Medieval: emotional and lush

I’m a huge fan of those retro bodice-ripper stories: you know- the ones with Fabio on the cover and you can SO not judge me for that. They are escapist, they pull at your emotions and deliver some moments with characters where you wish to be able to reach out and shake them because they are being so contrary. I’m also in a huge Historic Romance kick of late, there is something so unique to the world and the conventions that give authors a way to ‘work around’ those, and further develop some depth in their characters to make up for an often rigid society. Well, Michelle M. Pillow has managed to blend all of the elements and return a story that pleases my need for an emotionally charged escapist read in a world built with lush historical details and a bit of angst as the characters fight traditional conventions.
Brant is a strong leader, competent and capable and well respected by his men. Fiery is his nature, passionate and determined, this is all signified with a shock of red hair that graces his locks. He is truly the Lord of Fire, and it only remains to be seen if he can melt the icy reserve of his wife and lady.
Della is cold, yet that is a shell to protect her heart and express her discomfort with her situation. While she appears to use her lack of emotion and reactions to embarrass Brant in the company of others, her utter dismissal of him during their private moments are akin to throwing ice on a burn.
Yet, the two need to learn to trust one another, and find the keys to share the passion that is buried within. And there is where I had a few moments of repetition in the story: there was often a rehashing of their issues, as if neither wanted to learn from the first time around. Those were moments that made me want to shake them. A few overused words that came up often, and a bit too much dithering in interior monologues about their undying concerns, passions or love: when it was abundantly clear to the reader that they were electric and attached to one another, they seemed to take a bit of time to get to that realization themselves. I did adore the fact that this was a veryearly historic romance, based in the middle of the Anglo-Saxon era of Vikings and Wars and Alfred the Great, king of the West Saxons.
Narration in this story is provided by Mason Lloyd, and his voice is unusual for most romances, yet a perfect adjunct to the story. Effortlessly modulating pitch, tone and even accent, his narration never distracts and often enhances the more emotional moments, adding in scorn, disbelief, anger and frustration with apparent ease. Even the softer moments are clearly defined with his voicing, and the rare moments of happiness and laughter are spoken as if he were smiling from within.
This isn’t a smooth run to the end, but the story rarely finds the reader without some sort of emotion from frustration to anger to worry to ultimate cheers as the two finally sort out their communication and manage to come together for a happy ending.

I received an audiobook copy of the title from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

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6 people found this helpful

Brilliant story full of fascinating characters.

Would you listen to Lord of Fire, Lady of Ice again? Why?

Yes. Mason Lloyd's voice was very clear and resonated well with the characters. Plus the story was very entertaining.

What did you like best about this story?

How the characters interacted with each other. It was both realistic (in the sense that they never knew what the other was thinking) and dramatic. I went through a wide range of emotions right along with them.

Which character – as performed by Mason Lloyd – was your favorite?

The Lady of Ice. He really captured her refined but sassy attitude perfectly with his vocal inflections.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

From the beginning to the end I was moved. The ease of slipping into the characters point of view was so smooth I didn't realize I had done it until I stopped listening. The range of emotions I experienced changed as fluidly as the characters emotions did. Sometimes I went from happy, to infuriated, to mildly smug, to utter surprise all within one brief moment. I laughed, teared up, and even found myself blushing. I am not naive but the Lady of Ice was.

Any additional comments?

Michelle M. Pillow wrote a wonderful book and Mason Lloyd did a marvelous job narrating it. When it was over I was sad that I wouldn't get to hear any more.

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3 people found this helpful

The woman has no spine.

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

The only reason I kept listening because the man telling the story was so good.
I love Michelle M. Pillow, but this book really pi**ed me off. The hero was a major A hole to the lady. I know the lady was a bitch to him sometimes, but what she went through and what he allowed done to her had me really hating the story at one stage I felt sick. I know this is a historical story and I'm sure this is how woman were treated back then, but I wish I'd had a warning as I wouldn't have bought it.

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3 people found this helpful

A MEDIEVAL CLASH OF THE TITANS!!!

I was in the mood for something angsty, and since the Viking series on the History Channel, I've also been interested in reading/listening to something from that era. So, this book delivered on both fronts in this chemical romance through the melting together of Viking Hero, Brant (Lord Blackwell), the Flame, and his "lady-wife" Lady Della, the Cold-hearted.

As previous reviewers have indicated, you will feel a myriad of emotions on this medieval journey of love. It is an emotional, roller-coaster especially for the values of a 21st century listener! Yet, through the many tumultuous emotions that encompassed the experience of this book, overall, I was rooting for a fabulous HEA for both Brant and Della.

