Customer Reviews

Falcon and the Sword

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've been trying to find more authors to put on my auto-buy list, and Julie Beard will definitely not be one of them. I was turned off on the second page (that's got to be a new record for me). A rundown of the prologue: Christian soldier fighting in the crusades is mortally wounded. The Lady of Lonegrine (who the hero is in love with, even though he's NEVER MET HER BEFORE!) heals him miraculously and then....they start having wild sex. Seriously, that's how the book starts. Can you say "bodice ripper"?

Maybe that draws some readers in, but all it does for me is to tick me off! If I wanted this kind of story (which I don't), I'd go to the "back room" of a video store! I mean, don't bother with true love or even having the character know each other. Just have them going at it like a couple of animals in heat. Ick!

If I didn't have another of this author's books on my "to be read" bookshelf, I wouldn't even bother trying her again. Skip this one.

I agree with the other negative reviews - a bit too much sugar and cheese. I had to push myself to keep reading the book. 1/2 way through I started skipping like mad just to see how it ended. Horribly predictable and fluff character depth.

Sad...I really liked Lady and the Wolf. This one didn't cut it.

I have read a few of Julie Beard's book before and really enjoyed them. This was not her best effort. The heroine was to weird to empathize with...and there were too many strange sub-plots. I liked the hero's brother more than I did him. I finished this book grudgingly, though it was hardly worth the effort.

I HAVE READ MANY OF JULIE BEARDS' BOOKS AND HAVE REALLY ENJOYED HER WRITING..BUT THIS BOOK WAS NOT UP TO HER USUAL..IT WAS SO SWEET I STARTED TO SUGER OVERDOSE AFTER ABOUT THE FIRST CHAPTER..THE HERO KEPT SAYING THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO BE HONORABLE ANYMORE AND THEN TURNED RIGHT AROUND AND DID EVERYTING HONORABLE..ALSO THE HEROINE WAS A MILK SOP..WHAT A WASTE OF TIME I DIDN'T EVEN FINISH THE BOOK..I WAS SO BORED..I READ "A DANCE IN HEATHER" AND LOVED IT SO WHAT HAPPENED JULIE ???? I HOPE THIS JUST WASN'T FOR THE MONEY...ALSO GOOD READ IS "ROMANCE OF THE ROSE" OR "THE MAIDENS HEART" BUT I WOULD STAY AWAY FROM THIS ONE.

Julie Beard is second to none at writing memorable medieval romances. Her plotting is well researched, realistic, and always surprising. But her characters are the book's greatest strength. They have strong motivations and are complicated. When the heroine and hero finally come together--wow, I'm right there with them. This book is one of my favorites. A real keeper!

People whispered about Ariel. For a young woman in the Middle Ages, she was anything but common. She was strikingly beautiful, independent, and the most skilled falconer anyone at Lonegrine Castle could remember. Still, she longed for something she'd never known...

Until he appeared at the castle out of nowhere, a wounded Knight Templar seeking the healing powers of the mythical Lady of Lonegrine. He was the most powerful and fearsome-looking man Ariel had ever seen, yet his eyes told her he meant no harm. She sensed he could help unravel the mysteries that haunted her dreams, and she knew he could be healed. Not by a legend, but by a woman whose passion could make his heart soar...

This novel is one of a very select few to make me cry at the end. I found the ending told from the Hero's point of view incredibly touching, it made the characters even more endearing to me. I loved this novel and I found myself returning to certain parts to reread and relive the pleasure I took in Ariel's story. I found the dwarf's character a little unsettling but it was still a wonderful read. I did not find the characters insipid in the slightest...they had flaws like real people which made their story that much sweeter.

This was my first Julie Beard book. The synopsis seemed interesting. I love romances set within this time frame. Well, I must say...this book was a lot darker than I had anticipated. Certainly not a 'sigh & swoon' like some by Garwoods, Deveraux, Mason, Crosby, etc. The female lead was pretty depressing, her dreams quite haunting. Overall, the mood was dark and I didn't feel a 'lift' at the end, even though love conquers all. I wouldn't really recommend this book to anyone...too heavy for romance, not quite heavy enough for goth. Disappointed.

I loved the story and couldn't put it down. The hero is so sweet and the ending is unusual. (at least I think so) I actually cried!
I would definately reccommend it to anyone and would read it again.