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Besides her famous Velvet quartet, there are two stand-alone, medieval novels by Jude Deveraux which I consider to be must reads (and must keeps as well) The Black Lyon and The Taming. These two books are the best I’ve read to strongly show a woman’s patience and understanding in winning the love of a closed-hearted husband. Heroes in both these stories are warrior knights who have each suffered loss and betrayal in their first marriages. And it is the wives from their second marriages who, with loving patience and sacrifice, gradually open their hearts and teach them to trust and love again.
In The Black Lyon we meet Ranulf de Warbrooke, the Earl of Malvoisin, who is the champion knight of King Edward I. He is dark, powerful, wealthy and, of course, incredibly handsome. At the tender age of 15, he was married to a woman, Isabelle, who only wanted him for the wealth and power that his earldom brought. Although she came to the marriage carrying the child of another man, Ranulf was so in awe of her that he worked day and night training to be a knight in order to please her.
However, Isabelle had no use for Ranulf, saying that his black looks revolted her; she continued her adulterous behavior after she gave birth to the other man’s child, a daughter, whom Ranulf grew to love. When Isabelle lay dying from a fever, she professed her hatred for Ranulf and told him her greedy reasons for marrying him. Out of hatred and spite, Isabelle was determined to take away any shred of love that Ranulf had for anything. The cruel woman made sure that her little girl died of the fever along with her. Her hateful words and actions on her deathbed closed Ranulf’s heart and made him even more determined to be the most powerful earl and strongest knight in England and he eventually does, becoming The Black Lyon.
Sixteen years after the death of Isabelle, Ranulf meets Lyonene, the beautiful, seventeen year old daughter of a baron who named her for a lioness because of her mass of tawny hair and emerald eyes. They decide to marry after a whirlwind three-day courtship, but do not actually marry for another three weeks. It is during this waiting period, during which they are separated, that Ranulf has more than enough time to dwell on his decision to marry again. He recalls all too well the emotional pain inflicted on him by his first wife. Because of his reflections on Isabelle, he falls into a black mood, which he displays on his wedding day and wedding night. Lyonene is left to wonder where the Ranulf that she grew to love over those glorious three days went.
Ranulf accuses Lyonene of conspiring with a boy from her childhood and threatens to cast her aside. Lyonene is determined to save her marriage. She disguises herself as a serf so that she can hide in Ranulf’s entourage as he travels to Wales, where the king has sent him to thwart plans of a Welsh uprising. Lyonene discovers the truth of her husband’s past and understands the hurt and mistrust he has suffered. She knows that mere words will not convince him of her sincerity. During a Welsh attack, Lyonene proves her love by her deeds, which nearly kill her. Her response to Ranulf when he asks why she acted as she had is a two-hanky moment. Ranulf finally appears to have come to his senses about his relationship with Lyonene and he vows to start their lives anew.
Of course, Jude Deveraux fans know that this is not the only trial by fire these two will face. Sure enough, amid the announcement of Lyonene’s pregnancy, we learn that a jealous plot is being concocted to tear the two lovers apart. How their love triumphs will appeal to all lovers of romance.
The Black Lyon is a joy from start to finish. I especially loved the secondary characters – Berengaria, the friend Lyonene made at court; her younger brother Brett who is sent to foster at Ranulf’s castle; Dacre, Ranulf’s friend and comrade and especially Ranulf’s seven knights, his “Black Guard.” I loved how Jude Deveraux gave each of them his own unique personality. I love this book so much I am now on my second copy because I read the first one so much the spine split.
Buy it at Amazon/iBooks/Barnes and Noble/Kobo
Grade: A
Book Type: Medieval Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 02/03/97
Publication Date: 1996
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.
Over the years, AAR has had many a guest reviewer. If we don't know the name of the reviewer, we've placed their reviews under this generic name.
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I remember reading romances when they first came out in the late 70’s (yeah, yeah, I know what you are going to say, but modern romances are different). Because Woodiweiss’s The Flame and the Flower was such a game changer AND money maker, romances followed a number of “rules.” One was that we never heard the thoughts of the hero. He had to be good looking, older than heroine, rich, and a paragon of fairness and good humor–to everyone, except our heroine, until he realized how he done her wrong which usually happened in one or two pages, after over 100 pages of abuse. I think this trope reflected society’s discomfort with feminism, as well as with the sexual revolution.
