Summertime Reading – Rebel by Linda Windsor

Summer is here, and if this week’s temperatures are any indication, it’s going to be a HOT one:  the kind of summer that lends itself perfectly to sitting poolside, reading.  Now, truth be told, I would use any excuse to spend my summer reading, but reading poolside while the boys splash and play is certainly an enjoyable way to spend a day, don’t you think?! 

Fortunately, no matter what excuse you use to spend your days reading, there is no shortage of wonderful books to fill lazy days this summer, books like Linda Windsor’s Rebel (David C. Cook; New edition June 1, 2012), the third book in the Brides of Alba trilogy.  The characters in Linda’s first book in this series, Healer, quickly worked their way into my heart and the book found its way onto my favorite fiction reads for 2010 list, and the two books that followed did not disappoint!

The Brides of Alba trilogy follows the lives and exploits of the O’Byrne brothers:  Ronan, Caden, and Alyn.  Each book places a different brother in the forefront.  As you might surmise from the title of the trilogy, their future brides play a prominent role in the stories as well.

While classified as “historical romance,” Linda Windsor’s Brides of Alba trilogy is so much more than a simple tale of romance.  The history is painstakingly researched, the characters are multi-dimensional, and the story lines are complex and real, providing just enough romance, along with a hefty dose of adventure and suspense. 

The first book, Healer, focuses on eldest brother, Ronan, as he and a beautiful, yet mysterious, healer join forces to bring peace and renewed faith to a kingdom torn apart by greed and vengeance.  In the second book, Thief, middle-brother Caden, who debuted as the troubled and vengeful brother in the first book, finds the ability to forgive himself and to move past his transgressions as he grows to love the Lord… and a spunky woman who steals his heart, but not before she steals his purse.  Linda’s newest release, the final book in the trilogy, Rebel, brings us deeper into the hopes and fears of youngest brother, Alyn.

ABOUT THE BOOK

With Merlin dead, the succession undecided, and the Celtic church on the defensive from Rome, intrigue sweeps the court of the High King Arthur. But it’s battlefield news that consumes Queen Gwenhyfar’s young scribe, Kella O’Toole: her fiancé is dead and her father gone missing.

Determined to find him at all costs, Kella defies the queen’s orders and sets out for Pictish territory. Her foster brother Alyn, a disillusioned priest who questions his calling, agrees to help her. The journey itself is perilous. But it’s their secrets that land Kella and Alyn in a viper’s nest of treachery that threatens both their lives and the future of Albion.

Can they summon the love and faith they need to find their way not only out of danger, but into happiness? Brilliantly researched, vividly imagined, and movingly written—a memorable climax to the Brides of Alba series.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Rebel, go HERE.

If you haven’t read Healer or Thief, head over to Amazon, to your local bookseller, or to your library to pick them up, and start the O’Byrne story at the beginning.  While it isn’t necessary to read either of these first books before reading Rebel, I promise you that once you’ve read Rebel, you’ll want to spend more time with the O’Byrne family, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll enjoy catching the little tidbits of reference to earlier occurrences when you do read Rebel if you’ve already read Healer and Thief.

Still not convinced you should read this trilogy?  Well, maybe this will help…

Just how much have I grown to love the story of the three O’Byrne brothers:  Ronan, Caden, and Alyn?

Meet our very own Caden Thomas, born December 1, 2011!

Note to Linda:  I fell in love with Caden in Healer.  I just knew that somewhere under all of that anger and guilt, there was a man of honor.  I can’t tell you how happy I was that he did indeed find redemption in the second book.  I could not, after all, name my son after a villain.  A stubborn man with a big heart, yes, but a villain, no.  I can only pray that our own Caden grows into a man who loves life and the Lord in the manner of his namesake Caden O’Byrne.

I  received this book free for the purpose of reviewing it.  I received no other compensation for this review.  The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions.  Your experience may vary.