Come the Morning

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In the days when Scotland lay under siege - from the Vikings who sailed down from the North and the Norman English who brought their armies up from the South - King David sought to unite his people into one nation. For this, he needed loyal warriors who would fight with their blood and hearts. Waryk de Graham soon proved the greatest of these fighters, and was knighted Lord Lion. But this honored position came with a price: a wife chosen for him...a reluctant Viking bride. Daughter of a Gaelic noblewoman and a Viking warlord, Mellyora MacAdin ruled her ancestral lands like a Valkyrie - riding like the wind, wielding a sword, and bowing to no man. She had already pledged her heart when she received King David's decree: marry the fierce Lord Lion. As the gates of Mellyora's fortress swung open, Lord Lion rode through. He had come to claim his bride, possess her, and beget sons with her. Mellyora had sworn to resist this barbarian nobleman, only to find herself slowly becoming an unwilling captive to his compelling power. Yet until the mistrust between husband and wife died, love could not be born. And with her loyalties divided, betrayal - even of the man who kept her in his thrall - could still sweep them both into destruction. Now, Mellyora must decide where her devotion truly lies, as she discovers the savagery in her own family's blood...and the secrets of her husband's heart.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Prolific historical romance author Drake's (The King's Pleasure) hardcover debut is a swashbuckling tale of warring factions in 12th-century Scotland. It chronicles the coming-of-age of a young nobleman whose feats of bravery earn him a royal but troublesome marriage. During a borderland battle, 13-year-old Waryk de Graham uses his father's sword to impale the last standing enemy, a Norman lord, as his father and uncle lie dead. Scottish King David has seen the act, and assumes guardianship of the robust boy. Ten years later it is 1137 A.D., the English monarchy is in chaos and Scotland is wary of attack from the Vikings and Normans. The king summons Lady Mellyora MacAdin of Blue Isle, whose father has recently died, to the Scottish royal seat of Stirling. In a strategic move to keep the Viking island secure for his kingdom, he has arranged for Mellyora to marry Sir Waryk , now his most respected warrior knight. She defiantly objects to the marriage, since she is already in love; while Waryk is equally dismayed, having been poised to wed his beautiful mistress. The narrative follows the war of wills between calmly intelligent, war-scarred Waryk, who accepts the king's command, and wily, irate Mellyora, who is trained in swordsmanship and repeatedly tries to escape to her utopian Blue Isle. Waryk is faster, but his expertise in outwitting the enemy is tested by this Viking sprite. Drake's characters are richly detailed; their romantic interplay is set among the vividly rendered skirmishes and treachery of medieval Scotland. (Feb.)

AudioFile

Mellyora McAdin hoped to be the mistress of Blue Isle after her father's death, but is stunned when King David announces that she is to marry Waryk de Graham, who will be given control of the stronghold. Mellyora fights the decree, but both she and Waryk soon find that they are (however reluctantly) kindred spirits. This rousing, passionate romantic adventure, set in 12th century Scotland, is set afire by Burr's intense narration. Her Scottish accents are on the mark, and she does well with both male and female voices. A few older men have voices a bit rougher than is totally convincing, but all other characters are grand. Burr reads the sensuous love scenes with conviction and does equal justice to the sometimes bloody battle sequences. She conveys the spirit of the time and the essence of the characters and fills the principals so full of life that even the many battles between Mellor and Waryck (which might have seemed a little repetitious in print) merely leave the listener anxious to reach the (inevitable) conclusion (as love triumphs). M.A.M. ￯﾿ﾽ AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

Hardcover debut by Drake, who also writes contemporary and historical romances as Heather Graham and Heather Graham Pozzessere. In this first of a series—a chronicle about the Graham family of Scotland's Highlands that begins in the 12th century—Waryk de Graham, knighted as Lord Lion, sides with King David to repel the Norman, English, and Viking invaders. His reward is an arranged marriage with headstrong, wayward, immature Mellyora MacAdin, daughter of a Viking and a Gaelic noblewoman. Both bride and bridegroom are reluctant: he had hoped to marry his longtime mistress; she wants only to be a warrior defending the land of her ancestors. Like the shrewish Kate and lordly Petrucchio, the two battle constantly—knives, oars, and fists are among the preferred weapons—before discovering the futility of resisting the king's decree. The author plays out this contrarious conjunction ("`I'll see you in hell!' she whispered") for all it's worth, on and on and on, until morning comes and love breaks through their mutual belligerence hundreds of pages later. Drake makes no effort to expand the genre, but appends a chronology of Scottish history, an endnote lengthily praising her Scottish-American father, and the first chapter of her sequel, Conquer the Night, about another Graham generation. (Doubleday Book Club alternate selection)