Customer Reviews

Earth Song (Song saga)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

   Heroine: extremely tall, solid

       Fears of being wed to a loathsome, ancient baron prompt Philippa de Beauchamp to flee her comfortable home. But her impulsive and imprudent act lands her in the clutches of none other than the "Rogue of Cornwall", a man as dangerous as he is gorgeous!

Dienwald de Fortenberry is cursed with the desire to do better by his young son and serfs, but lacks the funds to accomplish his worthy goals. So when a filthy young wench appears in his castle's courtyard insisting that she's a lady-- the daughter of his despised but wealthy neighbor no less, Dienwald believes that deliverance from his financial woes is finally at-hand. All he needs to do is ransom the girl back to her family for an obscene amount of money and all his problems will be solved.

But it will take time for his perfect plan to come together; time that Dienwald may not have because the longer he waits the more opportunities Philippa has to break his head, his heart, or both!

 What worked for me:

I've loved medieval stories ever since I discovered King Arthur, Robin Hood, and Ivanhoe, so "Earth Song" gets points from me just for being set in this time period.  

There were some wryly humorous lines peppered throughout the book that kept me smiling, and of course it was very nice to see a woman escape from a dire predicament for once without a man swooping in to rescue her.
Size-wise Philippa was very tall and solid and frequently teased about her great height.

What didn't work for me:

I realize that the hero and heroine were thrown together, but still they bickered right up til just about the last page of the book. (And that's a just a wee bit long for my tastes.) Also, there were a few plot elements that were a bit too transparent, and in a handful of places the writing felt stilted, not at all what I expect from a Catherine Coulter novel.

Overall:

Fans of Medievals should enjoy this one, but fans of Ms. Coulter may not find it to be her very best work.

   Warning: While it didn't quite cross the line into full-fledged "bodice ripper" territory, "Earth Song" balanced itself precariously on that line. If you are uncomfortable with stories which are less-than-PC, then you may want to give a pass on this one, which tries to be true to the harsh realities of life in Medieval times.

If you are searching for a merry dance to warm you to the depths of your soul on a cold winter night, this is the book for you. Deinwald is a refreshingly tenderhearted rogue, with a sincere belief in himself as a scoundrel. Philippa is an impulsive and outrageous heronie who can't seem to think before she acts. Together with Deinwald's 9 year old son, theese two will have you clutching your sides, throwing back your head and roaring with laughter. I much enjoyed Deinwald's refusal to be anything but exactly who and what he wanted to be, even when faced with the shock of his life! These characters were vividly alive and enchantingly human. Philippa, Dienwald and the family of St. Erth will remain firmly wrapped around my heart strings for a long time to come.

The only time I stopped reading this fabulous novel was to wipe the tears of mirth from my eyes. Why ? Because Philippa threw a bucket of water on Dienwald & sent him flying toward a goat, who reared back & kicked him on the thigh. Ms Coulter should be given the lifetime-achievement entertainer award ! Philippa is tall & gangly, saucy, courageous, strong-willed & unruly. Against Dienwald, Edmund (his brat) & the people of his keep, she matched 'em word for word & gradually won their admiration & hearts (although Dienwald is the most reluctant of all). I own 26 - and counting - Coulter books & this one ranks right up there behind my favorite = Moonspun magic (Rafael's obscene molded bread & all that). Graelam & Kassia also show up to my delight & Dienwald's despair. Dienwald is adorable & the nickname 'wench' he gave Philippa is endearing. They still bicker & make up like the odd couple in 'Secret Song' (Another terrific effort). Go to the bookstore, spend 6-7 bucks & get a refund if U feel tricked. This one never ceased to amaze me !

The author said the book was very funny, but I didn`t laugh even once. The story is not interesting and it`s not very compelling. I couldn`t finish reading the book. But I`m sure other people may view the book differently. This is just my opinion.

I very seldom hate a book, but this one I did. The hero was a worthless human being, he was Constantly belittling and verbally abusing the heroine. And I didn't like how he had sex with other than the heroine and I say sex because it certainly could not be called making love when he did. And she was beyond stupid, she put up with all his name calling and she never thought before she jumped into anything, which I also found tiresome. The two of them deserved each other, as I didn't like either one of them. I kept reading hoping they would both have a great personality change but they never did. So, I finally just tossed it in the 'To Donate bag'. Good riddance!

I think most fans of medieval romance will really enjoy this book. The characters are well fleshed out, there is tons of humor, plenty of action and some really steamy love scenes. But I didn't like the book at all even though I read it in one sitting (I kept hoping that it would get better). Apparently this is my problem since most people seem to love this book. As a woman, the hero is the most important character in the book to me so I have to like him to enjoy the book but, I hated this guy. Here's why:

*warning spoilers*

I don't like my hero's to have sex/love scenes with anyone other than the heroine. Talk about mood killer. There are several here and they are described in detail. In one of them, he even thinks of the heroine. ICK!

I don't like my hero's to verbally abuse the heroine. Once or twice MAY be forgiven, but till the near end of the book? No. Why would anyone love somebody who called them a bit*h? Or someone who constantly made fun of them? Its not funny after a while.

And I don't like hero's who cross the line (or nearly) into rape territory. Its one thing to steal a kiss, but to touch (forcefully) someone intimately? More ICK! The fondling-against-ones-will just gives me the creeps.

So although the hero acted like the typical barbaric medieval man, that doesn't mean I have to like him. I don't read romance for that kind of reality. But some people do, but I don't. If these things don't bother you then read the book, you'll probably love it. Otherwise skip it and read something by Julie Garwood instead. Her hero's are strong without being condescending jerks.

Catherine Coulter is a sepensful and great writer she throws in twist in every story and this book is definitely a keeper.

This was a great book with a well written plot and lovable characters including a pet pig named Tupper who doesn't hesitate to jump into battle. I couldn't put it down and continue to read it.

This book is one of 5 loosely tied together through the use of the main characters from one story as the minor characters in another. In this case, Kassia and Graelam de Moreton from Fire Song play a minor role. I always wonder what happened to the characters of a good book after the last page, and so I find this snapshot very satisfying. It is fast paced read and very funny in parts. One of the few books ever to actually make me laugh out loud!

The characters were fun and lovable. I loved how Deinwald put up with her physical assaults on him. The mud fight was great! When the news came as to who she really was I was laughing aloud. They both were straightforward in their dealings with each other. I enjoyed this because it's nice to not always have the misunderstanding that usually seperate lovers. I loved it when he was the one the king wanted her to marry and he was already married to her. Get on with it, read this book.