I read Lynn Kurland way back in the early 90’s when I was obsessed with time travel books, but this is the first time I’ve read her since then.
This Is All I Ask by Lynn Kurland
(1997, Medieval) 7/5/12
Grade: 4.5
When Gillian is betrothed to Christopher, the Dragon of Blackmour, she is relieved to escape her abusive father, but convinced Blackmour must be the devil, because he has such a dangerous reputation. He might even have horns! But what she finds is a man who is struggling to live with his blindness, and who needs love as much as she does.
This was an emotional and heartfelt story that went on just a little too long – but it was still a rewarding read. The writing style was unique – it was in close third person, alternating between the hero and heroine, so the reader sees everything from the point of view of the main characters. This was probably a major reason why the story worked, because otherwise the heroine would have been extremely annoying – she verged on TSTL at the beginning of the book, and she cried every 5 minutes for the first half. But because of the writing style, her actions were understandable and sympathetic. The main problem with the book was pacing – not a lot happened in the first 350 pages, and although I appreciate a book that focuses on the emotional lives of the characters, it got a bit long winded. Then the fight with Warewick was crammed into just a few pages. But that’s a minor issue – I gave this book a higher grade because it was such a sweet and touching story that I’m sure I’ll remember.
I think I’ve gotten too used to the quick and short books of the last 10 years – back in 1997 I probably would have appreciated a 400 page book a lot more but now I found myself just slightly impatient. Still a good read, though.
Karen Wheless
Latest posts by Karen Wheless (see all)
- Love Irresistibly by Julie James - June 18, 2013
- Vacation Reading - June 17, 2013
- The Way Home by Megan Chance - June 1, 2013