This book is about a very conflicted relationship between a couple from different cultures who go through many misunderstandings because they don't share all of their feelings, they speak too harshly and can't take things back due to pride. Della, herself has one of the most sharp-tongues I've witnessed from a heroine. She says awful things to Brant that come very close to fruition. And, even though, most of the time, Brant was the more patient of the pair, he was ruthless in his treatment of his wife (even though he felt remorseful). In this era, it was what was expected. In fact, with all of the brut power and force of the law on the husband's side, it's amazing how much influence and control Della actually held in her manor and with her husband. She is a very strong heroine, despite her shrewish flaws. But, there's always a reason behind the way people act, and Della definitely has a reason for her prejudice and hatred of Vikings. Brant understood this and seemed to really exert effort in making his marriage work.

Despite the tumult, I kept listening because I couldn't stop. Also, the steamy romances between the two was really good. I just wish there was more coverage of the blissful and light moments between the lovers because when they loved it was amazing…..they loved almost as passionately as they fought. Unfortunately, the end felt very rushed and it did not fully make up for the dramatic, violence that preceded it. For this reason there should have been an epilogue. On the positive side, thankfully, there is a resolution to their issues. This story may have a lot of emotionally, crushing moments, but it is very well written. Let me tell you Michelle Pillow really knows how to tell a story, no matter how steamy or chilling.

Lastly, I thought the narrator was excellent. Mason Loyd did a great job in narrating both the masculine, Viking voices as well as the ladies.

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2 people found this helpful

Medieval Marital Strife

This is not my usual genre to read, but I won a copy in a contest and decided to give it a listen. First of all, the narrator does an absolutely fantastic job! Even though the accents were not accurate, they were great and each character came alive with his reading.

The story reminded me a lot of "The Taming of the Shrew" because the main character, Della, was a real shrew! As the story progresses, she became a much more sympathetic person as her past is revealed. She is married off to Brandt Blackwell, a Viking knight, in order to merge properties and protect her future. Common practice in these times, but no less distasteful.

Brandt is described as a Viking, but other than referring (constantly) to him as a pagan and him having a broadsword, there is nothing else Viking about him IMHO. The title of Fire & Ice is apt and there are a lot of arguments between the couple. Of course, there are villains, there are less than ladylike women and there is a little action.

I had several problems with the book. It was overly long, with way too many arguments/spats between Della and Brandt. After about the third one, they became a little tedious. The reader got the idea early on and it just seemed repetitive after a while. Also, the ending of the book was totally infuriating! Brandt's treatment of Della after she is kidnapped and mishandled, almost until death, is not a believable reaction at all!

There were some really good scenes and some laughs along the way, especially involving the odious Lord Lester. Della's inner thoughts throughout the book added a lot to it also. And, the sex scenes were HOT and STEAMY without being over the top.

And, mayhap the author could have used the word "mayhap" a few less (hundred) times. That word became really aggravating by the end of the book.

If you are a huge fan of this genre, it's not a bad book. I just wish it had been a little shorter and more believable.

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1 person found this helpful

No story, nothing of history

Just an excuse to put sex on paper. Wishing I had more space to explain

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1 person found this helpful

Pleasant enough

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The idea for the story itself is really good and is a pleasant read, it just didn't keep me completely enthralled with the story line.This is one of those books that is good, but a little too predictable.

http://naughtybibliophiles.blogspot.com/2015/01/lord-of-fire-lady-of-ice.html

Have you listened to any of Mason Lloyd’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to Mason Lloyd before but I feel he was the saving grace for this book I really enjoyed his performance.

Could you see Lord of Fire, Lady of Ice being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No.

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1 person found this helpful

Endless arguments and misunderstandings

Audible version- honestly if you are into endless arguments and misunderstandings that border on hate, this book is for you. There was one character in the whole book who was worth the read and that was Gunther our hero’s best friend and right hand. I can’t waste anymore words on a review.

There are triggers, emotional abuse(both hero and heroine) and some “accidental” physical abuse.

Also the audible version does not have the epilogue other critics mention, clearly listeners are not worth the full book.

My two stars are for the following:
1. Gunter the only sensible character.
2. The Narrator was sufficient.

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disturbing storyline

This book is not romance but a story of abuse and a horrific background story of the main character. Would return this book if possible.

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Miscommunication ❤️❤️❤️

It took me a few pages to get back in the mindset of "historical" romance, but once I did I thoroughly enjoyed this book. ( I'm a big romantic suspense reader) Some of it is rather funny and a comedy of errors because they keep misunderstanding each other. It's like they each don't want to be the first to blink. if they would just explain themselves instead of guessing the others intentions....but that is what why we keep coming back to read more 😊.
I like getting the audible so I can do other things while listening to my book. As stated, I really enjoyed the book and the narrator's voice except for his "Brant" interpretation. His voice was not quite what I pictured there. I still gave it a 5 Star read!!!!!

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