The Grail King
Joy NashParanormal romance
Available from Dorchester Publishing
ISBN: 0505526832
August 2006
| Owein is one of the last of the Druids who has not fallen to Roman persecution. But his friends, family and village have all been tormented or destroyed. He has been living very primitively hidden in the hills. In spite of this, frightening rumors of his uncanny “Sight,” as well as his healing abilities, have gotten around. A young Roman woman is desperate to engage him to help heal her father, but she will keep secret that her father is the Roman governor. Clara bursts into Owein’s life in a vision, which seems more like a realistic dream. But Clara is very real and Owein cannot suppress his instinct to help her. Because Clara is heir to some of the most powerful magic ever sheltered by Avalon and her fate is wound tightly with the Grail and one particular Druid of Avalon.
The Grail King was an amazing adventure, full of myth and magical characters and a heroes journey to rival any of the classic fantasy epics. However, she adds a wildly romantic element that is highly satisfying to me! Ms Nash has written about the Avalon myth with respect for the traditional story but she also brings a fresh new viewpoint with both her descriptions of Druids and the idea of the Grail. The characters are amazingly real and entertaining. Owein is a strong, yet tormented man who had fought his own nature for far too long. The appearance of Clara will rock the foundations of the walls he has built around his life and heart. Clara’s no shrinking violet, even if she has led a sheltered and luxurious life. She is determined, stubborn and has untapped magic lying within that will be of critical importance. The story is complex with sub-plots woven throughout, but they do not detract or confuse the main premise. In fact, the side stories build on and add to the overall atmosphere of The Grail King. Several secondary characters are also standouts that bring additional depth to the plot. Both the settings and historical references are well described and interesting. I had set this aside on my “to be read” pile but once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down! Now I will be looking for the rest of Joy Nash’s titles and hope to find she has more stories planned for the Druids and Romans who delighted me in The Grail King.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Patrice |
