Shadow Rider

Kathrynn Dennis is one of the best new writers to come along in a many a moon. Her theme with horses is original and exciting, and her writing is especially good; in fact, excellent throughout. This is her second book, and it was just as good as her first debut. A little magic, an unusual and compelling romance, a lot of adventure and action. This is a writer whose book you can't put down. I promise men and women alike will enjoy this excellent read. I want to see more of this lady's work. She is a wonderful storyteller.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques In a time when women were forbidden from animal husbandry and care, Sybilla Corbuc will defy the king himself to save a colt and fulfill a legacy. Sybilla has a bond to horses that no one can explain or define. Never is this more evident than on the night a special colt is born. This newborn foal, Regalo as she names him, is elf shot and Sybilla is afraid if the truth about him gets out, she will be condemned and the colt killed. She will do anything to protect this horse that she has formed such a bond with, even be a slave to the Shadow Rider. Sir Guy of Warwick has one thing on his mind - vengeance against the man who murdered his sister and her son. A prophecy has been told about a young colt with four white socks who will lead Guy to the killer, and he believes Regalo is The One foretold. No one will get in the way of his revenge, even a wisp of a girl with a spirit to match his own. However, danger beckons from all sides and Guy, Sybilla, and Regalo are at the center. These three must work together to finally find the peace both Sybilla and Guy crave. I have to say I was not quite sure what to expect of Shadow Rider when I picked it up. I liked the premise and the supernatural bend about a mystical horse appealed to me. As I started reading, I was intrigued. Who was the Shadow Rider and why was he hunting demons of despair? Soon thereafter I found out and I was off and running before I even got to the prophesized horse. We have prophesies and curses, vengeance and fear, lust and betrayal in Shadow Rider. There is also the added undercurrent of mystery as Guy tries to prove who killed his sister. This adds more tension to the plot as he has to keep such a tight rein on his hatred especially as he gets closer and closer to the answers he seeks. Sybilla is desperate to survive in a time and place where women are nothing. Her only joy is the affinity she has with animals, acting as a midwife to the horses when her king and the church take even that away from her. I am an animal lover myself so I felt a special bond with Sybilla as she did everything in her power to protect Regalo. The afflictions he suffered as a result of his curse were fascinating and I found myself imagining it all quite vividly. Guy is an emotionally wounded warrior who only wants to bring a killer to justice and avenge two senseless deaths. He has no other goal in life presently until he meets Sybilla. The more time he spends with her, the more he longs for the happiness he believed he could never have. He grows and changes so much upon the entry of Sybilla and Regalo into his life that we know he'll be all right in the end. Shadow Rider is a thrilling medieval romance with a very good sense of the superstitions of the era. © Kelley A. Hartsell, November 2008. All rights reserved.

Sir Guy of Warwick is on a mission to avenge the murder of his sister and her child, but first, this shadow rider, a man haunted by their deaths and half dead more than alive in his soul, must discover the murderer's identity and have proof of the crime. Horse midwife Sybilla Corbuc awaits the foaling of her mare. Everything rests upon the birth --- her heart, her financial future, and indeed her very freedom. The local village priest Father Ambrose has forbidden the practice of horse midwives under the threat of severe penalties in an effort to stamp out witchcraft. When Addy delivers her foal, with Sybilla's help, it could not be worse --- a black colt with four white stockings, a devil's colt! Seeing Sybilla threatened by the local church, Sir Guy spots an opportunity to free himself from charges of theft and to achieve his long quest. The seer Lady Morna had predicted that a colt matching this description would lead him to the murderer. Striking up a bargain to protect themselves, can the birth of this mystical colt bring these two together or will one of them finally succeed in wrestling Regalo from the other's control? With danger at every corner, can Sybilla and Sir Guy protect the colt, find the murderer and keep safe from all those plotting against them? In her second medieval historical romance, Kathrynn Dennis gives her readers a fabulous medieval tale of passionate romance and riveting adventure centered around a horse, a strong independent heroine, and a sexy, mysterious wounded hero. Sybilla is a woman accomplished in the art of healing animals and a woman bent on freedom. At odds with the local religious authorities for her power to heal animals, she has a gift that cannot be denied, especially not when it comes to care of this special foal. Sir Guy is as handsome as he is dangerous, especially as his past comes to the forefront. Haunted by guilt and grief over his sister's murder, he will do anything to seek justice. Forced together by need and prophecy, Sybilla and Guy must learn to trust one another. In the creation of her hero and heroine, Kathrynn Dennis creates a romance that touches the heart as Sybilla and Sir Guy wrestle with an inner vulnerability from the past while also facing danger from several corners, known and unknown. SHADOW RIDER draws the reader into the characters' emotional lives. In describing the financial hardships and the tough choices they have to make, Kathrynn Dennis brings her readers right into the medieval world as well as into the intimate dreams and difficulties of families. Readers will be particularly moved by the portrait of Sybilla and her mother, a portrait that shows Sybilla's determination and her strength of character. Kathrynn Dennis has a knack for writing some wicked villains in her romances and the villains here were so perfect --- and so medieval! Oh, my, were there some exciting twists and nice surprises towards the end of the book! SHADOW RIDER sets up a fantasti

I loved Shadow Rider! The level of historical detail included really made it seem alive, as if I were right there with Guy and Sybilla in 14th century England. The story is absorbing and unusual (I won't give it away), but what intrigued me most were the characters: true to the times, but understandable, likable individuals with human needs and flaws. G R E A T, heartfelt love scenes, too. I can't wait for Dennis's next book!

In December 1390, Sir Guy of Warwick does not feel the cold as his heart is already frozen. He lives for one thing only to avenge the murder of his sister Roselyn and her newborn John by sending the vile villain to hell whether it was a demon or a mortal. Unmarried and with no male protection, twenty year old Sybilla Corbuc knows the priest of her village Corbury will be irate if he catches her; as she explains to her companion young Etienne if caught she will be convicted as a Separist and tossed naked into the nearby woods. However, she has no choice but to help the mare give birth on a freezing night so that at least the foal survives. Sir Guy comes across them in the barn and offers to buy the colt that he believes will somehow tell him who his sibling's killer is. As they fall in love, the ambitious local sheriff wants his land, the priest wants her burned, and an aristocrat wants both dead; only a strange mysterious newborn horse can keep them alive if they believe in one another and in the power of the colt. This is a fascinating medieval romance with a touch of mysticism that enhances the tale as readers will wonder early on whether the lead couple is simply superstitious or if the colt has special powers; the colt makes the story line fresh. Guy is an interesting protagonist who until he meets Sybilla and the colt lives for vengeance only, but now that his heart is thawed has a greater reason to live. Fans will relish this fine look at late fourteenth century England. Harriet Klausner