|
Loyal to
King Henry, Lord Devlin Ravenstone quickly volunteers to trade places
with him
to capture Morven Douglas, who happens to be Devlin’s half-brother. Morven is a threat to the King and Devlin
vows to keep Henry safe. Morven and
Devlin have done battle on more than one occasion, which stems from the
time
when their father bestowed their jeweled sword upon Devlin, making him
his
heir. But in trading places with the
King, unbeknownst to Devlin, he was walking into a trap.
It was discovered that there was a traitor in
their mist, in the guise of Devlin’s wife.
Devlin nearly died at the hands of his half-brother,
but lives to fight
another day.
Ten years
later, Devlin’s anger, betrayal and resentment over his deceased wife’s
deceit
still burns within his heart and soul.
When Morven invades Devlin’s Ravenstone castle, he
flees with the sword,
only to be captured. With retaliation
foremost
on his mind, Devlin attacks the Douglas keep, only to be
captured and wounded himself.
When Devlin
awakens he finds himself tied to a bed and a beautiful young woman
tending his
wounds. Devlin feels instant attraction and curiosity about the beauty,
but
when he learns she is Morven’s daughter, Meghan, he hides his identity
from her
and comes up with a plan for escape. Only
to have Meghan at his heels to end the bitter feud between her father
and him …
her uncle!
New author,
Marjorie Jones pens a captivating and powerfully written story with The Jewel and the Sword. A
wonderfully crafted tale of honour,
betrayal, loyalty, love and adventure, readers are brought into the
lives of
Devlin, his half-brother Morven, Morven’s daughter Meghan and his
second-in-command, mastermind Ian.
Morven was
an interesting character. He is a
dangerous man, hell-bent on taking his place in Ravenstone and will do
whatever
it takes to do it. At first, I perceived
that Morven would be the true villain in The
Jewel and the Sword, but Ian was a man on an even more
relentless
mission. Ms. Jones pens her villains
with potency and focused, making them as interesting and as great as
the main
characters.
Meghan and
Devlin, our heroine and hero were enriched characters that a reader can
grasp
onto and fully enjoy. As the history of
Devlin’s family is revealed and much comes to light, these characters
have
already taken hold of their audience.
Ms. Jones certainly knows how to write in-depths
characters whose
essence to a story, hold no limitations.
The Jewel and the Sword has so much power as a
story; it is
difficult to sum it up into only a few paragraphs.
For a new author, Marjorie Jones certainly
shows the drive and conviction of her craft, makes it her own and shows
that
she is a star on the rise. For readers
who love medieval romances, with sinister characters, intrigue, danger,
love
and excitement, as well as great writing, The
Jewel and the Sword offers it all to its audience
Reviewed by Tracey West
for The Road
to Romance
July 9th,
2004
|
