Having read Mary's review from Aberdeenshire I can well understand why she was dissappointed by Proud Spirit if she'd read The Eagle and the Rose first. It happened the other way around for me. I was at stage where I really needed imput from a seemingly external force and came across the paperback version of Proud Spirit in a charity shop in Peterhead (£1) and then the hard back version in another charity shop the following week! (50p) perhaps that indicates how the book is so easy to let go of. Or an indication that the book was definitley intended for me. Timing is everything. However I really enjoyed the read and more importantly the honesty of Altea and almost non- intellectualism that comes across. I subsequently ordered The Eagle and the Rose and yes there were some stories repeated.. disappointed only slightly. It was the energy that gave me the feeling I needed at the time... value for money was not so important.