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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another Fabulous Book!, September 22, 2008
This review is from: Secrets of the Knight (Mass Market Paperback)
Julia Latham has swiftly moved to the top of my auto buy list for medieval romances. Some medieval romance authors tend to create a very alpha hero who captures the missish heroine. This is not the case with Julia Latham's third installment in the League of Blades Series, Secrets of the Knight.
Diana Winslow is not your typical 15th century woman. She is the first female member of the League of Blades. The only bladeswoman in a band of men. The League is a secret society of bladesmen who fight for justice and the good of England. At the tender age of 17, Diana is sent to Castle Bannaster by the League on her first mission. Her mission is simple - go undercover as a maid, gain the confidence of the servants, and assist the servants in standing up to their master and abuser, Viscount Bannaster. But in her attempts to help the servants, Diana discovers the unwanted attention of Viscount Bannaster. When he tries to force his lecherous motives on her, the training of the League takes over and she kills him, only to turn and find the brown eyes of his younger brother staring at her.
At the age of 18, Thomas Bannaster has lived a life full of unhappiness. From a young age, his family has insisted he is destined for the priesthood. Although reluctant to do this, Thomas agrees out of family duty and loyalty. But Thomas dreams of more for his life. As Julia writes, "He wanted to feel . . . close to someone, to feel loved and to love in return." One night he enters his brother's chambers and finds Viscount Bannaster attacking a young servant girl. Thomas witnesses his brother's murder. Instead of calling for the guards and imprisoning the servant, he tells her to grab her dagger and leave the castle as soon as possible.
Fast forward 6 years later. Diana finds out that Thomas Bannaster, Viscount Bannaster, will be visiting her family home in an effort to court her beautiful sister Cicely. Desperate to keep Thomas from discovering her as his brother's killer, Diana does what any bladesman or rather bladeswoman would do - she abducts Thomas and throws him in her dungeon to hold as her prisoner. But will this prisoner reverse the roles on Diana and capture her heart?
I thoroughly enjoyed watching the relationship between Diana and Thomas evolve from foe to more than friend. Julia Latham has created two wonderful characters, both of which are full of surprises. I smiled and sighed as Thomas slowly showed Diana that even though she was physically strong and could wield a dagger better than most men, she was still a woman. A woman worthy of love, of desire, and of happily ever after.
Julia Latham also writes Victorian historical romances under the name Gayle Callen. Personally, I don't care what name she puts on her books as long as she continues to write keepers like this one. I hope that you will go out and buy Secrets of the Knight and enjoy the adventure. You will not be disappointed!
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
missed opportunity for bladeswoman, May 11, 2009
This review is from: Secrets of the Knight (Mass Market Paperback)
I enjoyed the other books in this series and was looking forward to the story of the first Bladeswoman but Diana is an embarrassment.
Her first assignment is to make the locals "understand that if they stand together they can force the viscount to alter his behavior, that he would be held accountable." Instead she kills the viscount and leaves his younger brother to bear the blame. Sure, it's set so she is killing him in self-defense, but he is unarmed, she is armed and supposedly trained as a Bladesman yet she can't get away without killing him?
Fast forward 6 years - small wonder she has never had a second assignment. Now, the younger brother who willingly let her escape, now the viscount, is coming to court her sister. So...she of course drugs, kidnaps and imprisons him in her dungeon. Why? To save herself from being recognized. The same than any Bladesman would do??? I think not.
This is such a let down. Diana shows a lack of intelligence and honor here that has never been shown in a male Bladesman. She has no plan past the ridiculous kidnapping. On the first page she wants to "fight for justice." Very ironic considering her own actions. The author had a chance to seriously include a woman in this noble League with mystery and action and instead drew a selfish, ineffective hypocrite unable to see things from anyone's perspective but her own.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Julia Latham Keeps Writing Winners, April 1, 2010
This review is from: Secrets of the Knight (Mass Market Paperback)
To tell the truth, I went into this book worried. I read Julia's first book ( Thrill of the Knight) and absolutely adored the book. I then read Julia's second book ( One Knight Only) and was slightly disappointed. It just wasn't as good. Then I got to this one. I was hoping that this one would not disappoint. And boy, did it blow the other two out of the water.
Diana and Tom are both extremely likable and fun characters. Diana tries to be tough and distanced from everything, but under her tough exterior, she's passionate and just wants to be loved. Tom is witty and charming and is just the person to turn her life upside down. I was sure that I would hate Tom because of past deeds in past books, but he more than redeemed himself, even if I do think that his excuse for his actions was a bit lame. I love the situations they get thrown into. They fit together so perfectly. I couldn't help but root for them.
I do feel like the situations with Archie and Cicely were a little hasty and unfinished, but they were extremely unlikable characters and for the most part, I couldn't care less what happened to them in the end. I wished there had some redemption for them, but I can see where it would have been too difficult and make the book too.
All in all, I was thoroughly satisfied with this entire series. I don't think the next two are really related, except for the League connection, but I will definitely be reading those, as well. Julia Latham is permanently on my Auto-Buy List!
(Oh, and can I just say that this cover, and the previous two covers, are absolutely GORGEOUS!)
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