The Warrior's Game

Rating:
Summary: I learned so much!
Review: King John accepts the request of Sir Enguerran d'Oilly to marry one of his Highness' wards, Lady Amica de la Beres. Ami wants nothing to do with her odious hedonistic neighbor, but knows that she must obey the order of her guardian, yet refuses the king's request. The lass believes that Enguerran wants to use her to climb the social ladder and would gladly allow King John to treat her as his personal whore. Ami needs a plan and when she notices the chilly brute guarding the wards, she wonders if she could obtain the aid of Michel de Martigny.

Michel has desired Ami from the moment he first saw her, but knows a lowlife foreigner like himself is beneath the King's ward. Still he finds it extremely difficult to allow the abominable Enguerran to possess the feisty Ami. He needs a plan to save the woman he now loves.

Though there is a romantic theme throughout the tale, THE WARRIOR'S GAME reads more like a historical fiction than a medieval romance. The story line provides a deep look at the court of King John, but that turns into a double-edged sword. Readers obtain much insight into the era than usually found in a novel in which John plays a key secondary role. However, all that acumen makes the romance between the lead couple seem pale as the starring duo feels evanescent rather than fulfilling. Still Denise Hampton paints quite a portrait of thirteenth century England.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: portrait of thirteenth century England
Review: King John accepts the request of Sir Enguerran d'Oilly to marry one of his Highness' wards, Lady Amica de la Beres. Ami wants nothing to do with her odious hedonistic neighbor, but knows that she must obey the order of her guardian, yet refuses the king's request. The lass believes that Enguerran wants to use her to climb the social ladder and would gladly allow King John to treat her as his personal whore. Ami needs a plan and when she notices the chilly brute guarding the wards, she wonders if she could obtain the aid of Michel de Martigny.

Michel has desired Ami from the moment he first saw her, but knows a lowlife foreigner like himself is beneath the King's ward. Still he finds it extremely difficult to allow the abominable Enguerran to possess the feisty Ami. He needs a plan to save the woman he now loves.

Though there is a romantic theme throughout the tale, THE WARRIOR'S GAME reads more like a historical fiction than a medieval romance. The story line provides a deep look at the court of King John, but that turns into a double-edged sword. Readers obtain much insight into the era than usually found in a novel in which John plays a key secondary role. However, all that acumen makes the romance between the lead couple seem pale as the starring duo feels evanescent rather than fulfilling. Still Denise Hampton paints quite a portrait of thirteenth century England.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Third in the series - Ami's story
Review: The third in this series from Denise Hampton. In this story it is Ami's time to find a new love. But, along the way she must also deal with the advances of a King who wants all that he desires in his bed. The King also likes to play games with his subjects, as a way of amusement. Ami on the other hand is drawn to this hired knight but at the same time he is but a commoner and therefore below her station. If you liked the first 2 you will also enjoy this one. In fact I liked this one as much as I did the first!

Rating:
Summary: Third in the series - Ami's story
Review: The third in this series from Denise Hampton. In this story it is Ami's time to find a new love. But, along the way she must also deal with the advances of a King who wants all that he desires in his bed. The King also likes to play games with his subjects, as a way of amusement. Ami on the other hand is drawn to this hired knight but at the same time he is but a commoner and therefore below her station. If you liked the first 2 you will also enjoy this one. In fact I liked this one as much as I did the first!

Rating:
Summary: I learned so much!
Review: This book is a great history lesson in addition to being a terrific love story. I learned a lot about the politics of the time with being overwhelmed by too much detail. I felt so bad for the hero and heroine getting caught up in a huge misunderstanding that keeps them apart, but I could see how this could happen in a world where ever glance and word mattered so much and could cost you your freedom or your life. It takes a while to get to the love scenes, but the payoff is worth it - very romantic! This is the first novel I have read by DH, but I will definitely go read her others.

Rating:
Summary: TOTALLY PLOT DRIVEN
Review: This book really lacks in the romance department. All of the intrigues against each person in the supposed couple are piled on, and the ending is so frantic and out of character as to be almost preposterous.

The start of the book is really difficult to get into due to some exceptionally poor writing and worse editing. Even taking into account attempts to make the characters speak in some semblance of medieval parlance, the book plods. Not as good as her first two by any means.

The heroine is so at odds with the hero that that happy ever after ending simply does not ring true. The end is also so rushed as to leave any romance reader feelling sadly disappointed.
The love scenes are repetitive and not at all convincing for two people so out of synch with each other. I liked the hero a lot more than the heroine, (who willingly becomes embroiled in a plot to murder him) but he does not get developed into anything more than a sex object, a real waste in my opinion. If this couple had a conversation with each other that was meaningful, all of the misunderstandings would be resolved. She would be in love with him, because he is actually a decent sort, and he would run a mile from her if he had a ounce of sense, no matter how pretty she was.