Review: Limited to "Carrying Off The English maiden"
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 03 26, 2014
*Written By Melissa Katano**Review copy provided by Author*The problem with setting your romance novel around the Viking raiders along the English coast, is that pretty much you’re limited to the “carrying off the English maiden as the spoils of war” story line.  And with our hero, Randvior Siggurdson, is a worthy Viking:  blond, bold, wide of shoulders and narrow of waist.  A barbarian, but capable of acting like a gentleman, if he so desires (which, really, he doesn’t, ‘cause he’s a  Viking, damnit).  He speaks many languages (and yes, this is not out of the realm of possibilities:  Vikings raided when they could, and traded when they had to.)  No, I had no problems with Randvior, nor with his home in Norway.  Ms. Rand added a nice touch with having Randvior speak Norwegian (although maybe she should’ve used Icelandic--it’s very similar to Old Norse).  Why he wants to carry off this particular English maiden is beyond me.Our English maiden is Lady Noelle Marie Sinclair.  Noelle is the youngest of four children (one male, three female), but it’s her responsibility to get her older sisters and the other women out of the keep when the Viking raiders come. Why is this Noelle’s responsibility?  Ms. Rand never gives a reason.  A few pages later, Noelle decides to sneak into the keep to find out what has happened to her sister and brother.  It took her so long to sneak into the keep, that her brother, who surrendered to Randvior, has collected up all the women that Noelle left in the woods.  In an attempt to create tension, Ms. Rand has created a character that contradicts herself constantly.  At one point, Noelle gets upset with Randvior because he took her virginity--how is she to be able to make a good marriage for herself?  I just wanted to smack her and say, “Honey, you all but begged the man to make love to you.  Don’t get mad at him because you’re afraid he won’t marry you.”The inconsistent fun that is Noelle continues in Norway, where--surprise--Randvior’s mother doesn’t like Noelle, because she’s English like the concubine her husband brought back once upon a time.  Oh, and did we mention that his mother is a spaewitch, one who “dabbles in the dark arts.”  Can we guess where this is going?  And which character’s going to make a surprise visit?The story concludes with Odin talking to Randvior (but Noelle, who, as a Christian, cannot hear the AllFather).  I won’t give away the ending, but I’m sure it’ll be addressed in Book 2, Blind Mercy.  Hopefully, Noelle’s inconsistencies will be, as well.Plot:  Two stars.  Follows a well-worn path.Writing:  3 stars.  There was one time when “scald” was used for “skald,” but that was the only thing that jumped out of me (and it could’ve been a simple “auto-correct” mistake.)Characters:  3 stars.  I’m splitting the difference between Noelle and the rest of her crazy family and the Vikings.  I found the Vikings to be the better written characters.  There was no rational for a lot of things Noelle and her family did.