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A review by laurenjodi
The Hawk by Monica McCarty
4.0
The Hawk
4 Stars
Renowned for his naval skills, Erik MacSorely, aka The Hawk, is charged by Robert the Bruce to enlist the aid of Irish rebels for an attack against the forces of Kind Edward I. Unfortunately, the plans are jeopardized when Elyne de Burgh, daughter of the Earl of Ulster, accidentally stumbles across the clandestine meeting, and Erik is forced to take her captive. As Erik and Ellie's mutual attraction grows into something deeper, the secrets each is keeping threaten not only their future but their very lives.
This sequel to The Chief has been languishing on my TBR for 10 years - that is not a typo! For some reason, I kept putting off continuing the series even though the first book is incredible. Thanks to Seasonal Reading Challenge, I have finally gotten around to reading this book, and I could kick myself for having waited so long.
Erik and Ellie's romance is delightful. While their relationship builds more slowly than that of Tor and Christina in book one, it is no less powerful nor exciting. Similar to Tor, Erik is a strong and skillful leader, but unlike The Chief, he conceals his stronger emotions behind a charming and flirtatious facade. It takes the sweet yet strong-willed Ellie to see the lonely man behind the playful grin.
Ellie is an endearing heroine who doesn't "put up with any of Erik's shite". It is very entertaining to see Erik so discombobulated, and it is a credit to him that he rapidly sees the beautiful and vivacious woman concealed by Ellie's apparent demureness.
The plot itself continues from where it left off in The Chief with Robert the Bruce attempting to reclaim his kingdom from Edward I. As with the first book, McCarty's historical research is impeccable, and she incorporates the various historical people, places and events seamlessly within the fictional narrative. The author's note at the end is very informative, and I also enjoyed looking up many of the details in Wikipedia while reading.
In sum, an excellent follow-up and I will definitely not be waiting 10 years to read the next one.
4 Stars
Renowned for his naval skills, Erik MacSorely, aka The Hawk, is charged by Robert the Bruce to enlist the aid of Irish rebels for an attack against the forces of Kind Edward I. Unfortunately, the plans are jeopardized when Elyne de Burgh, daughter of the Earl of Ulster, accidentally stumbles across the clandestine meeting, and Erik is forced to take her captive. As Erik and Ellie's mutual attraction grows into something deeper, the secrets each is keeping threaten not only their future but their very lives.
This sequel to The Chief has been languishing on my TBR for 10 years - that is not a typo! For some reason, I kept putting off continuing the series even though the first book is incredible. Thanks to Seasonal Reading Challenge, I have finally gotten around to reading this book, and I could kick myself for having waited so long.
Erik and Ellie's romance is delightful. While their relationship builds more slowly than that of Tor and Christina in book one, it is no less powerful nor exciting. Similar to Tor, Erik is a strong and skillful leader, but unlike The Chief, he conceals his stronger emotions behind a charming and flirtatious facade. It takes the sweet yet strong-willed Ellie to see the lonely man behind the playful grin.
Ellie is an endearing heroine who doesn't "put up with any of Erik's shite". It is very entertaining to see Erik so discombobulated, and it is a credit to him that he rapidly sees the beautiful and vivacious woman concealed by Ellie's apparent demureness.
The plot itself continues from where it left off in The Chief with Robert the Bruce attempting to reclaim his kingdom from Edward I. As with the first book, McCarty's historical research is impeccable, and she incorporates the various historical people, places and events seamlessly within the fictional narrative. The author's note at the end is very informative, and I also enjoyed looking up many of the details in Wikipedia while reading.
In sum, an excellent follow-up and I will definitely not be waiting 10 years to read the next one.