Set in the 9th century, this involves a Saxon maiden, Edin, of noble birth living in Alfred the Great's Wessex, England. She is about to be wed when Vikings attack her manor home, Fair Hope. They are led by Thoryn Kirkynson, a tall powerful Viking jarl come for plunder. Thoryn thinks nothing of attacking Edin's home and stripping it of all its treasures, including her. He slays Edin's fiancé before her very eyes and takes her back to Norway to be his bed thrall (sex slave). Once a lady who looked forward to her marriage, she is now a slave with no hope of a future apart from her "master." Though Thoryn can be cold and brutal, he can also be gentle and he becomes enraptured with Edin. And, she begins to love him even as she hates the Vikings for the cruel, savage life they live.
This is an amazing look not only at the Viking culture but also the life of a beautiful, educated young woman who was born to nobility but is reduced to slavery. Her courageous spirit wins the respect of many. And she has an effect on all around her.
Crenshaw weaves a story that will keep you reading late into the night. She is a master storyteller and takes care with historical detail and descriptions of places. She doesn't spare us the pagan rituals and the worship of the Viking gods. Her characters are richly drawn and the emotions very believable. Her love scenes are frequent and so much a part of the way the story naturally develops, you can't imagine the story without them, particularly in this case. And, I love her heroines: Brave women overcoming great odds to survive in a world that is not kind to women. Her heroes are strong men worthy of being tamed.
I think Nadine Crenshaw was one of the early great romance authors and I highly recommend this one for my fellow Viking romance lovers!
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