Monday, April 17, 2023

Review Tour & Giveaway: The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven by Jennifer Ivy Walker


THE WILD ROSE AND THE SEA RAVEN
by
Jennifer Ivy Walker


Paranormal Medieval Romance
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Publication Date: September 5, 2022
Page count: 426 pages


SCROLL DOWN FOR GIVEAWAY!


SYNOPSIS:

In this dark fairy tale adaptation of a medieval French legend, Issylte must flee the wicked queen, finding shelter with a fairy witch who teaches her the verdant magic of the forest. Fate leads her to the otherworldly realm of the Lady of the Lake and the Elves of Avalon, where she must choose between her life as a healer or fight to save her ravaged kingdom.

Tristan of Lyonesse is a Knight of the Round Table who must overcome the horrors of his past and defend his king or lose everything. When he becomes a warrior of the Tribe of Dana, a gift of Druidic magic might hold the key he seeks.

Haunted and hunted. Entwined by fate. Can their passion and power prevail?

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PURCHASE, CLICK BELOW!



READ AN EXCERPT:

L’ Amour Fou

Taking another gulp of ale, Tristan turned to Lancelot and searched his knowing eyes. “I don’t know if she even exists, Lancelot, but I want a woman who makes me feel alive! I want her kisses to arouse my passion, her heart to sing to mine. I want a muse to inspire my song, a lady to whom I would pledge my sword—and my life.” Tristan shook his head and sighed. “Is such a love even possible?”

The First Knight of Camelot responded with a sad smile. “It is indeed possible, Tristan.” Lancelot turned his pensive gaze to the vast expanse of sea. “In French, we call such a love l’amour fou—a passion so intense… it can drive you mad.”

Lancelot glanced back at Tristan, a forlorn smile reaching his intense blue eyes. “When you find such a woman, Tristan, the love she gives you fills every empty hollow in your soul. She completes you; she invigorates you; she thrills you. And, when you consummate such a love, the exquisite blend of the spiritual and physical realms will satisfy you more than the finest wine or the greatest victory in battle. The love she gives you with her body will transport you to the stars, and you will never experience a greater joy.”

And, though he smiled, Tristan saw that the First Knight emanated loneliness, suffering, and sorrow. As Lancelot returned his gaze across the faraway sea, Tristan knew that the White Knight of Avalon longed for the beautiful blond queen of Camelot.


REVIEW:

5 stars!

A fresh new take on some familiar fairytales mixed with Arthurian legend.

The Wild Rose and The Sea Raven is the first book by author Jennifer Ivy Walker in the trilogy of the same name. I was immediately and deeply drawn into a fairytale world of ancient kingdoms, magical creatures, and fated love. I have always enjoyed this particular genre; however, I was surprised by how quickly and effortlessly this author’s writing immersed me in the story. If you’re a fan of fantasy and legends of old and are looking for a satisfying escape into another time and place, this one is for you.

The story is a wonderful combination of fairytales and the stories of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table; however, it is not just a modern retelling of these but contains different angles and new spins on it all. Many names will be recognizable, but their stories are expanded upon, and delightful new elements have been added that had me riveted to the page. I loved the in-depth look into the main characters’ origins and early life, as well as that of the magical elements and mythical being coming from various sources: Ireland, England, and France. I’ve read stories featuring these things before, but this new presentation felt fresh. While the book came to a close, the story definitely did not, and I’m anxiously looking forward to diving into book two of the trilogy very soon.

I recommend THE WILD ROSE AND THE SEA RAVEN to readers who enjoy fantasy, fairytales, Arthurian legends, and stories set in ancient Ireland, England, and France.

See my review of Book Two in the Trilogy, The Lady of the Mirrored Lake, HERE!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
 

Enthralled with legends of medieval knights and ladies, dark fairy tales and fantasies about Druids, wizards and magic, Jennifer Ivy Walker always dreamed of becoming a writer. She fell in love with French in junior high school, continuing her study of the language throughout college, eventually becoming a high school teacher and college professor of French.

As a high school teacher, she took her students every year to the annual French competition, where they performed a play she had written, "Yseult la Belle et Tristan la BĂȘte"--an imaginative blend of the medieval French legend of "Tristan et Yseult" and the fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast", enhanced with fantasy elements of a Celtic fairy and a wicked witch.

Her debut novel, The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven -- the first of a trilogy-- is a blend of her love for medieval legends, the romantic French language, and paranormal fantasy. It is a retelling of the medieval French romance of Tristan et Yseult, interwoven with Arthurian myth, dark fairy tales from the enchanted Forest of BrocĂ©liande, and otherworldly elements such as Avalonian Elves, Druids, forest fairies and magic.

Explore her realm of Medieval French Fantasy. She hopes her novels will enchant you.


GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly chosen winner.


10 comments:

Goddess Fish Promotions said...

Thanks for hosting!

Jennifer Ivy Walker said...

Thank you very much for featuring my debut novel, The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven!

Rita Wray said...

Great excerpt.

Elaine G said...

Thanks for sharing the excerpt. Sounds really good

Jennifer Ivy Walker said...

Thank you very much, Elaine!

Jennifer Ivy Walker said...

Thanks, Rita!

pippirose said...

The book sounds intriguing. Love the cover!

Marcy Meyer said...

Great cover! Looks amazing.

Jennifer Ivy Walker said...

Thank you for the praise for the cover. My artist, Rae Monet, is fabulous!

Sherry said...

This sounds like a good book and I really like the cover.