Customer Reviews

Immortal Outlaw (Immortal Brotherhood)

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

 

 

I loved Lisa Hendrix's latest in her Immortal series. Immortal Outlaw was tender, funny, and spirited with just a hint of magic. I liked the hero, the heroine and the secondary characters immensely too.

Hero Steinarr is not just a knight but a cursed man who is centuries old. His curse transforms him into a lion at sundown but he lives as a lonely man during the light. He travels with his fellow cursed knight who becomes a stallion by day and a man at night. Steinarr is supporting himself as a bounty hunter during medieval times and he stumbles upon a woman and her younger cousin needing his assistance. Marion and Robin (yes, the Robin Hood lore comes into play here) are on a quest to solve a riddle that will award Robin his lands and title. The two travel as lowly peasants but Marian (her real name is Matilda) is actually noble born and Robin (really named Robert) is an illegitimate son but must prove his worth by solving a series of riddles left by his late father.

Marion desperately needs Steinarr's help as they have little time to solve the riddles. Steinarr wants nothing to do with them but changes his mind when the Sherriff of Nottingham introduces him to a man who has a bounty on the two. Steinarr takes the commission more than willing to collect his bounty and seduce the lovely Marion too.

Following this couple are two people from Steinarr's past, his friend Ari also cursed and the evil Cwen who cursed them when they killed her son. She is sly as a fox and I never could guess what she was going to do. It was obvious she hated Ari and Steinarr.

Marion can read the emotions of animals and she has a strong connection to Steinarr but does not know why. Their romance is passionate and almost overwhelming to them both as their connection is powerful even though neither one has explained their strange powers to each other but they certainly feel them when they are together.

Steinarr is distrustful of people and quite frankly he is very worried of hurting Marion physically when he becomes a lion. He constantly struggles with intimacy and emotional closeness with Marion who is confused by his actions. Yet in many ways Marion is the braver of the two since she is more willing to share her thoughts and feelings.

The two follow clues across Nottingham and Sherwood Forrest picking up friends along the way and slowly lowering their guard with each other. Their friends will have familiar names like Friar Tuck and Little John. I liked this Robin Hood aspect of the novel as it incorporated Ari, a wonderful secondary character into the story also. The Robin Hood references never overshadowed the main story of Steinnar and Marion's romance however. The closing chapters are particularly well written with Steinarr truly realizing what unconditional love is and Marion bravely reaching out to Steinarr risking not only her reputation but her very life.

Four hundred years ago Cwen the sorceress cursed marauding Viking warriors; the cursed ones live half of a day as human and the other half as a beast; each being a different animal. Ivo is a daytime eagle (see IMMORTAL WARRIOR); Brand is a daytime bear, Ari is a nighttime raven; and Steinarr the Proud spends his night roaring as a lion while roaming Nottingham Forest as the king of the beasts. He avoids human contact as much as possible as he knows they are a treacherous lot.

When he meets half-siblings Marian and Robin Fitzwalter, he learns they seek a concealed treasure that will prove the lad is the rightful owner of his family's lands. Marian asks Steinarr to help them, but his distrust of humans leads to his refusal. She kisses the lion king and implies passion will follow. Though he expects betrayal, he helps them even as a legend of the outlaw Robin Hood and his band of merry men grows. As Marian falls in love with Steinarr; Cwen the sorceress plans to kill the half beast.

The second Immortal Brotherhood medieval romantic fantasy uses a spin on the Robin Hood- Lady Marian legend to tell the tale of Steinarr. The story line is filled with action in Nottingham as the Viking King of the Beasts falls in love with the legendary Lady Marian while Cwen is coming to destroy both of them and the Merry Men. The audience will relish Lisa Hendrix's enjoyable entry while wondering if literary greats like Sir Gawain and Ivanhoe will join future half beasts.

