Fires of Winter

I love this book. What made it even more enjoyable was that Gellis broke with tradition and wrote this book in first person POV; but not ordinary first person, but first person POV for both Bruno and Melusine. Each chapter alternates with their POV, which made my reading experience deeper and more enjoyable. Even though Gellis is touch-and-go when it comes to sensuality and romance, Fires of Winter struck a perfect balance with her trademark attention to historical detail and the romance between the two leads. I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a meaty historical.

This novel is a sequel of sorts to _Tapestry of Dreams_, and what a worthy successor it is! Roberta Gellis dishes up, yet again, an intelligent and believable romance set amid a vivid historical background. _Fires of Winter_ follows Bruno of Jernaeve, illegitimate brother of _Tapestry_'s heroine, as he learns to love Melusine of Ulle, the bride he initially married for political reasons only. It actually took me two attempts to finish this novel. The first time, I couldn't get past the first sex scene. It's painful. Not in the "bad writing" sense but in the "oh my God, ouch!" sense. I'm not sure if it's technically rape; it's more of a tragic misunderstanding, and not the horribly misogynistic "But I thought she was a prostitute so it was ok to rape her!" sort of misunderstanding that pervades this genre. Bruno thinks Melusine is sullen but resigned when in fact she's not exactly in her right mind. But I'll give this to Bruno; he stops as soon as he realizes what's really going on. Anyway, I picked the book up again a few months later, and was able to get through the cringing and into the heart of the love story. Bruno and Melusine's love unfolds slowly and beautifully over the course of several years as the two gradually come to trust and then love each other. It's rough going at first, but when love creeps in, there is tear-jerking sweetness--and sizzling hotness! The title is apt. During the course of the story, Melusine and Bruno tend to find their tenderest moments in the depths of winter, when the ongoing war has loosened its hold for a brief time, and the life of the court brings them together. The only quibbles I have with the novel are the aforementioned wedding night scene (which might be troubling for some) and the fact that the alternating-POV chapters are occasionally confusing. I had to do a little mental juggling sometimes because often Bruno's chapter will pick up, chronologically, somewhere in the middle of Melusine's chapter or vice versa, so that the story covers the same time period twice.

This story is strong on historical detail - a little too much for some, but being a history major, I loved it. I hate historicals with wallpaper history and modern dialogue. I mean, if an author can't figure out historically accurate dialogue, don't write historicals - stick to contemporary novels. That being said, this is an awesome romance, which I think is tough to manage within the medieval time period while keeping it fairly realistic. Also, the alternating viewpoints of Melusine and Bruno are an interesting technique, one I'd never encountered in a novel before. And, despite a little purple prose, the love scenes are smoldering, not only because the characters have great chemistry, but because they come to deeply, genuinely care for each other. Of course, it's not perfect. There are a lot of misunderstandings, and some points seem belabored. All in all, though, a great story. I highly recommend it.

DESCRIPTION --> <br />The windswept plains of medieval England were torn by the raging struggles of royal conquest. Land was seized from passionate men and women whose lives were forever changed ... <br /> <br />MELUSINE OF ULLE ... the beautiful, cherished daughter of Scottish nobility, her family and her life were destroyed by the winter invasion of King David. She was a sparkling prize of battle, awarded to a man who accepted her hand out of duty to his king... <br /> <br />BRUNO OF JERNAEVE ... the handsome bastard son of a castle whore, his heart belonged to another Yet it was he who would tame the rebellious spirit of the captive beauty--and ultimately surrender to her charms. <br /> <br />THEY WERE ENEMIES, THEN LOVERS. Born of different worlds, joined in the flames of passion and intrigue, they found new strength in each other's arms--and a burning love that defied all eternity... <br />

This book should be read after Tapestry of Dreams. Gellis has given us a rich plot full of history without droning on like a text book, created colorful characters of great emotional depth, and a romance that curls the toes. It's a solid read unlike most romance novels, and not something to be skimmed through in an afternoon. MD