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Book Review-The Lord Of Vengeance

by | Jul 3, 2015 | Book Reviews | 3 comments

Book Review-The Lord Of VengeanceLord of Vengeance by Tina St. John
Published by Random House Publishing Group on March 4th 2009
Genres: Historical Romance, Medieval Era
Pages: 356
Format: eBook
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four-stars

Dear Reader,Every so often you pick up a book that captures your heart, reminding you of all the reasons you first started reading romances . . . the breathtaking setting, the rich passions of a noble hero, the rapturous story of a love that cannot be denied. All these wonderful elements can be found in LORD OF VENGEANCE by Tina St. John.Set in majestic medieval England, LORD OF VENGEANCE is the compelling tale of two valiant people who struggle with the sins of the past to forge a love as turbulent as the land they live in. Devilishly handsome Gunnar Rutledge has spent years plotting against the man who nearly destroyed his life. He seeks the ultimate vengeance on Raina d'Bussy--his enemy's daughter--a proud beauty who will be slave to no man. Gunnar sets out to break Raina's glorious spirit but instead finds himself bewitched by her goodness, her strength.I was swept away by this first novel, and I believe that Tina St. John shows exquisite talent--she is a shining new romance star. And LORD OF VENGEANCE is just the beginning. . . .Enjoy!Shauna SummersSenior EditorThe Ballantine Publishing GroupFrom the Paperback edition.

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Summary 

Gunnar Rutledge is out for revenge, he lost everything and is determined to get the justice he needs. Raina d’Bussy, is the daughter of the man he vows revenge for, so he kidnaps her to force his hands, and even though Gunnar has only know hatred for d’Bussy, Raina is another matter although. Ever since he first met her, he found himself intrigued, and wanted more. Now she is in his keep, and there is something more to Raina and he can’t seem to resist her, and he feels himself slowly softening, the anger from the past years slowly melting away. Raina has always adored her father, but has yet to meet a man she could see in her future, until she meets Gunnar. When he kidnaps her, circumstances change, but Raina is still drawn to Gunnar, she sees a man who is full of hatred and no hope, but she senses that Gunnar has kept himself locked away, and she refuses to back down from a challenge, and intends on breaking down his walls and discovering the true Gunnar Rutledge.

The Hero 

Gunnar’s father was murdered by d’Bussy, and then his mother was slaughtered right in front of him, and Gunnar barely escape with his life, and scars that would haunt him the rest of his life. Ever since that dreadful night when he lost his family and his home destroyed, he vowed to have his revenge, against a man who would kill ruthlessly from a temper tantrum. Gunnar has rebuilt his life, become a knight, but there is only one aspect that has never changed, his vow to destroy d’bussy no matter the cost. Gunnar is a hero who you learn to love even if you don’t understand him fully at first, or why he is so full of hatred. He is honorable when it matters, and we see how loving someone can change your perspective and we this happen with Gunnar. He is quite obsessed with the past, and has hidden himself away emotionally until he falls in love with Raina, and true healing begins. We see him change from a bitter man into a man that is worthy of being a knight.

The Heroine 

Raina is a sweet and endearing heroine, she is honest and true to herself and loyal to her father who has loved her ever since her mother passed away. Raina is a character you can admire, because she sees the bigger picture in life, and even though she loves her father, she also sees Gunnar more than a killer or a man out for revenge. She senses more about Gunnar, and strives to find the true Gunnar and not who he portrays to be. I love how stubborn she could be when it came to the conflict between Gunnar and her father, at first she is a bit naive about the truth about her father, but eventually she comes around. Even when she learns the truth, she still loves her father no matter his past actions, because he was a loving father. But once she learns the truth, we see how she faces up to it and doesn’t let it destroy what she has fought for with Gunnar.

Plot and Story Line 

Lord of Vengeance is a story that I put on hold for the longest time. The last time I read Tina St. John (almost 5 years ago) I didn’t have a fun time with the story, so I put this author aside, but this ebook was on sale a couple of years ago and its been resting in my nook ever since, and I decided that I wanted to start reading some of the books I have had on it for a while now, but haven’t picked up yet. This was a refreshing change from other historical romances I have read lately. First off it’s in a medieval setting (which I love, because we don’t see it that often), from the first chapter I was completely drawn into the story. I didn’t have a tough time at all with the flow or keeping up with it, the characters were interactive in a way that was very emotionally vivid in many ways. Their relationship starts out with more of an emotional connection, the physical intensity is there, but not way strong at first, it seemed to flow naturally. We see the building of their bond with each other, and we a change in the characters as they face certain truths and we how they handle those situations and these two really pulled through. I can’t believe how drawn I was into the book, and I can just say that I can’t wait to read another of Tina St. John now, especially with her attention to detail and historical context, the time and the people who are described come alive off the pages for the reader. A story you don’t want to miss out on.

The Cover 

There are two covers, and I like them both, but I have a certain weakness for the cover I chose. I love couple poses like this, and this cover seemed to relate with the story more than the latest cover.

Overall View 

Lord Of Vengeance is a magical love story of healing, facing the past, and embracing the future…heartwarming and extraordinary!!

About Tina St. John

A Michigan native and descendant of Mayflower passenger Governor William Bradford, Tina St. John makes her home in coastal New England with her husband, the inspiration for all her heroes and her most devoted fan. The couple are the caretakers of two rescued felines who have trained them to surrender treats, tuna, and belly rubs on command.

She quit a full-time corporate job to pursue her dream of becoming a published author. In 1995, Tina St. John sold her first completed manuscript, Lord of Vengeance, and has since gone on to pen several more acclaimed medieval romances. She was frightened of vampires as a child. Luckily, she has overcome this fear and uses that early fascination to drive her paranormal romance novels as Lara Adrian. Her stories mesh fear, sensuality, and power into vampire romance fantasy novels and today she is well-known for the popular Midnight Breed series. She believes that “vampires as heroes in romantic fiction…are the ultimate bad boy.” Her books have been licensed in over sixteen countries. She is also a RWA RITA finalist and Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice award recipient.

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3 Comments

  1. Janhvi @ The Readdicts

    I always love a story where the heroine heals the hero and Raina sounds very sweet. Glad you enjoyed this one 🙂

    Janhvi @ The Readdicts

    Reply
  2. kimbacaffeinate

    I am so glad you dug through your ereader and finally read it..always fun when it pays off. I totally love the setting and the fact that you enjoyed the characters and story have me marking it down

    Reply
  3. Ann Lorz

    This sounds like a good story!

    Reply

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