The Royal Hunter [Mass Market Paperback]

Donna Kauffman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2, 2001

She escaped every trap he set — only to fall prey to his timeless seduction....

As a child, animal rescue worker Talia Trahaern was enchanted by the bedtime stories her mother spun of castles and kings, but she thought they were only fairy tales ... until a darkly compelling stranger invaded her world to reveal the fantastical truth. Suddenly Talia found herself face-to-face with a flesh-and-blood hero straight out of her wildest dreams.

Devlin Archer had come looking for the legendary healer who could save his dying queen. Instead he found a passionate, beautiful woman unaware of the power she’d inherited or the danger that stalked her every move.

Talia was skeptical of Archer’s story of assassins and imperiled kingdoms — but there was no denying his maddeningly seductive charm. As for Archer, he knew there was nothing more dangerous than losing his heart to a woman who didn’t know her own power.

Now, with time running out, they will embark together on a perilous journey — and a timeless love that may cost their very lives.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kauffman (Your Wish Is My Command) continues to mix fantasy, sex and touchy-feely wisdom in this breezy time-travel romance about the Royal Hunter, a 23rd-century Australian mercenary who travels to 21st-century Connecticut to fetch Eleri Trahaern, the Royal Healer. Devin Archer, a hard-boiled hottie with a chip on his shoulder, was hired by Queen Catriona as she lay dying and pregnant with the successor to the Welsh throne of Llanfair. Only Eleri can save Catriona's son, but she fled Llanfair and the century 29 years earlier to protect her unborn daughter from the royal family's enemies. With the help of Baleweg, a Yoda-like mystic, Devin steps through a triangle of time and encounters Talia, Eleri's daughter. Talia, an animal rescuer, was orphaned at the age of six, and although she's always possessed the ability to feel an animal's pain, she knows nothing about healing and very little of Llanfair. While Baleweg trains Talia to open her heart, Devin protects them from Emrys, a wizard who was cloned from Baleweg but who still hasn't learned how to play well with others. Despite Devin's reserve, he is strongly attracted to Talia, and together they learn how to embrace the power of love. Kauffman's whimsical tale stretches the bounds of the believable, but she anchors her readers with sensuality, humor and compassion.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

What would you do if a tall, dark, and handsome man with an Aussie accent showed up at your doorstep? How about if he said he was from the future and meant to take you there? Talia Trahaern is just as skeptical yet unable to look away. She has created a life for herself in Connecticut, albeit a lonely one. Then Devlin Archer shows up to tell her that not only is he from the future but that she's the Royal Healer and must come heal their dying, pregnant queen. Devlin is determined to complete the job, for which the queen will pay him handsomely, but the trick is, he can't take Talia back to the future unless she comes willingly. Understandably, this will take some doing. He's up to the challenge, however; although he's not certain why, she fascinates him. Talia and the reader are in for a great adventure, beginning with her budding relationship with an alluring stranger and ending with saving a kingdom. Maria Hatton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (October 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553582429
• ISBN-13: 978-0553582420
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #992,232 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

USA Today bestselling and award winning author Donna Kauffman has published over fifty titles, most currently still in worldwide release, with many translated into more than a dozen languages. She has seen her books reviewed in venues ranging from Kirkus to Library Journal to Entertainment Weekly and excerpted in magazines, including Cosmopolitan. A previous RITA finalist and DC native, she currently resides just outside the nation's capital in northern Virginia. You can contact her directly through her website at www.donnakauffman.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fairy Tales *do* come true, October 17, 2001

By 

Barbara O'Neill - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Royal Hunter (Mass Market Paperback)

Talia Trahaern, rescuer of animals and an empath, grew up listening to fairy tales her mother told her. Little did she know that they weren't fairy tales, but the recounting of the mother's real life hundreds of years into the future. The bedtime stories were destined to remain pleasant memories until Devlin Archer and his friend, the wizard-like Baleweg, appear at Talia's door, demanding she follow them back to the future to help save their dying queen.

To say Talia is skeptical is a gross understatement, but gradually Baleweg convinces her to embrace her 'gift' and Devlin convinces her to embrace him. She finally agrees to help them and they travel to Devlin's world where we find the most wondrous discovery---tooth decay has been completely eliminated. Seriously though, Talia and Devlin work toward saving the pregnant queen's child while fighting off evil forces who would rather see them all gone. All the while, Talia and Devlin grow closer and closer. But a bold move by the opposition threatens to separate them forever.

Until "The Royal Hunter," I had never read a futuristic-type book, but as long as Ms. Kauffman continues to give readers a can't-put-it-down, good-to-the-last-page story such as this one, I will continue to read them.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent time travel involving a quest, October 2, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Royal Hunter (Mass Market Paperback)

Twenty-five years have passed since the healer Eleri Trahaern vanished and all efforts to find her have failed. Now a dying Queen Catriona orders businessman Devlin Archer to find the missing healer so that at least the baby she carries will inherit the throne and the Dalwyn line will continue to rule.

The quest seems impossible to Devlin until the "Old One" explains that Eleri escaped into the past. Devlin and the "Old One" go back in time to learn that the healer is dead, but her child, now an adult, lives in Connecticut as an animal rescue worker. The two males from the future fail to persuade Talia that her mother's tales of yore were true stories of the future. As they struggle to convince a skeptical Talia, someone else has a different future in mind starting with the modern day death of Talia even with Devlin trying to keep his now beloved from harm.

Putting aside the paradoxes caused by time travel such as why not leap to a time before Eleri left the twenty-third century or even before she died, readers will enjoy this speculative fiction romance. The characters are warm and feel genuine and in turn make the mission of THE ROYAL HUNTER even more adventurous for the audience to follow. Throw in a strong romance on top of the main plot and a wonderful cast and fans of time travel and science fiction romance are left with a tremendous royal tale.

Harriet Klausner

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The future can be romantic, October 29, 2001

By 

Tisha D. Boldery - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Royal Hunter (Mass Market Paperback)

Many times we pick up a book and if it is futuristic romance, we usually put it back on the shelf. I can't honestly say that I didnt think about doing that to this one. However, I am certainly glad that I didnt. This book was well thought out and excellently executed. The story line takes a 28 year old woman named Talia who resides in the 21st century to the 23rd century with a mercenary who has heart named Devin Archer. Together along with a few important side characters such as Baleweg and Ringer, they are able to delve into Talia's special gifts and save a kingdom in grave danger. This was truly a wonderful read and I highly recommend it. I can't wait to get my hands on her next book The Charm Stone.