Book Review-Lord Of Hawkfell Island

Lord Of Hawkfell Isalnd
Viking Series
Catherine Coulter
Jove, 389 Pages
Published Nov 1993
Viking
ISBN: 9780515112306

Synopsis

Rorik is a Viking warrior, as fierce and savage as the North Sea during the winter solstice. Mirana is a Viking woman who loves birds, is more ingenious than most men, and loyal down to her toes. Her life changes utterly one fateful day when Rorik and his men come to Clontarf, a Viking fortress on the eastern coast of Ireland, to kill her half-brother. But she is the one taken as a hostage to use as a pawn against him...Rorik is the Lord of Hawkfell, an island off the east coast of Britain. The moment he brings his captive home, it seems that everything begins to fly out of his control. The women are out to teach the men a lesson with the result that the food is rank, Rorik's family is out for Miranda's blood, a murderer is on the loose, and a huge mongrel, Kerzog, dotes not only on his master but also on his master's captive....

BOOK REVIEW

Summary:
Rorik, a Viking Warrior, seeks revenge against Einar, who brutally killed most of his people. So when he comes to kill him, he decides to take Einar's sister Mirana. So he takes her to his home, Hawkfell Island. Mirana, after tending to Rorik's injury, finds herself kidnapped by the very devil himself. Now she has been taken to his home on a island. Mirana, a viking woman herself,has lived under her half brother's reign, whom she knows deep inside how crazy he can get, and as she starts to spend time on Hawkfell Island, she starts to realize who her step brother truly is, and the desire that she feels with Rorik, flares up through her stay on the Island. But just when things start to come into sync, Rorik's family arrives, and even want her gone from Rorik's life, no matter the means by which it is done. So despite the love that Rorik and Mirana have built, it is threatened by forces all around them. Now will what they have shared, and the love they have built be enough to stand through the coming storm of opposition.


The Hero
Rorik, after losing his wife, children, and many of his people in a raid led by Miran's brother, has bitterness in his heart. So even though Mirana has helped heal him when he attacked her home, takes her as his captive on Hawkfell Isaldn. But her sweet spirit and the passion between them starts to slowly break through the hardness of his heart, and he finds himself in love once again. However upon the return of his family, all the bitterness and hatred come flying back.


The Heroine 
Mirana, is very loyal, lover animals- especially birds, and is a healer. After Rorik attacks her home, intent on killing her step brother Einar, she ends up being the one to start healing him up. However, then he kidnaps her and takes her captive to his Island. At first she is enraged and bent on escaping his hold on her, but then his passionate embraces starts to weaken her resolve in exquisite pleasure. And she doesn't know where her resistance has gone, especially when she is welcomed so warmly by those around her, especially the women. When she starts to fall in love with Rorik, and feel that they have a chance at a future together, his family arrives, and she feel more like a outsider than ever before, and her life is threatened, as well as the love she has built with Rorik.


My Thoughts:
Lord Of Hawkfell Island, is the Second in the Viking Series by Catherine Coulter. This begins as a story of revenge and hatred, then slowly turns into the exact opposite of passion and love that is built between two people that in the beginning despised one another. Throughout this story, these characters come alive for the reader, and each page filled with passion, danger and excitement, and a tender love story. I love the journey that Coulter takes the reader on, filled with excitement and adventure on every page, and a story that will become such a page turner that you will have a hard time putting this one down on the table. Definitely a historical romance you don't want to miss out on!!


My Grade On This Book 
4 Blossoms


Other Books In The Series 
Season In The Sun
Lord of Raven's Peak
Lord of Falcon's Ridge

Book Review-Season Of The Sun

Season Of The Sun
Viking Series
Catherine Coulter
Signet, 378 Pages
Published April 1999
Viking
ISBN: 978-0-451-20648-0

Synopsis:
Zarabeth, with hair as red as an Irish sunset, is chosen by Magnus Haraldsson, a Viking on a trading visit to York, to be his wife. She is both stunned and fascinated by his bluntness, but is soon won over by this man who makes her laugh, brings her desire, and ultimately makes her trust him with her future and that of her little sister, Lotti. But her stepfather, Olav the Vain, has no intention of setting a bride price on Zarabeth. Zarabeth does eventually return with Magnus to his farmstead in Norway, but as his slave, not as his wife. She wears the slave collar around her neck for all to see, but bears his distrust of her and her own pain deep within her.
It is the season of the sun in Norway, the clear midnight light of summer. It is a season of growth and flowering, of treachery and malice, of love and learning.

Summary:
Zarabeth, lives in York with her step father and her step brother and younger sister. Zarabeth has yet to find a spouse, due to the fact that her step father chases most of her suitors away, until a warrior viking comes into town and starts courting her and wanting to marry her. At first Zarabeth is shocked at Magnus at his bluntness at wanting her for his wife and lover, but is intrigued and knows that she wants him as well, because he stirs up her senses like none other has ever done before. But when her step father finds out her true feelings for Magnus, he forces her to betray him threatening to hurt someone she cares for, so she does it, not knowing another way out. But then he comes back and takes her back to Norway as his slave, instead of his wife as he had once planned, however things never seem to go as planned. And Magnus despite her betrayal of him, can't deny the desire that she rises within him, more so than any other woman ever has. However things at home only get more hectic once he brings her to his home, and things between the two defnitely get heated, which could only end up in love.
The Hero 
Magnus Haraldsson, goes to York for a trading visit searching for a wife. Magnus has a son, and lost his wife when his son was two years old, and now is looking for someone to share his bed, and have children with. Then he see's a red haired beauty that charms him, and he starts to have tender feelings toward her until she betrays him, even though it doesn't seem right, but what else can he believe when she isn't honest with him. However after he takes her for his slave, he starts to feel once more for this stunning woman, and wonders if he could ever let her go.
The Heroine 
Zarabeth, is a red haired beauty who has recently had suitors, but her step father chases them away and has yet to be married, and unsuspecting of her step father's plans for her. She is very protective of her younger sister Lotti, who lost her hearing at two years of age. Then a handsome and breathtaking viking comes into York, claiming that she will become his wife, and he makes her life and feel alive as she has never felt before, and knows she could fall in love with Magnus. However then her step father's evil plans step in and she is forced to betray him, even though she desperately wishes there was another way to let him know the truth. Now she ends up his slave and taken to his home in Norway. But things are about to get even more dicey but Zarabeth is a strong willed heroine and up for any challenge.

My Thoughts 
I truly enjoyed Season of the Sun, although I never know when I read Coulter's book if I am going to be able to really enjoy them and immerse myself into the stories, but with this one, I had it read it just a few hours. Crazy I know, but when I like a book, I truly immerse myself and before I know it, its at "The End" part and I look at the time, and its just crazy how fast I can read once I get into a story. I just love Viking romances and this is at the top of my list. Although I thought that throughout the story that there was some things missing from the book. I don't want to spoil the book too much so I wont however share any details, but I thought that there seemed to be a few things in the relationship between these two that I had issues with. However overall it was a great romance read, well written, with vivid characters and a intriguing plot, so defnitely if you like Viking Historical Romances you definitely don't want to miss out on this one or this series!!

My Grade On This Book 
4 Blossoms

Other Books In The Series
Season Of the Sun 
Lord of Hawkfell Island
Lord of Raven's Peak
Lord of Falcon's Ridge