3: Action-packed, Romantic Page Turner
A hero who is NOT the king's favored man? A widowed heroine who is NOT an eighteen year-old teenager? Both caught up in the vagaries of history NOT self-produced misunderstandings? This book was a joy to read cover-to-cover. On the strength of the main characters and plot, it would have gotten a 5-star, but there were a few minor plot inconsistencies and hurried segues that an alert editor should have caught, and a strangely rushed denouement that left vague dissatisfaction, having been preceded by so much glorious detail. Still, the story of Tre and Jane is compelling. Definitely worth time invested in its reading. Don't miss Juliana Garnett's "The Scotman" either.
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5: History and Romance Blend Seamlessly
In THE BARON, Ms. Garnett breathes new life into an oft-told time period, the reign of King John in the early 13th century. Her thorough research of medieval England history and the evocative settings of Nottinghamshire and Sherwood Forest shine through, transporting the reader back in time and place.Even if this were lacking, her richly developed and believable characters would carry the story. Tre Devaux, newly appointed High Sheriff of Nottingham, shows us the true and painful meaning of a wounded hero, determined to honor his obligations. And Lady Jane Neville, Robin Hood's niece, illustrates a woman who was, in her youth, a rebellious maid and is now an elegant and composed widow, still bent on seeing justice done. Circumstances put Tre and Jane on opposite sides of the law against a backdrop of turbulent events. The conflicts between the two are evident and genuine, brings them together as often as it separates them, always to heartbreaking effect. Their mutual attraction leaps off the page and their dialogue is taut and intelligent, furthering both the external and internal plots in a way that narrative cannot. We read courage, loss and longings in Tre and Jane, but without sappy sentimentality or false emotion. Their passion sizzles. Secondary characters are also fully developed and each one essential to the story. We experience everything in THE BARON we've come to expect in a medieval romance... a great castle, the heroine healing the hero, a tournament, courtly love, the evil villain and a rescue, but each is rendered with fresh, unique realism. Ms. Garnett employs a writing style that creates a fast-paced read and maintains tension and anticipation. Look for her revival of the colon and semi-colon and her use of cunning subtext and provocative phrasing. A joyous work, impassioned, THE BARON raises the bar for all writers of the genre.
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