MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
The Temperate Warrior
Book 1 of the Warrior Sagas
Renee Vincent
Genre: Historical, paranormal romance, Viking
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
ISBN: 9781622370924 ASIN: B00AH14MCY
Number of pages: 206 Word Count: 72K
Cover Artist: Erin Sendelbach
E-Galley provided by Bewitching Blog Tours as part of their public relations tour. No remuneration was exchanged and all opinions herein are my own unless I note otherwise.
About the Book:
He was her champion. She was his weakness.
Together, they loved with wild abandon.
Gustaf Ræliksen lives by the blade of his sword. After avenging his father’s murder and reuniting with his family, he wants nothing more than to settle down and have sons of his own. Only one woman will do—a fiery redhead he saved from the spoils of war.
No longer forced to warm the beds of the men who've taken everything from her, Æsa has nothing to offer the noble warrior but her heart.
When someone with a deep score to settle seeks revenge upon her, Gustaf's world is torn asunder. He has but one vow—saving the woman he loves from the ignorant fool who dared to best the temperate warrior. BEWITCHING BOOK TOURS.
MY TAKE
Two days ago Renee Vincent laid her hero Gustaf bare here. He gets pretty naked in the book too; emotionally and physically as he evolves into a man deeply in love.
The protagonists characters were different: sexual, sensual and lust driven, but also noble, formal and heroic. The villains were, well, villainous, but also ignorant and utterly classless. I liked the character of Aesa. She knows what she wants, but never having been more than a slave in a male-female relationship she has a hard time trusting any man, including Gustaf. She doesn't really trust her own feelings and the two have some communication stumbling blocks rooted in her fears. It's hard for her to believe that a fine warrior would want a woman like her, a "whore." She doesn't know how to behave with a man outside of slavery. He doesn't want a slave. Somehow, he is able to see past her past. This results in situations where communication issues contribute to the book's major crisis. But, I would have to say that Gustaf appears to be both a man in love and a man ahead of his time (by about 1500 years, at least). He wants to know what Aesa thinks and wants her for more than a brood mare, but their roles are still gender defined.
There's plenty of steam between Aesa and Gustaf in both dialogue and in the bedroom. The writing isn't inventively sensual, but it is nice. It's clear there is respectful and exciting sex.
Early in the story, Gustaf says he was wants Aesa as an equal. But what did equality mean then? I wrote Renee and asked her what she meant here. She responded in a very gracious note:
A lot of research went into the book; fairly meticulous research. As first I thought the speech patterns in the dialogue were sort of stiff but then I realized it was a voice for this story, a formal voice, a voice to introduce us to this society and its people. We can never know how people spoke with each other, but it would seem that the more formally structured in terms of rank a society, the more likely their speech would be formal. As I got on more familiar footing with the characters the voice also became more familiar.I loved the atmosphere, the feeling of time and place Vincent achieves. They wear hides, are cold, bathe in freezing streams and don't always have enough food. Life, even for the well to do was not one of Edwardian luxuries. It feels like a Bruegel painting would have been if he had been Scandinavian. Sometimes I thought that Vincent must be telling some Norse saga, shared for millennia around a camp fire or hearth. It was a tough life, mostly survival, but Vincent imbues it with love and tenderness; what would have made life more than just a depressing, daily fight for survival.Now, first off without going into so much detail on research and boring the heck out of you, being equals really meant something different back then than what it does now. In medieval times, woman were not considered "important" enough to make decisions upon manly matters such as warfare, alliances, marriage arrangements, etc. However, in the case of the Norse, women (and I mean free women - not slaves) could hold as much power as men in council, had the right to divorce their husbands, and the head woman (usually the wife of the chieftain) was given the keys to all the storage houses and buildings which was kept on a single iron ring on the chain of her brooch. Essentially she was in charge of the entire household in and out of the home, and when the men were away hunting or in battle, the women took over all responsibilities of the men.
So in truth, Norse females were given a whole lot more "freedoms" and "rights" than most women of their time. Which is one of the reasons why I love the Vikings. They were not afraid to give women power. Or perhaps it was that the women were not afraid to accept said power. (in an email from Renee Vincent)
There's a slight paranormal aspect in which a village wise woman protects a valley, reads mind and "knows" things. She's kind of a spooky crone, and even a king will not dare to cross her. Everything we understand scientifically was once magic to our species. At that time survival was tenuous, the elements unexplained. Magic was a palpable presence.
Some of the dialogue is hilarious. I can't reveal it but one line is among the funniest I have ever read. But I have never given birth; maybe if I had it would not be as funny.
I enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it to you if you like historical romances with epic love stories.
To Buy This and other books by Renee Vincent:
AMAZON (Kindle)
Renee, I am pleased to welcome you to Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust!
FIND RENEE and GRACIE
Renee Vincent
(Historical & Contemporary Adult Romance)
From the daunting, charismatic Vikings, to the charming, brazen Alpha male heroes of modern day, you'll be whisked away to a world filled with fast-paced adventure, unforgettable romance, and undying love.
Visit my website at http://www.reneevincent.com/
Gracie Lee Rose
(Lighthearted, Fancy-free Women's Fiction)
For those who love to read fun, wholesome, and endearing romantic stories that your mother, sister, friends, and daughters can enjoy.
Visit my website at http://www.gracieleerose.com/
Website: http://www.reneevincent.com/
Blog: http://pasttheprint.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/reneevincentauthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ReneeVincent
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3005290.Renee_Vincent
Romance Blog: http://www.deepintheheartromance.com/
TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY
ENDS AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT!
Renee is giving away the entire Emerald Isle Trilogy – Ræliksen (book 1), Mac Liam (book 2), and The Fall of Rain (book 3) in ebook format to one lucky winner after the tour is over. Adminstered in it's entirety by BEWITCHING BOOK TOURS. Please contact them for rules or questions.I have no responsibility for the form, the prize, nor fulfillment.
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Excerpt:
Gustaf’s hearty laughter echoed around her. It was a rarity she had come to cherish. With their troubles far behind them, she could only hope it would be a common occurrence, especially after they became husband and wife. She longed to be the source of his joy for the rest of his days and imagined giving him the sons he’s always wanted.
Their conversation on Skúvoy circled back into her thoughts. “I want to fill our house with many sons.”
“And daughters?”
“Aye, and daughters. I can only hope they resemble your beauty and speak with fire on their tongues.”
“And if they do not?”
“I shall love them anyway for they will come from your womb.”
She envisioned him cradling a babe in his arms and teaching the youngster all there was to know about the new world he’d been born into. That was, if she could provide him a child at all. BEWITCHING BOOK TOURS.
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