Legend of Lady Ilena

When I finished this book, I was CRYING!!! I'm not going to give away the book, but all I'm going to say is that it's a great adventure story with a lot of suspense, a great plot, a little bit of romance, and an absolutely FANTASTIC, emotional ending! This is definately one of the best and most enjoyable historical fiction books I've ever read. The main character, Ilena, is a great heroine. I don't know why people are complaining about the present tense - that was actually, I think, the best way the author could have presented the book. You have GOT to read this book!

I loved this book. It was one of the few connected to the Arthurian legends who got the aproximate date correct, 500 AD, not the usual 900 to 1000 AD, which has been proven inacurate by many historians. I have a facination with the middle ages, and I found this book to be, for the most part, very acurate historicly. One thing that bothered me was the tense it was written in. A first person narritive, but written so much in the persent tense that some parts get confusing. I got used to this by the end of the book, however. I was lucky enough to be able to meet Ms. Malone; she lives in Chicago; and she is as intresting as her book. This is her first book, and I hope she will write another. Overall, a great book, and an accurate portrail of Britian in the dark ages.

The novel is set in Britain at the time of King Arthur. The protagonist is a young teenage girl. It is a tale of mystery, suspense and high adventure. The story moves rapidly yet draws an accurate and complete picture of the place and time in which it is set. The author's meticulous research and attention to detail places the reader in the setting without sacrificing reading fun. As a former teacher and, currently, a grandmother book buyer, I'm sure young teens will love this book.

"Go to Dun Alyn. Find Ryamen." With both of her parents dead, young Ilena, mystified by her father's last words, sets off to find out who she is. Raised as a simple village girl, but trained by her father in the ways of war, she is determined to learn about her lineage. Without clearly understanding the reasons for her father's instructions, she starts off for this neighboring tribal kingdom and has several dangerous adventures along the way. Once she arrives in Dun Alyn, she locates Ryamen and begins to understand the secrets of her family. She discovers a power struggle between the chieftain Belert, a Christian, and his rival Ogern, a Druid who believes in human sacrifice. Ilena ia thrust in the center of this struggle and becomes a leader. A follower of King Arthur and a dwarf loyal to Belert assist her.Why is Ilena is so important to the fortunes of Dun Alyn? There are a number of reasons, but you have to read the book to find out. At long last, someone has written a book about sixth century Britain that has a feminist twist. Men weren't the only warriors of this time, and it is to Ms. Malone's credit that she has chosen a feminist heroine to star in this wonderful novel.Told in the first person, the novel has an immediacy mostly lacking in historical fiction. Young women cannot help but identify with this brave heroine who is determined to learn her destiny.

The book is very well written with apparently a lot of extensive research. It isn't so filled with technical stuff though that it is hard to read.I think young adult girls will really enjoy it.The story holds together well. No wondering what you just read. It held my interest from beginning to end.