My Forever Love

The best word to describe Marsha Canham's My Forever Love would be solid. Considering how hard it is to find good medievals these days, that should be taken as a ringing endorsement. It's nothing earth-shattering and is a little on the slow side, but it's also well-written and vivid, with an interesting spin on real-life history. All in all, fans of medieval historicals will want to check this one out. Ciaran Tamberlane was once a much-respected knight, known as the Dragon Slayer for the skilled fighting he demonstrated during the Crusades. But when he turned against the casual cruelty practiced by some of his countrymen and defended an innocent woman against one of his fellow knights, he was sent home in disgrace. He lives in exile in a modest castle cut off from much of the outside world. One day while hunting, he finds the village outside his castle under attack by mercenary knights. These men are in the process of destroying the village and killing everyone they find. Tamberlane and his men manage to drive off the attackers, but they find only one survivor: a young woman dressed as a boy. Tamberlane takes the injured woman back to the castle for treatment, not knowing that she isn't really one of the villagers. Elizabeth de Langois, called Amaranth by her father, already endured life with one abusive husband. But nothing prepared her for the man she was married off to shortly after the death of her first husband. On their wedding night, Odo de Langois raped and abused her with a viciousness that promised it was only the beginning. Amie responded by grabbing the nearest object and clubbing him over the head with it. Believing him dead, she escaped his home with the help of a kindly priest, who helped her hide in the village. But her husband wasn't dead, and he would stop at nothing to find her, even if it meant killing everyone in his path to get to her. Canham's writing is lush and descriptive, really bringing this story and her setting to life. At the same time, the pace is somewhat slow as a result. This is particularly noticeable in the action-heavy scenes, such as the opening one where Amaranth tries to flee the attack on the village. The paragraphs are very long and detailed, which certainly allows the reader to know every single aspect but also somewhat dilutes the excitement of those scenes. Still, her characters are empathetic and well-developed. Tamberlane is an interesting hero, a former knight who once lived under a vow of chastity but who is now neither monk nor man. He has much experience with battles and killing, but very little with women, which makes for an interesting contrast. Several noteworthy secondary characters are also thrown into the mix, including Tamberlane's right hand, Marak, an albino who the suspicious villagers believe practices dark magic but who Amie soon learns is much more benevolent. There's plenty of compelling drama, much of which is heightened by the truly evil villains (although the emergence of

I have not read Marsha Canham for years. I enjoyed her "Robin Hood" type series a while back but recently had shied away from medievals. (Just got tired of the dark tales and wanted lighter Regency fare!) I won't re-tell the plot. Other reviewers have done that well. I would not have missed reading this but it was not an emotional book and did not touch my heart. The reasons I liked it were due to the interesting topics of Knights Templar, Crusade, virgin hero, and the unique secondary characters. The heroine, Ami aka Elizabeth, had a compelling personality and sad history but there was nothing in her persona that made me understand why Ciaran was so enamored of her? I enjoyed the interaction but just wasn't quite getting it! This book does have a lot of graphic violence and sets the mood for a rather dark tale. I am not sure how all the dynamics of excommunication, etc... really worked and the devotion of Ciaran's followers was never really explained. He was a rather sad character (drunk, isolated) by the time Ami meets him that I was unsure what garnered that devotion. His struggles against his lust/love for Ami made for interesting reading. The quest to save the king and additional information on the king's lover was somewhat out of the ordinary. I thought the (two) villains were defeated rather easily in the end. I wished that Ami had gotten to get revenge herself but her husband never knew the part she played in his defeat. I felt she needed (and deserved) that closure. I highly recommend this fascinating book because despite its inconsistencies and lack of a truly gripping romance, I liked it! I have some other Canham's languishing on my reading shelf that I need to take a look at.

What is it about the Templar Knights that mystify us as readers of the historical romance genre? Is it that they are monks, or that they have taken a vow of celibacy? Perhaps it is that they are religious warriors that have taken up the sword for a cause. Whatever the reason for our great interest, author Marsha Canham takes us directly into the heart of this fascination with Templar Knight, Ciaran Tamberlane. Ciaran becomes disillusioned during his journey into the Holy Land, as innocent lives are slaughtered before him and everything he believes to be true about the Templar Knights is carelessly tossed aside by the heartless and merciless Knights he fights with. He can no longer watch the brutal killings and follows his own heart abandoning his sword and retreating into self-imposed exile back to England. As a reader, you can decide what you find so interesting about this sort of character. It definitely taps into our interest of the mysteryious Templar Knights as historical romance readers. Amaranth de Langois (Amie), has been married before to an old and abusive man, and upon being sold again to the highest marriage bidder, this time to the brutal Lord Odo, she has reached her limit of abuse and has decided to fight back by attempting to kill him. Amie, fleeing her vengeful husband, finds herself on Ciaran's land. Brutally attacked and wounded she is brought back to his castle and is cared for by Marak, a healer who nurtures her back to health. As these two tormented characters come together (Ciaran and Amie), their attraction is almost tangible. Author Marsha Canham builds up this story through excellent character development, not just with the central hero and heroine, but also with the secondary characters. This adds a dimension not often seen in historical romances where usually the focal point is on the hero and heroine. If you like intelligent historical romance that are filled with passion, action, and interesting characters then MY FOREVER LOVE is the book for you. Tara Green

When Ciaran Tamberlane joined the Crusaders, he believed that he was doing something noble for God. He lost his faith in King Richard the Lionhearted when the royal ordered the mass genocide of Saracen prisoners. Still he fought on because the thought he was on God's side until he watched a brother knight about to kill an injured woman and her baby. His faith in God's goodness died that day. He now lives on his English estate with no ties to the aristocracy or the church, caring for the peasants who toil on his land.Knights burn down a nearby village slaughtering without regard. Ciaran and his squire kill the marauders. He takes an injured woman, who wants to die, to his castle. As Amaranth de Langois heals, she feels guilty that she caused the massacre by hiding in the village from her abusive spouse. Her husband demands that Tamberlane return his wife to him, but instead Ciaran vows to protect Amie even if the King is on the side of the spouse. As they wait for the confrontation, Ciaran and Amie fall in love, but defying duty may lead to the executioner's sword for him and his beloved.This exciting medieval romance paints quite a different timely perspective of the Crusades, as atrocities in the name of God are part of the war. The action packed story line is character driven; readers will cherish the courageous Ciaran who refuses to go along even when God and King are invoked if he feels it is wrong. Sub-genre fans will appreciate this delightful historical tale starring two honorable individuals.Harriet Klausner