***A steamy medieval romance***He wishes to prove himself… Marcán of Clonascra comes from the direct line of King Brian Boru. His prowess as a warrior is as legendary as his sire’s and has earned him great respect from everyone but Astrid, the woman who holds his heart. Between her meddlesome mother’s branding him as a pagan Seer with no regard for the danger that creates for him, and Astrid’s … him, and Astrid’s total disregard of him, he finds solace as the King’s protector and confidant.
She is desperate to escape…
Astrid is at the mercy of her brother, the powerful King Diarmuid, and he alone will decide when and to whom she will be wed. Encouraged by her overbearing mother, she manipulates events to gain acceptance into a neighboring clan. Although the man she approaches reveals his dishonorable intent, her mother has her own ambitions and pushes her toward him anyway. The result of her devious actions opens Astrid’s eyes to the truths around her. She must choose between honor and deception, good and evil, and bear the consequences.
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I was so excited to read this story after having just finished book 1 Curse of the Healer. This is the story of Marcan of Clonasra, great warrior and close friend to Diarmuid, King of his clan. Marcan has been in love with Astrid, Diarmuid’s sister for as long as he can remember. He had only acted as her protector and friend with hope in his heart that one day she would return his affections.
Manipulated by her scheming mother, Astrid is pushed to marry a man of the neighboring clan but finds he only wants her in his bed and is not a gentleman. When Astrid pushes toward Marcan and realizes her feelings for him, her mother again steps in and accuses Marcan of being a Seer due to his different colored eyes and because Seers where thought to be of the devil.
I am coming to see as I read her books, Ashley York writes exceptional stories, full of history rich in detail and characters that you come to know and care for… With the right amount of adventure, intrigue and romance, this entire series will go on my to be read again shelf. Although part of a series, this book can be read as a stand alone. But trust me, you do not want to miss a moment of the Derbfine series!!
The Eyes of the Seer is the second book in The Derbfine Series. This story happens in part of the same timeline as Curse of the Healer. Astrid is Diarmuid’s sister, but in firmly under her mother’s thumb. She manages to be both naive and manipulative at the same time. Although she isn’t a very pleasant character to begin with, coming across as spoilt, once you understand her situation, you will find yourself starting to sympathise with her position. Marcán is one of Diarmuid’s warriors, and firmly holds the ideals of their clan which includes treating women well. He has wanted Astrid for years, but doesn’t think he will ever get the chance.
This was a very good second book, and I loved the way the times overlapped so you could see the same events from different eyes. I did wonder just how Astrid managed to remain so naive, when she seemed to understand other situations perfectly, but I guess that is just part of her charm. Once she committed to Marcán, I felt more settled!
Once again, the way of this writing is to take you back to that period, whether it is the descriptions of everyday chores, or how the speech is used. There must have been a whole lot of research involved to make these books as enjoyable as they are. That only comes about through hard work, and knowing your subject.
There were no editing or grammatical errors in this story, and I was thoroughly engrossed from start to finish. For all those who enjoy Historical Romances, I can definitely recommend this series, and this book.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books!
Love the dedication of Marcan a real hero.
Well written book! I loved it!
Great story and characters.
I enjoyed the lessons in it. People try too hard to make others happy and they doom themselves to misery. Excellent romance and respectable characters!
What time like to read
I enjoy historical books and this one covers an area and an era I have read little about. I did have some difficulty picturing the buildings and costumes. I personally struggle with gailiec words but would Not omit them. I also was troubled by the words in italic letters. Sometimes they were native words but others were not.
This was a very good book.
Interesting book. It was a pointed rebuke about how physical characteristics invite wild assumptions.
You were kept wondering what was going to happen next. Enjoyed this book
It is ok….have not completed it as it does not quite grab my attention.
I’m reading it right now. It started off a little boring but more than half way through, it gets interesting.