Rating: 
Summary: COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN!!
Review: I'm a sucker for wounded souls and tortured heroes who learn how to trust again, so this was right up my alley. Along with a great plot where the characters fall in love gradually, after first being attracted to each other on an intellectual/personality level, you've got intrigue, sensuality and more than enough romance.Simon of Navarre is an advisor to the power hungry Richard the Fair and has carefully cultivated his persona as an evil magician. In an effort to secure his loyalty, Richard offers Simon the choice of either of his two illegitimate half-sisters - both raised in a convent after Richard took them from their mothers. One sister is smart, but plain and the other gorgeous. Simon chooses Alys, the plain sister, much to everyone's surprise. Simon's belief in human goodness has been destroyed by the horrific tragedies he was witness to during the Crusades and has built a wall around himself emotionally. He agrees to the marriage only intending to get what he can out of it and send Alys back to the convent when the relationship no longer benefits him. But he soon finds himself attracted to Alys' wit and compassion. And even though she fears him initially, Alys sees tenderness in Simon and is drawn to him as well. Slowly they come to trust each other and fall in love. This book has, hands down, one of the best endings ever. It will knock your socks off! 5 stars!!
Rating: 
Summary: Very intriguing hero
Review: I'm glad that even though I intensely disliked the previous Anne Stuarts I'd read (Blue Sage and Moonrise), I nevertheless decided to give her another chance and read Lord of Danger. Such a difference from those other two books! The little things that I'd liked about them, what made me think "this could have been good" were excellent here, and what had bothered me had been toned down. I really liked that the focus of the book was mostly on the love story. The political intrigue set up the situation and provided the final conflict, but it didn't take over the story with tiresome manouvering. The characters: just wonderful. Simon was a very dark, tortured hero. He was like James (from Moonrise) in that, only he had a sense of humor, a great deal of charm, a sense of honour and a troublesome conscience... in short, he was nothing like James ;-) All jokes aside, he was a fascinating character, a guy who's cultivated his own legend to get power, who delights in scaring people and who likes to think that he has lost his soul and has no conscience, only to have it pop up and bother him at inconvenient times. James wouldn't have had a problem in giving Richard the poison he asked for in order to murder the 12-year-old king. Simon did. He tried to convince himself, listed all the reasons why he should do it anyway, but his conscience still bothered him. And that made all the difference in my liking him. I loved the way he was completely fascinated by Alys, and how that fascination baffled him. As for Alys, I liked her too. She was a bit too much of a wide-eyed innocent at first, so ready to martyr herself and sacrifice, but I just loved the way she accepted the fact that it wasn't going to be such an awful thing to be married to Simon, that the guy didn't so much scare her as excite her. I thought it was very courageous of her to see this, most romance heroines would simply cling to their idea that they were sacrificing to the bitter end. The secondary storyline I liked. It was interesting, but much more romance-ey than the primary one. I liked that it contrasted nicely with it, giving the book some much needed air among the intensity. Other good things were the colourful, almost jewel-like (I know this isn't a valid adjective, but it was the word that came to mind. You probably know what I mean) atmosphere and a villain who was interesting and actually human. Evil, yes, but not a caricature.
Rating:
Summary: Anne Stuart is a master at dark romance
Review: Lord of Danger by Anne Stuart has a permanent place on my bookshelf. I have all of her books but this one should NOT be passed by! Alys is half sister to Richard the Fair. She has been schooled in the convent so she doesn't know anything about castle life and the treachery that lies therein. She is summoned along with her beautiful sister, Claire, to Summersedge Keep to marry a man who is feared throughout the land. A man some say is no man at all but a demon wizard called Grendal. Simon of Navarre has long ago lost his ability to believe in human goodness. He is jaded by war losing his soul in the streets of Constantinople. He willingly embraces the dark arts, becoming a master magician feared by all including Richard the Fair. There is nothing that can be denied him. . . He is given the choice to choose between Richard's two sisters. Will he choose Claire who possesses a radiant beauty or Alys who is plain, peaceful and . . clever? Simon does not want a clever wife who will see past the frightening surface he has carefully cultivated to the man hidden beneath. No . . . He much prefers a beautiful, flighty wife but that changes when he meets the two women. Claire is clearly terrified of him, unable to meet his gaze but Alys even though frightened, looks straight at him. In that moment, her fate is sealed for he chooses her. Simon finds himself falling under Alys' innocent, intoxicating spell. She is witty, gentle, compassionate and unafraid to be tied to a man who is feared throughout the land. Even though she fears his touch would forever damn her, she cannot resist Simon's seductive magic. She falls in love with him and he is captured by the purity of her love. The two lovers become the unwitting pawns in an evil scheme that Richard the Fair has been secretly plotting. Will their love be powerful enough to overcome the odds that are stacked against them or will the unstoppable force of love set them both free? And what becomes of Claire? This story has it all. Intrigue, romance, sensual love scenes, and above all that element of danger that makes Anne Stuart a master at dark romance. Not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: Anne Stuart is a master at dark romance