The question is whether a past book is riveting enough for readers to ignore the dynamics of past stereotypes—whether it is the anti-semiticism of Edith Wharton, Hemingway, and others–and/or sexism and racism.
For me, usually, it’s not worth it to be irritated by a book I’m reading only for pleasure when there are so many great books today to read for the first time. However, I still love old movies that cause anger and warrent dismissal from lots of people, so if you can enjoy Deveraux, go to it. It helps if you just see such prejudice and stereotypes in their historical context.
I remember even back when I did enjoy Jude Devereaux books in the late 80’s, I didn’t like this one at all. I bought it and read it once and gave it away (which was practically unheard of for me then).
As I recall the hero actually hits the heroine in this book- which is the absolute deal breaker for me.
I really can’t imagine anyone I’ve encountered here at AAR enjoying this book.
A thirty-something champion knight hits a seventeen-year-old girl?
Be still, my heart.
I’ve never read her. Somehow, when as a teen, I glommed Rosemary Rogers and Kathleen Woodiwiss, I missed her.
My favorite was Laurie McBain in my late teens early 20’s but I did read a bunch of Devereaux books. They didn’t hold up for me although she did get better over time with her heroes. By the time of Sweet Liar they were nice.
This one was just a huge nope for me.
I started reading romances in the mid 00s and tried several titles by this author (including most of the ones mentioned in this review plus her AAR Top 100 title Knight Shining Armor) based on glowing reviews list like this one. This author – who still fills grocery store shelves in 2021 – is not my cup of tea.
It’s interesting that our beloved books change over time.
I couldn’t get through Sweet Savage Love when I tried to several years ago but 13 year old me just gobbled it up.
Actually, I think it’s a good thing our tastes change over time.
Sometimes it means that ideas and attitudes we took for granted as being socially acceptable (or, in the case of sex – not socially acceptable for women) have been questioned and found wanting, and are therefore no longer socially acceptable.
Sometimes it’s a matter of experience. What I thought was a very drinkable table wine at age 20 or 21 wouldn’t grace my table today at any price. Same with prose. Read widely enough and long enough, and pretty soon it is obvious what is well-written and what is not.
Agreed. And I’d add another reason: wisdom. There are a bunch of things that bothered me when I was younger and now, as an almost sexagenarian, they just don’t bother me anymore.
I’m almost afraid to ask LOL! Do you mean, things like red hats and purple hair and no more panty hose? I’m right there with you.
In regards to reading, I’m not sure what you might mean. I’m thinking about books that used to be well-reviewed that are now perceived as “bad” . . . case in point: the negative perceptions generated by this particular post (much older adult man married to a minor, physically abusive to her, and the “if she can just survive the abuse, eventually he’ll cherish the little jewel he’s married to” trope).
But it sounds like you are thinking about books that you were critical of back in the day, that you might read more positively today?
Not so much that as younger me got all bent out of shape about stuff that older me thinks is a waste of negative energy to care about.
Here’s an example. When, in my 20s, people called me Mrs. husband’s last name, it irked me to no end. I was a feminist!!! I kept my own name and they should ask! Respect my choices.
Now, that seems cosmically irrelevant to me. I’m myself whether someone gets my name right or not. I no longer correct anyone and nor do I care.
I understand that life is too short to get caught up in the details. I usually only correct people if it is something that will be on a (medical, academic, whatever) record or if it’s someone I will interact with in future. If we are basically strangers passing in the night, I don’t care.
I might have read this except the age difference is too icky for me. Historically probable but outside my comfort level. And I also just read an article about Matt Gaetz so this one is a big nope.
That seems to be pretty common in medieval romances.
Deveraux was such a favorite of mine in the ’80s’ – I doubt she’s going to hold up for me on rereads. I might try to do so in the future though.
After the debacle of A Knight in Shining Armor, I’ve had to harden my heart against these older books and their glowing reviews! I’m so tempted to pick this up…but I’m doubtful I’ll share the same feelings.
Look away Em. Look away.
I’m glad the reviewer enjoyed this story, but I know the “hero accuses the heroine of betrayal because that’s what his evil ex did, but the patient understanding heroine almost dies to prove her innocence” plot won’t work for me.
Yeah, I remember reading and enjoying a couple of her books back in the mid 80s. Very few of those books hold up over time though. If I remember right, the plot of this story was convoluted and was one of the reasons I stopped reading her books before the 90s rolled in. The review doesn’t make me want to revisit this story.
Me neither.