A Falcon's Heart (Sonnet Books) [Mass Market Paperback]

As for the story and characters themselves, when I could understand their interaction with each other, I enjoyed them. The fairy tale element of the story was a nice change, though I wonder if it was really needed at all. I think the story would have worked just as well without the supernatural element, and maybe even work better. There was a lot of attention to details; the character's adherence to religion (which is often missed on fiction stories), early English king's relationships with their nobles, etc, which was great to read. I guess this is why I was a bit disappointed when there was absolutely nothing mentioned about the Black Plague. This story spans the decades of 1340-1355 yet there was nothing of the Plague. There is plenty of mention of the Crusades, which is good because it was also relevant at the time, but considering 1348 was one of the worst outbreaks, the lack is noticeable (at least to me). Ah well, maybe I am being too picky, I just thought that Ms. Wylie spent a lot of time trying to make life in the 14th century come alive (and it does) yet she missed this crucial element. I think this is an OK attempt at a first book. I will probably purchase her next book, though I hope it is a bit more polished.

Alista grew up at the estate Brinlaw, which was awarded to her father after he lost his original estate in the war against the usurping Queen Maud. But with her father gone, King Henry II sees a chance to reward his loyal follower, William of Brinlaw, by returning his estate to him. The catch is, he must marry Alista.

While the arranged marriage is a tried and true theme, what I liked here is that the emotional trauma is handled realistically. They are strangers to each other, and that changes only slowly over time. They both have been through tremendous amounts of pain, and that heals only slowly. But when it does, it's worth the wait!

The historical elements are also handled with realism. What I particularly liked was the inclusion of spiritual and political circumstances of the time. Too many medievals seem to take place in a never-never land beyond the reach of king or church. I also enjoyed the paranormal aspect but I was glad that it was a relatively small part of the story; much more would have been distracting.

I can't wait for another one by this author!