The Maiden and the Unicorn [Mass Market Paperback]

The Maiden And The Unicorn is not a bodice ripping romp with characters wrapped in a few quasi-historical facts, but the love story of two real people caught up in the politics and power struggles of the Wars of the Roses. Margery is ward of Warwick 'The Kingmaker'and Richard Huddleston is in the service of his enemy, King Edward 1V. Or, is he? No man or woman was safe as Kings and Nobles crossed and double crossed each other for the prize of the English Crown, while across the Channel, King Louis of France, 'the spider king' spins his own dangerous web of deceit. Margery and Richard pursue their disparate ambitions through the corridors of Courts where every shadow may hide an assassin, every smiling face may mask the heart of a traitor, where even pillow talk is dangerous, especially if the woman in one's arms is a spy! Kidnapped by Richard at the instigation of King Edward, Margery is in no mood to forgive the charismatic king, her childhood playmate and the cause of her subsequent humiliation and distress. But now, with Warwick a traitor bound for France with his daughters, the only family Margery has known, she is without a protector and must comply witht he King's demand that she become a spy. Her reward, escape from a proposed marriage of convenience to the man she now despises above all others, Richard Huddleston. Too late, Huddleston learns that Margery, long the object of his ambitions and desire, has slipped from his grasp, but with the help of the wily Richard, Duke of Gloucester, the King's youngest brother who brands him a 'traitor', he is able to pursue her to the Court of King Louis where, with Warwick's blessing, Margery is forced into marriage after all. Separated by distrust and conflicting loyalties, neither knowing the dangerous game the other plays, but drawn by a deepening attraction that turns to love, they realize they must trust their hearts if they are to escape with their lives. Martyn wears her deep knowledge of Yorkist England as easily as a second skin so that the protagonists are not cardboard cutouts, but breathing people with a place in history, people one can empathize with if not always like. Not does she fall into the trap of judging Richard of Gloucester as the Tudors reviled him after relentlessly exterminating all Plantagenets and those who could speak for them. Instead, Martyn views him, not as the monster immortalized by Shakespeare, but as he was known in his lifetime, a loyal brother, courageous soldier and able administraor who lived by the mores of his day. Marty's first novel (published in Australia as The Lady And The Unicorn) is rich in language and subtleties and not without wit, perhaps not for those seeking a lightweight, throw away read, but thoroughly satisfying. Definitely an author to be watched.

Put very simply, I found this book totally enchanting and enjoyable and a marvelous read. It was no surprise that Isolde Martyn won this year's award in Australia for the Historical Romance Novel of the Year. Being a lover of English history, I found Martyn's historical accuracy of the period well researched, and no shortcuts were taken, a failing I find of so many authors of historical romance.

On the romantic side of the story, who could fail to fall in love with Richard Huddleston, as I did within the first few pages, and Margery's adventures were a joy! It's a wonderful story, engrossing and entertaining, and I can heartily recommend this book to lovers of historical romance. I now look forward, with great anticipation, to Isolde Martyn's second novel.

Isolde Martyn's Maiden and the Unicorn (published in Australia as Lady and the Unicorn) is a wonderfully rich tale of love and romance, set against a backdrop of medieval political intrigue. Portraying a spirited, intelligent heroine and a strong, attractive hero, Martyn weaves an elaborate tapesty, full of evocative imagery and historic detail concerning the everyday and political life of her period, as well as a depth of psychological understanding of male-female relationships. The result is a compelling and thoroughly enjoyable story full of sexual tension which is deeply satisfying for both romance and historical readers alike. The power and intelligence of Martyn's writing comes through spendidly with this first novel, and it certainly deserves its recent shortlisting for the Romance Novel of the Year Award. I can't wait for her next novel, The Knight and the Rose. Highly recommended!