Woman of Honor by Nicole Zoltack
Publisher: Desert Breeze
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: Aislinn of Bairbhe dreams of becoming a lady knight to honor the death of her fallen brother. To her mother's horror, King Patrick grants Aislinn's wish and she begins her long years of training.
Despite the mockery of the other pages, and the disdain of Prince Caelan who also trains to be a knight, Aislinn commits herself to her dreams and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and bravery. Through the years, Aislinn and Caelan grow from sparing classmates to good friends. They both know that someday Caelan will marry for the sake of the kingdom, but even that cannot keep them from falling in love.
The threat of war with the Speicans is a constant threat, and one that grows more frightening as she and Caelan train toward their eventual knighthood. Aislinn has committed herself to serving Arnhem, and has promised herself as King's Champion when Caelan claims the throne. She is willing to give up everything... her childhood, her life, even her heart for Arnhem. No matter the pain, it brings.
My Review: Woman of Honor by Nicole Zoltack is a beautiful sweet romance with a touch of fantasy. The author uses a lyrical cadence in her descriptions. At first, I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy reading about a young girl, but to my delight, I did! Ms. Zoltack created a story that allowed me, the reader, to experience a different world through a seven year olds eye all the way through womanhood. The depiction of the surroundings, as well as the struggles Aislinn has in her travel to knighthood is well done. Tender moments sprinkled throughout kept the story warm and inviting. Aislinn is a heroine worthy of her ambitions. I was reluctant to stop reading for sleep because I wanted to know how the story progressed and if Aislinn succeeded. The supporting characters and accurate details gave a lovely view of life in medieval times. Ms. Zoltack took the time to build, layer by layer, a magnetic plot. Woman of Honor concludes nicely with the commitment of Aislinn and Caelan. The behind closed door intimacies seem very appropriate for this coming of age love story.
Ms. Zoltack did an excellent job giving a personality to Caelan through Aislinn’s eyes but as a reader, I want and expect a little of the hero’s point of view. What I missed was the thoughts and narrative of the hero, Caelan. Even with that said, I still found their journey to be wonderfully romantic.
With the exception of wanting a little more insight to the hero’s thoughts, I would recommend this book. Nicole Zoltack provides a well crafted story that focuses on emotion and anticipation. Not only a book that a young adult would enjoy, but a woman of any age who wants to enjoy romance and a strong heroine and how she gained her strength. In the future, we will see Nicole Zoltack ranking with many of the top authors we have come to love over the years. We will have a section of our bookcases or hard drives waiting for her newest release. I will certainly read the second installment in this series, Knight of Glory, due out in April 2010 because I enjoyed Ms. Zoltack’s writing and Woman of Honor that much.
Rated 5 Delightful Divas and a Recommended Read by Em Epe!
Hey Nicole,
ReplyDeleteI'm so impressed with the review you received from Em Epe. Congrats on your success!