The Protector

I don't understand the rest of you

I liked this book. I would read it again and again. I didn't find Morvan that bad. A relationship is give and take on both sides. They both changed for each other. He did come to accept her for who she was. She was unwilling to bend at first. How is that fair and why does that make him the bad guy? I really liked this book. I liked the fact that they BOTH changed a little for each other. They were BOTH willing to do that for the love they had found. The connection they had was beautiful. Knowing when the person you love walks into a room or is around you is a beautiful thing. A truely romantic thing. I loved that about them. The gift he gives her at then end, both of them, shows how much he cares for her. From the begining he shows how he feels for her, in... his... own... way. No one is perfect and I for one liked the fact that he wasn't perfect and to me it made it a little bit more realistic.

Protector

All other M.H. books are GREAT but this one is not. There's no great plot, other than sickness, and Morvan gets everything he could ever want while everything Anna worked for is taken away.

Protector

Heros in romance novels are always arrogant and I don't find it offensive, but when a hero expects his wife to forget how intelligent she is and to bow at his every command, I become offended. This guy just wasn't likeable.

Protector

Morvan was so good in Lord of A Thousand Nights, and I couldn't wait to read his story. Unfortunately, he turned out to be nothing short of the devil. There was no reason for him to have degraded Anna, least of all in public, and he could have at least been grateful for all that she gave him but he was too arrogant to be humble.

Protector

Anna de Leon, the lovely heroine of this novel should have chosen the warrior Ascanio to wed instead of Morvan. Ascanio was compassionate, extremely handsome, and he cared deeply for Anna. He also understood her much better than Morvan ever would, but unfortunately the author made him a PRIEST! Morvan wasn't much of anything, except bossy.

Protector

Anna de Leon's life was progressing nicely until Morvan Fitzwaryn arrived and ruined her happiness! She had to get married because a woman couldn't run her own estate or govern her own people competently, and so she chose Morvan. What a BIG mistake that was! Once they got married, he completely shut Anna out of everything! I just didn't care for the way he treated her, so unlike the other M.H. heros.

Protector

This was just too much - this guy Morvan, whose sister is lovely in BY ARRANGEMENT, must have been raised by animals. He had no respect for women and felt women should be allowed NO rights. Case in point being when he decided Anna should marry him and hand over EVERYTHING she owned-an estate, lands, horses, people! This guy wasn't worthy of even being called arrogant!

Protector

Although I love all the other books by this author, this one was so awful and condescending I couldn't believe it was the same author. Morvan is not a likeable person; he was mean to Anna, and he was, for all intents and purposes, a homeless, penniless man.

I Was SO Disappointed in Morvan!!!!

I'd read Lord of A Thousand Nights first, that wonderful story with Ian and Reyna and I must say I liked Morvan and Anna better in that book than in their own story. Not so much Anna, for she was great, smart and beautiful no matter what, but I really hated Morvan's way of thinking. I don't mind an arrogant hero at all, but Morvan was very narrow-minded and unfairly stubborn. Which took some gall given his circumstances - he had no land, no money, no job, and few friends and family to speak of, and he took everything away from Anna without the least bit of remorse after SHE chose to marry HIM. I couldn't stand how he stripped the spirit right out of her, forbidding her from carrying on as she always had, in essence, preventing her from being herself. He took over every duty she'd ever had and left her on the outside looking in; just swept her life away with a wave of his hand without so much as an ounce of compassion. This was all done under the pretense of 'protection', but I didn't buy his reasons. He did it merely because in his mind he had every right to do so because he was a man. By the time he started to come to his senses, it was hard to accept him because of his callousness. And in the end, when he 'gave' Anna back her own horses, she had to thank him as if the blasted horses were HIS, when she'd been the one who'd traveled miles and miles to buy them, raise them, and train them, long before she'd ever known him! I do dislike coming across as a 'feminist', because I'm not, but men like Morvan make women feminists. Although I sincerely love this author, the only reason I gave this book 2 stars was because of the rescue scene wherein Anna finally reigned beautifully and intelligently.

Morvan Was Not A Good Character

The one scene I did like was when Morvan met Ian (for the second time). That was it. And I really liked Ascanio, that handsome priest/knight. But...no sooner had Anna married Morvan, he told her what to do, what to wear, where she COULDN'T go, what to think, and on top of that he forced her to act submissive in front of her people. Here was a guy who had nothing and Anna was willing to share everything she owned with him but he didn't want that. Instead, he took everything away from her and made it his own! It just wasn't right. Morvan made Anna miserable trying to bend her to his will. Towards the end there he began to see the light, by gifting Anna with something she'd already owned in the first place. It would have been difficult not to carry permanent resentment for this guy. He didn't even have the decency to leave out his thoughts about his sister Christiana either, calling her unbearably stupid about men.

