The King’s Blade
L. J. DARE
After surviving a massacre, Lady Megan MacKelloch intends on seeking sanctuary with the Poor Claires for herself and her young sisters. That is until Lord John Lindsay, known as The King’s Blade, is ordered to find her.
As the Crown’s chief criminal investigator, Lindsay metes out justice as he deals with murder, betrayal, and intrigue but never has he encountered such female resistance. Life has taught John and Megan not to believe in love. So, when forced into marriage by a Royal Decree, can they set aside their differences and learn to trust their hearts?
Virginia Wallace –
I mentioned to a friend of mine that I was reading a historical romance set in Scotland, entitled The King’s Blade.
“Oh, awesome!” she gushed. “You mean like Outlander?”
No, NOT like Outlander! Outlander is to historical romance what Twilight is to paranormal romance. (If you see that as a positive comparison, go sit in the corner. And don’t come out until you’ve had plenty of time to think about what you’ve done wrong. Seriously…)
The King’s Blade, however, is EXCELLENT! I finished it over a single long, lazy day ‘cuz I couldn’t make myself put it down. Set in the fifteenth century, the characters completely bring the story to vivid life: Self-reliant Megan, jealous Bridget, sweet Rosie, and of the course John the Square-Jawed Hero. The story is extremely suspenseful, and actually opens with a scene of mass murder that sets a tense tone for the rest of the tale.
While The King’s Blade is dubbed ‘historical romance’, I’m not sure it quite fits the description. It’s not nearly as sappy (and certainly not as lewd) as most tales labeled as ‘romance’ these days. I kinda place it alongside such stories as The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Johnny Tremain, and The Red Badge of Courage. It’s just a gripping tale set within a designated time period and setting; I suspect that simple ‘historical fiction’ is a far more accurate description.
‘Romance’ or not, though…The King’s Blade is just plain GREAT reading!