The raiders have just slaughtered Magnus Silver-Throat, the
only father Rika Magnusdottir has ever known. She and her
gentle but slow brother have now been captured by Bjorn the
Black, the second son and brother to the Jarl of Sogna.
Rika will not show weakness to this blood-soaked raider.
Seeing justice done to the man responsible for her father's
death is her reason to keep breathing.
Rika starts an arduous journey into a foreign land with
this man who is so huge, so strong, so intimidating and yet
so gentle. Bjorn proves to be her protector is many ways
and soon, against her will, she begins to care a great deal
for him. Bjorn is intoxicated by her strength and fiery red
hair. Rika knows this is the man she could have loved for
all her life if the gods had been on her side.
There is no love lost between Bjorn and his brother,
Gunnar, the jarl. But he's taken an oath of fealty
and "oath breaking" is as bad as killing a man, for a man
that goes back on his word is worthless.
Rika is forced to make a secret bargain with Gunnar in
order to protect her sweet, simpleminded brother along with
Bjorn's honor. She can't purchase her own happiness at the
cost of the man she's grown to love more than life itself.
Rika agrees to marry Abdul-Azziz and Bjorn is the one who
must escort her to Miklagard. Rika only hopes she can store
treasured moments from this journey to be savored for the
rest of her life once the harem doors are slammed shut.
MAIDENSONG is a very unique and beautiful love story unlike
any I've ever read before. At first, I thought the Slavic
words were a bit cumbersome and confusing. But as this
wondrous love story began unfolding, they became nothing
short of enchanting. Bjorn and Rika are an unlikely couple
but it doesn't take long before they become entrenched in
our hearts. The story is bold and fierce, yet soft and
gentle. MAIDENSONG takes us on a whirlwind journey to new
lands with unique characters and a heart-stopping
adventure. I think Diana Groe's debut novel shows an
incredible amount of storytelling talent and is a winner. I
look forward to many more stories by this author. Take this
wonderful journey -- you'll be glad you did.
When Rika sang
the Norse legends, her beautiful voice captivated all who
listened. But
after a raid on her homeland, she found herself the
captive—a slave to
the powerful Bjorn the Black. He was the one man who could
destroy her
life, yet the only man she could truly trust. The only man
who had ever
ignited the passion in her soul…and introduced her to the
pleasures of
the body. But Bjorn was duty-bound to bring her to wed
another. And
thus they begin a perilous journey to a foreign land, a
voyage that
will test their courage in countless ways and challenge the
strength of
the love that is their destiny.