Christian Medieval Fiction – Books and Everyday Life

About the Book:

Of Daggers and Deception by [A. L. Sowards]

Title: Of Daggers of Deception
Series: Duchy of Athens Series #2
Author: A. L. Sowards
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: December 6, 2021
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction, Medieval Adventure

After years as a soldier and mercenary, Rasheed has retired from battle to run the bathhouse in Thebes with his friends Gillen and Eudocia. The simple life suits them, so when Venetian strangers come to town looking to hire the renowned crew, their answer is no. But when one of his friends is abducted, Rasheed is left with no choice but to take up his weapon and join forces with the Venetians, including the beautiful and clever Cecilia, whose betrothed has also been seized by the unknown foe.

As the reluctant allies face ambushes and the looming threat of capture, Rasheed and Cecilia forge a surprising connection. But as the party races to rescue their friends, Rasheed discovers that nothing is as it seems. As his trust in Cecilia begins to waver, he realizes that in the end, they will both be forced to make a choice between love and duty.

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Book Review:

This was a fascinating book with engaging characters and a thrilling plot! Of Daggers and Deception is the sequel to A.L. Sowards book, Of Swords and Shadows. I have heard so many great things about this book and the first book that I had to try it out. Of Daggers and Deception is set 11 years after Of Swords and Shadows and it follows Rasheed as he takes up his sword to save his friend.

Rasheed was such a complex character, it was so interesting to read from his perspective. He was such a deep character, he had been through a lot and he was still learning how to create a new life for himself. I loved his loyalty and kindness, he was loyal to his friends and would do anything for them, they had become his family. Although his family had been horrible to him, he was still kind and he still tried to be considerate of others. Rasheed was learning how to see past his mistakes and how to care for himself. He had been looking out for others so much that sometimes he got lost in the crossfire.

Cecilia was also interesting, she was smart and she wasn’t afraid to speak up for herself. However her uncle had trained her that she must be loyal to her family and that a woman’s place was to be quiet and assist her husband. But Cecilia still tried to be herself. It was sweet to read about her connection with Rasheed. But there were times I was frustrated with her because she seemed to be resigning herself to whatever fate her uncle chose for her. Cecilia will have to make a choice, will she allow her uncle to control her life or will she stand up for what is right?

The plot was so interesting, I didn’t know what was going to happen. I enjoyed this book, however I did have to get myself to read it. Every time that I started Of Daggers and Deception, I loved it and didn’t want to put it down. However once I put it down, it was harder to pick it back up again. But it definitely was a great book! The characters felt real and I loved reading about them connecting and interacting. The side characters were a great addition to the book

Of Daggers and Deception is a great book if you love historical fiction, action, and lovable characters. It is a bit more violent because they are in 14th Century Greece, but nothing felt too gory or like it was written in too much detail. I did enjoy Of Daggers and Deception and I would recommend it to at least 13 and up.

Content Warning: fighting, blood, wounds, mentions of slavery, mentions of whipping, etc.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

Giveaway:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0ae98b8a293/

About the Author

A. L. Sowards is the author of multiple historical fiction novels, with settings spanning the globe from the fourteenth to twentieth centuries. Her stories have earned a Whitney Award, several Whitney Finalists positions, and a Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal. She enjoys hiking and swimming, usually manages to keep up with the laundry, and loves it when someone else cooks dinner. She currently lives in the beautiful state of Alaska with her husband, three children, and an ever-growing library.

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Besotted (The Fairest Maidens Book 3) by [Jody Hedlund]

About the Book:

Title: Besotted
Author: Jody Hedlund
Publisher: Northern Lights Press
Release Date: November 17, 2020
Genre: Historical Christian Romance

In a land where being the fairest maiden is a curse . . .

A young queen trying to stay alive until she comes of age to rule, and a prince turned into a pauper.

Queen Aurora of Mercia has spent her entire life deep in Inglewood Forest, hiding from Warwick’s Queen Margery, who seeks her demise. As the time draws near for Aurora to take the throne, she happens upon a handsome woodcutter. Although friendship with outsiders is forbidden and dangerous, she cannot stay away from the charming stranger.

Only two months away from completing his royal testing, Prince Kresten of Scania is ready to be finished with the poverty and hardships of being a woodcutter. When he meets a beautiful peasant woman, he doesn’t plan to fall in love, especially when he must soon leave and return to his homeland.

As Queen Margery’s forces close in, Aurora finds herself in mortal danger. Kresten knows a future with Aurora is impossible, but he is desperate to save her and bring an end to the queen’s threat. To do so, he joins the ultimate battle against the evil queen, risking everything, including his chance at true love.

Book Review:

I was so looking forward to this book and it was incredible! Besotted is the third book in Jody Hedlund’s Fairest Maidens series. I was so excited to see the final book in the series, we finally got to read about the youngest brother, Kresten. Prince Kresen of Scania is ready to be finished with his royal testing. However, he meets a beautiful peasant who turns his life upside down. Aurora is so different then he expected but she has a secret of her own that doomed their relationship from the start. Kresten didn’t plan to fall in love, but as Queen Margery’s forces close in he finds himself desperate to save Aurora and bring an end to the queen’s threat.

Okay first thing first, I really liked Kresten. He was nice and I liked how he was different from his brothers. He was kind and worked hard, however, he did not think that he could ever beat his older brothers in the testing. Kresten gave off the appearance of being a flirt, but then he met Aurora and she changed everything. I liked how Kresten started to fall for her, but how he still tried to be true to the testing. He was such a noble man. He had to figure out how much he was willing to risk for Aurora.

Aurora was tired of hiding. She wanted to be a good queen, but she didn’t feel like she would be up to it. Her mother was a great queen and she felt the weight of caring for people who didn’t really know her. She was compassionate and noble. I really enjoyed reading about her with Kresten. They were so cute. However, Aurora had to figure out if she should follow her heart or do her duty as queen.

It was so thrilling to see everything come together. Aurora finds herself in more danger than ever as Queen Margery gets closer to finding her. It was fun to see Aurora and Kresten fall in love, but I didn’t know how they were going to end up together. They both thought that the other was a peasant and they knew that they could never be together. I loved when Mikkel and Vilmar made appearances, that was very exciting. The side characters were so fun. My favorite side characters in this book were Chester and Jrog, they were very cool. I loved how Ms. Hedlund weaved aspects of Sleeping Beauty throughout the book. The ending was amazing, it made me so happy.

One of my favorite quotes was “Tis never too late for any of us,” I added softly. “As long as we have today, we have the opportunity to choose rightly and walk a better path.” It is never too late to turn to God and make amends. You may have to live with the consequences of your actions, but God will always accept you.

I can’t believe that the Fairest Maidens series has ended. Besotted was a great book and I loved the cover. I would definitely recommend Besotted and the first two books. Besotted was a different look at Sleeping Beauty and yet it was breathtaking and amazing! I am so excited to see what else Ms. Hedlund writes!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.