Hope and the Knight of the Black Lion **Mary C. Findley**

Publication Date: September 14, 2010
Genre: Christian Literature, Historical Romance
List Price: $2.99
Sensuality Rating: G

Star Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old-Hope rebels against an arranged marriage in medieval England. With her betrothed missing after pursuing fame and the Church's approval in the Crusades, Hope is tempted by another to defy her family and responsibilities and give in to his proclamations of love. In the meantime she if forced to flee when her family Manor is attacked and her family goes missing. Being witness to the attack and the men who perpetrated it, Hope must now rely on a mysterious knight and his faithful Arab companion to keep her safe and bring her attacker to justice.

My Opinion:

First and foremost let me say that I started this book and was thoroughly confused. It reminded me of the English Lit classes I took in college. You know there's something interesting there if you could just understand what they're saying. That being said, it took me a while to really get in to it due to the fact that I do not speak Old English.

The story being told through the eyes of 17 yr old Hope is, in my opinion a stroke of genius. What could have been a very tedious plot filled with preaching of God and Christianity, in fact became a story of discovery and faith. You see her forced growth from an immature, selfish child to a young lady who learns to think of someone other than herself. In her journey of self-discovery she finds GOD and learns that he works in mysterious ways that are not always apparent to us. 

I can't honestly call this a romance although there are hints of romance here and there. Hope is infact betrothed to a much older man. However she does not know him as he left for the Crusades when she was 3 yrs old. She finds herself tempted by a younger man to defy her family and her responsibilities to her missing betrothed. If that's not enough food for thought for the selfish 17 yr old, when her family home is attacked a mysterious knight pledges himself to her and vows to help her find her family and justice. Betrothed to one and inlove with another, she finds herself drawn to the strength and faith in her mysterious knight. This book is more Christian literature than romance, but a pretty good read just the same.

MAJOR WARNING... The use of Old English and Arabic dialect is confusing. If you can't get past that then this book is not for you because you will miss the real message being told.

Recommendations:

This book, in my opinion, would be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys reading Christian literature, heavy on the scriptures and preaching. Because of the historical data in it, it would also be enjoyed by fans of historical romances

REVIEW BY IRIS

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