Customer Reviews

The Forest Lord (The Fane, Book 1)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

One of the last of Fane, the Forest Lord cannot enter Tir-na-nog until he returns with an heir of his own making. For centuries he has guarded Hartsmere, honoring a long forgotten pact. Then one day Cyrus Fleming, the Earl of Bradwell, enters Hartsmere in search of prey. The Forest Lord threatens to take the bounty and fortune the Flemings have enjoyed unless Cyrus forfeits his daughter. In return, the Forest Lord agrees to wed his daughter for the time a child grows in her body, and then plans to depart for Tir-na-nog with the child. Cyrus agrees, but adds the condition that the Forest Lord must win his daughter's love.

Six months later and desperately in love, Eden elopes with the man she believes to be her cousin Cornelius Fleming. They spend the night together in glorious intimacy, planning to wed the next day. Then Eden overhears a dreadful fight between Cornelius and her father, and she learns that Cornelius does not love her. Worse, she enters the room, and the man that she plans to wed transforms into a monster. Later, she gives birth to a child she believes to have died. Eden then assumes her place in London society in an arranged marriage. Then six years after Cornelius disappeared, Eden returns to Hartsmere a widow, having learned on her husband's deathbed that her child survives.

Fans who love the magic and mystery of Susan Krinard's shape shifter/werewolf romances will delight in this new series of shape shifters who originate in the forests of Ireland. Embodying the timeless theme of Beauty and the Beast, THE FOREST LORD comes alive with truly amazing characterizations. The author's respect for pagan mythology brings the tale a dazzling strength, with endearing, flawed characters that grow and develop in profound ways. Further, Krinard's vivacious style lends the tale a sense of believability and immediacy that will hold readers glued to its pages. As a matter of fact, THE FOREST LORD will appeal to far more than just romance readers. After only reading and describing the first fifty pages to my husband, I accidentally left the book at home. My husband who loves pagan mythology unexpectedly picked it up based on my description, and when I returned home he demanded that I finish it quickly because he was anxious to finish the story himself! A fabulous read that must be added to the keeper shelf, THE FOREST LORD comes very highly recommended.

Eden Fleming thinks that she is in love with her cousin Cornelius Fleming. They become engaged she looks forward to her upcoming marriage. She doesn't question him when he becomes impatient and insists that they head for Gretna Green. They spend the night at an inn nearby, where her father catches up to them. She overhears them and finds out that her father has sold her to a man who just wants her to have a child for him to take to his family. She rushes into the room to find out that Cornelius isn't a man at all, but a fairy from the forest near her father's estate. She is horrified and runs away. After the birth of her child, who she is told has died, her father finds a man willing to marry her. As expected, he is not much good and gambles and wenches away all of his money and much of hers before he dies. All Eden has left is the estate where she met Cornelius. She and her aunt move there and find everything in disrepair. She is determined to rebuild her life and her estate. Her late husband told her that her child was alive and miraculously he is at the estate when she arrives. Unfortunately, so is Cornelius, who wants his child and revenge. He now has changed his appearance and goes by the name of Shaw. He finds that he can't be angry at her and is finding that he has very unfanelike feelings for both his son and his mother.

The author has painted a very vivid picture of the time period and the lore of the forest lords. The storyline is engrossing and is resolved nicely in the end. Great story.

Kinard combines fantasy romance with a little Regency style, and has produced a story about Hern, the Forest Lord, one of the Fane who, in order to return home, must produce a human-fairy offspring with a human woman. Eden Fleming is the woman he chooses, as her father has broken the generations-long trust between the Forest Lord and the Fleming family. He blackmails Eden's father, and poses as a human to seduce her. At the almost last moment, Eden discovers the deception. She rejects `Cornelius' and flees to a new life in London. Six years later, Eden is back at her hereditary home, Hartsmere. Her husband has recently died leaving her in reasonably dire straits. She and her aunt, each with their own agendas, set up house and Eden starts trying to set her house in order. Meanwhile the Forest Lord has been asleep for 6 years, thoroughly disgusted with the Flemings and humankind in general. He is woken and told Eden is back, whereupon he determines to make her pay for his losing his chance at returning home, and meets her as `Hartley' - a man of the `servant' class who seemingly shows Eden nothing but contempt. But even the supernatural cannot escape from their fate, and it would seem he and Eden have more between them than bad feeling - not the least being a six year old boy. The half human son who is his way home...

