Prince of the Three Mountains

Review

PRINCE OF THE THREE MOUNTAINS - Ellie Tremayne

ISBN: 978-1-906328-69-6

January 2008

Erotic Historical Romance

Rating: Total-e-sizzling

Mid Wales 855

Aeron, now a widow, was the child-bride of Lleyellyn of Pen Bryn. Her father, Mervyn, Prince of the Three Mountains, has called his daughter home at the death of her only brother. Because Mervyn’s second wife, Sian, has failed to bear him sons, Aeron must marry again and her new husband will be Mervyn’s heir.

Alun ap Dylan is sure that he will be the one chosen. But, when Bevan, the tribal holy man, formally asks for other candidates, Rhys ap Idris comes forward. Rhys’s and Alun’s fathers once fought over the same woman and emotions run high as the two come face to face again.

With the threat of the Norse invading by sea and the Saxons spilling over the eastern borders, Rhys advised his father, Idris, to pledge loyalty to Prince Rhodri of Gwynedd and Powys rather than to Sian’s brother, Gwgon.

When Mervyn is found dead, Aeron says she saw Idris running from the body. The dagger that killed her father does belong to Rhys’s father, but it was stolen. No one at court believes that Idris is innocent, and Alun takes over. He declares that Rhys, his father, and his brother, Huw, are to be hanged. Any love that Rhys might have felt for Aeron turns to hate with her false accusation. Rhys escapes the hangman’s noose and disappears over a cliff into the murky waters below.

St. Morwenna’s, where Aeron sought solace with the nuns, is raided by the Norse pirate, Guthrum. He and his brigands rape and murder some of the women, and take the others, including Aeron, to be sold as slaves. Rhys has always thought that his mother and sisters would have been taken captive and put on the auction block. He attends any slave auction that he hears about and is there when Aerron is brought in and he buys her. She thinks she is saved.

Life in Wales is harsh and enemies show little or no mercy. Rhys commands men who only follow him because of his ability with a blade. He killed their previous leader, Harold, in a fight to the death. Finding Aeron means little because the hate is still strong in his heart.

There is a lot going on in this story. Readers can almost taste the harshness of life and feel the dirt and smell the blood. Will Rhys believe that Aeron now has doubts about what she saw? Is she safe from Alun? Is Rhys’s sword arm enough to keep and protect what is now his? PRINCE OF THE THREE MOUNTAINS is very well-done. Ellie Tremaine has certainly done her research. Her secondary characters like Tomo, Rhys’s right hand; Dilys, the woman who made him feel human again when he dragged himself back to life; Eric, who had resented Rhys since Harold’s death; Prince Rhodri and others are as real and important as Rhys and Aeron. And there is much more to Bevan than he lets on. This is a truly excellent book, one I highly recommend.

Maggie Anderson