Some books successfully combine two or more genres. This book is definitely not one of them. Warrior’s Taking reads at the start like a fantasy novel, then morphs into an historical romance with a fantasy slant that doesn’t work. Did Maguire have so many ideas that she couldn’t decide what to leave in or take out? Where, oh where, was her editor? Even worse, the characters lack dimension, clichés abound, and terminology is used that is never explained to the reader. Confusion reigned by the middle of the book; who exactly was the hero and why was the heroine beyond degrading? Also along for this bumpy ride are two pesky and overall whiny little girls who can’t seem to stay in one place without getting into danger.

Brogan MacLochlainn is a Druzai warrior living on the Isle of Coruain. The Druzai are sorcerers and a thousand years earlier they created the island to keep them hidden from the Tuath – in this book the world’s non-magical people. Apparently the Tuath are not the same as the Tuatha Dé Danann, whose mythology just so happens to have arisen in the same part of the world, which created mass confusion when I read through this mess.

Brogan lives in 981 and faces a dilemma; he must avenge his father’s death from the evil sorceress Eilinora, who escaped with his father’s specter of power 900 years into the future in Regency Britain. Brogan decides to go after her and stop her from gaining even more power and possibly destroying Coruain and his people. He doesn’t end up in the future delicately. He almost drowns in the ocean but is saved by Sarah Granger, who is governess to two young daughters of a military captain in the year 1813. The moment Brogan speaks, she assumes he is from Scotland because he has a Scottish brogue. And even though he is almost naked and can give no real explanation on why he was adrift in the ocean, Sarah and her friend Maud, the estate’s old housekeeper, take him in to recover.

Sarah is quite the depressing and pitiful heroine. Her father became a drunk after her mother died and soon after they were forced into the poorhouse. Following the death of her father, Sarah was taken in at the charity of the parsonage. The townspeople treat her worse than a dog and bully her because of her situation. She feels unloved and unattractive and even refuses to go into town unless it is an absolute must. And things are bound to get worse; word arrives that her employer died at war. Now there is no money for even basic needs and the two little girls Sarah loves so much may be taken away from a distant cousin who will come to rule over the estate. Sarah is in deep despair until this strange Scot washes up on shore.

Brogan changes his name to Brendan Locke and assumes the persona Sarah and the rest believe him to be. The remainder of the novel features him trudging through castle remains as he tries to find some sort of magic stone that will do away with the evil witch. When he defeats her, he plans to return home to his time and place – even though he has begun to care for Sarah. He thinks her beautiful and kind and would make any human man happy. Brogan also can’t stand the fact that he can’t use his powers to make things go easier, but some statues guarding the surrounding area are magical – they speak – and lend him aid.

Sarah remains suspicious of Mr. Locke even though she wishes he could stay. He alone makes her feel special; the evil townspeople think she is dirt because of her father’s past deeds. Sarah is also a virgin who has never even been kissed. But that doesn’t stop her once Brogan comes along. During one scene which takes place in an obligatory empty cabin during an obligatory rain storm, the two must take refuge. Though Sarah has some staunch ideas regarding respectibility, that doesn’t stop her from doing everything outside of actual intercourse while they wait out the storm. After all, don’t all virginal women – particularly during the Regency – take their first look at a penis and decide they want to kiss it all over?

As the story runs its course we have murder, mayhem, and more talking fairy statues that have really no reason to even be mentioned. Brogan constantly makes it known he must go back to his own world even though he starts to care for Sarah’s charges and is still intimate with Sarah (so he can show her that she is strong and better than most).

By the time everything was said and done, I was thrilled Brogan defeated the wicked witch and Sarah became a true beauty through incredible lovemaking on Brogan’s part just so I could close the book and hope a story like Warrior’s Taking is never written again.