TEST
An AAR Top 100 Romance
originally published on September 30, 1999
Whenever I start reading a book by Laura Kinsale, I expect an intense and compelling read, a complex love story that’s usually on the darker side, and at least one tortured protagonist. This mixture may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is definitely one I enjoy, and it figures prominently in For My Lady’s Heart.
Laura Kinsale is known as an exceptional prose stylist and talented writer, and I was therefore curious about how she would tackle her first medieval romance, arguably one of the trickiest periods to write about. Many authors seem to use this setting merely as an interesting background for a commonplace story with modern characters, disregarding some of the more unpleasant aspects of the Middle Ages or the way religion permeated those people’s lives. Not so Laura Kinsale.
In fact, when I began reading the opening paragraph of For My Lady’s Heart, I was immediately transported back into the 14th century, probably one of the darkest periods in European history, with its plague epidemics, peasants’ uprisings and religious strife. This rather apocalyptic mood also characterizes the prologue, which introduces the hero, Ruck of Wolfscar, at the age of seventeen. He is accompanying his wife Isabelle on her pilgrimage to Avignon, where one of the two Popes of the time holds court. Isabelle is a religious zealot whose mystical visions have led her to choose the life of a recluse. Although Ruck suffers from his wife’s rejection, he is willing to take a vow of celibacy and let Isabelle join a nunnery. At the last moment, however, he is prevented from binding himself to the church by a beautiful lady who tells the archbishop that Ruck will never be able to preserve his chastity since he has been harboring impure thoughts about her. She speaks the truth – Ruck has been haunted by Melanthe, the princess of Monteverde, ever since he laid eyes on her. The Church declares his vow invalid and confiscates all his possessions. Yet again the mysterious lady saves Ruck by bestowing two emeralds upon him which enable him to escape destitution and start a new life. Although his pride is stung, he secretly swears himself to her service.
Thirteen years later, a knight known as the Green Sire disrupts the New Year’s Celebration of the Duke of Lancaster and his guest, the princess Melanthe. He issues a challenge to all knights to fight him for the honor of his lady. Although Melanthe does not recognize him, she seizes the chance of escaping the Duke’s insistent courtship and declares Ruck her champion. When he manages to defeat all his adversaries, despite the Duke’s attempts at thwarting him, Melanthe accepts him as her escort during her travels to the English court, where she wants to reclaim Bowland Castle, her father’s inheritance.
In many of Kinsale’s romances, it is the hero who is supremely tortured, but in For My Lady’s Heart, it is Melanthe who desperately needs to be saved: saved from her persecutors, the houses of Riata and Navona, who are determined to get the Monteverde holdings by hook or by crook; saved from the bitter memories of her past; and ultimately saved from herself. If it were not for the insight we get into her wounded soul, she would appear cold and downright cruel. Ruck, however, manages to breach the barriers she has erected around herself ever since she became a pawn in the feud between her husband and two other Italian noble families. Ruck is the perfect hero to redeem her – honorable to a fault, bound to a rigid code of chivalry, gentle and kind. He may have lived celibate for thirteen years, but he more than makes up for it with his vivid imagination. The love scenes were both touching and funny – and really made me laugh about the side-effects of confession and the detailed questions of nosy priests, who unwittingly taught Ruck quite a bit about love-making!
As a matter of fact, Ruck is sprung right from a medieval tale of romance, and this is no coincidence: For My Lady’s Heart is partly inspired by the famous Middle English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Various motifs of that tale are woven into the plot: the Green Knight, who sets out to challenge the bravest of warriors; the beautiful lady who tempts a chaste man; battles against formidable enemies; and the quest for a lady’s heart. There is one delightful passage in which Ruck tells the tale of his slaying a dragon, making use of the medieval verse form. At this point, I was simply awed by Laura Kinsale’s talent and her ability to recapture the magic and enchantment of that literature in her novel. A major part of the dialogue even contains elements of Middle English, and although I stumbled occasionally over one or the other expression, this particular language gave a richness and historical authenticity to the story that was quite extraordinary.
Of course, one cannot talk about For My Lady’s Heart without mentioning Allegreto, the fascinating young man who secretly loves and protects Melanthe, but is too enmeshed in Machiavellian intrigue to be morally unambiguous. Kinsale gives us just enough glimpses at his tortured soul to rouse our curiosity. Fortunately, Allegreto will get his own story: according to Laura Kinsale’s web site, he is going to be the hero of her forthcoming novel Shadowheart. In the meantime, I am joining the ranks of those who eagerly await Allegreto’s comeback, hoping that Enchanter will be a worthy sequel to the wonderful For My Lady’s Heart.
Grade: A
Book Type: Medieval Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 16/08/17
Publication Date: 1993
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
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After listening to the audiobook, I can’t imagine ever actually reading the book. Such a wonderful story with perfect narration.
This has been on my TBR pile forever; I can’t wait to get to it!
It does help to read certain sections of the book aloud, as what looks odd on the page is more comprehensible to the modern ear if you speak rather than read the words. An audio book would provide the same benefit. I loved this book — loved Ruck, ached for Melanthe, and found Allegretto compelling. Never read his book, however, as one of my turnoffs is very young heroines paired with older heroes, and IIRC, that’s the case in Shadowheart. YMMV, so it should not stop anyone else from enjoying Allegretto’s story.
I tried to read this a few years ago and had trouble getting into it. I set it aside with every intention of returning and just haven’t yet. Kinsale is a favorite author for me and so it’s nice to have a few left to read.
See my comment above, Blackjack – I can’t remember if you “do” audio, but it’s fantastic.
I struggled at the start & I wasn’t a fan of Melanthe for much of it; I perservered (sp?) and very much enjoyed it. Although honestly? I wanted to know more about Allegretto! Now that book…OMG. So good. Ms. Kinsale is amazing.
What book is that?
Shadowheart!
It does take this one a while to get going but when it does it’s perfection! This is maybe my favorite romance novel of all time.
I haven’t read this in print, but I listened to the audiobook a few years back when it first came out, and it’s utterly outstanding. Anyone wondering if they can cope with the odd bit of Middle English in the text really should consider listening because Nicholas Boulton (who is channelling Sean Bean!) reads effortlessly and delivers an incredible performance.
This would definitely make my top 100 and would be a lot higher than #88!