By Possession (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Earlier this year, Hunter excited romance readers with the release of her first novel, the medieval By Arrangement. With the release of this new volume, she cements her position as one of the brightest new writers in the genre. Brimming with intelligent writing, historical detail and passionate, complex protagonists, this novel follows Addis de Valence, a Crusading knight who returns, seemingly from the dead, to reclaim the heritage he had lost to a scheming half-brother and the whims of a greedy king. Caught up in his struggle is Moira Falkner, a young, serf-born woman who knows that loving the scarred Addis will lead to nothing but misery. But Addis knows he cannot live without Moira and that he is only at peace with her in his life. Yet, if Addis regains his position, Moira would have to live in the shadows, as her mother did, and she finds this unacceptable. Hunter makes 14th-century England come aliveDfrom the details of its sights, sounds and smells to the political context of this rebellious and dangerous time, when alliances and treason went hand in hand. For all the historical richness of the story, the romantic aspect is never lost, and the poignancy of the characters' seemingly untenable love is truly touching. (Sept)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Don't miss any of Madeline Hunter's enchanting trio of novels... where love blossoms among the splendors of 14th-century London


On sale now "A lovely, utterly compelling novel."
-- Jane Feather

and by design On sale in early 2001

"Earlier this year, Hunter excited romance readers with the release of her first novel, the medieval By Arrangement. With the release of this new volume, she cements her position as one of the brightest new writers in the genre."
--Publisher's Weekly -- Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; Reprint edition (September 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553582216
• ISBN-13: 978-0553582215
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #156,540 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This one is a B+ for me!, September 13, 2000

By	Laurie Gold "bookie" (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a romance reader with "peasant" tastes, I looked forward to reading By Possession, the second in a trilogy of stand-alone medieval romances with some trepidation. The reviewer who raved about the first title (By Arrangement) at the site I publish, All About Romance, has far more sophisticated romance taste buds than I - what if I wasn't "up" to the book? Well, that worry was for naught; author Hunter makes 14th century England come alive in a manner few authors have done for me. For all the historical richness of the story, the romantic aspect is never lost, and the poignancy of the seemingly untenable love between scarred knight Addis de Valence and serf-born Moira Falkner is truly touching. By Possession is a medieval romance brimming with romance, intrigue, and excitement. It should well satisfy not only readers who demand a high level of historical accuracy, but readers who look to historical romance to learn about history.

TTFN, Laurie Likes Books

Publisher, All About Romance

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!, September 18, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

Like many reviewers, I read Madeline Hunter's first historical, By Arrangement. I really enjoyed that book and looked forward to the next two books - By Possession is the first of the two, and is truly exceptional. Ms. Hunter does her research on the period, so the political and social backdrop is realistic. But more importantly, she creates characters that we (as 21st century readers) can relate to, but are not 21st century people. I know that sounds rather convoluted...I've read a lot of medievals in the last few months, and many have characters that are quite contemporary. Moira and Addis seem to be very much a product of their times - which means you may not like how they act all the time (especially Addis), but it makes for a more realistic story. I actually wondered (at points) how the book would end - and lets face it, you rarely do have questions about how romance stories are going to end, do you? Ultimately, the story was incredibly powerful. Addis and Moira create such a synergy. I look forward to the next book, By Design, where we get to see how things turn out for Rhys, a character that was introduced in this book. This book is a great read!

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entranced from cover to cover..., September 28, 2000

By	Julianne "bicoastalite" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been waiting patiently for the release of BY POSSESSION after I read BY ARRANGEMENT and the wait has been worth it. (Only if all waiting have this kind of reward!) Madeline Hunter has to be this year's best new writer. Her writing is compelling, strong and very heartfelt. This is not one of those easy-going, lighthearted romance novels. It's brutal sometimes, it's painful to read at times and it's full of excitement. And, it's one of those books where you just have to stop and close your eyes to savor the moment.

Madeline Hunter is trying to corner the noble-born & commoner love story market and I think she is doing that rather well. The 14th century was never so romantic with a story of a knight and a bondwoman truly in love. Addis de Valence and Moira Falkner make what seems like an impossible relationship work. After all, she is the daughter of a bondwoman and he is a knight who's just returned from the Baltic crusades... who has also been presumed dead for the past 6 years. Of course, there is the bit about his ancestral home, Barrowburgh, which is Addis' by right, is over taken by the greedy and cowardly stepbrother in his absence. And while the country is in turmoil because of a weak king, Addis fights for the home that is his and a woman that makes him feel at peace. She fully realizes the consequences of loving this man, who owns her. And knows that she will lose her chance of a good marriage if she does. Her mind might be fighting against their relationship but her heart is saying something completely different. And I can't say much more because I'm going to be giving the plot away. Wow... this was a good book. I loved every part of it.s

Now, only if 2001 comes a little faster... BY DESIGN seems like another winner.