Customer Reviews

Forbidden (Harlequin Single Title)

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

 

 

This is an excellent Dark Ages romance and Kirkman has the period
down. The only thing that I noted after having just read a Roberta Gellis
book was that I would have appreciated a little more detail on Dark
Age facts. Not so much for myself but I think that Kirkman is taking for
granted that a lot of readers will understand some Anglo Saxon or Norse
terminology that a lot may not know. Even so, it is wonderful reading.

Lady Rowena is in need of a champion with nothing to lose and he has
everything to gain if he suceeds. She decides on the spur of a moment
in a slave market to buy her champion. She can sense a survivor's will
in this slave as well as a need for his own revenge and the person who
accompanies her to the market is repelled or even fears the slave.
This is what decides his and her fate. This sixth sense she has is that
the slave is her only chance to avenge her father's death and save her
and her daughter's future.

Wulf while trying to right a wrong that his brother brought about, has
put himself in the way of a dangerous enemy. And when that enemy has
the chance to destroy him without killing him, he takes it. Wulf or
Athelwulf (Athel is the title for a thane or earl in Norse and Saxon
cultures of the century the story takes place in ) is expelled from
his lands when he commits a murder. He is made into a slave and sold
to the flatlanders known as Frisians (another terminology from the
Dark Ages) It is in a Slave Market in Wessex that he is bought by
Rowena. He gives an oath to do her will but only until the day of
Lamas Tide or First Fruits of the Harvest( more Dark age jive) .

Kirkman's style is a cross between Dain and Hunter. She flows even
though her sentences are short. Sometimes she almost has Schone like
short repetitions but they are much more subtle than Schone. All in
all her style is very pleasant to read. It is very fast paced and
fluid. I read this book about 350 pages in 2 1/2 hours. Once started I

moved right through it to the end in one sitting and that was with
many glances at the cover. God that guy is yummy.

I gave this book a B+ and almost an A- but I think she presumes too
much from tha reader that they will either from context figure the
lingo or just be that knowledgeable about the period which is unlikely. Her editors are at fault here. If you've studied
some of the Dark ages or Norse Mythology you may get a lot of it. I
have done both the latter. However it still took me a moment or two to
recollect at some points. Even so, Kirkman can tell a story and if
this second novel is indicative of her talent, I am happy to have
found a new author. If you liked Madeline Hunter, Claudia Dain,
Joan Wolf's Dark Age books, and Susan Squires, I think you may very well like
this book.

Setting - England, 716 a.d. --- Whatever had possessed the Lady Rowena to buy a slave for 12 mancuses, she had no idea, but the deed was done. The big muscular thrall with silvery eyes like cold flint showed no deference for her lofty station - no, they held nothing but contempt. How dare it! Lady Rowena, could never be at the mercy of another ever again and knew she must show more courage than she possessed. Her life and the life of her daughter were at stake, and the thrall was brave - this she knew, and she would risk it's life if he could survive the dangerous mission she would put to him for the price of his freedom.

It's name was Wulf, a thrall - no longer a man but enslaved by a betrayal so bitter his rage alone had given him the strength to survive. Now this beautiful noblewoman had purchased him - for what - a plaything to whore upon? Trust would be a fragile link that might be breached between the two worlds they inhabited. Desire and revenge, betrayal and love would all come into play as human passions exploded between two people who knew better than to taste these forbidden waters.

