Posted on  27/06/2020 20:01:00

My rating: 5 sweet dreamy stars


for an enchanting story of love and redemption



It is not possible to enjoy every moment in life, but take pleasure where and when you can and relish it to the fullest.

I loved Curse of the Healer but this little tale here is downright sigh-worthy. I absolutely adored it!

Could be because I'm a sucker for great Beauty and The Beast retellings, but most probably because Lord of the Castle delivered on all counts.

A lovely beauty to absolutely root for - a shield-maiden who feels more comfortable in breeches than a fancy dress.

A barbarian of a man, Lord of a frightening castle, who makes for a downright sigh-worthy beast.

And a fierce slow burn romance where reason fights attraction and passion leaps from the page.

Mariel is a shield-maiden who dared to take matters into her own hands, acting directly against the orders of a superior to defend a village and do what's right. As punishment she is stripped of rank and sentenced to serve a minor exiled lord. But instead of serving as a protector, she is tasked with killing the Lord.

Now Mariel is determined to get her rank restored by killing the lord, but her task proves to be more harder than she had initially assumed. Not because of the uncanny attraction to said Lord, though that has her all tied up in knots. But because Lord Cedric of the frightening castle doesn't seem to deserve to be killed.

He is a mystery Mariel burns to unravel, but what Lord Cedric hides might just make her run screaming into the night.

This is a very short tale. And yet it is both complete and nicely fleshed out. From characters to settings, I found nothing lacking. Beautifully written, expressive and delightful, Lord of the Castle is one of those tales that will get readers hooked from the very first page. With plot twists and snarky retorts, as well as fierce passion, it will keep you turning pages till the very end.

I'd found my man, my love, my very own lord of darkness.



If you love a good fairy tale retelling - Lord of the Castle is a MUST READ!

Check out this book and more of Angela J. Ford over at http://www.angelajford.com