The Conqueror

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious, Quality Trash! Ya gotta love it.
Review: I picked up this book in a discard pile at a community college. Although its cover had been torn off, the sub-cover depicts a painting of FABIO standing bare-chested in black spandex pants, his hair etherally floating from his face as he looks down on a kneeling, panting wench whose wetly parted mouth is inches away from his "manhood". How could anyone resist?

The characters in this story freely speak of kilometers (even though the metric system wouldn't be developed for five centuries) and of swearing on a Bible (even though the Gutenberg press appears 400 years later).

Several medical injuries and psychological traumas bring the would-be lovers close enough to comfort each other with lusty but abstaining embraces, until the wedding night of the bride, when the sexual tension is broken by the anachronistic and apocryphal plot device: le droit du seigneur. The sex scenes explode (literally) in quick succession afterward, abounding in deflowered maidenheads, nonconsensual sex, sado-masochism, and extra-marital pregnancy.

The dialogue is stunningly hilarious:

'"Do you want me, Ceidre?" he purred, dangerously.
'"No! Yes! Stop!" Tears spilled onto her cheeks.'

'Like a ripe plum, he burst within her.'

'"If only she had died in the dungeon," Alice muttered, fists clenched. "If only there was a way to rid myself of her once and for all!"

'"You are a patriot, as am I."'

The triumph of a plump, cross-eyed, bastard daughter of an earl comes by the elimination from the plot of her skinny, scheming rival. The Norman Conquest never seemed so entertaining before.

Rating:
Summary: The story SIZZLES with a capital SSSSSsssss!
Review: I read this book for the first time years ago and it quickly took up residence on my "Keeper" shelf. This is the story of Ceidre and Rolfe during the time of William the Conqueror. So right off the bat, you are thrown into the savage and barbaric time which Ms. Joyce has a gift for recreating beautifully and so believably! With that in mind, there are a few questionable scenes that - by today's standards - some might find offensive, perhaps even appalling. But that's just it -- it does NOT take place in this time. The women of this era are treated not as equals, but as property; and marriages are arranged in order to gain the husband coveted land and power. That was just the way it was back then -- it's historical fact -- and this book captures the essence of the period magnificently.

Ceidre is "cursed" with what they call the "evil eye" and she is feared by many because of it. But Rolfe isn't afraid of her. No, he is more than a little attracted to her from their first meet.

King William has granted Rolfe "Aelfgar" - which is home to Ceidre's two brothers. The brothers have been branded as traitors and are hiding from the King's men who are intent on capturing them for treason. Rolfe's orders are to capture the missing brother and bring them back to William. He is also ordered to gain control of Aelfgar by marrying the traitorous brothers' sister. He soon finds out that Ceidre is illigetimate and that her hateful sister is the rightful heir to the castle. Rolfe lusts for Ceidre, but realizes he must marry the legitimate sister in order to gain rights to the land.

Both the hero and heroine in this book are fantastic. You feel for each of them as they battle their feelings, their duties, and their loyalties. There is a lot of very sexual tension between Rolfe and the opinionated Ceidre. You will fall for Rolfe -- even though he is somewhat barbaric (and maybe even BECAUSE of it). There is a very gentle side to him and we get glimpses of that nature when he is around Ceidre. The length he will go to protect her will tug at your heartstrings. And the love scenes will curl your toes. Just keep in mind what era you're reading about when you read some of the scenes.

Like I said, this is a KEEPER and I have enjoyed reading and re-reading it many, MANY times. I would be surprised if it didn't find it's way to your own "Keeper" shelf, as well. Enjoy! :)

Rating:
Summary: The story SIZZLES with a capital SSSSSsssss!
Review: I read this book for the first time years ago and it quickly took up residence on my "Keeper" shelf. This is the story of Ceidre and Rolfe during the time of William the Conqueror. So right off the bat, you are thrown into the savage and barbaric time which Ms. Joyce has a gift for recreating beautifully and so believably! With that in mind, there are a few questionable scenes that - by today's standards - some might find offensive, perhaps even appalling. But that's just it -- it does NOT take place in this time. The women of this era are treated not as equals, but as property; and marriages are arranged in order to gain the husband coveted land and power. That was just the way it was back then -- it's historical fact -- and this book captures the essence of the period magnificently.

Ceidre is "cursed" with what they call the "evil eye" and she is feared by many because of it. But Rolfe isn't afraid of her. No, he is more than a little attracted to her from their first meet.

King William has granted Rolfe "Aelfgar" - which is home to Ceidre's two brothers. The brothers have been branded as traitors and are hiding from the King's men who are intent on capturing them for treason. Rolfe's orders are to capture the missing brother and bring them back to William. He is also ordered to gain control of Aelfgar by marrying the traitorous brothers' sister. He soon finds out that Ceidre is illigetimate and that her hateful sister is the rightful heir to the castle. Rolfe lusts for Ceidre, but realizes he must marry the legitimate sister in order to gain rights to the land.

