New Review: Miriam Minger’s WILD ANGEL – Well Told Tale of Medieval Ireland and a Fiesty Heroine

I’ve read and enjoyed several by Minger and decided to read this one for my Best Irish Historical Romances list. I was not disappointed.

It begins in the Wicklow Mountains of Ireland in 1190 (prologue) when Fineen O’Toole, chieftain of he Imaal O’Tooles, happens upon a Norman woman’s body, gored by a boar, and her babe, still alive, the child the woman died trying to protect. Fineen overhears Normans hunting for the baby girl—to kill her—and he vows to raise the child as his own.

Twenty years later in 1210, Irish warrior Ronan O’Byrne, the “Black O’Byrne” (Fineen’s godson), is the rebel chieftain of the Glenmalure O’Byrnes. He lives to raid upon the Normans. Upon Fineen’s deathbed, Ronan promises to protect the girl Fineen raised more like a son—the feisty Triona O’Toole. Ronan’s idea of “protection” is to marry her off but Triona has no desire to wed any man. Both want revenge on the Normans for taking her father’s life.

Triona is feisty to say the least and she rebels against Ronan’s “traditional” views of what a woman should be. But this is the 13^th century so his views are certainly the norm for the time. It’s Triona who doesn’t really fit. But love will change her and him, too. There isn’t much of Ireland’s history in this one but there is a good flavor for the Irish views of the Norman conquerors…even 100+ years after the invasion.

Minger writes well and for the most part the story is well paced. The end has some good action scenes. I can recommend it.