My Notebook: A Kingdom of Dreams

It's been a while since I last do book reviews. I thought I would start again on those books I've read recently. But then I found a website that do book reviews far better and with more wit compared to mine. I enjoyed reading ALL of them and thought you would enjoy it too.

So the plan is I shall just put my simple take here and then just forward you to the specific link of the said book review to that website.

It will all be uncovered towards the end of this entry, I promise.

A Kingdom of Dreams tells a story of Royce 'The Wolf' Westmoreland, an English warrior and Jennifer Merrick, a Scottish countess who has a scheming father, unkind clan and step brothers issues. The story was set in the 1400s so there was a lot of reference to King James, King Henry and castles.

The story is full of drama, angst and poignant love. Towards the end of the book, I actually cried because it was so heart wrenching. I cried for Royce, not Jennifer by the way.

There was this scene; where during a friendly tournament and joust fights, Royce was badly injured because he had promised Jennifer he will not hurt her family, like, ever, before.

However, he accidentally killed her favourite step-brother a few months before. Thus, that became an issue to Jenny. During the tournament, she believes that Royce would slaughter all her family. See, coz Royce is all brutal and might and she knows he can take care of himself. He is a warrior and King Henry's best as it is.

Jennifer didn't know how badly shaped he was in by then because she decide to return to her bedchamber. Until Royce's brother, Stefan come and get her...

She jumped as the door to her bedchamber was flung open and crashed into the wall. "Get your cloak," Stefan Westmoreland snapped ominously, "you're coming back to that field with me if I have to drag you there!"

"I'm not going back," Jenny countered, turning to the window again. "I have no stomach for cheering while my husband batters my family to pieces, or --"

Stefan grabbed her shoulders and spun her around, his voice like a savage whiplash: "I'll tell you what's happening! My brother is out there on that field, dying! He swore he'd not raise his hand against your kinsmen and, the moment they realized that during the tournament, your precious kinsmen massacred him!" he said between his teeth, shaking her. "They tore him to pieces in the tournament! And now he's jousting-- Do you hear that crowd jeering? They're jeering him. He's so badly injured, I don't think he knows any more when he's been unhorsed. He thought he'd be able to outmaneuver them in the jousts, but he can't, and fourteen more Scots have challenged him."

Jenny stared at him, her pulse beginning to race like a maddening thing, but her body was rooted to the floor, as if she was trying to run in a nightmare.

"Jennifer!" he said hoarsely, "Royce is letting them kill him." His hands bit painfully into her arms, but his voice broke with anguish. "He is out there on the field, dying for you. He killed your brother and he's paying --" He broke off as Jennifer tore free from his grip and started running...

A Kingdom of Dreams, Chapter 25, page 419-420

How could you not shed a tear for the selfless warrior??? Royce, I love you!

Royce and Jennifer are the fore bearers of Clayton and Stephen Westmoreland, by the way. He was also the first Duke of Claymore.

So anyway, to read a more fascinating take on the book, please click on this link. It'll bring you to Rip My Bodice's dot com; where rakes do it better ;-)

I've started read Remember When now. Cole is about to proposed a 'business proposal' to Diana.

xoxo