Customer Reviews

Sword of the Highlands (Berkley Sensation)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Sword of the Highlands is a lot like Karen Marie Moning's highlander series. Veronica Wolff gives life and love to two characters, Magda Deacon and James Graham. It's a tremendous story about a true man in history. James Graham has led many battles in the War of the Three Kingdoms. Wolff provides great insight into this time period.

Magda is an heiress in New York City who works in the Metropolitan museum, restoring paintings. She is called into work for the weekend by her boss Walter to restore seventeenth century paintings for the upcoming exhibit. This is when she first sees the portrait of James Graham and curiosity sparks. She finds out from Walter that James had been captured, imprisoned, and hanged. Walter leaves her to do her job and Madga finds she is unable to concentrate on her work. That is when she is drawn to the portrait and sent back to the seventeenth century to land right in James Graham's lap.

James Graham, the first Marquis of Montrose is the sword of the highlands. He will go to all ends of the Earth to save Scotland and bring justice to his people. He doesn't know what to make of Magda, but he finds himself intrigued by her. Magda knows that she can't leave this time period or the man she is so drawn too.

War follows at their very heals everywhere they go. Magda and James meet memorable and loyal friends who fight along beside them against Campbell and the Covenanters. You can't help but fall in love with James as Magda has.

I truly would like to see the painting of James Graham that inspired this book. It'd be interesting to see if he's as handsome as Wolff described. This is a great read and the first I have read of Veronica Wolff. I promise you, you will not be disappointed.

SWORD OF THE HIGHLANDS
VERONICA WOLFF
Historical Romance / Time Travel

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

Beautiful, auburn-haired Magdalene Deacon, member of Manhattan's most philanthropic society family, made it her business to be the best of the best in the arcane world of identifying, cleaning and restoring old paintings. Since her brother's accidental death, she'd thrown herself into her work - assistant curator of European Art at a prestigious museum. While preparing an exhibit of 17th century paintings, she was captivated by a portrait of James Graham, first Marquis of Montrose. With his charismatic image coming to life in her dreams, Magda was compelled to learn more, and discovered that handsome, vital James was captured, imprisoned, and executed in the prime of life. Compelled to take return to the museum for one more look at his enigmatic portrait, Magda touched the canvas; then reality dissolved.

A resounding "oof" was James Graham's response when a woman landed on top of him in his bed. Although his brain was groggy with sleep, the rest of him was awakening nicely. But although Magda was a nice armful, her obvious panic and disorientation quickly extinguished his initial response. His innate courtesy soon had him soothing her into sleep, but his curious mind took note of her unusual attire, strange personal effects, and odd accent. He found himself intrigued - a novel sensation for a man who found few females to hold any mystery.

SWORD OF THE HIGHLANDS is an artful blend of historical fiction and romance, sprinkled with a bit of revisionist fantasy and a dash of "what if." Much of the setting, character of the times, and events actually happened. The romance of Magda and James is well developed and utterly believable. While history shows that the real James came to an untimely end, the author's literary ruse , having him disappear into anonymity with his true love (who rescues him from prison), is a much more satisfying resolution. It's an entertaining fancy to note that the name of the real James Graham's wife was also Magdalene. All in all, a delightful read, an entertaining mix of fact and fiction, and a fun romance that convinces the reader that a modern woman could adapt to living in the past and that a man from the past could grow to understand a modern woman.

Veronica Wolff was an aspiring art historian when she realized that academic writing was not the place to explore her romantic flights of fancy. She lived everywhere from Hawaii to Texas to India before finally settling in northern California where she lives with her husband and two children. Visit her at www.VeronicaWolffcom.

Deana
Enchanting Reviews
July 2008

Robin of Night Owl Romance - 5/5 Hearts

Magda Deacon wortks as an art curater for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. While cleaning some old paintings, she finds herself captivated by an old portrait of a seventeenth-century Highlander. As she reaches out to touch the painting, she finds herself falling though time.

James Graham, First Marquis of Montrose, is suprised when he's awaken from a deep sleep to find a woman, Magda, sitting on top of him. The more time James and Magda spend together, the more they find themselves falling for each other. But with war on the horizon, can they make their love work and stay together.

Ms. Wolff writes a passionate tale of two people from very different times finding love. I found this book to to be very entertaining. I was lucky enough to read her first book, Master of the Highlands, and her second book is even better. Her next book is titled Warrior of the Highland. I was unable to find a release date for this one, but keep your eye out for it.

http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.asp?ReviewId=1447

© Night Owl Romance 2007-2008

Veronica Wolff's Sword of the Highlands is a solid, enjoyable read. That said, it just doesn't stick out in my mind beyond that. The characters are interesting enough; the battle scenes, romances, and bedroom scenes are fun. I particularly appreciated that Ms. Wolff included historical notes at the end detailing the actual history that inspired her and the sorts of things she changed---that kind of thing always intrigues me.

