Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: "Go to Dun Alyn. Find Ryamen." With both of her parents dead, young Ilena, mystified by her father's last words, sets off to find out who she is. Raised as a simple village girl, but trained by her father in the ways of war, she is determined to learn about her lineage. Without clearly understanding the reasons for her father's instructions, she starts off for this neighboring tribal kingdom and has several dangerous adventures along the way. Once she arrives in Dun Alyn, she locates Ryamen and begins to understand the secrets of her family. She discovers a power struggle between the chieftain Belert, a Christian, and his rival Ogern, a Druid who believes in human sacrifice. Ilena ia thrust in the center of this struggle and becomes a leader. A follower of King Arthur and a dwarf loyal to Belert assist her. Why is Ilena is so important to the fortunes of Dun Alyn? There are a number of reasons, but you have to read the book to find out. At long last, someone has written a book about sixth century Britain that has a feminist twist. Men weren't the only warriors of this time, and it is to Ms. Malone's credit that she has chosen a feminist heroine to star in this wonderful novel. Told in the first person, the novel has an immediacy mostly lacking in historical fiction. Young women cannot help but identify with this brave heroine who is determined to learn her destiny.
Rating:
Summary: A Lovely "Legend"
Review: "The Legend of Lady Ilena" is an excellent story about Celtic life and one young woman's search to find her identity. "Legend" is rich in detail, and the characters are well-developed, from the headstrong Ilena to the noble Sir Durant. The plot has lots of action and takes many twists and turns as Ilena journeys across Scotland to find out why she is so different from the people with whom she grew up. The ending was perfectly set up for a sequel, and I hope to see one soon.
Rating: 
Summary: A bit predictible
Review: I have to admit I found this book a bit predictible. Of COURSE the main character will turn out to be heir to a throne. Of COURSE they will win the battle. As an adult reader, I saw that coming from the beginning. The only twist I did enjoy was the way she was discovered to be the heir (don't worry, I won't ruin it for you). Also, the first person point of view was hard to read. It lacked the emphasis and suspense that a different point of view would have offered. Even in battle scenes, I didn't quite feel the energy the author was trying to portray. Overall, the book was not bad. Recommend it to older readers who already have an interest in Arthurian legends and British tales.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book, I loved it!
Review: I loved this book. It was one of the few connected to the Arthurian legends who got the aproximate date correct, 500 AD, not the usual 900 to 1000 AD, which has been proven inacurate by many historians. I have a facination with the middle ages, and I found this book to be, for the most part, very acurate historicly. One thing that bothered me was the tense it was written in. A first person narritive, but written so much in the persent tense that some parts get confusing. I got used to this by the end of the book, however. I was lucky enough to be able to meet Ms. Malone; she lives in Chicago; and she is as intresting as her book. This is her first book, and I hope she will write another. Overall, a great book, and an accurate portrail of Britian in the dark ages.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!!!
Review: I picked out the book The Legend Lady Ilena randomly and read it just to see how it is. The book shows vivid characters, descriptions, and events at the times of King Arthur.
Fifteen-year old Ilena is bound to find her true destiny, a destiny outside the village that she is in, one that lies in the East at Dun Alyn. Following the death of her father, Ilena travels east in with the courage of a warrior and heroine. Having met with a liege to King Arthur, Ilena finds friends and allies that help her through her journey. When reaching the town of Dun Alyn, Ilena finds herself feared and distrusted among members of Dun Alyn, exept for the chief and a few loyal subjects. When called upon to tell the truth of her lineage, Ilena discovers her true position and title, the heir to Dun Alyn.
Lady Ilena is portraited as both a herione, warrior, and a lady. Through her perilous journey in seek for the truth, her destiny, Lady Ilena is a striking figure of the times in the sixth century Europe. I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages!
Rating: 
Summary: Good historical fiction
Review: In truth, I picked up The Legend of Lady Ilena because I thought that the cover was interesting. It was a fairly good book, but there are some things that I did not like about it. Good stuff first: The plot itself is common (young girl searching for her lineage and family) but I like the way the author added different elements until she finally arrived at the climax. Ms. Malone did a great job of making Ilena a vibrant character, and she also has a good cast of characters surrounding her, such as Arthur's liege Durant, Chief Belert, and the dwarf Spusscio. This book has some great historical facts about the early days of Britain. It also incorporates the old Druid beliefs and how Britain changed when Christianity came. This book also has King Arthur living in the 500's, which is more historically accurate than 900-1400. The best part about this book is how effortlessly the historical aspect of it is blended in. It's almost as if you live in that era of time and you already know everything about it. The facts are introduced subtley, so you don't notice it that much. The major thing that I despised (I know, strong word) about this book was how it was written in present tense. It's a personal preference, but I find that present tense in books can be slightly unbelievable and annoying. I thought that this spoiled the book a bit; it's simply something I had to adjust to. Overall, The Legend of Lady Ilena is a captivating story about a young woman searching for her true lineage. I enjoyed this story very much. It's a light easy read for a slow day.
Rating:
Summary: Great book I must say
Review: Oh yea!!! The legend of lady ilena is a really great book. It is about a girl (called ilena) whos "father" dies and tells her to go to Dun Alyn for some strange reason and find Ryaman. She later bumps into Durant and makes many new friends while saving Dun Alyn. I can't say they gave her a warm welcome, but things turned out alright in the end. A great book with many twists and turns for a great price too. I got this book at Davis Kidd Bookstore for 5.50. Be happy!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book For Young Adult Readers
Review: The book is very well written with apparently a lot of extensive research. It isn't so filled with technical stuff though that it is hard to read.I think young adult girls will really enjoy it.The story holds together well. No wondering what you just read. It held my interest from beginning to end.
Rating:
Summary: Adventure and Mystery in Early Britain
Review: The novel is set in Britain at the time of King Arthur. The protagonist is a young teenage girl. It is a tale of mystery, suspense and high adventure. The story moves rapidly yet draws an accurate and complete picture of the place and time in which it is set. The author's meticulous research and attention to detail places the reader in the setting without sacrificing reading fun. As a former teacher and, currently, a grandmother book buyer, I'm sure young teens will love this book.
Rating:
Summary: An enchanting story that is of legendary proportions
Review: This book is definitely one of my favorite books. It is an amazing story of a girl named Ilena and her astounding courage in facing her fate that awaits her at Dun Alyn. It is full of puzzles and twists that keep the reader on edge throughout the book. Just when you think you have figured out the puzzle another twist appears to make you hunger for more.The way the book is written also helps to make this book wonderful. It is told from the view of Ilena as the action is happening, making it personal as well as exciting for the reader. Ilena is easy to relate to and to sympathise with which also contributes to the meaning of the story. Patricia Malone also does an excellent job of exploring the social and political problems of the time while still making the characters easy to relate to and keeping the plot clear. This book will continue to haunt you long after it is read, it is definitely a legend in itself.
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