The Legend: A Medieval Romance

Again she hit another book out of the park. Alex and Payton had a rocky start. A lot of turmoil to weave through, but love wins in the end. Ivy and Ali had a lot of turmoil as well, but again love won! Highly recommend this book. I could not put it down.

What a fantastic story by Ms. Kathryn Le Veque! Even though I at first couldn’t stand the hero Alec Summerlin I eventually grew to like him as the story progressed. It would be hard to be faced with so many difficult hindrances that I guess I don’t really blame him. Then to give up being a knight must have been the hardest thing he ever had to do. The heroine Peyton was a marvelous character that I instantly liked her right away. There were also several other side stories not to distract from the main story and the minor characters were all very compelling, diverse and well-thought out.The story starts off with the hero Alec Summerlin accidently killing his brother Peter. It mentally destroys him and he goes back home to his family’s castle deciding to give up being this transcendent knight known as “the legend.” At first Alec is quite content hiding himself away from who he really is and goes about his daily life. Then his father decides to wed him to our heroine Peyton de Fluornoy. Both of them fight against being wed to each other. Alec even accidently hurts Peyton a few times but in the end he ends up falling in love with her and her with him. Alec’s father then decides that they are both wrong for each other and dissolves the marriage but Alec decides he wants Peyton for himself. He ends up eloping with her against his father’s wishes. After Alec and Peyton decide to do this it creates strain with his family and they go back to Peyton’s keep living happily for a short time but all is not pleasant in the Summerlin household. Alec must go back home and claim his rightful inheritance. When he arrives his family is nice and civil to him and Peyton. Colin Warrington a guest that is staying with Alec’s family is supposed to be married to either Peyton or Peyton’s sister. Colin father Nigel knows lots of secrets about Alec’s family which cause lots of disturbance between everyone which Nigel uses against Alec’s father. Colin eventually takes Peyton and tries to kill her. Alec after discovering this makes the painful decision to get Peyton back by being a knight again and becoming the “legend” yet again. Alec must fight for Peyton and win her back. The story ends happily with Alec coming back home and seeing his son who looks a lot like his dead brother and who is also named after him too.In my mind’s eye I first thought of Alec as having dark hair and resembling Marcus Burton a little bit from Ms. Le Veque’s modern romance Kathlyn Trent/Marcus Burton series. I think it had something to do with seeing on the book cover a man with dark hair. As I got more into the story my view of Alec changed. I saw him with blond hair instead of brown and warmed up to his character even more. Peyton really could put him in his place and wouldn’t back down from a fight. She really changed him not only in the book but also in my view of him too.I rated the book 4 stars even though it was more my issue of the hero changing in appearance than Ms. Le Veque’s and I’m sure that is not what she intended for him to look like anyway. I do however recommend this book and will get more books of Ms. Le Veque’s!

The Legend is one of LeVeque’s earlier works, first published in 2010, and is the first in the Summerlin series. Unlike her later works, Legend is more romance than historical fiction, but it’s just as good.The plot isn’t a rare one, but it is truly well developed. Two people “forced” into marriage, hate each other at first, then fall in love, all while battling an enemy family. Every time I hit a crossroads where I thought, “cliffhanger to be resolved in the next book,” LeVeque kept the tale going until she reached a well earned happily ever after.The character development is absolutely fabulous. The reader sees Alec go from grief stricken former knight of the Crusades, who wants nothing to do with a marriage to a woman he doesn’t know to loving husband and protector more than willing to give up his inheritance to marry the woman, eventually taking up arms against and joining King Edward in his battles to subdue and claim Wales for England. Lady Peyton deFlournoy’s arc is similarly well developed; disguising herself and behaving in a manner so the idea of her marriage to Alec is given up before they meet, stubborn one minute, charming the next, fighting for survival just as hard as Alec fought in the Crusades. Even the secondary characters are robust and delightfully written, from Aunt Jubil, the world’s first cougar, to Nigel and Colin Warrington, two of the most vile characters to grace the written page (who both meet their violent ends, which they deserved).What I loved the most however, was the diversity in the book. Eleven years ago people were still struggling to acknowledge homosexuality, accept mixed marriages, and defeat racism. LeVeque tackles all three issues deftly, well ahead of her time. I don’t think I’ve read any other SFW author who’s tried to tackle these issues.This definitely isn’t a quick read, but it’s a good one. If you can get through 100 pages a day, you’ll be able to read this in a week. It’s certainly worth it.

I didn’t like that you used ‘Christ’ as an exclamation so often.We don’t earn Salvation. It is a free gift. Jesus said to the thief on the cross ‘today you will see Paradise’. The thief didn’t have to do anything but believe and accept that Jesus was the long awaited Savior. Peter didn’t have to do anything but repent of his sins and accept Jesus as Savior to be awarded a place in Heaven.

It’s powerful, strong and as usual well written. Well worth the read.

I really enjoyed this book. There was a few laughs couple of times for tears, I like that Kathryn gives us the lives of others in her writing. I always feel as if I have closure with her books.

Another of Kathryns great reads.

Two sisters Peyton and Ivy de Fluorney have just lost their father and are being harassed by their neighbours, the Warringtons, over the renowned ales they produced.Sir Alec Summerlin had just return from the crusades, having lost his brother in the conflict. Together with his friend Ali, Alec headed home to see family. Known as The Legend, Alec has put down his sword.On his arrival home, Alec is I informed that he should marry and his father Brian days he will marry the eldest of his female wards. Alec refuses to comply. When the de Fluorney sisters arrive, not looking their best, Peyton also refuses. Like Alec she has no intentions of married. With plots within plots and other troubles to be worked out before all ends well.

Do love Kathryn LeVeque's novels and although the blurb indicated a good story I do not feel it was one of her best. As one of the other reviewers commented, there were typos and editing would have made this a much better book. Also the whole thing started very slowly and I found myself skipping parts at the very beginning. I was amused at the part where Peyton found a racoon's nest - not one of England's indigenous species I'm afraid. And half way through the book Peyton's aunt was described as being 42 and then at the end of the book a few months later she was 44. Sex seems to be the standard with medieval romances and although necessary in some cases, I think the inference of what happens is sometimes better than having the whole thing revealed in every detail.As I said before I am a fan of Kathryn's but have only given this three stars as I don't feel it was one of her best. Lespada was far better.