New Review: Renee Vincent’s RAELIKSEN - Unique, Well-Told Viking Story!

I love a good Viking story and sadly, too many publishers these days want only Regency or Victorian romances. But the Viking tales still call to me and I’m glad they are still being written. That is one reason I am updating my Best Viking Romances list. Here’s a new author who is giving us great stories. This one is superb.

Renee Vincent writes with lyrical prose. It's truly beautiful. And she tells a good tale with attention to historic detail that will satisfy lovers of historical romance. This is an unusual Viking story in that there is no raid, no pillaging, no taking of women, none of that. No, our hero, Daegan Raeliksen, a wealthy merchant chieftain from Norway, is an honorable man who makes his home in Ireland. It is there he first sees Mara, daughter of an Irish king, riding her horse near the Shannon River, and it is there he decides he must have her for his wife. It’s love at first sight for him. He only takes her from her lands to save her from a band of warring Norsemen. And, of course, then he must keep her until he can safely return her to her father. Daegan knows he should have permission to wed and to pay the bride price, but he can’t wait to marry Mara and she’s not complaining.

RAELIKSEN is a complicated tale of betrayal (Daegan has an evil twin brother), and deception with a few twists and turns you will really like. However, Daegan and Mara's love is never in doubt. The ending will rip your heart out so that you MUST buy the sequel.

You should also note this is first in The Emerald Isle trilogy. The sequel is MAC LIAM; and the third is THE FALL OF RAIN (a contemporary with a descendent of Daegan's but harkening back to the first). However, that is not the end of the story. Now there is Gustaf’s tale: THE TEMPERATE WARRIOR, the story of Gustaf Ræliksen and Æsa. I loved Gustaf in MAC LIAM.