My Lady Knight

by Jocelyn Kelley

Isabella de Montfort's talents lie not in the knightly arts, but in science and alchemy. So she's surprised when Queen Eleanor assigns her the task of retrieving something that could start a war-aided by Jordan le Courtenay, a knight who's lost his lust for battle. But soon Isabella inspires in Jordan a passion for the world around him-and a dangerous longing for her.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451220099
• ISBN13: 9780451220097
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 295 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 6.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

Yes!

Queen Eleanor, wife of King Henry II, mother of Prince Richard - the king's heir - and his brother Prince John, had established St. Jude's Abbey. The ladies within the abbey's walls are different than most, however. Each train in various talents, knowing that at any time the queen may call upon their service. As this story begins, the queen had been imprisoned by her husband almost a dozen years ago. In all that time, there had been no communication between her and St. Jude's Abbey. The king's favor remained with the Abbey as long as the abbess made no attempt to contact the queen. However, as the abbess pointed out, there was nothing to keep the queen from writing to the abbess for "guidance on her life". Isabella de Monfort's major talents are in logic and working with herbs, elements, and science. For the past six months Isabella has been trying to devise the proper formula for a compound she heard about in a fantastic tale. When properly mixed and lit with a brand one can create a controlled explosion. She was getting closer to the solution, but has not quite figured it all out as yet. An accident has just caused some of Isabella's ingredients to mix and blow up the barn when she learns that the abbess has sent for her. Isabella's calm logic is the reason she has been singled out to serve Queen Eleanor in an important errand. The queen left documents within a casket residing in Lincoln. Isabella is given the key to the casket, but in order to use it she must first FIND the casket. It may be anywhere within Lincoln. It is vital Isabella collect the documents and deliver them to the queen by month's end. To assist Isabella, the abbess tells her to meet her nephew, Lord Jordan le Courtenay. He is familiar with the city's secrets and is intelligent Between Isabella and Jordan, completing the task in time is possible. Isabella finds Jordan at Kenwick Priory. Jordan's dear friend, Sir Ryce de Dolan, died the previous fall in a tournament for a female's hand. The monks buried Ryce where he fell, on unconsecrated ground. Jordan plans to disinter the body (no more than bones now) and move it to La Tour de Courtenay for burial beneath sacred soil. Isabella assists Jordan with Ryce's remains, even helping with the digging, before beginning the search for the documents. The pair is confused when they find a dagger beneath Ryce's bones. The design on the blade belongs to "the Brotherhood", a secret and deadly organization of which no one will speak. The Brotherhood wants the dagger back, thus begins the attacks. Soon the pair is joined by Lord Weirton of Kenwick Castle and his sister, Lady Odette, in their journey to Lincoln. Once there, the real danger begins. ***** Author Jocelyn Kelley has outdone herself in this soon-to-be bestseller novel! Unlike the previous ladies, Isabella's weapon is a whip. (I still have hope that a pair of sai will be used by one of the ladies in a future tale.) I could not help but admire Isabella for her cool and logica

delightful late twelfth century romantic intrigue

Queen Eleanor launched a special facility in which young women with skills can train in case Her Highness needs their help. Three times the Queen called on student-residents of St. Jude's Abbey and each time they accomplished the mission. However, that was years ago before her husband, King Henry II locked Eleanor away. Since her imprisonment over twelve years ago, she has not sent any messages to the abbey. Research herbalist Isabella de Monfort seeks to create a mixture that can create a limited manageable explosion, but still manages to blow up the barn. Before she can see what went wrong, the Abbess sends for her as Queen Eleanor needs a calm, pragmatic logical thinker. Isabella must locate a casket somewhere in the Lincoln area where inside Eleanor left some critical documents; she must bring these documents to Eleanor within a month or else. The abbess assigns her nephew, Lord Jordan le Courtenay to help Isabella on her quest while completing his own to bury his friend Sir Ryce de Dolan in sacred grounds rather than unconsecrated turf he is currently interred under. As they fall in love, the pair is shocked to find the buried Ryce with a dagger belonging to "the Brotherhood" amongst his bones. The fourth Queen Eleanor female Knights tale is, like the previous ones (see MOONLIT KNIGHT, A KNIGHT LIKE NO OTHER and ONE KNIGHT STAND), a delightful late twelfth century romantic intrigue starring a wonderful unique heroine and the aristocrat who falls in love with her when their quests merge. The story line is action-packed as the Brotherhood is coming for the dagger and killing two witnesses is no problem for them. The lead couple is a delightful pairing of intelligent logical thinkers who prove that two brains are better than one as they need to use all their combined intelligence to survive. Harriet Klausner