Despite my expectation that this was a historical romance, and not a fantasy, this story's quality of the prose drew me in from the beginning. The plot was engaging, and the two main characters likeable: A strong hero with a heroine equally strong, yet without being the now cliched overbearing feminist of many romances these days. I might have been even more drawn to the characters if there had been less POV head-hopping. But that might be a personal preference.Healer of the Heart by Linda Mooney
On a small parallel world, much like medieval Earth, a woman with extraordinary healing powers and a man who would be the next ruler of his country are thrown together to save their lands from warring nations and to solve the mystery of two brutal deaths within their own fortress, despite the danger to their own lives. Through it all, they find a love that defies all odds, breaks all traditions, and becomes the symbol of hope for the future of their world.
Several countries are at war. Two of these countries, Bothe and Skandia, have come to an uneasy alliance. For protection against the other warring nations, Skandia has allowed one of their rare Healers to take residence in the fortress of the Dost of Bothe, the leader of that country. But the other countries, jealous of this alliance, have put a plan in action to kill the Dost of Bothe and his immediate family, and to claim Skandia’s Healers for their own. To everyone’s horror, the Healer is murdered by accident, and the Dost sends for another to take his place.
Querl, the nephew of the Dost, will become the next leader of his country when the present Dost steps down. Little did he know that when the new Healer is sent to Bothe, he would fall inexorable in love with the painfully beautiful woman known as Mareesa. Even less is he aware of the dark and evil secret which forced her to flee her home country, and the fate that awaits her should she dare to return.
This story had a little of everything...adventure, romance, and at times, even a touch of humor. The political agenda could have been a little toned down, but it wasn’t distracting and, over all, this was a very pleasant read.
My fourteen year-old daughter is into fantasy right now and, if not for the sexual content, this would have been a perfect book to purchase for her. That said, even though the sex scenes were explicit, there weren’t many of them, and cursing was minimal. If you like this genre, you’ll enjoy Healer of the Heart.
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Reviewed by Violet.
