Guest Review: The Tarnished Lady by Sandra Hill

Life has never been easy for women:  the super dooper pooper scoopers of the human race.  They are left to pick up the pieces of destroyed relationships and families, raise abandoned children, have their dignity and personhood made into something that is merely a political pawn in men’s power games, or who must take extreme measures to protect themselves and those they love.  So it was in the 10th century in Britain, a land that was being pulled hither and yon by Saxons, Celts, the Irish and Welsh, as well as the Vikings from the North countries.  Eirik was half Saxon and half Viking, but he had been raised/fostered under the tutelage of the Saxon king so had more power than some in negotiating settlements between Saxon and Viking protagonists.  He had been at war for his king for years, and it was only a little while after arriving home, seeing the neglect and decay he had allowed by his absence, when he was verbally assaulted by Lady Eadyth of Hawk’s Lair with a ridiculous offer of marriage.  Eadyth was unmarried and unlikely to find a husband unless she managed that on her own.  And Eirik was overtly uninterested until Eadyth informed him that the person she most feared was Eirik’s greatest enemy.  THEN he listened to her proposal, and even though she had styled herself as an elderly lady, there was  much fun to be had as the surprises were unveiled and the true nature of many things became apparent.  

This was the first book in this series I read even though it is really Book Three in the series.  I was so delighted with it that I went back and read the first two before moving on to the later novels.  Eadyth was a woman of great industry, a wonderful business manager and a creative one to boot.  It was a marvelous part of the book to watch Eirik discover who his wife really was, the depth of her character and honor, the wounds she carried because of the selfish and cruel acts of his enemy, and the dimensions of her ability to love, not only her son but Eirik’s two illegitimate daughters.  He was a man who had experienced early life being ignored by his father and shuttled from one abode to the next.  When Eadyth opened her heart to his motherless daughters it brought something to life in him and their love story became far more intense, hot, and vibrant.

Like all the books in this series this novel can be read alone.  I certainly had no difficulty appreciating it even though I had not read the first two books.  It is a wonderful “window” into the life and ways of the Vikings, a culture that is greatly misunderstood because of many errors in our history books.  They were certainly not pacifists, but then few people in that time could afford to be.  Yet they were merchants, traders, artisans, family people, and men and women of deep loyalty.  So I hope those who really like a historical full of love and adventure will take the time to read this book which is now re-released and updated by the author.  It is well worth the time and effort and may actually get you to look for the other books in this series.  (You may find older versions at your library with different covers.)

I give this novel a 4 out of 5

You can read more from Judith at Dr J’s Book Place.

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.