Rating: 
Summary: A Wonderful Book!
Review: Medieval/historical romances are among my favorites.
So I'm particularly thrilled that Kinley MacGregor has
put out a wonderful book that is now on my keeper shelf.A Dark Champion tells the story of Rowena and Stryder
and their journey to love. Rowena is a female minstrel
who despises knights and war. Stryder is the kings champion
who in turn has no need to love, poets and minstrels.
How they overcome their distaste for each other is
delightful.
There are strong secondary characters and a murder mystery
that tie the story together nicely.
I highly recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Truly a romance novel
Review: My sister was quite insistent about getting this novel as soon as possible. So I read it out of curiousity. I'd given up on historical romance novels a while ago because the "heroes" tended to be neanderthals. Macgregor made her 'hero' heroic. Stryder uses his strength to protect and defend those can't defend themselves. He was a very pleasant surprise, since I'd come to expect brutes who cared about pieces of land more than their wives as 'heroes' in romance novels. I didn't care as much for Rowena, but I liked their relationship. They became friends before deciding they were in love. And, best of all, there were no silly misunderstandings. When the situation with Alexander arose, Stryder told Rowena the truth immediately and she chose to believe him, knowing he was trustworthy person. There are two reasons I'm giving it four stars instead of five. First, I wasn't happy with the way Henry and Eleanor were portrayed as having been in love at some point. If I remember my history correctly, he kidnapped her and forced her to marry him in order to acquire Aquitane. And she later partcipated in a plot to overthrow him and was kept imprisoned by him for years. Secondly, while the ladies' mobbing of Stryder was amusing, it was highly anachronistic. No matter how rich and sexy the man was, I don't think medieval ladies would have acted like twelve year old girls at a boy band concert. But, overall, it is an excellent romance novel. It's truly romantic.
Rating: 
Summary: A Let Down!
Review: Oh, oh, this is not good. I first became familiar with Ms. MacGregor's work through her novels "Master of Seduction" and "Master of Desire," and I thought this golden author could not miss. Kinley, Kinley. "A DARK CHAMPION" is the opening book to the author's new series labeled "The Brotherhood of the Sword." A new chain of books with strong ties to Ms. MacGregor's premier series "The MacAllisters." In this the Brotherhood, are stories based on those who survived horrendous abuse and torture during the Crusades. On which, the survivors forged a secret society to protect and aid the weak of the world. Stryder of Blackmoor first earned his revered reputation as the Widowmaker, a leader among the imprisoned. He was the man who planned their escape. Now he is the King's champion - roaming the land as a victorious knight, fighting and giving his strength to those threatened. However, an assassin is erasing the mysterious brotherhood and Stryder is a prime target. Lady Rowena de Vitry hates war and the knights who prolong the violence. As an heiress, men court Rowena who want her lands and wealth, but she refuses their bid. For Rowena is waiting for a gentle man, who will show her love and kindness. She ignores the scorn of King Henry's court and continues to work to eliminate violence and wars through her minstrel songs. King Henry and Queen Eleanor, grow tired of Rowena's resistance, and together they hatch a plan to trick Rowena into marriage - a marriage to Stryder of Blackmoor. So what is the problem? The storyline is juvenile, but worse it skims. It dispenses knowledge superficially. There is just no meat on the bones, so to speak. I was so disappointed with the content, with the language, with the story's essence. To my fellow reader, if you are at all interested, first visit the library and then decide your purchase. Grace Atkinson, Ontario - Canada.
Rating:
Summary: Not up to MacGregor's usual standard
Review: Perhaps Kinley MacGregor / Sherrilyn Kenyon needs to concentrate on just *one* of her series, instead of churning these books out like there's no tomorrow. I say that because I purchased this book based on how much I enjoyed her earlier works - the first books in the Dark-Hunter and MacAllister series. I was so impressed then that this author wrote such wonderful fantasy AND historical romances. Those books were so packed with energy, humour and sensuality. This book was decided lacklustre. I much preferred Born In Sin.
Rating:
Summary: A moving story
Review: The Brothers of the Sword are men who banded together while prisoners in the Holy Land to survive. Since they have returned to England, they had been helping others to get home. Stryder is their leader and has sworn himself to helping others. Rowena is a minstrel who wants to save the world from fighting. The two of them have nothing in common except that the king and queen want them married. I thought this was one of the best, most suspenseful romances I've ever read. I loved all the characters, especially Swan and Damien. The characters felt real. I kept holding my breath scared for them. Sherrilyn made me laugh and cry and at the end, I cheered for all of them. I've been a big fan of her Dark Hunter books for awhile now and decided to try this one. I'm glad I did and I can't wait to read more of her historicals. I don't know now why I waited so long to start them.
