Her Norman Conqueror
Grade : C

Her Norman Conqueror just missed being a really great read. New author Malia Martin gets lots of points for refreshing, innovative ideas, and a truly wonderful Part I. Unfortunately, Parts II and III don't hold up as well. Even so, I think this is a new author to keep your eye on.

Lady Aleene of Seabreeze Castle at Pevensey needs a husband (and a pregnancy), today, if not sooner. King Harold has ordered Aleene to marry her repulsive step-brother, Aethregard, because Pevensey is in a pivotal location to thwart the expected invasion by William. As a dowered estate, this demense is passed down through the female line. Harold would change that. When a mud-covered half-wit poacher is arrested and brought before Aleene, she calls the priest to wed them on the spot. That this man is "simple" is a major attraction for Aleene who had been sexually abused by her step-father, Aethregard's late father, Tosig, since she was seven. Aleene wants a gentle man she can trust not to hurt her, so the blank-eyed idiot becomes Lord of Seabreeze.

Cynewulf (as named by Aleene), who is in reality Robert de Guise, Norman spy for William, suddenly finds himself married to the exotically beautiful Lady Aleene, and unexpected lord of the castle he wanted to be lord of all along. In a refreshing role-reversal, it is Robert who comes from a loving family - a scholar for a father, and a gentle, supportive mother - the result of which has Robert feeling a great sense of shame and guilt for setting Aleene up for betrayal. He realizes from the moment they meet that she has been a victim all her life. Her efforts to consummate their marriage are sad and sweet, as Robert does his best to comfort Aleene without revealing his true identity. Robert is a wonderful hero, a definite beta. Beautifully handsome and built like a warrior/god, he yet is in touch with his feelings and treats Aleene with gentleness and love. In fact, Robert is so in touch with his feelings, considering the time period involved and his warrior nature, he's just a teensy bit too 90's to be believed.

Devoting the first third of the book exclusively to Aleene's point of view, and keeping "simple" Robert's thoughts and motivations from the reader, was innovative and effective. Robert's mute-ness worked well, because the reader knew he was not a dim-wit, so it was interesting and satisfying to watch him manipulate events while maintaining his guise of the simple-minded poacher. This was the best part of the book, and kept me turning those pages (right up until I hit Part Deux). Aleene and Robert are a very nice heroine and hero, and watching them fall in love was charming. Also, since no one knows where King Harold is actually buried, the author's answer to this was a nice interpretation of what might have happened.

Some problems. If I didn't know that the Battle of Hastings occurred in 1066, I would not have known when this story took place. I never got a sense of time, so I felt a little off-balance in spots. Also, King Harold and his hand-fasted wife, Edith, are accessible to Aleene in far greater measure than seems realistic, and the absence of hand-maidens and servants and such, who normally surround a king and queen, were oddly missing. Various inconsistencies kept popping up creating gaps or gaffs in the story - something that could have been corrected by tighter editing. For example, one character exclaims, "Ah, geez!" I cannot imagine anyone in the eleventh century uttering this phrase.

I guess you could say this was a "peaks and valleys" read. I'd be reading along, and I'd think, "Oh, that was good." A few pages later, I'd think, "Oh, that wasn't." Then, I'd say, "Ah, now that part was good." Then, later, "Hm, that wasn't so good." Overall, the story moves quickly, and the positives are worth confronting the negatives. With some reservations, I can recommend this book, partly because the good stuff you'll find is very nice. I look forward to Ms. Martin's next book, and hope the problems encountered in Her Norman Conqueror will, by then, have been conquered.

Reviewed by Marianne Stillings
Grade : C

Sensuality: Subtle

Review Date : July 23, 1998

Publication Date: 1998

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Marianne Stillings

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