batin yang bikin kurang sreg aku karena kurang teges. Mbak-nya mau dan cinta sama mas-nya tapi ga bisa melupakan kesalahan mas-nya, padahal mas-nya udah jujur mengatakan segalanya.
Wtf 😑😑😑

Dan karakter mas-nya??? Aku bener-bener 'buta' sama sifat mas-nya. Serius pengarang-nya sedikit banget kasih petunjuk mas-nya ini bagaimana selain cinta sama mbak-nya, setia sampai mati sama rajanya, dan punya rasa setia kawan yang tinggi. Periang? Playboy? Humoris? err buat saya mas-nya terlalu pendiam tapi ga manis, ga bikin 'meleleh' blass. Dataar deh. 😅

Terakhir, buku ini sebenarnya ada konflik lain selain kegalauan cinta yang aku ceritakan diatas. Tentang semacam pembunuh yang mengincar mbak-nya. Tapi yaelah, ga penting sumpah. Motif-nya sepele, dan dengan akhir yang lebih sepele lagi. 😂
Setting tahun 1101 di buku ini juga kurang yes menurutku, bikin puyeng.

Sekali lagi, buat aku lho ya. Selera kak 😝

[Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The same rebellion that left Clarence of Summerbourne dead also left his castle and his daughter, Claire, forfeit to the king's champion. Renald de Lisle arrives at the castle gates as a warrior, takes possession of Claire like a conqueror, and sets her heart racing as her lover. Amid moonlight and velvet, she becomes his bride; atop tangled bedclothes she discovers passion. Then she learns Renald's terrible secret-and vows revenge against this man she had wed, this man she loves with all her heart.




This was just ehhh... it was good but nothing that really stood out noting really that special or note worthy... the first book in this series was much better!

[Netanella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clearly not a favorite medieval romance - the characters were insipid and flatly drawn, and I really didn't care one whit if our hero and heroine got it on. And the book started with a sword through the chest and ended with a beheading. Not that this is necessarily bad, as I am quite okay with violence, but it seemed as if the author herself didn't really seem to care for her main characters either. Pass on this.

[Aleia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE Jo Beverly books! She has a way of writing that just sucks the reader in and I dare you to try and put her books down once you start them! This was the first of her books I read. She has become an addiction of mine.

[Raven · Rating 2 out of 5]

I understand why it happened the way it did, I understand that things were different in the middle ages, but there is no way I'm marrying and falling in love with the man who killed my father in cold blood because a king said so.

And I get that it happened before she knew, but she should have figure it out and put it together. I also don't like that he knew she'd be upset and tricked her into marrying him before she found out. Also she had a reason and a way to get out, and she didn't take it. Fuck right off, the man murdered your father. Showed absolutely no remorse. You don't forgive that fucking shit.

Again I understand WHY it went down because of the era it was based in, but I was honestly just furious about it. I have no intention of continuing this series, so that's great.

The writing itself was fine. The characters, okay. I was just mad.

[Joycee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting way for Claire to justify her father’s death at the hand of Renald. Father had challenged Henry’s right to rule and this was treasonous. If Father had instead challenged Henry’s right to kill his brother, the will of God might have kept him alive. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Anyway, I thought for sure Felice had something against her niece and was this the one who’d wanted her dead on that last trip. But I guess the tale would have been farfetched to explain her rationale for offing Ulric (Father’s right-hand man) as well.

I enjoyed Renald & Claire’s tale. Now I just have to read Imogen and FitzRoger’s to round out the series (even though they were already a lovey-dovey couple in this installment).

[Antoinette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fabulous Medieval romance by Jo Beverley. As with the other novels in the series, she not only writes a love story set in another time, she firmly embeds the story in the mores, customs, and total worldview of the era. Love is the same, but it's also set on different massive foundation stones: duty, religion, and the law of might makes right. The details of the medieval landscape are also finely wrought, from the pig sties to the costuming to social order.

For most of the novel, the plot is in the background and the heroine's struggle with a Corneillian moral debate is at the center. But the plot comes up at the end, and the seeds subtly planted all along take fruit and end in a satisfying climax and denouement.

[penelopewanders]

It feels like a while since I've read a book by this author, and I am sad to think she will not write any more...
Despite the middle ages being far from my favorite historical period - especially for romance novels - once again Beverley has won me over. The characters are strong and complex, and the soul searching and faith in God's will which might seem obsolete now, are written in such a way as to be convincing.
This concludes the Dark Champion series. I am inspired to try to find more of Beverley's books - I've read quite a few, but there are still several I've yet to read.

[Jeanne (love2cook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a little trouble getting into this story initially, but after a couple of chapters, the reading got easier. Clarence of Summerbourne is dead and his daughter Claire is distraught. Renald de Lisle arrived at the castle gates as a warrior returning the body of her father home and he had taken over possession of Claire like a conqueror and set her heart racing. Then she learned his terrible secret and vowed revenge against this man she had wed. How can she do this, this is the man she loved with all her heart. It's a decent historical romance story.

