Helpful Score: 1
The man who came to Keavy's wedding bed was not her husband. The Irish lass had married to free as the wind, to excape her parents' wrath, so she had chosen a groom in a faraway "dun" with no interest in either her or her bed...only to learn that in his keep, the law proclaimed the king to be the one who performed the delicate task of the wedding night. Then King Aengus appeared, a tall, virile warrior with the eyes of an eagle, come to fulfill his First Night duty, & Keavy had to choose between accepting him or being bargained away once more. The man's touch was gentle & his kiss soft, & suddenly Keavy realized what she'd given up by marrying for convenience. She determined to marry the man who'd introduced her to love.
Helpful Score: 1
In ancient Eire, several years ago Keavy shared a magical encounter with a golden eagle that she believed was actually the man that fate intended to be her eternal mate. Over time, the beautiful Keavy rejected suitors waiting for her mate to arrive. However, as she approaches her twenty-fifth birthday, her parents have had it with her rejecting all males. They give her a choice to marry a person they have selected or be exiled into servitude. Reluctantly she agrees to wed the stranger from a foreign land though her future spouse too does not want to marry either. They agree to a marriage of convenience.
However, her groom fails to inform Keavy of a custom of his people. The bride spends her first night with the king and not her spouse. King Aengus finds he is attracted to the newcomer and cannot help but stare at her with his eagle like eyes. As they begin to fall in love, she wonders if he is that eagle from years ago even while both worries that their actions could lead to war between their respective homelands.
The seventh of eight book in the Celtic Journeys series, MAIDEN OF THE WINDS at first makes the lead female protagonist seem too much a paragon as Keavy seems to have no flaws. When she travels to her new home, Aengus makes her real and turns the tale into a delightful romantic fantasy with two warm characters struggling between love and duty. Fans of the series will enjoy the latest entry, but need patience for once the prime duo meet, the novel turns magical.
However, her groom fails to inform Keavy of a custom of his people. The bride spends her first night with the king and not her spouse. King Aengus finds he is attracted to the newcomer and cannot help but stare at her with his eagle like eyes. As they begin to fall in love, she wonders if he is that eagle from years ago even while both worries that their actions could lead to war between their respective homelands.
The seventh of eight book in the Celtic Journeys series, MAIDEN OF THE WINDS at first makes the lead female protagonist seem too much a paragon as Keavy seems to have no flaws. When she travels to her new home, Aengus makes her real and turns the tale into a delightful romantic fantasy with two warm characters struggling between love and duty. Fans of the series will enjoy the latest entry, but need patience for once the prime duo meet, the novel turns magical.
