"You are proof enough that each of us lives several lives before we perish. There is wisdom in accepting when one ends and another begins." p.367, loc.4960Author: Madeline HunterFirst published: September 2000Length: 388 pages, 5201 kindle locationsSetting: 1326 - London, Witshire. During the overthrow of Edward II by Queen Isabella (on behalf of her son, Edward III)Sex: Not frequent. Sexual but not exactly erotic. Necessary for plot and character motivation. Dubious consent throughout due to inequality of power.Hero: Addis was enslaved after a failed Crusade. His enslavement included sex with the witch daughter of the local "priest" - dubious consent given unequal power.Heroine: Moira's a serf, Addis' bondwoman, born into this state. Her mother was a (albeit much-loved) lehman to Addis' foster-father. Much of their relationship is coloured by the disparity in their class and power.Includes: Excerpt from The Seducer by Madeline Hunter.I loved it. Emotional. Unpredictable. Interesting.Hunter uses an unusual Time and disparity in class to develop a much-desired HEA - one that will require them to fight to maintain it each day, but the reader knows they will want to. Not an altogether easy book; Hunter pulls the reader every which way, wondering whom Moira will eventually choose, how they will get there. Battles, inequality, loss. *sigh* But they make it in the end...And the history! Not too blatant. Folded nicely into our characters' world. Intriguing and respectfully done. For more on Edward II have a look at Kathryn Warner's fascinating blog. Well worth a wander around.A truly well-written, angsty, historical book.Hunter's Medieval series:Books were published out of chronological order. "By Arrangement", "By Possession" and "By Design" are linked in time, place and theme and make a loose trilogy. Each book, however, has been written as a standalone - they are "linked" rather than "series".By Possession (pub Sep 2000) - Addis de Valence and Moira Falkner, 1326By Design (pub Jan 2001) - Rhys and Joan, 1328Stealing Heaven (pub Aug 2002) - Marcus of Angelsmore and Nesta, 1341By Arrangement (pub Jun 2000) - Lady Christiana Fitzwaryn and David de Abyndon, 1346The Protector (pub Jul 2001) - Morvan Fitzwaryn and Anna de Leon, 1348-9Lord of a Thousand Nights (pub Jan 2002) - Ian of Guilford and Lady Reyna Graham, 1350sReferences:Madeline Hunter's website: http://www.madelinehunter.comVarious links to W'pedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_PageWarner's blog: http://edwardthesecond.blogspot.com.au/-CR-
The story itself is more of a 4-star read, but I'm giving it 5 stars because part of the background of the main story is the hero's 6-year enslavement in the ancient Kingdom of Lithuania, which at that time was a pagan state, as a result of his participation in the Baltic Crusade to that area of the world. My own background is from that area, so it's quite exciting to read about it in an English-language romantic novel. Hunter's research into the area's ancient traditions and beliefs was pretty good, although the name she chose for the Lithuanian priest's daughter is awful (Eufemia) and it's not even a Lithuanian name. Aarrgh - there are so many beautiful Lithuanian women's names she could have chosen, but she decided to use that one! The main story involves a serf's daughter and a noble. Moira has been in love with Addis since she was about 12 years old and is portrayed as a proud, capable woman who is not willing to be just his mistress. She's taking care of his son when the story opens and he returns from his enslavement (where he was actually supposed to die, as it had been engineered by the man who stole his barony from him). He takes the boy from her and sets off to regain his stolen barony, and she just sets off, but somehow always ends up together with him. (But surely her weepiness whenever she's around Addis would put him off - oh well, what do I know of true love?)
Do You like book By Possession (2000)?
Frankly, I always feel less for a book where the heroine is treated like a whore just for loving the hero, while he just wants her and doesn't care much for the humiliation she suffers for being with him.So, of course this was the case with this book.Addis did catch my attention but I am not quite comfortable with the way he pursued her, knowing that the others would see her as a whore.I know that they loved each other and all that but, still, I can't say that I am alright.But this is a book by Madeline Hunter so, of course it is very good and entertaining.I recommend it to all those who enjoy stories of unrequited and forbidden love.
—Lucy *Mrs Kaidan Rowe*
I had forgotten that I had bought this book because it was by Madeline Hunter and because I had enjoyed the 'blooms' series. It was only when I checked back on Goodreads that I recalled the connection. And as soon as this book got going I was hooked by the quality of the writing and the setting. I have read a bit of the (non-fiction) history of this period and really enjoyed how the action was woven into historical events. I felt that the characters had other important choices to make in their lives other than 'merely' relating to their romantic desires and other priorities that sometime meant that they spent time apart. I liked both the characters, respected the decisions they were making and also found the 'will they/won't they?' questions realistic rather than artificial. I'm really looking forward to reading the next in the Medieval series.
—Cecily
This is a great medieval romance book. However, this is not it for me. Most medieval books' heroes were the possessive type and I don't have problem with that. In this book, Addis is very possessive but the fact that he can't persuade his woman to marry him until the last chapter is disturbing me a lot. I don't actually like the notion of some girl loving her hero but is forced to be his mistress because of the situation; in this case, he's a nobleman and she's serf-born. They loved each other knowing that the girl is going to leave him, I just don't like the sad emotion throughout their story. Reading is a way for me to escape the real world and reading something sad, though it ends happily, is something I just can't take. But it's still a great book.
—Shefa
