A Dark Champion (Brotherhood of the Sword, Book 1)

by Kinley MacGregor

Book Overview

Fearless men, their allegiance is to one another, to the oppressed, and to the secret society known as the Brotherhood of the Sword--and they must never surrender to the passionate yearnings of their... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060565411
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: Avon
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 1.0" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

Brotherhood of the Sword

This is the first in the series known as Brotherhood of the Sword. It explains who, what, when, where & why. It is done in an excellent manner and spurs you on the read the rest.

A Dark Champion

I enjoyed this story very much. Rowena the lovely wity and odd gal is a very pleasant surprise. She lives in the time of knights and Kings and hates all that knights do. Stryder the dark handsome knight that just wants to be left alone. This is a new author for me and I was hooked from cover to cover.

A rare gem of a keeper

I don't know what the deal is with the criticism on Kinley MacGregor's historical accuracy. First off, when I want total accuracy, I read nonfiction or real medieval literature written by medieval authors. In case no one has noticed, there is quite a tradition of romances written during the Middle Ages that should satisfy anyone craving true accuracy.As a long time member of the SCA and a reenactor whose persona is a member of Queen Eleanor's court, I have to say this is the most accurate portrayal I have ever seen in a medieval by any author. Please see the Women's Crusade led by Eleanor when she was queen of France that was made up of noblewomen dressed in armor who went down to the Holy Land with the men and let us not forget Marie de France who was a well renowned troubadour during this time who ran her own school. Everyone who knows anything about this period knows Eleanor's court was rife with female troubadours. Did we miss the whole point of the Art of Courtly Love? Read Anna Comnena, Marie de Pisan, and many, many others. Please stop relying on other modern fiction authors to get your history and then bashing the first author who tries to get it right.I found this book to be deep and engrossing. It was highly entertaining. Unlike most of the fluffy historical romance novels out there, this one made me stop and think. Most of all, it made me feel. Not just for the hero and heroine, but for all the characters in it, large and small. Even the villian had depth and I found myself feeling for him almost as much as I felt for Stryder, if not more since he seems to be in an impossible situation. I love the complexity of this book and the fact that Ms. MacGregor didn't talk down to me or insult my intelligence. I appreciate an intelligent and emotional read once in awhile and this one more than fulfilled that. To me a keeper is a book that touches my heart and makes me care. It's a book where I dream about being the heroine and being able to fall in love with a real hero. That is why I read this genre and Kinley MacGregor gave me all that and more. I don't keep many books anymore, but I kept this one and to me at least that says it all.

What's the confusion?

I have read all of Ms. MacGregor's books and just finished A Dark Champion. I was unsure as I really didn't like Stryder all that much when he was introduced in Simon's story but I had faith that she would make me love him as she has all the others. I wasn't disappointed. What I don't understand is why some are confused about the story, especially the idea that weighty issues can't be discussed in the context of a romance novel. Why not? Life is not simple, is it? Stryder and Rowena were as engaging to me as all of Ms. MacGregor's other characters. Stryder is so engaging precisely because of all he has been through. Without knowing what he suffered, the confusion would lie in why he hates the idea of love so much, don't you think? What I love about all of Ms. MacGregor's books, and what so many authors seem to forget, is that two people can be respectful of each other, all men don't have to be jerks and all women don't have to be simpering, babbling fools. I recommend this and all books written by this author -- and I've read them all, so I know -- if you want wonderful stories, rich characters and romance based on respect and love rather than mistrust and treachery.