Bull God by Roberta Gellis

MOMMA DOESN'T TALK ABOUT THAT PARTY...


When gods still walked the Earth, a king could pray for a sign and have a white bull rise from the sea to confirm his claim to the throne. But a god's price was high, and when Minos did not keep his promise to the god Poseidon, the god meddled with Minos' wife...and the Minotaur, a child with the head of a bull, was born. The question is, did Poseidon intend his son to be worshiped as a new god, or is he the god's curse on Knossos, a monster that will destroy it?

Ariadne was the Minotaur's half-sister, the only one who would touch him and care for him when he was born. She was also high priestess of Dionysus, sworn to interpret his Visions, but one Vision destroys her peace. Dionysus Sees that the bull-head must die or bring disaster upon the realm. Can Ariadne agree to the slaughter of the deformed half-brother who clings to her as the only one who cares for him? Can she protect the Minotaur in defiance of Dionysus' vision and dare the god's wrath? Should she?

I must confess that I was a bit wary of reading books based in the Greek myths. Having studied them in the past I was afraid of finding the use of the Olympian Gods totally out of place and something akin to sacrilege. I'm happy to say that, once again, Gellis totally superated my expectations and created a tale that not only does justice to the them but that so engaged me that I cried buckets for the last 50 pages.

This is the Minotaur story with a twist, Gellis grabs the basic facts -  what lead to the Minotaur's birth, his sisters Ariadne and Phaidra and both their relationship with Theseus, the labyrinth, King Minos - and writes a powerful story that while maintaining the same facts tells something else entirely.

Ariadne is the highpriestess of the God Dyonisus. After a long spell during which the God had not answered the call of the highpriestess of Knossos he cames again when Ariadne is chosen for the role and calls him. She serves him and interprets his visions when need be. She is just a child in the beginning, a child that clearly adores him, and Dyonisus keeps their relationship strictly platonic despite the fact that tradition says that the God must couple with the highpriestess to bless the vines. One of his visions is about Ariadne half brother but despite being a tale of destruction she can't make herself destroy him.

As Ariadne grows up she must stay true to the God she worships and fight agains her parents who want her to worship the new God Minotaur. It is ironic that she is the only one who can control him. She is the one who raised him from birth, and the only one who truly cares or pity's him. The Minotaur, the child with the bull's head, is more than just a monster in this story, he is a pathetic victim of his mother's ambition and Poseidon's revenge on the humans.

Gellis characterization is one of her strong points, in presenting us with this set of characters and making us get to know them and feel for them she has written a wonderful story about the Olympian Gods. I loved how Dionysus explained the other Gods and himself to Ariadne and the love and compassion at the root of this tale. I can't wait to continue with this series and see which other gods have had their myths retold.

Grade: 4.5/5

Joanna by Roberta Gellis

In A World Of Deceit And Danger, Love Was The Deadliest Risk Of All Beautiful, iron-willed heiress to power, Joanna secretly burns with an explosive inner passion as wild and– radiant as her flaming red hair. But her deepest emotions are tragically frozen by the cold fear of a man’s tender love.

Ensnared in the violent lusts and dangerous intrigues of King John’s decadent court, she defies every outward peril-only to come face-to face with the terror in her own heart. Caught between willful pride and consuming desire, she struggles to avoid surrendering herself to the irresistible fires raging within her.

After reading the first two books of The Roselynde Chronicles, I knew I had to continue the series even if I knew that Alinor and Ian de Vipont were not the main characters of the story.

Joanna is the eldest daughter of Alinor and her first husband, Simon. She is the heiress of Roselynde and was raised accordingly to her rank. Joanna is young but of marriageable age and her parents want her betrothed to Geoffrey Fitzwilliam, the young son of William of Salisbury. Geoffrey had a hard life at court as a child, being the constant target of Queen Isabella’s hate for his father. King John is on the throne and Geoffrey and Joanna will have to deal with revenge and jealousy from their both sovereigns.

The young man and Joanna know each other since childhood, since he was raised in Roselynde as Ian’s squire. Despite the situation, they don’t know each other well and it’s obviously since the beginning of the story that their relationship would not be a smooth one.

I have to say that it is a joy to return to Roselyne and to read Roberta Gellis. Her historical research and attention to detail are a real pleasure to read. My main problem with this book were the misunderstandings between Joanna and Geoffrey. Yes, they are young and inexperienced but it seemed they couldn’t have a single conversation without jumping to conclusions, having immediately a fight and leave each other bitterly. I was tired of this attitude halfway through the book making it almost painful to read. Quite disappointing when I read Roselynde and Alinor in one sitting and was eager for more.

While I was still interested to know a little more about Alinor and Ian’s life (Ian de Vipont is such a wonderful man!), I cannot say that I really cared about this young couple. Nonetheless, it is still an interesting read mostly because of the rich historical background also present in the two previous books of the series.

I’m definitely reading the other books of The Roselynde Chronicles even if I read some so-so reviews about them.