Harriet Klausner

*Some Spoilers*

The second book in the Immortal Brotherhood series takes place during the time of the legend of Robin Hood. Hendrix puts her own spin on the legend, giving it a different twist than what is more commonly known. I liked the twist and it worked well with the romance of the hero and heroine while still providing a plausible explanation as to how the legend came about.

The series is interesting for a number of reasons and not just for the writing. There are nine warriors that were cursed to live out their immortal lives as a man and as an animal. Some of the warriors are men by day and animal at night while others are animals by day and men at night. One of the interesting things is that so far each book takes place during different time periods. I like that better than having the books take place all in the same time period and I look forward to reading the different periods. Maybe the last warrior's story will take place in present day.

Steinarr is the reluctant hero. He's very reclusive due to his animal nature. In my review for Immortal Warrior I mentioned that when the men are in their animal form only some of them maintain their human conscience. Some completely become the animal. Such is the case for Steinarr. In his animal form he truly becomes a lion in every sense of the word. He has injured his fellow warriors and has chosen to keep his distance from all, except for Torvald who travels with Steinarr. Torvald takes the form of a horse by day and keeps watch over Steinarr at night. He guards against any humans crossing Steinarr's path when he is in his lion form. It seems like such a lonely life for both of them.

Steinarr is basically a mercenary with a bit of a conscience. I liked him a lot. He has a dry sense of humor which I always find attractive. He's very practical about what he can expect from life. He doesn't expect any long term relationships with a woman. He prefers to pay for their company so no promises are expected. After coming across Marian and Robin while traveling he helps them out then heads off to complete his job and collect his fee. It's while collecting his fee that he's offered another job. Ironically the new job involves Robin and Marian. Steinarr thought he had left those two behind but now he finds himself right in the thick of it, along for the ride in the quest to find the clues and secure Robin's inheritance .

Marian is a strong, likeable heroine. Her loyal to Robin comes not only from her strength of character but also the fact that she knows and understands what he has been put through by their father. She is determined to help him in his quest but she does at times come off as too over protective of Robin. Eventually she learns that she needs to let him take responsibility for himself.

Marian was determined to get Steinarr to help her and Rob and Steinarr was determined not to. Guess who got their way? LOL Yep, she's stubborn and attractive and gets under Steinarr's skin. He's not use to dealing with women except for the previously mentioned transactions so he's not exactly experienced when it comes to women like Marian. He even tries to scare her off but she knows what he's up to and she doesn't scare easily.

The road trip that Steinarr and Marian take is filled with danger, laughter and some very steamy sex scenes. I liked these two together. I liked reading how they slowly came to trust each other and take the relationship beyond their physical attraction. And searching for the clues to the riddles was fun and an education in history.

The secondary characters do an admirable job filling out the story. Cwen, the sorceress who cursed the nine warriors, is still hot on their trail and is determined to cause as much chaos for them as possible. As far as antagonists go I like her. She evil, cunning and I'm not always sure what she's up to. That's always a plus. :) It's not enough that she placed the curse on the Vikings, she wants to continue to make them suffer.

And Ari is back to help where he can. He was friends with Ivo, the hero from the first book Immortal Warrior. This time around he's tagging along with the Steinarr during the day and helping him with Robin and Marian. Ari is a raven at night and keeps in touch with the other warriors. He's also their scribe, keeping a journal of their lives. I'm looking forward to his story.

Overall, another enjoyable addition to this series. And the covers are just beautiful. Love these covers!

I was hooked from the first page of this book. I love the Robin Hood legends anyway, and the witty romance that Ms. Hendrix created is a great lighthearted addition to my collection.

Snappy dialogue and a strong and sassy heroine are high points for me, but Sir Steinarr is a character that will stay with me (not to mention Sir Ari!)

I loved that Ms. Hendrix was descriptive without being flowery or bogging the reader down with minutia.

An altogether enjoyable read, one that leaves me wanting MORE! I can't wait for the next installment of this series! Sir Torvald's story, perhaps?

