Richard I
The Near East in 1190,
before Richard's conquest of Cyprus
Ruins of Dürnstein
Castle, where Richard the Lionheart was kept captive.
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Crusader's
Lady
by
Lynna Banning
Disguises, oaths
and and danger in a medieval historical romance
Jerusalem, 1192. The Third
Crusade. Marc de Valery swore an oath to protect the king.
Marc however is not blind to the realities of the Crusades.
Hardened by war, he sees beyond into the ugly ground experiences of war
and the Crusades. Soraya al-Din swears revenge against Marc when
Khalil, a man she calls her uncle, is killed. Dressed as a lad,
she only hopes she can maintain the disguise long enough to exact her
revenge. First she must complete Khalil's task of delivering a
message. For his part, Marc is not an easy man to hate. At
every turn, he surprises her with his kindness and inner
nobility. Soraya herself is not like any lad Marc has ever
encountered. She speaks Arabic and Norman French and her eyes are
not the typical color of a Circassian. When he discovers that she
is no lad, but rather a woman, she only seems to mystify him even
more. Drawn to her, yet sworn to protect the king, Marc walks a
fine line as his party travels through from Jerusalem to Cyprus, from
Italy to a journey over the French Alps. Will Marc be able to
protect Richard without revealing his disguise to his enemies?
Will Soraya and Marc be able to find love or will duty and danger
thwart their romance?
In CRUSADER'S LADY, Lynna
Banning makes an exciting entry into the world of medieval
romance. Previously known for her western romances, Lynna Banning
adds a freshness, giving readers a look at the lesser explored
landscapes and alliances of the medieval world. Soraya's disguise
provides the ground for several humorous and sexy scenes as her
innocence and womanhood are awakened by Marc's body. Lynna
Banning unmasks the disguises for the reader, but not for her
characters, creating a suspenseful atmosphere as two characters
missions overlap and diverge from one another. Outside Marc's
small group, danger threatens from the outside, adding another layer of
suspenseful action as Marc and Soraya travel across the landscape, a
landscape of countries with their own allegiances and political
aims. At each step, one slip could spell danger for the king or
the members of their party.
CRUSADER'S LADY
makes medieval history an integral part of the romance, bringing real
historical events and persons into key moments of the romance's plot as
well as the development of her characters. Lynna Banning's
ability to synthesize history and imagination into the very heart of
this romance makes CRUSADER'S LADY
an exciting romance for medieval lovers. The exquisitely placed
portrait of Eleanor of Aquitaine brings a whole layer of richness to
this romance and the transformation of her characters as romance enters
their hearts. Medieval history lovers will find a special delight
in Lynna Banning for upping the level of historical detail to more than
just a backdrop. The romance, the themes of disguise and
unmasking, and the layers of suspense are an added bonus that just make
this romance fun reading from cover to cover.
Publisher: Harlequin Historical (March 2007)
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Book Description:
Soraya al-Din is a woman bent on revenge. Disguised
as a boy, nothing will keep her from her quarry!
Marc de Valery is a war-weary knight who has one last duty--to
protect King Richard on his perilous journey back to England.
As the sun rises over the golden desert, Soraya sets out with
Marc. It is the first step on a journey that will take her away from
all she knows--across the Mediterranean to the beautiful Italian
countryside and over the harsh French Alps. While danger follows close
in her footsteps, can she shield her heart against the honorable knight
she has sworn to destroy?
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