He’s competing for her hand
And her freedom…
Held captive by her tyrannical sultan father, Princess
Zorahaida lives an isolated life. A tournament is held and Jasim ibn Ismail, a
handsome knight in arms, claims his prize: Zorahaida’s hand in marriage!
Political reasons must be driving his offer—he’s certainly not offering love.
Should Zorahaida grasp the tantalizing taste of freedom marrying the impulsive
knight would gift her?
Very good book. This is the third book in the series but
can easily be read as a standalone. I really enjoyed the different setting of
this one, in the Alhambra area of Andalusia, Spain, during its Moorish time.
The descriptions of places, people, and objects were vivid and added to the
realism of the story.
Princess Zorahaida is a captive in her own home, thanks
to her abusive sultan father. The restrictions have gotten worse since her two
sisters' runaway marriages, and Zorahaida has all but given up any hope of
marrying. She is intelligent and good-hearted and has earned the love and
respect of the palace staff. With their help, she escapes as often as possible
to help at a nearby infirmary. She also does what she can to protect the people
around her from her father's erratic and cruel behavior.
Jasim came to the Alhambra to participate in the Sultan's
tournament. Years earlier, his father had angered the Sultan, who expressed his
rage by ending trade with the town. Jasim hopes to win the tournament and speak
with the Sultan about repairing the trade agreements. Instead, through a series
of unexpected events, Jasim wins Zorahaida as a bride.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Zorahaida
and Jasim. His request for her as a bride was an impulsive action. After seeing
her only twice, something about her called to him. Zorahaida had only seen him
once before the tournament, and that was very brief, but something draws her to
him. Jasim is a kind and honorable man, and I loved the way he made sure Zorahaida
wasn't being forced. It was a sweet scene, as well as one that showed the
sparks that were already there between them. The days and nights after the
wedding let them get to know each other, but there is trouble looming. Zorahaida
knows her father well and fears what he may do. When her fears come to pass,
she uses trickery to get them away, but it drives a wedge between her and
Jasim.
I hurt for Jasim because Zorahaida's actions made him wonder
if he could trust her. It also hurt him that she hadn't trusted him to handle
her father. I ached for Zorahaida because she wants her marriage to work, and
she knows that she has made it more difficult. There is still hope, however, as
they spend time getting to know each other on the journey to Jasim's home. Despite
his anger at her actions, Jasim is deeply impressed by the thoroughness of her
planning and her reception along the way. Their feelings for each other grow,
but Zorahaida doesn't want to say anything if she doesn't know how he feels.
Meanwhile, Jasim knows his feelings for her are changing, but he doesn't
recognize them as love. I wanted to shake Zorahaida a little later, as she
doesn't seem to have learned her lesson about disregarding Jasim's wishes.
Their troubles with Zorahaida's father aren't over yet.
The story picks up in intensity when her father's men kidnap Zorahaida. I was
on the edge of my seat as she ended up back under his control. Jasim's fear for
Zorahaida, and a little advice from his brother, clarified his feelings and
increased his determination to rescue her. There were some exciting twists to
the kidnapping that kept me glued to the pages to see how it would turn out. I
loved seeing Zorahaida and Jasim finally share their feelings and look to the future
together. There was also a surprise for Zorahaida
at the end.
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