The Viking’s Witch
By Kelli Wilkins
(My review is at bottom)
Scotland, 803 A.D
About to be burned at the stake by
her fellow villagers, Odaria does what any betrayed witch facing certain death
would do. She calls down a curse. Within seconds, rampaging Norsemen raid the
village, capturing everyone except her.
But her reprieve is short lived, and
Odaria lands in the clutches of the Norse leader Rothgar. Can she remain true
to herself and fight her growing attraction to this domineering man, or will
she fall under his influence and be used for his ambitions?
After Rothgar witnesses Odaria’s
powers firsthand, he strikes a bargain with her. The raven-haired beauty will
use her magical abilities to help him with his quest in exchange for safe
passage off the isle. But can this cunning women be trusted, or is she using
him to exact vengeance on her village?
Together they must fight
bloodthirsty villagers, battle a mutinous band of Norsemen, find a missing
Norse ship, and learn to trust each other…before time is up.
Kelli Wilkins
Kelli A. Wilkins developed a love of
reading and writing while growing up in a small upstate New York town. Kelli
enjoys writing in different genres, and her speculative fiction has appeared in
numerous publications, including The
Sun, The Best of the First Line, What If? And Weird Tales.
Kelli is a member of Romance Writers
of America and has published several historical/fantasy romances with Amber
Quill Press. She currently lives in New Jersey with her husband. Readers are
invited to visit Kelli’s Web site, www.KelliWilkins.Com , to catch up on all her writings.
Be sure to enter the giveaway, 3
Ebook copies are being given out as a prize.
Expert Below, Enjoy!
Stronsay, Orkney Islands, Scotland
803 A.D.
“Ye filthy bastards dare call yourselves men of God? Unhand me!” Odaria kicked and fought the men dragging her away from the village.
Brennan slapped her across the face. “Quiet, witch, or I shall tear out your tongue.”
She stopped struggling and glared at Brennan. That blow hadn’t hurt her. If anything, it merely sparked her fury. “Do as you will, but you shan’t be rid of me so easy.” Odaria dug her bare feet into the soft earth as Brennan and Malcolm forced her up the side of a small hill. A cool breeze billowed her thin chemise like a sail behind her. She shivered and gazed into the clear midnight sky. Twinkling silver stars surrounded the three-quarter moon. Would this be the last peaceful image she’d ever see?
Her thoughts faded as they reached the top of the rise. She looked at the beach and gasped. Everyone from the village stood in a circle around a bonfire. The flickering firelight cast evil shadows across their faces. A two-foot-high wooden platform with a tall crossbeam was positioned near the roaring flames.
She cringed, and Malcolm shoved her forward. “Take your punishment, witch.”
“Nay. Set me free.” To her surprise, her voice sounded weak and shaky. She wiggled her hands and tried to loosen the rope binding her wrists in front of her. They truly weren’t going to burn her alive, were they?
“Hold her fast,” Brennan ordered. “She’ll not cast spells upon us again.”
“Me spells would best be used to put your head on a pike!” Brennan wrapped his hand around her throat and squeezed hard, cutting off her air. “Mind your words, witch, for they shall be some of your last.” He motioned for Malcolm to step aside, then faced the group of villagers before him.
“Faithful followers, you have gathered here tonight to witness the purging of evil from our God-fearing, peaceful village. After tonight, the witch shall plague us no more with her spells and devil worship. No longer shall we fear her wrath as we sleep.” Odaria glanced at the pile of dried grass and brush stacked around the wooden platform. One spark would set the pyre ablaze.
She stared across the crowd and scanned the firelit faces, looking for a compassionate soul. There was none.
My review:
Title: The Vikings Witch
Author: Kelli Wilkins
Series:
Publisher: Medallion
Press
Publication Date:
August 1, 2012
I was pleasantly
surprised when I read this book, as I usually do not read any kind of
historical books, I have maybe read under 10 in my whole life, so when I say I
was happy with this, that’s a great compliment, as its outside my comfort zone,
but we did have what I must have, and that’s a bit of paranormal, which our witch
Odaria, who I really like. I was not sure how I would feel about Rothgar, but
her turned out to be a rather decent guy for a Viking. At least most the time,
some things he had done, really surprised me, and I had not seen it coming.
This
book was full of excitement, and twist and turns that I did not see coming. I
was not bored one little bit at all. The sex scenes were done in a very decent
way, not overly uncomfortable for me. I do not read erotica, so was happy that
this was not, or if it was supposed to be, it was rather mild, just right. Not
a YA book for sure, but I think anyone 18 and up will enjoy it.
This
story as you can guess takes place in the Viking era and Rothgar is described
to be to look like Chris Hemsworth in Thor, so to me, that’s what popped
into my head when reading. Not a bad visual at all.
We
start the story with Odaria about to be burned alive for being a witch, by a
evil man names Brennen, and the Vikings show up to hunt for a missing cousin of
Rothgar’s at just the right time, and in that happening, she was able to get
away, then a new danger emerges, as some of the brutes find her bound still
hiding, and lucky her, Rothgar finds them about to abuse her in the worst way,
and saves her, and claims her as his own. Of course he is a decent guy most of
the time, and only said this to his men, to leave her alone.
I won’t
get into too much from there, as there is much that goes on, and the twists
that happen make the story very enjoyable, and would hate to ruin it for you. Let’s
just say, the spitfire fights they have are full of passion, and really are
written well. Kelli’s writing is flawless and beautiful, her world-building is
amazing, and you can literally “see” this world as it was back in that era. I
really liked how were got to be inside Rothgar’s head as well as Odaria, it was
nice; really let me see what he was feeling as well as her.
Here
is some exciting quotes for you this one is what Rothgar is thinking of Odaria after he saved her from his men:
He glanced at Odaria. She was a strange girl, indeed. The moment he had touched her in the cookroom, an odd prickling sensation had spread through his body. It wasn’t the thrill of excitement or the powerful rush one experienced after a good fight. Instead, it felt as
if he’d been jabbed with thousands of sharp pins. His hands had grown warm and throbbed when he’d caressed her. Odaria’s skin blazed as if she were on fire from the inside. He’d never felt anything like that before. But until today, he’d never met a girl like Odaria.
Although she was pretty, her courage impressed him most. She hadn’t cowered before him, crying and begging for mercy. She’d kept her wits about her and dealt with him as a man would. That was uncommon in a woman, but Odaria was far from common.
Her wavy raven-black hair hung past her shoulders, contrast-ing sharply against her creamy white skin. Her large eyes were deep green flecked with bits of gold. From what he saw of her body through that scrap of linen she wore, she was young, succulent, and curvy in all the right places. Just being near her made him—
Here is another sweet moment, but sad with Rothgar and Odaria:
Overall I loved this book, and highly recommend it for adults and mature upper teens. 5 stars from me.“I dug a—”“I know.” She glanced at the muddy spade in his hand. “Thank you. You must think it foolish of me to cry, but Chester was my only friend. He was all I had after my mother—” Odaria burst into tears, and a sudden downpour soaked him to the skin.He gazed up at the sky. Heavy gray clouds seemed to hover over the cottage. Was it possible that Odaria’s tears drew down the rain?He knelt on the wet earth and wrapped his arms around Odaria. “I do not think you are foolish. You loved him, and now he’s gone. I know how much it hurts to lose someone you love.”
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I
have received this book free from the author as part of Innovative Blog Tours.
Although payment may have been received by Innovated Online Book Blog Tours, no
payment was received by me in exchange for this review. I was not required to
write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am
disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part
255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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