[Alba · Rating 2 out of 5]

No me gusto tanto como me había esperado, los personajes no acababan de encajar y llegó un punto del libro que no sabía si tenía algún sentido o no. Muchos de los acontecimientos eran obvios y no hubo ningún giro significativo de la historia. La base era buena pero al final se quedó en nada. 1.5/5 en realidad.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maravillosa como siempre Jo Beverley. Lo peor de Jo siempre será mucho mejor que lo mejor de otras escritoras. Su forma de escribir s mágica, te envuelve. El periodo de la historia donde se desencvuelven los personajes no es el más gustoso para mí, prefiero la epoca victoriana y la regencia pero una vez más cinco estrellas para una escritora maravillosa.

[Nicoletta Micillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tre stelline e mezzo

[Petra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originální, milé, jednou za čas něco podobného neuškodí.

[Mary Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is wonderful historical romance set in the 1100's. Jo Beverley is a great storyteller who educates as well.

[Mika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the best medieval romance ever but, if you speak English as a second language, I highly recommend this book. Beverley's writing is beautiful.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a really tough plot set up but Ms Beverley carries it off so beautifully.

[Marie Rusanen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una historia de amor preciosa.

[Ale Perez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gusto mucho la historia, sin embargo la historia avanza lento y se apresura al final, todo se resuelve de inmediato; Aunque me enamore de la pareja de protagonistas

[Booknblues · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one put me off of Jo Beverly.
Jo Beverly builds a medieval romance in Lord of Midnight set on the premise that a loving daughter must marry her father's killer. Will love win over these over whelming odds? Renald de Lisle is King Henry I champion. Renald is chosen to fight against Claire's father who has supported a losing cause against Henry I and in favor of his older brother Robert. Claire's father believes that Henry is responsible for the death of King William II, who died in a hunting accident. Despite his friendship with Henry I and his belief that William II was a poor leader, Claire's father is a man who believed strongly in doing what was right. He was a man gifted in dreams and story-telling. He supported Claire in her youthful dreams and artistic skills, something highly unusual for the times. Claire is deeply saddened by his death and in the throes of grief hacks her hair off. This is the basic weakness of the story and makes it difficult for the reader to feel the pangs of true love. Does one forget a loved relative so quickly and can love be lasting that happens so rapidly? I found it hard to suspend my doubt to buy into the sincerity of love.

[Manuela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Partendo dal presupposto che i romance medioevali li digerisco poco, mi è piaciuto più di altri.
La storia è interessante, ben scritta, e sicuramente la Beverley ti fa immergere con maestria nel medioevo, così come nella vita di quei tempi, ma continuo a rimanere spaesata alle prese con l'ambientazione medioevale. Sarà forse perchè ho letto troppi romanzi ambientati nel 1800, ma rimango sempre un po' disorientata di fronte ai costumi, alle usanze, ai linguaggi tipici del medioevo, e non riesco mai ad immedesimarmi come vorrei.
Il romanzo forse è troppo lungo, alcuni passaggi sono macchinosi e tirati troppo per le lunghe, e non aiuta certo l'ambientazione statica tipica dei romanzi ambientati in quell'epoca; indubbiamente, però, la storia d'amore tra Renald e Claire emoziona, soprattutto per l'intensità suscitata dal segreto che lui nasconde, e che lo porta a un amore disperato e profondo, reso, tra l'altro, benissimo dall'autrice.
Non per colpa della Beverley, ma ormai è assodato che, nonostante tutto, il romance medioevale non fa per me.

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another keeper from early in Henry I's reign. My only objection was that the heroine's understandable revulsion and anger at what the hero and the king did seems to dissipate a little too readily. Beverley does a fair job of explaining the whole mindset around the trial by ordeal in that era, and by the end we can somewhat accept the hero's feelings about it. Even so, I felt the heroine's loss and her pain, and the king's decision to send the man who killed her father to marry her and take her home was so bloody heartless I wanted to see his face rubbed in it, even if a monarch of the time would never really acknowledge that what he did was wrong. The book engaged my emotions, and I rate it high for that, and the level of research and quality of writing. But I left the book a little frustrated. Will still read more of Beverley's Medieval novels.

[Mermarie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the dialogue and writing skill were quite impressive, however the fact that the hero killed the heroine's father, was not something I could ever view beyond. It was not to my liking, and I could hardly view the hero as anything more than the man that killed her father. I don't consider it as murder, it was an honorable fight and whatnot...but the fact that the hero took on this pristine characterization, despite the killing, was just too much to find plausible. He simply was not redeemable in mine eyes. :)

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story from Jo Beverley. The hero appreciates the character and talents of the heroin. He is a favorite kight of the king. The castle is his reward and she is one of spoils of war. The hero attempts to woo her but she learns of his part in murdering her gentle father. Beverley allows us to slowly understand the hearts and mind of both. I love stories of redemption and this one is on my eeper shelf.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, Jo Beverly puts us in the middle ages and shows what little choice a woman really had in life back then. Eventhough the heroine is very idealistic, the choices she had to make could have been real! I also enjoyed the insight into the guilt and innocense of the period. If you like history and romance and a good story, read this.

[Susan (the other Susan) · Rating 4 out of 5]

King Henry, you should be ashamed of yourself. So should I, for forgiving the hero (with the king's approval, hero weds the daughter of a man he has killed) and for wanting him to have an HEA.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the...

Characters in this story. The idea of gentle people who had to endure someone unlike them was an interesting twist. I think the introduction of past characters was also a good thing. I'm looking for the next book by this author.

[Joy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I may be fond of historical romances, but there's a reason I avoid the medieval ones.