Can you give us a hint, Ms. Hendrix???!

I enjoyed Immortal Warrior so much I just had to read the next in Lisa Hendrix' series. Immortal Outlaw is a fine romance set in the time of Robin Hood, and as soon as the characters Robin and Marian appear, the reader starts wondering, how will this all fit together. Well, it fits together great. Lisa Hendrix spins a really good tale, with fascinating historical detail interwoven with delightful mythology and enticing romance. These Viking warriors make deep and complex characters as they struggle through the centuries of their curse. Steinarr's situation is possible worse than the others', the fierceness of his night-time lion always on the fringes of his thoughts. But Marian has hidden strengths that will all be drawn on this tale. The basic treasure hunt is great fun to follow, and the growing romance between the main characters is delightful to watch, though fraught with danger. Another really fun book, with well-played and touching romance. Here's hoping there's more...

If you're not reading the Immortal Brotherhood series, why not? Lisa's shifter series continues with the oh-so-sexy and surly Steinarr, who I immediately wanted for myself, of course. Not only does she weave a fascinating alternate legend for Robin Hood along with a smokin' hot romance, but there's also a treasure hunt with high stakes throughout that I quite enjoyed.

Do yourself a favor and get these books - or at least this one. You won't regret it.

Steinarr has been cursed by the Cwen, a sorceress who condemns him to live out his life as two separate beings. During the day he is a warrior hunter whose only mean of support is to make a living capturing others for money. At night, however, Steinarr becomes a lion, yes, the king of the jungle kind of lion, and roams the forests of Nottingham living out a lonely existence. When he comes upon a young man and woman needing his help, Steinarr hesitates because he doesn't trust easily, but when the beautiful woman, Marion, gazes at him, his heart flutters for the first time in years. Steinarr is spellbound.

The likeness of Immortal Outlaw to the legend of Robin Hood and his band of merry men is more than apparent. However, Ms. Hendrix has taken the legend a step further and added comedic elements as well as steamy love scenes between Steinarr and the fair maid Marion. Steinarr's greatest fear is hurting Marion when he is a lion, but she soon proves that her love is strong enough for anything. Add in the Sheriff of Nottingham as well as the original sorceress Cwen who desires Steinarr's death and you have a fairy tale of a story in its own right.

I can't wait to see what is in store for readers with the next novel by Lisa Hendrix. Immortal Outlaw is definitely a keeper and one I will read again and again.

Talia

Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

This is the 2nd book in the new Immortal Brother Brotherhood novels. I read the first and second books back to back, and enjoyed them both. Fun reads, especially on these cold winter days. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series as they are published.

I am always on the hunt for a good story. Immortal Warrior contains all the elements of character depth, strong goals, barriers, conflicts, obstacles barring their paths, adventure, magic, mystery, intrigue, paranormal, passion, and a satisfying conclusion. This book is a keeper to be read again, at any time I want to re-enter the believable world Lisa created, and participate in the adventures, emotions and lives of these characters. No skipping or scanning in the read, as the writing is clean and fresh, grasping my full attention. For those who are shy of honest but spicy love scenes, you might need to skip past them, but her Brotherhood Series promises to be worth the wait for each new book that appears.

Immortal Outlaw is Lisa's second installment in the Immortal Brotherhood series. Steinarr is a warrior by day and a lion by night, destined to this fate unless he can find his amulet. Getting caught up with a bossy undercover "peasant" out to solve a riddle to save her brother's heritage leaves him wishing he stayed in the forest. The ever present Ari and his love for lore twists in for excitement the ever favorite Robin Hood/Maid Marian tale! And of coarse we can't forget Cwen..A terrific read, kept me turning the pages til it was finished, (in one day!)..Now the wait is for the third installment so we can see which warriors Lisa grabs next! With nine in total here's hoping we don't have to wait too long!! Great job Lisa!