Rogue Knight (Medieval Warriors #2) by Regan Walker-Review and Guest Post

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 7, 2015

York, England 1069… three years after the Norman Conquest

The North of England seethes with discontent under the heavy hand of William the Conqueror, who unleashes his fury on the rebels who dare to defy him. Amid the ensuing devastation, love blooms in the heart of a gallant Norman knight for a Yorkshire widow.

A LOVE NEITHER CAN DENY, A PASSION NEITHER CAN RESIST

Angry at the cruelty she has witnessed at the Normans’ hands, Emma of York is torn between her loyalty to her noble Danish father, a leader of the rebels, and her growing passion for an honorable French knight.

Loyal to King William, Sir Geoffroi de Tournai has no idea Emma hides a secret that could mean death for him and his fellow knights.

WAR DREW THEM TOGETHER, WAR WOULD TEAR THEM APART

War erupts, tearing asunder the tentative love growing between them, leaving each the enemy of the other. Will Sir Geoffroi, convinced Emma has betrayed him, defy his king to save her?

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REVIEW:

Rogue Knight begins with Emma of York hurrying home, only to discover some heavy-handed Norman Knights trying to take that which isn’t theirs, which has become all too commonplace in her beloved York. Crisis averted, this time, Emma makes her way home. She has family to see to. She has taken in twins, Finna and Ottar, whose parents were killed. She also has servants, Artur and Sigga who help her take care of the children and her home.

Sir Geoffroi is in the practice yard in Talisand when the king’s messenger rides in to see the Red Wolf. He can feel it’s not good news. When Geoffroi makes his way to the great hall, he is eventually able to see the Red Wolf, who is still recovering from an injury and not able to be up and around. King William has requested the Red Wolf and his knights head to York to try and quell any uprisings. However, since the Red Wolf is not able to go, he sends Sir Geoffroi in his stead along with his knights. As Geoffroi heads out, the words of the wise one and seer, Maugris, echo in his head. The wise one’s visions have never been wrong………

When Sir Geoffroi and his knights finally arrive in York, it doesn’t take him long to ascertain that things are not good. The people of York are angry and he fears things will only get worse. He spots a lovely woman and her hound headed into the bailey, and even though she scowls, he finds himself intrigued.

Later, as Emma dreams of death and destruction, she is awakened by yelling and discovers that the men from York are leading an uprising. When she discovers Ottar missing, she knows that he has sneaked out to be with the men leading the uprising. She also knows she has to find him and see him safe. Little did she know that decision would change the rest of her life. She had come to think that all of the Normans were barbarians, until she encounters Sir Geoffroi on her quest to find Ottar. When she does find him, Geoffroi, who recognizes her from the bailey, aids them and gets them safely back to their home. Almost unbelievably, Geoffroi comes to her aid several times throughout the havoc that has become York. With her father being one of the rebel leaders, can she trust Geoffroi with her secret? And, what of her heart? As war wages and secrets are revealed, can they find their way back to each other, even though Geoffroi would have to defy his king to do so? Well, my friends, you will just have to read it to find out. And what a wonderful read it is.

Regan Walker has once again written a wonderful story that pulls you in from the very beginning. I truly am almost at a loss for words. I feel that I repeat myself when I review one of her novels, but I just can’t help myself. The way she effortlessly weaves actual historical events and characters into her tales are inspiring. Emma of York is one of the most brave, compassionate and determined heroines that I’ve read in a very long time. The love she feels for her family, whether they are blood related or ones that she has taken into her home, leaps off of the page. Then, there is Sir Geoffroi. His internal struggles are many, and you feel every one of them. His sense of honor and loyalty is something everyone should aspire to. And, once again, Regan Walker’s world building is phenomenal. Whether we are in a field of wildflowers, trudging through the snow, witnessing a great battle or sitting by the hearth in Emma’s home, you absolutely feel like you are there. I can see it, I can smell it, I can hear it and I most definitely can feel it. The intrigue will pull you in and the beautifully developed romance will make your heart smile, but the depth with which she writes her characters will keep you coming back for more. If you’ve not read anything by Regan Walker, it is truly your loss. Well done, Regan Walker! Very, very, very well done!!

Review by Vickie M.

Copy supplied by the author

Dear God.
She crossed herself and covered her mouth, fighting the urge to spew at the sight of so much blood and so many bodies strewn about the clearing, blood congealed on their clothing, their vacant eyes staring into space. Some of the blood had pooled on the ground to catch the rays of the sun. The metallic scent of it, carried by the wind, rose in her nostrils.

At her side, the hound whimpered.

