His Castilian Hawk
(The Castilian Saga, Book 1)
By Anna Belfrage
For bastard-born Robert FitzStephan, being given Eleanor d’Outremer in marriage is an honour. For Eleanor, this forced wedding is anything but a fairy tale.
Robert FitzStephan has served Edward Longshanks loyally since the age of twelve. Now he is riding with his king to once and for all bring Wales under English control.
Eleanor d’Outremer—Noor to family—lost her Castilian mother as a child and is left entirely alone when her father and brother are killed. When ordered to wed the unknown Robert FitzStephan, she has no choice but to comply.
Two strangers in a marriage bed is not easy. Things are further complicated by Noor’s blood-ties to the Welsh princes and by covetous Edith who has warmed Robert’s bed for years.
Robert’s new wife may be young and innocent, but he is soon to discover that not only is she spirited and proud, she is also brave. Because when Wales lies gasping and Edward I exacts terrible justice on the last prince and his children, Noor is determined to save at least one member of the House of Aberffraw from the English king.
Will years of ingrained service have Robert standing with his king or will he follow his heart and protect his wife, his beautiful and fierce Castilian hawk?
Publication Date: September 28, 2020
Publisher: Matador (paperback) & Timelight Press (ebook)
Page Length: 396 pages (paperback) 335 pages (ebook)
Genre: Historical Fiction
MY THOUGHTS!
I may have just stumbled upon my new favourite series!
Set during the Conquest of Wales, Ms Belfrage has presented her readers with a book that has an essence of Braveheart about it. Between bouts of brutality and unimaginable cruelty is a passionate love story.
Eleanor d’Outremer is forced to marry the man who killed her father and brother – although she does not know it at the time. Noor is a young woman, who is very much alone in the world and is, unfortunately, at the mercy of a King Edward I. At the beginning of this book, Noor is quite a timid woman, who wants to be loved, but is incredibly self-conscious about how she looks and is completely overwhelmed when this handsome knight is forced to marry her. Noor is a heroine that I really loved. She appears quite meek at the beginning, but she really isn’t. I loved how Ms Belfrage developed Noor’s character, and by the end of this book, she could stand very firmly on her own two feet.
Robert - I did not know if I wanted to love him or challenge him to an arm-wrestle. He makes the most amazing mistakes when it comes to Noor, especially at the beginning of this book - he really does makes all the wrong choices. But when he finally stops behaving like an idiot, the honour in him begins to shine through. I ended up really liking Robert because he goes to great lengths to make amends, and although he still gets things wrong, he does try his best. Marrying Noor was probably the best thing that ever happened to him.
There are as many antagonists in this story as there are plot twists. It certainly hard to decipher who is a friend and who is foe. There are also some really upsetting scenes, especially the execution of Dafydd ap Gruffydd, so I would recommend having some tissues close to hand.
This book utterly captivated me. I loved everything about it. This novel is definitely a keeper.
Anna Belfrage
Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with two absorbing interests: history and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England.
More recently, Anna has published The Wanderer, a fast-paced contemporary romantic suspense trilogy with paranormal and time-slip ingredients. While she loved stepping out of her comfort zone (and will likely do so again ) she is delighted to be back in medieval times in her September 2020 release, His Castilian Hawk. Set against the complications of Edward I’s invasion of Wales, His Castilian Hawk is a story of loyalty, integrity—and love.
Connect with Anna:
Website • Twitter • Facebook • Amazon Author Page.
Ha! Robert would like you know that he totally agrees with you: The planets aligned the day he wed his Noor :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for a lovely review!