New Review: Elizabeth Lowell’s UNTAMED – 1st in Medieval Trilogy is Simply Superb!

I bought all in this trilogy (UNTAMED, FORBIDDEN, ENCHANTED) based on the reviews, and for once, the reviews were completely justified. UNTAMED was my first romance by Elizabeth Lowell and since I’ve read many more of hers. It won the RITA Award and I can see why. Her writing is wonderfully historically accurate, her storytelling detailed and full of action and adventure, natural sexual tension and conflict that is not scary, contrived or over the top as some romance writers engage in, but rather, it's a very believable story of developing love that is also enthralling.

It is the story of Lady Margaret of Blackthorne, a Glendruid "witch" (though she is really a God fearing young woman who loves her people), and Dominic le Sabre ("the Sword"), a knight who has returned to Scotland to be rewarded by King Henry I for great service in the Middle East. His reward is Blackthorne Keep, its lands and the Lady Margaret ("Meg"), its mistress. Dominic wants lands, peace and heirs--male heirs--but the Glendruid women cannot bear male heirs unless there is real love present and Dominic has none to give as he’s been wounded in heart and soul at the hands of the Saracens. Dominic knows Meg was promised to another and he suspects the man was also her lover. However, Meg is an innocent young woman, though wise in the ways of people and animals. She's a gifted healer, as are all the Glendruids, and she has an amazing way with the falcons they raise at Blackthorne.

I loved the way Lowell wove falconry and the life of a medieval keep into her incredibly detailed story. She created wonderful characters (two of whom are featured in FORBIDDEN and ENCHANTED) with period dialog that drew me in from the first page. The romance is well done and very believable.

This is a keeper, worth enjoying more than once! I highly recommend it.