So many.

Until the Normans had come, Yorkshire had been a place of gentle hills, forests and thatched cottages circling a glistening jewel of a city set between two winding rivers. A place of children’s voices at play, some of those voices now silenced forever, for among the bodies lying on the cold ground were mere boys, their corpses cast aside like broken playthings.

At the sound of heavy footfalls on the snow-crusted ground, she jerked her head around, her heart pounding in her chest.

A figure emerged from the trees, so close she could have touched him.

She cringed. A Norman.

A tall giant of a knight, his blood-splattered mail a dull gray in the weak winter sun, ripped off his silvered helm and expelled an oath as he surveyed the dozens of dead. The sword in his hand still dripped the blood of those he had slain. He was no youth this one, at least thirty. His fair appearance made her think of Lucifer, the fallen angel of light. A seasoned warrior of death who has taken many lives.
Had he killed people she knew? Her heart raced as fear rose in her chest.

Would she be next?

What’s in a name? Picking Character Names
by Regan Walker

Choosing my characters’ names is always a huge project. I do not choose names on a whim. I want the names to fit the characters and the story. For for my Medieval Warriors series, the names had to be right for the time period (11th century) and the setting (medieval York, England). They had to compliment the personality of the characters, too. Because there are Norman (French), English, Anglo-Scandinavian, Danish and Scottish characters, the names had to be historically accurate. Some of my characters were real figures.

The French knights in both The Red Wolf’s Prize and my newest story, Rogue Knight, are all named for knights who actually accompanied William the Conqueror to England from Normandy in l066. (Yes, there is a list!) Geoffroi de Tournai, the hero in Rogue Knight, was one of them.

The Normans introduced the name “Geoffroi” to England where it became common among the nobility. It means “Peace of God.” I rather think it fits a knight who was so noble he rebelled against his king’s orders to do what was right.

The setting for my story is Yorkshire, which was Anglo-Scandinavian in culture at the time. Almost every street in the city of York had the Old Norse suffix “gata” meaning “street” and most of the personal names would have been Scandinavian, too. Hence I gave the characters from York, including my heroine, Scandinavian names, not Norman or Saxon names.

I chose to name the heroine “Emma” after Emma of Normandy, Queen Consort of England, Denmark, and Norway earlier in the century. She was also the mother of Edward the Confessor. Until 1043, Queen Emma was the richest woman in England with extensive lands in the East Midlands and Wessex. She died in 1052, a respected woman. My heroine was born in 1046 while the Queen Mother still lived.

Other characters in my story who populate York also have Scandinavian names: Magnus, Emma’s huge Irish wolfhound, named after a Norwegian king; Inga, Emma’s friend; and Ottar and Finna, the two nine-year-old twins Emma adopts when they are orphaned. You can see them all on my Pinterest board for the book: 

Emma’s father Maerleswein is a real historic figure, a rich Danish thegn who was Sheriff of Lincolnshire until he joined the rebellion against William I in 1068. I thought long and hard before using him as a main character, but he was such an enigmatic figure with little known of his family (no record of a wife or children, yet he had to have had them), it seemed like it could work. I held true to everything we do know about him.

As in all my stories, there are real historic figures joining the fictional characters. Those I don’t have to name, but I do have to learn as much about them as I can so portray them as they truly might have been. In Rogue Knight, you’ll find not only William, King of England, but King Swein of Denmark, King Malcolm of Scotland and various Normans: William Malet de Graville, Sheriff of Yorkshire, Richard FitzRichard, the castellan of York, Gilbert de Ghent, castellan of the second castle in York, William FitzOsbern, the Earl of Hereford and Robert, Count of Mortain, half-brother to King William. All lived at the time and were, I believe, as I have portrayed them.

When I’m dealing with so many characters, I always include a character list to help readers, though they tell me they don’t have any trouble keeping track. (That’s always good news!)

~~Regan~~

Regan Walker is a #1 bestselling, multi-published author of Regency, Georgian and Medieval romance. She has been a featured author on USA TODAY’s HEA blog three times and twice nominated for the prestigious RONE award (her novel, The Red Wolf’s Prize is a finalist for 2015). Regan Walker writes historically authentic novels with real history and real historic figures. She wants her readers to experience history, adventure and love.

Her work as a lawyer in private practice and then serving at high levels of government have given her a love of international travel and a feel for the demands of the “Crown”. Hence her romance novels often involve a demanding sovereign who taps his subjects for “special assignments.”

Regan lives in San Diego with her golden retriever, Link, who she says inspires her every day to relax and smell the roses.