Both the hero and heroine in this book are fantastic. You feel for each of them as they battle their feelings, their duties, and their loyalties. There is a lot of very sexual tension between Rolfe and the opinionated Ceidre. You will fall for Rolfe -- even though he is somewhat barbaric (and maybe even BECAUSE of it). There is a very gentle side to him and we get glimpses of that nature when he is around Ceidre. The length he will go to protect her will tug at your heartstrings. And the love scenes will curl your toes. Just keep in mind what era you're reading about when you read some of the scenes.

Like I said, this is a KEEPER and I have enjoyed reading and re-reading it many, MANY times. I would be surprised if it didn't find it's way to your own "Keeper" shelf, as well. Enjoy! :)

Rating:
Summary: Romance, Passion and Excitement in Abundance
Review: I thought I would hate this book after reading the first chapter because reading about the hero almost [taking] the heroine when he thinks she is a serf is not my kind of reading. I'm so glad I kept with it, because this is one of the best stories I have ever read. Brenda Joyce creates a fascinating story set in the time of the William The Conqueror.

Ceidre, the illegitimate daughter of the lord of Castle Aelfgar, has lived her whole life as an outsider in her village because of a physical deficiency (a wandering left eye that is called the evil eye) that caused people to brand her a witch. When Rolfe rides in to claim her brother's lands and marry her sister, she is determined to hate this man. But Rolfe is not what she expected. She is attracted to him and amazed that he does not fear her or believe her a witch. He protects her from her sister's hatred and proves himself a fair and honorable man.

Some people may not like Rolfe and be offended by some of the things he does. Joyce accurately portrays him as a medeival man. He treats his serfs like property to do with as he sees fit, he doesn't tolerate defiance or his word being questioned, he is a deadly warrior and Joyce doesn't gloss over some of the things he does when dealing with Saxon rebels. But for all this, he has a sense of fairness and honor. Not many authors can create a medeival character who is believable and likeable at the same time, but Brenda Joyce manages this beautifully with Rolfe. Also, the things he does to protect Ceidre, even at the cost of himself and what he has worked so hard for, are what romance is all about. This is a man who will sacrifice all for the woman he loves, and these actions speak louder than any thoughts or words.

I really liked Ceidre also. She is a strong woman who has had a hard life. This is no typical heroine who fights the hero at first but then surrenders to his stronger will. Her will is just as strong as Rolfe's and they butt heads many times throught the story.

All in all, this was a wonderful story with everything you could want in a romance. Some may find it violent, but it didn't offend me and I am definitely one of those sensitive readers. So give it a chance cause this was a fabulous read.

Rating:
Summary: Very disturbing
Review: I won't give a plot synopsis since this has already been done sufficiently. As my fellow reviewers proof, this is quite a controversial book.

The aspects I liked: The writing is good (although occasionally the language is almost too coarse for my comfort) and the story is fast-paced with a lot of historical/political background without overshadowing the romance (I am always happy to learn something). I also had the impression that the atmosphere of that particular time was very well captured.

However, I had some major problems with the book having to do with the hero (Rolfe) and the heroine (Ceidre). It is true that they are "products" of their time. Therefore the actions of both are quite understandable (at least at first). Then the whole thing seems to fall apart. During the last two thirds of the story I had the impression that the characterisations were inconsistent (especially Ceidre's - if the hero hadn't lusted after her, she would have been dead by page 200, can you say common sense?; also, she didn't understand that one has to take responsibility for one's actions, she's even complaining). Also, the relationship between hero and heroine seemed to run in circles and there were some holes in the plot.

As to the hero: he is literally a pig. Do I want to read about a hero who is like that??? Not really (I'm sure, there were some nicer guys around in this time, see Guy). OK, it is 1069 but I kept asking myself, what if Alice wasn't such a bad person, would he have treated her the same way? And then, of course, one of my major pet peeves: the hero's wondrous change of mind within ten pages at the end (you know, love and not being such an [jerk] anymore - well, see inconsistent characterisation above).

Because I disliked the hero so immensely and kept shaking my head at the heroine, my enjoyment of the book was limited. There were times I wanted to throw it against the next wall. I don't want to keep anybody from buying it, just know what to expect.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book!!!
Review: If you have not read this book go get it. Buy to keep because you will certainly want to read it again. I loved this book so much I refuse to lend out my copy.

Rating:
Summary: RAW! INTENSE! HOT! FURIOUS!
Review: If you're looking for a true Gothic romance, you have found it! The characters truly depict the attitudes of men and women during those days. Granted, in our modern society, no woman would put up with being conquered so forcefully, but the story holds true for the time period it covered.

Rating:
Summary: THIS AIN'T THE NORM.....
Review: Normally we would read about: Women being so completely overwhelmingly in love with the man that she goes through just about any and every thing for him, while he betrays and treats her badly {almost non-stop}. She leaves him when his betray becomes too much for her to handle. Then by the last 50 to 30 pages he finds her and begs her for forgiveness; which is usually done right away because by then the author is just trying to hurry up and finish the book. You know the typical: Man meets woman. Man makes woman fall in love with him then man betrays woman; Man beats woman; man sleeps around on woman; man forgets to tell women he's married already... And so on and so forth.

