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Title: Once a Warrior
ISBN: 0553574221
Author:
Karyn Monk
Publicate Date: 1997-03-31
Publish: 1997-03-31
List Price: $6.99
Average Customer Rating: 4.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $2.00
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.01
Amazon Merchant Price: $6.99
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| Customer Review: |
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1: A nice change in typical romance...
I had read other work by Karyn Monk, and considered her to be a good storyteller who always adds some new twist to historical romance. Then I read Once a Warrior and realized she's not a good writer; she's a great writer. Monk really shines in this story of a non-traditional hero.
Too often, the heroes in romance have few flaws. Perhaps they're stubborn or focused on making a marriage for an heir or for money. But to have a hero so lost and seemingly beyond redemption was a pleasant surprise. The story is swift, keeping the reader involved and anticipating what happens next. A definite "stay up all night to read" book.
This one goes on my "keeper" shelf.
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2: Forgotten Hero
There was something sublime and lingering how the Black Wolf got under my skin the further into the book I got. He reminded me of a physically broken Maximus in "Gladiator". His honor and heart broke through the trappings of his assumptions of his failures and the horrors created by being mislead one dark painful night. He was stripped of everything, drank himself into oblivion to deal with his pain, both physical and emotional, yet his depth of character crumbled the layers of defenses he had built around himself. I liked him very much.
As for Ariella, I felt her character lacked in depth and emotion, and felt although courageous, determined, and duty bound, she was cold and unforgiving and created much pain in a man who had enough pain to deal with in his life.
The book is a little off here and there, especially with the ending which I would have liked to have seen more developed, but overall, I liked it and would recommend it.
For a really good 5 star read, check out Sara Bennett's "Lily and the Sword", Sophia Johnson's "Risk Everything" and "Always Mine", and Susan Carroll's "Dark Queen Trilogy",.
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3: Tink
This was the first book I read of this author and I was a little worried when I picked this book up due to the other reviews. However, I really enjoyed this book. As you read the book your heart goes out to the hero, Malcolm and Ariella. If you are looking for an enjoyable read, this is for you.
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4: Great historical detail, humor, action and plot, but the romance was very weak
This was the first book that I've read by this author, and my feelings towards it were lukewarm. I wanted a love story, and this was more of a historical fiction about a Scottish clan with a love story tacked on to it.
First off, the good points. The historical detail was vast and well drawn. I felt like I was really there experiencing what the author was describing. Her prose gave a vivid picture of Scottish clan life during the medieval times, yet it never felt overly wordy, or as if it detracted from the story. This is difficult to do, and I applaud Karyn Monk for being able to do this well.
Also, I often find that books set in the medieval period seem to be very dark and almost devoid of humor. That was not the case in this book. This story had some very funny moments (like when Malcolm is trying to train reluctant poets and artists to become warriors) that had me laughing out loud.
The action and plot was also very well done, and story had a good flow, and the pace was comfortable; interesting, yet not too fast or too slow.
I also liked the idea of a physically imperfect hero. So many romances out there are about people so beautiful that they should be angels. Well, wonderful for them, but don't normal-looking people ever find love? I liked the idea of a tortured hero who will never fully recover, and yet the heroine loves him anyway. I'm so sick of novels about someone who's deaf, or bilnd, or crippled, etc, who just magically recovers. Again, can't someone who has a disability find love too? I really liked that this book tackled this subject, and the author did it well and with delicacy.
My complaints? The romance part of this book was very weak. In 370 pages, it seemed that less than 50 were devoted to the relationship between the hero and the heroine. While I liked the fact that they didn't immediately fall in love (or lust), I felt that the romance aspect of this book was sacrificed for the sake of the plot. The love story was okay, but it didn't make me sigh with happiness or leave me with a warm glow, which is what I want with a romance. When they were seperated, I was not moved very much. A good romance novel usually moves me to tears when the lovers are parted. That didn't happen here.
Also, this book had a secondary romance that had about 5 pages (or less) devoted to it. I kind of felt that the author shouldn't have put the second love story in the book, if she wasn't going to spend any time developing it.
Still, this was an enjoyable read, and I never had to force myself to finish it. If I came across other books by this author, I might try them. Still, if you're looking for really good historical romance that has more focus on the romance, I suggest the works of Jacquie D'Alessandro, LaVryle Spencer, Sabrina Jeffries, Mary Jo Putney, Teresa Medeiros and Catherine Anderson. As for "Once A Warrior", I would recommend borrowing it from the library, as I don't think it's a keeper.
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5: Not your typical warrior
I really liked this book. I was concerned before I read it that I might not like it. Some of the other reviews had me worried. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I have not read any of her other books so I cant compare it to those but I would definetly recommend this read. It is unusual to have a hero that does not have the perfect warriors body but I liked having that different twist. I didnt give it five stars because I wouldnt rate it with the best books I have ever read but time flew by and I enjoyed every minute!
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