Review: Sweet Medieval Novella
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 27, 2013
"Unmasking the Knight" is a beautiful story about a love that endures the test of time.  It is set in the Kingdom of Mercia, England, in the year 911 A.D.  This is an extremely well written short story, with a fully developed plot and well drawn characters.  Once I started reading I could not put the book down until it was finished.....I was so enthralled by the story!  Ranulf and Gisella were extremely close as children.....they were best friends who loved each other.  At age 16, Ranulf is pressed into service in the King's army and has been away for five years.  Now, unknown to Gisella, Ranulf has returned.  Ranulf has suffered disfigurement from facial scars and believes he is too hideous and not good enough for his precious Gisella.  Gisella is almost 20 and is being forced, by her town's priest (who is some kind of wizard), to marry.  How Gisella and Ranulf achieve their HEA makes a sweet, heartwarming story.  There is a lesson buried within this story about seeing beyond a person's outer surface to the person beneath.  The characters fairly came to life within the pages of the book and I related to them on an emotional level.  I felt real sadness at the sorrow Gisella suffered due to Ranulf's absence, and my heart fairly broke for Ranulf at the angst he suffered because of his belief that he could never have Gisella.  I highly recommend this novella. At 39 pages, it is the perfect length to read before bed or while waiting at an appointment.  This is a book that I will read again and again!  BTW I would not say that this is a clean book (at least not for someone who does not like ANY sex in their books.)  There are a couple of sexually charged kissing scenes and one post marriage love scene.  IMHO however, the love scene is short, and is not graphic or crude.