OR
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Learn more
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
![The Dark Lord: A Medieval Romance (Battle Lords of de Velt Book 1) by [Kathryn Le Veque]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51UK4dg6lIL._SY346_.jpg)
The Dark Lord: A Medieval Romance (Battle Lords of de Velt Book 1) Kindle Edition
Price | New from | Used from |
Audible Audiobook, Unabridged
"Please retry" |
$0.00
| Free with your Audible trial |
- Kindle
$0.00 Read with Kindle Unlimited to also enjoy access to over 4 million more titles $0.99 to buy -
Audiobook
$0.00 Free with your Audible trial - Paperback
$12.99
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateMay 31, 2014
- File size4568 KB
-
Next 3 for you in this series
$5.97 -
Next 5 for you in this series
$12.95 -
All 7 for you in this series
$20.93
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Editorial Reviews
Review
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B008CIQDDK
- Publisher : Kathryn Le Veque Novels, Inc.; 1st edition (May 31, 2014)
- Publication date : May 31, 2014
- Language : English
- File size : 4568 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 304 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #89,496 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

USA TODAY Bestselling Author
Charter Amazon All-Star Author
#1 ranked English Medieval Romance Author on Amazon
Holt Medallion Finalist 2021
**************
"Hailed as The Queen of Medieval Romance" - for good reason." - BookLife
"Le Veque is... electrifying...." -- Publisher's Weekly
"Vivid world-building, pitch-perfect prose... Kathryn Le Veque has made a fan of me...." -- TopShelf Reviews
"Medieval Romance just doesn't get any better than this...." -- Uncaged Book Reviews
"Kathryn Le Veque is a force of nature. Her stories are epic, with timeless themes and heroes to die for." --Tanya Anne Crosby, New York Times Bestselling Author
"The epic Medieval Romance is back - thanks to Kathryn Le Veque!" -- Claire Delacroix, New York Times Bestselling author
"This author... genius...!" -- Ind'Tale Magazine
*************
KATHRYN LE VEQUE is a critically acclaimed, USA TODAY Bestselling author (having hit the list over 25 times), an Indie Reader bestseller, a charter Amazon All-Star author, and a #1 bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author in Medieval Historical Romance with over 100 published novels.
Kathryn is a multiple award nominee and winner, including the winner of Uncaged Book Reviews Magazine 2017 and 2018 "Raven Award" for Favorite Medieval Romance. Kathryn is also a multiple RONE nominee (InD'Tale Magazine), holding a record for the number of nominations. In 2018, her novel WARWOLFE was the winner in the Romance category of the Book Excellence Award. In 2021, Kathryn's novel WolfeSword was a Holt Medallion finalist in Historical Romance.
Kathryn is considered one of the top Indie authors in the world with over 2M copies in circulation, and her novels have been translated into several languages. In 2019, Kathryn signed with Sourcebooks Casablanca for a Medieval Fight Club series that released in 2020.
In addition to her own published works, Kathryn is the President/CEO of Dragonblade Publishing, Amazon's #1 ebook publisher of Historical Romance (K-Lytics reporting July 2020). Dragonblade is a small press publishing house specializing in Historical Romance.
Kathryn loves to hear from her readers. Please find Kathryn on Facebook at Kathryn Le Veque, Author, or join her on Twitter @kathrynleveque. Sign up for Kathryn's blog at www.kathrynleveque.com.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
From the beginning of the story where the hero Ajax “Jax” de Velt raids and disrupts the heroine Kellington’s perfect life and home in Pelinom. Jax and his group of mercenaries callously kill all the men, women and then viciously murder all the innocent children and babies. This really sets the somber mood of the book. Eventually as the novel progressed and Jax falls more in love with Kellington he starts to feel something around her and attempts to change his ways. Kellington even starts to notice the struggle he has in trying to be a better person and Jax starts to grow becoming a person who was dead inside to one that actually has feelings. Even with Jax attempting to change who he is others see Jax as the savage warlord he has always been and believe he can never change his ways. Jax no matter what others say intends to marry Kellington but her family and friends plus his friends and knights are determined to tear them apart at whatever chance they get. When all is said and done Jax and Kellington finally after much sieges, battles which are described in graphic detail, heartache, deception, betrayal and unbelievable odds obtain their happy ending. This changes some of the characters especially Jax for the better.
The story I felt was satisfactory and honestly I didn’t mind the brutality of it because that is the intended purpose but I still wanted a more likable hero. Out of all of the hero’s that Ms. Le Veque’s writes about Jax is the one I like the least. If anyone has read my other reviews knows that I dislike Ms. Le Veque's character of Marcus Burton from the Kathlyn Trent/Marcus Burton adventure series but I find that I like him a little bit better now than Jax. I think what distracted me about him was his dual colored eyes and the way she described his apathetic behavior to hurt whoever got in his way. Kellington I felt in a way got short-changed and I almost wanted her to end up with someone more worthy of her. I was happy that Ms. Le Veque did have a chivalrous character Denedor but I was a little disappointed in the fact that he ended up with someone as deceitful as Lavaine who ends up hurting and betraying Kellington. Even though Kellington forgives her in the end maybe in actuality I don't like her character either. I still don't blame Denedor for fighting Jax and trying to get Kellington because I think if I was in his shoes I would do the same thing.
I will say that after reading the book twice it is better the second time around and I do appreciate the characters a little bit better even though I still feel the same for them that I felt before. I however enjoy immensely Ms. Le Veque’s work and will read another story of hers despite not liking the hero and my rating of 4 stars.
The barbarians who burst in Pelinom's keep aren't knights in shining armors. No, their armors are filthy and splashed with the blood of a whole garrison that has just been slaughtered. They are de Velt's ruthless mercenaries and they're here to kill and conquer.
Sir Keat Coleby and his only child, Lady Kellington, are on their knees in Pelinom's great hall that doesn't belong to them anymore. Kellington has always thought that she was living in a little paradise, until the devil crossed the threshold. She was told that Hell is for the dead, she is going to discover the hard way that it can also be for the living. That very day their lives changed for ever.
Kellington, a lovely young woman is an intriguing mix of innocence, impetuosity and boldness. Miraculously, for at least eighteen years, Pelinom has remained sheltered from any battle and siege, until that fateful day. She has this idea that one can be fierce but at the same time stay fair and show mercy. The "way of war" is a notion she cannot even begin to grasp.
Ajax de Velt is a ferocious warlord that matches perfectly these dark and harsh times. A ruthless code without honor has been ingrained in him by his father who came himself from a long lineage of warriors. He believes that brutality and slaughter show power. Men and Kings fear him!
He appears to be invincible on a battlefield or during a siege but what about a battle between two minds and with words ...!
Kathryn Le Veque has created two brilliant and very exciting characters that couldn't be more dissimilar. Their completely opposite minds collide and initially you doubt they'll ever find a common ground. She does a marvelous job at describing both their confusion and inner struggle and, little by little, the relation captor-prisoner that begins to shift. How I loved to observe Ajax certainties crumble under Kellington's gentle but firm assault of words against his mind!
Kellington is very easy to love, in fact I loved her from the start. She's intelligent, curious, goodhearted and would do anything for her people, even being disobedient despite her fear. She's the kind of person that always seeks the best in everyone, and she's going to try the impossible by making Ajax become a better man.
As to Ajax, it's a whole different story. He's a callous killer without conscience . However, the day he conquered Pelinon becomes his downfall: somehow the inconceivable happens, Kellington makes him feel ... makes him smile ... and he finds himself not in control anymore.
I'm not going to say more; there's a lot going on in this book--unexpected turns, betrayal on both sides and danger at every corner. It is such a strong and gripping story. Ms. Leveque is not afraid to describe with crudeness the violence and atrocities of war, and in my opinion she does it masterfully. And in the midst of such a turmoil and devastation, she's able to make love bloom and you believe in it!
This is the first book of Kathryn Le Veque's that I have read and it surely won't be the last. I love the very personal and effective style she uses to tell her story, I simply became addicted. I highly recommend it and give it 5 big stars.
As for Kellington, I thought she was absolutely adorable and without a doubt Jax's saving grace. She did get on my nerves a time or two, but I still thought she was a gentle and sweet young lady. I loved that there were no big misunderstandings between these two and the facet of a forbidden love always pulls at my heartstrings. There was plenty of action, and even one shocking twist near the end that brought tears to my eyes. In the end I would highly recommend this book to lovers of dark medieval romances. And while it is surely a violent and bloody read, it is also a story of redemption that was poignant and absolutely unforgettable!
Ages: Kellingon (18) Ajax (32)
Setting: May, 1180 A.D. England, with an Epilogue a little over a year later.
Pages & Kindle Locations: The story itself contained 291 pages & ended at 94% and location 4566 on my kindle device.
Other Notes: I was tempted to give this book five stars, but there were at least sixty typos that I counted which became annoying to me after a while.
Top reviews from other countries

