A shield-maiden and an exiled lord should never fall in love. . .Mariel serves in the king’s army as a shield-maiden until the day she defies her commander. As punishment for her betrayal and to show the kingdom she is loyal, she is sent to assassinate an exiled lord. But the longer she stays in his castle, the more she falls in love with him. Until he reveals a terrible secret that forces Mariel …
Until he reveals a terrible secret that forces Mariel to make an impossible choice. . .
Lord of the Castle is the third tale in a series of stand-alone adult fairy tales blending fantasy action-adventure with steamy fantasy romance.
more
This was a unique, steamy take on Beauty and the Beat! Angela Ford always does such a beautiful job with her world building and this book was no exception. This was a bit shorter, more of a novella, but I still enjoyed the characters, the world and the story. Definitely ready to read more about the enchanted wildwood!
Mysterious and captivating
MARIEL is a young woman-shield (a soldier) sent in punishment (for having disobeyed an order) in a remote village to discreetly eliminate the Lord of the place.
As Mariel is a woman, she will not be suspected.
Once the task is done, she can come back to find her initial grade.
—————–
A mysterious fantasy story that will keep its secret until the very end of the book.
To discover.
Dark, steamy retelling of Beauty and the Beast? Umm, yes please!
I raised my hand high and volunteered to be an advanced reviewer for Angela Ford’s new release, “Lord of the Castle”. It’s the first of her books I’ve read, but her reputation precedes her in the book blogging world.
She is a bestselling, self-published fantasy author with titles such as the “Four Worlds” series, “Pawn: Night of the Dark Fae”, “The Blended Ones”, “Once Upon an Enchanted Forest”, etc.
She’s known for her epic series but has a few stand-alones like this one. I’ll definitely be picking up more of Ford’s books! My only complaint of “Lord of the Castle” was that it’s too short! The story could’ve gone so much further!! #givememore
Lord of the Castle is a sweet Beauty and the Beast retelling. The characters are likable and the scenes are described well. There’s even character growth for the shield-maiden Mariel.
I liked the parts of the story that were original more than the parts that were similar to the classic. The love-making at the end wasn’t very romantic. It felt rushed like a quick sprint. Overall, it’s an easy afternoon read.
A shield-maiden whose calling is to protect those who can not protect themselves is tasked to be a killer. The monster she is commanded to kill is a lord beloved by his people. At the edge of the Enchanted Wildwood, things don’t always follow the paths expected in the civilized world. The night of Sahmain is fast approaching and neither Murial nor Lord Cedric will escape it unchanged.
This story is reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast in a twisted, upside down, through the looking glass sort of way. There are elements from the traditional tale, such as the whispering spirits, the scarred Lord, and the vicious mob but not in the way they are traditionally used. A story of redemption and purpose in a broken world. There is romance and it does get steamy at the end.
This is the third book in the Enchanted Wildwood series. These are standalone books in a shared world. This book takes place after the first two books, and reading them adds depth to your understanding of the Wildwood, but this book can be enjoyed without reading the previous two and has a satisfying conclusion.