"Wonderful paranormal Celtic tale!"
Our story begins in Scotland in the year 843AD. The
Scottish King, Kenneth McAlpin, is attempting to gain peace
with the Picts. They are all at a banquet, Kenneth, his
brother, Donald, his cousin, Malcolm, and other Scottish
warriors. On the Pict side, we have seven nobles. Well,
when you get men and ale together, a fight inevitably
breaks out and the seven Picts end up dead. Kenneth will
now be able to be crowned as the King of Alba, the name he
came up with for a united Scotland and Pictavia. Being very
sneaky, Kenneth managed to steal Malcolm's "skin" and won't
return it until he is crowned, even though Malcolm really
wants it back. While sleeping one night, Malcolm wakes up when he becomes
aware of someone in the room with him. Immediately yelling
out, Malcolm hears and manages to capture the assassin.
Bringing the would-be killer before his king, Malcolm makes
everyone aware the assassin just happens to be a woman, and
a very beautiful one at that. When Kenneth gives Malcolm a
choice of either marrying the woman or hanging her, Malcolm
is not pleased. So he suggests a compromise, a handfasting
of a year and a day. Kenneth agrees and so Malcolm finds
himself handfasted to a Pict. Bethoc lost both her father and her betrothed to the Scots.
In accordance with the ways of her people, she has sworn
vengeance. Of course, vengeance doesn't include being
married to a man that does strange things to her insides
whenever he touches her. Knowing her husband is hiding
something from her, she begins to investigate to learn
Malcolm's secret. Will the two of them fall in love and live happily ever
after? What of Malcolm's secret? And what is this "skin"
stolen from him by Kenneth? Will Kenneth be crowned King of
Alba? DANGER IS SWEET is a story of one my favorite times in
history; the Celtic era. Cornelia Amiri has obviously done
her research into this subject before ever setting pen to
paper, or fingers to keyboard, whichever the case may be.
Every time I pick up one of Cornelia's books and begin
reading, I learn something new about this period in
history. Cornelia brings this period to life as we follow
our hero and heroine through the beginning of
their "forced" handfasting. I really love the paranormal
element woven throughout this story as we discover the
secret Malcolm is holding close. This is a wonderful story
and I highly recommend it to all lovers of anything Celtic. Posted October 20, 2004
Reviewed by Chere Gruver
Posted January 17, 2007
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From ancient druid lore, springs the tale of a mysterious, dark warrior, a fiery Pict Princess, and the shadowy secret standing between them. Bethoc, a Pict Princess, looses her father and her betrothed in the massacre of McAlpin's treason. After a failed attempt to slay the Scot King, Kenneth McAlpin, she is forced to wed the king's cousin, Malcolm. Malcolm must somehow forge a strong enough friendship with the Pict princess to get her to help him guard the Scot's greatest treasure, the Stone of Destiny, as they carry it to Scone. For Kenneth means to be crowned in Scone on the jewel of destiny. Both Malcolm and Bethoc's friendship soon turns to love. But just when their relationship develops to the point where Bethoc declares her love for Malcolm, he reveals an unbelievable, dark secret. Also available in print.
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