Lady Raell can fight, ride, and argue politics as well as her brothers. Only being mistress of her father’s household keeps her in skirts. In Naed, the new Lord of Druemarwin, she has found devotion, a kindred spirit, and a marriage promise. But when a forgotten and unwanted betrothal comes to light, she has no choice but to run. Amidst sweeping revolution, Naed must rally his people, fend off … assassination attempts, and fight against claims he’s a traitor. Then he discovers everything about his lineage and family is a lie. And his beloved belongs to another.With lives and a kingdom at stake, Raell and Naed must find a way to protect the innocent and save their love.
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Lady Raell can do anything her brothers can do, including fighting with a sword, only her father keeps her firmly entrenched as mistress of his household. Naed, the new Lord of Druemarwin, sees what a treasure she is and offers marriage. She’s elated, that is until a long-forgotten betrothal is brought before her. She flees in horror, right into Naed’s arms. Can Raell find a way to be Naed’s wife and partner amidst a revolution peppered with lies and deceit? Can Raell and Naed protect their kingdom and the innocent or will they give up in defeat?
Lord of Druemarwin is a sweeping fantasy romance. The main characters are woven in realism. I connected with them right away. The conflict Raell and Naed have to overcome can be perceived as over the top, but I don’t see it that way. In classic fantasy stories, the hero or heroine has to overcome all obstacles before they get their happy ending. This is the case for all Tolkien stories, and this is true for Lord of Druemarwin. The world-building talents of Helen C. Johannes is on display in Lord of Druemarwin. Vivid descriptive narration captured my attention from the start, and I found myself reading late into the night. Helen C. Johannes plunges the reader into the world she creates and as readers, we’re thrilled. The plot moves at a great pace with plenty of action scenes, a full cast of intriguing characters, and romance worthy of the big screen. Brilliantly written, Lord of Druemarwin is a must-read for both fantasy and fantasy romance readers. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I’d review it.
My Rating: 5+ stars
Lord of Druemarwin stands strong among its peers as a solid sword and board fantasy story, which is what attracted me to it. I came for duels on parapet walls, political intrigue, and the ever-present burden of honor, but I stayed for the characters and tightly woven plot. Johannes has built a world where characters and their struggles keep the reader turning pages until the very end. I’m not much for romance novels, but here’s one that knows how to get me invested in the perilous love story between our hero and heroine. Even the spicier scenes of love and lust seem earned rather than contrived, something I think is pretty rare.
For lovers of worldbuilding, Lord of Druemarwin will not disappoint. One of the strongest aspects of this is the limited scope of the story. It doesn’t take place across vast continents, with hundreds of characters or cultures. Johannes takes her time and builds the three rival clans into fully fleshed cultures, each with their flaws and virtues, before setting them on the arduous task of finding common ground. Our principle characters, Lady Raell and Lord Naed, have to overcome not only the political turmoil of a world in the brink of change, but also their own deeply ingrained sense of duty, honor, and loyalty. Their love for each other, a force stronger than tradition, may be the only thing that can begin to bring these disparate societies together.
Another solid aspect of this novel are its characters. I absolutely loved Raell. Her arc through this novel is one of personal growth and strength, but every inch of it is learned through hard lessons and bloody trials. I was so glad to see her stand on her own two feet as a confident equal to both heroes and villains. Even secondary characters are fleshed out to the point where I thought to myself, “Ha, Toth ain’t gonna like that.” And boy, was I right.
If I have a criticism, it’s that the first third of the book or so is a little slow to get off the ground. By the halfway point, I was reading with every spare minute I had, but it took a little while to get there. I can probably chalk this up to not having read the first in this series, so I had to play a little catch-up with learning who was who and what was what. Again, Johannes does a powerful job of building a world that’s logically consistent, so catching up wasn’t hard to do, but the beginning still felt a little sluggish.
All in all, a fun and enjoyable read, even if it is outside my normal wheelhouse. I’d certainly recommend it to anyone who wants some romance splashed into their medieval Europe fantasy story, or anyone who wants to read about someone getting their kneecap broken in vivid detail.
Disclaimer: I received this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Johannes has a talent for developing layered, fully realized characters and brings them to life on the pages of Lord of Druemarwin. The setting is so lush and delicious the reader is “put right there”.
This is a true gift for all lovers of fantasy romance. Do Not Miss This One.
Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews
Did I lose a lot of sleep reading this book? I absolutely did! And I don’t regret it for a second. Lord of Druemarwin is full of action, love, and secrets, and I couldn’t help but keep my eyes glued to the book, turning page after page well into the night.
I absolutely loved all the characters, though Toth quickly became my favorite, a hot-headed Tolemak with a good head on his shoulders. One of my favorite scenes of his was when he and Naed got in a fist fight. The whole fight and the interaction afterward had me busting a gut!
Lord of Druemarwin has a stunning, eye-catching cover, with flowing words and incredible details that captivated me from beginning to end. I could highlight the entire book with my favorite parts. This was well-written, with fleshed-out and likeable characters. I didn’t want the story to end.
Lord of Druemarwin (Crown of Tolem Book 2) is the follow-up book the Prince of Val-Feyridge. I enjoyed both these books immensely and highly recommend them to fantasy romance readers.
Helen C. Johannes is that writer, the one who hurls the reader right into the action alongside the hero and heroine. I could vividly see and feel the fantasy world she created as I feverishly flipped pages. She has a knack for creating relatable characters with depth who in Naed and Raell’s case you can’t help but root for in both love and battle.
The deep emotion between Raell and Naed is powerfully written and though Raell is promised to wed another, you can’t help but pull for them to find a way to be together without damaging their immeasurable family honor. For Raell, the path leading to Naed is all uphill, but she is not one to give up easily, in fact, she’ll risk death to make this happen.
The battles are epic and both Raell and Naed fight with as much passion as they love with.
The Lord of Druemarwin is an epic fantasy romance and a worthy follow up to Johannes’s debut novel, The Prince of Val-Feyridge. Now that Prince Arn has staked his claim to the ancient throne and continues to pursue his destiny to unite the three kingdoms, he must hand off an important task to his new Second. Naed of D’nalee must return to his homeland with the challenge of convincing the ever-neutral D’nalee people to throw in behind the new Prince. He is prepared to demonstrate his loyalty to the Prince by taking his rightful place in D’nalee, but the mission requires he leave behind the woman he has sworn to love and vowed to marry.
Soon after she says good-bye to her intended, Raell learns of a promise made long ago that could keep her and Naed from marrying as they wish. Not a woman to accept a fate decided by others, she steals away with a little help from an unexpected source. The journey is treacherous, but Raell possesses secret skills that become vital as she arrives in D’nalee and finds herself in the middle of a dangerous assassination plot against her beloved.
Saying too much more about the plot of this epic story could give away the intriguing twists and turns that help to make this a delight to read. Told with a voice that reflects the richness of the characters and the depth of myth and tradition the world contains, The Lord of Druemarwin transports the reader to lands of courtly intrigue, violent war, and familial betrayal. The cast of characters is grand and though it takes a bit to get everyone straight, the secondary characters enrich the story by showing how people with various strengths, loyalties, and prejudices can come together for a greater goal of unity and peace.