Review: Lord of Danger by Anne Stuart has a permanent place on my bookshelf. I have all of her books but this one should NOT be passed by! Alys is half sister to Richard the Fair. She has been schooled in the convent so she doesn't know anything about castle life and the treachery that lies therein. She is summoned along with her beautiful sister, Claire, to Summersedge Keep to marry a man who is feared throughout the land. A man some say is no man at all but a demon wizard called Grendal. Simon of Navarre has long ago lost his ability to believe in human goodness. He is jaded by war losing his soul in the streets of Constantinople. He willingly embraces the dark arts, becoming a master magician feared by all including Richard the Fair. There is nothing that can be denied him. . . He is given the choice to choose between Richard's two sisters. Will he choose Claire who possesses a radiant beauty or Alys who is plain, peaceful and . . clever? Simon does not want a clever wife who will see past the frightening surface he has carefully cultivated to the man hidden beneath. No . . . He much prefers a beautiful, flighty wife but that changes when he meets the two women. Claire is clearly terrified of him, unable to meet his gaze but Alys even though frightened, looks straight at him. In that moment, her fate is sealed for he chooses her. Simon finds himself falling under Alys' innocent, intoxicating spell. She is witty, gentle, compassionate and unafraid to be tied to a man who is feared throughout the land. Even though she fears his touch would forever damn her, she cannot resist Simon's seductive magic. She falls in love with him and he is captured by the purity of her love. The two lovers become the unwitting pawns in an evil scheme that Richard the Fair has been secretly plotting. Will their love be powerful enough to overcome the odds that are stacked against them or will the unstoppable force of love set them both free? And what becomes of Claire? This story has it all. Intrigue, romance, sensual love scenes, and above all that element of danger that makes Anne Stuart a master at dark romance. Not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!!!!
Review: Lord of Danger is the best book I have read in a really long time. It has everything you could possibly want. Simon was intelligent, wounded, and dangerous (of course). I've read some other Anne Stuart books and she is wonderful at portraying the "bad boy" sort. Simon is my favorite of her heros. And Alys made a great heroine. It was easy to identify with her since she was normal, not the thin, blonde, violet-eyed type that is used far too much in romance novels. It was great to read a book in which the hero and heroine are both vulnerable, and overcome their fears together. I would recommend this book to anyone. It's just a great book!
Rating:
Summary: A romance novel WITH an incredible plot!
Review: No one can call this a "trashy" romance novel. The plot is original, the sentances are amazingly well-crafted. Simon of Navarre manages to seduce Alys and the reader. A story too intruiging to put down!
Rating:
Summary: Another Stuart Gem!!
Review: Once more Anne Stuart proves that no matter the book or the period, if her name is on it you will get your money's worth. Jaded by war, Simon of Navarre has turned his back on human kind. He is a mysterious lord, practicioner of the Black Arts, and some say he is a monster. To the Aly, raised in a convent, he is to be her husband. Nobody does the bad boy we love as well as Stuart.
Rating:
Summary: enough magic for any fantasy fan.........
Review: This book was..... wow....... wait, words cannot describe. I was looking for some Fantasy Romance @ my library, and this book caught my eye. While there is no actual hocus pocus "magic," there is a almost supernatural alchemy between all the characters. You will not be disappointed in this excellent novel!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: enough magic for any fantasy fan.........
Review: This book was..... wow....... wait, words cannot describe. I was looking for some Fantasy Romance @ my library, and this book caught my eye. While there is no actual hocus pocus "magic," there is a almost supernatural alchemy between all the characters. You will not be disappointed in this excellent novel!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: a keeper
Review: this is absolutely a marvelous read for me. Although the story takes some time to pick up its pace, I was completely engrossed in it from start to finish. Simon of Navarre has to be one of the most wonderful and likable heroes ever created: he's dark, powerful, mysterious, and unlike so many other medieval romance heroes, he never mistreats the heroine (b big plus to me). The chemistry between H/H simply takes my breath away. And that incredible scene in the thunderstorm up on the parapet...well, I don't want to reveal too much here. Just read the book and you'll know what I mean.
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