Having read Kirkman's exceptional debut novel (A MOMENT'S MADNESS - circa 916 a.d.) I was anxious to read another by her as she once again tackled an even earlier historical period. The author's writing style is different and in this she does not employ a lot of dialog so much as express `feelings' and `mood' as Rowena tries to rationalize in her mind, what and why she is attracted to the very compelling slave. Admittedly for action lovers, the first third of the book is slow but, again, this seems to be the style the author has adopted in setting the stage. The secondary characters are all very interesting and well defined, particularly Rowena's six-year-old daughter who practically steals the show as well as your heart as she tries her best to be a `healer' of both humans and animals. The last portion of the book definitely picks up steam with a lot of action and wraps up all the loose ends that were tossed out in the beginning making this a rather satisfying read. Bottom Line - It does have a slow start, and the writing style is distinctive but, all in all, a very pleasant read for a lazy weekend. --- Marilyn Rondeau, for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---

From the very beginning of the book, where Rowena purchases Wulf at a slave market, I knew this would be a special story. She feels not only a physical attraction to him, but an emotional one as well, and the struggle she endures trying to understand her feelings for a man she should consider "property" is so well written. That Wulf has feelings for her beyond lust might be hard to believe, but the author makes the reader accept it by showing us what an unusual man he is. (Makes me wish I could run out and buy a guy like him ;) The secondary characters held my interest, particularly Rowena's darling daughter and the evil Eadward. I wish we had seen more of Wulf's brother, but I understand he will be in a sequel so I will be eagerly awaiting that. Just a great book all around.

This was my first book by Ms. Kirkman, but it will not be my last. This was a challenging read - those who like simple sentences, one-dimensional characters and every bit of the plot foreshadowed for them won't like it. But if you enjoy characters with emotional depth trying to get through complicated situations with their love intact, and want an ending that you didn't see coming, this is a book for you. Wulf is a wonderful hero - brave, patient, tender and understanding when by rights he should be belligerent and hateful. Rowena is a strong woman trying to keep her family and people safe without knowing who she can trust, finding herself in the bewildering situation of relying on someone who should despise her. It doesn't sound like there would be room for romance here, but there is and it's heartwarming. This goes on my keeper shelf.

I love romance novels and expect alot from an author. This novel and author provides DETAILS, lots and lots of excellent details about what is happening. Let's just cut to the chase...there are well placed love scenes and much in between to show the elctricity between the two charaters. You can almost feel the tension between them.

Generally I find I can get into any romance novel. I like a wide variety of topics and storylines. This book was SO POORLY written and confusing to follow it made me dizzy. I am Never this hard on a book but I have never read one so haphazzardly thought out.
The characters are very erratic and bipolar with no transition or thought put into explaining the emotions. Things that should be simply stated are overthought and expanded to the point of skipping paragraphs and pages at a time just to make it through one incident. Serously, save your money or go buy a latte!

The reviewers below are all wrong. I was told by someone that her books were not that good, but, I had already bought all of them. Well, I am glad that I did. You don't always have to have so much sex in romance books to make them GOOD. Take my word, this book IS GOOD. It has a new twist on it, with Rowena buying a slave...WULF. Taking place in earlier English history,716 A.D it is not your usual historical romance. Times back then were more raw & brutal. Ms Kirkman does a very good job of telling the story about their blossoming romance. I cannot figure out why the reviewers below did not like this book. I think it was very well written.

***POSSIBLE SOIPLERS***

First, in short response to 'Lakelands' review: The characters have not yet gained trust in the other characters or the audience yet, so how can they tell their life history in the first three days that we know them?

Second: I think the characters are too hard on themselves, and like Lakeland, expect too much too sooon out of the other.

Third: I think the book is well written. However, I think the author has a style of writing that takes some getting used to.

Why throw the book away? Give it to a second hand store; just because you don't like it doesn't somebaody else won't.

This book was absolutely rotten! The cover was awesome and so I was misled into buying it! There was absolutely no backgound on
chartacters so it is impossible to get "caught up" in the story.
Not romantic, not riveting. Blah! I didn't care about the vague plot, I just wanted to get it over with! I would never recommend this to anyone! I read 20 to 30 books monthly and not all are "keepers", but this was such a disapointment!! Don't judge a book by it's cover!!!!!

The Author Helen Kirkman has her own style for writing love stories and at first that is very intersting but as the reading continues, the plot is slow to unravel and she uses words and phrases very similar. I liked it because it is written in a different style but not very much because too slow to progress. Maria Rennard