Book Review and Giveaway: Highlander Betrayed, by Laurin Wittig

I love historical fiction, so I was very excited to have the opportunity to review Highlander Betrayed, Book 1 in the Guardians of the Targe series by Laurin Wittig. But I was even more thrilled to find that this story also has a supernatural element to it.

Highlander Betrayed focuses on the story of Rowan MacGregor and Nicholas fitz Hugh. They meet when Nicholas is sent by the king of England as a spy to steal an ancient relic from the MacAlpin clan of Scotland. Rowan is the niece of Lady Elspet, the current “Guardian of the Targe,” who is tasked with protecting the relic, which is said to ensure the safety of the clan’s people. But Lady Elspet is gravely ill, and it is assumed that her eldest daughter, Jeanette, is destined to become the new Guardian. But, as often happens, things don’t go quite according to plan. Nicholas has managed to gain entrance to the clan and is gaining their trust, but he begins to doubt his mission when he finds himself falling for Rowan and finding the family he always wanted among her people. Will Nicholas follow through with his plan to steal the Targe, or will his love for Rowan cause him to change his allegiance?

Now, I mentioned that there’s also a supernatural element to the story. The person chosen to be the Guardian always has some sort of special power or skill. So everyone is naturally confused when Rowan, who is not destined to be the Guardian and isn’t even a blood-relation to Lady Elspet, finds that she can move people and objects, and conjure up windstorms, when she feels strong emotions like anger or passion. Where does this power come from? And can Rowan learn how to harness it to help save her clan from being conquered by the king of England?

Throughout the book, we feel both Rowan’s and Nicholas’s struggles against competing loyalties. Can they have love together and yet remain loyal to their countries? Rowan is a strong woman who will stop at nothing to protect her family. And Nicholas comes to find that many of the assumptions he’d made in the past may not necessarily be true. Being Book 1 in a series, the ending of the book leaves the door open for more action in Book 2, and yet it has a very satisfying ending that doesn’t make the reader feel cheated. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Highlander Betrayed, and can’t wait for the next book in the series!

GIVEAWAY

One lucky winner will receive my paperback copy of Highlander Betrayed (Guardians of the Targe, Book 1), by Laurin Wittig. Enter through the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will end at 11:59 PM ET on Thursday, September 26, 2013.



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Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, but all opinions are 100% my own. This post contains my Amazon affiliate link.