A Falcon's Heart [Hardcover]

Jayel Wylie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2001

436 pages

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: sonnet books (2001)
• ISBN-10: 0739418629
• ISBN-13: 978-0739418628
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I must be in the minority., November 7, 2001

By 

Sarah "sssspro" (North East, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Falcon's Heart (Sonnet Books) (Mass Market Paperback)

There were many elements of this story that I absolutely loved, but I could not get past the writing style itself. While reading this story, my head was spinning between all of the scene changes, point of view changes and character relation changes. I would be reading and all of a sudden a different character's thoughts would be introduced or something unrelated to what was being done arises. It got to the point where I thought maybe I was missing paragraphs. The transitions were just too abrupt to make for smooth, enjoyable reading.

As for the story and characters themselves, when I could understand their interaction with each other, I enjoyed them. The fairy tale element of the story was a nice change, though I wonder if it was really needed at all. I think the story would have worked just as well without the supernatural element, and maybe even work better. There was a lot of attention to details; the character's adherence to religion (which is often missed on fiction stories), early English king's relationships with their nobles, etc, which was great to read. I guess this is why I was a bit disappointed when there was absolutely nothing mentioned about the Black Plague. This story spans the decades of 1340-1355 yet there was nothing of the Plague. There is plenty of mention of the Crusades, which is good because it was also relevant at the time, but considering 1348 was one of the worst outbreaks, the lack is noticeable (at least to me). Ah well, maybe I am being too picky, I just thought that Ms. Wylie spent a lot of time trying to make life in the 14th century come alive (and it does) yet she missed this crucial element. I think this is an OK attempt at a first book. I will probably purchase her next book, though I hope it is a bit more polished.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating book!, November 28, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Falcon's Heart (Sonnet Books) (Mass Market Paperback)

A solid, old-fashioned medieval romance! Loved it and wish I could find more like it. I look forward to Ms. Wylie's next book. If you liked this book, I'd also suggest Diana Gabaldon and Elizabeth Chadwick.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real history, delicious romance, August 12, 2001

By 

Colleen McMahon ""Omnivorous Reader"" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Falcon's Heart (Sonnet Books) (Mass Market Paperback)

What a wonderful find! This is the kind of book to lose yourself in for days, and considering that it's the author's first book, it's phenomenal!

Alista grew up at the estate Brinlaw, which was awarded to her father after he lost his original estate in the war against the usurping Queen Maud. But with her father gone, King Henry II sees a chance to reward his loyal follower, William of Brinlaw, by returning his estate to him. The catch is, he must marry Alista.

While the arranged marriage is a tried and true theme, what I liked here is that the emotional trauma is handled realistically. They are strangers to each other, and that changes only slowly over time. They both have been through tremendous amounts of pain, and that heals only slowly. But when it does, it's worth the wait!

The historical elements are also handled with realism. What I particularly liked was the inclusion of spiritual and political circumstances of the time. Too many medievals seem to take place in a never-never land beyond the reach of king or church. I also enjoyed the paranormal aspect but I was glad that it was a relatively small part of the story; much more would have been distracting.

I can't wait for another one by this author!