by Jules Watson
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| List Price: | $14.95 |
| Average Rating: |  |
| Lowest New Price: | $17.37 |
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Product Description
AD 79 and Agricola, the ruthless governor of Roman Britain, is turning his attentions to the last unconquered territory in Britain - Alba, Scotland. Rhiann is a courageous and beautiful Scottish princess and priestess scarred by her violent past. Of noble blood, she faces what for her is the ultimate sacrifice - a forced marriage - to protect the freedom of her people. Eremon is an enigmatic Irish prince in exile, who must seek an alliance elsewhere to regain his throne. Will he prove himself to be the man who can unite the squabbling Celtic tribes against the more ominous threat of Rome? With war and chaos looming for her people, Rhiann finds herself drawn into an unexpected journey of the spirit and heart, which will reveal the true purpose of her life. THE WHITE MARE is the first novel in the Dalriada Trilogy and marks the arrival of an outstanding new talent in historical fiction. In the grand tradition of the historical epic, it is a tale of heroic deeds, of kinship and kingship, and the struggle for power, honour, freedom, and love.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 good read, 2008-11-21
I always tell people you need to stay with the book and read thru the first 100 or so pages. the story picks up incredibly after that and I could not stop reading it.The characters are so vibrant and stay with you. you really fall in love with them. couldnt get eremon and Rhianon out of my mind when the book ended. the sequeals are incredible and I found myself smiling and crying at some poignant parts(I usually never do this).In fact this is one of my favourite series that I told my 8 yr old that when I am no longer be to read in my golden yrs,this is one book she has to read to me when the time comes.LOVE THIS BOOK.Eagerly waiting Watsom new book whicj is due out in March.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Too predictable, 2008-06-11
The White Mare is mostly a disappointment, featuring a predictable story, bland characters, and a "will they or won't they" romantic plot that is more suitable for a Sex in the City episode than a historical novel.
Set in 80 AD Alba (Scotland), the novel is about Eremon, an Irish prince who becomes a Scottish warleader against Roman conquerors led by Agricola. Eremon is likable and capable but also boring. We expect him to do the right thing and do it well. He is joined by Rhiann, a Scottish princess and priestess who is unsurprisingly beautiful, opinionated, and stubborn. She also experienced the usual trauma for historical heroines. All the women in these novels go through the same thing, and I wish they didn't. There must be other ways to characterize women than subjecting them to such grisliness. Eremon and Rhiann's soap opera of a relationship propels the novel to no satisfaction. We know what is going to happen, so why does the author take 400 pages to make it happen?
If the romantic melodrama were not bad enough, the author also glosses over the potentially thrilling parts. Twice, Eremon is in tight spots thanks to the Romans, and the author breezes through the scenes. We usually learn the most about characters when they are in jeopardy. I think that the author should have spent more time with these scenes. Also, the villains are instantly recognizable and despicable, at least to us; it takes the characters longer to judge them. In my opinion, readers should never know more than the characters. If we already know what is coming, why should we keep reading?
To be fair, the novel has a few strong points. The author describes the druidic and primal mysteries with flair and sensuality. Since the heroes are so pleasant and attractive, it is easy to root for them to succeed.
The White Mare might appeal to people who like historical romances, but they should be warned that the storyline is predictable and unoriginal. Some people do not mind a novel where they can guess the ending by the tenth page; this novel is for them, not for me. I won't read the next installments of the series.
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Hmm?, 2008-03-13
I couldn't get past the 100 page mark. The storyline was interesting, but Watson's writing style got to me. Her writing is very simple and doesn't keep you interested. You can tell she doesn't have any previous writing experience. Just because she's been reading books for 15 years doesn't mean she's gained enough experience to start writing her own book.
4 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
 Disapointed, 2007-06-30
I picked this book up at the library and started reading . . . it seemed like it could be a good story, but it's full of sexual scenes that I personally don't want to read and try hard to avoid. Definitely not a teen book and if this what the other books are like, then I'd say, don't read them.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Exactly what I was Looking For, 2007-05-04
I had been looking for a book like this for years, not quite knowing how to dig into the historical fantasy genre deep enough to find this exact period and setting. I had been satisfied by writers such as Diana Gabaldon, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Morgan Llewellyn, and I gladly put Jules Watson right up there with that trio of incredible authors. She vividly describes the life, the people, the countryside and you feel like you are with her every step of the way. I think that the romantic resistance created by the characters and their positions in the world works very well, and the tension we are left with is more than enough to tie us to these characters with love and longing for their future.
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