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20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Hard to find anything good to say, May 9, 2005
I have read a lot of books that Jude Deveraux has written, and she has produced some very entertaining romances... unfortunately, this isn't one of them. About a quarter of the way through, I was debating putting the book down, but I just kept hoping it would get better. I ended up being extremely dissatisfied. I guess every author is allowed an "off" book -- this will teach me not to buy a book solely on the reputation of the author. I like books with strong heroines and plenty of character development. In fact, Jura and and her friend Cilean were the best part of the book. I liked their interplay (what little there was of it), and it was probably the most "real" part of the narrative. As tiny a crumb that is, it doesn't make up for the rest of the story. Our hero, Rowan, for all that he is touted as being "wise" is sadly pretty dumb about relationships, and frustratingly full of preconcieved notions about how real women are supposed to behave. It reminds me of Sharon Green's "Terrillian" series where the male lead expects the woman to do all the changing. I never felt that Rowan ever respected Jura for herself -- except for lusting after her -- which is what brought them together in the first place. As much as he accosts her (even so far as forcing himself on her), I could hardly blame her wanting to put some distance between them. They spend so much of the book at odds with each other, it is completely unbelievable when Jura feels wrong for having doubted her husband and how she felt she might die without him when faced with losing him. The couple are rather like oil and water -- they definitely don't mix at all. Their courtship is comprised of her repeatedly pointing out his lack of understanding in Lanconian motivations and his arrogance in ignoring her input and pretty much demanding that she will fall in love with him. If Rowan has a sensitive side, I don't see it... he only seems attracted to her by her appearance, and doesn't show any desire to find out what she is like as a person; the same thing could be said about Jura. Not that it matters, as you really don't learn much about them from the book anyway. The characters hardly change at all throughout the book, and it is really too bad as there were plenty of opportunities to watch them grow as a couple. It was baffling to try and find a good reason for them to deserve connubial bliss. The plot is extremely thin to nonexistant. They spend half the book tramping around from village to village trying to unite the tribes by getting them to intermarry. The story just drags along, and you never feel like it gets anywhere. After reading so many of Ms. Deveraux's historical novels, it was also hard to accept the environs of her make-believe kingdom. By the time I got half way though, I gave up hoping they could have a happy ending -- I realized that I had no emotional investment in either of them. It was quite a relief when I got to the last chapter. This is one book I won't mind donating to the next charity book sale. I really tried to like it, but it ended up being a real waste of time.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very intertaining and delightful reading--a page-turner., April 23, 1999
By A Customer
Jude (is it pronounced Judy?) Deveraux's The Maiden gave a vivid excursion into the 13th century--much like Knight in Shining Armour, however, this book was plausable, i.e., it could have happened. Brave Heart comes to mind in comparison,but this book is without the gore. The Maiden brings close together 2 Royal sects of opposite cultures (the English elete & the un-cultured/uneducated/undisciplined but very proud people) with surprising results. The book allows you escape into a time warp that you could never experience otherwise and didn't want it to end.
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11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing, July 6, 2006
I didn't really care for this story and I'll tell you why. It's typically a well-written story but I found myself unable to find any kind of empathy for either the hero or heroine. The hero, Rowan, is a prince destined to be king over the Lanconian clan, Irial. He is, however, only half-Lanconian. He was raised by his English Uncle but tutored by a wizened teacher on the Lanconian ways. When Rowan's father is on his deathbed, Lanconian warriors are sent to fetch Rowan. Many of the people in his clan distrust him and believe, rather, that his younger stepbrother should be king. Rowan, on his way to his homeland, meets Jura, a maiden warrior who is already dead set against him. Jura and Rowan discover a powerful attraction exists between them. Rowan wants her for his queen. She is determined to despise him at every turn. The King, before his death, charges Rowan to unite the six warring Lanconian clans into one, with Rowan as king. This is a near impossible task in Rowan's mind but he believes that, with Jura at his side, the goal can be achieved. So the remaining story is about the quest to unite the clans, for Rowan to win Jura's heart, and win the hearts of all Lanconians. I could not bring myself to like Jura. She is mule-headed, insolent and filled with blind loyalty, to usurp Rowan's right to the throne and help her brother become king in his stead. She constantly accuses Rowan of expecting her to follow him blindly but yet she foolishly follows her brother's lead. Everytime she is with Rowan, she challenges him, even to the point where you want nothing more than to just put the book down and wish you'd never had the misfortune of reading it in the first place. Rowan is too good to be true. He is unbelievably idealistic, chauvinistic, and sometimes makes the most idiotic decisions that put him and his followers' lives at risk. Predictably, Rowan and Jura end up together but by that time, you're almost relieved you're at the end of the story.
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