I did have some trouble with the visuals. Parts of the story were beautifully detailed and easy to imagine, such as a lovely river bath scene relatively early on in the book. At other times I found myself frowning from page to page as I struggled to map words to a visual image. It's a problem that sometimes distracted from the story and pulled me out of the immersion. This is even the case in one of the sex scenes, which is definitely not a place where you want to find yourself struggling to figure out what on earth the characters were actually doing!

Beyond that, though, while it is a solid read, it just didn't stand out from others like it. The characters didn't seem particularly unusual, 'real,' or lively; the plot didn't have any real surprises to it. It didn't sweep me up in its emotions the way some books do (and that aspect tends to be particularly important in a romance). As a way to pass the time it's a perfectly reasonable choice, but there's nothing about it that makes me want to recommend it over any other decent example of the genre.

Okay, I just finish reading Hannah Howell's "Highland Captive," which by the way is 4 stars. So I was still in the mood for another Highland Romance. Not with this story. Where was the romance and passion? This is listed as a Historical Romance. I love history, don't get me wrong, but this book contain too much historical information, and not romance. I skimmed though the book wanting to find romance/passion. I am sorry to say this was a boring story. OMg....The Heroine was supposed to be this intelligent cultured person, but once she went back in time, her brain stop working. Maybe she had one or two moments, but she bored me! If you want to read a passion/romantic filled highland novel, I recommend anything written by Paula Quinn (Laird of the Mist), and Hannah Howell(Highland Bride).

Her boss Walter, principal curator at the MOMA, asks his sister art curator Magda Deacon to come to the Metropolitan to see an oil painting he wants added to the exhibit Finding Arcadia: Pastoral Paintings of the seventieth Century she put together. She is stunned when she sees the painting and wonders if her brother is right about too many carbs as she is attracted to the portrait of Lord James Graham, the first Marquis of Montrose. She cannot stop herself from touching his face. Shockingly that caress sends Magda back through time into James' bed.

A noted womanizer James is excited with finding a beautiful female occupying his bed. However, her behavior is brazen as she is not bashful with intelligent opinions on all sorts of topics including independence, freedom and leadership. She also beats the guys at golf and rides a horse like a man. However in his bed she is his woman. As they fall in love James is irate at the demands of his monarch to support a foolish war. However he becomes preoccupied with saving his beloved when his enemy Lord Campbell abducts her.

Although somewhat similar in tone to Virginia Wolff's previous time travel romance (see MASTER OF THE HIGHLANDS), this is an engaging tale as a twenty-first century Manhattan female takes over seventeenth century Highlands Scotland. The story line is fast-paced, but it is owned by the computer age woman who knows what she wants in and out of bed and the laird mesmerized by this intelligent sexy anachronism. Their romance makes for a fun read.

Harriet Klausner

This series of books was recommended to me by several Diana Gabaldon (Outlander Series)fans as similar to that series. In concept, yes; in actuality it's mediocre time travel at best. Not my cup of Scottish tea!

New York art curator Magda Deacon loves the new painting delivered to the museum. It features a handsome highlander, and he captures her heart. But while she's cleaning it before it's to be displayed she finds herself drawn back in time, and suddenly she's in bed: with the subject of the painting.

James Graham, the Marquise of Montrose, is intrigued by the woman he finds in his bed. She's different, though. She likes to golf, and she has strange objects that can do things like light a fire. He's captivated by her, and her story of coming from the future.

But James lives in a tumultuous time, where war rages between king and country and clans. And Magda knows James' fate. Can she switch things around, and change history? Or is the couple doomed to have an unhappy ending?

Sword of the Highlander is rich in history and detail. Magda is a strong character who works to make the best of her situation, and James is a wonderful hero, who cares for her deeply. Their love is strong, and pulls at the heartstrings. There is a lot of history in this book, and it is richly described. I wished, however, that the couple did not spend so much time apart. I know the reasons for it, but I have to admit it slowed the story down for me.

Sword of the Highlander is a great story for lovers of history, and time-travel.

Amelia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

This book was a very good book, loved the storyline and characters. Veronica Wolff is an awesome author, she knows how to tell a damn good story. I would recommend this book and the others in this series to everyone I know.

Fortunately, these characters can deal with "time-travel" better than I think I could (if possible). But, you get hooked on the characters and want to read the next book in the series ASAP. Enjoyable...