Song Of The Mountains by Anne Ireland

Summary

*Quote... "In the pages of Song of the Mountains, Anne Ireland takes us into the struggle for dominance and power, honor and love during the early 1400s."

Song of the Mountains is a passion infused and turbulent story of a man's battle against the odds. It is Morgan's duty to help the Prince of Wales in his fight against oppressive England. But when Morgan is tricked into a marriage he cannot honour, he finds himself desperately in love with the wife of another man. Now as loyalty to his leader and the conflicts in his heart collide, can anything save Morgan and the nation he loves beyond his life?

Excerpt

Seeking out the source of the noise, which seemed unnaturally loud in the stillness of her idyll, she saw that two young men had dived into the river from the opposite bank. A third man stood on the bank waiting for them, keeping watching over their horses. She thought from his dress he was a servant, but could not tell his identity or of the men in the water.

They were swimming towards her, racing each other and calling out excitedly in the way young men will, reminding Morwenna of her young brothers who sometimes swam in the lake near her home at Bala. As they came nearer, she saw their shoulders were naked and realised they must have removed much of their clothing before plunging into the water. One of them had reached the bank a short distance from where she was sitting. He had not seen her because of the reed bed that partially obscured her and them.

She had a clear view of the man, who hauled himself from the river and stood shaking his long hair like a hound, the droplets sparkling in the sunshine as they flew around him. He was completely naked; his strong, muscled body open to her curious gaze as he stood laughing at his friend, clearly unashamed of his unclothed state and pleased to have won his race. He was beautiful! Morwenna drank in the sight of his power and grace. The colour of his skin seeming to indicate this was not the first time it had been exposed to the elements, gleaming wetly like pale copper in the sun's rays. She could not draw her eyes away for she had never seen a man thus, nor such a well formed man at any time. And then his friend shouted a warning, pointing in her direction from where he trod water in mid river, and the young god on the bank turned his head to look at her.

 

Review

Recommended Read by Jasmine from Dark Divas


Rating: 4 Delightful Divas


My Review: Ireland is a talented writer and has done her research. The story is well written and true to the time period. Ireland has woven an interesting tale of history, myth and magic. If you’re looking for a true romance, this story might not be for you. But if you’re looking more for a tale of history, politics, betrayal and overall human relationships, then this story hits the mark. While I wouldn’t give Song of the Mountains a high rating as a romance, it still rates high for a mainstream story.




Reviewed by Elise Lynn of Ecataromance.com

4 Stars

Young Morwenna looks forward to the day when she is wed with her own household. Her kin, Owain Glyn Dwr, has decided to arrange a political marriage for her. He will wed her to Morgan Gruffudd when he returns from a mission for him. With Morgan away, Morwenna meets Rhys Llewelyn but their love is not to be. When Morgan returns, Morwenna knows her marriage will not be as she envisioned and she gets caught up in vengeful plans.

Morgan has been living a life of excess with too much drink and women. But he is really working hard to bring Wales back into power. His opportunity comes when Owain offers him a chance to prove himself. While on his mission, he saves Rosamond de Grenville from robbers. Spending time with her, he realizes that Rosamond is the lady of his heart in every way but one, for she is married to another. And soon, so will he. Torn many different ways, Morgan has his duty to his Prince, to his wife, whom he cannot honor, and finally to Rosamond.

Rich in history, Song of the Mountains will take us on a journey that is both perilous and sad and yet it is also a tale of love that survives that peril and sadness. Morwenna is a tragic character who makes decisions that have life long consequences for her while Morgan her husband strives to free his country at the side of Owain and at the same time spend time with his true love, Rosamond. Song of the Mountain is also a tale of families and of dreams that survive only as a song. Giving us a clear snap shot of life during this time of conflict, Song of the Mountain is a tale with many facets. Anne Ireland does a wonderful job bringing this time to life with Song of the Mountain.