To Burn

by Claudia Dain

Book Overview

The Romans had taken Britain and made it their own, but when the Roman Empire collapses on itself, the Roman legions leave the fringes of the Empire and draw back toward the center, to Rome. Leaving... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0843949856
• ISBN13: 9780843949858
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Leisure Books
• Length: 379 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.3" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

HOT. It really does BURN....

This was the 1st book I've read in this time period and the title is SO appropriate! The two leads literally HATE each other-and with good reason. But as time passes, anger turns into something else. Wulfred takes over Melina's home. Hating him, hating all of his kind, she'd rather take death. Hers...or his. While Melina is Wulfred's prisoner, anger slowly burns into another passion. They are always aware of the other, they always affect the other. They can't ingore each other even if they tried-which they really don't. Wulfred's punishment to Melina is close proximity (not that either of them like it) and it affects them both. When they are forced into any kind of contact with each other, even when they aren't-they feel fire. And then they touch each other in the way they both have been wanting to...and that passion turns into something that will last a lifetime. Try to get your hands on a copy, this book is one of my favs and I've re-read it countless times. The chemistry is HOT and the dance they do around each other is scorching.

Dain not only burns, she shines!!

I have long admired Dorchester Publishing, finding I read more and more of their writers such as Melanie Jackson and Trish Jensen. They are fresh, super storytellers and Dorchester gives them the leeway to shine. And Claudia Dain not only shines in this novel, she burns!!! What a super read!!There is a trend toward the light whimsical historicals and I utterly adore to leader of this pack Lynsay Sands. But while I cannot wait for one of her new books to come out, I also love 'heavy' historicals such as Danegeld by Susan Squires (both Dorchester writers), and Claudia Dain gives one super strong historical. Writing of a period that many have overlooked in the romance market: the void left as the Romans pulled out of England and the Saxons rose to power - she paints the canvass not only with strong bold, sure strokes, but with vivid colours.I have been in writers chat several times with Dain, and found her a lively person with a super sense of humour, but she also loves history, and being a history lover myself, I was intrigued recently as she discussed To Burn. So naturally, I rushed out to buy it and am very glad I did.She gives us two very strong alpha leads. She is Melania, the roman woman who detests the loathsome Saxon. He is Wulfred, the Saxon who kills her father and destroys her villa and hates all things Roman. She calls him Oaf, he calls her snake and they utterly HATE each other. He finds her hiding in a bolthole, and sets it afire to force her out. In Valiant, almost Viking mentality, she accepts dying there, because it would be on her own terms, not his. He plans on killing her, but sees that is just want she wants. A quick death in warrior fashion. And since he hates her and all she stands for, he perversely denies her the death she so wants, and makes her his slave intending to break her spirit before he grants her death. But he finds breaking her spirit an impossible task. She is constantly provoking him with diatribes against him and all things Saxon, she scratches, kick and bites anytime he gets near, deliberately trying to provoke his temper into murdering her. She continually tries to kill herself. Not as a Ophelia whiner I-cannot-face-life, but as a strong warrior wanting life and death on her own terms, and if she cannot have life as she knows it, then will faces death with open arms. So Wulfred spend more time tries to stop her, than breaking her spirit.These are two well-drawn, uncompromising characters for an uncompromising period in Britain's history. And this will be a book you will remember long after you put it down.Thank you the super book, Claudia!! And I am off to buy the rest of your works!!WISE Writers and Readers Book of the Month for June 2002

Original setting, compelling story

Set at the end of the Roman Empire in Britain, the story of Wulfred and Melania are classic romance in setting rarely used. Melania is a Roman whose villa is conquered by Saxon invaders, with Wulfred leading the conquering party. With the death of her father and the loss of her land, Melania defies Wulfred in every way she can imagine. Wulfred, who seeks revenge against any Roman, wants her alive and well to live under his power.Overall, I liked this story. The Roman vs. Saxon history isn't a typical romance setting, therefore it was interesting and engrossing. I liked the creative way Melania thought to thwart her captors-- a strong heroine who didn't "submit" after a token resistance. The only problem I had with this story is that Melania did "get over" the fact that the Saxons killed her father. If it had been a different Saxon group that killed him, it would have been a bit more believable.

Exciting all the way!

Claudia Dain is proving to be an excellent writer -- intelligent, exciting and fun to read. I loved this book except for one thing -- it's one of those "I hate you" plots where both characters hate each other's guts and everything they stand for. I "hate" this kind of plot -- it is just too depressing, but of the many times I've read this type of storyline, Claudia Dain has done the best job with it. There were no boring spots and the book was hard to put down. The ending was very satifactory and there was even a cute romance going with secondary characters (I love that). It deserves 5 stars.

To Burn

A test of wills to the death between a Saxon barbarian and a Roman spit fire lead to a most unusual love story. If you're looking for something different in the way of romance...read TO BURN. A totally unexpected page turner from beginning to end. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.