Knight’s Prize stands as proof that an enjoyable hero and heroine alone do not a good book make. Rand la Nuit is a thoroughly engaging hero and sweet, bright Meriel of Rivenloch a perfect match for him. Unfortunately, the rest of the story is such a trainwreck that the romance becomes quite difficult to savor.

Rand is a mercenary hired to travel to Rivenloch and unmask a mysterious robber known as the Shadow. Curiously, the folk of Rivenloch do not seem terribly interested in casting off the burden of the Shadow’s menacing presence. However, Rand has little time to investigate this circumstance as he find himself with a new full-time occupation on his hands – courting Miriel of Rivenloch. Rand managed to talk his way past the suspicious knights of Cameliard who have joined the ladies of Rivenloch (that’s right – it appears Guinevere’s hometown rides again!) by stating that he has come to court Miriel.

With the exception of demure Miriel, the knights and ladies at Rivenloch are fierce warriors. Only another fiece warrior can ever find himself worthy of Miriel in their eyes. Therefore, Rand finds himself splitting his time between proving himself to Rivenloch and courting Miriel, the latter a duty he finds ever more pleasurable.

In addition to having a sweet nature, Miriel possesses a keen mind and sharp reflexes she secretly hones by studying the martial arts (with the help of a Chinese servant, believe it or not), making her, perhaps, the strongest of the Rivenloch warrior women. If that little story twist doesn’t throw you, wait until you see how no one questions her sisters’ fighting like men or the almost complete lack of religion in the lives of this Medival rural fortress.

While Miriel and Rand definitely have chemistry and the story has its entertaining moments, reading this book made me feel like as if I’d entered Disney’s Medievalworld. Nothing seems real and as I read, I kept expecting dancing mice to come out and do a musical number. Now, I love Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty as much as anyone, but it’s just not the tone I seek while reading a historical. I like a little history with my fairytale and this book just doesn’t deliver.

If you read Knight’s Prize while you’re in the mood for a Disney-esque fairytale, it may work for you. However, no matter how much I liked Miriel and Rand, I simply couldn’t get past the almost cardboard setting and lack of attention to even basic historical detail. When the plot and setting cannot grab my attention, it is really hard for the romance alone to carry the day. In the end, even with likeable characters, this was a difficult and mediocre read.