The Protector (Medievals)

Madeline Hunter writes excellent medievals, and this book is no exception. While not as emotionally wrenching as "By Possession" or unique in character as "By Arrangement", "The Protector" is a well-told tale with a wonderfully strong hero and heroine and rich historical detail. "The Protector" is the story of Morvan Fitzwaryn, brother of the heroine of "By Arrangement" and a knight who has sworn to regain his family's lost lands--lands that he had been forced to surrender as a young boy. He encounters the lovely and unconventional Lady Anna de Leon when she rescues him from a group of fearful Breton villagers about to torch the cottage where he is sheltering with his plague-infected squire. Anna has been left as the political and military leader of her Breton castle following the deaths of her father and brother and the devastation of her own people by the plague. When Morvan himself is infected with the plague, Anna (who has survived the plague previously) nurses him and supports him emotionally and a special bond is forged between the two. In gratitude, Morvan vows to protect Anna and lends his sword when Anna's enemies attempt to take over her castle. Morvan is fascinated by Anna's strength and beauty, but Anna has vowed never to marry as she does not want to be in any man's power. Anna is a wonderfully unusual heroine, marvelously strong and capable of holding her own with the men on the battlefield, she is insecure about her own attractiveness and cannot believe that the gorgeous Morvan would want her for herself and not for her lands and wealth. I found Morvan to be a hero worthy of Anna--strong enough to control her wilder impulses but gentle with her as well. There is an onslaught of negative reviews on this site about Morvan (strangely, most dating from January 6th and 7th, 2005), criticizing him for being too domineering and crushing Anna's spirit, but I saw that part of the book as two *very* strong people learning to accept each other and redistribute the balance of power. Anna really had the majority of the power at the beginning of the book, and I would not have been happy to see her marry someone that she could ride roughshod over. Morvan's rules and restrictions were primarily to protect her from her enemies and to maintain harmony in the castle. The power clashes were inevitable and very realistic considering the very strong willed heroine and alpha male hero and the compromises that both ultimately make for their love are touching. In summary, this is a very well-written medieval with an unusually strong heroine and hero. The historical details about the plague are interesting and well done. Highly recommended.

The Black Death is the catalyst for the English mercenary knight Morvan's arrival at a Breton coastal stronghold, and his subsequent interaction with its lady, Anna de Leon. But the political setting for this story is not just the Hundred Years' War (a struggle for control of the French throne between England and France). The key to the story is a local power struggle over the succession in Brittany, one of the many semi-independent duchies that make up the feudal kingdom of France. Since Brittany is on the coast, its control is crucial to both the French and the English. I don't want to give away key plot elements (for those of you who have not read the other reviews). But readers should keep the political story in mind as they read the book. Without it, the actions of the king, of Anna herself, and of other characters make little sense. [I also recommend taking a look at Madeline Hunter's website for further information]. Enough on the background. On to praise for the book, but where should I begin? This is a wonderful and thoroughly well-crafted sequel to my favorite medieval romance (BY ARRANGEMENT). Readers of Hunter have eagerly awaited this book, especially since the more knowledgeable fans know that she wrote Morvan's story first. This book more than meets my expectations for a good read this summer. I have to say that the published description didn't make the book sound very exciting, which is a bit unfortunate - the book kept me up until 3 AM (an automatic 4 stars therefore, at least). The story begins with Morvan facing a likely death from the Black Death. During this phantasmagoric time, he meets the one woman who can turn him from thoughts of regaining his ancestral home and family honor. Unfortunately, the lady has other ideas . I can't give away any secrets by saying that Morvan and Anna do get married (since this is expected in a romance). But their courtship takes unexpected turns, as does their marriage.What I liked about this book: 1) I don't usually like alpha-male characters, but Morvan somehow crept through my defenses (as he cuts through those of court ladies). Must be those sparkling black eyes. Well, a fantastically handsome hero is easy to dream about - and his dominating ways make some sense given the dangers faced by Anna and her household. 2) The heroine is remarkable. This is not the place to discuss whether Anna's actions and beliefs are really anachronistic. Her desires, fears, and needs seemed ageless to me - they boiled down to the desire for "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" as she defined them, and not as society or her overlord defined for her.3) Hunter has her usual skill in weaving historical details into a rich tapestry of sights, sounds and smells. I am no medievalist, but I have detected no errors in her settings - and I know (from writing to her) that she takes considerable pains to get the details right but not too overwhelming. I do wish that she would cut ou

