Blurb:
After the death of her cruel father, Brithwin is determined never again to live under the harsh rule of any man. Independent and resourceful, she longs to be left alone to manage her father’s estate. But she soon discovers a woman has few choices when the king decrees she is to marry Royce, the Lord of Rosencraig. As if the unwelcome marriage isn’t enough, her new husband accuses her of murdering his family, and she is faced with a challenge of either proving her innocence or facing possible execution.
Royce of Hawkwood returns home after setting down a rebellion to find his family brutally murdered. When all fingers point to his betrothed and attempts are made on his life, Royce must wade through murky waters to uncover the truth. Yet Brithwin’s wise and kind nature begin to break down the walls of his heart, and he soon finds himself in a race to discover who is behind the evil plot before Brithwin is the next victim.
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About the Author:
Debbie Lynne Costello is the author of Sword of Forgiveness, Amazon's #1 seller for Historical Christian Romance. She has enjoyed writing stories since she was eight years old. She raised her family and then embarked on her own career of writing the stories that had been begging to be told. She and her husband have four children and live in upstate South Carolina with their 5 horses, 3 dogs, cat and miniature donkey.
Social Media Links:
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/debbielynnecostello
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DebiLynCostello
WEBSITE: https://www.debbielynnecostello.com/
NEWSLETTER: https://mailchi.mp/276616916748/debbielynnecostello
My Review:
This book took me outside of my comfort zone because I am honestly not much of a Medieval literature or Medieval setting reader, which is why I signed up to review it in the first place. As a book reviewer, I try to expose myself to different genres and diverse time periods that I would otherwise probably not explore. Book one in the “Winds of Change” series definitely fits the bill.
Opening in Cumberland, England in 1398, Debbie Lynne Costello’s “Sword of Forgiveness” thrusts the reader into a world of nobility, knighthood, and the days of old. My favorite part of this story was the characters. For the first several chapters, I was not sure that I particularly liked either Brithwin or Royce. Brithwin is a strong, independent, proud female figure, which makes her a rarity for the end of the fourteenth century. I expected her faith to be the weaker of the two, but it was the other way around. Royce comes across as being austere and controlling. They are brought together through an arranged marriage that neither is keen on and which is best summed up by this quotation from the narrative: “Could God make anything good come out of a marriage neither participant wanted?” Indeed, intrigue and treachery add obstacles to the plot, and as Thomas Godfrey so wisely states: “Only God knows a man’s heart. Some men are masters at hiding their true nature.” As Brithwin and Royce experience persistent threats and the vicissitudes of their relationship with each other, they also realize the influence of their past as well as the profound impact that a relationship with God provides.
This is an easy read overall, with a glossary of terms included right before the prologue, but I was glad to be reading this on my Kindle so that I could easily highlight unfamiliar terms and find out their meaning without having to navigate back to the beginning of the book. There were some editing and grammatical errors that were distracting to me but which did not detract from the story itself; I actually did have a Kindle edition of this book that I purchased independently a year or so ago, so this was not a rough copy. Readers searching for a sweet Christian romance taking place in the Middle Ages, with some danger and universal questions about faith that remain relevant today, will enjoy Brithwin and Royce’s journey in “Sword of Forgiveness.”
I received a complimentary copy of this book through CelebrateLit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.
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