Review: TAKE THE RIDE WITH YSABEL & GISBORNE
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 11, 2013
(Book 2 of The Gisborne Saga )Ysabel is now De Courcey's widow, Gisborne has been caught, imprisoned  and tortured with the accusation of  killing her husband.  Ysabel knows he is safe now but  why can't he come back to her and their little son?Gisborne and her, their love,  just past memories. She's been left alone with their little boy, William.  Gisborne has her helped and protected by loyal Ulric and a bunch of reliable servants. She must hide and move throughout Europe, as Gisborne disposes.  Problem is she is not a woman who easily accepts to be ordered  .Gisborne has been  far away for long now,  a man of King Richard the Lionheart, who spared his life and trusts him.  She fears she will never see him again and  doesn't know what her fate is going to be, she fears for her little William's future,  William of  Gisborne. Will she ever see father and son together again?The memory of them  together  "plucks at her heart like a troubador's fingers" and makes her fall in love with Gisborne each time, though her feelings are torn.In this second volume of the saga, Ysabel has to face a new incredible series of adventures in a long troubled journey toward  reunion.More than anything else,  she has to fight  her own soul's  demons: can she trust the man she loves or not? Why does he go on keeping some parts of his life secret to her? Has he ever really loved her?She can't bear being moved from one place to  another as a pawn in a game of chess, being lied to, being kept unaware of Gisborne's real plans. His soldiers and servants are loyal and extremely kind to her,  but they would never reveal their master's secrets. Hence, she must discover the truth herself, and in her attempt to do it,  she risks all their lives since she ends up in the hands of Gisborne's most rageful foe, Halsham.Templar knights, secret agents, exciting twists, thrilling scenes make Gisborne: The Book of Knights an adventure- packed, fast- paced read.But that is not all. I  had been eagerly waiting for this second installment in The Gisborne Saga and when I started reading it, I immediately noticed it was even better than the first book, which I had been  fond of.On several occasions I have sung the praises of Prue Batten's skills at creating magic with words, since I must admit, I am  one of her fans. I wrote once and want to state it again:  "Her rich, refined prose creates an embroidered picture full of little delightful details, stitch after stitch" (from my own review of Gisborne Book of Pawns).  But this time what I most admired while reading Gisborne: Book of Knights was characterization.All the characters have their own peculiar voice, their portrayals  are so vivid, even if they are only minor ones .  Ysabel , Gisborne and Ulric  are more mature, complex  and even more gripping  in this second book, but the new characters are extraordinary .  I love little William very much, for instance.This is first -rank historical fiction, thoroughly researched, with relatable characters,  rich language, gripping plot, unexpected twists and unforgettable moments.If you love historical fiction, I highly recommend you to grab your copies of book 1 and 2, and undertake the wonderful ride with Ysabel and her Gisborne(see my post on FLY HIGH! http://flyhigh-by-learnonline.blogspot.it/2013/08/gisborne-book-of-knights-by-prue-batten.html)