The main characters - Anna and Morvan - were well shown. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded and the tricks and turns Ms. Hunter included throughout. Both survivors of the Black Plague, these two medieval warriors battle both on the field and off! Their story is poignant and yet at times humorous. It has a nice balance of scenery, characters, and history. Some of her people believed Anna to be a saint, others were not sure about being led by a female "lord". Then you have Morvan who was English which was not the thing to be at that time in that place! Which is the lesser of the two evils - female or English. Ahhhh, that is the question and it was answered over many wonderful chapters. I was glad to see Morvan back and look forward to the next book (I believe the title from the excerpt was, "A Thousand Knights"). From what I read, it looks to be another installment as it mentions Harclow (Morvan's home lost by a siege in which his father was killed).An adventurous read which can keep you glued to your chair late into the evening! I recommend this one to all Madeline Hunter fans and anyone looking for a good escape for an evening. I found it went quite well with M & M candies. Please just don't tell my son where his little bag went!

Madeline Hunter's romance novels are the best historicals that I ever read and this one is no exception. A honorable knight Morvan is nursed back to life from Black Death by a female warrior and saint (so believed by locals in Breton), Anna. Then he swears to protect this beautiful but innocent heiress from the greed and lust of other men. And he does so by making her falling in love with himself. It is less angst-ridden than previous ones such as By Possession and By Design but the bleak description of Black Death and war rampaging the Medieval Europe casts the lives of characters fragile and vunerable and makes the love between Morvan and Anna more passionate, urgent, and sweet. Villains are believable combined with the intelligently-provided historical background information, and protagonists are not so overly grandiosed as to become unbelievable as we often find in other romance novels.Madeline Hunter's greatest strength is her talent of seamlessly weaving a love story in a vivid and accurate description of history with an uncanny balance that satisfies both romance and history readers.

Madeline Hunter has done it again. She has crafted a compelling romance with fascinating characters set against a rich historical tapestry. THE PROTECTOR will add to her growing reputation as one of the most promising authors to come on the scene in quite a while.THE PROTECTOR is Morvan Fitzwaryn's story. Morvan was introduced in Hunter's first book, BY ARRANGEMENT. He is the son of a baron whose holding was seized by the Scots during one of the many border skirmishes that plagued the north of England. The loss of his patrimony means that he must earn his way with his sword and he has spent several years as a mercenary, fighting in the endless wars between England and France. Now he is on his way home, but he is forced to take a detour when Black Death strikes his troop.Morvan is taken in by Anna De Leon, the daughter of a Breton lord. Anna's father and brother died of the plague but she survived. She nurses Morvan through the illness (yes, it was possible to survive the plague with good luck and good care). Morvan believes that he must protect his savior from the dangers that beset a Brittany engulfed in civil war. He also feels a deep attachment to this unusual woman who can ride and fight better than many men. But as a property-less knight, he can aspire to be no more than her protector.How Morvan and Anna become husband and wife, how he convinces her that she is not - as she thought - unfeminine and unlovable, how a strong man and a strong woman work out their relationship and how they defeat her long time enemy is the basis of the story.Fans of BY ARRANGEMENT have clamored for Morvan's story. I am certain they will be completely satisfied with this tale of how he finds love.Full disclosure compels me to admit that Madeline Hunter is a friend of mine. But I have no hesitation in staking my own reputation as a reviewer on my evaluation of THE PROTECTOR. This is an excellent medieval romance.