Customer Reviews

A Falcon's Heart (Sonnet Books)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

I was so captivated by this book that I read it quickly and although I just could not wait to get into the story I was saddened when it came to end. I really enjoyed the author's writing of this story. I am a big medieval fan and find myself reading mostly romance novels set in the 10th-13th centuries. I believe this may have been the first novel by Jayel Wylie and if so I feel she did a wonderful job in the telling of this romantic tale. I fell in love right along side Will and Alista. I hope that Jayel will write more in the future as I would certainly read another book by her. I loved it and recommend it to anyone who likes to read about that time period.

I found Ms. Wylie's first book to be high on romance and light on history. Although confusing in the first couple of chapters, it picks up and Alista and Will's passion builds along with the readers. I see great talent in Ms. Wylie's writing. I hope to see her describe better history in future books, along with her talent for creating great characters. I also find she has a terrific ability to write great dialog. I predict great books from this author and anxiously await her next book.

I had a hard time finishing this book, but I am a reader that for the most part have to finish a book that I start. Was as one reviewer stated, too jumbled up. Although I did come to like the players. Would only recommend it so you can get familiar with the players for the next book.
Now that is another story.

My only problem with this book is it took too long to get to the fairytale element that the book promises. For 3/4 of the book I kept wondering where the mystery was. Because I sure didnt see it. There were some gripping emotional moments between the hero and heroine that made me stay with the book. And good thing, because that is when you finally find out the "secret" about the heroine. As for what one reviewer called "scene jumping", I wouldnt say it was confusing at all. For that matter, Dr. Seuss stories are more confusing then this book.

My only problem with this book is it took too long to get to the fairytale element that the book promises. For 3/4 of the book I kept wondering where the mystery was. Because I sure didnt see it. There were some gripping emotional moments between the hero and heroine that made me stay with the book. And good thing, because that is when you finally find out the "secret" about the heroine. As for what one reviewer called "scene jumping", I wouldnt say it was confusing at all. For that matter, Dr. Seuss stories are more confusing then this book.

I haven't read a romance novel since high school but a friend sent this book to me and to my drop-jawed amazement it was fantastic. Immediately enthralled, I was practically a slave to the plot (twists and turns galore) and found the characters to be incredibly flesh n' blood, spouting (along with aforementioned blood) wonderfully real dialogue and interacting in a way that was utterly believable and not at all what I would have expected for the genre. The settings (history, descriptive passages, etc.) were palpable, the situations gripping, the whole experience was a treat!

Despite having a baby and being somewhat desperate for sleep, I kept finding myself staying up till the wee hours reading until I passed out because I literally could not put the book *down*. And it sat by my bedside for about a week before I found myself reading it *all over again*. (Now I just consult some of the "tabbed pages" when I need a mental holiday -- enjoying the luscious naughty bits. <g>)

When Ms. Wylie writes another book, I'm there.

I won't hide it... this dazzling authoresss is my sister. I've been reading this book in pieces for over a year, so one could say I'm a little biased. However, I hate romance novels. This is truly an exception. Its for the reader who hates all the hokey romance novel cliches. No time travel, no out of place anachronistic elements. Its a complex and truly interesting love story with just enough sword and sorcery to keep it interesting. Do yourself a favor and curl up with this one over your summer vacation.