Rating: 
Summary: 3 1/2 Stars - Nice romance, if you don't mind medieval-lite
Review: These days I find myself not enjoying Ms MacGregor's books like I used to. I found her last book, TAMING THE SCOTSMAN lacking in plot and characterization and though I liked this one a bit better, I still felt it lacked something. As always comes up in reviews for most all of her books, her dialog is always too contemporary and, frankly if it weren't for references to jousting, castles, Saracens and Outremer, one would have no feel for the time period in which this story is set. I also concur that there were a few too many subplots and secondary characters to try and keep track of. I know that the author has done this to introduce characters that will populate future books, but it's a bit distracting and takes away from the basic story of Stryder and Rowena. Lady Rowena admires gentle, peace-loving troubadours who sing about love and abhors war-mongering knights. Lord Stryder is one of those hated knights who happens to disdain anything to do with music. Unfortunately for them, King Henry and Queen Eleanor want them to marry and have hatched a (kind of goofy) plot to bring these two together. They start as adversaries but eventually they begin to see that neither is what the other believed. The developing friendship and recognition that each was wrong about the other was enjoyable to watch and felt natural and believable. Stryder is sexy and sweet and honorable and, in typical Kinley style, Rowena is spunky, forthright and beautiful. The pair is likeable and their romance is sweet and enjoyable to watch, but all the background stuff does tend to get in the way. Some other issues: journeys from the Middle East to England seem to take no time at all but we all know that given the time period, this would not be true. And Rowena seemed to have way too much freedom for a woman of her day and would likely not be consorting with troubadours, much less plan to open a school for them (huh?!), in any medieval reality. And I find it very unlikely that she would be able to read and speak Arabic! But I did like that Stryder could not read as it exposed one of his vulnerabilities and afforded some sweet moments between the two. On the other hand, the way that all of the women (except Rowena, of course) react to super-hunk Stryder like love starved teens, chasing him around a la The Beatles in A HARD DAY'S NIGHT was a tad ridiculous! I know that Ms MacGregor has very loyal fans who will disagree with me when I say that this is just an OK read - enjoyable (if one can overlook the anachronistic aspects) but not a story I will remember for weeks to come. This author has and can do better. If you're a stickler for historical accuracy and context, this author is not for you. If you are looking for a nice romance with medieval wallpaper this may suit. My recommendation for a really great medieval is Kathleen E Woodiwiss' THE WOLF AND THE DOVE a story that will truly transport you to post-Hastings England with a heroine you can admire and a hero you'll grow to love - just as the heroine does!
Rating: 
Summary: hopelessly confused muddle
Review: This is supposed to be the first of the Brotherhood of the Sword books, but first of all, she mentions characters from her other books, and secondly, she says she covered the first part of the story in a book that does not exist so far as I can find it.
The trouble is that there is them so much of this back story- of the 'he is friends with Simon, also known as Sin,' and 'hates Damine because...' variety that it is confusing, tedious, and waters down the little romance there is in the book. He also becomes so much more dull as a hero compared to the villains of the piece, and the whole Brotherhood of the Sword, presumably to help each other, seems to be pointless in a lot of respects when we find out that the villains are amongst them and are killing each other off.
All of the hero's duties mentioned so that he has no time for a wife, are what, exactly? He never leaves the castle!
The whole issue of his brother and his sexual preferences is done to death, and never once is the fact that he is a murderer addressed! He just says, that's okay, you are my brother and I love you. Sodomy was totally sinful in those days, though since there is never once any mention of these people having any religion, it too is lost as a conflict point upon which the action could hinge, or be escalated, meaningful.
The whole issue of her falling in love with a warrior is over almost before it's begun, again because there is no context. These people break all ten commandments with gleeful abandon, which is kind of odd for Crusaders, supposed Christians, to want to do.
The book is weighed down with secondary characters or mentions of them for so short a novel, but when we really need them they are not there!! The Heir to Jerusalem vanishes from the book completely with little logic, and then we are supposed to find out what happens to him in the next book in the series, (first chapter included at the back of the book) when he has made hardly any impression. This is just plain bad writing and planning. The couple's love-making in the jail whilst being spied on by the voyueristic Damien is just gross.
This book has no medieval content-they are all 'electrified,' 'mesmerized,' and they talk like teens down at the mall. There are no sumptuous or relevant details of medieval life, and there is a decidely digusting hidden patriotic message that seemingly tries to justify our current war which I find repellent.
If you are going to write medievals with a message, keep to facts and truth, not melodrama, and certainly not this propaganda with offensively modern outlooks which devalue both time periods. I certainly am not going to waste my time on this sensationalist bodice ripper of a series. The blurb at the back of the book certainly is misleading. Very disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: Kinley MacGregor hits it out of the park again!
Review: This was outstanding, just like everything else she has written, and I've read EVERYTHING, at least what she's written as Kinley. Her characters always have great depth and become so real, I feel like they are friends of mine by the end of the book. I felt all of Rowena' frustration, Styder's pain and enjoyed their intimate moments too!! It is like being right there in the room with them. I cannot wait until the next brotherhood story, and I hope she writes about each one. Each time I read one I swear the hero is the man of all men and then she give us another... Phew I can't wait to see what happens with Christian.
Rating:
Summary: The start of a new series
Review: With this book a new series from Kinley MacGregor has started. The Brotherhood of the sword began with a short story from Where's my Hero to continue with this full book.
This is Stryders story, the story of a man who blames himself for the terrible things done to his friends. He is a man who is convinced that, due to his responsibility towards his men, he has no right for future happiness and that he can't give up this responsibility to love a woman. Yet by his looks he is coveted by the ladies and he hates every minute of it. Until he is to wed Rowena, a lady troubadour who despises knights and warriors, who also does not want to get married. . Who is looking for a gentle man. For a man who likes to sing of love and woo a woman with sweet words. Who learns by throwing in her lot with Stryder that fierce warriors can be the most gentle of man, for the right woman.
Rating:
Summary: Clear your schedule!
Review: Wow - what a great book - I can't say enough. I also can't wait until the next one comes out! Make sure you have time to finish it - you won't be able to put this one down! The characters were witty and charming, and enjoyed tormenting each other.
Don't miss this one!
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