NORTH OF THE STARS (In Love and War 1) by Monica James-Review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 1, 2021

England is burning.

And the cause…men are too afraid to utter in nothing but a whisper.

The Northmen.

My father is King Eanred.

And me?

I am Princess Emeline.

My father wants to protect our kingdom against the ruthless Vikings who continue to raid England, so he has betrothed me to Aethelwulf, the son of King Egbert of Wessex—the most powerful realm in all of England. Without this union, Northumbria will fall, which is why I must submit. I must do this for my people.

However, it is not in my nature to surrender. So when my father captures the most savage Viking known in our land, I do what no good, God-fearing Christian would do—I help him.

His name…Skarth the Godless.

People fear what they don’t understand, but I will not allow that to control me. Fear makes us blind to the truth, and I refuse to cower because Skarth soon becomes my teacher—in all things. And when his rival, Ulf the Bloody, shatters my world, it becomes clear the lessons have only just begun.

My soul is tarnished.

I am a sinner.

Lord, hear my prayer

••••••••

REVIEW: NORTH OF THE STARS is the first instalment in Monica James’ adult IN LOVE AND WAR dark, Viking, historical, fiction story line focusing on Northman Skarth the Godless, and Princess Emeline.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise there WILL be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Skarth and Emeline) NORTH OF THE STARS covers approximately five years in the life in ninth century AD. Princess Emeline was only twelve years old when her father captured a clan of Northmen including Viking Skarth the Godless, and our heroine took an immediately liking to the man who would break her heart but life was never easy in Northumbria, and our heroine had been promised to the son of a man who reigned another kingdom. To prevent the execution of Skarth the Godless, our heroine made a deal, that would find her on a dark and dangerous journey wherein Emeline became nothing more than property sold to the highest bidder, a pawn to be used and abused by every man with whom she would come in contact but throughout the years Emeline always remembered the Viking that had stolen her heart, a heart that was now broken along with her body and mind. While our heroine suffered five years of abuse at the hands of so called ‘God fearing men’, Skarth never forgot about the young woman that had claimed his soul.

NORTH OF THE STARS is a dark, gritty, raw and often times difficult read. There are no hearts and flowers, no solace for a woman who never felt loved, no lighthearted moments to take a breath of fresh air. NORTH OF THE STARS is an intense, dramatic, heart breaking and powerful tale of survival for one woman who is unable to escape the destiny her God and men have wrought.

NORTH OF THE STARS ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson.

When she is not writing, Monica is busy running her own business, but she always finds a balance between the two. She enjoys writing honest, heartfelt, and turbulent stories, hoping to leave an imprint on her readers. She draws her inspiration from life.

She is a bestselling author in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, and the U.K.

Monica James resides in Melbourne, Australia, with her wonderful family, and menagerie of animals. She is slightly obsessed with cats, chucks, and lip gloss, and secretly wishes she was a ninja on the weekends.

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