💋💋
This has to be one of my all time favourite books , not just by Kathryn Le Veque, but ever .
What an amazing setting , battles , with such fantastic descriptions and emotions written into the pages , the whole thing just comes alive.
You can almost hear and smell everything that takes place .
The minute you read the first page your transported to a whole world of Medieval England.
Your senses seem to go on high alert , waiting for the next siege to begin .
Ajax de Velt is one of this authors most bloodthirsty and violent characters and he pulls no punches, he’s totally ruthless.
But slowly he discovers mercy and love with the help of Kellington .
Considering what she must go through , she retains her strength and humanity and helps Ajax to gain a little humanity too.
I can’t praise this book enough and even though I’ve read it 5 times now it never looses its magic .
A wonderful read and a perfect way to loose yourself in another world for a while .

In short, I don't particularly want gritty realism in this type of novel. I daresay that Jax de Velt was very typical of his day his particular kind of brutality was not uncommon, however, I go to the likes of Bernard Cornwall for that kind of gritty realism. I don't want it in my KLV novels...all I want is to be swept away on a tide of romance, a bit of adventure, and a happy ever after...pure escapism.
I wont be keeping this to add to the current 30-odd in my KLV library.

I have however given it 4 stars as it is still a good read and I have read and enjoyed all of her books to date.
I did find it dreadfully gory but then it was an awful time in England's history and so I guess the details stress that fact. Why any conquerer would want to leave the conquered in such a dreadful state on view while he lived in the castle I have no idea but the picture is certainly well illustrated with Kathryn's words and so draws you right into the events happening.
If you are new to Kathryn Le Veque's books , please don't be put off by this one if it isn't your taste, her many other stories are wonderful and I can recommend them wholeheartedly. My particular favourite is The Dark One/ Dark Knight, I absolutely loved the characters and the entire story.

