Book Review: She Walks in Power by Mary Lu Tyndall

Genre: YA Medieval

You’ll like this if you like: Robin Hood, Tough Heroines, or a Knight in Shining Armor.

Cleanliness: The heroine is kissed several times by the hero. At one point, they sleep together on a bench, but nothing happens. The villain of the story summons a Warlock to help him.

Hero type: Alpha/Virtuous Hero

Favorite profound quote:

“Ronar had learned to endure raging censure in silence over the years, for it seemed that those who do nothing are the angriest at those who do all.”

 

Favorite descriptive quote:

“…rain as thick and heavy as syrup slapped his face.”

 

From Amazon

Alexia D’Clere didn’t ask to be Protector of the Spear, but after her dying mother gave her the tiny metal object and made her promise to keep it safe, she had no choice. Orphaned at age eight, she began to take over the running of her parent’s castle with the help of a trusted steward. Yet, when a plot to murder her was revealed, a friar whisked her away to live hidden in the forest. There, she learned to shoot expertly with bow and arrow and hone her skills to see into the spirit realm.

Now, at eighteen, Alexia continues to keep the Spear protected, provide meat for the starving village, while secretly caring for her ill sister who still lives in the castle. With Alexia’s powers of spiritual discernment and her skill as an archer, she is no match for those who come for the spear. That is until she meets Ronar LePeine, one of the King’s elite guard.

Ronar desires nothing more than to do his duty to God and King and pay penance for past sins. Yet a forest sprite with red, flaming hair blocks his every move, all the while enchanting him like no other. Something evil lurks at Castle Luxley, and both Ronar and Alexia are soon thrust into the middle of a spiritual battle which will not only test their very beliefs, but put them both in mortal danger.

 

First of all, Mary Lu Tyndall absolutely rocked this. As far as I know, this is her first medieval book. This medieval story is just as swoon-worthy and adventure-filled as her pirate stories. I love how this is set-up where the heroine is like a Robin Hood figure and the hero is tasked with tracking her down. She sneaks into the castle to help her ailing sister, and since the hero is at the castle as well, he quickly figures out who she is, but can’t bring himself to turn her in. I love how the situation is set up, so that Alexia is forced to run into him. Alexia is adventurous and brave, while Ronar is gentle, yet intense and determined. He’s willing to do anything to save and protect Alexia, even if it’s against her own will.

And I have to give Mary Lu Tyndall points for being un-cliché. At one point, the hero swoons. Well, not really. He’s wounded, and he wants to find out more about the heroine and where she lives. The heroine is about to dart back into the forest, so the hero swoons. Then the heroine is forced to stay with him to make sure wolves don’t eat him in the night. The heroine does leave briefly, but only to return with the friar.

 

“I had hoped to find him gone,” she said. “But alack, he not only swoons like a girl, he sleeps like a babe.”

Ronar ground his fist into the dirt.

“A rather large knight,” the friar said. “And quite handsome.”

Ronar liked this friar.

 

Before this, I was slogging through a story that either wasn’t for me or was poorly written. Reading this book afterwards was like a breath of fresh air. Their relationship is just so sweet and amazing, and it felt like I was physically aching when I had to stop reading for brief periods of time.

All that to say: I completely recommend this 😉

 

Get a Free Sample of She Walks in Power

 

What clichés have you seen turned on their head, like in She Walks in Power?

Recent Comments

  • Hannah
    October 6, 2016 - 6:17 pm · Reply

    This sounds like a fantastic book! I like Robin Hood a lot, and this seems like a sufficiently different and yet similar enough to be highly interesting.

    Believe it or not, I tend to find “cliches turned on their heads” a bit trite and sometimes irritating, depending on how the author handles it. They have a tendency to be overly preachy or obnoxious. This looks very interesting, though. Thanks for recommending it!

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