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A review by emmalb1984
The Warrior Knight and the Widow by Ella Matthews
5.0
Ella Matthews’ excellent debut, ‘The Warrior Knight and The Widow’ sees Lady Ellena Swaine escorted on a perilous journey back to her father’s home in the company of her assigned protector, Braedan, who, despite his reputation as ‘The Beast’, gives Ellena food for thought in her assertion that she will not marry again.
In Ellena and Braedan, the author has created two excellent, likeable and well matched characters who work well together within the context of the story and soon find themselves forming a connection amidst a brooding backdrop where danger is never far away, and the villainous Lord Copsi threatens all Braedan holds dear. From the outset, Braedan is presented as a formidable knight, focussed on his job, but the author’s skilled writing style soon alerts the reader to the ‘real’ Braedan who few people see, and this only adds to his appeal as the hero of the story, and the reader is soon intrigued and wants to know more. Similarly, it is clear that Ellena is quite headstrong and used to being independent, and the fact that she is prepared to stand up to Braedan says a lot about her character. Indeed, the two spark off each other well, and the reader is soon enthralled in their attempts to convince each other they are in the right. Whilst the circumstances of the story force the two together, these early scenes show that they work well together and can go on to forge a strong partnership as the plot progresses.
As their journey hits difficulties, the prevailing sense of danger shows just how far Braedan will go to protect Ellena, and the well written scenes as the threats to Ellena’s wellbeing intensify provide a vivid narrative to the reader where you almost feel you are in the forest watching the action first-hand. Furthermore, the twists and turns of the plot allow Braedan and Ellena to reveal a lot about each other, and you really do root for them to overcome the obstacles before them as they form a deeper bond. The writing of the moments where Braedan struggles with his conscience and tries not to fall in love with Ellena must be praised, and, if anything, only add to the connection the reader makes with the character.
In a neat twist to the plot, the fact that Ellena remains in danger once the party returns to Ogmore provides a clever plot device to further enhance Braedan’s story, and it is this section, as the plot shifts towards its conclusion, that gives Braedan and Ellena the opportunity to think about what they really want for themselves. Lord Copsi proves himself an excellent villain throughout, and, thanks to the author’s skilled plotting, the strong ending to this section of the story means that the reader still has to wait to see what will become of Braedan and Ellena’s budding romance.
Without spoiling the ending, the surprising revelations of the closing chapters seem fitting of the characters and the reader should feel both happy and emotional by the closing page. This is a well written, excellent debut from Ella Matthews which I thoroughly enjoyed reading, and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
In Ellena and Braedan, the author has created two excellent, likeable and well matched characters who work well together within the context of the story and soon find themselves forming a connection amidst a brooding backdrop where danger is never far away, and the villainous Lord Copsi threatens all Braedan holds dear. From the outset, Braedan is presented as a formidable knight, focussed on his job, but the author’s skilled writing style soon alerts the reader to the ‘real’ Braedan who few people see, and this only adds to his appeal as the hero of the story, and the reader is soon intrigued and wants to know more. Similarly, it is clear that Ellena is quite headstrong and used to being independent, and the fact that she is prepared to stand up to Braedan says a lot about her character. Indeed, the two spark off each other well, and the reader is soon enthralled in their attempts to convince each other they are in the right. Whilst the circumstances of the story force the two together, these early scenes show that they work well together and can go on to forge a strong partnership as the plot progresses.
As their journey hits difficulties, the prevailing sense of danger shows just how far Braedan will go to protect Ellena, and the well written scenes as the threats to Ellena’s wellbeing intensify provide a vivid narrative to the reader where you almost feel you are in the forest watching the action first-hand. Furthermore, the twists and turns of the plot allow Braedan and Ellena to reveal a lot about each other, and you really do root for them to overcome the obstacles before them as they form a deeper bond. The writing of the moments where Braedan struggles with his conscience and tries not to fall in love with Ellena must be praised, and, if anything, only add to the connection the reader makes with the character.
In a neat twist to the plot, the fact that Ellena remains in danger once the party returns to Ogmore provides a clever plot device to further enhance Braedan’s story, and it is this section, as the plot shifts towards its conclusion, that gives Braedan and Ellena the opportunity to think about what they really want for themselves. Lord Copsi proves himself an excellent villain throughout, and, thanks to the author’s skilled plotting, the strong ending to this section of the story means that the reader still has to wait to see what will become of Braedan and Ellena’s budding romance.
Without spoiling the ending, the surprising revelations of the closing chapters seem fitting of the characters and the reader should feel both happy and emotional by the closing page. This is a well written, excellent debut from Ella Matthews which I thoroughly enjoyed reading, and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.