This book takes the lead female character and makes her very flawed. We have also read the book, where the heroin makes mistakes due to a misjudgment OR miscommunication but not in this case. Some did not like the book due to the fact of the heroine's blatant betrayal {on more that one occasion}, and due to the rape scene. I however fully enjoyed the book and was more than satisfied with the fact that BJ allowed a lead female character make some serious mistakes.

I admired Ceidre's loyalty and faithfulness to her family. People must remember that Rolfe came to her home and took over; this home was her brothers: Edwin and Morcar and her sister Alice's home {had been from birth}. Ceidre's loyalty is justified and her willingness to do anything her brothers asked of her made sense... Although she didn't like it. Rolfe and the king he served were their enemies. From their point of view they had every right to try and regain their home back from Rolfe; which was giving to Rolfe by king William, due to the brothers treason {read the book to find out the full story}. Ceidre falls in love with Rolfe but her betrayal of him for her families sake would take place; more that once.

One review said that it should not have worked out and I agree but how many times have we read books where the male lead character has to beg for forgiveness for his many indiscretions and betrayals of the heroine. For once we have a male character so over whelming in love with the female character that it is almost heart breaking when the finally act of betrayal does happen. But even then he is consumed by her and can not do without her. Even when she is locked away for her crimes he can not stay away from her... This was a good story of turnabout being fair play. Usually it's the male character that does ALL of the dirty work. I appreciated the fact that Ceidre was allowed to make some major mistakes and was in love with Rolfe enough to beg his forgiveness and willing to do anything to prove her love for him.

Rating:
Summary: THIS AIN'T THE NORM.....
Review: Normally we would read about: Women being so completely overwhelmingly in love with the man that she goes through just about any and every thing for him, while he betrays and treats her badly {almost non-stop}. She leaves him when his betray becomes too much for her to handle. Then by the last 50 to 30 pages he finds her and begs her for forgiveness; which is usually done right away because by then the author is just trying to hurry up and finish the book. You know the typical: Man meets woman. Man makes woman fall in love with him then man betrays woman; Man beats woman; man sleeps around on woman; man forgets to tell women he's married already... And so on and so forth.

This book takes the lead female character and makes her very flawed. We have also read the book, where the heroin makes mistakes due to a misjudgment OR miscommunication but not in this case. Some did not like the book due to the fact of the heroine's blatant betrayal {on more that one occasion}, and due to the rape scene. I however fully enjoyed the book and was more than satisfied with the fact that BJ allowed a lead female character make some serious mistakes.

I admired Ceidre's loyalty and faithfulness to her family. People must remember that Rolfe came to her home and took over; this home was her brothers: Edwin and Morcar and her sister Alice's home {had been from birth}. Ceidre's loyalty is justified and her willingness to do anything her brothers asked of her made sense... Although she didn't like it. Rolfe and the king he served were their enemies. From their point of view they had every right to try and regain their home back from Rolfe; which was giving to Rolfe by king William, due to the brothers treason {read the book to find out the full story}. Ceidre falls in love with Rolfe but her betrayal of him for her families sake would take place; more that once.

One review said that it should not have worked out and I agree but how many times have we read books where the male lead character has to beg for forgiveness for his many indiscretions and betrayals of the heroine. For once we have a male character so over whelming in love with the female character that it is almost heart breaking when the finally act of betrayal does happen. But even then he is consumed by her and can not do without her. Even when she is locked away for her crimes he can not stay away from her... This was a good story of turnabout being fair play. Usually it's the male character that does ALL of the dirty work. I appreciated the fact that Ceidre was allowed to make some major mistakes and was in love with Rolfe enough to beg his forgiveness and willing to do anything to prove her love for him.

Rating:
Summary: Heartpounding Raw Passion and Love...
Review: Not for the faint of heart, Ms. Joyce weaves politics of the time(1069-England) and raw passion so real that you are swept away. Not a 'fluffy' romance during William the Conqueror's time, but a meaty and controversial one sure to cause some murmers of disapproval.
I enjoyed it very much and appreciated what she was trying to get across to the reader. Some readers missed the message of the true world of war and upheaval and the odd accountance of passion and love that rises above the carnage. A very real and serious look into the life of a reknowned knight of William of Normandy's army and how he cannot understand his love for a Saxon woman that can't belong to him.
What would it be like if someone like Rolfe the Relentless were to fall so madly in love with the very woman he was supposed to despise, a Saxon enemy, the conquered...and maybe risk treason to have her...defy a king to be with her...it would not happen to someone so loyal to the crown...or could it?
When Rolfe rides into Castle Aelfgar to claim it and its prize, the Lady Alice as his bride as William has decreed, he finds himself helplessly attracted to Lady Alice's illegitimate half sister Ceidre.
Was Ceidre a spy? So mysterious was she that Rolfe refuses to see that she aides her nobel rebel brothers and flaunts treason to help them. He cannot help but feel protective. Soon he is caught in her forbidden passion, both are caught in a dangerous liason tied to the fate of England.
Can love conquer all? Can the will of a tyrant king bring down the fires of Hell on the two starcrossed lovers?

So passionate and fast-paced, I was at once caught up in the turmoil until the very end. The sequel to this unbelievable book is 'Promise of a Rose'.

Tracy Talley~@