Title: Valiant One
Author: Jay E. Hughes
Genre: Historical (1283), Scotland/England, Factual-Fiction
Length: Novel (213pgs mobi)
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing (30th September 2011)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4 ½Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Ragnar, a hardened Scottish soldier, is indifferent to English rule of his homeland until he falls in love with Gylis McIvoy, a fellow Scotsman. They have a brief and passionate affair, but circumstances tear them apart permanently. Ragnar swears vengeance, and soon becomes a freedom fighter modeled on the recently captured and executed William Wallace.
Ragnar manages to raise a ragtag army that rains terror down on Longshanks’ occupying forces, but in the process, he has a chance meeting with the king’s son, Prince Edward of Wales. Sparks fly between them despite the impossibility of an English prince taking a Scottish enemy soldier as his lover—giving new meaning to “the love that dare not speak its name”. These two star-crossed lovers may cross swords on the battlefield by day, but they still manage to heat up the night.
Review: Ragnar is bent on revenge on the English after they killed his lover Gylis. He is determined to raise an army and drive the English out of Scotland. Edward Prince of Wales and heir to the throne is not a happy chappy as he is currently locked in the Tower for criticizing his father’s, the King, campaigns in Scotland and he is now plotting his uprising against his father.
This is a great story as you can imagine most of what’s described as happening back then. A lot of thought went into this storyline and I really enjoyed the plotting and the intrigue. The backstabbing and the scheming, most of the characters are in the history books and did in history what was described in this book. The author changed it up a bit but it doesn’t stray too far from known history so I supposed that you could call this Factual-Fiction. The story draws you in and with the problems that Ragnar and Edward face with being from enemy countries and one a peasant and one a royal. You really don’t see how they could possibly end up together, but the ending is great it left me with a grin on my face.
Ok… I loved this book. I know this is fiction and the author has artistic license and the author did fantastically with the story BUT I do have a few problems with it namely the timeline. it starts in 1283 but Edward Prince of Wales wasn’t born ‘til 1284 and there was some other stuff that was mixed up as well with the timeline, I know I am being picky but the author could have written this easily into the timeline and truthfully it’s not that far from the truth anyway.
So what would I recommend…? I would recommend this to anyone who love a pampered Prince, a Scottish Barbarian, sword fights, political intrigue, backstabbing, intense hot passion and men who fall in love with the enemy.