Customer Reviews

Heart Duel (Celta)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

HEART DUAL, the third book in Ms. Owens Heart series, is definite keeper, from the beginning I was entranced with this book. I'd been waiting for Holm's story and I wasn't disappointed. I truly enjoyed her kittenfams, who are portrayed so vividly I half expect my cats to start talking in my head. What I found most appealing about HEARTDUEL is the inclusion of human frailties and foibles that I personally related to. Holm's character, which was introduced in Heart Mate as the arrogant and confident heir to a Great House shows us a softer more vulnerable side that reminded me of the insecurities we all hide. Most 1st born children will relate to Holm's struggle with the "perfect child" syndrome, I know I certainly did. Lark's efforts to maintain a civil relationship with her father while keeping her independence brought back vivid memories of my struggles as a young woman to establish myself. The love that these two manage to find against the odds of their feuding family made me feel warm. The surprise twist toward the end had me in tears and then cheering Ms. Owens for her choice of resolving the Romeo and Juliet type story she had crafted. Obviously HEARTDUAL spoke to me on a very personal level as both Holm and Lark struggled with emotional difficulties I too have battled with. The book will always have a place in my heart.

Wow! Robin Owens keeps getting better and better with each book. What's amazing and so welcome is that Heart Duel works equally well as science fiction/fantasy and also a romance. As an avid reader of both genres, I can say that few authors strike the right balance; and yet, Robin does so with an ease that makes her books effortlessly entertaining. *And* as an added bonus, the heat between Lark and Holm made the pages sizzle! A great fantasy, believable world-building, and a delicious love story. What more can a reader ask?

Heart Duel now joins the 2 previous Celta books on my keeper shelf. I can't wait for her Luna series to begin.

A mistake many writers in the fantasy/romance genre make is to spend so much time describing place and circumstance that they forget that it is best left to the characters to tell the story. Time after time I have been disappointed by stories with one-dimensional characters who seem overwhelmed by their gadgets or by the mysterious powers surrounding them.

Robin D. Owens knows this and has done just the opposite. Her characters tell the story through their thoughts and words. The world of Celta seems familiar and not at all contrived as the reader is drawn into the story by appealing and multi-faceted characters.

When books are written as a series, many writers seem to be compelled to reiterate everything that happened in previous books during the first several pages. As a method for setting the tone for the rest of the book, this leaves a lot to be desired. It certainly doesn't draw the reader into the story. More likely, it puts the reader off if they haven't read the previous entries, or it bores those who have. Ms. Owens reintroduces characters from her previous books, but does so gradually and naturally, never interrupting the flow of the story.

Heart Duel is a wonderful story which, I believe, surpasses both HeartMate and Heart Thief. Lark is a healer, strong yet caring and gentle. Holm is a warrior with vulnerabilities and hidden pain. Neither of them are weak and each makes the other stronger. The story was told through them, as any great story is character driven. In this book the reader is given insights into the structure of the Families - not only Families of power, but Families of love.

I truly enjoyed this book. My only disappointment is that we don't get a chance to see Lark and Holm triumph together in their new life. I hope more of their story is told in future installments. Such multi-dimensional, multi-faceted characters will surely not be forgotten.

This is the third "Celta" tale and all I can say is I hate to wait for the next one each time. I just love each book, they have their own special set of characters and conflicts. The world of Celta with their rigid social structure, yet rooted in magic in even the smallest of ways is just pure razzle-dazzle. I am amazed with the talent of this write.

I first became aware of Robin D. Owens in a writers chat. It was just after she had gained recognition for her first book HEARTMATE. Word of mouth was so good, my curiosity was tweaked. So, naturally, I dashed off to order a copy and read it. Rarely is a first book so full of heart, so brilliantly conceived. Generally, if it is, it falls into the Harper Lee Syndrome of being so perfect the writer cannot achieve that level ever again. So when I was asked to review Robin’s second book, I frankly feared being let down. Instead, I was blown away. She did not achieve that same wonderful magick of HEARTMATE…she surpassed it! HEART THIEF was just that, a complex tale of an outcast, a thief and the Judge whom falls in love with him. The KittyFams were such a draw. I love cats, and Robin gives the KittyFams such life and personalities to her telepathic kitties, not cutesy, but oh so heartwarming. Having so enjoyed her first two works, I was eagerly, but once more cautiously looking forward to the next in the Hearts of Celta series.