Another New But Worthy Author...

I've never read a romance novel using the 'Black death' as plot before. I've read/heard of it in school but have never read it used in any of my historical romance readings. That is why I find this book very interesting. I'm impressed by the way Ms. Hunter did her research regarding this topic. She also implemented it very well. She mixed the facts with fiction, narrating it so vividly, you can almost feel the fear and sadness of the people. The deep insight of someone who's expecting/waiting to die was spine chilling and heart breaking at the same time. Anna and Morvan's love story is convincing and beautiful. Started out as strangers, then honor bound to help each other, formed a special friendship then it flourished to love. Of course, between all that, there's the battle of wills & small rebellions here and there. There's lots of trial and error, learning & adjusting to one another. The best part of their relationship, in my opinion, is the compromise. The bargaining, the offering and the acceptance. Utterly heart warming! I notice a slight anachronism especially in the heroines character and attitude but I manage to bypass that part and simply enjoy it as it is, mainly because the overall story was truly well written. Characters are brilliantly put together and even the action scenes, which I'm normally not fond of, surprisingly excited me. There's none of those horrendous and overly detailed battle scenes. It's simple, fast and straight to the point but not lacking at all. Just the way I like it. This is only my first book of Madeline Hunter and certainly not the last. I have already ordered all of her previous books, the BY ARRANGEMENT (story of Morvan's sister), BY POSSESSION and BY DESIGN. All three are all supposedly linked together. LORD OF A THOUSAND NIGHTS (story of Ian) is Madeline Hunter's upcoming novel, which is also connected to Morvan. I wonder if he is the same Ian, kinsman of Elizabeth in this book. Well, I certainly can't wait to read all of Madeline Hunter's work. I hope she is as good as the ravings. But if she uses the same style and keeps up this kind of manner in her writing here in THE PROTECTOR, then I shall not be disappointed.

I absolutely LOVED this book!

This book has me hooked on historical fiction! I just ordered the other 3 Madeline Hunter books! A must read!

Romance at its BEST

This is Morvan's story, he is the older brother of Christiana in the book By Arrangement. This story is very original and ever so romantic. Morvan is stricken with the Black Plague and cared for by Anna who is a survivor of the disease. She is an unusual woman more at home in armor than in a gown. One has to wonder who the real PROTECTOR in the book is. It is a fast read and keeps you enthralled all the way through!

I am looking foward to....'Lord of a Thousand Nights '

This book was well written and easy to follow. The characters and the settings are real. The next book will be the second in this series. Everyone hates for a book to end!

Stunning!

Set in England, during the uncertain times of the 14th century, Anna de Leon acted as the Lord of Castle La Roche de Roald. Her parents and brother were deceased. She had only her sister and a few loyal men from her father to defend the castle with. The Black Plague had killed most everyone.

English Knight (Sir) Morvan Fitzwaryn and his men were taken in by Anna when they fell sick. She placed them in a death house and helped nurse them while the plague ran its course among them. Once all were either dead or well, Morvan had made a vow to protect Anna. However, Anna had no interest in his protection. She was skilled with the bow, wore men's clothes, and did men's work. Her life had forced her to become self sufficient. Yet when Gurwant de Beaumanoir lay siege on the castle, Anna was grateful for the extra men.

The emotions between Anna and Morvan were complex too. They wanted each other, yet Moran wanted her to change and Anna could not do so.

***** Madeline Hunter has an amazing talent of making readers actually feel the emotions of the characters! I am still in awe of how deeply I could sense the pride, humiliation, love, need for revenge, and urge to protect the innocent! Highly recommended reading here. Be warned, though, no sappy hero or heroine in this story!

Excellent medieval romance

In the middle of the fourteenth century in Breton, Morvan Fitzwaryn expects to soon die from the Black Plague if not from the angry peasants fearing his illness. However, Lady Anna de Leon, dressed in warrior garb, rescues Morvan from the irate mob and later helps nurse him back to health.

Morvan, attracted to Anna, joins her forces not out of gratitude, but out of a desire to keep the warrior woman safe. As his attraction turns to love, her feelings lead to denial because no man wants a woman as tall and tough as Anna. Instead she believes he is after the family estate as much as the knights besieging her castle is. Morvan knows Anna is more than just a beauty, she is the woman he loves, but to persuade her will take quite an attack on her heart on his part.

THE PROTECTOR is an exciting medieval romance that is worth reading and rereading by fans due to the depth of the key cast members, especially the lead couple. Morvan is a warm PROTECTOR whose beloved does not want his safekeeping yet cannot resist him. Anna shows no fear in leading her men into combat yet is fully frightened by her growing feelings for Morvan. As has become the case with Madeline Hunter in recent years, readers will rank her latest novel as one of the best sub-genre entries for 2001.

Harriet Klausner

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.