Review: I LOVE Rowena!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 7, 2014
*Warning: Contains spoilers. This is book 2 and is to be read after Rowena's Key*I love Rowena. I love her with every fiber of my being. I love her so much I want to reach inside the book and hug her until she's like "OK, who's this chick and why is she hugging me?" She's SO my kind of woman!She's the "sorceress" from Rowena's Key-Book 1. After she comes through the veil and gives Prince Caedmon the key he needs to save his land he has to ride off to another to try and negotiate peace. Only as he's forced to ride off, Rowena's memories are now gone and she has no idea where she's from, who anyone is, etc. Oh, and she's she's stuck in the medieval ages. Literally. You like the idea of knights and fencing and all that "romantic" stuff, ladies? Let me put some things in perspective: Imagine you're a woman and you get paid less than your male counterpart, that you're expected to have kids, AND stay at home and raise them. Imagine you're expected to work or called otherwise a gold digger if you don't, but you're yelled at if you don't make more money than your husband. Imagine guys look at you, but don't listen, or that you're judged by your age...all this would be hell, right ladies? Sounds like the medieval ages doesn't it? Ha! Not even. Welcome to the year 2014. That's right.NOW imagine you're a woman who's not allowed to even speak without permission, you're owned by whomever you're married to (which by default eliminates your choice to say 'no' to sex), you can't have an opinion, you have NO choice in having kids or not, you can't have a job, earn your own money, or train in any kind of physical activity. That chivalry crap was just that: crap. What good is having a guy open a door for you if you're berated and pushed around behind that door? What does this have to do with the book? Everything. This is Rowena's personal hell. Even her prince doesn't know whether to kiss her all over or spank her (Note: spanking is cool in the bedroom between a consenting couple, it is NOT cool as a form of "keeping someone in line" or "putting a woman in her place". Learn the difference, guys).After Caedmon escapes a prison and his captors keep the key he comes home only to find his love, Rowena, has forgotten him along with everything else since she's come through the veil - 2 years ago!But Rowena wasn't your typical female living in 2014 and she isn't your typical female living in medieval times, either. She is a strong, independent woman who doesn't let her gender stop her from having freedom, making decisions, training in physical combat and she refuses to submit or to being owned. She just mildly escapes and attack from the retched Prince Braedric and immediately petitions the king to let her train with the guard. Finally she does.Rowena learns quickly and is a good fighter...so good that when Caedmon returns home and follows her relentlessly to try and regain her affections he notices the guards all have marks on their faces. However, they don't fear her or pine after her: they respect her. Let me say that again. The guards - the men- Respect her. You see ladies, standing up for yourself (as opposed to submitting like every other woman in history) gains you respect. If nothing else, Rowena respects herself for not living in the boxes everyone else has cut out for her.Her last test consists of fighting 5 of the best guards. What she doesn't know is that Caedmon has made himself one of the 5. He thinks he's doing her good, but it's really a means to show her she belongs in his bed. Now I'm not blaming him entirely, b/c he really thinks he knows what's best for her and that his love for her will heal all her wounds. I kind of feel sorry for him in a way. He truly does love her and suffered every moment being a prisoner. Not b/c of what he went through (and while not graphic it was hinted that it was pretty awful), but b/c he was away from the love of his life.What he doesn't get is that love doesn't conquer all. Sometimes it causes more pain than it heals. It's autonomy that means more than can ever be put into words. There is no greater force in any universe than that of choice - not even love. Rowena knows this, and she just can't seem to make her point. She almost wins the Gantlet and her freedom as a citizen in her own right until both are seen as at fault and the King declares Caedmon's and Rowena's battle a draw. Caedmon can't understand her frustration and pain, when in fact he's the cause of it. I swear, every time women get more rights and freedoms there's always some guy that comes along and pushes her back. No, this isn't about man hate: it's about equality and unless you're a woman you don't see the double standards we live through on a day to day basis (then again, there are some women that believe there's no such thing as a pay gap, either...)After the draw Rowena leaves with the falcon she's trained. Yes, the woman trained a bird of prey! She takes the bird and the horse that no one else was able to tame (Yet another reason why I love her. She's nothing less than kick ass.), and sneaks away into the night, heading for the land that had imprisoned Caedmon and still has her golden key. She's determined to get her memories back on her own, and not from Caedmon who wants to help her get them back just so she'll love him again.Again, I pity Caedmon. He's just a love struck loon who doesn't get what the real issue here is. Yeah, I get that you love her, man, but true love listens to her heart, it doesn't dictate from yours (or any other body part).She makes her own way in life; She WILL find a way to live her life her own way, rules or no rules...Every woman who complains that chivalry is dead and should make a comeback needs to read this book.It'll even open your eyes to 'freedoms' you think you have today...Thank you Ms. Nuest for writing a book that encourages women instead of hindering them. Thank you for showing that women ARE equal and can do the same things as men if they put their minds to it. Thank you for writing a strong female lead that doesn't go chasing after some stupid alpha just because he's hot.Sure it's a fantasy/adventure book, but the point is you can do anything you put your mind to, ladies. Don't ever let anyone tell you any differently. Not men, and not other women, either. Do your own thing. Because it's your life, sister - Live it your way!