HEART DUEL, just does not measure up to the first two, it shines with such amazing emotion.

This time we are treated to two KittyFams, Meserv and Phyll, tom brothers, gifts from T’ash to his friend, Holm Holly (prominent character in the first two books as the heir to House of Holly) and Lark Collinson, a healer from the Houses of Heather and Hawthrone. A wee touch of Romeo and Juliet is the undercurrent to HEART DUEL as the Houses of Holly and Hawthorne are ancient enemies. Lark heals the arrogant, but gorgeous Holm Holly, a man she grew up with, and watched from a far. He was the handsome, brash warrior, she quiet women with a Flair for healing. Both have undergone the three passages and neither saw their Heartmate that set their Flairs free, so both assumed there would not be one for them. Lark married a commoner, also a healer, but he died three years before the tale opens. So it is shocking to Holm to recognize as she heals his wound, that Lark is his Heartmate. Winning her will not be easy. Neither family will welcome their bonding, especially as the long animosity is edging toward open war between the two families. But Holm will let nothing stop him from forming the Heartbond, not even Lark herself.

However, his resolve is tested when his mother is stabbed by a Hawthorne youth, the blade carrying a poison that nearly kills her. As the feud escalates, so does Holm’s determination to win his Heartmate. Only Lark sees the situation as hopeless. Thus, Holm must fashion his Heartgift to win her love.

People who love HEARTMATE and HEART THIEF…will be thrilled with this next entry in the Celta series. Long may Robin D. Owen’s thrill us with her very special talent.

Robin has such a fresh, original series going. I would say each book is as good as the next, but frankly, I think she just gets better with each tale. Cannot wait for more Fam tales!

After three failed passages to find his HEARTMATE, warrior Holm Holly, heir to the House of Holly, believes he has none. Likewise healer Lark Collinson of the Houses of Hawthorne feels the same way as she never met her HEARTMATE during her three passages.

Lark heals the haughty Holm Holly, but while she works on his wound, he shockingly realizes she is his HEARTMATE. However, winning her over and forging the bond with her will be very difficult as Holm also knows that their respective families hate one another. As he works to win Lark's love and ultimate bond with her, her kin stabs his mother using a poisoned blade. The family feud explodes even while Holm continues his quest to gain the love of his HEARTMATE, who shares his feelings but feels their love is meant to fail.

The third Celta tale (see HEARTMATE and HEART THIEF) is an exhilarating love story with psychic powers to add to the feuds that threaten to keep the lead duo apart. The delightful story line is cleverly executed so that he audience can understand the planet's society and customs especially the bonding ritual and how deep a cut bad blood flows. Robin D. Owen proves once again that she is among the top rung of fantasy romance authors with this fantastic tale that will have the audience wondering if perhaps the Celta version of Taming of the Shrew will follow.

Harriet Klausner

I have read each book in this series and I have to say this one was the best of them all. All of them were wonderful, but this one stayed with me even after I read it. I was emotional, passionate and more powerful on different emotional levels. You can feel the frustration with each character and the longing as well. It is an awesome series, but this one really was the best book this far, in my opinion. But I hope there are more to come!

I purchased this book after reading Ms. Owens first book "Heart Mate" and second book "Heart Thief". This book mixes sci-fi/fantasy and romance together, which makes it a great combo for me, as I enjoy reading both genres. I think this is a beautifully written story rich in detail of the world Ms. Owens has created. I enjoyed reading the first and second books and I enjoyed this one just as much. I can barely wait for new stories by Ms. Owens to come out.

What's to like? Celta & all that involves, appearances by T'Ash & Danith and Ailim & Ruis (from previous novels), heartbreaking moments, especially with Holm (not giving anything away here), the kittens.

Problems: Where's the charismatic Holm we came to love in the first 2 books? I had a little trouble believing he was so inept with Lark (and only Lark). Lark is a bit annoying at times because she refuses to see past Holm's status as a fighter; it's opposed to her status as a Healer. Lark's Heartgift just doesn't seem to fit the rules; I hated it; it didn't even use her creative gift which seems to be a requirement of sorts. The bittersweet ending. Saying much more would harm one's enjoyment of the story by taking away the suspense, but I hope that the next book (or 2) addresses that which still causes my heart to ache. These problems dropped the rating to 4 stars.

Not as good as #2, but still a wonderful effort by Ms. Owens. She's on my automatic buy list (and it's a VERY small list).