This is a well constructed and well written story, and I liked the use of the natural world reflecting how things are between Hartley and Eden. However, neither of the central characters were particularly attractive to me - Eden with her short sightedness, her complete self involvement and her always being aware of class to the nth degree. Hartley/Conelius/The Forest Lord is little better, as the Fane cannot love and the only emotions he has at first are hate, a drive to get home, and a calculated manipulation of the Flemings. I became involved in the story mainly because of Donal, their son, but I'm not sure this is enough to carry the book for me. Also, Eden's immediate attachment is unconvincing, given what we know of her character. Ultimately it wasn't enough for me, however the writing was strong and well thought out. If you don't have my problem with the central characters, you'll enjoy this blend of fantasy, and historical romance.

Herne, the horned man and forest lord of the legendary Fane, has been exiled from his people because he has failed to give them a halfling child born of himself and a human woman. He sees his chance to regain his home an English nobleman runs afoul of him. In exchange for his life, Herne will take his daughter as a wife and get a child upon her. Eden, the daughter, learns of this bargain and flees, but it is too late, she is already pregnant with the promised child. However, he dies in birth.

Six years pass, Eden weds another man, and then finds herself widowed and deeply in debt. The one place she has a right to is her former home, where she hopes to find the son she learned lived at her husband's deathbed.

She does find him, but is not the only one who has discovered the deceit. Herne learns of it, and of her return. Now, masquerading as a simple worker, he works his way into the lives and hearts of Eden and their son, Donal. Yet, a vengeful woman is working against him, and despite the love that is being given a chance to blossom, Herne might lose Eden and Donal again. If Eden's aunt has her way, he will also lose his life.

Once again, Ms. Krinard treats her readers to a haunting love story that reaches across the differences between two people born of different worlds to prove that indeed, love does build a bridge. Both sexy and heartwarming, this tale will stir your imagination and your blood with a dark and powerful hero paired with a strong, determined heroine.

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.

After reading the first review on this books by a reader in Atlanta, GA - I don't think I can improve on her review.

If you are a fan of romance fantasy/mythology themes, this is definitely the book for you. It is unique to read about a character changing into a "beast" that is not a vampire, werewolf, ghost, demon, etc. I liked being surprised and was a bit horrified by Lord Hern's true form. If you were the heroine Eden and walked in on the man you were going to marry telling your father he had impregnated the night before, threatening your father, and suddenly transforming into a monster in front of you - you would run away like Eden did.

Six years pass before Eden becomes a penniless widow(who was also told her child died at birth) and Lord Hern awakens from his slumber in a grandfather oak. After Eden journeys to a rundown family home to live, Lord Hern takes on the form of Hartley Shaw - who says he works as a servant. Eden does not know that Lord Hern/Hartley is the man she was going to marry(he has changed his appearance) and Lord Hern/Hartley finds out that his son did not die at birth.

All these problems are compounded by Eden's Aunt Claudia, who knows more about the history the two lovers share than she will reveal. Besides being reunited with their son, Donal, Claudia does everything possible to push Eden towards marriage to a wealthy marquess. Nothing is beyond Claudia's schemes and she will do whatever it takes permanently part Eden and Lord Hern/Hartley even if murder is the only way.

The ending is very, very good - several surprises occur which I was not prepared for. Overall, the book is definitely one of my favorites and I have read all of Susan Krinard's books. Her writing style is so refreshing because she always tries to find a different plot/storyline to enchant her readers....A+ for this book!

In England, the Earl of Bradwell, Cyrus Fleming breaks the pact his ancestors have had with the Fane by trespassing into the magical fairy forest. For punishment, the Forest Lord Hern demands that Cyrus hand over his beautiful teenage daughter Eden so he can sire an heir. Cyrus agrees, but demands that Hern appears as a mortal and courts Eden. Not long afterward Cornelius Fleming arrives, courts Eden and makes love to her, which leaves her pregnant. He plans to marry her, but she learns the truth about his heritage. She flees, marries someone else, while he goes into a deep sleep after learning that their child died.

Six years later and Hern awakens to learn that Eden has returned home and their son lives. Hern plans to abduct the lad he thought was dead from the widow who he feels betrayed him twice. Masquerading as a mortal servant, Hern soon realizes his foe did not know their child lived until she came home. He also finds he wants to put the lost smile back on Eden's face, but years of spousal abuse and betrayal by her father and Cornelius leaves her filled with distrust.

THE FOREST LORD is a pleasant Regency romantic fantasy that reads more like a second chance at love between two distrusting souls than a star crossed specie reverie. The audience will appreciate the lead characters, especially Hern, who occasionally displays otherworldly talents. Readers will desire more Fane tales that contain a wee bit more fairy dust especially a two decade into the future sequel starring the son Donal.