Grade: 3/5

A Mortal Bane by Roberta Gellis

Magdalene la Batarde is the madam of the Old Priory Guesthouse in Southwark. She and her women are expected to engage in a number of sinful delights, but bloody murder isn't one of them--until Baldassare, the messenger, dies.Though Baldassare wasn't a regular client of the Old Priory Guesthouse, Magdalene and her women refuse to allow his death to go unavenged. Of course, their efforts aren't completely altruistic. Chances are if they don't find the killer, they will be assumed guilty because they are whores, and they will be gutted and hanged.Into this sea of intrigue steps the handsome Sir Bellamy of Itchen.


The bishop of Winchester, who was served for many years by Baldassare, orders Bellamy, his most trusted knight, to investigate the murder and tells him that Magdalene has been accused of the crime. Bellamy is instantly captivated by his chief suspect but is also convinced that she is hiding something. Sure that she is involved in the messenger's death right up to her beautiful eyebrows but unable to believe she's a killer, Bellamy must find out how and why Baldassare died--or watch the mysterious Magdalene meet her fate on the gallows.

As you probably already know I am one of those people who thinks Roberta Gellis cannot write a bad book, some less good yes but never a bad one. I am glad to report then that I really loved reading A Mortal Bane and it definetely joins the group of her good books.

It is a medieval murder mystery set in a whorehouse located in an old priory that the Bishop of London has let to Magdalene La Batarde. Magdalene was once a whore herself but now she just controls the business, checks that everything is in order for her "guests" who come and visit her women. All of the women have some disability, one is deaf, another is blind and so on... Madalene provides them with a ceiling and they all seem reasonably happy with their lot. But one day one of their visitors is murdered in the church next door. Magdalene just knows that the whores will be the first ones to be blamed so she decides to conduct a private investigation. When the victim is revealed as a papal messenger even the Bishop of London is called upon to discover the culprit.

I really enjoyed reading about these people, Magdalene was a bit reserved at first and we get to know her better as the action progresses. The whores are treated more superficially and we don't know all of them all that well although I suppose that can happen in future books. Sir Bellamy of Itchem is the Bishop of London' man, charged with investigating the crime he starts to feel a bit jealous of the visits to Magdalene's house till he discovers she only manages the business. And there's also William of Ypres, Stephen's man in the war against Matilda which gives us a glimpse of the politics of the period, he is also Magdalene's protector which pleases Bellamy a bit less... The characters were interesting and engaging and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next.

I have no idea if whores could rent from the church but I think Gellis wrote a compelling story that seemed to me with a believable medieval atmosphere. The morals of the time, from church members and otherwise are called into question and there are several twists and turns before the culprit is finally found. As a whole a really interesting story. I will be looking forward to read the next books in the series.

Grade: 4/5

Roselynde by Roberta Gellis

A Woman Of Passion, A Man Of Honor... A Sweet Burning Love Yearning For Fulfillment.

In an era made for men, Alinor is at no man's mercy. Beautiful, proud and strong-willed, Alinor is mistress of Roselynde and of her own heart as well--until she meets Simon, the battle-scarred knight appointed to be her warden, a man whose passion and wit match her own.

Boldly Alinor defies lionhearted King Richard's command to marry one of the land-greedy nobles swarming around her and shrewdly maneuvers through Court intrigues and alliances to be near the man who has awakened her to tender yet volatile love. Their struggle to be united against all obstacles sweeps them from the pageantry of the Royal Court to a daring Crusade through exotic Byzantium and into the Holy Land. As they plunge into the events of a turbulent age, they endure bloody battles, political treacheries and heart-rending separations before their love conquers time and destiny to live forever.

Roselynde is the first book of the famous series The Roselynde Chronicles by Roberta Gellis. I've been reading excellent reviews about it for ages and Ana T. is always recommending me this series (she is such a patient and persistent friend!;-)). I finally followed her advice.

One Saturday afternoon, I picked up the book and just couldn't stop until the very last page. No need to say that I immediately read the second one, Alinor, even if I dreaded some aspects of the story, especially the fate of our heroine's 1st husband.

Normally, I'm not very fond of very young heroines, they are often immature and very childish. At the first sight, Alinor seems to fit in this category, but just for some seconds. She might be young, but she is far from being the usual spoiled aristocratic young miss. She knows her value and her strengths. Since her birth she was taught by her grandfather how to manage her lands and business without relying in a man. This is quite unusual for these times but not unheard of. Strong women like Nicola Lahaye or even the ruthless queen Alinor were perfect examples of amazing women who wanted much more than men (and the Church!) allowed them to have.

Her relationship with Simon is quite unusual. Some might think that the age different is a bit too much, but these two are good for each other. There's a good symbiosis going on since the beginning, and despite Simon's objections concerning their age (he really is disturbed by his attraction to a much younger woman), I could hardly imagine anyone else at the side of someone like Alinor.

