THE WULFRITHS. IT ALL BEGAN WITH A WOMAN.
A battle. A crown. The conqueror. The conquered. Medieval England — forever changed by the Battle of Hastings. And the rise of the formidable Wulfriths.
AN HONORABLE NORMAN
Chevalier Cyr D’Argent convinced himself he joined Duke William’s invasion of England to reform its church and place its rightful king on the throne. But after a decisive Norman victory, the truth of his quest is revealed when his search for fallen kin leads to a Saxon grieving a boy slain by one of his own. Certain the defiant young woman will become the pick of the plunder, he forces her off the battlefield. Following a pilgrimage of penance, Cyr returns to England to seek his missing brother and claim the barony awarded by King William who stipulates he end the rebellion on his lands. He agrees, only to discover the woman he cannot forget is among those he must vanquish — and may even be their leader.
A REBELLIOUS SAXON
On a fateful autumn day in 1066, Aelfled of Wulfen’s mistake leads to the death of her lady’s son. Unforgivable — as is the silver-haired warrior who tempts her to put a blade in his back then does the unthinkable in protecting her from his fellow Normans. Now under the usurper’s rule, faith crippled by her people’s suffering, she finds her sanctuary threatened when she becomes a pawn of the rebel leader — and destroyed when betrayal delivers her into the hands of the man who haunts her dreams. As the fires of unrest scorch lives and lands, Aelfled struggles to shield her heart as well as her people. But perhaps love can unite Normans and Saxons. Perhaps she is meant to be here . . . with him . . . for such a time as this.
Tamara Leigh signed a 4-book contract with Bantam Books in 1993, her debut medieval romance was nominated for a RITA award, and successive books with Bantam, HarperCollins, and Dorchester earned awards and places on national bestseller lists.
In 2006, the first of Tamara’s inspirational contemporary romances was published, followed by six more with Multnomah and RandomHouse. Perfecting Kate was optioned for a movie, Splitting Harriet won an ACFW Book of the Year award, and Faking Grace was nominated for a RITA award.
In 2012, Tamara returned to the historical romance genre with the release of Dreamspell and the bestselling Age of Faith and The Feud series. Among her #1 bestsellers are her general market romances rewritten as clean and inspirational reads, including Lady at Arms, Lady of Eve, and Lady of Conquest. In winter 2018/2019, watch for the new AGE OF CONQUEST series unveiling the origins of the Wulfrith family. Psst!–It all began with a woman.
Tamara lives near Nashville with her husband, a German Shepherd who has never met a squeaky toy she can’t destroy, and a feisty Morkie who keeps her company during long writing stints.
Connect with Tamara at her website http://www.tamaraleigh.com, Facebook, Twitter and tamaraleightenn@gmail.com.
My Impressions:
With everything that has been going on (southern for the Covid-19 pandemic 😉 ) I needed a reading escape. I decided to go way back in history with Merciless, book 1 in the Age of Conquest series, by Tamara Leigh. Set in 1068, 200 years before her Age of Faith series, it chronicles how the Wulfrith family came to be. The book has all the stuff a medieval fiction fan can want — daring knights, determined ladies, betrayal, and romance. I found the conflict between Saxons and their Norman conquerors intriguing. Leigh’s narrative swept me back in time. The title refers to main character Cyr D’Argent, a merciless foe on the battlefield. His renowned temperament is contrasted by the spiriutal journey he has undertaken causing him to weigh justice and mercy. Aelfled, his little Saxon rebel, battles her conscience with her loyalty to the Saxon cause. When these complex characters meet there are definite sparks.
If you like historical romance, especially set in the medieval period, I recommend Merciless. The audiobook’s narrator had a pleasant voice and navigated the Norman and Saxon names well. If you would rather read this book, it is currently 99 cents on Kindle!
Recommended.
Audience: Adults.
(I purchased this book from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone)
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