Harriet Klausner

Susan Krinard had done it again! Only this time she has taken a detour from her much-beloved "Werewolf" theme and delved into the world of "Faerie". I was browsing the new-releases table in Borders and The Forest Lord caught my eye right away. A new book from Susan Krinard!? I snatched it up immediately, and needless to say, I wasn't disappointed! This story is enchanting, gripping, and truly magical. I simply could not put it down, and read the entire book in one sitting.

Six years ago, Eden Fleming made the horrifying discovery that the man she was about to marry was not human. He was a Fane, a Faerie creature of the forest, who had made a made a deal with her father and used her to sire a half-human child. The child was his only hope of leaving the mortal world to return to his home of Tir-na-nog. But upon learning of his deception, Eden fled and the Forest Lord fell into a deep sleep. Now, five years later, she has returned and he has vowed to have his revenge on the woman who shunned him, and to steal back the child that he believed to be dead. Cloaked in magic, he assumes the identity of a servant named Hartley Shaw, and begins to set his plan in motion. But as he spends more time with Eden and their son, he realizes that things have changed, and we are left with just one question. Is this creature of the Faerie world capable of feeling the one emotion that they are supposedly devoid of ... Love?

The Forest Lord is a wonderfully heart-warming novel from a truly gifted writer of Fantasy-Romance. If you have read any of Ms. Krinard's novels you will not be surprised to find that this one is right on par with her previous ones. And if you haven't, then this is an excellent place to start! It will hook you from the beginning, and you will find yourself furiously turning the pages and holding your breath in anticipation as the story takes a very tense and unexpected twist towards the end! Ms. Krinard, you have delighted me with this wonderful tale, and I hope we will be seeing more very soon! If I could give it ten stars I would, but sadly, Amazon only allows five. *sigh* So be it. Enjoy!!

I have read books that are hot, so hot they make your toes curl in ice water; I have read books that are exciting, causing adrenaline rushes the whole while; I have read great books(and I read alot), but every now and then, very rarely, do I read books that make me believe in the power of love again. This book, structured in the way of a fairy tale, is in one word, wonderful. Krinard is easily one of the most gifted writers around.There are very few writers left out there that can entrap you in a story without using extreme sex, violence, or action to keep you satisfied. This is truely a great STORY!!
I am not a big fan of retelling the plot(you can read the jacket or the other reviews for that) but I will say that this book revolves around myth, legend, and tales of the Fae, Faeiry, or Fane.It is the second time that I have been introduced to lengend of the Tuuatha De and the Book of Sidhe. Krinard uses magnificient atmosphere, incredible detail, and a lyrical prose to the the story of the Forest Lord, who comes back to exact revenge and claim his son, but instead finds love. This book may not end up being the best book you've ever read, but it is something that you may treasure and look upon when you think of great love stories.

Wow. This is one of those books that makes me depressed for the genre, because if this is good, paranormal romance is in troouubble.

Let me confess to being 60 pages in and uncertain as to whether I will finish it. I doubt it. I was hoping some of the reviews would say it started out badly but got better but most people have no problems with the book so I think it's just me that is disappointed.

I didn't like how the main character reached conclusions and changed her personality within a paragraph. she's vapid and shallow but now that she's poor she's going to save the local villagers? Excuse me, why? She hates the new groomsman, distrusts him and then instantly decides he might be a good father figure to her child? Was it his insolence or that he got her panties in a twist that made her reach that conclusion, I couldn't tell.

I just felt the writing was shoddy. Instead of giving us scenes and examples, a person suddenly 'felt' a certain way or we were flatly told their character had changed. Ugh. Read JR Ward instead, her writing might be grating but it's cracklike appeal makes it worthwhile. Or even Lisa Kleypas or Gaelen Foley, for me I think it's back to the beginning with Charlaine Harris again.

So often faerie plots wind up contrived adn silly; this one doesn't. It actually is very believeable. Eden is a midling sort of heroine; she changes and grows throughout the book and eventually becomes worthy of the title. But that comes at the end, so it hampers the story a bit. Hern/Hartley/Cornelius is superbly written, very strong, yet a touch vulnerable even as a Fane lord. The forklore is very well done as are several of the minor characters. Perhaps the wrong done is forgiven too easily, too quickly (except of course between the hero & heroine), but it's not much of a detriment. There are a couple of loose ends I'd like to have seen wrapped up. At the climax, I was crying so hard that I couldn't read the page. Not perfect, but an exceptional book well worth the read.