July 2010, Medallion (via Gazelle Books)
410 pages, Paperback
Review copy
Paranormal Romance
Healing magic, knights, corrupt lords, political intrigue (a little), about 2 chapters of moderate adult relationship content, lots of humour, some moderate peril, past lives in dreams,
Summary from Gazelle Books
Ela Montahue is a talented sorceress descended from Boadicea, the legendary warrior queen of the Iceni tribe. She has the miraculous power to heal but, years before her birth, Boadicea issued a decree that Ela must marry for love not political practicality, or she will forfeit her supernatural power. Marrying Lord Thomas de Havel, the vile landowner with connections to King John's court, would benefit Ela's family tremendously, but would strip her of her miraculous gift. When Ela refuses the repulsive marriage proposal of Lord de Havel, he abducts her and wages battle against her father in retaliation. Knight Osbert Edyvean, who has been paid to find Boadicea's spear, rescues Ela instead and must fight his overwhelming passion for a beautiful lady he wants to protect and love.
Nayuleska's thoughts
Knowing how much I loved Beauty's Curse I was sure I'd love this book, and I did. The cover is a fair representation of the feel of the book. I thought Ela was courageous for being prepared to marry someone not only unsuitable but also a creep, all to keep her family safe. I liked how her family appreciated what she was going to do for them - it's clear how much they love each other. It was interesting how Ela really didn't like Os to begin with, and even when she did start to like him an event or two happened which put him firmly in the dislike column. To say Ela is strong-willed is a bit of an understatement: she doesn't do anything half-heartedly. This characteristic is both a strength and a weakness. It means she won't give up when she's in enemy hands, but equally she's a bit stubborn when she needs to let Os into her life. Even without the historical part of this story I'd have loved it. Having Boadicea as one of Ela's ancestors added a lot to the story: she has to go on a treasure hunt to find the spear. It was a surprise where the spear was found. I enjoyed the dreams which took Ela back to her past life because they showed how family oriented Boadicea was. She loved her children, even when they were hurt both physically and emotionally. Ela nearly suffers a similar fate to the one she had as Ana, Boadicea's daughter. Os is equally strong minded and finds himself putting Ela's safety first, even when he's not ready to admit that he likes her.
Final conclusion
Traci E Hall has made her way onto my list of top authors. Her books are a joy to read. Boadicea's legacy has the right mix of action, strong willed protagonist, laughter, danger, a hero with faults to work on and a sleazy villain. I think it will appeal to readers of paranormal romance, paranormal, and historicals.
Be sure to check out one of Traci's other books, Beauty's Curse
Traci can be found on her comprehensive website that includes details of all her books.
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