Dauntless

What would you do if the one woman you vowed to love, marry and spend the rest of your life with, apparently was murdered? What would you do, years later when you see that she is very much alive and may in fact be a wanted woman? What lengths would you go to to rectify the feelings you still have for her?

These are the very questions running through Timothy Grey's mind as he is placed in charge of Wyndeshire, by the local earl as he is called away by King John. Being the ninth child, Timothy has had to struggle to get to where he is right now, the chance to win a title and impress the Earl of Wyndeshire. In order to accomplish that, he has been tasked to hunt down a group of thieves known only as the Ghosts of Farthingale Forest. He knows the lands and forests better than any, but the last thing he expected to discover was Lady Merry Ellison among them.

Timothy isn't sure that she is part of the group and believes she must being held against her will. So Timothy vows to stage a rescue mission and hopefully win back the heart of the woman who has captivated his heart and soul. Merry knows that Timothy will do the right thing when it comes to arresting those responsible for stealing, but her group of misfits and children who have no parents have only taken just what they need in order to survive, and have never taken a life in all their raids. She knows that if their group is discovered, it will mean most of her group of children and young men will face the gallows including herself. If only there was a way to convince Timothy that her intentions are honorable despite the attempts by King John to have her murdered along with her family and the other children as well.

I received Dauntless by Dina L. Sleiman compliments of Bethany House Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are strictly my own. This is a revised version along the lines of Robin Hood, where in this case, our expert with a bow and arrow is Merry Ellison. Perfect debut for fans of heroines like Katniss Everdeen. She coexists along the same time period as Robyn the Hood and even makes reference to their group being easily mistake as Robyn's band of merry men. This is the first novel in the Valiant Hearts series, and is definitely quite a bit different from most novels I've read where the woman is the lead character and heroine taking up the role of carrying for those under her, in this case, children who have no parents or homes. I guess much like the Lost Boys were in Peter Pan. Here however, the children range in age from very young to their teens. The law states that any as old as 7 can be hanged if they are discovered to have committed a crime against the king and that would mean most of Merry's group. Truly an unforgettable adventure into the life of a noble outlaw in the land of Medieval England. I would give this one a 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about Dauntless, Dina L. Sleiman, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Dauntless by Dina L. Sleiman

You can find Dina L. Sleiman on her blog Valient Hearts to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

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