He is called Conn of the Hundred Battles, the warrior-king who forged a nation from a land of isolated clans. As High King of Ireland, he rides with the legendary Fianna, his elite band of warriors. But a threat to the throne looms from a mysterious scourge who has vanquished several of Conn's bravest warriors. Conn rides out alone to face a seemingly invincible foe, never expecting that he will confront a grief-maddened hellcat with emerald eyes and hair like liquid flame....Wielding a sword called Vengeance, Gelina ó Monaghan has sworn to defeat the man she holds responsible for her family's ruin. She never dreamed she'd be bested by him in combat...and lose her heart in the bargain. Their forbidden passion will become a private war fought with swords and kisses, promises and betrayal--and surrender will be only the beginning....
In 1989, a historical romance author named Teresa Medeiros had her first book published and it was called Lady of Conquest. Ever since I was a kid I’ve loved stories about Ireland and I still feel
the same today. So I was excited when I found out that one of my favorite authors got her start with a book set in Ireland during the time of the Fianna in A.D. 123 featuring one of Ireland’s legends (kind of like King Arthur), Conn of the Hundred Battles. I did have my doubts though.Most great writer’s first books are usually not that good. They always seem to lack something or there seems to be too much of something (more often than not it’s an emotion, usually anger). Only over time and novels do the author seem to find their voices. To be honest, the only reason I read the book at all was because I hope to read all of her novels at some point. I really like Medeiros’ writing style and the fact that she believes in “happily-ever-afters”. That said, this book is no where near as
good as her later works.That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the story! I loved it and the characters were wonderful (you can really empathize with them) but I just felt like some things were so harsh that it helped make some parts of the story unbelievable. How two people can go from wanting/trying to kill one another to being in love is beyond me!
Some people may like Lady of Conquest but I just felt that something wasn’t quite right. I advise you to try some of Medeiros’ recently published books first and then if you enjoy them like I do, work you way back to her first novel and see the dramatic difference. Teresa Medeiros wrote this in 1999 about this book:
“My heroes and heroines always seem to be on the verge of either kissing or killing each other. Conn of the Hundred Battles and Gelina O’Monaghan in Lady of Conquest are no exception. For you loyal romance fans, I have to assure you that the kissing always wins out in the end! Lady of Conquest was first published almost ten years ago. I wrote it with all the joy and passion of a crazed twenty-one-year-old, so if you find it a little more naughty and a little less politically correct than my more recent books, I hope you'll be gentle with me. It was my first time!”
Related Reviews
Shadows and Lace (1990)
Yours Until Dawn (2004)
The Fairleigh Series
1. A Kiss to Remember (2001)
2. One Night of Scandal (2003)
~Reminder: There are links behind the pictures to more information about Conn of the Hundred Battles and the Fianna
The cover is fabulous...sometimes I buy a book for it's great cover and then am disapointed in the story line.
ReplyDeleteSorry this one did not appeal to ya.
Have a great day!
Wow. She had enough focus as a 21-year-old to write a book? A book that was actually worthy of publication?
ReplyDeleteI am an utter, utter failure.
She re-wrote in 10 different times though.
ReplyDelete