One Knight Stands

I really like this series--about women trained at St. Jude's Abbey in the "knightly arts." This one has the heroine looking for a stone in Wales that is cursed so that if the King steps on it, he'll die. The hero is on a quest to kill the man who killed his wife. It gets 4 stars because I didn't quite get the point of the killer--seemed like there should have been more to it.

I coludn't wait till the second book came out. I loved the first one and was hoping that the second would be just as good. It was just shy of beating the first as my favorite romance novel. You end up really liking the characters a lot. Now I can't wait till the third book comes out and the next one. Hopefully their will be a lot more books like these because they are truely great reads. I know that this is not an overly helpful review but, I hope that you will pick up the book yourself and read it.

Set in twelfth-century England. Queen Eleanor, of Aquitaine, established St. Jude's Abbey. There, young women train in the knightly arts, as well as the martial arts from the East. In times of trouble, when hope is slim, Queen Eleanor calls upon these women to protect the royal family and England. Elspeth Braybrooke's weapon of choice is a staff. Queen Eleanor gives her the task of locating the "Llech-lafar". It is a legendary stone of Merlin's. Prophecy states that if the King steps upon the stone he will die. So Elspeth's quest is to find the stone and keep the prophecy from happening. (Welsh Prince) Tarran ap Llyr and his men are escorting an elderly woman, Vala, to Tyddewi when they see Elspeth hanging from a castle's narrow window. Tarran is surprised to learn that she is trying to get in, rather than out. Soon Tarran and his men come to respect Elspeth's fighting abilities and bits of wisdom. Tarran convinces Elspeth to accompany them and keep Vala company. Since they are going her way, and it is safer to travel with a group, she agrees. Yet she must not let herself be diverted from her important task by Tarran's touch. Tarran feels the same heat of attraction for Elspeth. Yet he, too, must not be diverted. Tarran is searching for the man who murdered his wife, Bradwr ap Glew. A man who was once Tarran's most trusted friend. **** This is the second book involving the strong women of St. Jude's Abbey. (The first is titled A KNIGHT LIKE NO OTHER.) I found myself so engrossed in this story that I did not realize I was learning so much about English history! The tale grabbed my attention from the beginning, then kept up a steady pace of action, plot, and romance until the very end. You will never find yourself growing bored while reading this book. Recommended! **** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

In the twelfth century, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine funds St. Jude's Abbey, a place where young women learn to read and write, and receive combat training. Queen Eleanor arrives at the Abbey to assign the task of obtaining and hiding the mythical "speaking stone" of Merlin, "Llech-lafar" to prevent its prophesy from happening. The prophecy claims that if the King steps on the stone he dies from happening. Weapons adept, especially with the quarterstaff, Elspeth Braybrooke is assigned the mission. Not long afterward Tarran ap Llyr and his soldiers are escorting an elderly woman when they notice Elspeth hanging from a castle's slit trying to gain entry. Tarran is impressed with Elspeth's fighting skills and persuades her to join them on escorting Vala; she agrees as they travel a similar path, but must not lose sight of her mission especially when she finds for the first time in her life the desire to be with a man. Tarran feels exactly like Elspeth as he wants her, but fears she will divert him from his quest to kill his former best friend who murdered his spouse. ONE KNIGHT STAND, the sequel to the delightful A KNIGHT LIKE NO OTHER, is a terrific medieval romance that stars two fabulous warriors falling in love with one another who fear that unwanted emotion will interfere with their respective missions. The story line insures the audience knows that events occur during the twelfth century, but Jocelyn Kelley cleverly interweaves that into her background. Fans of English historical romances starring a strong female solider and the only male who can somewhat keep up with her will appreciate this tale and its predecessor. Hopefully Queen Eleanor introduces readers to more competent women warriors soon. Harriet Klausner