Date of Reading: 20/07/2012
Author: Linda Anne Wulf
From: the publisher in exchange of an honest review
Publisher: Hydra Publications
Place: USA
Year: 2012
There are only a few books that made me forget food and this is one of them. Or so I thought till I reached the middle. What the story lacks is a good editing; some of the scenes are definitely in excess -- forest searching scenes which contribute nothing to the progress of the story and the bedroom scenes bordering on boredom (which actually makes it look like cheap fiction using sex as a marketing strategy) are only some of the instances.
But excepting that the work is great, a beautiful Gothic romance. Setting is superb -- a castle with secret passages, surrounded by a dark forest which is haunted by a murderer. In several ways Fianna reminds us of Jane Eyre.
Hunter in the title can be applied to three characters -- Geoffrey, Fianna and Gareth -- and each of them are hunted too. Geoffrey hunts (or haunts) Fianna, she in turn is after Gareth (a slightly different way of hunting) and Gareth is after Geoffrey; thus they form a complete circle. The idea of introducing the villain's mental proceedings so as to give some clues to identify him is also excellent; a technique brought into perfection by Orhan Pamuk in 'My Name is Red'.
Cover design too is much to be appreciated; I must confess that it made me choose this work. Names of the characters are also well chosen -- rhythmic and suitable for the atmosphere. Morgan reminds one of Morgana, the witch. Well, there must be something supernatural within the Morgan family, how else a dead father can give warnings to the daughter?
Setting is Warwickshire. Fianna Morgan, the eleven year old girl, is been warned all her life not to enter Dinsmore wood. But what can one do when the adventure spirit set in! Sliding in secretly, she discovers a man digging to bury a dead woman. He feels her gaze, chases her but her running and the help of an unknown boy saves her that day.
Eight years later, after the death of her father when their cottage burns down, together with her mother and little sister Brenna, she takes refuge in Lord Graham's manor and there meets the saviour again in Lord Graham's son, Gareth. Though at first cold, he soon confesses that the murderer is his own father and when Fianna's mother disappears one night she suspects foul play and joins with Gareth in searching the forest. As always, the love blooms.
[Halt! better stop here if you haven't read the story. I don't want to ruin the suspense]
Gareth finds that Fianna's mother is the once betrothed cousin of his father who later eloped with the gardener's son; she was with her mother safe and attending her. The villain is revealed to be Geoffrey Graham, the eldest brother of Lord Graham who shares his likeness and is believed to be dead. When Fianna gets captured, she shoots him down. Story ends with the marriage plans of Gareth and Fianna.
Ok , I halted where u asked us to As I haven't readthe book :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Jaish. Read the book, its good.
DeleteThank you so very much for this review. I'm thrilled that you enjoyed Heart of the Hunter enough to write about it! I had so much fun writing the book, except for...you guessed it...the intimate scenes. I would much rather leave my characters on their own when they're behind closed doors. However, the romance novel industry strongly advises that these scenes be played out in varying degrees of detail. For me, the development of the emotional relationship between the main characters, as well as the ongoing suspense in the plot, are the most exciting elements to write and to read. Thank you again, so much!
DeleteLinda Anne Wulf