Review: A Dark Impression of the Early Middle Ages
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 04 1, 2014
Renee Rose's historical BDSM romance Held for Ransom is set in the early medieval period of 650 AD.  References are made to Avalon from Arthurian legends in addition to ancient groups of people known as the Saxons, the Druids, the Picts, and the Romans who settled in the British Isles or Britannia as it was called at the time when the story takes place.  Rose paints a dark impression of the early Middle Ages as images of villages being pillaged and women being raped are a recurring theme.It's fair to say that no one from that time period is alive today, nor has much of the written material from this era survived; thereby, any impressions about the early Middle Ages is mostly speculation.  As a romance novel, the author's dark impressions of this time period weigh heavily on the reader's consciousness making it a most unromantic setting for a romance to blossom.  The roughness of the people is shown in their interaction with one another even amongst the lovers who show a fondness for spanking and rough love-making.The story starts off at a pinnacle moment when Sir Gorran, whose father is Saxon and his mother is Druid from what is able to be gleaned by the narration, is captured by King Broderick.  Though it is not revealed what kingdom Broderick is the ruler of, it is told that he resides at Stonecroft Castle.  In reality, Stonecroft is a town in Northumberland, England, although the author may have meant for Stonecroft to be a fictional place located any place.  A lot of information is withheld forcing readers to draw their own inferences and conclusions about settings and relations.Gorran has been taken by the king for attempting to ransom the king's sister, Princess Ariana who is a high priestess at Avalon.  His reason for doing so is to force an exchange with the king.  After Gorran's capture, the narration flashes back to enlighten the audience about Gorran's plot to return the princess to Broderick in exchange for the safe return of the members of his Saxon clan who had been taken by Broderick's men, according to the accounts Gorran is given by those who escaped the attack.  It is discovered later that one of Broderick's dukes had taken the Saxons and made them slaves including Gorran's sister Kendra who is continually raped by Duke Wellridge.The theme of raping women continues when in Gorran's camp one his men attempts to rape Ariana which Gorran foils.  This begins a bond between Ariana and Gorran thought to be helmed by the hands of fate, though neither of their names is revealed at this point as Ariana is referred to as the princess and Gorran is called Crow.The audience discovers the hero and heroine during this period of intimacy.  Ariana, who is believed to possess the magical healing power of love, shows very little love in her heart.  She oscillates between being passive and being insolent as she cuts Gorran's face with a dagger she finds in an attempt to escape from him then expresses contrition for injuring him.  This is when the spanking comes in as Gorran spanks her for cutting him.Episodes of spanking continue throughout the story putting Gorran in a dominant position and Ariana as the little girl who is expected to learn to be obedient through several sharp, stinging pains scorching her bottom.  It's actually very abusive behavior and gives the audience a violent image of how lovers conducted themselves during the early Middle Ages.At the conclusion, Broderick forces Gorran to be Ariana's protector which the reader is told is punishment for kidnapping Ariana and killing Wellridge.  Gorran goes with Ariana to Avalon where she is surrounded by a clan of maiden priestesses.  Ariana acts haughty and unappreciative of Gorran's protection, which makes the reader wish he would fall in love with one of the maidens instead of watching over the sanctimonious Ariana.Claiming early on that Ariana possesses a second sight, her prescient abilities are not shown until in Avalon when she sees an army building against her brother.  She sends Gorran to warn her brother about the attack.  In a gesture of appreciation, Broderick offers Gorran the demesne of Wellridge if he proves his loyalty, which he does.The happily ever after feels forced as Ariana and Gorran show a fondness for their rough love-making but no emotions that run any deeper.  There is a Robin Hood quality about Gorran who is the only one that garners true loyalty from his followers and whose sense of justice is actually fair to all parties.  Gorran is a romantic hero that audiences have come to expect in historical romances but his propensity for spanking gives readers a violent impression of the early Middle Ages.