Like a swift and bitter wind, Wulfgar, "the Iron
Wolf of Normandy," sweeps down from the North at the head of an invincible
army to claim the land and people of Darkenwald in the name of William, the
Conqueror King. But proud and beautiful Aislinn will never grovel before the
fearsome invader. A princess of Saxon blood, Aislinn burns with hatred for the
mighty Norman knight who has destroyed her home. And she plots her revenge --
even as she submits to her enemy's passionate will.
But Aislinn is unprepared for the fire her daring foe
awakens in her. And, ultimately, it is the powerful Wolf himself who is
vanquished -- undone by a heart that aches for his courageous and sensuous
captive. For now, only love can set them both free -- a tender devotion forged
in the flames of war and hatred that threatens their separate loyalties...and
their lives.
This is one of the first adult romances I ever read, and
it is still one of my favorites. Yes, it is dated (published in 1974), and many
of its components would not be used today. But in some ways, it is a more
accurate portrayal of the time than some more modern works.
The story opens in 1066 as William the Conqueror fights
his way to the throne of England. He prefers to offer the Saxons the option of
surrendering and living to have to kill them and lose their potential as
subjects. Some of his knights agree with him, but others do not. Wulfgar is one
of his knights, charged with securing the lands of Darkenwald and Cregan.
Wulfgar split his force and went to Cregan himself and sent one of his knights,
Ragnor, to secure Darkenwald. Ragnor had precise instructions on the terms to
offer but ignored them for his own goals. Instead, he used every means available
to goad the lord of Darkenwald into fighting and then killed him and many
others. He then took the lord's daughter, Aislinn, captive, with conquest on
his mind.
Aislinn is an eighteen-year-old beauty with red hair and
a temper to match. She watched her father struck down, her mother beaten, and
life as she knew it crumble around her. But there was no way that she would
give in to her father's murderer. I loved her spirit and determination, though
it seemed a bit reckless to bait Ragnor the way she did, as the later events
proved. Aislinn is also incredibly loyal and loving. Rather than flee the next
morning while Ragnor slept, she tarried to bury her father. There she was
discovered by Wulfgar when he arrived at Darkenwald.
Wulfgar is a knight with a fearsome reputation as a
warrior. He was furious at the carnage he found, and his confrontation with
Ragnor was blunt and to the point. But for all that fearsomeness, it is
immediately apparent that he is neither unreasonable nor cruel. Aislinn expects
the worst from him and is surprised at the fairness with which he treats her
defeated countrymen. He also removes her from Ragnor's possession and takes her
for himself. She's not happy about that but counts herself lucky to be away
from Ragnor.
I loved the development of the relationship between
Wulfgar and Aislinn. The sparks are there from the beginning, though initially,
they were sparks of antagonism. Aislinn has no problem standing up to Wulfgar,
hiding her fears behind anger. Instead of reacting with anger of his own,
Wulfgar seems mostly amused by her. Aislinn is confused by his treatment of her
and the way he makes her feel. Over the next days and weeks, Wulfgar works to
bring order to his new lands, while Aislinn does her best to intercede for her
people. I liked watching the tension build between them as the sparks of
antagonism turned to sparks of attraction, with the inevitable result. Aislinn
struggles with being a mistress when she was raised to be a wife.
Meanwhile, Wulfar has his own struggles. He has always
been able to move from woman to woman, forgetting each one quickly. But when
William sends for him to come to London for the coronation, Wulfar discovers
that he misses Aislinn - her voice, her scent, the way she feels in his arms.
So he sends for her to join him there. I thoroughly enjoyed the London section.
Aislinn realizes that she has fallen in love with Wulfgar, but doesn't know if
she'll ever reach his heart. Some things give her hope, such as his kind
actions and his distinct pleasure in her company. When Ragnor does his best to
stir up trouble, Wulfgar begins to understand just how much she means to him,
but still resists admitting to his feelings. I really felt for Aislinn at this
point because she began to lose hope that she will ever win against his
stubborn refusal to see what they could have. I laughed to see her use her
intelligence as well as her appeal to make her point. Wulfgar suffered through
some miserable days and nights as he fought against himself but eventually saw
the light. I loved the following scenes as a much happier Wulfgar spread that
happiness around.
But all does not run smoothly for the happy couple. Wulfgar's
half-sister and her father had arrived some months earlier, seeking refuge
after losing their lands. While Bolsgar is a good man (despite the past between
him and Wulfgar), Gwyneth is a spoiled, vindictive brat. She treated everyone,
especially Aislinn as if they were far beneath her. She takes up with Ragnor,
who uses her for his own ends while leading her on. Darkenwald is also plagued
by thieves, bent on destroying everything that Wulfgar tries to build. I
enjoyed seeing Wulfgar's efforts to bring an end to the raids, including the
unexpected help he got from Aislinn.
But there was more behind the raids than Wulfgar knew. Someone
was out for revenge, and there was a traitor within his walls. Even though I
have read this book many times before, I was still on the edge of my seat
during the pursuit. The final confrontation was intense with an unexpected
resolution and a surprise revelation that changed Wulfgar's life. The ending
was terrific, with the return to Darkenwald and the surprise waiting there.
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