[.ca] The Warlord (ISBN 0553569104)

One of the Best Romance Books Ever!:
I have re-read this story nearly ten times and it still keeps me enthralled. This has to be one of the best historical romances ever written, if not one of the best in the genre period. The story has all the usual medieval tags, ie. forced marriage, wounded (...) hero, sweet virginal heroine, and wicked villian (family member), but its the unusual tags of the story that did it for me. Kenric is absolutely to DIE FOR! His emotional turmoil as well as his feelings for Tess vibrate right off the pages. Tess is also not your standard heroine. She is sweetly naive and sometimes really stupid, but you like her and can understand her reluctance. I don't know what else to say about this story except it is one of the best books I have ever read. Sadly, I haven't seen much else from this author. She has two continuation books, one that deals with Kenric's half brother and another that deals with his descendant. They are good, but this book surpasses them by far.

Incredibly sexy hero!:
This is the first book I've read from Elizabeth Elliott and it won't be the last. In this story she tells a beautiful story of a Knight who is known to all as the Butcher of Wales. He is a hardened man who has vowed never to marry but ends up doing just that. When he first see's his bride, Tess, he thinks her to be a large mishapened woman,and is greatly releaved to find her a very small and slight woman of incredible beauty. He is wary though of letting himself show how much he comes to care for her because he doesn't want his enemies to use that against him. He has developed two new enemies in Tess's stepfather and her stepbrother. They have hurt Tess many times both mentally and physically. He is outrages to find this out and vows to kill them both. Meanwhile Tess is struggling with her own feelings. She feels a duty to her people and yet her heart really wants Kendric. His love making is is wonderous to her and the fact that he doesn't beat her amazes her. Together they must over come thier commmon enemies and thier own fears to find love and happiness. I liked this story a lot and found the secondary characters wonderful. I would have liked the love scenes to be more descriptive but the lack of discription didn't take much away from the story. I look forward to reading the sequels to this book.

EXCELLENT:
Okay, Kenric is a little rough around the edges. I didn't really enjoy the parts where he locked her up in a room. But then, if he'd sat her down to have a lovely chat about their disagreements, I really wouldn't have believed it. If you're reading a midieval novel, you have to expect medieval characters. Other then that, they were both intelligent, witty, stubborn characters who made a great story when they clashed. With great characters and drama, the tiny lady learns how to tame her warrior husband and he learns to like being tamed. Typical story but tremendous writing. I've read all of Elliot's books (why, oh why, doesn't she write more?!) and I recommend them all!

Different People Like Different Things:
This book was actually well written, but it falls falls short because of the emotional abuse and brutality. There are some people who do not mind this, because it is a medieval romance novel. I try to take the time setting into account, but I just cannot deal with a story where the heroine is punished by being locked away for over two weeks because she angers the hero. I also cannot deal with a jerk of a hero who considers himself the lord and master of everything. He gets angry and punishes the heroine for dealing with a crooked steward(I think it was the steward) without asking permission, locks her in a solar for a time later on in the book, and pretty much treats her like a marionette with him jerking the strings any way he pleases. I guess I am just one of those "sensitive" readers. Oh well, if any one else considers themselves in this class, you will not like this book and shouldn't waste their money.

Absolutely DIVINE Love Story!:
Lady Tess of Remmington, has endured five years of abuse and suffering from a step father that intends to marry her to his heir in order to retain possession of Remmington Castle. With the help of her uncle and two hired mercenaries Tess has escaped to the safety of an abbey where her plans are to seek sanctuary as a nun. Unfortunately, her uncle didn't tell her the rest of the story - that one of the mercenaries was the infamous Butcher of Wales, Kenric of Montague, and she would be married to him that very night. The arguments are made - and you can get your first glimpse at the spunk, courage and a little humor of our heroine - where Tess is convinced that as evil as her step-father is, by marrying the Butcher of Wales, Kenric of Montague. He might be the only one capable of keeping her step-father away and her regaining her family keep of Remmington. Kenric and his man-at-arms Roger Fitz Alan knew, by order of the King, that he would be marrying the maid, but seeing a short squat hooded person, Fitz Alan quipped that perhaps she had a comely face, and was making Kenric have second thoughts - even if this marriage was by royal order. When Tess threw off her cloak in anger to accuse her uncle of trickery - Kenric was at once awestruck at her beauty. He, who had vowed to never marry, had never felt passion stir in him for any woman before this night - used them, bedded them - but never had a woman caused him this soul stirring passion. For some reason, Tess even at this forced alliance, somehow felt safe with this very proud and unsmiling warrior - who hid his passion so very well. She only knew that when she saw him - she knew that she had seen him before - in her dreams. His trust would be hard won, having been emotionally scarred throughout his childhood, and yet she would betray him, to save her people, sacrificing everything to the point of losing that which she finally came to realize was most dear to her. This is an absolutely divine story of love and passion. The main characters, Tess and Kenric, are both so well developed you will find yourself feeling their pain, cheering them on in their joy of discovery, and wariness in their very sensual dance of love. I was made to feel like a fly on a wall and I laughed and cried with them both as this author endeared them to my heart. Bravo - a most excellent medieval romance!