What pleased me the most in Roselynde? The politically incorrect view of the Middle Ages. Roberta Gellis isn't afraid of talking about subjects that normally would hurt our modern sensibilities but who were considered perfectly normal in those times, like the common use of camp whores or some physical abuse from husband to wife. Not that I would ever approve of such behavior, of course, but it makes me admire even more these women who stood up for what they wanted in times when their rights were close to nothing.

The historical background is also very rich and entrancing. Following the Lionheart in his quest along the Mediterranean and also some aspects of his life immediately remind me how little I like this English king. The author also mentions several times his possible homosexuality but even today historians are not convinced and mostly believe he was simply an asexual man who was more interested in his quests than actually have sex with everything that moved (like so many sovereigns before and after him). Prince John is, like always, the creepy and vindictive character who we all hate passionately. I often wonder if he really deserves it...

To be honest, I don't know if I would have picked this book only looking at the cover. Roselynde is not a historical romance, it's pure historical fiction with some strong romantic elements. It's also one of my best reads of 2010!

Grade: 5/5

A Tapestry of Dreams by Roberta Gellis

THEIRS WAS AN AGE OF PASSION AND PAGEANTRY
The lovely Lady Audris, whose delicate fingers weave fables of the future unto her tapestries, whose special gifts and radiant beauty set her apart in an enchanted age. And the knight they call Hugh Licorne. In service to his king ... a hero in an age of heroes ... a princely suitor for Lady Audris -- even though she cannot have him. Against all odds, they dare to search for love ... the lady who has sworn not to marry ... and the knight who has vowed to win her heart…

Tapestry of Dreams is the prequel to Fires of Winter. I happened to read that one first and was then curious to know more about Hugh and Audris who show up as secondary characters.

Set during the Stephen and Matilda wars and especially during the Scottish invasions of 1137 and 1138 about which there’s an author’s note the story begins by introducing Jernaeve, a place between Scotland and England where Audris lives under her uncle’s protection and from time to time receiving the visits of her half brother Bruno. On one of his visits he is accompanied by his friend Hugh Licorne. Hugh is an orphan who doesn’t know is parents. Both young men feel deeply the fact that they have neither riches nor land to call their own.

Audris is somewhat different from other heroines of the time, she is sheltered yes but her main occupation is weaving tapestries and she has none of those feminine gifts like cooking, healing or ordering the keep. Since Hugh is introduced as a friend of her beloved brother there’s immediate warmth is their relationship. What I really liked in how their relationship is portrayed, how open and honest they are with their feelings. Hugh is a warrior but is also capable of gentleness and tender feelings for the woman he loves; Audris is passionate and headstrong in her desire for him. I also liked how Gellis made their sexuality such a natural and joyous part of their union, it seemed right.

There’s war going on and soon the mystery of who Hugh really is and the result of their union makes them leave Jernaeve. I thought the first half of the book was a bit slow but towards the middle it definitely picks up the pace not only in their relationship but also in the background story. Gellis successfully blends story with history and mystery to provide us with an interesting and entertaining historical romance.

Grade: 4/5

Fires of Winter - Roberta Gellis

I am a big fan of Roberta Gellis medieval romances. Although she is better known for her Roselynde Chronicles whenever I find one of her books I always feel pretty happy and save them for a rainy day.

Melusine of Ulle, daughter of Scottish nobility, is given in marriage to Bruno of Jernaeve, who secures her land for his sovereign, King David. Born enemies, the pair has an inauspicious beginning when Melusine attempts to kill her new husband on their wedding night. But what makes this more than just a story of two people's rocky relationship is Gellis's wonderful style. Alternating chapters are written from the perspective of husband and wife, the work is historically accurate, and the narrative is sensitive and insightful. For Gellis fans, the fact that some characters appeared in Tapestry of Dreams makes this work all the richer.

This story is set during Stephen de Blois' reign and develops during its ongoing war with the Empress Matilda. The first half of the book is dedicated more to the relationship between the hero and the heroine. Growing up as the daughter of a noble family for her and as an illegitimate son of a noble man for him. They meet in less that happy circumstances as Bruno, a knight in King Stephen's entourage, is invading Melusine's keep as her father and brother have turned traitor. The King and Queen Maud decide a marriage of convenience for them and one could say that this more romantic side of the story continues till they come to terms with each other.

The second half is about the fight for power and the political movements of the period. How Stephen alienated his brother's support who went to Matilda and how after Matilda and Robert of Gloucester invaded Germany and eventually fought till they imprisoned King Stephen. He would end up being released when Queen Maud imprisons Robert of Gloucester planning and exchange between them but it led to Henry, son of Matilda, being sworn heir to the throne of England after Stephen's death. Bruno follows King Stephen's actions on the field and shares his imprisonment and Melusine stays in attendance of Queen Maud thus presenting different perspectives of what’s happening around them. The book has one particularity I have not seen often, each chapter is written in the first person but alternating between Bruno and Melusine. This means we have their different views regarding what's happening, sometimes their different views on the situation they are in.

Gellis is really good at delivering interesting, true to their period, characters and in immersing her story in history. It made for a very interesting read!

Grade: B